Tag: Fruit

Categories
Desserts Recipes

Heatwave

There seems to be no sign of our UK summer heatwave relenting: new record temperatures, and forecast to stay very hot again this weekend. On top of that, we are now (in my region) officially in drought, so alongside all the good advice we’re getting to plan ahead, stay out of the sun, drink water etc, we are now instructed not to use hosepipes for watering gardens and washing cars, to protect our river levels. All very sensible, of course.

Now I have some good advice of my own to impart: make strawberry ice cream.

There you go – some practical, free public health guidance that I am pretty certain you will not be receiving from any official government agency. Don’t mention it – you’re welcome.

To enjoy the cooling effects, just follow the steps below.

Servings

This will make around 1kg, so usually enough for 9-10 servings.

Timings

15 mins prep and 35 mins churning.

You Will Need

  • an electric ice cream maker
  • 400g fresh strawberries
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 220g granulated sugar
  • 220ml full fat milk
  • 400ml double cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

  1. Ensure the drum of the ice cream maker is completely frozen. I leave mine in the freezer for 24 hours before making.
  2. Chop the strawberries and combine in a bowl with the lemon juice and 70g of the sugar. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
  3. Remove from the fridge and strain through a sieve, saving the pink liquid. Mash half the strawberries and mix with the liquid, keeping the other half aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine the milk and the rest of the sugar. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved, and then stir in the mashed strawberries and vanilla extract. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
  5. Remove from the fridge and pour into the drum of the ice cream maker. Proceed to churn for 35 mins. Add the remaining chopped strawbs during the last 5 mins of churning.
  6. Switch off, and scrape into a plastic container. Seal and place in the freezer to set for at least 2 hours.
  7. Place 2-3 scoops in a bowl, serve with a piece of shortbread if you like.

    Find a shady spot and enjoy – ideally with this seasonal track from The Jam on your headphones.
Categories
Blog Drinks

Save it for Later

Next stop on my foodie tour of the West Midlands, while here for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, is Hill Close Gardens in Warwick. It’s a set of Victorian gardens that was nearly lost to housing development in the 90’s, only to be rescued through the campaigning work of some dedicated locals. The gardens are now restored and open to visitors, giving an insight into how our forefathers managed a plot of land to feed families with a healthy crop of home grown fruit and vegetables. Additionally, it shows the role gardening played in supporting their wellbeing, through respite from busy lives as merchants and shopkeepers in a growing 19th Century English town. It’s a lesson many of us would do well to remember today.

At this time of year the trees are full of traditional varieties of English apple that you will not find on the shelves of our supermarkets. Golden Delicious? Pink Lady? Jazz? No, nowhere in sight. However, if you’re interested in seeing the likes of Cox’s Orange Pippin, Ross Nonpareil, Laxton’s Epicure or the wonderfully middle-England named Reverend W. Wilkes (shown in the photo above), then this is the place to come. They are here in abundance, weighing down the heavily-laden branches of some very old trees.

The Gardens are managed on a not for profit basis and run largely by volunteers. Other fruit and veg spotted on our trip included beans, plums, courgettes and beetroot, to name a few. It is possible to buy some of the produce, including bags of windfall apples, but I opted for a bottle of juice made from the apples in the gardens. It’s already been chilled and opened, and tastes delicious!

Back at #B2022, since my last post we have attended a couple more events. The Lawn Bowls at Leamington Spa was all about precision, skill and strategy, while the Basketball 3×3 at Smithfield a frenetic and action-packed race for points against a fast beating clock. Both were excellent spectator sports in their own way.

On the musical side, it’s good to see that the soundtrack at events and Fan Festival sites is featuring Birmingham musicians, like Duran Duran, ELO, Slade and Joan Armatrading. My personal favourites are UB40 and The Beat, who have many great tracks. I will get some of these added to the ADK Playlist. By the way, did I mention that we have saved some of that lovely apple juice in the fridge for later?

Categories
Recipes Snacks

Fruit and Nut Booster Balls

Ever find yourself tempted to snack between meals, and picking up a packet of biscuits or something else sweet-loaded to give you a quick sugar rush? Mmm, yes – me too. Try these energy booster balls as a healthier, tastier and ultimately more satisfying alternative.

The recipe is based on one originating from Sainsbury’s Magazine and (as with most things on the ADK blog) has been developed and customised through trial, experience and error.

Servings

This should make around 12 energy balls.

Timings

15 mins to make. They can then be eaten straight away but will taste better eaten cold from the fridge.

You Will Need

  • 100g mix of cashews and pistachio nuts
  • 150g mix of pitted dates and dried apricots
  • a sprinkling of cacao nibs
  • a few drops of orange essence
  • 4 tablespoons of desiccated coconut

Method

  1. Finely chop the nuts and the dried fruit. This is better done by hand rather than the food processor, as bitter experience shows the dried fruit makes a real mess of the blade!
  2. Put the chopped nuts and fruit in a bowl and add the cacao nibs and orange essence. Mix it all together into a sticky paste.
  3. Pull off a tea spoon sized piece of the mix and roll between your palms into a ball. Roll it then on a plate on which you’ve sprinkled the desiccated coconut, till it’s covered all over, then set aside. Repeat until all the mixture has been used, and you have around a dozen energy balls.
  4. Place in a sealed container and store in the fridge. Eat within 3 – 4 days.

Customise it!

You can try mixing in other types of nuts or dried fruits. Seeds also go well – the smaller the better so maybe sunflower or chia seeds. Omit the cacao nibs if you wish, and switch the orange essence for another flavour. Rolling in coconut isn’t compulsory, though it adds presentationally and stops the ball sticking to your fingers! Try covering half in coconut and half without. Cocoa powder is another option for a coating, and (with imagination) can help give the illusion that you are eating a truffle.

Categories
Desserts Recipes

Blackcurrant Ice Cream

Regular visitors will know that this week I’ve been researching how to turn a lovely fresh crop of blackcurrants into ice cream. Well, my photo shows a few scoops of the results! I relied heavily on an old Delia recipe, and updated it for the age of the electric ice cream maker. There is really very little added other than sugar and cream, leaving this tart and vibrant coloured summer fruit to be the star of the show.

Servings

This will make 500g of ice cream, so comfortably enough for 5 – 6 servings.

Timings

15 mins preparation, and 35 mins churning.

You Will Need

  • 400g freshly picked blackcurrants
  • 175g granulated sugar
  • 150ml water
  • 300g double cream
  • an electric mixer
  • an ice cream maker

Method

  1. Place the drum of the ice cream maker in the freezer to get really frozen. I usually allow 24 hours.
  2. Press the blackcurrants through a sieve with a bowl beneath. The bowl will fill with divine purplish juice, leaving behind the pips and skins in the sieve, which can be discarded.
  3. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, dissolving the sugar. Simmer for a few minutes, then switch off. Combine with the blackcurrant juice and leave to cool.
  4. Whisk the double cream with a mixer.
  5. Place both the bowl of whipped cream and the bowl of blackcurrant juice in the fridge for a couple of hours to get really cold. Then remove from the fridge and combine, stirring it through so that all the cream takes on a purplish colour.
  6. Remove the frozen ice cream maker drum from the freezer. Tip the blackcurrant/cream mix into it and churn for around 35 mins.
  7. Switch off and spoon/scrape the ice cream out of the drum into a plastic container. Seal and place in the fridge for a good few hours before serving. The longer it has the more it will set.

And finally, a reminder of how it all began…

Categories
Breakfast Recipes

Blueberry and Apricot Muesli

This breakfast dish looks and tastes great – the bright blue and orange combination making for a lively, satisfying and healthy start to your day.

Servings

Makes one bowl for immediate consumption!

Timings

5 mins to prepare

You Will Need

  • 4 – 5 dessert spoonfuls of rolled oats
  • 1 dessert spoonful of pumpkin seeds
  • 1 dessert spoonful of sunflower seeds
  • 1 dessert spoonful of mixed dried fruit
  • a handful of fresh blueberries
  • 1 fresh apricot, chopped
  • a few dessert spoonfuls of natural yoghurt
  • 1 dessert spoonful of chopped nuts

Method

  1. Combine all the ingredients, other than the yoghurt and nuts, in a breakfast bowl. Reserve 2 – 3 blueberries and apricot pieces.
  2. Top with the yoghurt, sprinkle over the chopped nuts, and add the reserved blueberries and apricot to garnish. Enjoy.

Customise It!

Keep to the core ingredients of oats, seeds, fruit and nuts, otherwise swap in whatever is fresh and seasonal or whatever you have to hand. Raspberries or strawberries work well, and later in the summer I will be using freshly picked blackberries. Add milk in place of yoghurt, and add a swirl of honey if that’s your thing.

Categories
Blog

Paint It Blackcurrant

Delighted to have picked up this crop of fresh blackcurrants from our local community farm. As we’re currently bracing ourselves for the hottest day of the year here in the UK, I’ve decided to make some cooling blackcurrant ice cream with my Cuisinart ice cream maker, so am currently investigating recipes. All helpful ideas and suggestions welcome! Watch this space for a post later this week about the finished article.

Categories
Recipes Sides

Crunchy Fruit and Nut Pilaff

Subtly spiced with cinnamon, gently coloured with saffron, and packed with fruit, nuts and seeds, this summer pilaff will bring a crunch and a zing to your outdoor eating. Serve it as a side to barbecued food, quiche or as part of a picnic.

Servings

Up to six people as a side dish

Timings

Preparation 10 mins, cooking time 10 mins, final touches 5 mins

You will need:

  • a tablespoon of oil
  • 175g basmati rice
  • a few threads of saffron
  • a few grains of sea salt
  • one cinnamon stick
  • 300 ml vegetable or chicken stock
  • a handful of cashew nuts
  • a handful of pumpkin seeds, toasted
  • a small pack of pomegranate seeds
  • a handful of chopped flat parsley, or other fresh garden herbs

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a saucepan for a few moments, then chuck in the cinnamon stick. Give it a good shake so that it is gently coated in the oil and is giving off a sizzle.
  2. Pound the saffron and salt in a pestle and mortar till it forms a bright yellowy powder. Add it to the cinnamon with the rice. Pour in the stock and bring it to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and leave the lid on. It should take about 10 – 12 minutes for the rice to absorb the stock.
  3. While the rice is cooking, fetch the other ingredients. The only one that requires any preparation is the pumplin seeds – spread these out on a baking tray and toast them in the oven at 180c for about 5 mins max. This will give them an extra degree of crunch, but do keep your eye on them as they will burn if left too long!
  4. Turn off the heat under the rice and let it cool in the pan. Then fluff it up with a fork and add the seeds, cashews, pomegranate seeds and herbs. Transfer to a serving dish, cover and refrigerate till it’s time to serve.

Customise it!

Go freestyle and play around with the ingredients, while keeping within the fruit, nut and crunch theme. A teaspoon of turmeric can be used in place of the saffron if you wish – it will produce the same vivid colour. Substitute other unsalted nuts for the cashews if you prefer or have them to hand. Add sunflower or other seeds if you wish. The first time I made this I used chopped fresh apricots as they were in season and fairly cheap in the shops, along with dried cranberries, before replacing both with the pomegra,nate seeds, which give it a glisten, great colour and have their own special crunch. Chopped spring onions are another useful addition. Squeeze half a lemon over it just before serving, or add a favourite dressing if you wish. Let your creativity flow! Feel free to post a note below as I would love to hear of any other variations you try.