Category Archives: Allotment

Pomegranate & Blood Orange Fruit Jellies

22 Oct, 2010

Colour is a great source of inspiration, isn’t it? Sometimes just one gorgeous, vibrant hue can trigger a whole chain of ideas and creations. These beautiful red dahlias, the last of this year’s blooms from our village allotments, made me see red – in a good way! I started to think about those lovely, jewel-like sweeties known as Pates de Fruits in France. With colour in mind, I thought I would try to make some with the crimson juices of pomegranates and blood oranges.

I have a project in mind for these fruit jellies. We have a little Christmas/holiday fair coming up in the village hall next month, and I was asked to run a table. I decided that I would make some gifts and sweets to sell on my stall, and donate profits to Action Against Hunger. This organisation is committed to helping people around the world who don’t have enough to feed themselves and their children. I know that lots of people who work in the food industry give a lot, in donations as well as running fundraising projects, to help this cause and I am keen to give too.

So I have been thinking about what I might make to wrap into pretty packages and sell on my stall. I have never made fruit jelly sweeties before, and some practice seemed essential. I must say, it isn’t really as easy as it might seem to get these right. The differences in juices, concentration of fruit purees, the type of pectin, the time of cooking, all affect the result. And in jolly damp old England, the humidity is a factor too. The recipe below worked quite well for me. I made a version with mango puree and jam sugar (sugar with crystallised pectic mixed in) instead of the liquid pectin and that set very nicely too.

What do you think of my plans? Do you have any other ideas for lovely food gifts, sweet or savoury, that might go well on my stall? I plan on testing out some other ideas over the next couple of weeks, for example nougat, flavoured sugars and vin chaud spices. I’d love to hear your ideas for gifts, wrappings, ribbons, presentation – and I’ll share my experiments too.

Thanks for visiting Extra-Relish. Please do write me a comment – I really enjoy hearing from you. Px

in Allotment, Christmas, Colours, Fruit jellies, Photography, charity, gifts, pates de fruits, pomegratates, village | Comments (21) Read more...

King Cabbage…and thinking about the vegetable garden

22 Feb, 2010

As I write this, snowflakes are swirling wildly around the windows and it’s a cold hard vista beyond. It’s hardly inviting to step out into the garden and thoughts of digging, planting, tending seem far away. Still, winter is on the final stretch –  the days are growing gradually longer every day and subtle hints of spring are appearing. It is just the moment to start dreaming about a gorgeous, abundant vegetable garden or allotment. In the fields behind our house there are several smallholdings and allotments. I frequently walk among them and feel such admiration for what my neighbours create with their wonderful productive plots. Sometimes I am lucky enough to receive a gift of the bounty – a fat creamy cauliflower, or a cabbage as beautiful as a flower.
I would love to create my own kitchen garden but really need a bit of guidance. A couple of weeks ago I received a copy of New Urban Farmer by Celia Brooks Brown and I cannot imagine there is much about growing food that isn’t included. This book is crammed with all the facts and tips for a successful year on the allotment.

New Urban Farmer – From Plot to Plate is Celia’s new book, recently published by Quadrille. Growing your own vegetables and fruit has become very popular over the past few years and waiting lists for allotments are groaning. For those who get to the top of the list and are ready to start their plot – or those with garden space – this book provides the tips and knowledge to make a success of it. Celia is an accomplished cook and food writer and she really has the expertise and perspective of a food lover. The book is written as a sort of journal, over the course of the seasons, with notes and inspiring recipes packed throughout.
I am so looking forward to some warmer days, and getting out in the garden. I’ll let you know how it goes!

in Allotment, Gardening, Growing Food, King Cabbage, Quadrille Publishing, Vegetables | Comments (3) Read more...