Monthly Archives: June 2011

strawberries, elderflower vinegar, pink peppercorns

Posted on June 26, 2011 by admin| 1 Comment

There can be few foods more quintessentially English than strawberries and cream in the summertime. Those fat, luscious cheery red fruits, accompanied with a generous serving of  cool cream, seem ever seared on our consciousness as the perfect accompaniment to a long, hazy day.

strawberries 1

And then there’s that other traditional English summer institution, Wimbledon – at which the price of a serving of strawberries each year is as keenly discussed as is the form of the top players. The All English Lawn Tennis Club procures its supply of the red berries from a farm near Maidstone in Kent, and has been doing so for many years.

This season, I’ve been buying mine from the same farm, and I can vouch for their superlative quality and flavour. Rather than serve them simply with cream, or – as a ubiquitous trend would have it, with balsamic vinegar and black pepper – I’ve macerated the strawberries with icing sugar and homemade elderflower vinegar, and  then spooned a big, billowy pillow of whipped double cream over them. The final touch is a scattering of cracked pink peppercorns and baby mint leaves. Divine.

strawberries 2

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Posted in fruits

smoked woodpigeon with apple and fig jam

Posted on June 20, 2011 by admin| 1 Comment

The woodpigeons around here live an enviably charmed life. Fresh air, green fields and hedgerows, and plenty of food. It’s no wonder they look content and plump, so very unlike their London relatives.

Smoked woodpigeon breasts are ideal for turning into a quick-to-prepare and flavoursome snack.

smoked woodpigeon 1

Two minutes to cook (unless – as I managed to, in this instance – you find yourself distracted halfway through), and you have a meal in the making. For me, the earthy and gamey flavours go well with something sweet – in this case, apple and fig jam.

apple fig jam 1

Saute the breasts for a minute each side, at most, in a hot pan. Remove, and put to one side to rest for a few minutes. Slice – it should be pink all the way through – and serve atop toasted sourdough smothered with the jam. Create additional sweet and smokey elements by chargrilling spring onions. Season, and drizzle with your favourite oil.

smoked woodpigeon 2

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Posted in birds, jams, preserves, chutneys

asparagus and duck egg

Posted on June 15, 2011 by admin| Leave a comment

I must admit – I wasn’t aware that Kent was known particularly for its asparagus. But, as they say, time changes everything, and it seems that the same is true for the summer’s earthy green spears. I’ve noticed that a number of top London restaurants have had it on their menus in recent years, and yesterday I learnt that a newish independent pub mini-chain, the Draft House, has chosen specifically Kentish asaparagus for a special beer-pairing menu and event.

I’m not sure I’d be able to tell the difference between asparagus from Kent and that from any other part of the country, but I do know I love the stuff, and am already wondering what I’ll do without it next week – I’m down to my last few spears of the all-too short season.

I eat mine with local duck eggs (from Nash Farm, in Ash). The generous yolk of the egg is a perfect match for the asparagus. Fry both, in butter. Serve when the egg is cooked and the asparagus tips have started to caramelise and go slightly crisp. Put it all onto a plate, and pour over the molten butter. Season to taste.

duck egg asparagus

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Posted in eggs, vegetables

watercress and sorrel soup

Posted on June 13, 2011 by admin| 2 Comments

 watercress and sorrel 1

Now’s the time of year when both watercress and sorrel are in abundance and demand to be made use of. Not only do they taste wonderful, but – packed with essential vitamins and minerals as they are – they’re also fantastically good for us, too.

Hampshire is probably better known for its watercress, particularly during the Victorian era when street vendors sold it in bunches in London to customers craved refreshers to counteract the city’s smoke and dust – an astonishing 50 tonnes of watercress were sold in this way per week. But Kent also boasts a 300-year old tradition of watercress production at Wingham Well, just a few miles east of Canterbury. It’s from there that I get huge leafy bunches of the stuff, via my local farm shop. The sorrel comes from my garden – it’s incredibly easy to grow, even in the smallest space or pot.

This recipe combines the pepperiness of watercress with the lemony hit of sorrel to make a vibrant green summer’s soup, good either hot or chilled. Finish with rapeseed oil for a buttery note, or with cream or crème fraiche for a more indulgent version. I happen to like mine with oil, and accompanied by sourdough crispbreads with tangy cream cheese from Northiam Dairy.

watercress and sorrel 2

Watercress and sorrel soup (serves 4)
1 large bunch of watercress
1 large handful of sorrel
2 shallots
2 potatoes, roughly diced
750ml – 1l vegetable or chicken stock, or water
a generous knob of butter
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan, heat the butter until it has melted.

Roughly dice the shallots. Fry them in the butter until they become soft and transparent – but not brown.

Add the diced potatoes to the pan, and cover the lot with water or stock. Bring it all to the boil, then reduce the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat.

Add the watercress and sorrel to the pan, and leave to wilt for a minute or two.

Pour the lot into a blender, and blitz. (Pass through a sieve if you want a uniform colour and texture.) Season to taste, and finish with a drizzle of rapeseed oil, or with a goodly swirl of cream or crème fraiche.

This recipe also appears on the website of Peter’s Yard - the suppliers of the crispbreads I used.

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Posted in herbs, vegetables

beautiful borage

Posted on June 3, 2011 by admin| Leave a comment

Summer is here! The borage is flowering, and it’s time to make Pimms and enjoy a deliciously lazy afternoon sitting in the sun…

borage flower

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Posted in flowers, herbs

elderflower fritters

Posted on June 1, 2011 by admin| Leave a comment

elderflower fritters 1

Few scents herald the approach of summer more enticingly than that of the elegant elderflower. Filling the hedgerows and fortunate gardens as it is wont to do in late May and early June, its creamy white heads and verdant foliage also make for a gorgeous visual extravaganza.

Happily for the cook, elderflower tastes as good as it looks. It is perhaps most commonly used to make drinks and flavour desserts, but it also makes wonderful floral fritters. When frying elderflower heads, it is imperative to use the lightest of batters, sufficient simply to bind the flowers together a little – anything heavier will dull its delicate flavours.

Here’s my recipe for this unique and most fleeting of early summer treats:

several elderflower heads
50g cornflour
100ml ice-cold sparkling or soda water
1 egg
pinch of salt
vegetable oil for frying

Whisk all the ingredients together until thoroughly combined.

Heat the oil in a frying pan until it just about starts to smoke. Dip the elderflower heads briskly through the batter, shake off the excess, and place in the pan, flowers down. Fry until crisp and golden.

Remove from the pan onto kitchen paper to remove extraneous oil. Place the heads on a plate dusted with icing sugar, and devour immediately.

elderflower fritters 2

Note: use only the freshest, whitest elderflower heads. Those that are fading or have already turned brown will be nowhere near as good, or worse, will positively spoil the taste. And you’ll need to be quick – elderflowers in full bloom are around only for a very short time.

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Posted in flowers