Local Food Heroes Blog

Saturday, 28 08 10 - 14:30

Air drying Meat, Pickled Walnuts and Gin

Air drying Fridge

Posts have been pretty scarce around here lately. It's not that I've not been doing things; just that I haven't got around to writing about them.

The redesign of my 'drying' fridge has taken up a lot of my time - mainly because I'm not very good when it comes to anything that involves DIY skills! However, it's up and running again and although it will need a further modification (to remove a large dehumidifier that's inside it), it's working well.

The major change has been to install digital rather than analogue controls; they're far more accurate. I've also installed two humidity controls so that I can set the humidifier and dehumidifier to run independently. Designing the control box was a kerfuffle, but with the help of my friendly neighbourhood electronics expert (a friend with his own electronic controls company), I have finally got my head 'around' relays and other such electronic gizmos. The controls are now also housed in a wooden box kindly made for me by a neighbour. It still needs a coat of paint but that can come later:

It's seen here running at high temperature (23°C) and humidity (82%) during the fermentation stage of a Genoa type salami. I'll post the recipe and method when I see how they turn out.

Pickled Walnuts

Something I'd forgotten to write about is the batch of pickled walnuts I made in July. It's too late now to make them, you'll have to wait until next year as you have to pick them when they still have their green outer covering - before the shell has started to form.

The walnuts are put into a brine of 150gm salt to 1 litre water and left for a week. This process is then repeated with a fresh brine. After the second week you drain the walnuts and leave them in the sun(?) or at least somewhere dry for a day until they go black. They are then bottled in boiled and cooled spiced vinegar. Simples!

Sloe Gin

One thing that it's too late to make - and one that it's a little to early for; it'll soon be time to start sloe gin off on it's merry way to sloe heaven. That reminds me, I must get around to straining the lot I made last year. Self-restraint or what...

...well neither - the fact is that I clean forgot it was there!

   

Monday, 10 05 10 - 20:43

Rhubarb and Chilli Chutney

We're at the start of the chutney, pickle, jam and jelly season when surplus fruit and veg can be preserved for later use. The main-crop rhubarb season is getting into full swing and in my opinion Rhubarb makes one of the best chutneys. That is with the exception of peach, my favourite, but unfortunately something that doesn't grow locally!

To ring the changes with no effort, I added a couple of chopped chillies to my usual rhubarb recipe, upping the heat considerably. It's not now something that you slather all over your sandwich, it now has to be treated with respect!

Later in the year, I hope to buy my chillies locally, probably from the Charnwood Chilli Co. - which reminds me - I must put an entry for them in the directory.

   

Friday, 23 04 10 - 16:23

More Hedgerow Happenings

Blaby producer Hedgerow Products is going from strength to strength with new outlets locally and further in Norfolk. Owner Matti says:

We have lots of Hedgerow Happenings. The beer for the ever popular apple and real ale chutney is coming from the Langtons brewery and vinegar is now supplied from Drivers, a good local Leicester company.

New oulets are coming online at The High Cross in Leicester and Cley in Norfolk. Lots of event have rebooked me so the website is worth checking out.

So do just that - his website is at www.hedgerow-products.co.uk

   

Tuesday, 20 10 09 - 19:37

Hedgerow Happenings

Matti at Hedgerow Products is always kind enough to let me know what's happening - he'll be at Houghton-on-the-Hill Christmas Craft Fair on the 7th November, and then at the Leicester Food Festival on the 22nd November 2009.

It's a great time to buy some of his products as he tells me that it's been a bumper harvest in the hedgerows this year.   

Saturday, 04 07 09 - 13:02

Preserves by Proxy

When you're operating from the bed, 'cos the doctor's told you that's where you've got to stay for the time being, it's difficult to write about what you've cooked; my kitchen's just too small to fit the bed in there!

That's when you invent a new cooking system: cooking by proxy, or in this case, preserving by proxy!

My only contribution to the two lots of preserves we made last Thursday was to cut the lemons and slice the rhubarb; the rest of the preparation and cooking was all Pauline's work. I guess it's just the same as Gordon Ramsay managing numerous restaurants around the world!

The rhubarb chutney was made to this recipe, my adaption of this one from The Great British Kitchen website.

The preserved lemons are from Rick Stein's book "A taste of the sea". Rick's shop sells these at £5.50 for a small (250ml?) jar!

The recipe

Boil 2 pints of water. Weigh 10 oz salt. Cut about 10 lemons (preferably unwaxed) into quarters length-ways leaving the lemon joined at the end (i.e. don't cut them right through). Sprinkle a pinch of salt into the cuts on the lemons and put into a jar. Dissolve the rest of the salt in the boiling water and allow to cool then cover the lemons with this brine. Leave for a month or so before using.

They're superb in this Chicken with Garlic, Lemon and Basil recipe.

   

Sunday, 22 06 08 - 14:00

Rhubarb Chutney

Dad brought me some rhubarb earlier in the year and I made 'rhubarb turnovers' with it, using the rough puff pastry that I have written about before. The only trouble is the rhubarb has a devastating effect on my digestion system, not good when you use a wheelchair and can't run too fast!

Bob, offered me more last week and I just couldn't refuse; it's the frugal streak coming out in me again. This time I thought I might make chutney with it to keep my chutney-munching nephew Mickey happy. I was a little doubtful as to how it would turn out but it looks like being surprisingly good

The recipe is a reworking of this one from The Great British Kitchen website.

   

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Monday, 15 10 07 - 17:24

New Outlets for Hedgrow Products

Matti from Hedgerow Products has e-mailed me to let me know that his product range is now available at:

• Kingsway Food Store, Lutterworth


• Naturally Good Foods, Cotesbach, near Lutterworth


• Glovers of Burbage

He also mentions that he uses home grown lavender in his products as well as all the other locally sourced ingredients listed in my previous post.   

Wednesday, 10 10 07 - 00:59

Site Feedback

It's great to hear from users of Local Food Heroes whether they are people looking for produce or producers.

It's even better when I get someone letting me know that the site is working.

It was brilliant to receive an email from Janet at M.U.T.T.S saying: “Just a word to say thank you for your listing of me in your on line directory, I have picked up a fair amount of work & even more publicity. Many thanks again.”

Janet, It's a pleasure to list people like you!   

Tuesday, 09 10 07 - 20:02

Hedgerow Products & Chocolate Cravings

Producers of cakes, jams, pickles, preserves etc cause a bit of a problem for me on the main site because whilst their producers are no doubt local is their produce local produce? Obviously some things are unlikely to be local – marmalade, chocolate etc. I tend to judge by whether ingredients that are available from local sources are used.   

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Saturday, 06 10 07 - 16:38

Hedgerow Products

Local preserve producer Hedgerow Products is now listed in the Local Food Heroes directory.

Alastair Mattinson produces his chutneys, jams and jellies from locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

Try his Apple and Ale chutney made using beer from local brewer Bells Brewery.   

Friday, 05 10 07 - 17:41

Beetroot & Horseradish Pickle

This recipe started with one of those pub conversations “I'm thinking of making beetroot pickle but I've got this idea to add horseradish to it. I don't know where the idea came from?” My mate Maurice replied, “I do, I told you about it! It's from a neighbour when we lived in Leicester!”

   

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Saturday, 29 09 07 - 13:31

Paddington sells out

Paddington eating Marmite®? It's just not on!

Now let's get this straight Mr Ad Man – Paddington eats marmalade, point blank. Your exploitation of this minor for commercial purposes is just bear [sic] faced cheek.

   

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Wednesday, 05 09 07 - 15:00

Blackberry and Apple Jam

Those of you who read my entry a few days ago entitled What a Plonker! will know that making any preserves and chutneys in this house is a bit of a hit & miss affair. So, masochist that I am, I thought I had better redeem myself and make some blackberry and apple jam.

The household authorities were despatched to get blackberries and apples scrumped from my dad.

Using equal weights of apples and blackberries, the apples are put on to simmer in a small amount of water:

When the apples are soft the blackberries are added and boiled for a couple of minutes.   

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Saturday, 25 08 07 - 19:01

What a Plonker!

Lovely day yesterday; superb for picking blackberries. Pauline was dispatched, bowl in hand and told not to return until it was full. Now I'm not saying she's short, but all the blackberries above average waist height are still there! Anyway, after recovering from GBH for saying so, I set about making bramble and apple jelly.

Boiled the blackberries and apple got the 'jelly-bag' out, spent ages trying to find somewhere to hang it, even longer discussing where we didn't hang it last time, and eventually settled on the wine cooler - like you do!

   

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