The Slow Cooked Challenge September Round Up

 September turned out to be full of sunshine and, in Scotland, we had better weather than we had had all summer!  In saying all that, it has been chilly in the mornings and evenings so coming home to a slow cooked warming supper is definitely the order of the day.

We have a range of dishes to choose from in this month's Slow Cooked Challenge starting with Blackberry Pulled Pork with Blackberry BBQ Sauce.

This unusual and creative dish comes to us from the heart of rural France, from the blog of De Tout Coeur Limousin, that sauce looks so good!

Next up a hearty plate of Slow Cooker Chipotle Chilli Beans provided by Sarah at Tales from the Kitchen Shed.  I'm a sucker for chipotle chillies, so will be filling my slow cooker with these beans very soon.

Another vegetarian dish and one I think I may be making this week, as I have some portobello mushrooms that I didn't use at the weekend. This dish of Slow Cooked Portobello Mushroom Stew with Herb Dumplings comes from the lovely Dominic who cooks up all kinds of treat at Belleau Kitchen.

Back to Tales from the Kitchen Shed for some more tasty treats.  This time Sarah is serving up Spicy Courgette Chutney made in her Slow Cooker with a glut of courgettes.

This is real comfort food, a Slow Cooker Sausage Casserole from Lucy at Baking Queen 74 and my co-host for the Slow Cooked Challenge.  I hope you will join Lucy for the October Slow Cooked Challenge when it goes live on 1st October.  


Go to the Slow Cooked Challenge page for full details of the challenge and to find the current challenge. 

Labels: blackberries, Chipoltle Chilli Beans, chutney, courgette, dumplings, mushroom, Pulled Pork, sausage casserole, Slow Cooked Challenge, slow cooker, stew

posted by Janice @ 20:00 3 Comments

Chillies and Chocolate in Fife - Part One

So where do you think Claire, Foodie Quine, and I are posing?  Are we on a cruise the Med or the Norwegian Fjords?   Well, no actually, we are in the Kingdom of Fife in Scotland on a Chilli-Chocolate Food Trip with Welcome to Fife. More about where this sunny photo was taken in part two.


We started our chilli-chocolate tour of Fife in Ceres and travelled a few miles to visit Chillilicious, Scotland's first chilli farm.  I met with Patricia Galfskiy at the chilli farm where she and her daughter have developed this family run food and art venture cretaing homemade chilli food and gift items. The  new visitor's centre provided an opportunity to taste some of the Chilli chutney that Patricia makes, I tried them all, well it would be rude not to, and they were all very good.  Most memorable for me was the Monkey Punch Chilli Chutney which contains banana, kiwi, lime and jalapeno chillies.  I loved this combination of flavours really unusual.

 Possibly my favourite thing in the Chillilicous shop was the Pimento Ginger Beer.  I love ginger beer and this has the most amazing chilli kick, right at the back of your throat, a must for all chilli lovers.


We then moved on to the chilli tunnel  where you can pick your own chillies or buy plants.  Chillilicious grow approximately 4,000 chilli plants per ear and their speciality is the wide and varied range of rare and super-hot chillies, growing between 50-75 different varieties every year.  Last year the talk of the chilli world was the Carolina Reaper and this year it's all about the Chocolate Bhutlah, both of these chillies are grown at Chillilicious.


These are the chillies that I picked, unfortunately I can't remember the name of them all.  What I did learn is that the more crinkly the chilli, the hotter is going to be!  I'm hoping to cook up some recipes with these chillies soon.



Sophie had made a tray of Chocolate Chilli Truffles for us to try and she cut them and coated with cocoa powder, the chilli heat was subtle although I have to say that Sophie kindly gave us some to take away and when I tried them again at home, I felt that there was more heat, it may have been that my palate had been blunted by too much chocolate and whisky!


Behind the chocolate boutique there is a quirky cafe, The Cocoa Tree Cafe.  Here you can enjoy a relaxed lunch, coffee, afternoon tea or one of those gorgeous hot chocolate drinks.  There is plenty of reading material in the cafe, some of it under the glass on the table tops, but also a range of chocolate themed books to read.  The staff were delightful and it is clear that Sophie's passion and high standards pervade the whole establishment.  I would highly recommend a visit to the cafe and chocolate boutique.

Coming in part two of Chillies and Chocolate in Fife - Seafood and Gin! 

Disclaimer: I was the guest of Welcome to Fife and I'd like to thank them and the host organisations  who made this a truly memorable trip.

Labels: chilli, Chillilicious, chocolate, chutney, Drinking Chocolate, Fife, Laphroig, liqueur, Pittenweem, review, The Cocoa Tree Cafe, truffles, Welcome to Fife, whisky

posted by Janice @ 07:00 10 Comments

We're Jammin' - Slow Cooker Challenge Round Up, Aug 2014

The theme for the August Slow Cooker Challenge was 'Preserves' and my regular entrants didn't disappoint.  Sarah from 'Tales from the Garden Shed' brought a ray of French sunshine, and some inspiration,  with her recipe for Peach Jam.

Now this is a brilliant and unusual combination which I would never have though of.  Slow Cooker Carrot, Lemon and Almond Chutney is the entry from Strong as Soup and is reminiscent of middle eastern cuisine.

Baking Queen 74 has taken to jam making in the Slow Cooker with the enthusiasm of a convert!  In her entry for the challenge she brings us two jam recipes a zingy Blueberry and Ginger Jam AND Blackberry Jam  both look really delicious.

My own preserve created in the slow cooker was Lazy, Luscious Beetroot Relish.  The beets were baked in the slow cooker and then the chutney made in the usual way on the stove in only 20 minutes.

Thanks to all who joined me for the slow cooker challenge, look out for the new challenge which will be posted early in September. 

Labels: Blackberry Jam, Blueberry and Ginger Jam, Carrot, chutney, jam, Lemon and Almond Chutney., Peach Jam, Round Up, Slow Cooker Challenge

posted by Janice @ 20:31 4 Comments

Gourmet Burgers and Luscious, Spiced Beetroot Relish

Sometimes two recipes just come together in a perfectly delicious union, and so it was with the Beetroot Relish and the Beetroot Burger.



The Beetroot Burger comes from Burgers  the new book from Paul Gayler MBE, hailed by James Martin as "the book I have been waiting for", which was sent to me for review. Paul Gayler was Executive Chef at The Lanesborough Hotel London, the five-star hotel on the edge of London’s Hyde Park. He has 20 years’ experience in some of the most respected kitchens and restaurants in Europe. As well as having made many appearances on British TV, he is the author of over 20 cookery books. He has also won the Guild of Food Writers’ Cookery Book of the Year and has been nominated for a prestigious André Simon Award.

  It is a fun book, shaped like a burger layered with goodies.  In Burgers, Paul Gayler presents his favourite 25 burger recipes. As well as the expected Ultimate burger with ‘the works’, there’s a wealth of delicious and imaginative offerings. For carnivores, there’s an eclectic mix and not just beef: choose, for instance, from a Caribbean pork burger, Smoked chicken cobb burger, Tandoori lamb burger or Turkey BLT burger stack. Vegetarians and fish eaters can enjoy a Feta club burger, Southwest red bean 
burger, Lebanese kibbeh burger or Jumbo prawn burger, among others. There really is a burger for everyone. There is also a section for 'Sides' including Simple Tomato Ketchup, Oven Cheese Fries, Moroccan-style Caponata  and Calypso Mojo.   But back to the Beetroot Burger, which is made with minced (ground) beef, the beetroot adds a glorious sweet and sour flavour, but doesn't overpower the beef at all and provides only a slight pinkish tinge, I made the smaller burgers as I felt that four burgers from this quantity of mince would make to large a portion for us. The smaller ones fit nicely on the muffin too!
Beetroot Burger
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
500g minced beef (ground chuck) chilled
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp pickled beetroot, finely chopped (or 3 tbsp Beetroot Relish)
1 tbsp pickled beetroot juice (omit if using relish)
vegetable oil, for brushing and frying.

To serve: 4 English Muffins, salad of tossed green leaves or wilted spinach, small boiled new potatoes.

1. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan (skillet).  Cooke the onion slowly until pale and soft, then allow to cool
2. Combine the minced beef, egg yolks, capers, sea salt and pepper.
3. Add the onion and mix thoroughly together
4. Add the beetroot and juice (or relish), mix well.
5. With wet hands, shape the mixture into 4 large flat patties (the traditional shape, or 8 smaller taller patties.
6. Heat a char grill or pan grill, oil it and the patties lightly and cook them on a medium heat for about 5 minutes each side (alternately heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook them that way).
7. Split and toast the muffins, serve the burgers in the toasted muffins with a little salad of tossed green leave or with  a little wilted spinach and boiled new potatoes. I added an extra spoonful of Beetroot Relish on top of the burger, just because.

BURGERS: FROM THE ULTIMATE BURGER TO THE SOUTHWEST RED BEAN BURGER
by Paul Gayler MBE
Published by Jacqui Small
Shaped hardback 
August 2014
RRP £9.99


The Beetroot Relish comes via Not Quite Nigella and is made to her recipe for Lazy, Luscious, Spiced Beetroot Relish.  I bought some beetroot at the Farmers Market and was planning to make the Beetroot Chutney I made last year.  That particular recipe has a chunky texture which isn't very good for spreading on sandwiches, so I was looking for more of a relish with a softer texture and found this super simple recipe.  I cooked my beetroot in the Slow Cooker which has to be the easiest and least messy way to bake beetroot.
Simply wash the beetroot, place a piece of foil in the base of the slow cooker and put the beets on top. Bake for 5-6 hours depending on the size of the beetroot.  Then, wearing a pair of rubber gloves, slip the skins off before preparing for the relish. 


I can't emphasise enough how good this relish is, sweet, spicy and just enough acid tang to counteract the sweetness, but no burn and no earthy taste, it's just delicious and I plan to make another batch very soon. Thanks to 'Not Quite Nigella' for allowing me to link to her recipe. 

Labels: Beetroot Relish, Burgers, chutney, Cook book review, Jacqui Small, Paul Gayler, preserves, relish

posted by Janice @ 21:39 12 Comments

Slow Cooker Challenge August - Preserves

August is a month of plenty and a time when traditionally we preserve the fruits and vegetables from our gardens and markets by making jams, jellies, curds, chutney and relish and even some bottling and canning.  The Slow Cooker is ideal for making some preserves and can be used for softening the fruit for those that need a rapid boil on the stove to bring to a set.

Apple and Apricot Chutney

To celebrate the World Jampionships, which take place in August,with winners announced in September, your challenge this month is to make a preserve in your Slow Cooker, write about it on your blog and link the post to the Linky below.



If you would like to take part, then please: 

• Make your recipe in your Slow Cooker and post a photograph and the recipe, or a link to a recipe, on your blog
• Link to Farmersgirl Kitchen
• Use the Slow Cooker Challenge logo in your post
• If you use twitter, tweet your post with @FarmersgirlCook and #SlowCookerChallenge and I will re-tweet it to my followers AND post your picture on the dedicated Pinterest Board. 

Rules: 

• Please do not publish recipes from cookbooks on your blog without permission, they are copyright.
• If you are using recipes from another website, please link to the recipe on the website rather than publishing the recipe.
• One entry per blog.
• Recipes must be added to the linky by the 28th of each month.

Labels: August, chutney, Curd, jam, jelly, preserves, relish, Slow Cooker Challenge, world jampionships

posted by Janice @ 10:20 6 Comments

Apricot and Apple Chutney

I have a passion for apricots. I like them fresh and I like them dried and I particularly like them in jams and chutneys.  My neighbour gave me some apples from her tree and I always have a pack of dried apricots in my cupboard, so I thought I'd make some chutney.

Apricot and Apple Chutney (makes a couple of jars, multiply the quantities if you want to make more)

150g dried apricots, chopped
225g chopped, peeled apples (about  2 apples)
180ml vinegar
40g sultanas or raisins
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
200g granulated sugar

1. In a large stainless steel pot combine fruit, vinegar, raisins, garlic, salt and chilli flakes, stir well.
2. Bring to the boil.
3. Next, turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the apricots have plumped up.
4. Stir in sugar and return to a simmer, cook uncovered, stirring until the mixture is thickened.
5. Sterilise your jars by rinsing in very hot water, then baking upside down in a low oven until the steam has evaporated.
6. Ladle the chutney into the jars and let it cool a little before covering with a screw top lid.

Recipe adapted from a recipe on Food.com

I'm entering the Apricot and Apple Chutney in the Home made and well preserved challenge at A Little Bit of Heaven on a Plate

Labels: A little bit of Heaven on a Plate, Apple, Apricot, challenge, chutney, Home made and well preserved, preserves, vinegar

posted by Janice @ 11:50 6 Comments

Pineapple Chilli Jam

The deciding factor was the pineapple which I had bought two weeks ago as part of a buy one, get one free offer.  We ate the first pineapple, but I was away last weekend and the second pineapple just sat there looking more and more dodgy.  When I cut the skin off there were actually only a few brown bits which I cut off, but I didn't fancy eating it raw, so in a flash of inspiration I decided that I could adapt the Tomato and Chilli Jam recipe I made in September to make Pineapple and Chilli Jam.

Pineapple & Chilli Jam

Store in a larder or cool place, not in the fridge, for up to 9 months.  Once opened keep in fridge.


I had a little taste and I have to say, it was really good even without any time to mature.  You could feel the heat of the chilli coming through the sweetness of the pineapple and the piquancy of the vinegar and fish sauce.  I'm not sure what that fish sauce does exactly but it is definitely a must for chutneys and relishes.

Labels: chilli, chutney, fish sauce, jam, pineapple, relish, Sweet Heat, Tamasin Day Lewis, vinegar

posted by Janice @ 21:45 21 Comments

Apple Pickle

I've been making Apple Pickle off and on for many years. The recipe comes from a little paperback book which was produced by a magazine called 'Home and Freezer Digest' I checked the publication date for the book and it is 1981 :o At the time there were very few food magazines and I loved that little magazine. Anyway, back to the Pickle, all the recipes in the book were provided by readers of the magazine and this one came from a Mrs Una Spear from Devon who got it from a friend.

1lb (450g) onions, peeled
1 1/2 lb (675g) cooking apples, peeled and cored
1lb (450g) stoned dates
1lb (450g) sultanas
1lb (450g) soft brown sugar
1 lev teasp salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 pint (550ml) ready spiced malt vinegar

Labels: apples, chutney, pickle, preserves

posted by Janice @ 21:25 9 Comments