Fig, Marsala and Pine Nut Preserve - Celebrating the Fig and Sicily

 It is Fig Season and there are delicious ripe figs to be had, at a good price.  Over on my other blog, I have just written about two more fig preserves.  Of course on this blog you can search past years for a number of ways to preserve figs into a delish compote or jam.

This little preserve of Figs and Marsala and Pine Nuts is going to made up into some delicious tarts in the coming months, perfect on a winter's day after a special meal.

 1Kg prepared ripe dark purple figs

600g granulated sugar

2 large lemons zest of and juice

200ml Marsala , I used Cantine de Vita Dolce fromWaitrose

125g Pine nuts

I chop the fruit into small pieces, and leave it in a shallow dish together with all the other ingredients except for the pine nuts.  After a number of hours the juices will be running freely, and now is the time to start the boiling.  

It is really as for any other jam, except there is a tendency for the fruit to fall to the bottom and catch if you don't tend to it regularly, by this I mean stirring along the bottom of the pan.  Whilst the jars are being heated up in the oven, I warm through and gently roast the pine nuts, which I only add when the setting point is nearly reached. The pine nuts too need careful watching, and when you take them out of the oven, remove them onto a cold surface rather than leave them on a very hot baking sheet, so as to arrest any further roasting.

I must confess that I probably wouldn't have made this if I didn't have Marsala and pinenuts lying around!  These are a 'luxury' item, but just like little treats people buy themselves, culinary delicacies are one of my weaknesses!

If you want to understand how I arrived at this preserve then follow this link! 

Elderberry Syrup or Cordial

 

Elderberry Cordial 2022 Vintage

The original post includes the recipe first published in 2014, and a post published in 2022 on my other blog.

Home made Hot and Spicy Green Pepper Sauce

 This is what my first ever Hot Green Pepper Sauce looked like yesterday when I had finished.  I've yet to decorate the outside with a little script with my market.  I did not take exact weights etc, but if you would like to have a broad idea on how to made your very own version, go ahead.  I have written guideline on my other blog. When I made this again, which I am sure to, I'll make a note of weights, and write up a recipe for another post on this blog.  

Chunky Apricot Chutney made with Fresh Apricots

 Of the several books on preserving that I have on my shelves, I often find recipes that are just slightly pushing the envelope in Sensational Preserves by Hilaire Walden.  I've had it for years, having bought a old copy from the Library, on the trolley of 'discards'.  I see that second hand copies are reasonable, and would recommend this title.

Today I bought a tray of apricots from Wells Fruit and Vegetables, with the view of making jams or preserving them.  I had never made a chutney with fresh apricots, the recipe and technique in Sensational Preserves very much appealed to me. 

I have adapted the recipe to use the ingredients I had and also use my lovely locally made Cider Vinegar.

Fruit and onions weighed after preparation

1Kg Apricots : washed, the stone cut out, and each half cut into nine pieces

100g sultanas

100g finely chopped onion

3 cloves of garlic, and a piece of peeled ginger about 3cm cubed, finely chopped.  I keep a little stash of peeled fresh ginger in the freezer, and it is very easy to spice it finely and chopped crossways.

1 tsp whole coriander seeds, gently crushed in a pestle and mortar

1 tsp natural salt

300g light muscovado sugar

300ml or grams organic cider vinegar

Put all the ingredients in a large pan, bright to a gentle boil, and as soon as the apricots are tender, remove them to a dish.  I had to drain them a couple of times. 

Tender Apricot pieces are drained off

Of course there will be other bits with them, but the idea is that the vinegar/sugar mixture is then reduced over a medium heat.  When the sauce is thick and syrupy, off the heat the fruit is then combined back.  Mix well and pot up whilst hot in cleaned and heated jars, and cover with vinegar proof lids.  

This quantity makes four 340g jars of Chunky Apricot Chutney

This chutney needs to be stored in a cool dark cupboard for at least a month, before using, whichhelps the flavours to develop.

This is a Chutney with chunks of apricot, and I see this complementing not only 'cold cuts', but going very well alongside tagines, and other dishes from the Levant.  I often make a salad of mixed cooked or roasted  cold vegetables,  with cooked beans or chickpeas, and mixed with a little olive oil, this chutney would be a delicious dressing.  Folded through some mayonnaise and a little turmeric and cold chicken it would be a take on Coronation Chicken. 

I will probably made an Apricot and preserved ginger jam tomorrow, and an apricot, and pistachio bake of some kind.

Romanesco Kimchi with curried spices

 Isn't it good that one can preserve vegetables, and made a nutritious food to store, without vinegar or added sugar?

Of course I love achards and thought to capture some of that flavour in a lacto ferment.  With heavy rain double reasons for staying inside, the other is with the big C almost everywhere needs pre-booking, some kitchen therapy works well for keeping me focused.

Having made Kimchi on my course and reading through Curried Kimchi in Fermentation by Asa Simonsson, I felt inspired to experiment a little.

What could be more beautiful in the veggie world than a well grown Romanesco?  Answers below, if you wish!  Probably something else one has grown oneself?  I picked this beauty up at the market, and assembled the rest.  Colin from Honey Pot Farm was delivering our order of Apple Juice and Cider Vinegar, so asked him to make up a fruit and veg box too, so I had a lovely cabbage to hand.

Now for the chopping stage: separating the tiny shapes which mimic the whole, by slicing through to have small pieces was easy.  Then I thought to grate the stalks, but one or two strokes, proved unsatisfactory.  I love chopping so cutting up all the stems was quite interesting as I played at getting different cross sections.

Lots of knife work to achieve a bowl full

A soak in brine for a few hours or overnight,  well submerged, then after being drained, keep some of the water should you need it for the blending and bottling part,  and mixed with the spices, the jar is rammed down, and sealed so that  the fermentation can begin. A daily burp for the next two or three weeks, then refrigeration...I have found an easy method of keeping the veg below the surface, by using just the right sized plastic top from my large yogurt pots, usually kept for freezing soup, can be bent slightly and fits just below the neck.  With a few holes pierced in it for the gasses to escape, then lids are no longer viable for freezer work, but I get two a week in any case from my sheep's yogurt.

400g Romanesco, chopped up

200g White Cabbage, sliced finely

150g carrots sliced in fine pieces

1 litre boiled water with 40g pure sea salt cooled to make up the brine

2 garlic cloves

Fresh ginger about thumb size

20g garam masala

10g fennel seeds ground

1.5 tsp turmeric

5g cayenne powder

some twists of ground black pepper.

Blend a ladle of the drained vegetables, with all the spices, using a little of the drained liquid to get a good paste, which you then add to the vegetables.  Roll up your sleeves, and with well washed hands,  rub everything together well. Pack the mixture pushing well as you go, with your hand or anything else that will do the job! I of course, used my pickle packer Christmas present!

Make sure the vegetables are fully submerged, and seal in a fermentation jar.  I like to keep a dish under the jar, to protect the surface from any liquid that may ooze from the jar. After three weeks or so, I shall pot these into smaller jars, maybe give one away, and the rest will be in the fridge and used for lunches etc. 

Do read up on how to make lacto ferments and make sure you work in a clean and hygenic way.

Roasted Red Pepper and Chili Sauce

I am writing this up after making a small batch, as it has proved to be excellent, and I will certainly want to make this again!

I bought some of those small sweet red peppers from the market, and also had a couple of long sweet pointed red peppers in the fridge:

450g Red Peppers
1 tbsp olive oil
110g cooking apple, peeled and chopped.
110g red onion, peeled and chopped
6 home grown red hot chillis...or to taste, deseeded and chopped small
1 Large twig thyme + 1 large stem of parsley + 1 bayleaf + 10cm fresh tender rosemary + 1/2 tsp fresh green coriander seeds + 1/2 tsp whole black pepper corns + 3 allspice whole berries
300ml water

175cl cider vinegar
50g soft brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cornflour


Roast the sweet peppers, drizzled with a little olive olive oil,  in a hot oven till the skin starts to char slightly, and the peppers are soft.  Remove from the oven, and cover with a baking tray to trap the steam.  As soon as they can the handled, remove the stalks, and seeds, and remove the stalks from thyme and rosemary.

Put all the above ingredients down to the water in a pan with a lid, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes on the top of the stove, till soft.  Remove the bay leaf, and the parsley stalk, and blitz till smooth.  It could be strained at this stage, but I like a little texture.

Add 150 cider vinegar and the soft brown sugar and salt, and cook for a further 25 to 30 minutes, stirring from time to time, with the lid off.  When it is reasonably thick...stir in the cornflour cut with the remainder of the vinegar, cook for a further 10 minutes stirring all the time.  Pot in small pots which have been sterilized.  Store in the fridge for use within three weeks or so, or freeze.  I am sure you could also store in a dark cupboard.

Runner Bean Chutney

Its that time of year again when I have just a few runner beans to spare.  I have one wigwam, with about seven plants.  The variety is Moonlight and has white flowers, and nicest of all is self fertile.  Several neighbours and friends have had a handful or so...

Last week I had a good kilo so decided to make runner bean chutney.  I scoured my preserves books, but could not find one I liked....and on the internet came across Nigel Slater's Runner Bean Chutney.

I altered the recipe but generally kept to his technique, omitting the tomatoes and using only cider vinegar.  Although I make quite a few 'mustard' based pickles, the addition of the allspice berries gives a wonderful aroma and flavour. 

This gave 5 350g jars plus a smaller 250g one.

2 medium onions
150ml cider vinegar
8 allspice berries
1tsp coriander seeds...I used fresh green seeds from the garden
1 Kg prepared runner beans
1tbsp English Mustard Powder..Coleman's of course
2tsp grain mustard
2tsp tumeric
150ml cider vinegar
200g granulated sugar
1 heaped tsp sea salt
30g cornflour

For method check out the link to Nigel Slater's recipe.  The jars are maturing in the dark.....

The colour is fantastic....to lighten up gloomy winter days....