Elderflower Cordial

As a child, elderflower cordial always seemed like a very grown-up drink – though we drank it with soda water or tap water. My family always loved foraging in the hedgerows to make a variety of home-made wines, which until I was much older I was not allowed to drink! It was always great fun to collect the elderflowers and always picked more than was needed just to get the best ones for the cordial. It is really refreshing on a hot sunny day and tastes great!

Ingredients:
20/25 Sprays of elderflower heads – picked on a fine day when the fragrance is intense and not near a road
Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon – both unwaxed
Lemon juice
Sugar – unrefined will give a darker cordial.

1. Snip the flower heads from the main stems and place in a large bowl.

2. Pour boiling water over them – just enough to cover and press them well down.

3. Cover and steep until cold or overnight.

4. Strain the liquid through muslin and squeeze all the liquid out.

5. Measure the liquid and put in a pan and for every 500ml (18fl oz) add 350g (12oz) of sugar and up to 50ml (2flozs) lemon juice.

6. Taste to make sure your cordial is neither too sharp nor too sweet by adjusting the lemon juice.

7. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar stirring occasionally and then bring to the boil, just to thicken the syrup – about 2 minutes at the most but every batch seems to be different.

8. Strain again through muslin to remove any scum and pour into clean sterilised bottles.

9. Seal with screw caps, or corks, and keep in the fridge. I like to use the mini wine bottles that are dark green.

10. Serve diluted with chilled fizzy or soda water.

The cordial can be used to flavour home-made ice-cream, mousses etc.

NB this recipe can be doubled, trebled, however much you want to make.

Enjoy!

Filed under: Drink, Gluten Free, Local Produce, elderflower cordial, lemon, orange, sugar

Homemade Beef Burgers

I make my own beefburgers as most bought ones contain rusk or breadcrumbs, which is fine if you don’t suffer from coeliac disease. Not only can you get your butcher to mince you some good quality free-range beef but you can get more for your money.

I always make mine the same way but was intrigued to read in the Sunday Times, in a cookery article by someone whose name I forget, that his stepson – William – made his beefburgers with the same ingredients that I use, only he added an egg to his basic mixture. He also gave the recipe for a ‘Ploughman’s burger’ this just had some added extras to the basic mixture. I had to try his recipe and they are very good indeed, and I’m sure he won’t mind if I share his recipe with you.

I also make a spicy burger just by adding sweet chilli sauce to the basic mixture, but if you like them really hot just chop an extra chilli into that mixture.

I imagine that any flavouring could be added to the basic mixture including a curry paste – though that is one flavour I have not tried yet!

I serve the plain beefburger in warm soft rolls with a tomato relish or a garlic mayonnaise. The Ploughman’s burger the same way. But I think would serve the chilli burger with some soy sauce, chopped spring onions and red peppers and the curry burger with mango chutney mixed into some plain yoghurt.

All of them go well with a salad, a glass of wine, a warm summer’s evening and family and friends.

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

Basic recipe:
2lbs/900g Good minced beef
1 Large onion very finely chopped
2 Cloves of garlic finely chopped
A good handful of chopped parsley
Salt and black pepper

Ploughman's version:
To the basic mixture add 3½-4 ozs/100g of grated mature cheddar cheese
3tblsps Dijon mustard
4 heaped tblsps Onion marmalade

1 In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together with your hands until well mixed.

2 Shape the mixture into burgers; they can be whatever size you wish to make them.

3 Place them in the fridge for an hour or two before using, as the chilling helps stop them falling apart when cooking.

4 They can be cooked medium-rare or well-done depending on taste, and a BBQ gives the best flavour.

NB The burgers can be made in advance and frozen, but they are best used within 2 weeks. Important defrost thoroughly before cooking.

Enjoy!

Filed under: Gluten Free, Local Produce, Mains, beef, burgers, cheese, coeliac diet, coeliac recipes, gluten free, gluten free food, gluten free meals, gluten free recipes, homemade beef burgers, mustard, onion, what is gluten, wheat free diet, wheat free foods, wheat free recipes

Wine Tasting Afternoon

Tasting Date: 03/10/09

I had been looking forward to this tasting afternoon since The Romsey Show a month ago, especially as it was going to be wines from the Rhone region which are my personal favourites.

Rather than the 15 minute walk to the train station, we bumped into our neighbour while coming back from walking his dog and he offered to take us up to the station, which was real a bonus, especially as it was starting to look very gloomy overhead.

An hour later and we arrived at the Wine shop and were greeted by Mrs Dawkins one of the owners of Heaton Wines. We were warmly welcomed in and asked if we were there for the wine tasting. Once we had an empty glass in hand, the pouring started and we began trying and enjoying the wines on offer.

We started with a Domaine Bressy Masson Rasteau White Cotes Du Rhone Villages that came straight from the fridge. Not having had too many white rhones before, I did not know what to expect. I was pleasantly suprised as I am not a huge white wine drinker. However it did taste a whole lot better once the wine had warmed in our hands.

Next we moved onto the Reds and the ones we had on offer to try were:

Domaine Bressy Masson Cotes Du Rhone 2008
Chateau de Montmirail Gigondas 2007
Domain Du Pourra Seguret Cotes Du Rhone Villages 2004
ending up with the chilled sweet Red Vin Doux’s.

Having had a bottle of Domaine Bressy Masson Cotes Du Rhone 2007 from The Romsey Show, I wanted to try the 2008 version. After a sip or two I realised it was so different, only being a year newer. It was so much lighter than the 2007 and didnt have the same depth. However it still tasted great and would make a fantastic supping wine, so we bought a bottle to bring home and enjoy.

Quickly moving on, we tried the other two reds and they were fantastic, going down very easily. I think I will be back for some of the Seguret for dinner parties and possibly christmas too!

Once we had spent at least an hour trying the wines on offer, we were advised to pay a visit to the Art Portfolio Gallery down the road, where an Irish artist, Philip Gray, was displaying his paintings and where the rest of the Heaton Wine staff were in attendance with champagnes, and more wines, including a Rose Cotes Du Rhone.

We were welcomed in by Paul Dawkins from Heaton Wines and promptly given a glass of champers, at which point I had lost how many glasses we had tried!! The most bizzare thing then to happen, was to see Charlie Dimmock entering the small gallery, as the guest visitor for the opening. She seemed very nice when I briefly spoke to her at the bar area.

I enjoyed my time in the gallery, viewing all the paintings and meeting many new people like Lyn Ebdan who I discovered is in-charge of The Romsey Show.

Just before we left to catch our train home, there was a presentation made to Charlie, by Philip, of one of his paintings, so I decided to take a couple of snaps before leaving. The gallery then asked if I could email the pictures I had taken to them once I got home, as they wanted to try and get a piece in the next edition of Hampshire Life Magazine (wonder if I will get the credit?).

Sat on the train home and then actually having to do the 15 minute walk home in the much cooler evening, it allowed the wines to wear off and let me reflect on what had been a fun and bizarre day all in one!

I’m looking forward to my next wine tasting trip to Heaton Wines already!

Filed under: Drink, Local Produce, art, art gallery, gallery, hampshire, rhone, tasting, wine, wine tasting

Goose Slade Farm Shop

Are you looking for fresh local country produce in the South Somerset area?

If so, we highly recommend a visit to Goose Slade Farm Shop, near Yeovil, which has been open to the public for several years and stocks many local products, including their own organic geese.

Products on ofer are local breads, wines, beers and ciders, meats, cheeses, fruits and veg and gluten free products, as well as local luxury items.

Whenever we come home, we always make a trip out to the Farm to stock up on our weekly shopping.

You can always expect a cheery welcome and chat from Philip and family, and they are always keen to tell us about their latest ranges and produce.

Enjoy the visit and a cream tea at the same time!

Filed under: Local Produce, farm, goose, shop, slade, yeovil

The Food Show at The Romsey Show

Show Date: 12/09/09

I hadnt been to a full-on Food Show in a couple of years and had never been to one in the Hampshire area before, so was very pleasantly suprised at the size and layout of the event on what was a gorgeous hot and sunny day!

You couldnt miss The Food Show area at The Romsey Show for the size of the signs leading you there and welcoming you in…

There were many great ‘localish’ food producers from other Counties like East Sussex and London but what I wanted to see, taste, discover and hopefully buy, was local Hampshire produce.

There were several local beer and wine companies which is always a good thing with me and two notable beers that I came home with were ‘Wallops Wood’ from Bowman Ales Ltd and ‘Resolute’ from Andwell Brewing Company, both of which were perfect for my tastes!

I then was warmly welcomed at the Heaton Wines stall which was partnered up with The Star Inn tent. Paul Dawkins, the MD of Heaton Wines took the time to talk to me about his latest ranges and suppliers from France as well as informing me of wine tasting days coming up which I was invited to. I walked away with a Bressy Masson Cotes Du Rhone that wasnt actually being sold on the day so thanks to them for letting me purchase one. I really enjoyed it once I got home!!

After getting the drinks out of the way and visiting a miriad of bakers, butchers, cheese makers and organic food producers, 3 other companies need a worthy mention. Firstly Sunnyfields Organic Farm whose fresh organic veg on display was a delight – my sister had been raving about them for months and I hadnt had a chance to visit them – so to finally see what was on offer was great! We went home with plenty of veg for the weekend and following week. Next was Tailor Made Desserts whose display again made me come over to see what was on offer, only to be plesantly suprised by the Gluten Free cakes they had brought with them. Finally is Pete’s New Forest Butchers who again had on display the fact they made Gluten Free produce as well. Their sausages looked great and I will be definately getting some more of them.

All in all the day inspired me to find out how much more there is to discover locally, from suppliers to foraging and growing my own fruit and veg too.

I’m already looking forward to the next local food show to visit!

(If anyone at the show would like me to list their local produce websites, please leave a comment with all the information with this post).

Filed under: Gluten Free, Local Produce, coeliac diet, coeliac recipes, food show, gluten free, gluten free food, gluten free meals, gluten free recipes, hampshire, local producers, new forest, review, romsey show, what is gluten, wheat free diet, wheat free foods, wheat free recipes

Urban Foraging

When I was younger, the idea of being dragged out for the afternoon fruit picking with the family was as much fun as going to the dentist. But recently, with the advent of TV shows like River Cottage, ‘foraging/fruit picking’ has become a growing trend, which I got suprisingly hooked by when going for a walk this afternoon (saturday) in the woods behind our home.

We started to notice bush upon bush of untouched blackberries within a few minutes of our walk, so abrubtly turned round, picked up a container and went back to start filling it. Within only a few minutes, we had collected just under a pound of blackberries and were already deciding what to do with them.

When we got back home we decided that we would try to make three things from them all:

Blackberry and Apple Crumble (Gluten Free)
Blackberry Compote
Blackberry Vinegar

the last two being more of mum’s suggestions and recipes. Over the next few days I will add the recipes on here, once I have tried them out.

Now I realise why we were dragged around picking fruit as children, as you cannot find fruit this fresh in your local supermarket!

On the walk home, we also noticed bushes of sloes and elderberries, so if tomorrow is fine weather, I think another walk is in order. Already have some ideas as to what to do with them!

Filed under: Local Produce, Others, blackberries, blackberry, blackberry vinegar, compote, coulis, crumble, elderberry vinegar, foraging, fruit, river cottage, sloes, urban, vinegar