Category: Autumn

  • The Sloe Trilogy III: How to make sloe wine, vodka, jam

    Fridge Jam This is the third part of the Sloe Trilogy where you use the same batch of sloes to make wine, vodka and fridge jam. This jam has the great sloe taste. I was surprised, to be honest, because I thought that the flavour transfer to the wine and vodka would mean it carried…

  • The Sloe Trilogy II: How to make sloe wine, vodka, jam

    This is the second part of the Sloe Trilogy where you use the same batch of sloes to make wine, vodka and fridge jam. In the first part I showed you how to make the wine, here are the instructions for the vodka. When you have strained the sloes off the wine ‘must‘ you can…

  • The Sloe Trilogy I: How to make sloe wine, vodka, jam

    I like making the most of a harvest. Especially when the harvest is as hard won as picking sloes. So I wanted to work out a way of getting multiple products from the same batch of produce. I don’t mean dividing the produce and making three different things, I mean using the product sequentially for…

  • Fermenting Revolution 3 – Kimchi

    Kimchi Recipe Kimchi is a traditional Korean spicy vegetable pickle. The veg starts off being brined and then it’s rinsed and allowed to ferment in a paste of onion, garlic, ginger and chillies. It’s normally made with shredded chinese style cabbage as the base with other vegetables included. Basically, you can make it with anything,…

  • Fermenting Revolution 2 – Apple cider vinegar

    It’s apple harvesting time. You may be wondering what else you can do with nature’s bounty after the pies, chutneys, jellies and the like. While going through Sandor Katz’s book I mentioned in Fermenting Revolution 1 I saw home made vinegars. And I’ve found that making vinegar really is very simple and the result is…

  • Blackberry Apple & Chilli Chutney Recipe

    This produces a chutney that has a rich, intense and complex flavour: blackberry plus. And the colour is a deep vermilion that is striking on the plate. I first used it as a condiment with a cheese platter and the sweet-sour-chilli flavours complemented the cheese and sourdough bread spectacularly. I next used it to deglaze…

  • Blackberry wine recipe

    Our blackberry wine is a delight. It tastes almost like port, rich and smooth with a good depth of ripe fruit flavour. This year everyone seems to be saying that the blackberries are earlier than ever, so I thought it might be useful if I popped up the recipe I will be using. It’s really…

  • Nettle & Hazlenut Tart Recipe

    I’m developing a bit of a ‘thing’ about using nettles. I love it that I’m not putting money in the supermarket bosses’ pockets. I love it that they effectively cultivate themselves. I love it that they are so nutritious: high in vitamins A & C, contain essential minerals and have one of the highest protein…

  • Nettle Gnocchi Recipe

    I’ve been looking for more ways to use this freely available and nutritious vegetable. This recipe makes a vibrant green gnocchi that’s as tasty as it is inexpensive. If the preparation takes a while, it’s more than paid off with the short cooking time. One of the keys to success with this recipe is to…