Produce, Food & Recipes

Blue Salad -Borage Flowers

Apr 21st, 2010

Last night we had borage flowers in our salad which is a first for me.

Borage can be used as a fresh vegetable or a dried herb. The flower has a sweet honey-like taste and is one of a few blue-coloured edible things. (Although maybe you shouldn’t eat tons of them as they contain a tiny amount of a chemical that could harm your liver) Eating the plant apparently tastes like cucumber but I have yet to try it.

It has many medicinal uses including for the regulation of metabolism and the hormonal system including for PMS and menopause side effects. It’s also used to help colds and respiratory infections and for it’s general anti-inflammatory properties (please note I have no specific skills for using this herb it is just general information!)

According to the internet…use of borage is common in Germany and in Italian Liguria, borage is commonly used as filling of the traditional pasta ravioli and pansoti. The leaves and flowers were originally used in Pimms before it was replaced by mint. And it is used to flavour pickled gherkins in Poland.

Borage is used in companion planting and if planted near tomato plants is said to improve their growth and make them taste better. It is also thought to protect spinach and brassica and strawberries.

Borage Plant in the garden

If I’ve missed anything about this plant let me know!

Asparagus and poached eggs for breakfast

Apr 12th, 2010

by wwoofer.

No comments yet

This morning we had produce from our chickens and vegetable garden for breakfast.

Asparagus growing with chicken house in background

…served in various ways.

Sophie eating her eggs and asparagus

Matt's presentation of the same dish

My friend Zoe got me in to this combination but I have never had it so fresh before!

Meringues

Apr 3rd, 2010

by Sophie.

1 comment

Ifits Pie

Feb 4th, 2010

by Sophie.

No comments yet

The name’s inspired by Andy’s brother Oggy because, as he says “I’m having ifits for dinner tonight” (if it’s in the fridge I’ll eat it) and the actual pie inspired by a German friend’s mother who made something similar the other day which was delicious (though hers, no doubt, was not made out of leftovers, and had a bread base rather than a pastry case).

Wholemeal pastry case filled with a mixture of:

mashed potato and green beans left over from last night’s dinner
a lump of old cheese (mouldy bits removed!)
six eggs (need using because the chickens have started laying lots)
a couple of leeks from the garden (again – need using cos there are lots)
a bit of milk, salt, and pepper

I threw it in the stove for about an hour and we had it for lunch with ketchup. Yummy!

Turmeric Detox Tea

Jan 6th, 2010

by Sophie.

No comments yet

Turmeric contains curcumin which is a free radical fighting substance that is used as a defense against cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Curcumin is also antitumor, antiarthritic, anti-amyloid and anti-inflammatory. Turmeric can be combined with ginger to make a delicious detoxifying tea.

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon powdered turmeric
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Boil the water, then add the powdered ginger and turmeric. Simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Strain the tea into a mug then add maple syrup and lemon
3. Stir the mixture and it’s ready

(I’m about to drink some of this now to fight off horrible flu!)

Quick Bread

Oct 21st, 2009

by Sophie.

8 comments

Today I’ve lit the stove, more to cheer us up on a dull rainy day than because we need the heat, but colder days are on the way and the time of baking and bread making is upon us again, so I’m wondering about buying this, anyone have it / can recommend it?

Grape Juice / Sumo de Uva

Sep 23rd, 2009

by Sophie.

3 comments

1: Set big pans of water on to boil, ready to sterilise the bottles.

2. Pick grapes (fogot to take photo of this, doh!).

3. Wash feet & tread grapes.

4. Put buckets of squished grapes into press (we pressed white (green) grapes first).

5. Collect juice (this is the juice from the red grapes)!

Don’t forget to taste it!

6. Pour boiling water into bottles to sterilise.

7. Strain juice into pans & heat to sterilising temperature (86 degs C).

8. Boil corks to sterilise.

9. Pour sterilised juice into bottles and cork.

Tomatillo Chutney

Sep 3rd, 2009

by Sophie.

8 comments

This is amazing stuff. Adapted from Pam Corbin’s recipe for “Seasonal Chutney” which she adapted from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s “Glutney”.

1kg marrows or courgettes
1kg tomatilloes or green tomatoes
500g apples
500g onions
250g sultanas
500g sugar (i use the light brown stuff)
600ml white wine vinegar
50g fresh root ginger
Spice Option 1: 10 whole dried or fresh piri-piris, 2tsp black peppercorns, & 1 tsp coriander seeds
Spice Option 2: 4 tsps mixed pickling spice

Dice all the veg pretty small and chop the onions finely and the ginger very finely. Throw all the ingredients, except the sugar, into a big pan. Simmer gently until it’s pretty mushy. Add sugar. Continue to simmer gently until it’s a good dark brown colour and the consistency you want. Put into warm sterilised jars. Best if you can leave it at least a month to mature before eating!