Another year has come and gone and we are near Halloween and Christmas once again. The Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival took place at the end of September and as per last year, the British Larder contributed in many ways to the fringe events. One of my possibly maddest ideas was the Foodie Booty that we hosted in our car park on the 1st of October.

It’s all innocent and a bit of fun. Simple concept: I invited locals to come and sell their wares from the back of their car, van, horse and cart, tractor… It’s an awareness campaign and reiterated our values of buying local, involving the locals and just being us… slightly different.

We achieved all of that and saw a good turn out comprisig an eclectic mix of produce for sale, from Lottie Lin’s marvellous kitchen paraphernalia, cook books, garden produce, chutneys and wonderful baked goods, Pump Street Bakery’s bread, and Rob Sledmere from Suffolk Providore with his sweetcorn, to Professor Baker with his “wombats” (aka pickled walnuts).

We get plenty of wonderful glut delivered to the pub from our regulars such as the fantastic squashes from Mr. Atkinson, also know as the “Funky Squash Man”, pumpkins from Lottie Lin, quinces and apples from Victoria Sangster’s marvellous garden, to Dianna’s walnuts. We are grateful for these contributions and even more grateful for the fantastic friends we made due to our bartering system. We all have something in common and that is a great feeling.

The foodie booty kicked off at 6am whenDingley Dell Farmer Mark Hayward brought the pig for the hogroast, fired it up and a lot of coffee drinking and nattering took place whilst the piggy was roasting.

The stall holders arrived from just after 9am. It turned out to be a hot sunny day; finally the summer we have been waiting for.

All in all it was a good day. We had a good turnout of people buying wonderful locally produced foods and we got the chance to test drive our new concept of a foodie booty.

This pumpkin chutney is our recipe in celebration  of Autumn, after all I have been inundated this season with the finest pumpkins in East Anglia.

A huge thank you to:

• Mark Hayward,  Dingley Dell
• Roger and Pat, Pump Street Bakery
• Rob Sledmere, Suffolk Providore
• Lin Carter, aka Lottie Lin
• Richard, Sutton Hoo Chickens
• Professor Baker, aka the Wombat man
• Davind and Francess, Village Veg
• Emma, Nut Tree Farm
• Emmerline, Smy Chutney
• Wendy, Melton Cakes
• Richard Isaac, The Old Sweet Shop, Woodbridge
• Graham Owston, The Saxmundham Honey Man

For me it’s not really Christmas unless I make my own cranberry sauce. There is something so very gratifying and satisfying about making my own. It’s much cheaper to buy ready made cranberry sauce but to have the Christmas feel and spirit going I’m sorry to say; I have to make my own. The great people from Suffolk Mud make a delicious version that is just as good as home-made cranberry sauce.

This recipe is simple and very easy to make, there are no tricks and it’s not even that time consuming either; it just needs a bit of love, care and attention. In my case it gives me good reason to buy a bottle of Port, crack open a box of cheese biscuits and get the Stilton out. It’s a great tradition for me to make cranberry sauce whilst indulging in the seasonal Stilton and sipping on a glass of port.

I suppose for what it’s worth if this gets the Christmas spirit going then the cost of making your own is actually…lets say… priceless!

Granddad only knew farming and  how to drive a bus, but due to severe diabetes he had to give them up and consequently the illness took him away from us. He was a firm man with very strong morals and beliefs, however he had a heart made of one giant marshmallow.

They had a half an acre of land to the side of the house and granddad tried to grow nearly everything. From paw paws, mangoes, avocados, pecan nuts, tomatoes, cucumbers, plums, peaches, physalis also know as Cape Gooseberries, he tried them all. The house bordered onto a river and amazingly there was enough space on the bank for nasturtiums to grow in abundance. I remember visiting during the summer school holidays and picking these pretty little flowers and putting them in a vase for my gran.

These are the fantastic memories I have of my grandparents, amazingly one does not realise how fortunate you are when your actually living the dream but how invaluable those memories are today.

What is Borage? Borage is a edible plant and both it’s flowers and leaves are enjoyed throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. The flowers are traditionally used in Pimms drinks as it has a ‘cucumber’ taste which can  be substituted with fresh cucumber and mint. The leaves are commonly used in Germany for making a green sauce. In Liguria ,the northern region of Italy, its  used to fill raviolis. Borage is also known for it’s medicinal and cosmetic uses.

I have a bit of everything in my garden and the main aim is to have a large percentage of plants that are edible or have edible fruits. It’s not all successful, however gardening gives me great pleasure. I was suprised when the horseradish re-appeared this year, it’s going wild alongside the lemon balm under the olive tree, which  also bore fruits last year. I planted the borage and nastirtium into pots to liven the patio up and to disguise the very ordinary wooden panel fence.

Last year I also grew carrots but this year I simply ran out of time and did not get round to sow the seeds. So I have to do with carrots from our local farmers market. This dish is made up of two elements, the recipe is mainly about the pickled carrots and the use of the borage flowers and not so much about the gravalax, so I would not be offended at the slightest if you  substituted the gravalax  with smoked salmon.

I’m a pickling and jam making fan, so I  pop anything into a jar which is good for me to keep. These pickled carrots are great, the chillies provide  a bite, which means it’s spicy but nice. It keeps for a long time and comes in ever so handy when you are short of time and need to rustle up an amazing lunch in minutes. I even used the pickled carrots to spice up a stir fry which is unusual but it adds that absolute unexpected and exciting element to the dish.

My motto is ‘make the most of the season’…… happy pickling and jam making!

A few of my other favourtie pickled recipes:

• Sweet & Sour Pickled Green Beans
• Star Anise and Cinnamon Pickled Beetroot
• Cauliflower and Shallot Piccalilli

However it can be an embarrassing time carrying them home. It happened to me once, when without regard I bought some weird and wonderful smelly cheeses in London and then had to make my way home on the train. Well all I need to say is that I had the seat all to myself for the whole journey. It was a bit of an embarrassing situation however once I tucked in this was soon forgotten as the pleasure and enjoyment took over.

There are plenty of cheese shops around but only a few that are run with passion and plenty of’ ‘cheesy’ knowledge. Two of my favourties cheesy establishments in London are Paxton and Whitfield and La Fromagerie. They both stock a wide selection of cheeses from mainland Europe and the United Kingdom. They are definitely the people in the know and are super passionate about cheese. They both have  maturing rooms and dedicated cheese mongers who turn the cheeses daily and they would not release any products for sale unless they are absolutely perfect.

We consume a lot of cheese at home. I love cooking with it and sometimes it’s the perfect partner in crime when I’m simply in the need of doing nothing but relaxing and nibbling something savoury.

My mother used to have this thing about having bread in the house as she always says that if there is not a fresh loaf of bread in the bread bin, then there is no food to eat. I feel the same about cheese. My fridge can be bare but if I have some cheese, then I have food and I can create a wonderful filling and nutritious meal,  a strange superstition!?

Serving cheese as an actual course sometimes is an after thought and some people might think that placing some cheese from the fridge on a plate with a few “tuc” crackers from the cupboard is a problem solved. Well I feel  strongly about giving it plenty of thought. Planning the perfect cheese course to compliment your meal is not to be taken lightly. It’s important to choose the right accompaniments for your chosen cheese. Letting the cheese breathe and come to room temperature is another element in serving the perfect cheese course. Award-winning author Fiona Beckett wrote this wonderful book Fiona Beckett’s Cheese Course in which she tells you how to serve and enjoy all the various cheeses.

I think that the way a cheese course is put together says a million words about a host. For example if you plate the individual slithers of cheese, it could mean that the host is either in a rush to get rid of you or they are counting the pennies.If there is plenty of cheese and is presented on sharing plates it means that the host wants their guests to mingle, chat and be relaxed for hours to come.
Well then there is the debate about when to serve the cheese, before the pudding or after. My personal preference is after the pudding as I like to ponder over the cheese, relax and nibble at leisure.

Celebrating Valentines day has become a bit of a cliche over the years, especially with the retailers who completely miss the point and try to milk as much cash as they can from February  14th. I’m actually very pleased that Mr.P does not jump on the band wagon and pay extortionate prices for flowers, he does show his appreciation in his own little ways and I love him for that.

Last week Mr.P brought me a lovely gift of some new season forced rhubarb wrapped in pretty pink tissue paper.

I was overwhelmed with this lovely gift so I felt the need to cook something that we both would enjoy. This heavenly scented rhubarb and vanilla jam made its appearance. I did not like rhubarb as I used to associate it with a browny colour and an  earthy taste but this was the outdoor rhubarb. However over the past 5 or 6 years  I have started to like forced rhubarb. I must say I like it a lot now, perhaps this means that I have finally settled and became accustomed to the British traditions.

Rhubarb does not contain natural pectin so I had to use pectin rich jam sugar. I’m not generally very keen on using jam sugar but this recipe really needs it if you are expecting your jam to set. Quantity wise, I have used half jam sugar and half caster sugar. I find jam sugar set’s too rubbery for my liking. Another secret to the success of this bright pink jam is the speed that it must be cooked. The longer the jam stews and boils the earthier the taste and browner the colour, cook it quick, be prepared and have all your tools and equipment ready before you start. I cooked a second batch today and it took me 30 minutes from the moment I took the rhubarb out of the fridge until I turned the kitchen light off.This means my jam was cooked, bottled, sealed and the jam pan washed and back in the cupboard. I call that super duper fast jam making, o.k I only made 600g of jam, two small jars but it’s still quick!

I would not recommend to cook this jam in large batches, it will destroy the colour and the lovely fresh fragrance that I get from a small batch. I finished the jam with the juice of half a lemon to refresh the taste and bring out the sharpness of the rhubarb.

I have added vanilla again, I know I did it with my Seville orange marmalade as well, I cannot help it….. I do like vanilla and thought it would set these super decadent biscuits off nicely. I promise next time to try something else, I  think that perhaps cardamom will be just as delicious. I know that the pods are very expensive so making the most of the them is a must. Never throw the pods away, there is too much flavour left in them. You can wash the pods after the jam is finished, dry them thoroughly and then pop the pod into caster sugar, you will be amazed on how much  flavour they will produce. I recycle my pods several times.

These rhubarb melting moment biscuits are delicious, rich and short. The sharpness of the rhubarb and the zesty lemon butter cream compliments the biscuits richness.

Pack a couple of these rhubarb melting moments into your loved ones packed lunch, it’s guaranteed to put a big smile on their face.

My cookbook favourites seem to change every 6 months and  appear to follow the seasons. One of my seasonal favourites is ‘Saha’ by Greg and Lucy Malouf. Not only do I love the stories but the photography is so beautiful that it transports me to that magical world of mystery, spice and romance. There are four books in this range and they all have the same magical effect, however I do not necessarily follow the recipes but I draw inspiration from them. They seem to make me feel a bit warmer and more content every time I need inspiration, almost like a safety blanket.

This duck, onion and date pastilla recipe is 100% inspired by Greg and Lucy Malouf. About 3 months ago Mr.P brought me  two very old and beaten up wooden bowls that he found at a Middle Eastern furniture store. At first I loved the look of them but they felt really sticky, as if they have been around for sometime without a wash or a dust, so I was not incredibly thrilled to make use of them. I soaked and scrubbed them but it seemed as if the dirt would cling on forever, but along with Greg and Lucy they inspired me to develop this absolutely delicious recipe.

These pastillas take you on a taste adventure but surprisingly they are not spicy at all. However the mixture of savory with  the sweetness of the medoul dates and the incredible moreish-ness of the confit duck wrapped in crispy filo pastry laced with wild sumac,creates a Middle East illusion. The white onion and tamarind chutney is a master piece of a recipe in it’s own rights, who would have thought that the humble onion could make this outrageously delicious chutney?

I have a special affection for dates as you most probably would have noticed that I  use  these in a few of my recipes. When I spent time in Israel,about 16 years ago, working at a field school in Gidron, near Hatzeva, I remember the journey to Eilat. The road was long, dusty, dry and hot but most of all I remembered the incredible medoul date plantations that seemed to stretch for miles. The trees were incredibly green and stood tall in the desert, I used to wonder how they survived as nothing else seemed to withstand the desert conditions, still mind boggling.

This recipe took my spirit to the warmer climates, not only did it encourage me to cook and warm up but it took my taste buds on a wonderful taste adventure. I froze half of the pastillas before baking them for a “rainy day” and the rest made a delicious supper. These pastillas will make the perfect partner for a party and a glass of Martini!

The Seville orange season is short and is over before you realize it. The season runs from December to February. I love using the Seville oranges for making marmalade, as they are extra bitter and somewhat uncomplicated but sophisticated at the same time. I have cooked and eaten several various marmalade combinations in my life time but in my opinion the absolute sophistication of Seville oranges makes the best tasting marmalade.

The oranges also freeze well, so if you buy some but  do not get the chance to make the marmalade immediately, I suggest freeze them whole. Defrost them completely before turning them into a delicious marmalade.

I cooked this recipe for the first time last year and have adapted it along the way so that my marmalade is fairly loose and soft just how I like it. The addition of the vanilla is fantastic, perhaps a little self indulgent, as the beans are not cheap. My reasoning is that for something this special it’s definitely worth spending the extra penny.

I love the simplicity of this recipe as there is minimal waste as you puree the flesh and add the julienned orange skins to the boiling fleshy pulp. This gives you a real sticky light jammy marmalade instead of a dark thick zesty marmalade. The marmalade makes a very good filling for cakes and is ideal for cooking with meat dishes such as Marmalade glazed gammon. I whisk a spoonful of this Seville orange marmalade into my Moroccan chicken tagine, it gives the dish that slightly sweet citrusy fruity flavour, it’s special and superbly delicious.

Seville ornages aslo makes a delcious and interesting vinaigrette and can add a touch of zing to lovely raw salads. One of my favourites salads is this Raw Salad of Fennel, Seville Orange, Chicory and Kohlrabi.

I love to play and if it means I can play with food it’s even better. I had to come up with a secret Santa gift for a colleague at work. I thought what gift could be preferable to one that is to be eaten and even better if it makes that persons Christmas even more special.

On my journey home, driving normally gets boring after the first hour, I stop listening to the radio and my brain starts clicking over everything on my “to do list”, a ha…  and today it’s a fun one one to be dreamy about. At first I was wracking my brain thinking of what I could buy…. then as if lightning struck, I remembered about the lovely beetroot chutney that I made from the beets from my garden, the Spiced Caribbean Rum that I bought to make my Apple Snowballs for Christmas and the rest was pretty easy as it became apparent that I should put together a British Larder Christmas Hamper.

Unfortunately I do not know the recipient that well, so I hope that he will enjoy this hamper as much as I enjoyed putting it together. For me it’s not about the cost of the present but the thought and the enjoyment of making it. So recycling an empty carton hamper from last year and re-using some jam jars that I have washed and sterilized was not only perfect to package my gifts  but also added to the satisfaction.

I labeled each item with the product name and wrote on the back  suggestions on how to use that particular item. I think it makes it a bit more individual and shows that I really have put thought and soul into making this gift.

Everyone loves a nut or two over Christmas, but these Smokey Roasted Chili Nuts are not for the fainthearted. I selected a few different nuts and spices; smoked paprika for the smokey flavour, a dash of dried crushed chillies for heat and a dab of ground cloves for the festive cheer. I roasted them in the oven and bagged them in a clear cellophane bag  decorated with some rustic twine and a cinnamon stick, very festive!

The Spiced Caribbean Rum came in very handy. I poured the rum into a sterilized bottle and added a cinnamon stick, a couple of cloves and a half a vanilla bean. This will be perfect come Christmas morning to spice things up and my message on the label reads “add a dash of this rum to warmed apple juice laced with cinnamon and orange slices for a festive cheer on Christmas day”.

The date and brandy bon bons and the Chocolate Salami are two good old friends that were featured on The British Larder some time ago,and as they had become synonymous with the British Larder they had to be included.

I cooked a beetroot and orange chutney at the beginning of November and it’s perfectly matured. The usage note suggests that  this delicious home made beetroot chutney should be served with a very strong mature cheddar on Christmas day,with slices of cold gammon on Boxing day or served with a spoonful with Salmon Gravadlax as a starter.

You can customise your hamper with your own home cooked chutneys and jams, sweets, treats and biscuits. Just remember to have lots of fun! I think a Christmas Hamper is the perfect gift and if it’s home made it’s even better!

We went to visit her during most of our school holidays and she would have made Hertzogies, which are a traditional South African jam tart topped with coconut meringue. Granny would also have used her own home made apricot jam.

This recipe is not even a spin on grannies coconut topped meringue jam tarts but just a simple old fashioned jam tart made with my own home made greengage jam. I was so impressed with them that I thought that even Mr Kipling would have been proud of them.

I made these jam tarts after a successful day making lots of seasonal fruity delights. I made greengage jam, smooth damson jam, damson and bramble plate pie, a Victoria Plum and Blackberry parfait and then finally these little old fashioned jam tarts. This was the one that I thought would be the final recipe to celebrate the end of a very fruitful summer.

The sweet pastry recipe is the one out of my basics range, it’s  seriously reliable and delicious. I make large batches and then freeze what is not used. The reason why I love the sweet pastry recipe so much is that you have no waste, you can re-roll the pastry without it shrinking and becoming elasticated. It has a velvety soft feel. I also found that if you  roll the pastry between two sheets of parchment paper with very little flour, if any at all, you will have no problem with the pastry stretching too much or getting stuck to the work surface.

I bake a load of these pastry shells and keep them in a airtight container in a cool dark place. You will be surprised how well they keep, they remain crispy and are  very handy to be filled with a bit of jam for the unexpected visitor or two.

Mr.P has an affinity for tomatoes and has collected seeds for quite some time, he planted the seeds in April of this year and low and behold we have had tomato plants all over the place. We planted 28 tomato plants in our garden and gave a few seedlings to good homes.

Unfortunately we planted too many in the space we have and did not give the plants enough room to grow and bear fruits to their full potential. Lesson has been learned and we will certainly do things differently next year, that is the beauty of planting and learning as you go along.

Despite all that we have harvested 4kg of ripe tomatoes over the weekend and there are about another 6 kg of green ones still on the plants.

It’s fantastic, as we feel that we have actually provided food for ourselves. The next step is to preserve this bounty for the winter months to come.

I have written three basic recipes on how to preserve your glut of tomatoes. I love all three as they have different uses. The tomato, ginger and sultana chutney recipe is one of my trusty old friends. This recipe has come along with me for many years and stems from my restaurant days. I have made so many different variations of this one recipe, it’s easy as long as the basic principles remain the same.

The bottled tomato sauce is a stunner, one you can make and bottle and utilise in so many different dishes. From a simple tomato soup or forming the base for a rich and delicious ragu. My freezer is bursting and I cannot fit another thing in and for that reason I had to start preserving my tomatoes in sterilized bottles, it works perfectly providing that you sterilize the bottles correctly.

The last recipe is one that I have already featured in a previous posting, it’s such a good tip that I could not ignore it. For the semi-dried tomatoes, I wash and cut them in half, season with salt and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves, then dry the tomatoes in a cool oven for a about three hours. Once semi-dried I place them in sterilized bottles and cover them with oil and keep them in the fridge till needed. They will keep for up to one month chilled as the oil locks out oxygen. Use the semi-dried tomatoes in risottos, pasta dishes, on warm salads or pizzas,  the list is never ending.