Try Next Year
What was in Jan's Pan?
July
No musical signature tune comes to mind this month, but there's definitely a sports theme this July. It started with the hottest first day of Wimbledon ever (apparently) and ended with the Lionesses holding on to their Euro title, putting the public through penalty perjury along the way but emerging triumphant.
Wimbledon is always high on my agenda, not only for the comforting pit pat of balls as the soundtrack for my day (or perhaps thwack thwack - there were some impressive but aggressive rallies this year) but also for the excuse to eat strawberries and drink Pimms (with ginger beer or tonic rather than sickly sweet lemonade). Apparently 34.8 tonnes of a variety of strawberry called ‘Malling Centenary’ are eaten at the tournament each year, all grown by one family-run local business.
I don't have quite that quantity of fruit in my garden (the alpines certainly wouldn't meet demand), but it is a constant round of picking and preserving. The plums have peaked, along with the blackcurrants and even the brambles are bearing very ripe blackberries. The redcurrants are all gone, as are the gooseberries - I blinked and missed those, the birds clearly guage exactly when they are ready. The aronia berries (also known as choke berries) are the same - a less well known fruit but the birds are well aware of their superfruit status so it's a race to pick them first.
It's courgette glut season too, I was gifted 5kg (alongside those in my veg box and own garden patch) which set me off on a courgette challenge, one I'm happy to embrace. Courgettes have to be one of the most versatile of veg and can be cooked every which way, each method changing their nature completely. From slow cooked and unctuous to crispy courgette fries, I defy anyone not to like them in one form or another. Read on for my suggestions to make that pile gradually disappear.
The July weather has been conducive to much Riverside dining. From the local River Lee to the Thames, along the Stour and up to the Trent, there were some fabulous new discoveries alongside regular favourites. A trip to the Ware Food festival in the Priory Gardens alongside the River Lea revealed some local foodie finds, and the Guild of Fine Foods announced the results of this year's Great Taste Awards and the identity was revealed for some of the products I tasted blind earlier this year. Everywhere I look there are examples of these awards, and the food festival was no exception. It's such a boost to small businesses, these prestigious awards really do help to identify quality products worth trying.
Almost on cue, the weather changed as soon as the school holidays began, but I'm no longer beholden to those restrictions so I can revel in my release. For once I welcomed the cooling rain and was glad to be relieved of my garden watering duties and set to preserving all my garden pickings instead. Things are gearing up for the women’s rugby next so it’s time to settle down with my Great Taste tasters, some good cheese and my favourite plum chutney. Come on ladies, let’s do this!
Welcome to July's courgette challenge!
The humble courgette is the master of disguises. See how one vegetable can reinvent itself in many different forms:
Top right
Griddled courgettes with burrata salad with slow roast tomatoes (see what's in Jan's airfryer) and the last of the homegrown lettuce. (Crisp up any limp lettuce with a stint in some icy cold water then shake and dry in a tea towel. This can happily be kept in a bag lined with kitchen paper in the fridge for a couple of days).
Drizzle with Great Taste 3 star Mazzetti L’Originale balsamic vinegar of Modena, a beautifully well balanced and good value quality vinegar (£9.95 for 250g in Sainsbury’s). Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and you’re sorted.
Middle right
Jammy courgettes, recipe courtesy of Emily Gussin. Find her recipe on her Instagram and on Substack. Super versatile, the courgettes are sliced and cooked down until they soften and collapse. Her suggestions are to stir through pasta, or use as a topping for bruschetta or hummus. Best of all, the mix can be frozen to whip out once the fresh courgettes are long gone. I’ll be using them in risottos and frittatas too. Next time I’m going to add some butter for frying to add more flavour (keep the oil so it doesn’t burn), and will add some fresh herbs too. Courgettes happily welcome thyme, mint, chives and marjoram or oregano, even lemon balm as partners, they’re such easy going chaps. Besides, buttery fried courgettes are my favourite way to eat them, after all.
Bottom right
Crispy courgette fries
I first fell in love with the Zucchini fries at Polpo in Soho so I wanted to recreate these crisp matchsticks.
I used spirallised or very fine matchsticks and soaked them in milk then dusted them with seasoned flour. These are usually deep fried but to save the faff of hot oil I experimented with these in the air fryer. 5 mins at 200C gives a variable result but I also found that a spritz of oil and dusting of flour worked quite well if you don't mind them being very crispy and slightly charred. Not to Polpo's standard, but crunchy and moreish nevertheless. I still need to work on this one...
Bottom middle
Courgette and chickpea fritters
Mix 1 grated and squeezed courgette (use a clean tea towel to squeeze out the moisture) with 100g drained chickpeas, 50g gram (chickpea) flour and 1 egg. Add seasoning and flavourings of your choice. Sliced fresh chilli and chopped mint work well. Add some grated hard cheese if you fancy (a hard goat's cheese adds tang - I found another 1 star product to test, Woldsway from St Helen’s Farm.) Add a little of the aquafaba (chickpea liquid) to loosen and bind if necessary to give a spoonable consistency. Shallow fry spoonfuls for 2-3 minutes each side until crisp and browned. Delicious as a base for a fried or poached egg.
Bottom Left
Courgetti Spaghetti
Use a spiraliser to make long strips and use as an alternative to spaghetti if you're going carb free, or bulk out cooked wholewheat spaghetti by stirring in just before draining. Save some of the pasta water and stir in a couple of tablespoons of tapenade and sundried tomato paste to make a simple sauce. Add halved cherry tomatoes and top with some feta, goat's cheese or mozzarella balls with basil. Top with some of the crispy fries for extra crunch.
Plenty more options left to try now, as every food writer worth their salt touts their favourite recipes at this time of year. Courgette cakes, fritatta, our favourite ratatouille (see June archive for my speedy air fryer version) to name but a few. Fellow food writer, Claire Ruston, claims to be a wiz at making courgettes disappear - she does a great round up from her produce garden in Bulgaria every year, search for her pen name Auntie Bulgaria and you'll find them.
Only another few kilos to go (before the next batch appear on the plant....).
Keep an eye on my Instagram for more ideas as I work my way through the pile.
Messing About on the River
bottom right
Ravishingly roasted Mediterranean vegetables on sourdough or a saucy sausage sandwich with Baron Bigod and Branston pickle gravy at the The Magpie Hotel in Sunbury Village, the perfect location to sup a beverage or two and watch the fancy river craft cruise by.
The Sunbury Embroidery Gallery Cafe in the walled garden is our usual favourite for homemade soup, freshly made sandwiches and an array of wonderful homemade cakes. A stroll round the garden, past the Lendy Lion war memorial and over to our favourite bench by the river.
Main pic and middle right and middle bottom
The Anchor Inn in Nayland on the River Stour near Colchester was our welcome destination following a walk from the idyllic Rushbanks Farm campsite (again, out of peak season - such a treat).
A tempting blackboard of spritz specials ( I had the aperol with grapefruit soda), delicious well cooked food and a mini Basque cheesecake and coffee to follow (bottom left).
Top right and bottom left
And finally, find of the year, Roux at Skindles on the riverbank by Maidenhead bridge on the Taplow side. A fantastic value 3 course table d’hote menu for £35 eaten on the decking overlooking the Thames on a perfect July day. The menu showcased the skills of the Roux dynasty, as you would hope, with Alain Roux at the helm (we had to clarify the family tree with the waiter, but Alain is Michel Roux senior's son, so Michael of Gavroche fame is his cousin).
My choice was courgette & spinach soup (before I'd hit the glut), or melon and proscuitto, with homemade breads accompanied with a bellini or kir, followed by sea bream with soy and ginger pak choi, edamame beans and crispy onion, and finished with a vanilla pannacotta, mango compote and passion fruit coulis. Simply Delicious.
A £2 donation for the swan rescue charity was added to the bill. Not a problem, but a first hand, and frankly terrifying, encounter with a protective male swan at eye level whilst kayaking on the Stour rather put me off rescuing anyone but myself at the time. An unforgettable brush with nature though, so any means of preserving it is always worthwhile.
Back home, our favourite riverside pub is The Woolpack (considering the number of rivers converging on Hertford, there are surprisingly few). With its sunny spot by the side of the River Lee, we've been known to sneak out for a crafty lunchtime snack and a draught of something cold from the local McMullen's brewery.
Whatever, as they say, floats your boat.
Cheers!
Slow roast tomatoes
Halve and toss in oil and cook 150C for 15 mins . Season, and throw in some fresh thyme if you have it. Shake a couple of times and cook until charred but still slightly soft. This really intensifies and concentrates the flavours. Cheffy son suggests adding a dash of lime and a pinch of sugar and using the dehydrate setting, great flavour suggestions but I find my method gives a quick fix that is just as effective for confit style tomatoes.
Perfect on toast, in salads and for poking into a focaccia dough before baking.
Sourdough croutons
Toss cubes of bread in enough oil to coat them evenly.
Cook on Max Crisp 240C for 5-10 mins.
A great way to use up sad sourdough past its best (and those that know me well know I hate to waste anything, especially anything homemade). Also the perfect solution to suitably dispose of the flavourful oil from jars such as sun-dried tomatoes or roasted peppers
Toss into your favourite salad for added crunch.
Now, to perfect those courgette fries….
The Ware Food Festival is small, but perfectly formed, and provided the perfect Sunday afternoon pastime, spent sampling and chatting to stallholders, many of whom were local producers and small businesses. Great Taste awards were evident all around, and with results of this years awards just announced it was interesting to see the system in action and hear of the producers’ experiences.
French and Day delicatessan had a stall offering a lunchtime snack box. Their shop in the high street is a Guild of Fine Food Retailer, and they champion many of the local rarely stock anything without the Guild of Fine Food's Great Taste endorsement. This is the place to choose cheese or charcuterie, or peruse the shop for something a bit special, whilst drinking a cup of coffee with a home made cake or pastel de nata. Community minded and champions of local and British producers, long may their campaign to bring good food to Ware High street continue.
The Hertford Sauce Company (bottom left) has one star for its tomato sauce - a very fresh tasting tomato sauce that bears no resemblance to Heinz (if that's what you insist on), but this is made from tomatoes grown in St Albans and is light and pulpy which allows the tomatoes to sing. Gary told us his story of taking professional product development advice and setting up the business in Lockdown. His production is still fairly small scale, he produces a batch of around 500 bottles of sauce in a small production unit, and sells it in local delis and markets. This small scale operation means the £70 entry fee for a Great Taste Award is a gamble, and the fact he's been operating for a couple of years means he is no longer eligible to enter one product for free. But he agreed that the feedback gained is invaluable, so may consider entering his Brown sauce next year.
He also collaborates with local businesses such as the Hertford Honey Company whose honey is included in the honey barbecue sauce, and he produces limited edition specials such as Cranberry ketchup at Christmas, and Double Cherry. Follow Hertford Sauce Co on Instagram and Facebook to find stockists.
Over on the Stort Valley Gifting stall I rediscovered the Riverside Distillery range where flavoured vodka, gin and whiskey products are presented in beautiful gift-worthy bottles. The cost of producing these means they will soon be discontinued so I snapped up the passionfruit vodka and chocolate whisky (that’s one July birthday gift sorted). I discovered that they have premises in Harlow, where they put together gifting hampers of local food and drink, and invited me to go for a tasting session of the local products they stock, including local Harlow pasta. Definitely one to be tested.
We bought some samosas home (top right) which crisped up beautifully on the reheat setting on the air fryer (definitely seeing the benefit of my air fryer purchase) and tasted all manner of flavoured cheese (bottom middles). We didn't buy any as we're self-confessed food snobs and cheese purists (there, I’ve said it) but the wholegrain mustard cheese was reminiscent of Welsh cheese Y fenni (which I do love) but Prosecco flavoured was just a step too far.....
We finished off with a slab of 'chocolate school cake' hand made by Mollie of Ted Treats bakery stall, to butter up our headmistress friend whose drive we'd highjacked for some convenient parking close-by. It couldn't have fitted the bill more perfectly.
It's been a long hot summer, and at the time of writing I think we may be up to our fifth official heatwave (although it all merges into one sweaty blur), and we are officially in drought. Barren brown lawns are a testament to that, and the poor fruit trees and bushes are in a state of quandary, not knowing whether to ripen early or even bother to fruit at all.The plums lay parched with not even a prune to be seen, the redcurrants arrived early and only the birds benefitted, and even my prize blackcurrants were sparse. The original bush stubbonly refused to fruit, citing old age and mistreatment, but the young eager ones allowed me enough to make some of my favourite fruit treats, as you'll see below.
We celebrated Dad's life at the beginning of June, along with 60 close friends and relatives (and an abundance of cake, as you’d expect), at the Magpie in Sunbury Village, which sits opposite Sunbury Lock on the banks of Old Father Thames as it wends its way London-wards. A fitting place as it’s mentioned in Jerome K Jerome’s ‘Three men in a boat’ - Dad’s favourite book, given to him as a form prize whilst school in the Midlands. Little did he know he’d live so close to the locations mentioned for two-thirds of his long and happy life. He would have enjoyed every minute of our celebration for him, we did him proud. The sun shone after a week of apocalyptic weather (the last of the rain in retrospect). Our personal patisserie chef made the day with the magnificent muffins she created, which totally stole the show. Along with Ken's favourite fruit cake the guests were more than happy, no Fullwood family celebration is complete without cake, so I've shared the recipe here.
It's a boiled cake, moist and easy to make, and I made sure Dad always had a supply in the larder as Mum always made it before me. So please do try it, it'll soon become your favourite too.
Have I ever mentioned that blackcurrants are my absolute favourite crop from my garden? They are the easiest of fruit to pick and process, not to mention their divine and distinct flavour. Foodswappers don’t get a look in as it’s a fruit I’ll never trade - there are just too many delicious uses, as you’ll see here. Even if they’re just frozen and handfuls of fruit added to my morning porridge, they are not leaving the house. No way José.
This year I started with cordial. I used the BBC Good Food recipe which uses lemon juice rather than citric acid, useful if you’ve none to hand and just as good for preservation. I particularly like lime with blackcurrant, so I used the juice of two limes, to replace one of the lemons for extra citrussy tang. I put it into sterilised bottles and keep it in the fridge so it lasts longer. I like it diluted with sparkling water or tonic for a really refreshing summer spritz (a splash of Prosecco would certainly not go amiss here too if the occasion calls for it).
The problem with making cordial is that it needs to be strained through muslin, which means leftover pulp. Not being able to bear wasting one tiny bit of my precious crop, I devised ways to use it, hence the blackcurrant shorties and the blackcurrant gelato, both shown here. The gelato uses the leaf to infuse the cream mixture, adding an extra dimension of deliciousness, and the pulp was perfect to ripple through.
Seeing the potential for the leaf meant I got completely carried away when I saw Silvana Franco’s frankly fantastic use of fig leaves baked into sourdough. We chatted about options and techniques, and I promised to try my ideas, and hey presto, blackcurrant leaf Sourdough. The leaves impart their distinct yet delicate fragrance and flavour to the loaf, perfect for spreading with my homemade blackcurrant jam.
Not such an abundant crop this year, but certainly no part of the bush - currant or leaf - has been wasted with every part put to good use.
Blackcurrant leaf sourdough
Bottom left
Silvana's recipe and tips have become my absolute go to: minimum fuss, maximum impact. Check out her Instagram for ideas galore. We first met at BBC Good Food and that girl knows her stuff.
It's key to have a lively starter, and frequent use really helps to keep it happy and perform at its best. Her recipe uses 100g starter with 500g flour before folding in 12g salt. Bring it together until smooth, leave for an hour or so on the worktop, give it a few more folds then tip it into the banneton and allow to rest in the fridge overnight.
Silvana's loaf used fig leaves but they are best positioned on what will be the base of the loaf. I experimented by putting blackcurrant leaves around the sides of the banneton to soften and add flavour. Bring it out of the fridge the next day, heat the a suitable pan with a lid at 230C, turn the bread out onto greaseproof and add to the pan, cover and bake for 45-50 mins then take the lid off for the final 5-10mins. I usually take the cooked loaf out of the pan for the final 5 and turn the oven off for a final crisping in the residual heat. Looks and tastes amazing with real wow factor.
Blackcurrant Pulp Shorties
Top Centre
I based these on a melting moments style recipe.
Cream 115g softened butter with 25g icing sugar then stir in 115g plain flour, 2tbsp cornflour and 25g melted white chocolate.
Use a fluted nozzle to pipe onto a lined baking tray approximately 12 circular biscuits with a flat base and slightly raised sides. Spoon a teaspoon of the blackcurrant pulp, or jam into the centre then bake in a preheated oven at 160C fan for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool on the tray to firm up before removing - they are very short. Best eaten within 1-2 days.
Blackcurrant pulp Gelato
Centre
I used a recipe from 'Gelup Gelato' by Jacob Kennedy (of Bocca di Lupa restaurant fame) and swirled in the pulp.
If you love gelato, you’ll love his ‘delectable palette of ice cream recipes’, filled with wonderful flavour combinations. I love his philosophy too:
‘the world is your gelato - lick it’.
You can’t argue with that.
Blackcurrant Cordial
Bottom Centre
I usually try a different recipe every time but this BBC Good Food Blackcurrant cordial recipe works well. I added a bay leaf to the currants during cooking, but the flavour didn't really come through. Perhaps more bay required? Or, as my foodie pal, Angela Nilson recently suggested, (whilst picking fruit together at Cammas Hall Fruit Farm in Hatfield Broad Oak), is the flavour of bay overrated? Drop me a line if you have a view!
Blackcurrant Jam
I recently came across my Nan's recipe book with her recipe for blackcurrant jam, so will follow that for my next batch. She was president of the High Wycombe WI back in the day, so her jam making skills are not to be sniffed at.
Bottom right
Life Celebration Cakes:
Blueberry Cream Cheese
Chocolate & Caramel
Lemon & Poppyseed
These were based on recipes from ‘Baked to Perfection’ by Katarina Cermelj but with our Pastry Chef’s twist of hollowed out centres filled with caramel or curd then swirled with Italian buttercream. An absolute triumph.
They work well with gluten-free or standard flour. I'd recommend Katarina's books, both of which have been shortlisted and won the Guild of Food Specialist Cookery Book award. They not only contain failsafe gluten-free recipes, but they give a deep dive insight into the why's and wherefore's of baking in her very accessible, comprehensive and readable style.
I also recommend having a Harrod's pastry chef in the household, who despite having worked a full week of punishing hours, still managed to produce 60 of these perfect delights in time for the celebration. It's not necessarily good for the waistline though. Good thing the two chefs are off globe-trotting soon, for a much needed break from the madness of the hospitality world. I may have a chance of regaining my sylph-like figure once again. (In my dreams. That went literally pear-shaped years ago).
Barb's Boiled Fruit Cake
My recipe is to make two 8in cakes but it worked a treat in one big 28in cake tin to feed the masses.
In a large pan melt the following together:
2 cups sugar (2 x 225g)
2 cups water (2 x 250ml)
2 lb mixed fruit (900g)
4 tsp mixed spice
2tsp bicarbonate of soda
16oz margarine (450g)
Allow to cool slightly, then stir in
4 eggs
2 cups self raising flour (2 x 150g)
2 cups plain flour (2 x 150g)
Cook in 2 x greased and lined 8in/20cm tins for 1 1/2 hours at 170C/Fan 150C/Gas 3 until a skewer comes out clean
I love the bunched carrots I often get in my weekly veg delivery box and always save the carrot top fronds with the best of intentions to make good use of them. Did you know that they contain six times more vitamin C than the roots themselves? Plus Vitamin A, K, Calcium and fibre, so it’s really worth putting them to work rather than instantly discarding them. They are slightly bitter tasting, and can be quite tough, but combined with other herbs and finely chopped they are ideal for pesto or the chimichurri I made here to top the whole roasted carrots.
I used some marjoram, thyme and garlic chives from the garden as well as the carrot tops, some garlic, some chilli (fresh or flakes to suit your taste) and some red onion all chopped together. Then I mixed olive oil and red wine with some seasoning and served with the sweet roasted carrots. We ate it with some burrata and salad. Such great colours and flavours for an eye-catching, palate-pleasing side dish.
Waste not want not - is this what they call top to tail eating ??