A Recycled Somerset Garden - August 2015

Post author: My daughter Sophie from Somerset, England

"It all started it from a garden of brambles, that is it was full of rampant blackberry bushes and other long term weeds.  

We started clearing it just as I became pregnant with our first child. Home veg was the value we wanted our baby to experience and grow up with, healthy and pure. So it was a real labour of love (excuse the pun).

The first year we lived here, we only just finished the vegetable patch area as we were concentrating on renovating the house itself. Everyone told me it was too late at the end of August to plant veg, but I did it anyway and loads came up !

Our vegetable patch and the recycled greenhouse

This year, 2015, with the new baby on board the garden has become totally green !  

When I began to wean her, her first foods were from our own garden. She started with pureed carrots, and then parsnips, and so on.  

We got other people involved in the garden with the sunflower competition. Once they are finished, we will keep the seeds from the flower heads, to be dried and re used for flowers next year, or for bird seed during the winter and for cooking in the kitchen. Sunflower seeds can be a great snack on their own or in a nice homemade bread. Yummy !

When we initially cleared the old garden we saved some of the plants that were already there when we bought the house. There was a Day Lily for instance, which was beautiful when it came out this summer.

Never waste plants, they cost a lot to replace. We have a grape vine which we recycled from another house. We cut it right back when we got it first. It is now flourishing and is starting to work well in hiding a block wall at the back of the garden.  

In my next Wild Cottage guest post, I will tell you all about the recipes we use for our garden produce, how we preserve things for the winter and the yummy things we cook with it all.

Meanwhile, here are some more photos of this summer's garden (August 2015)."

The beginnings of our herb bed

The bay tree

Mint in a pot to keep it contained !

Runner beans grown up bamboo sticks

Our own chillies from the greenhouse

Red and white onions almost ready to lift

Some of our white onions

Rhubarb patch !

Elephant garlic - this is just one clove !

Normal and elephant garlic

My husband's precious fig tree

Lovely lettuce

Runner beans harvested for freezing and dinner

Sage bush with lots of new growth

Apple & Blackberry Crumble (incl Gluten Free Option)

We adore apple crumbles, and at this time of the year both newly fallen apples and blackberries are available and plentiful - at least they are here in Ireland.

Fresh apples and blackberries, prepared for a crumble

Today I used apples that had fallen from our apple tree yesterday. We just have 2 apple trees, one is a very old cooking apple (the tree is at least 70 years old), and the other is a 12 year old 'Russet' (a traditional old fashioned small English eating apple, which tastes slightly nutty).

This recipe for apple crumble can be used with either gluten free flours, such as Dove Farm's gluten free plain flour, or normal wheat plain flour.  I make the gluten free option, as I am gluten intolerant.  Whichever type you use, the result is pretty similar, as the butter is there to bind the flour and sugar together.

Today I added a large handful of blackberries to the sliced up apples.  This not only adds a very yummy taste, but alters the colour to a gorgeous dark pink, depending on how many blackberries you use.  

I also love cinnamon in the fruit part of an apple crumble - but this is easily left out if you aren't into cinnamon.  I add flour to the apples as this gives the juice a slightly thicker, syrupy consistency, which is heavenly.

Anyway, here is the recipe I used today - This makes a medium sized crumble which is plenty for two people, including copious seconds !

Blackberry and Apple Crumble

(with both gluten free and standard flour options)

Ingredients

Crumble mix:
6 ozs  plain flour (or 6 ozs gluten free plain flour - I used Doves)
4 ozs  butter
5 ozs  caster sugar

Apple and blackberry mix:
8 medium apples
2 tablespoons blackberries
1 heaped teaspoon cinnamon
1 heaped tablespoon caster sugar
1 flat tablespoon plain flour (or same amount of plain gluten free flour)
lemon juice from half a lemon

Method

Apple mix:
1.  Put the lemon juice into a large mixing bowl.  Peel, core and evenly slice the apples, removing any bruised or damaged bits.  As you are slicing them, put them into the lemon juice, mixing with a wooden spoon to cover them.  This helps to prevent the apples going brown, as well as adding to the taste.

Cooking apples and blackberries, covered in lemon juice

2.  Into the bowl with the apples, add the cinnamon, sugar and flour.  Mix this around, gently, until the apple slices are all covered fairly evenly.

3.  Put the apple mixture into a high sided, ovenproof, pie dish - I use Pyrex casserole dishes.

4.  Sprinkle the blackberries evenly across the top of the apples.  Cover the dish with a cloth, or a lid if you have it.

*** Preheat the oven to 175C, which is about 350F

Crumble mix:
5.  Put the flour and butter into a large mixing bowl,  making sure that the butter is in no more than 1/2 inch lumps.

6.  Using your fingertips, 'rub' the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.

7.  Mix the sugar into the crumble mix, gently.

Gluten free dry crumble mix, ready to sprinkle on top of the fruit

Putting it together:
8.  Spoon the crumble mix evenly on top of the apples which are already in the ovenproof dish.

9.  Place the dish into the centre of the preheated oven.  Cook for 35-45 minutes (the crumble is best when just turning a light brown, but you may prefer it darker or lighter).

10.  Serve hot from the oven, with warm custard.  Also great cold the next day with cream !

This crumble recipe will also freeze extremely well for up to 4 or 5 months.  Alternatively, you can freeze the sliced apples covered in lemon juice in a bag, and the washed blackberries in another bag, for future use.

Also, why not make double the dry crumble mix, pop half into a plastic bag or container, and freeze it !!  Remember to label what is gluten free what what isn't !

Elderberry Recipes & Remedies

If you are looking for various Elderberry recipes to experiment with, look no further than Wild Cottage.

Elderberry & clove cordial  (also similar recipe here Elderberry cordial )

Blackberry & elderberry jelly

Elderberry wine

Elder bush remedies

Elderberry & ginger cold and flu remedy/cure all

The magic of elderberries

I'd love to know if you have any unusual elderberry recipes please.

I am adding new recipes all the time - please visit again.

Seedless Blackberry Jam

The perfect blackberry jam - seedless, no pips and smooth !  

However, it isn't quite a jelly as you use a setting point to create a spreadable jam, rather than leaving it a bit longer and creating a jelly that sets and wobbles.  If you would like to make jelly, just let it boil a bit longer until your setting point test tells you that it's at 'wobble point'.

This is the ultimate taste of Autumn, and if you make enough of the jam, you can have it all year round.

I adore normal blackberry jam, but I also love smooth jams, as they have that extra special, melt in the mouth sensation...  Although not as good as Galaxy chocolate !


Seedless Blackberry Jam Recipe


Ingredients

6 lb / 2.75 kg  Blackberries
1/4 pint Water
2 Lemons
6 lb / 2.75 kg  Sugar - roughly


Method

1.   Put the cleaned fruit, the water, the lemon rind and lemon juice into a large jam making pan.

2.  Using a potato masher, mash the blackberry mix well, to extract the juice.

3.   For every pound (lb) of blackberries, use 1 lb of white sugar (0.5 kg).  Put the sugar into the pan and stir in thoroughly.  Leave it, well covered to keep tiny winged critters out, for a couple of hours, until the sugar has drawn the juice from the blackberries, and you have much more liquid that when you started.

4.   Simmer gently until the fruit is soft, not too long or it will start to boil and begin to thicken.  Don't let it boil at this point.  You may need to stir it to check for, and prevent, sticking and burning on the bottom of the pan.  Keep the pan lid ON, to prevent any loss of your precious juice via evaporation.

5.   Pour the now sweet mushy fruit mix through a small holed sieve, (or through muslin cloth for extremely smooth).  Return the pip free, seed free, skin free juice to the saucepan (make sure it's cleaned from earlier to remove any stray seeds, insect body parts, bat wings and so on).

6.   Turn the heat up (but not on full) and boil rapidly until setting point is reached. (I use the cold plate in the fridge setting point method).  Remember to remove the pan from the heat each time you do the setting point test, otherwise the test won't be accurate and you'll have a much thicker jam than you maybe intended.

7.   Once setting point has been reached, remove from the heat and skim off any foam etc.

8.   While the jam is still very hot, pour it into sterilised jam pots.  Put the (also sterilised) lids on straight away while the jam is still very hot.  This is so that, when the jam cools and contracts, it will take up less space in the jar.  The shrinkage will create a vacuum at the top of the jar, between the jam and the lid.  This will help to keep the jam long term, as bacteria cannot live in a vacuum (no air, nothing).
Just remember to NOT tip the jars at all, so that you keep the vacuum below any remaining air.


This will make around 8 or 9 jars of jam, depending on jar size.  Well made jam can last for years, and this should be fine for at least 2 years.  Jam tends to thicken with age, but the taste can improve sometimes.

This recipe is excellent for making early Christmas presents, or a gift for a friend.  It's not everyday you can use one recipe to make both blackberry jam and blackberry jelly.

10 Best Natural Cold Remedies

Here is a list of my 10 favourite ways to fight off that awful cold and sore throat that is wrecking your life.  

I was inspired to compile this post whilst lying in bed all night, unable to sleep, with a suddenly swollen rough sore throat, sinuses bunged up through my head to my popping ears (although my nose has managed so far to keep small passages open to breathe a bit), gritty watering red eyes, a wheezing chest with a mucus cough and swollen glands in my neck (obviously fighting off the germs invading me).  Otherwise known as a common cold.

The following list of natural, and mostly homemade remedies, is compiled from many years of suffering, over many generations!

Firstly, and very important, YOU DON'T NEED ANTIBIOTICS.  They are only required if you get an infection that your body can't fight off naturally, such as sinusitis or bronchitis.  They will not affect your common cold, which is a VIRUS.  And there are many of them.

1.    Elderberries   
  

It's not just some old wives tale your Granny used to waffle on about.  Nor some kind of witchy cleverness.  Elderberries are in fact an easily accessible, locally growing Superfood!

Elderberry cordial or syrup is well known as a cold prevention remedy, as well as helping to knock it for six once you are are afflicted.

This recipe includes cloves, which are another amazing preventative and curative natural aid to combating colds and flu.

http://www.wildcottage.blogspot.ie/2013/11/the-magic-of-elderberries.html


2.    Ginger

I use an old ginger tea recipe that I think my Great Aunt gave me, but I can't remember exactly.  Needless to say I've used it forever - and it seriously works.  Especially on the sore throats.

The website below has exactly the same recipe and process, and it is presented very clearly.

http://www.learningherbs.com/flu_home_remedy_tea.html

If you are REALLY sick and want it extra strong, just add more ginger !


3      Gargling with Raspberry Leaves and Salt

If you have a sore throat, this is the way to go.  There are various old remedies you can use to gargle your sore throat away...

Gargling with salted water (use natural sea salt) moistens your throat and brings temporary relief to the symptoms.  The salt will also help to kill any germs and nasty bacteria sticking to your throat.

Use half a teaspoon of salt, dissolved in 8ozs of warm water.  Do this 4 times a day for the best results.

To reduce that really annoying tickle, try an 'astringent' gargle.  Use tea that contains tannin, that's black tea; this will tighten the membranes. Or use a thick gargle made with honey or honey and apple cider vinegar mixed.

Alternatively, soak 1 tablespoon of raspberry leaves (or lemon juice but its not as potent) in 2 cups of hot water, soak for at leaves 15 minutes maybe more; stir in 1 teaspoon of honey. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before gargling.

4     Drink Loads of Water

This is vital to help keep your body hydrated, especially as you may have a slight temperature while your body's immune system battles with the cold germs.

It could also help keep the mucus in your nose and sinuses thinner, and therefore make it easier to remove it when you need to blow your nose.

5     Vitamin C

There has been a fair amount of research to back up this old wives tale, and as is usually the case, our grannies and the local 'healer' knew their stuff.

More natural ways you can add vitamin C to your body is via the food you eat.  Everything from oranges, lemons and grapefruits, to peppers and chillies.  Eat masses of fruit and a good variety of vegetables.  If you can't eat much as you feel too ill, then make a smooth soup from a wide selection of the vegetables, or a pure juice drink by juicing a selection of fruit.

Nowadays the easiest way to take vitamin C is by dissolving a tablet in water and drinking the fizzing concoction that results.  You need around 1000mg to 1500mg to help fight off the cold.  Vitamin C does this by aiding your immune system.  It can also help get rid of your cold faster.

6     Chicken Soup

I had no idea why this works, but I just knew it did !  So I did some research...

Apparently the fumes that come off the hot soup, contain cysteine - that's the stuff that you can or cannot smell, depending on how stuffed up your nose is - that help to release the mucus, at the same time thinning it, so aiding the process whereby your cold goes away faster.  

It also helps the body to fight the virus, and contains many needed nutrients if well made.

7     Garlic

Crush 2 cloves of fresh garlic and put into a small glass of water - drink it fast and you won't notice the taste if you are lucky !

If you are pregnant, don't use more than 1 garlic clove.

Garlic is a natural antifungal, antibiotic and is antibacterial.  It is a very powerful plant.

8     Cinnamon

Cinnamon, like garlic, is an antibiotic and is antiviral - and remember a cold is caused by various viruses.

Stir 2 tablespoons of cinnamon power into 2 teaspoonfuls of good quality honey and a little warm water.  Take half of this straight away, and the rest in a few hours.  You can always make another lot after that, if you still need it.  This will help to reduce your cough, help keep your temperature down and help with any congestion.

9     Yarrow Tea

You can buy yarrow tea or tea bags from your local health food store - unless of course you are lucky enough to have the wild plant handy nearby.

The tea is very bitter, so sweeten it with honey or stevia, and maybe mix it with a berry tea such as blackberry, raspberry or rosehip.

10    Rest Yourself

This is not as obvious as it seems.  

Rest is important when you have the cold virus, as in order to let the body's immune system do it's thing, you need to let it rest.  This helps the healing process along quicker.

*The above article/blog post is in no way designed to take the place of medical advice.  It is merely my own personal experience.  If you are at all worried, or your symptoms are not going away after a week or so, you should consult a medical professional.

An October Day of Gathering Free Food

Blackberries & sloes gathered in my fields.

I freeze the blackberries for adding to crumbles etc during the winter.

I freeze the sloes also, and use many to make Sloe Gin. I will post my personal recipe instructions for this tomorrow.

I also sometimes make Sloe Jelly.

 Moon daisies still flowering in mid October !

 Mushrooms - I'm afraid I don't know what kind these are.

If anyone out there knows please let me know !

A closer photo of the same cute small mushrooms

 These are Shaggy Ink Caps - an edible mushroom that is very prolific around my land and the area in general.

They must be fried/eaten as soon as you pick them, otherwise you will have a pool of black gooey liquid to clear up and totally disappeared mushrooms !

Monday Drive Around the Burren & East Clare Coast

Monday was October Bank Holiday here in Ireland and that means PARTY. But, sadly, not for me as at the moment I'm just not able for it.

I decided to ask my friend Kathleen if she would like to come with me on a wee drive around the east Clare coast of the Burren, to La Hinch and to The Rock Shop at Liscannor.

The Rock Shop is probably my favourite shop in Ireland - it's downright dangerous walking in there...

And to add to the danger... there's a coffee shop...

This was my toasted cheese, ham and onion (raw-a fetish of mine) sandwich.

This was Kathleen's sandwich, untoasted. She went for the healthy stuff and let them put lettuce in it.


We both grabbed a bag of these lush English crisps, called Darling Spuds, hand made and deliciously flavoured.

Their web site http://www.darlingspuds.co.uk/ is great fun. And their address is 'Salty Towers' ! For real.

This pic was my choice of flavour - West Country Cheddar (cheese), Leeks and Pink Peppercorns - they were truly tasty.

I also had a bottle of pink grapefruit (another fetish of mine) with spring water.

We then went to La Hinch to oggle, opps I mean observe, the surfer dudes doing their stuff on the incoming Atlantic swell.

There were some good waves now and then, for the patient few.

The great thing about La Hinch, is that you can not only watch the surfers surf, and gaze at the wonderful scenery, but they park right beside the promenade and one can't help but oggle, opps I mean glance at, the guys changing in and out of their wet wetsuits. Another fetish ? No... merely images taking me back to my long lost youth...

That's my excuse.

Just stunning huh

Shame about the other people and the town ! Having said that the town has some quaint shops and a fun art gallery (Kenny and no NOT the Kennys of Galway). And some of the people do wear wet suits...



It's even better in the dead of winter as far less people come here - just the hardened surfer dudes...



Opps I added this one twice and it's a pain deleting them... I seem to manage to delete all sorts...


This was taken at what I think is Liscannor Harbour, on the pier just about...

Read the white writing on the door of the carriage/caravan...



This is the fishermen's tea room ?

This is right on the pier, and is so colourful and quirky it's incredible.



I managed to gather these on Sunday afternoon. Just threw them in here as it's incredible we can still pick blackberries at this time of the year !

Those are wild rose hips I also gathered at the same time. I'll dry them probably and use for tea.

Just perfect.

Blackberry Syrup

I made this this afternoon with a few blackberries I picked in my bottom field.

Its reasonably quick and easy - and the result is the most fresh tasting and vibrantly coloured ice cream sauce you can imagine !

Of course you can use for many other things too.........

I measure the fruit and sugar in cups or mugs or whatever you please !

Blackberry Syrup or Sauce

Freshly picked Blackberries
White Sugar
Water
Lemon Juice

1. Wash the blackberries to remove bits and wildlife...

2. For every cup of blackberries, use a 1/4 cup of water.

3. Put the blackberries and water into a large saucepan.

4. With a potato masher or something similar, squish the fruit down well, to release the juice.

5. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to simmer.

6. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the fruit is soft.

7. Pour the pulp/fruit mash through a fine sieve or a muslin/jelly bag, into a bowl. Don't push it through harshly, let it drip and just encourage it gently by pressing it with a spatula or similar.

8. Once the juice stops running through, measure the juice and discard the pulp to the compost.

9. For every cup of juice add a cup of white sugar, and put all this back into the cleaned saucepan with about 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice per cup of juice.

10. Bring it to the boil and stir to dissolve the sugar.

11. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the liquid becomes slightly viscous, but still runny. This should only take a minute.

12. Pour into sterilised jars while very hot and seal immediately.

Will keep for months and months.

Blackberry & Apple Jelly

Blackberry and Apple Jelly is sometimes called Bramble Jelly, which is a name I kinda like... it describes the time of year that these 2 fruits arrive and are plentiful, and the time of year when you spend most of your time preserving things for the winter and the year to come.

Kind of like Squirrel Nutkin, stashing away all manner of wonderful stuff to ensure that you have a pleasant and healthy winter ahead !

This is fairly easy to make and is incredible with chicken, turkey and even pork maybe.

Blackberry & Apple Jelly

3 lb Blackberries
2 large Bramley Cooking Apples (or any other cooking apples)
3/4 pint Water
Juice of 1 lemon
White granulated Sugar
Muslin cloth (or old tea towel or a jelly bag)

1. Wash the animals and dirt from the blackberries, being careful and only lightly rinsing, as you can easily wash away precious juice.

2. Peel, core and chop the apples.

3. Set the muslin cloth up over a large bowl. Make sure that the cloth is sterilised and immaculately clean.

4. Put the blackberries, apples, lemon juice and water in a large heavy bottomed preserving pan, and bring it to the boil.

5. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer on a low heat for 20/25 minutes, until all the fruit is nice and soft.

6. Tip the whole lot into the jelly bag or muslin cloth over the bowl, letting the liquid drip through.

7. DO NOT SQUEEZE OR PRESS IT THROUGH.

8. Leave this to drip through, a minimum of 8 hours, no more than 9 or 10.

9. Use the dripped through juice and discard the rest onto your compost heap.

10. For every 1 pint of juice, use 1 lb of the sugar.

11. Put the juice and sugar back into the clean pan and heat gently until all the sugar is dissolved.

12. Then bring it to the boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until setting point is reached.

13. Skim off any scum from the surface and pour the jelly into freshly sterilised jars, right to the top. Put the lids on straight away to create the vacuum and the seal while hot.

14. Store in a cool and dark place.

Blackberry & Apple Dumplings

I was out this afternoon picking more blackberries, some for yesterday's Spiced Blackberries recipe, and some to store in the freezer for the winter. I use them to make Blackberry and Apple Crumbles, Blackberry & Apple Sauce, wine, cordials, syrups and also to just sprinkle on desserts.

I also like to make Blackberry Dumplings.

I guarantee if you make these, you will be addicted !

Blackberry Dumplings

4 ozs fresh Blackberries
1 medium Bramley Apple (or other cooking apple)
4 ozs self-raising Flour
1 oz Butter
1/4 pint Water
A pinch of Sea Salt
Granulated white Sugar
Some cold Milk

1. Wash the blackberries carefully, so as not to loose any juice.

2. Peel and core the apple. Cut it into quarters, so that you have 4 pieces.

3. Put the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, and using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour, until you have the texture of breadcrumbs.

4. Stir in 3 level teaspoons of white sugar.

5. Stir in about 4 tablespoons of cold milk, until you have a soft dough.

6. Divide the dough into 4 lumps on a floured surface.

7. Take a piece of the apple and mould one of the dough lumps around it. Make sure that the apple is totally covered.

8. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of white sugar in the 1/4 pint of water in a medium saucepan.

9. Add the blackberries to the pan and bring it to the boil gently.

10. Place the apple dumplings on top of the blackberries, cover the pan and simmer for 25 minutes.

11. DO NOT remove the lid for the first 15 minutes. This is very important.

12. Put one dumpling on a serving dish for each person (4 dishes). Spoon the blackberries over each dumpling.

13. Double cream poured on the side just about finishes this off !

Spiced Blackberries

This is adapted from a recipe I only found this year. It intrigued me as it was so different to anything I had previously done with blackberries.

I twiddled it slightly to suit my tastes, and sorry I can't remember which bits I twiddled and in what way !

It really is to die for, and very very different.

Spiced Blackberries

2 1/4 lbs Blackberries
1 lb white Sugar
1/2 pint (UK pints) Malt Vinegar
1/2" piece of Cinnamon Stick
1" piece of fresh Root Ginger (chopped but not peeled)
1/2 teaspoon ground Mixed Spice
5 Juniper Berries
5 whole Cloves
3 rose scented Geranium leaves

1. Gently rinse the blackberries. Pick them over to remove all gunky bits and wildlife (insects). Leave to dry as much as possible.

2. Crush all the spices and put them into a 'spice bag', a small muslin bag tied tight.

3. Put the vinegar and the spice bag into a stainless steel saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil hard for 5 minutes.

4. Cover the pan and leave to stand until it is cold. Then remove the spice bag.

5. Put the cold vinegar and the sugar in a stainless steel saucepan and heat it up very gently, stirring often, until the sugar has all dissolved.

6. Add the blackberries to the vinegar liquid, and simmer until they are just tender.

7. Lift the blackberries out with a large spoon with holes in it and put them into hot, dry, sterilised glass jars (4 should be enough as this makes about 4 lbs). Use not metallic lids.

8. Keep the jars of blackberries warm.

9. Boil the remaining syrup hard, until it becomes nice and thick.

10. Add a geranium leaf to each jar on top of the blackberries.

11. Pour the hot syrup over the blackberries in the jars, making sure that they are all well covered.

12. Seal the jars immediately while it is all hot.