Farmersgirl Kitchen

Monday, 2 February 2015

Butternut Chicken Thai-Style and the Slow Cooked Challenge - February 2015

This recipe was inspired by Lucy's (Baking Queen 74) recipe for Malaysian Style Veggie Curry with Lime, from the January Slow Cooked Challenge, you can find it in the January round up. The other influence was the large box which arrived from Knorr on Saturday morning. A box packed with vegetables, some tins and dry goods and the full range of Knorr Flavour Pots The Slow Cooked Butternut Chicken Thai-Style was delicious with the flavours from the Knorr Flavour Pots, shining through and still fresh after long slow cooking.

Knorr Flavour Pots have just collected first prize in the Sauce and Seasoning category for this year’s Product of the Year awards. Knorr Flavour Pots allow you to easily infuse your cooking with the flavour of fresh herbs and spices but with the handy convenience of dried. The range features nine different tantalising flavours, including Mixed Herbs, Three Peppercorn, Curry, Garlic, Mixed Chillies, Garden Herbs, Ginger & Lemongrass, Paprika, and Mexican.

This is part of a series of posts using Knorr Flavour Pots and celebrating them winning first prize in the Sauce and Seasoning category for this year’s Product of the Year awards. It's also one of three dishes I made from one chicken.

Slow Cooked Butternut Chicken Thai-Style

Serves 6

Two chicken thighs, two chicken drumsticks, two chicken wings

1 medium butternut squash, cut into chunks

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tin coconut milk

1 Knorr Chicken Stock cube

200ml boiling water

1 Knorr Flavour Pot Lemongrass and Ginger

1 Knorr Flavour Pot Garlic

1 tbsp Tamarind (Imli) Sauce

1 small can sweetcorn

1 small head of broccoli

Chilli sprinkles

1. Put all the ingredients except the sweetcorn, broccoli and chilli sprinkles into the Slow Cooker.

2. Cook for 8 hours on low.

3. Remove the chicken pieces and take the meat from the bones and then add the chicken back into the sauce.

4. Add the sweetcorn.

5. Steam the broccoli until just cooked.

6. Serve the sauce over rice and place the broccoli in the centre, sprinkle with the Chilli sprinkles.

If you don't have any Chilli Sprinkles you could use fried breadcrumbs, finely chopped peanuts or seeds, something crunchy!

If you would like to take part in the Slow Cooked Challenge, then please:

Make your recipe in your Slow Cooker or other slow cooking method and post a photograph and the recipe, or a link to a recipe, on your blog
Link to Farmersgirl Kitchen
Use the Slow Cooked Challenge logo in your post
If you use twitter, tweet your post with @FarmersgirlCook and #SlowCookedChallenge 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.

THERE IS NO THEME THIS MONTH, ENTER ANY SLOW COOKED RECIPE YOU WISH!

An InLinkz Link-up

Labels: butternut squash, Chicken, coconut milk, garlic, Knorr Flavour Pot, Lemongrass and Ginger, Slow Cooked Challenge, Thai

Thursday, 1 August 2013

Baked Chicken with tomatoes and olives - Dish of the Month August

It's summer and, for once, we really have had some summer weather. I find that I am less motivated to cook when it is warm so simple, throw it all in one pan, recipes are very appealing...oh wait...simple, throw it all in one pan, recipes are very appealing to me all year round!

Nigel Slater is noted for the simplicity of his recipes, he cleverly combines a few key ingredients to create delicious dishes you want to make again and again. The August chapter of The Kitchen Diaries II features a number of ingredients that are not quite ready yet in Scotland, but tomatoes are at their peak and I can hardly keep up with my pots of herbs as they are loving the warm weather.

Nigel suggests chicken thighs for this recipe, but I bought a whole chicken and jointed it, I also used some green olives rather than the black ones in the recipe as I had half a jar left over from another dish.

It's a great recipe, just brown the chicken and throw in the tomatoes, garlic and olives and thyme. put it in the oven and leave it to cook. I did cover it with foil after about 10 minutes because the olives were drying out, the chicken was lovely and moist and the we mopped up the juices with some mediterranean bread.

Enter Dish of the Month in August for a chance to #WIN a copy of Nigel Slater's Real Fast Food. This is a classic Nigel Slater book suitable for beginners and experienced cooks. This giveaway is run in good faith and only open to those resident in the UK. The winner will be picked at random using the random number generator. Sue, from A little Heaven on a Plate, and I will be excluded from the draw.

If you would like to take part, then please:

Make a Dish of the Month from ANY recipe by Nigel Slater
Link to Farmersgirl Kitchen or A Little Bit of Heaven on a Plate
Use the Dish of the Month logo in your post
If you use twitter, tweet your post with @serialcrafter or @Heavenona_plate and #DishoftheMonth and we will re-tweet it to our followers.

Rules:

If you own The kitchen diaries II please do not publish the recipes on your blog without permission, they are copyright.
If you are using recipes from the BBC Food website, please link to the recipe on BBC Food rather than publishing the recipe. Likewise recipes on the Guardian Lifestyle website.
One entry per blog.
Recipes must be added to the linky by the 28th of each month.

Posted with Blogsy

Labels: A little bit of Heaven on a Plate, Chicken, Dish of the Month, garlic, Nigel Slater, thyme, tomatoes

Monday, 26 November 2012

Roasted Broccoli for Random Recipes #22

It's Random Recipe time again and this month Dom at Belleau Kitchen has challenged us as follows: "refer to your birthday date as the number you should use to randomly pick your book... for example, my birthday is the 24th September and so I have randomly chosen the 24th book on my bookshelf counting from right to left... it doesn't really get more tenuous or random than this does it but it's nice to have a little theming every month don't you think?"

I'm not giving anything away about my birthday, you'll just have to believe me when I tell you that I followed the instructions and, while Dom picked out Nigella, I got Delia! Isn't it interesting that these two iconic women cooks are known by their first names. You would never just refer to Nigel (Slater) or Hugh (Fearnley-Whittingstall), maybe Jamie comes close but he is still Jamie Oliver, anyway I digress, on with the challenge.

It was the Winter Collection which came up as my Random Recipe book, which was helpful, it being winter! I opened the book randomly as instructed and had a choice of Sauteed Carmelised Fennel or Oven Roasted Cauliflower an Broccoli with Garlic and Coriander, I didn't have any Fennel or Cauliflower, but I did have a head of Broccoli.

The delightful Delia, has kindly posted the recipe on her website, so you can click through the link if you would like to make Oven Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli with Garlic and Coriander

I can't say I was terribly impressed by this recipe. The coriander and garlic flavour was really good, but the broccoli was still a bit too hard, if I'd left it in the oven any longer it would have burnt. I think if I made it again I would blanch the broccoli for a few minutes before roasting.

I served the broccoli with a homemade turkey and ham pie.

Labels: Broccoli, coriander, Delia, Delia Smith, garlic, ham, Random Recipes, Turkey, turkey and ham pie, Winter Collection

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Romanian Sweet and Sour Eggplant - Street Food!

STREET FOOD

I had never heard of Susan Feniger until I was asked if I would like to review her book, Street Food. It turns out that she is one of the original Food Network cooking stars. Susan opened her first solo restaurant, STREET, in Los Angeles in 2009 and in this book she shares 83 of her favourite recipes adapted for home cooks.

What does Street Food mean to you? I was fairly horrified realise, how few street food opportunities we have locally, perhaps it’s just the very rural area that I live in and a climate that doesn’t encourage outdoor eating! Thinking about my own memories of street food, they do seem to be from holidays in the sun, I remember eating crepes in France, at 12 years old , and roast chicken never tasted better than the pollo roti eaten on a Spanish beach, but when I think of street food, it is the food we ate in Malaysia, we ate from street stalls almost every day for three weeks.

With my sister-in-law, eating Satay in Taiping, Malaysia

This is a book for the adventurous cook. Someone who is willing to seek out unusual ingredients and try new techniques, not the comfortable, recognisable classics with a twist that many chefs produce. You may recognise a few of the dishes, like Thai Drunken Shrimp with Rice Noodles, but there are many more that I had certainly never heard of; "Any one for Tatsutage Fried Chicken with Spicy Yuzu Mayonnaise?"

The book has a well written introduction, where Susan Feniger talks about her love of Street Food and how she wants to re-create the ‘magical’ street experience. There is also a useful chapter called ‘Organizing the World’s Kitchen’, which takes the reader through the myriad of ingredients and explains which ingredient goes into which category:

THE SALTS; THE SOURS; THE SWEETS; THE HOT AND SPICY and THE MELLOWERS AND COOLERS.

The Contents are divided into:

Starters and Small Bites including Coconut Curry Caramel Corn, Spiced Millet Puffs and Lamb Meatballs with Date and Carob Molasses

Salads including Heirloom tomatoes with black garlic and basil vinaigrette, Baby Beet Salad with Kumquat, Mint and Coriander and Indian Puffed Rice Salad

Vegetables and Grains includes Cactus Relleno with corn and Arbol Salso, Romanian Sweet and Sour Eggplant, Cheese Grits with Three Pepper Relish

Land and Sea including Picadillo Chilli Dog with Mustard and Relish, Uruguay Chivito Steak and Fried Egg Sandwich, Malaysian Black Pepper Clams

Curry & Tofu & Noodles including Coconut Curried Mussels with smoky Chorizo, Chilled Soba Noodles with Spicy Orange Sesame and Tofu, Anatolian Ravioli with Chickpeas, Feta and Brown Butter

Chutneys & Pickles & other condiments including Tamarind Date Chutney, Japanese Pickled Vegetable Ribbons, Jamaican Ginger Hot Sauce

Basic Spice Mixes and Pastes including African Spice Mix, Thai Curry paste, Tamarind Puree

Sweets including Danish Black Licorice and Cherry Biscotti with Buttermilk Koldskal, Croatian Sour Apple Fritters, Turkish Doughnuts with Rose Hip Jam

Elixirs & Tonics & Lhassis including Canton Ginger Kick, Honeydew Cucumber Cooler, Salted Lhassi with Cumin and Mint.

In addition to the recipes there are four Travelogues, taking you in words and pictures to Vietnam, India, Turkey and Mongolia. Susan Feniger summons up the sights, sounds, smells and particularly the tastes of the places she visits and the food she eats. I enjoyed reading these sections, they help to contextualise the culture and landscape of the original recipes.

Pros

I enjoyed the variety of the recipes and found the different techniques and ingredients really inspirational. I can see this book being a jumping off point for all kinds of cooking experimentation.
The photographs are clear and the recipes well laid out.
There are useful hints and tips, with photographs introducing particular ingredients and, sometimes, offering alternatives

Cons

There are no metric ingredients measures and no conversion chart, as with many US publications.
Some of the ingredients would be extremely difficult to source e.g. Cactus Paddles!!!

Romanian Sweet and Sour Eggplant

Makes 4 Cups

Serves 4-6

Here is what Susan says about this recipe: There’s a very traditional dish made in home kitchens all throughout Romania and south eastern Europe that’s typically called “eggplant salad”. I toyed with different ways to highlight the key flavours of the original recipes which seems underplayed. I like to make a green salad with watercress, olive oil and lemon, top it with a scoop of this sweet and sour eggplant, and serve it with a slice of toasted sourdough bread topped with goat’s cheese and roasted red peppers.

2 large eggplants (aubergines) about 2lb

3 tbsp plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt (rock salt)

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

10 cloves of garlic

2 bunches of scallions (spring onions), white and green parts, roughly chopped (1/4 cup)

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Canola oil

1 (14 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped

¾ cup cider vinegar

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

Cut off and discard both ends of each eggplant, and cut them lengthwise into ¼ inch thick slices. Lay the slices out on a baking sheet, and sprinkle both sides with the 3 tablespoons of salt. Set aside for 20 minutes so that he salt will draw out some of the water from the eggplant. Then pat the eggplant dry with a dish towel.

Put the olive oil, garlic, scallions, parsley, cayenne and remaining ½ teaspoon salt in a food processor,and puree until a smooth paste forms (it will resemble pesto). Spread liberally all over both sides of the eggplant slices.

In a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat 2 tbsp canola oil. Add enough eggplant slices to cover the bottom of the pan, and cook until they are browned on both sides and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the eggplant to a platter or plate. Repeat this process with the remaining eggplant slices, adding 2 tablespoon oil for each batch. Cut the cooked eggplant into 1 inch wide strips.

In a saucepan set over medium heat, combine the tomatoes, vinegar and brown sugar. Stew for 12 minutes or until the tomatoes begin breaking down. Add the eggplant strips and stir together. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid has been cooked off. Remove from the heat and serve or chill. This dish may be served warm or cold.

We enjoyed the Romanian Sweet and Sour Eggplant, it's bursting with flavour and can be made ahead. There is nothing particularly daunting about the recipe as long as you have a food processor to make the 'pesto'. I think it would be a great dish to include in a tapas/mezze style meal.

I doubt if I would have picked up this book in a book shop, but I would really have been missing out on an enjoyable reading experience and an excellent cookbook. It is some time since I have felt inspired to take a cookbook to bed to read, high praise indeed! I would recommend it to anyone who wants to try some new flavours and and regain their cooking mojo! Be inspired to try some STREET FOOD.

Street Food by Susan Feniger with Kajsa Alger and Liz Lachman

Published by Random House, USA

Distributed by Grantham Book Services for Publishers Group UK

RRP £18.99, available at popular online book store for £12.15

Thanks for to PGUK for the opportunity to review this book

Labels: Aubergine, Cook book review, garlic, Malaysia, parsley, Romanian Sweet and Sour Eggplant, satay, Street Food, Susan Feniger, tomato

Monday, 8 October 2012

King Prawns with Roasted Garlic & Herb Sauce from The Saucy Fish Co.

I wouldn't usually serve prawns with potatoes and green beans, but we have been eating rather a lot of rice, pasta and couscous recently and I just felt like having some potato. This was our Friday evening meal which means minimal cooking and this Saucy Fish Co. dish definitely involved minimal preparation and cooking

These prawns come from The Saucy Fish Co. and come in a foil bag with the garlic and herb butter, ideal just to pop into the oven. The bag part steams and part bakes the prawns, blending the flavoured butters to create an amazing seafood dish. It certainly has a real garlic kick!

This is what the bags look like before they are cooked. Simply prawns and a herb/garlic butter sealed in a bag which has foil on one side and a clear window on the other.

Once cooked, the prawns have turned pink and are swimming in the flavoured butter. The portions are generous with each pack creating a good sized serving for two people. There is no denying that you could cook some prawns in a pan with butter, some crushed garlic and finely chopped herbs just as quickly, if not more quickly than using this product. But if you are looking for convenience and good flavour then The Saucy Fish Co. King Prawns with Roasted Garlic and Herb Sauce does the job.

The Saucy Fish Co. King Prawns with Roasted Garlic and Herb Sauce is exclusive to Asda, RRP: £4.00

I served the prawns with Quick Scalloped Potatoes and some green beans which my neighbour kindly left for me.

Quick Scalloped Potatoes (serves 2)

2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
50g butter
50ml milk
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C

1. Use a little of the butter to butter an ovenproof dish.
2. Layer the sliced potato, seasoning between the layers.
3. Pour over the milk
4. Cover with clingfilm
5. Place in microwave and cook for 4-6 minutes, until the potatoes start to yield.
6. Dot the rest of the butter over the top of the potatoes
7. Bake for 10 minutes until starting to brown and crisp on the top.

I was supplied with the pack of King Prawn with Roasted Garlic and Herb Sauce to review by The Saucy Fish Co. All opinions expressed are my own.

Labels: convenience, garlic, herbs, potato, prawns, quick, Scalloped Potato, The saucy fish co

Sunday, 24 June 2012

Summer Beef Pot Roast

I got a nice piece of brisket on special offer, it's not something I would normally cook in the summer, but we are not having much of a summer and it was pouring with rain yesterday and just the day for a nice slow cooked meal.

I looked around to see if I could find some inspiration for a summer version of a pot roast and found this Summer Garden Beef Pot Roast at the 'Only Sometimes Clever' blog. I followed the recipe pretty much as is, although I used sweet smoked pimenton paprika and my basil isn't ready yet so I used some fresh thyme and rosemary. Oh, yes and rather than add water, I added 500ml of still cider which worked brilliantly giving the sauce a little sweetness. Of course, I don't have a 'crockpot' so I cooked my beef for about 4 hours, first hour at 160C and then turn it down to 140C for the next three. Keep taking it out every hour to hour and a half, poking at it to see how it's getting on because it will depend on the size of your beef and the amount of vegetables you have in there.

I used the first courgette (zucchini) of summer from my garden. I have two plants in a big planter and they have been loving the mild, wet weather we have been having.

This is the roast after a couple of hours, the pot was full to the top with veggies when it went in but they had melted away, so there was then room to add the new potatoes cut into big chunks, skins still on.

I used some gravy powder to thicken the juices, but you could serve them as they are or use a little cornflour mixed with water. It's a great meal, the garlic permeates the gravy and the beef, the tomatoes and peppers add sweetness and the potatoes are there to mash into the gravy and get all the the juices mopped up. Everything in one pot also means less washing up!

Labels: Beef, Brisket, carrots, cider, courgette, garlic, one pot, pot roast, potatoes, red pepper, summer

Thursday, 24 May 2012

Lamb Steaks with Adobo Seasoning

The theme for May's Sweet Heat Challenge is 'Mexican'. I love mexican food and have several Mexican cook books. I decided to try something different that I had never made before and chose an Adobo Seasoning which I adapted as a marinade for lamb steaks.

The Sweet Heat Challenge is hosted this month by Souperior, it's usual home being Lyndsey Fleenor's Vanilla Clouds and Lemon Drops.

Adobo Seasoning

Ingredients
3 cloves of garlic crushed
3 hot chillis, deseeded and chopped
1tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin seeds
6 cloves or 1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
120ml white wine vinegar
3 lamb steaks
1tbsp sunflower oil

1. Put the chillies and garlic in a blender or mortar. Add the oregano, cum seeds, cloves, coriander seeds cinnamon aand salt. Process or grind with a pestle to a rough powder, add the vinegar and blend again.

Cover the lamb steaks with the marinade cover with cling film and leave to marinade for 3- 4 hours.

Heat the oil in a pan and sear the steaks, then turn down the heat, add the rest of the marinade and cook for about 10 minutes until the lamb is cooked through.

Although hot, this wasn't overpowering and the flavours are totally delicious and a very different type of Mexican food from the standard chilli con carne, fajitas and other various tortilla based dishes.

Labels: chilli, garlic, lamb, mexican, Sweet Heat, Vanilla Clouds and Lemon Drops, white wine vinegar

Tuesday, 1 May 2012

Fat! - A cook book review

I'm not sure that Jennifer McLagan did herself any favours by naming her cook book, 'Fat'!

It's not the most appealing of book titles and those chops featured on the front don't really do justice to the variety of recipes in the book, which is actually really very good.

Whilst, these days, we may know everything about olive oil, we’re less aware of how to use lard and bone marrow. Jennifer McLagan offers extensive guidance on sourcing, rendering, flavouring, using and storing animal fats, whether bacon, schmaltz or suet. Stories, lore, quotations and tips round out this rich and unapologetic celebration of food at its very best.

The chapters are divided into different types of fat:

Butter: worth it

Butter recipes include: Butter Chicken, Salted Caramel Sauce and Pepper and Orange Pound Cake which is definitely on my 'to make' list. However, I had some sage leaves left over from making the Turkey Saltimboca so tried this recipe:

Spaghetti with Butter and Sage (serves 2)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g spaghetti (or tagliatelle)
115g unsalted butter
20 - 30 sage leaves

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti (I didn't have any so used tagliatelle), stir, and return to a boil. Adjust the heat so the water boils gently and cook until the spaghetti is al dente, 10-12 minutes. Drain well.

While the spaghetti is cooking, cut the butter into pieces and place them in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, add the sage leaves and cook, turning once, until the leaves are crisp and the butter begins to brown, about 7 minutes.

Add the cooked drained spaghetti to the frying pan and toss to coat with the sage butter sauce.

Season well with salt and pepper and serve immediately. For such a simple dish, this was absolutely delicious and made a quick and easy supper for me after my yoga class this week.

Pork Fat - The King!

Recipes include: Country style Terrine, Dandelion Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing, Bacon Fat Spice Cookies

Poultry Fat: Versatile and Good for You

Simple Roast Chicken
One 1.4Kg free-range chicken
A large handful of mixed fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, tarragon and marjoram
1 large clove of garlic
100g unsalted butter, softened
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 230C. Pat the chicken dry, fold the neck flap under the bird, and secure it in place using the wings.

Set aside a few herb sprigs and chop the remainder; you should have about 1/2 cup. Using your hands, mix the chopped herbs and garlic into the butter until blended. Smear the herb butter all over the bird, placing a little inside the bird, too.

Season the bird well with salt and pepper. Place the bird in a roasting pan and squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Put the lemon juice over the top. Put the lemon halves in the bird's cavity with the reserved herb sprigs.

Roast the chicken for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste the chicken with it's own juices. Reduce the heat to 375F and continue to roast, basting occasionally, until the thigh juices run clear when pieced with a skewer or the temperature of the thigh registers 165F on on a kitchen thermometer, 45 - 55 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the oven door, and leave the chicken in the pan in the oven to rest for at least 15 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a chopping board and cut into serving pieces. Add any juices from the chicken to the pan and place the pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve and serve the pan sauce with the chicken.

I pushed some of the herb butter up under the skin of the chicken as well as over the skin. It certainly kept the chicken moist and the sauce was really flavoursome.

More Poultry Fat recipes: Red Cabbage with Goose Fat, Cassoulet, Vegetable Cake

Beef and Lamb Fats: Overlooked but tasty

Recipes include: Roast Beef with All the Trimmings, Suet Pastry, Bone Marrow in Red Wine Butter Sauce, Cape Malay Lamb Shoulder.

I would certainly recommend this book, there are loads of interesting facts about the different types of fat as well as a range of recipes for all tastes.

The paperback edition of 'Fat' by Jennifer McLagan is published on 18th May 2012 at £16.99

Disclosure Statement: I received a copy of 'Fat' by Jennifer McLagan for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. The prices are correct at time of posting.

Labels: Chicken, cook book, fat, garlic, herbs, Jennifer McLagan, review, sage, tagliatelle

Monday, 12 September 2011

Tomato Chilli Jam

I'm entering this as my bookmarked recipe for this month. The challenge is hosted by Tinned Tomatoes from an idea from Ruth's Kitchen Experiments. It's quite a recent bookmark as I only got the Tamasin Day-Lewis book 'Supper for a song' from the library a couple of weeks ago, but straight away I knew I wanted to make this relish or jam as she calls it.

Tomato Chilli Jam

1.8kg/4lb very ripe tomatoes (I used two tins of plum tomatoes and 2lb of ripe tomatoes)

4 red chillies with their seeds

2 green chillies with their seeds

10 fat garlic cloves

5 thumbs of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

80ml/2 1/2 fl oz Thai fish sauce

675g/1..5lb unrefined golden caster sugar

200ml/7floz red wine vinegar

Chop the whole fresh tomatoes into small dice and set aside. Put the tinned tomatoes into the food processor with the chillies and their seeds, garlic, ginger and fish sauce and blitz into a fine puree.

Spoon the puree into a deep, heavy-bottomed pan and add the sugar and wine vinegar. Bring to the boil slowly, stirring as you go. When it comes to the boil, turn down to a simmer and add the diced tomatoes.

Skim off any foam that rises to the surface and cook gently for up to 1 1/2 hours, stirring from time to time, to prevent the mixture catching and burning. Scrape the sides of the pot too, so that everything cooks evenly. The mixture thickens as it cooks - as it reduces and the pectin in the tomatoes takes effect.

When the mixture seem thick to the stir of a wooden spoon, decant it into warm, sterilised jars and seal.

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

I had a little taste and, boy is it hot! I hope it is going to mature nicely as I have forbidden Mr Farmer from trying it yet, as he would put it on everything and it would soon be gone. I got two Kilner jars and a small jar from this recipe. I may try and make it again using only tinned tomatoes, I've made tomato chutney with tinned toms before and you get a brilliant colour and as you are cooking the tomatoes anyway there is no real difference in taste although the fresh toms give a bit more texture.

26th September 2011

I'm entering this in the 'Homemade and Well Preserved" challenge hosted by Sue at A little bit of Heavan on a plate.

Labels: chilli, garlic, preserves, root ginger, tomatoes, wine vinegar.

Saturday, 24 April 2010

Wild Garlic

This post is especially for Wendy (Omniverous Bear) who is a big fan of wild garlic. I just thought I'd show how much of this herb grows in the wood about a 1/4 of mile from my house. You don't have to cross the burn either, there is even more up the sides of the road. Of course, as my kitchen is not functional, there wasn't much point in picking it! If you are interested in seeing the rest of the photographs from my walk they are on show on my other blog Serial Crafter.

Labels: garlic, nature

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