With the incredible blackberry harvest this year, here in Ireland, and with no end to the supply of huge and seriously juicy fruit , there has been a lot of experimenting with numerous recipes.
Blackberry icecream is a winner!
1 punnet freshly picked blackberries
100 g caster sugar
450ml single cream
-Wash blackberries and destem.
-Place in saucepan.
-Add caster sugar
-simmer for 15 minutes
-allow to cool
- whip cream well.
- fold in cooled blackberry mixture to cream
- place in container and freeze
- after 2 hours stir well.
- after a further 2 hours stir well again.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Mid October Menus for €100 per week
Autumn is well upon us. The mornings are dark and the evenings are getting a lot shorter; time to starting thinking about bedding down for the coming winter; keeping warm and having lots of soothing food.
As always, the seven day menus are on a budget of €100 per week, for a family of four with shopping from Aldi, Lidl and our local butcher. Cooking all meals from scratch takes more time, but is very fruitful, good for your family's health and saves disposable income for other things. Taking packed lunches and your
own quality coffee to work saves a small fortune in itsself!
We cook between 7pm - 8pm for the following day.
We also always have a sweet treat to have on hand in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Treat for the Week
Florentine Cream Pudding
This pudding is so easy to make, and you will be proud.
Enjoy it each evening, and pretend you are sitting in a gorgeous Italian Piazza with a strong coffee!
Dreams go a long way.
75g peeled almonds
75g hazelnuts
4 tablespoons amaretto (from Aldi)
4 tablespoons brandy (from Aldi)
250g Maderia Cake (from Lidl - all made!)
150g 70% chocoalte
450ml whipping cream
90g icing sugar - sifted.
-Put almonds and hazelnuts in oven for 5 mins at 200C.
-Take out, using a tea towel rub off the hazelnut skins.
-Chop both almonds and hazelnuts.
-Mix the brandy and amaretto together.
-line a Pudding basin (1.5 litre dome shaped) with cling film
-Then line the basin with slices of the Maderia cake .
-Moisten the cake slices with the liqueur mixture.
-Melt 60g of chocolate in a small bowl, laid over a pan of simmering water.
- cut the other 90g of chocolate into small pieces.
- Whip the cream with icing sugar until stiff. fold in the almonds, hazelnuts and chocolate pieces.
- divide cream mixture in half and spoon one portion into the mould..
- spread cream evenly over maderia cake
Place in the fridge for 12 hours.
When ready to eat, take out of fridge and turn out on to a plate.
Great for a party or celebration!
Saturday
Lunch - baguette, ham, cheese and chutneys
Dinner: Homemade Pizza's - mozzarella, ricotta, salami, field mushrooms.
To do
Make pizza dough before 3pm
Dry rub Duck confit with herbs, salt and garlic (€7.99 from Aldi - fresh)
Soak ham in water overnight (Aldi - small ham is around €4.30)
Sunday
To do
slow cook duck confit for 4 hours at 140C
slow cook red cabbage for 2 hours at 150C
Place ham in a can of cider and simmer for 2 hours
Monday
Packed lunch -home cured ham sandwiches with dijon mustard, fruit and raisins
Soup - curried courgette
Dinner Confit of duck with roast potatoes and red cabbage
To do
make fresh tomato sauce for tuesday
Tuesday
Packed lunch - home cured ham sandwiches with dijon mustard, mature cheddar and oatbiscuits, fruit
Soup - Curried courgette
Dinnner :Fresh tomato sauce with linguine pasta
To do
Roast chicken and make stock
make carrot and orange soup
Wednesday
Packed lunch - roast chicken sandwiches with crab apple jelly, hazelnuts and raisins
Soup Carrot and orange
Dinner Chicken in a white wine sauce with brown rice, peas and carrots
Thursday
Packed lunch - roast chicken sandwiches with crab apple jelly, oatbiscuits, cheese and fruit
Soup Carrot and orange
Dinner :Leek Flamiche with salad ( a tradtionial dish of Picardy, Northern France - v tasty!)
Friday
Packed lunch -Tahini sandwiches with fruit, oatbiscuits and cheese
Soup - chard and potato
Dinner: Beef and red onion pie with mashed potatoes and veg
As always, the seven day menus are on a budget of €100 per week, for a family of four with shopping from Aldi, Lidl and our local butcher. Cooking all meals from scratch takes more time, but is very fruitful, good for your family's health and saves disposable income for other things. Taking packed lunches and your
own quality coffee to work saves a small fortune in itsself!
We cook between 7pm - 8pm for the following day.
We also always have a sweet treat to have on hand in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Treat for the Week
Florentine Cream Pudding
This pudding is so easy to make, and you will be proud.
Enjoy it each evening, and pretend you are sitting in a gorgeous Italian Piazza with a strong coffee!
Dreams go a long way.
75g peeled almonds
75g hazelnuts
4 tablespoons amaretto (from Aldi)
4 tablespoons brandy (from Aldi)
250g Maderia Cake (from Lidl - all made!)
150g 70% chocoalte
450ml whipping cream
90g icing sugar - sifted.
-Put almonds and hazelnuts in oven for 5 mins at 200C.
-Take out, using a tea towel rub off the hazelnut skins.
-Chop both almonds and hazelnuts.
-Mix the brandy and amaretto together.
-line a Pudding basin (1.5 litre dome shaped) with cling film
-Then line the basin with slices of the Maderia cake .
-Moisten the cake slices with the liqueur mixture.
-Melt 60g of chocolate in a small bowl, laid over a pan of simmering water.
- cut the other 90g of chocolate into small pieces.
- Whip the cream with icing sugar until stiff. fold in the almonds, hazelnuts and chocolate pieces.
- divide cream mixture in half and spoon one portion into the mould..
- spread cream evenly over maderia cake
Place in the fridge for 12 hours.
When ready to eat, take out of fridge and turn out on to a plate.
Great for a party or celebration!
Saturday
Lunch - baguette, ham, cheese and chutneys
Dinner: Homemade Pizza's - mozzarella, ricotta, salami, field mushrooms.
To do
Make pizza dough before 3pm
Dry rub Duck confit with herbs, salt and garlic (€7.99 from Aldi - fresh)
Soak ham in water overnight (Aldi - small ham is around €4.30)
Sunday
To do
slow cook duck confit for 4 hours at 140C
slow cook red cabbage for 2 hours at 150C
Place ham in a can of cider and simmer for 2 hours
Monday
Packed lunch -home cured ham sandwiches with dijon mustard, fruit and raisins
Soup - curried courgette
Dinner Confit of duck with roast potatoes and red cabbage
To do
make fresh tomato sauce for tuesday
Tuesday
Packed lunch - home cured ham sandwiches with dijon mustard, mature cheddar and oatbiscuits, fruit
Soup - Curried courgette
Dinnner :Fresh tomato sauce with linguine pasta
To do
Roast chicken and make stock
make carrot and orange soup
Wednesday
Packed lunch - roast chicken sandwiches with crab apple jelly, hazelnuts and raisins
Soup Carrot and orange
Dinner Chicken in a white wine sauce with brown rice, peas and carrots
Thursday
Packed lunch - roast chicken sandwiches with crab apple jelly, oatbiscuits, cheese and fruit
Soup Carrot and orange
Dinner :Leek Flamiche with salad ( a tradtionial dish of Picardy, Northern France - v tasty!)
Friday
Packed lunch -Tahini sandwiches with fruit, oatbiscuits and cheese
Soup - chard and potato
Dinner: Beef and red onion pie with mashed potatoes and veg
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Collecting crab apples and rose hips in "Tullahaought"
The shimmering autumnal sunshine glows across Tullahought in the mellowing light at this time of
year. Tullahought is a small and very pretty village in South Kilkenny, with wonderful sweeping views below, of the stunning Kilkenny countryside. If you happen to find yourself in this part of the world, a foraging walk is highly recommended. Join the "National looped Walk", which takes you up along side the hurling ground.
Along this hedgerow is a very large crab apple tree, where you will find plenty of "windlings" on the lane. The hedge is also laden with rosehips which are ripe for picking. Half away along the lane, you will see a sign to head right into a native irish woodland planation, walk along here and keep an eye out for wild kilkenny boar! The woodland walk is lovely and children of all ages will really enjoy it.
Remember to bring plenty of bags to collect your edibles.
Crab Apple Jelly
4kgs Crab apples
1kg caster sugar
1 lemon juiced
Wash the apples, take out the stems and remove any bruised fruit.
Bring the fruit to the boil and simmer until soft (cooked)
Pour the apple pulp into a jelly bag or several layers of muslim and let drip overnight into a pan.
The next day, measure the juice, and add sugar in the ratio of 10 parts juice to 7 of sugar. Add some lemon juice, then bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Keep at a rolling boil for about 40 minutes, skimming off the froth.
When the jelly is set, it will solidify on the back of the spoon.
Pour into warm, sterilised preserving jars and tightly seal while still slightly warm.
Store in a cool dark place.
Crab apples were the first fruit to be eaten by man.
Rose hip Syrup
700g large ripe rose hips
2 litres of cold water
350g granulated sugar
Mince the rose hips or process coarsely. Place in a pan with 1.2 litres of water.
Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Cover the pan and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
Strain through a jelly bag or several layers of muslim.
Return the pulp to the pan, adding the remaining water.
Bring to the boil and then put aside for another 15 minutes.
Strain juice through a jellybag or muslim as before.
Put into a clean pan, bring to the boil, and the boil until reduced to about 600 - 750ml.
Add the sugar, stir until dissolved, then boil for a further 5 minutes.
Place in sterlized bottles.
Rose hip syrup goes very well with meringues, fruit salads and ice cream.
year. Tullahought is a small and very pretty village in South Kilkenny, with wonderful sweeping views below, of the stunning Kilkenny countryside. If you happen to find yourself in this part of the world, a foraging walk is highly recommended. Join the "National looped Walk", which takes you up along side the hurling ground.
Along this hedgerow is a very large crab apple tree, where you will find plenty of "windlings" on the lane. The hedge is also laden with rosehips which are ripe for picking. Half away along the lane, you will see a sign to head right into a native irish woodland planation, walk along here and keep an eye out for wild kilkenny boar! The woodland walk is lovely and children of all ages will really enjoy it.
Remember to bring plenty of bags to collect your edibles.
Crab Apple Jelly
4kgs Crab apples
1kg caster sugar
1 lemon juiced
Wash the apples, take out the stems and remove any bruised fruit.
Bring the fruit to the boil and simmer until soft (cooked)
Pour the apple pulp into a jelly bag or several layers of muslim and let drip overnight into a pan.
The next day, measure the juice, and add sugar in the ratio of 10 parts juice to 7 of sugar. Add some lemon juice, then bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Keep at a rolling boil for about 40 minutes, skimming off the froth.
When the jelly is set, it will solidify on the back of the spoon.
Pour into warm, sterilised preserving jars and tightly seal while still slightly warm.
Store in a cool dark place.
Crab apples were the first fruit to be eaten by man.
Rose hip Syrup
700g large ripe rose hips
2 litres of cold water
350g granulated sugar
Mince the rose hips or process coarsely. Place in a pan with 1.2 litres of water.
Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Cover the pan and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
Strain through a jelly bag or several layers of muslim.
Return the pulp to the pan, adding the remaining water.
Bring to the boil and then put aside for another 15 minutes.
Strain juice through a jellybag or muslim as before.
Put into a clean pan, bring to the boil, and the boil until reduced to about 600 - 750ml.
Add the sugar, stir until dissolved, then boil for a further 5 minutes.
Place in sterlized bottles.
Rose hip syrup goes very well with meringues, fruit salads and ice cream.
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