Recipes

‘NOW IS THE TIME’

I have just spent a very productive wet Saturday afternoon in the kitchen and now have the satisfaction of beautiful home made red currant jelly, boysenberry and raspberry jam.

Jars of basil pesto and sun dried tomato plus hummus and a bowl of fresh chicken liver pate.

There were quite a few pots all boiling away and a bench full of small jars I had been saving.

I boiled up the frozen turkey frame for stock and ended up inviting friends around for dinner for —Pate and fresh bread, Pea, Courgette and Bacon Risotto and  Individual Fresh fruit flans with Vanilla creme patisserie  – that I hadn’t made for years and forgotten how good it was.

Again it was the great Dunedin market that inspired me. It is full of cherries, apricots, berries of all kinds, fabulous vegetables and irresistible basil.

It’s actually not so hard and very easy if you have filled your bags at the morning market and stocked up on some sugar on the way home.

Homemade jam is outstanding  – Nothing can replace it and what’s more it’s a myth that it takes a long time.

By boiling up small quantities of fruit i.e. 500g – 1kg – add an equal quantity of sugar and bring it to the boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until — when you put a small amount on a saucer, cool it and then – push it with a spoon and  it will  wrinkle when the jam is ready.

Pour the jam into clean jars that you have heated in the oven and seal with a clean lid.

Make the most of the abundant sun ripened fruit and vegetables – this is the season for flavour.