Mint – The Essential Summer Herb in the Garden

August 25, 2020 By Rachel Leave a Comment

Mint is one of my most used summer herbs.

Summer might be on the way out but mint and lots of other herbs are still growing reasonably well in my garden.

Not that I don’t use it all year round but the fresh and sharp flavour makes it ideal to serve with drinks, cocktails, salads, fruit, desserts and teas. I really couldn’t imagine not having mint in the garden. For me it’s such an essential herb and I thought I’d share a few pics of how I’ve been using the various mints this year.

Spearmint and Pineapple Mint

There are many different types of mint that will work well with food of course not forgetting the medicinal uses. I like to have a few varieties growing, all in pots and containers in my herb garden for easy access. As you can see above there’s lots of Spearmint, better known as garden or common mint and pineapple mint .

When we moved into our west of Scotland house 29 years ago parts of the garden were awash with garden mint and it took years to bring it under control and clear it from the beds. These days I grow in containers to restrain the plant as it’s such an invader in the garden. However, I must admit that if I had a suitable area I would grow Mint in the ground as in my experience the plants grow much stronger and last longer than in containers. And, for a great mint harvest every year, I find the bigger the container the bigger and better the harvest. When I’ve planted in smaller containers the vigorous growth means the plants have quickly become pot bound with the quality of the growth and leaves less healthy.

The other varieties I’m growing include, Moroccan mint, lavender mint, Indian mint, ginger mint, berries and cream mint, lime mint and chocolate mint.

Chocolate mint is excellent for using in baking or desserts, especially chocolate mousse. It’s easy to identify with unmistakeable subtle chocolate aroma and the brownish tinge running through the leaves. When I’m working around the garden I often chew on a few leaves for a wee chocolate hit.

Garden mint and Moroccan mint are my 2 favourites for tea and are indispensable for many gut issues. A cup of mint tea after a meal is a great digestive aid and can also help ease upset stomachs and wind.

Mint makes a lovely addition to summer drinks and cocktails and I like to use lime mint in gin. The leaves can also be individually frozen in ice cubes for adding directly to drinks.

A handful of herbs lift the flavour of a salad and mint adds a fresh and tasty zing. I like to use it in salads with fruit and cheese, especially Halloumi and feta.

This Berries and Cream mint is a new addition to my collection and as you would expect with a name like that this one is ideal for pairing with ice cream and other desserts or cakes.

Specialist herb nurseries are usually my first stop for new plants but mint is easy to propagate from runners or cuttings. And, it’s the cheapest way to get new plants. I found most small herb plants costing around £3 – £4 this year. Some of my younger new plants are now past their best in terms of growth for this year and I’ve started to prune some back. Most are sending out runners but the best time for rooting these or taking cuttings is in spring as new rhizomes and growth appears. Check out You tube for examples of how to do this.

Mint usually dies back around October and sadly this year with lockdown and the demands of family life, I just wasn’t organised enough to dry the best of the new growth in spring and early summer but I’m hoping to dry some bunches of leaves before the good weather leaves for another year. It’s very easy to dry and I usually either hang the bunch to dry or use a dehydrator.

Fingers crossed for a few more sunny days.

In The Herb Garden – The Calendula Project

August 9, 2020 By Rachel Leave a Comment

The Calendula Project as its been called, is a wee lockdown hobby I’ve been enjoying in my herb garden. It’s a flower I’ve always grown in the garden as it’s such a good companion plant for the herbs, salads and vegetables I grow. Calendula Officinalis is also an invaluable herb in its own right.

Calendula is renowned for excellent skin care properties and these include being anti inflammatory, anti fungal and anti bacterial. There are many good calendula oil and cream products available commercially and for me it’s an essential part of skin care and a staple for skin first aid. Complementary therapies have played a huge part in our family life and in the 80s and 90s when I was at home with my boys, I trained in Aromatherapy. Using essential oils, carrier oils and herbs sits perfectly with my ‘look after your health rather than your illness’ and ‘let food be thy medicine’ approach to life. And, it feels good to be actually producing my own therapeutic oil.

Apart from the therapeutic qualities, Calendula or Calendula Officinalis to use the botanical name, makes a welcome and colourful addition to summer food when the flowers are in plentiful supply and I regularly add to salads. The tangy flavour of the petals makes a good substitute for saffron in paella, bringing the bright yellow colour to the rice. The petals make a good food dye for colouring foods such as dairy produce, omelettes and use the fresh flowers to decorate celebration cakes.

I’m drying the flower heads and macerating in almond oil to make calendula oil. Maceration if you’re not familiar with it, involves steeping the petals in oil and leaving on a sunny windowsill for a few weeks until the volatile oil from the calendula is extracted. The finished oil will contain the healing and therapeutic qualities of Calendula. The infused oil can be used as a skin care product or mixed with other ingredients to make a range of skin products such as creams, salves and lip balms.

This is the first time I’ve dried calendula and although it’s not rocket science, admittedly it’s been a bit of a learning curve. I started off using an electric dehydrator and despite the machine running for an incredibly long time it didn’t dry the flowers well enough. A more efficient way has been to spread the flowers out on the dehydrator trays to dry naturally.

The pop up hanging drier I bought looked much smaller in the picture and in the bag when it arrived. However, when it popped up I discovered each section is almost the size of a tv satellite dish. Just so impractical for using in the house. It’s now hanging in my shed and doing a great job of drying the flower heads.

Theres been no shortage of flowers for picking and it’s true that the more you pick the more flowers the plants will produce. The flowers are best picked in the morning and before midday as the hot sun will evaporate the plants volatile oils. This is much the same for any edible flowers and herbs as you really want to get the very best qualities, when using therapeutically or in food.

The first jar of petals is currently macerating in sweet almond oil and It will take 2-4 weeks for the oil to be ready. The next stage will be strain the the oil to remove the flowers for bottling. This jar will yield around 1 pint and should keep for a a year.

For the next jar of oil, the plan is to macerate the whole flower head as a comparison. I planted around 40 organic calendula plants and I’m finding that there’s no shortage of flowers for drying. With this quantity I can also leave plenty growing on for the bees and other pollinators that frequent the garden.The jar is filling up nicely with the dried heads and hopefully in a day or 2 there will be enough to add the oil for macerating.

Check in with me in a few weeks time to find out how I got on with my first jar.

Herbs and Summer Gardening

September 25, 2019 By Rachel Leave a Comment

Herbs and Summer Gardening

Summer is just about over and as we move towards autumn, it seems a good time to look back at the past few months in the garden. This year has been challenging and probably my worst gardening year due to a problem with chronic pain and fatigue. I’ve had to adapt the way I garden and rely on lots of help, and, if you’ll excuse the pun, it’s has been a real pain. There’s been so many tasks I’ve been unable to do and that has led to an incredibly high level of frustration.

Not being one for giving up I’ve been focusing on what I was able to do rather than beating myself up about what I can’t do. There’s a wealth of evidence and research about the health benefits of gardening and from my own experience I can whole heartedly say it’s true.

Keeping a photo diary is always helpful, particularly with spring and summer plants as it’s easy to forget what’s there when the foliage dies back in winter. I’ve been taking lots of pics as a reminder and here’s a look at some of the good stuff from over the summer. This post is mainly about the herbs I’ve been growing and this area is a real favourite in the garden.

Herbs are amongst my favourite plants and have a place in every garden even if they’re just grown in containers or indoors for use in the kitchen.

To help with attracting more wildlife I’ve decided to have several small ponds in containers and the first one is in the herb beds. There’s a need for more plants and that’s on the never ending list of ‘things to do’.

The herb beds have grown well and next year I’m planning to have this area planted up solely with aromatic plants to create an area for relaxation.

This bed is planted up with varieties of sage, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, savoury, lovage, fennel and I’ve planted new lavender plants as a small hedge along the top border. There’s also lady’s Mantle which grows abundantly in the garden and self seeds at every opportunity – the small leaves can be used in salads. The pink flowers in the image below is echinacea – a great medicinal herb.

Calendula is one of my favourite edible flowers to have in the garden and as you can see it’s been a popular addition to summer salads with the cut and come again lettuce I’ve been growing. Next year I plan to have lots more calendula which I will try and macerate to make calendula oil.

This bed is planted with bee friendly borage and has been alive with bees for months. The blue flowers are so gorgeous and look lovely floating in summer drinks or frozen in ice cubes.

The nasturtiums in the hanging basket are also bee friendly and the flowers and leaves have both made their way into our salads.

Mint is a herb used regularly in my kitchen and I have several varieties growing in containers around the garden – being such an invasive herb that’s the best way to grow. It’s such a refreshing herb and my current collection includes, Indian, Moroccan, chocolate, apple, orange and spearmint.

Chocolate mint really smells and tastes of chocolate and is brilliant in desserts.

And finally, the utterly delicious and refreshing lemon verbena has grown well this year.

My plan to make lemon verbena ice cream has yet to happen so watch this space. I planted 3 new plants. One in a container against a south facing wall and the other two in the herb beds. The container grown pot has been the most successful of the three and I suspect that’s because it was in a sunnier spot.

Thanks for dropping by and having a wander through my herb garden. Please share your own gardening stories from this year by leaving a comment below. I’m always looking for new herbs and suppliers so all advice will be warmly welcomed.

In the next post I’ll be taking a wander through the main area of the garden to show what we’ve achieved this year.

Scotland’s first Foraging Fortnight

September 9, 2019 By Rachel Leave a Comment

Foraging Fortnight

Scotland’s first ever Foraging Fortnight is now well underway with a great programme of events ranging from woodland walks and wild food feasts to wellness workshops and foraged cocktails.

This brand new festival brings together over a hundred events across five diverse regions of Scotland: from the rolling hills of Lanarkshire, the golden beaches and fields of Fife; the mountains and coast of Moray; to the woodlands and lochs of the Forth Valley and Loch Lomond area; and the diverse islands of Orkney.

Seaweed forager Jayson Byles shows local children his craft in Fife’s East Neuk

The LEADER funded project will take place from 31^st August – 15^th September, allowing people to explore Scotland’s natural places and increase their knowledge of wild food and medicinal plants

The excellent programme includes:

The Scottish Wild Food Festival: taking place on 14^th September on Cardross Estate in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. This brand-new event will include a series of hands-on foraging, mindful workshops, folklore walks throughout the estate and the chance to try freshly prepared food and drink made of wild ingredients. The event will also include spectacular one-table feasts from Buck & Birch’s Rupert Waites and Marysia Paszkowska of Monachyle Mhor.
Living Off the Land: Eva Gunnare, a food and culture connoisseur from Swedish Lapland will be running a series of events across all five regions sharing her insights into foraging in the Arctic Circle, blending traditional recipes with modern creations.
Forage to Make Hedgerow Jelly: A free event at Fife’s Cambo Estate showing participants how to forage for ingredients to make your own hedgerow jelly.
Clyde Valley Apple Walk: an exploration of Clyde Valley’s heritage apple trees with a historical walk through Kirkfieldbank Community Orchard where the past is brought to and nature, conservation and food production go hand in hand.
Explore the Edible Seashore: the opportunity to explore marine life and discover the edible seaweeds that grow locally in Moray along with a demonstration to show how coastal ingredients can be cooked.
Old Ways and New Journeys: this Orkney event contains fascinating insights from instructor Zeki Basan, who grew up in a remote part of the Cairngorms. A glacier guide in Iceland and a wilderness instructor in Scotland, he describes the skills of survival used in the past in Scotland and by indigenous people today.

The festival programme has been designed to encourage people of all ages to participate safely and responsibly in different foraging activities, while discovering some of the most breath-taking parts of Scotland. Offering a range of free and paid-for tickets, each region has tailored the two-week festival to showcase its surroundings and unique local flora. Participants will be able to forage for medicinal plants, learn how to cook with wild ingredients or attend one of the many feasts of foraged food.

Catharine Idle, Programme Coordinator for LEADER in Fife, said:

“This is the first time an event like this has taken place in Scotland and I’m delighted by the strength, diversity and ambition of the programme. From mindful workshops and wild food feasts to talks from internationally renowned wilderness experts, Foraging Fortnight truly celebrates Scotland’s rural areas and shows the wealth of opportunities for everyone to get involved in foraging.”

The festival aims to leave a legacy of increased public awareness and expertise of sustainable foraging along with a greater understanding of the health and wellbeing benefits of foraging in natural environments. The festival will be repeated in May 2020 in four of the regions and in September 2020 in Orkney.

Foraging Fortnight events will encourage adherence to Scotland’s Outdoor Access Code and organisers have put together foraging guidelines to ensure that those taking part are doing so in a safe and responsible way.

The full programme will be announced on www.foragingfortnight.co.uk .

Foraging Fortnight is part of Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight, which runs from 31^st August to 15^th September.

Spirit and Spice

July 28, 2019 By Rachel Leave a Comment

Spirit and Spice

Amongst my vast collection of cookery books are several by the very talented Scottish author Ghillie Basan.

The books occupy prime position in my kitchen and rarely a week passes without me dipping into them for recipe ideas. The books are a perfect reference for recipes and advice on North African, Turkish and Middle Eastern food. But most of all I love the stories of Ghillie’s family life, work and travels and woven through them all is a sense of her spirit, courage and adventure.

The story continues on home ground and the setting for Ghillie’s latest book Spirit and Spice is her beautiful remote Scottish home and this hugely enjoyable book combines her love of global flavours with the whiskies and natural larder of Scotland.

Readers are taken on a culinary journey around the world and back again – to Ghillie’s home in the Highlands of Scotland.

The author of more than 40 cookbooks, Ghillie’s journey into food and spices began in a very different part of the world. She grew up in Africa and has travelled extensively throughout Turkey, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, researching the links between culinary cultures forged by trade routes, colonisation and migration.

Childhood for Ghillie was one big safari. In the wide open spaces of East Africa with wild animals for company, she camped, cooked and learned about spices. Learning from locals in remote villages, she ground coconuts and pineapples on a stone in Kerala, stuffed pounded pork, ginger and spices into the hollows of bamboo stems in Saigon and picked argan nuts out of goat droppings to be pressed for oil in the Sous Valley.

On returning to Scotland, Ghillie moved to a deserted croft in the wind-battered hills of the Cairngorms. The primitive and harsh living conditions felt completely natural and it was here she brought up her two children.

Despite some very challenging times she grew vegetables, foraged for fungi and berries and cooked wild rabbits from the glen, while using the flavours, spices and techniques picked up on her travels to shine a new light on Scottish produce.

Spirit and Spice is an outstanding book with expert insights on pickling, preserving, smoking and outdoor cooking and features beautifully presented recipes detailing Ghillie’s fascinating life story and painting an inspirational, heartfelt picture of her family life in one of Scotland’s wildest and most beautiful corners.

Taking inspiration from the notes of spice lingering in the air from nearby distilleries, she has become an expert in identifying which whiskies enhance the flavours and spices of her recipes and in Spirit & Spice she explains how to pair the perfect dram to a dish.

Recipes include “Body-warming, Midge-busting Dhal”, a spicy, nourishing lentil-based dish, perfect for camping in Scotland; “Whisky and Spice Cured Venison Fillet with Juniper Berries and Wild Thyme” and “Fresh Fish on Sticks Over the Fire”, which Ghillie makes in her garden using fresh trout from Rothiemurchus Estate.

Over 6 chapters whisky and food are brought together in the most delicious ways.

Flavour and Spice – how to concentrate and enhance flavour in spice mixes, preserves, pickles and flavoured spirits
Breakfast in the Bush – inspirational ideas for cooking outside whether you’re camping in the glen or hiking through the mountains
Wild Food & Foraging – making the most of Scotland’s natural larder
Feeding Family & Friends – family favourites to savour and share
Sweet Contentment, Sugar and Spice – treats from all over the world, from Ghillie’s kitchen to yours
Spirit and Spice – a user’s guide to pairing food with whisky

Ghillie talks candidly about how 2 years ago she almost her home – the very heart of this book – as she had given up everything to look after her mother who has dementia. To buy a bit of breathing space with the bank she sold her jewellery and other valuable items and then sat on the deck with a dram to draw inspiration from the view – a view that has always reminded her of Africa but on this occasion the realised that she was in the heart of whisky country and had never done anything with the spirit, apart from drink it! As hospitality costs nothing and is at the root of everything she have ever done, a link up with Chivas saw her opening the doors of her home to welcome international groups to experience food and whisky in a remote smugglers’ glen. By breaking down the flavours in whisky and building them up again in the food, working with flavours from different culinary cultures, the foundation for Spirit & Spice was set and Ghillie was finally on a path to save her home.

With photography throughout the book by Christina Riley and Ghillie’s son, Zeki Basan, Spirit & Spice was published in hardback by Kitchen Press on 14^th May 2019 and is available nationwide, priced at £25.

Springtime in the Garden

April 17, 2019 By Rachel Leave a Comment

Springtime in the garden is a time of wonder, and that usually means wondering what has survived the winter and despite labelling a bit of head scratching as we try to remember where the various perennials every year

It’s now less of a puzzle as I started photographing the garden to help keep an ongoing diary of the progress we’re making. Although we’ve had this garden for over 30 years, its only since the boys left home that were starting to develop some of the ideas we’ve had since moving here. Its fair to say and I’m sure many gardeners with well established garden will agree, its always work in progress.

The garden is south facing and benefits from the shade of several mature trees. It’s set over three quarters of an acre and there’s a small stream runs through between the bottom of the garden and the house.

There’s also a separate vegetable garden where I grown soft fruit, herbs, edible flowers and some vegetables. We didn’t grown any vegetables over the winter and the reasonable spring weather has allowed to us to tidy up and get the beds ready for this years plants.

Looking back at the colourful images from last spring and summer gives me a great deal of satisfaction, but winter has been and once again the spades, forks and loppers are to hand as there’s much work to be done if we are create the same attractive pictures in the coming months.

Here’s a snap shot of the vegetable garden from last year.

The raised beds divide the garden into manageable chunks and over the years have provided a healthy load of vegetables for us. Sadly we lost the greenhouse to a winter storm and we’ve never replaced. I’m hoping this year will be as fruitful and I’ve already made a good start on that by planting cauliflowers and kale in one bed and some new herbs into the herbs into another.

I used to grow courgettes in the greenhouse but I find the plants prefer being outside and produce more flowers and veg.

Edible flowers bring great colour in the summer and last year I grew lots of nasturtiums, borage and calendula. These were great to use in salads and I also used some to decorate a few celebration cakes including my son and daughter in law’s wedding cake.

Calendula

It’s a constant struggle keeping on top of the weeds on the paths as I don’t use weed killer. Over the next few weeks we’ll be tackling these by laying weed suppressant fabric and new gravel.

Every kitchen garden needs a collection of herbs and I grow as many possible including my favourites, Rosemary, a variety of thymes and sages, several different mints, parsley and fennel. Alongside the rhubarb there’s a healthy crop of sweet cicely and both of those will be put to good use this weekend.

Sage

Chocolate Mint

This will hopefully be the first in a series of posts about the progress we make this year. Thanks for reading and pop by soon to see how the garden is changing as the weather warms up and we move further into spring.

There are so many great garden blogs to read and I’m linking this post to Down By the Sea b log where you can see some other fantastic gardens.

Love your leftovers this Valentine’s Day

February 13, 2019 By Rachel Leave a Comment

Love your leftovers this Valentines Day.

Are you ‘Good to Go’? Love Island Star, Iain Stirling, calls on Scots not to dump food this Valentine’s Day

Iain Stirling is backing the Good to Go scheme this Valentine’s Day

Scottish comedian and Love Island star, Iain Stirling is partnering up with Zero Waste Scotland this Valentine’s Day to encourage Scots to love their leftovers.

Every year, a heart-breaking £200 million worth of food is wasted in Scotland’s hospitality sector. Around 34%of this is estimated to be ‘plate waste’ – good leftover food at the end of a meal.

As hospitality businesses gear up for for the years first seasonal bust spell, Iain Stirling is asking Scots to consider if they are ‘good to go’ – the nationwide scheme that encourages restaurant-goers to take home their leftovers.

Zero Waste Scotland suggests as many as 42% of diners are too shy to ask for a doggy bag. It’s hoped the campaign will make Scots think before dumping good food this Valentine’s Day.

Iain Stirling said, “People used to think you were ‘cheap’ if you asked for a doggy bag, but that’s changing. It’s no longer something your dad insists on, just because the place you’re eating in has an obligatory service charge! I mean what’s not to love about saving the planet by eating tasty leftovers. With ‘Good to Go, you can always take your half eaten lasagne home, in case your date isn’t keen on the idea.”

Ylva Haglund, Food Waste Campaigns Manager at Zero Waste Scotland, added, “Perfectly good food is going to waste right across Scotland due to the stigma of requesting a doggy bag. Our ‘Good to Go’ pilot showed that if restaurants across Scotland routinely offered doggy bags to their customers, it could save the equivalent of 800,000 full meals from going int he bin each year. Wasted food is not only a waste of money, it’s a major contributor to climate change. That’s because when we waste food, we also waste all the energy and resources that went into producing it and getting it to our table. On top of this, if food ends up in landfill, it will generate even more emissions in the form of methane gas, many times more harmful than carbon dioxide.”

“With Iain’s help, we’re hoping to spark a change that encourages even more Scots to reappraise the humble doggy bag and ask to take their leftovers home this Valentine’s Day and all year round.”

Diners are being asked to spread the word about Good to Go by asking their local restaurant to join the scheme, which includes a free starter pack containing 300 boxes, bags and communications materials.

Further details of how to sign up to Good to Go can be found here: www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/goodtogo

Pot Roast Brisket Beef

November 9, 2018 By Rachel Leave a Comment

Pot Roast Brisket Beef

Pot roast brisket beef

A pot roast brisket beef is one on my favourite Sunday dinners and the reason is very simple. It is one of the simplest meals to make, needs minimal effort and all the family love it. Even those with the most limited cooking skills can easily master a pot roast. It really is lazy Sunday cooking and after its in the oven, the dish can be left to take care of itself. If I’m at home during the cooking time I will turn the meat after 2 hours and maybe add additional veg but otherwise I just make sure the timer is on and leave the meat to slowly transform into something quite delicious.

Pot roast brisket beef

Whats not to love about Brisket? Being one of the cheaper cuts, its great value for money, full of flavour and after a long slow roast what you’ll get is a tender, succulent and flavoursome joint of meat. Unlike the leaner cuts of beef such as silverside and topside, brisket has lots of connective tissue and long slow cooking is essential to break this down. You’ll be rewarded with a tender, succulent and flavoursome joint of meat and this recipe also yields lots of delicious and unctuous gravy and vegetables.

Pot roast brisket beef

I brown the meat and add a selection of vegetables to the pot and, depending on how you prefer veg, either add at the beginning or half way through cooking time. Carrots and turnip work well added at the beginning and if I’m using parsnips or leeks I add at the half way mark. I’ve listed celery in the recipe but alas its one ingredient I cant eat. Please feel free to add it it works for you.

For larger cuts use a roasting tin

Pot roast brisket beef

Pot roast brisket beef If it’s a smaller joint of meat, I cook in a lidded Le Creuset and for larger cuts I use a roasting tin and cover tightly with foil.

Pot roast brisket beef

Pot Roast Brisket in Red Wine

Pot roast brisket is a deliciously comforting and easy meal to make and its a dish that will free up time, especially at the weekend. Its also a great dish to make ahead and perfect if you're feeding a crowd.

Servings	Prep Time
4	25 mins

Cook Time	Passive Time
3-4 Hours	3-4 Hours

Servings	Prep Time
4	25 mins

Cook Time	Passive Time
3-4 Hours	3-4 Hours

Pot Roast Brisket in Red Wine

Servings	Prep Time
4	25 mins

Cook Time	Passive Time
3-4 Hours	3-4 Hours

Servings	Prep Time
4	25 mins

Cook Time	Passive Time
3-4 Hours	3-4 Hours

Ingredients

Servings:

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large oven proof casserole. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Add the onions, carrots and celery (if using) and cook for about 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.
Mix the tomato puree with the beef stock. Return the meat to the pan and add the beef stock and red wine. Slowly bring to a simmer, cover with a tight fitting lid or tin foil and transfer to the oven.
Cook for 3-4 hours, turning the meat half way through. When cooked, remove the meat and vegetables and reduce the sauce if needed. Alternatively the sauce can be thickened with a roux. See tip below.
TIPS I usually make this dish in advance and I prefer to do this for a couple of reasons. Brisket has more fat than the more expensive leaner cuts and chilling overnight in the fridge makes it easier to remove the solid flat. Its also easier to slice the joint when cold and I find that red meat casseroles always taste better the next day.
FREEZING This dish freezes beautifully. Slice the meat as suggested above, return to the sauce and freeze.
Roux is a thickener for sauces and is easily made with equal quantities of butter and plain flour. I find it handy to keep some roux in the fridge as its a good time saver when a sauce or gravy needs thickening. To make a batch, melt the butter in a small pan over a low/medium heat and add the flour. Cook for 2 minutes and then transfer to a small jar or box and store in the fridge. Roux will store well for a month.

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Pot roast brisket beef

Changing Times

October 22, 2018 By Rachel Leave a Comment

It feels like everything has changed but nothing has changed – Food and cooking remain the constant familiar ingredients in daily life.’

When I started writing A Wee Pinch of Sugar over 6 years ago, I thought it would be a good way to keep my brain active as I had given up full time work. I thought long and hard about topic as mainly I really wanted to continue writing. It had always been a big part of my work although food had never played a significant part. Food was more central to my personal and family life. I had been interested in food since my schooldays and had also been cooking since I was tall enough to reach the kitchen table. The blog would be a way of sharing my recipes along with the odd piece of food news that I thought might be of interest to readers. That was my plan but somewhere along that road, things got busy; extra pages were added to the blog, I started writing reviews and got more involved in the Scottish food scene.

Changing Times

Fast forward 6 years, life has changed and is still changing. When I started the blog my boys were still living at home. My kitchen was a daily hive of activity; food was constantly being prepped and big filling dinners to feed 3 hungry men made.

Changing Times

The boys became interested in cooking and while it’s a big kitchen, some days we were vying for space on the worktops. There were friendly arguments about who was the best cook. I knew the answer but the arguments and comments were very funny.

As I said, life was changing. The boys were at university in Glasgow and eventually both moved to the city. Hunger obviously got the better of them as most weekends they drifted home and the kitchen chaos would return. It was a noisy busy place and I loved it. Fast forward a year or so and the change is more noticeable; the house and the kitchen are quieter. Last year We said a tearful goodbye to no 1 son as he headed off to a new job and life in USA. It wasn’t long before life changed and in July he came home to get married and is now back settled in USA with his lovely wife.

No 2 son remains in Glasgow but he’s still never far off my radar, especially when it comes to food.

Changing Times

I enjoy my regular trips to the west end of Glasgow to meet up with him. He knows where the best coffee is served and always has a recommendation for a quick lunch or dinner. It also give me the chance to indulge in a bit of food shopping in the eclectic mix of the west end. He has the best fishmongers, bakeries and specialist shops right on his doorstep. His local shops have become mine, despite being 17 miles away. His freezer has become a store for those ‘I couldn’t help myself and cooked more food’ meals. It’s true that food connects people. I drive him crazy by constantly asking what he’s having for dinner and telling him what he’s got in the freezer.

Back at the mothership, I enjoy the peace and stillness in the house. But the kitchen is the difficulty; cooking for 2 is a rather ordered affair. I’m often heard saying ‘there’s always a spare seat at my table’. With a table that can seat 14, believe me, there are plenty of spare seats.

Mr G regularly travels overseas with work and thankfully he is more than happy to have home cooked food when he’s at home. After eating in restaurants for 2 weeks, nothing says ‘you’re home’ more than the smell and taste of a home cooked meal.

Despite missing the hustle and bustle of a busy kitchen, I’ve also come to enjoy the times I cook when I’m alone.There’s a quiet pleasure to be had from throwing a few ingredients in a pan and enjoying a solo meal.

No 1 son, despite living in USA hasn’t escaped my food obsessions. We regularly exchange pics of what we’re having for dinner or I send him recipes for healthy meals. I know he doesn’t need them but it’s my way of keeping the spirit of ‘food brings people together’. Occasionally I even ask for advice as he is my expert when it comes to BBQ food, smoking food and cooking with spices.

Changing Times

We might not be sitting down to dinner on a weekly basis but the conversations are still there.

It’s not only the boys that life has changed for. The past year has seen some changes in my own physical health. A few surgeries and accidents have taken their toll and daily life at times has, and continues to be challenging. A ban on what to me is normal gardening means I’ve become a dab hand with a pair of secateurs. Long handled tools have made it easier, and frustrating as it is there’s still plenty of manageable and lighter jobs to be done.

Changing Times

Constantly by my side are the dogs and the long walks have become shorter but again, the pleasure is still there.

Changing Times

Like the rest of the family, they’re happy being in the kitchen, preferably when a chicken is being stripped of a roast is being carved.

Changing Times

I’ve learned that I can still achieve the same results in the kitchen by sitting at the table to prep meals. The pleasure is still there – it’s fine to do things differently. The blog will be also be changing and will reflect these lifestyle changes and experiences.

It feels like everything has changed but nothing has changed – Food and cooking remain the constant familiar ingredients in daily life.

I can still feel the rhythm of those busy days. But, my family has changed and they will continue to evolve and enjoy their new lives. They, and we will come and go throughout the year; just as each changing season brings something new, I will look forward to the chats, the pictures, the catch ups on FaceTime and more than anything, the visits and there not being an empty seat at my table.

Sausage Hotpot

October 22, 2018 By Rachel Leave a Comment

Sausage Hotpot

A Great One Pot Wonder.

The season for comfort food is well and truly underway and one dish that’s usually a favourite for family meals is a sausage casserole or hotpot. And, when the dish is all cooked in the one dish, it’s a winner for great flavours and of course it saves on the washing up too.

This sausage recipe is a real tasty one pot wonder from Edinburgh Chef Neil Forbes. It’s proper autumn food, making the best use of the seasonal produce that’s in abundance this month. Pumpkins and homegrown apples are plentiful at the moment. I have a bucket load of apples for using up and some will definitely be cooked up in this hotpot.

With Halloween approaching it also a time when pumpkins and squashes end up in the food waste and this recipe will also make good use them.

Sausage Hotpot

4 portions

INGREDIENTS

Allow 3 sausages per person (I like a good old pork and herb banger)

1 very large cooking apple (James Grieve or Bramley are excellent), cored and roughly copped

2 medium-sized onions. Roughly chopped

1/4 pumpkin (or butternut squash), roughly chopped

1 clove of garlic, sliced

A few par-boiled potatoes (like a heritage Pink Fir Apple or Sharpe’s Express). cut into large chunks

Salt and pepper

A sprig of rosemary

A small handful of fennel fronds, roughly chopped

A splash of cold-pressed rapeseed oil

A knob of butter

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large casserole dish or oven-proof pan, and fry the onions and whole sausages. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the pumpkin to the pan. Keep stirring and moving the dish around to get colour on all the ingredients. Then add the potatoes butter, garlic and apples.

Make sure everything is starting to colour nicely before placing in the oven with a sprig of rosemary for 20 to 30 minutes at 200°C to further cook and brown.

Remove from the oven, add the fennel fronds and stir. Serve at the table in the dish you cooked it in – no time for pretty dishes here!