Dressed Vegetables

Published: 01 December 2021 01 December 2021

Ingredients

For the slaw:

100ml white wine vinegar
200ml water
salt and black pepper
1/4 white cabbage shredded (300grm net) ( variety greyhound)
3 carrots julienned ( Sainsbury's organic- we don't grow carrots very successfully)
4 corn cobs lightly brushed with olive oil (variety sweet nugget)
2 red chillies finely chopped (I used purple-variety pot black)
1 small red onion peeled and thinly sliced (variety red baron)
20 g picked coriander leaves (variety silantro)
20 g picked mint leaves (I used apple mint- variety unknown)
olive oil

For the dressing:

50 g of mayonnaise
2 tsp dijon mustard
1½ tsp sunflower oil
1tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic crushed (variety thermidrome)

Preparation time:
¾ hour

Plain bread

Published: 25 November 2021 25 November 2021

Ingredients

1 lb (460 grams) Strong plain bread flour (Organic)
1 lb (450 grams) Bacheldre stoneground 100% wholemeal strong flour
2 teaspoonsful salt
2/3rds teaspoonful sugar
1 tablespoonful olive oil
¼ oz (6 grams) Allinson dried yeast
7/8 pint (500mls) warm water

John Allison won first prize with this tasty bread in 2013 and also the Best Bread Cup

Into the warm water (it should be at blood heat [37 C or 98 F] and just feel warm when felt with a finger) stir in the sugar. Stir gently and when dissolved put in the dried yeast. Stir to mix evenly. Leave for the yeast to begin to multiply while the other ingredients are prepared.
Warm a mixing bowl with hot water, then pour away water and put in the flours, salt and the olive oil. (The original recipe used lard, but olive oil makes the bread suitable for vegetarians and vegans).
Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the yeast, sugar and water. I mix with a spoon until the flour is mixed with the wet ingredients.

Either knead in a mixer according to the machine’s instructions or by hand. Replace the kneaded dough into the mixing bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm or a teatowel and put in a warm place to rise.

When the dough has risen and is about double its original size (the rising process takes about 1 to 1.5 hours), remove it from the bowl and knead it again to “knock it back”. Divide the dough into pieces. Shape each piece and place into baking tins. I use three hand made tins, passed down the family, which are oval shaped and take one third of the dough each. Again cover the tins and replace in a warm place to again double in size (proving).

When ready put the tins into a preheated oven (Temperature 230 C – 450 F – Gas mark 8) for 30-35 minutes. When done the top should be brown and the base should sound hollow when tapped. Turn out the loaves and cool on a wire rack.

The organic wholemeal flour is stoneground slowly and gently in a watermill first recorded in 1575 (rebuilt 1747 ). More details and recipes at www.bacheldremill.co.uk

Cheese Brioche Loaf

Published: 01 December 2021 01 December 2021

Ingredients

For the bread

¼oz / 7g of dried yeast
8fl oz / 230ml water
24oz / 680g strong organic flour
1tsp / 10ml sugar
1½tsp / 7.5ml salt
6oz / 170g organic butter at room temperature
4 organic eggs at room temperature
10½oz / 300g diced Swiss or Gruyere cheese
Chopped shallot

For the glaze

1 egg
1 tbsp milk

Preparation time:
1-2 hours
Cooking time:
20 minutes

The very tasty brioche is from Clive Richardson from Thornton (first time entrant!) whose Cheese Brioche Loaf was a big hit with judges and public alike, and won first prize in 2012.

(Based on a recipe in ‘The Breads of France’ by Bernard Clayton) – makes two loaves, using a food mixer although it’s possible to make it without a food mixer, as it was for the Show.

Blend the water and yeast in a large mixer bowl; add the sugar, salt and half the flour and beat for 2mins. Add the butter, divided into small pieces, and beat 1min. Add the eggs one at a time and the rest of the flour, beating well after each addition.

Beat at medium speed for 10mins, scraping down the dough from the sides if needed. Stir in the cheese and shallot thoroughly; cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise to double its size at room temp for 2-3hrs, then place the bowl, undisturbed, in the fridge for at least 5hrs/overnight.

Remove the dough from the fridge, divide into two and put one portion, covered, back in the fridge as the dough works easier when cold. Divide the dough into 3 pieces; roll each into a long strand 14-16” long and plait them, being sure to seal the ends. Place on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Brush the loaves with the glaze and let rise, uncovered, in the warm for 1-2hrs till doubled in size.

Brush again with the glaze and bake for 20mins or less in a pre-heated oven @ 400F/200C – watch out for the loaves scorching. Turn the loaves over and bake for another 10mins or so.

Slide onto a cooling rack – handle carefully as the loaves will be fragile till cold.

Pumpkin cake

Published: 25 November 2021 25 November 2021

Ingredients

3½ Cups of Organic Flour (plain)
1½ Cups of Organic Soft Brown Sugar
1 Cup of Organic Golden Granulated Sugar
2 Medium Organic Free Range Eggs
¼ Cup of Organic Milk
½ Cup of Vegetable Oil
½ Cup (Homemade) Apple Sauce or extra 0.5 Cup of Vegetable Oil
1½ tsp of Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
2 tsp of Cinnamon
1 tsp of Ground Ginger
1 tsp of Ground Nutmeg
1½ Cup of Pumpkin Puree

Preparation time: ¼ hour
Cooking time: ¾hour
Oven temperature: 180°C – Gas mark 4 – Moderate

To make pumpkin puree:
Dice a moist variety of pumpkin/winter squash (i.e. Rouge Vif d’Etampes/Crown Prince) and blend. If using a dryer variety boil/steam first and add water when blending as needed.
Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C.
2. Lightly grease 2 1lb loaf tins (9”x5”).
3. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4. In a smaller bowl whisk eggs, add in other wet ingredients – mixing in one at a time.
5. Add wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix until fully combined.
6. Divide into the tins.
7. Bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Blackcurrant Drizzle Cake

Published: 01 December 2021 01 December 2021

Ingredients

For the cake

6oz butter
6oz caster sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
4oz blackcurrants
90z self-raising flour

For the topping

2oz blackcurrants
4oz granulated sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation time: ½ hour
Cooking time: 1 hour

There wasn’t much left of Kate Toch’s prize winning Blackcurrant Drizzle Cake after the public tasting session at the 2012 show, and no wonder – it was delicious.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin. Beat butter, caster sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl for about 5 minutes. Spread 1/3 mixture into the prepared tin, sprinkle with 1/3 of the blackcurrants, another 1/3 of the mixture and finally another 1/3 of the blackcurrants and the last of the mixture. (save the final 1/3 of blackcurrants for topping)

Bake for one hour. Poke holes in the top ready for the drizzle topping. Place the remainder of the blackcurrants into a bowl with granulated sugar and lemon juice – mash with the back of a spoon and spread or pour on the warm cake.

Crab Apple and Elderberry Ketchup

Published: 25 November 2021 25 November 2021

Ingredients

Apples - enough to make 1lb 3oz puree
Elderberries - enough to make 5oz puree
¾ lb organic white sugar
8fl oz organic cider vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
6 small bay leaves
¼tsp salt
¼tsp fine-crushed black peppercorns
Seeds of 8 small cardamom pods, fine-crushed

Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: ½ hour

1lb 3ozs organic ‘John Downie’ crab apple puree: stew the roughly chunked fruit, skin, cores and all, very slowly with barely any water, stirring about occasionally, and sieve when soft (put the leavings on the compost heap).

5ozs organic/foraged elderberry puree: sieve the berries – very slowly stewed using no water – left behind after pouring off the juice for cordial (put the leavings on the compost heap).

Add the sugar and the vinegar to the combined purees in a pan, and stir well. Add the spices, etc. and simmer ½hr, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon, and pour hot into 4 glass ketchup bottles using a funnel, capping immediately. Keep at least a year to mature before using.