Skyfall in Harrogate!

00 heaven falling apples in Harrogate!

For wild cooks everywhere now is the time to fill your larders with some 00 Heaven!

James Bond- Daniel Craig is a local guy so perhaps he loves these apples as much as we do!

Bruised and battered apples that have done the ‘skyfall’ are the things we are all given and do not know what to do with.

The odd spot on the apple or slight bruising means eating raw is out of the question so why not roll up the sleeves wash your hands and get busy making some Autumn Chutney.

This is such a simple thing to make and everyone has a different recipe for chutney.

Here is my recipe but the advice I would give is do not be precious about your chutney. It is a robust thing just like Mr Bond!

THE RECIPE

A change of the recipe here and there makes this base your own and depending on your fruit availability can be adapted to other fruits –pears, plums and so on.

Chutney can more or less get out of any difficult situation you put it in and big pots of bubbling chutney can make amazing gifts at Christmas and not break the bank. Everyone will be impressed with your effort if nothing else!

Can you Adam and Eve it!

Steph x

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It’s raining in my heart! Blackberry to the rescue….

Well no wonder the blackberries are early the weather does not know what it is doing at present. Do not get me started on global warming!

Here is a global warmer with a difference!

Blackberrys

Why not try our Blackberry Rumtopf…

This is our seasonal innovation for the coming month, the blackberries are on every bush nationwide and it is time to fill your boots people!

This quick and easy recipe is a corker. A great idea for a Christmas gift with a difference.

PLEASE READ>>>

So were to find the blackberries?…

 Well they are to be found usually on the hedgerow around fields and often on roadside hedges.

The thing to remember here is if the road is a busy one leave them on the hedge as the car fumes will have affected the taste and rendered them nasty and inedible.

I usually go to the Golf Club woods here at Rudding Park and find plenty as well as other areas of the hotel grounds.

You can make up your Rumtopf with other fruits too…

What we are looking for is prickly brambles (no one said this was easy picking folks. Expect some light scaring! or wear rubber gloves…)

Look for the purple plump clumps of blackberrys

What fun and having a broken Blackberry phone at the moment these Ribena bullets of joy are definitely my Blackberry of choice given half a chance!

Bam a lam whoe Black Berry!!!

Steph x

(With sticky dyed fingers!)

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The Elder the Better – these perfumed beauties will drive you wild!

Whilst driving to Rudding Park this morning I was struck by the beautiful elderflowers in full bloom outside the front gates and thought it was time to get snap happy and capture the moment.

Elderflower in all its glory

Let me tell you, there is no better way to start work than with the smell of sweet elderflower in your system! So let’s get jiggy with it and bounce these floral power houses into a dish to dazzle and delight the family.

I’m pretty sure everyone loves elderflower cordial, in fact I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t! So how is it made? Please view my recipe here.

However it is not all perfume and flowers Wild Cooks, the perfect accompaniment with a lovely glass of iced cordial is a piece of mint shortbread. I have had to walk over hot coals for this recipe and it is definitely the best shortbread I have ever eaten, with a secret and very unexpected ingredient. Click here for the recipe.

The two together make a refreshing snack ideal for a very hot day- lets hope we get chance to use it hey?! But if not the cordial keeps well in the fridge when opened and the biscuits keep for a week or two in an airtight container.

The flower power is here, alive and well in the grounds of Rudding Park!

Peace and love!

Steph x

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Dandy is the Lion!

The flavoursome and versatile dandelion!

This flower can brighten you up just by looking at it! The dandelion is a bursting, bright coloured flower with lots of uses. You can drink dandylion coffee, I am not a fan myself, but I love the leaves in salads – ideally with a few yellow petals too.

When foraging for dandelions always remember to search on the fields and areas away from cars and pesticides.

Did you know that the dandelion has a self preservation ‘mechanism’ which occurs if you pick one out of the ground?  Not long after being picked, the flower head closes in on itself and protects the yellow leaves inside – amazing stuff!

If you are thinking of growing your own dandelions for salads and other recipes, the best tip is to nip the heads off so all that extra strength can go into the leaves and the root.

Here are a few further tips on how to make the most out of dandelion:

1. Dandelion Wine - A brilliant, yellow coloured, and fun beverage! I’ve never tried it myself but I would be intruiged to hear any feedback or a good recipe?

2. Salads - I like dandelion with smoky, hot snippets of bacon and roasted cherry tomatoes with a few crispy croutons.

3. Deep fried beignets – dandelion is a great accompaniment with the beignets along with foraged wild garlic flowers.

Why not pick a few leaves and flowers of this very medicinal plant and make yourself feel a whole lot better. Not only is this plant a bright beauty it is also carries a lot of health benefits. It works wonders for a tickly throat and according to Jekka McVicar, author of The Complete Herb Book, the humble dandelion stalks can even help to relieve and reduce:

• cholesterol
• liver and kidney disorders
• diabetes
• acne
• amenia

It also helps in maintaining bone health, skin care and weight loss. Dandelion, which literally translates into “lion’s tooth” in French, is rich in vitamin-A, C, iron, calcium and detoxifiers which explains its use in medicines.

So pick away and enjoy, or I suppose if you want to cheat you could always drink Dandelion and Burdock!

Steph x

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