Delicious ideas to borrow from a pop up restaurant

Now, I know that pop up restaurants were very fashionable and it has become almost as fashionable to knock them but I have come to them late. When I say them, I actually mean just one that has started in the last month in Deptford, Mike and Ollie. They have been serving up wonderful concoctions at Deptford and Brockley markets and have now introduced a supper club element.

Quite apart from being delicious and a great way to meet like-minded locals, it was also a source of inspiration for future home cooking sessions.

The pickled quince was delicious served with pork belly on toast and I intend to recreate it using Nigel Slater's recipe if I can find quinces easily enough at this time of year - they were foraged by Mike in Crystal Palace before Christmas I believe.

Enough for 2 medium-sized storage jars.
750ml cider vinegar
400g golden granulated sugar
3 medium-sized quinces or 4 smaller ones
12 juniper berries
8 black peppercorns
a bay leaf
Pour the vinegar into a stainless-steel pan. Add the golden sugar, juniper berries, black peppercorns and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to a merry simmer.
Peel, halve and core the quinces, cutting them into six lengthways. Lower the quince into the simmering vinegar and leave the fruit to cook for 15-25 minutes, until it is soft enough to pierce effortlessly with a skewer.
Lift the soft fruits out with a draining spoon and lower them into clean storage jars. Pour over the liquor, then seal and leave to cool. They will keep for several weeks.

Another revelation was pickled rhubard with mackerel. These were whole forced rhubard stalks and their tartness were delicious, off setting the salty fatty taste of the mackerel.  I shall try this recipe from www.platethrive.com  which seems to offer the best combination of sweet and sour:

Ingredients
• 1 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar (I suggest using raw and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, such as those by Bragg’s or Eden Organic)
• ¾ cup filtered water
• 1 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1 ¼ – 1 ½ pound rhubarb, thin stalks if possible (about 1/2-inch thick)
• 1 ½ inches peeled ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 1 tsp whole allspice berries
• 1 tsp whole fennel seeds
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 dry chili peppers



Directions

1. Place vinegar, water, and maple syrup/honey in a saucepan over medium heat. While mixture heats, cut rhubarb stalks into lengths that fit inside the jar with approximately 1-inch headspace (about 4-inches long if using a pint jar). If your rhubarb stalks are much thicker, slice them in half or quarters so they are about 1/2-inch x 1/2-inch before cutting into 4-inch lengths. Set rhubarb aside.
2. Divide cloves, allspice, and fennel between the jars. Then place rhubarb stalks inside, tucking sliced ginger, chili peppers, and cinnamon sticks between the stalks.
3. Pour boiling vinegar mixture over rhubarb until jars are full, leaving about ½-inch headspace and making sure rhubarb stalks are fully covered. If you have leftover brine, save to use for salad dressings or other pickling projects. Screw on jar tops and let cool on kitchen counter until approximately room temperature. Then place in the refrigerator. For best flavor, let sit for 1-2 weeks before consuming.

makes about 2 pints or 1 quart

Preparing the plot

We have been having freakishly warm weather recently with temperatures being close to June averages. The perfect weather to get ahead with jobs to do on the plot and prepare the ground for potatoes that will be going in soon.

I dug trenches and piled up the soil next to them and set up plank pathways so that I don't compact the soil when tending the plants. I also scattered some chicken manure pellets in the base of the trenches to feed the potatoes during their long growing season. As usual I am running out of land as potatoes need a good amount of space and I have only dug 4 trenches - I doubt this will be enough to accommodate the 6 varieties I have bought and plan to grow this year. Luckily I have 3 potato planters so might be able to give some of them refuge on our patio at home. I still need to find space to later fit in tomatoes, courgettes and squash. 

I did get on with other chores though.

• I finally tied in the raspberry wires to stop them flopping over.
• I mulched the fruit bed with manure. Though I didn't dig it in and the weight of a bin bag full of pony poo snapped some twigs when landing - very bad.
• I hoed the shallots and onions which are resolutely poking their heads through the soil but not doing a great deal. apparently this is the last month to sow garlic but luckily I did all of that last autumn. My one worry is how soon I can harvest them to make space for the aforementioned squash etc.
• I weeded the coriander/ asparagus raised bed - fingers crossed for some home grown spears this year though technically should wait until the second/ third year to harvest and they only went in last year.
• I cleared the plastic off the slightly tired looking strawberry  raised bed - the remaining plants may well be moved into open ground and I will use the bed for salad leaves.
• More clearing: I finally gathered up the home made water bottle cloches/ watering systems as they were my allotment versions of tumbleweed - blowing here and there on the plot and being relatively useless.

Still to be done:

• Cover bare earth with the cardboard I saved from a delivery
• Prepare a bean trench (am I going to do runner beans again? really?)
• Mulch and check the cherry tree at home
• Sow lettuce
• Sow peas
• Sow chillies
• Prepare seedbed for PSB
• Sow radishes (and develop a liking for their taste)

Chutneys, pickles and all that jazz

Despite having many preserves in the cupboard and not getting through them fast enough I have still been indulging in a little pickling/ chutney making.

Spiced apple chutney was a real success paired with simple slow cooked (bone out) shoulder of pork. It provides a good balance of sharpness from the vinegar, sweetness from the fruit and spices from the... well you get the picture.

I used a recipe from Marguerite Patten's The Basic Basics Jams, Preserves and Chutneys
Here it is in its original form but I added a little more vinegar as I was worried it might end up being too apple sauce-y (also good but different):
Ingredients:

• 450g chopped onions
• 300ml white malt vinegar
• 900g apples, peeled and cored and diced into 2cm inch dice
• 1tsp mixed spice
• 350g soft light brown sugar
• 100g raisins
• seasoning to taste

Simmer the onions in half the vinegar for 10 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and then simmer steadily, stirring occasionally until you have the consistency of thick jam. Check for seasoning, spoon into steralised jars and you’re good to go. I steralise my jars by microwaving them slightly damp in the microwave.

One learning I had was not use up the boozy fruit from making 'fruits of the forest' vodka (used a supermarket frozen bag) by putting them in a trifle. They are overwhelmingly vodka flavoured and make the dish inedible unless you like the taste of neat vodka. Boiling them up and creating a 'jus'/ 'compote' and hopefully burning off some of the booze may be a possible option.  I only hope the vodka tastes as much of fruit as the fruit tasted of vodka. Not a personal culinary success.

Lovely Rye on a gorgeous sunny 17 degree day

It is also time to crack open the beetroot chutney, paired with horesradish, mackerel and watercress. (We picked up a couple of mackerel in Rye which we visited for the Scallop festival - more a top billing on restaurant menus than a real festival but lovely none the less). The beetroot chutney should also work with goats cheese - the unpickled version being a classic combination.  Once back from Sicily, I feel a salmon, beetroot and goats cheese tart coming on...

Looking for signs of life in mid February

A quick dash to the plot on Saturday was worthwhile if only to remind me what it looked like.

It is a constant source of hope and delight to see plants emerging despite all signs to the contrary.The rhubarb is an ealy star and is gradually emerging. Raspberry canes are developing buds (some even have tiny leaves). Onions etc are mainly just sitting there and need a good hoe.

I cleared the obvious perennial weeds eg dandelion. Apparently you can grind dandelion roots down to a sort of coffee and eat the forced young leaves but I gave it a miss. In the mists of my memory this plant is called pisse en lit in French - which I can only assume refers to diuretic properties. Not appealing. I also cut down a small patch of raspberries as an experiment to work out if they are autumn or summer fruiting. I suspect the majority are summer fruiting (while the ones in my garden are definitely Autumn fruiting).

Summer-fruiting raspberries

• Cut back fruited canes to ground level after harvesting; do not leave old stubs
• Select the strongest young canes, around six to eight per plant, and tie them in 8-10cm (3-4in) apart along the wire supports
• Remove the remaining young stems to ground level

Autumn-fruiting raspberries  - Cut back all the canes to ground level in February. Reduce the number of canes slightly in summer if they are very overcrowded.

Finally I sowed broad beans in a hurry in two patches - fingers crossed as the seeds looked a little withered and are close to their best before date. In another experiment I have (almost) covered one row after watering with a long cloche to see if that speeds up germination. One neighbour has proper little plants on show - maybe they have a greenhouse at home. The garden green eyed monster strikes again.

Plotting for potatoes

Our potatoes are happily chitting - some more than others. The two packs from Poundland (Swift and Pentland Javelin) are racing away despite not being in the regulation egg trays (left over from duck egg folly at a great Asian foods wholesale shop). In fact their stalks may be too long and pale. The Charlotte, British Queen and Sharpes Express (from a friendly 99p shop - we have all the best stores in my area!) are doing ok - short and healthy stubs of growth.  The Shetland Blacks are the slowest and were gleaned from a local (amazing) farmer's market where there is a potato specialist. I believe they are not really black but dark purple. It's a heritage variety that is a second early and are floury in texture and so make excellent chips or roast potatoes. British Queen is also new to me and a heritage potato (1894 apparently) that is supposed to be good for mash.  Sharpes Express is another traditional first early (1901) - very floury texture if left to mature, when it is best baked. I am informed the yield suffers in dry weather so keep well watered. Must watch out in the upcoming drought.

I especially chose mainly first or second earlies as that allows me to clear plot and either try a second lot of potatoes (first earlies) for Xmas or put in another plant group (beetroot, french beans? I'll make up my mind later).

Anne Swithinbank suggests trying an early potato sowing in the February edition of Grow Your Own magazine. Apparently you create trenches, plant in the bottom of the trench and pile up the earth next to the trench (and use it to 'earth up' later on) and cover the trench with double layers of fleece to protect from frosts. Essentially the fleece is anchored to the top of the earth piles. Worth a go - maybe with the easier to source seed potatoes like Charlotte.

I decided to finally clear most of the stored potatoes at the weekend. Jansson's Temptation will feature again for supper (again with bacon instead of anchovy).

I have my friend Katie to thank for the inspiration for my layered lunch. Essentially it a is a potato terrine. You layer in a loaf tin sliced par boiled potatoes with any veg you have to hand - in my case blitzed Brussels sprouts with shallots and bacon bits and then pour 4 beaten eggs over it and cook at a lowish heat in the oven (I did 160 degrees).

Slice very thickly and it makes a filling healthy lunch.

A week of extremes

At the weekend we had overnight temperatures of -1. As visitors to the gorgeous Brighton we had to scrape frost off the car on our way to a half marathon (ouch!) but were bathed in sunshine as the day warmed up.

London fared slightly better I believe though the nights are still chilly.

We are being lured into a sense of security and optimism about planting later though as Thursday temperatures are predicted to rise to 16 degrees. 

After a relatively dry winter (the second in a row) there are warnings of possible drought measures in the future and families are being urged to start saving water. Apparently, the average rainfall this winter has been lower than the months preceding the severe drought in 1976, which brought a summer of water rationing, damaged crops and wild fires. The worst affected areas are the east of England, the Midlands and the South East.

I recently had some good news - I am to be the reader of the month in April's Garden Answers magazine. Apparently there is a prize associated with it.  I'm seriously hoping it will be a collapsible water butt as they look awesome. And it will help with the upcoming drought.*

*Please note that predictions of drought often precede an unbelievably wet and unimpressive summer (see 2011).

Garden treasures

Despite PSB (purple sprouting broccoli) not working out for me this year (mainly due to labelling errors and then neglecting plug plants) I have still had some home grown broccoli. Or calabrese. 

According to www.allotment.org.uk the way you can tell the difference is not to go by supermarket labels which confuse matters. Apparently the main variable is that broccoli is an over wintered crop but calabrese produces its crop the same year before winter. and that the flavour of calabrese is milder and much preferred by many to sprouting broccoli and it is an easier crop to grow.

My versions are small and growing in the raised bed border where they were supposed to be adding a vibrant purple.  But that is the problem with mislabelling - heyho.

They have still been put to good use. I steamed and added the spears to a skinny minnie macaroni cheese from Cook Vegetarian magazine.  I couldn't find the exact recipe online for you but it isn't too different from this one. The one I made had more vegetables (carrots, leeks, onion, asparagus and peas) and less pasta - 175g. And the topping was grated parmesan (didn't have breadcrumbs to hand) though if you were really vegetarian you wouldn't use parmesan because it uses rennet (which is apparently something to do with cow intestines - oh yum)

Famous last words - never underestimate the weather

I don't mean "never underestimate the weather" are anybody's famous last words. Though they may have cropped up in a lightning storm and I might suggest them to Michael Fish (will we never let him forget dismissing reports of a hurricane? I probably won't).

I mean that it was only 10 days ago that I was thinking how mild it was and had bought countless bags of potatoes and was even considering recklessly planting them in February when, out of nowhere, along came snow. 

To be fair, it wasn't really a surprise - they had predicted it for over a week and we'd had a chilly period ahead of it. We'd even starting mocking the weather men as there was no sight of snow on Saturday evening. It was only as we started driving across town that the snow started in earnest. Damn.

But a day and half later, the snow man's head has rolled off it's body in a snowy parody of the French revolution and things are returning to normal. Except I STILL haven't sowed the broad beans, cut down the raspberries or prepared the potato beds.

In the mean time I have been reading gardening magazines. One feature on whether to dig or not (which appears in most magazines at this time of year) appealed greatly.  Clearly my lazy self favours the no dig method but only if it means that I don't find myself 'mini digging' throughout the rest of the year to get rid of roots and pernicious weeds. There is also something quite satisfying about digging over a plot (at least at the beginning before your back feels like it is breaking. Technique, I know, blah blah blah).

As it is, I did little bits of digging to neaten things up and then promptly made things messy again by upending a whole compost tardis (sadly not really rotted down enough). Fingers crossed the snow will have had a magical effect on the contents otherwise I can see me pleading with Tom to put the heap back into the tub whence it came. 

A dilapidated wheelbarrow and laziness are also the reason I haven't hoarded the manure that was recently(ish) delivered to the plot.  I did pick up some in the autumn and that will have to do for the moment on the pony poo front.

My friend Carol who has a plot in Thornton Heath has had great success with some winter green manure seeds I gave her to help control the weeds and protecting the soil from losing minerals over the winter. I just always worried they'd end up being more worrisome than the weeds...