Recipes Archives - Mud Patch

Red Currant & Loganberry Cordial

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Mudpatch

Posted in Recipes

With an excess of red currants I thought I would try making some cordial. Very easy recipe – I added the Loganberries as I found a Red Currant liqueur (made last year) rather bland. Am sure you could use Raspberries if you prefer.

Recipe:

1.5 kgs Red currants
0.5 kgs Loganberries
1.2 litre Water
Sugar (600g for every litre of strained juice)

Put the red currants and loganberries in to a pan, add the water. Bring to the boil slowly then simmer gently until the fruit has gone soft and released all the juice. You may need to crush the berries with a potato masher to encourage this.

Strain through a sterile muslin cloth into a large bowl – probably best to secure this so that the berries can strain overnight to ensure you get all the juice.

Return the juice to the pan and add the sugar. Heat, stirring, to allow the sugar to dissolve. Bottle in warm, sterilised bottles.

The cordial will keep for a few months if stored in a cool place.

Nasturtium Pesto

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Mudpatch

Posted in Recipes

Although they are planted as a companion plant, to help keep the runner beans free from black fly, nasturtiums have other uses and its time to try out a new Nasturtium Pesto recipe (before the black fly get settled on the leaves). The recipe I used last year worked well but was a little too garlic’y for my taste, so it was time to try out a variation.

Recipe:

50g nasturtium leaves (just picked!)
garlic clove
10 capers
50g pine nuts
50g parmesan
30ml lemon juice
120ml olive oil
pinch of salt

Whizz all the ingredients together, except the salt, in a processor for a couple of minutes until smooth. Add the salt to taste. Use immediately and/or freeze in the serving portion that you want.

Creme de Cassis

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Mudpatch

Posted in Recipes

…how Ribena should taste!

Was delighted with last year’s “experiment” to make liqueurs – and the Creme de Cassis was the best of the lot! The recipe takes a couple of days to complete but it isn’t time consuming.

The recipe is from the Channel 4 series, River Cottage to the Core (http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/blackcurrant-liqueur/)
Prep time – At least 24 hours
Cook Time – 3 hours
Servings – Makes 1 litre

Ingredients

500g blackcurrants, stripped from their stalks
500ml fruity red wine, such as Beaujolais or Tarrango
About 500g granulated sugar
About 300ml vodka

Directions
Combine the blackcurrants and wine in a glass or ceramic bowl and leave to macerate for at least 24 hours (and up to 48).

Purée the blackcurrants and wine in a food processor, then tip into a sieve lined with muslin or a clean cloth and leave to drip for several hours, then squeeze out the last of the juice by twisting the edges of the cloth together with your hands.

Measure the juice into a large saucepan. For every 100ml juice, add 60g sugar.

Heat gently, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves.

Cook the syrup at the lowest possible temperature ie below simmering. Cook it like this for about 2 hours, skimming off any scum that forms. It will reduce slightly and become a little more syrupy. Leave it to cool completely.

Sterilise your bottles, and their lids or caps, by washing in very hot, soapy water, rinse well and then putting them on a tray in a low oven (at 120 C/Gas 1⁄2) for 20 minutes to dry out. Leave to cool.

Measure the cooled syrup, then stir in one part vodka to three parts syrup.

Decant into the cold, sterilised bottles.

Store for at least 2 weeks before drinking.

Blackberry Chutney

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Mudpatch

Posted in Recipes

Loads of blackberries so all the usual jams/jellies and liqueurs have been made and I was looking for something else to try.

Limited number of (preserving) recipes available, but this covers both the basic recipe and one with “extras” (plus I love the Irish sense of humour which shines through the accompanying story!)

I have no idea yet how edible this will be but if you want to give it a go…
http://connemaracroft.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/irish-blackberry-chutney.html

Update

Tried a small pot of the chutney – great taste but a bit “pippy” (had whole Blackberries in the recipe).

Elderflower Cordial – Recipe Comparison

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Mudpatch

Posted in Recipes

I have a favourite Elderflower Cordial recipe but thought I would try something new this year. Mary Berry’s cordial (recipe below), and the posset she made with it, sounded great.

The posset was good but I found the cordial a little too sharp. My usual recipe (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/elderflowercordial_6465) uses oranges and lemons and has a slightly fruitier taste.

However Mary gave some great tips:

* elderflower heads can be frozen: freeze about 25 heads in a bag and add to the hot sugar syrup straight from the freezer – this will stop them turning brown once defrosted.
* Campden tables are used in home wine and beer making to kill bacteria and also to inhibit wild yeasts – adding this seems to allow the cordial to be kept for slightly longer.

Mary’s Recipe

Ingredients
1.5kg/3lb 5oz caster sugar
2 lemons
about 25 heads elderflowers
50g/1oz citric acid
2 Campden tablets
Preparation method
Put the sugar and 1.5 litre/3lb 5oz water into a large pan. Bring to the boil, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool.
Slice the lemons thinly. Put into a large plastic box or a bucket.
Add the elderflower heads to the lemons with the citric acid and the Campden tablets. Pour over the cooled sugar syrup. Cover and leave overnight or up to a couple of days.
Sieve and strain through muslin into sterilised bottles and store in the fridge.To serve, dilute to taste with still or sparkling water.

Summer Berry and Mint Ice Cream

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Mudpatch

Posted in Recipes

You can make this with fresh berries but it is a tasty way to use up any of last years – before you start this year’s harvest.

Ingredients

60ml milk
150g granulated sugar
5 or 6 small springs of mint
400ml greek yoghurt
200ml double cream
200ml crème fraiche
500g frozen mixed berries (such as blackberries, blackcurrants, red currants, loganberries, raspberries)

Put the sugar, mint and berries in a pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the berries are soft enough to purée.
Purée and sieve the berry mixture. Leave to cool.
Combine the milk, yoghurt, cream and crème fraiche. Add the cooled berry mix – stir well.
Pour in to ice cream maker and churn for 20 minutes.
Put in to container and place in freezer for at least 2 hours for a firm freeze.

Toffee Apple Jelly

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Mudpatch

Posted in Recipes

I struggle to get Apple Jelly to set – although Apple Cheese (and any combination of fruit with it) is no problem. So, when I saw this simple recipe alarm bells should have been ringing!

It looked a tasty recipe and the reader, who had recommended it, had clearly had a lot of success with it… so, ever the optimist, I did as instructed.

But, 24 hours later I was re-boiling the wonderfully clear but watery liquid – not set at all.

Ignoring all the timings, I then stuck to the “tried and tested” method of gauging the set (ie by putting a plate in the fridge, dropping some of the “jam” on it and gently pushing the surface of the jam drop to see if it wrinkled – a process which has never let me down). After 15 minutes of bubbling, the jelly seemed to be done – by now, it was a deep russet colour.

Opened a few months later, the jelly is actually a gloriously gooey toffee apple tasting syrup (similar in consistency to golden syrup). It is impossible to get off the spoon in a hurry but it is excellent with pancakes/drop scones or as a sponge pudding base. Just don’t try spreading it on your toast.

Here’s the recipe – have fun!

Apple Jelly

3kg ripe apples to make 1.5l juice, 1.5kg preserving sugar, 1-2 cinamon sticks, 2 star anise, 3-4 cloves, 4 tbsp lemon juice

Sealable jars – sterlised

1. Wash, core and quarter the apples. Place the apples in a juicer and collect the juice.

2. Boil the juice with the sugar and spices over a high heat, stirring constantly, and cook at a rolling boil for around 4 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. and remove from the heat.

3. Remove the spices and immediately pour the jelly in to hot jars. Sealtightly and tunr the jars upside down and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Then turn them back over and leave to cool completely.

Kale Crisps

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Mudpatch

Posted in Recipes

Really easy recipe – the amount of ingredients you need is very much dependent on the volume of crisps you want. The recipe did suggest drizzling the oil over the leaves but I find it easier to put the oil in a bowl and toss the leaves in it – gives a lighter, more even coating. Beware the crisps need a bit of watching so they don’t burn.

Bunch of Kale leaves (at least 15 good sized leaves)
Olive oil
Seasoned salt

Heat oven to 180 C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper
Cut out the thick stems and tear the leaves in to bite sized pieces. Wash and dry thoroughly
Lightly coat the leaves in olive oil and sprinkle a little salt over
Spread thinly across the tray and bake for about 8 minutes – until the edges start to brown not burn (may need longer depending on the kale used and how you like your crisps)