Courgette Soup

So many courgettes and so little time to eat them. It almost seems like daily I am going up to my allotment and gathering courgettes.  Finding those that got away and escaped your notice and turned into enormous super courgettes.

Here is a great recipe for those courgettes that got too big; courgette soup. Delicious, fresh and so satisfying. Actually mine was so thick it was more like a salsa.... mmm... maybe I could add it to something!


Serves 2 large helpings

1 large supersize courgette - cut into cubes
4 large tomatoes - quartered
1 onion roughly chopped
Olive oil for cooking
Seasoning

1. Fry the onion in a little oil until just transparent and add the courgette.
2. Cook for about 10 minutes and then add the tomatoes and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes. We are looking at the courgettes being cooked through but still retaining some of that raw freshness.
3. Whizz it all up in a blender - you can keep a few cubes of courgettes behind to give the soup some different texture.
4. Serve with the courgette cubes. You can add some basil to the mix; especially if the courgette so large and you need to add some more flavouring. Sprinkle a little pepper and serve.

So simple and quick. Excellent for a light lunch.

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• 'Striato d'Napoli' the first courgette of the season (permaculturesendaverde.blogspot.com)

Food In Jars

I just had to flag up this great website that has been a source of inspiration in my preserving escapades. It is great to know that I am joining the ranks of the avid preservers out there.  They have taught me that you can preserve and pickle near nigh everything, even to pickling  cherries. I am so excited about this I will probably try it next year but I may just diversify with blackberries.  Hmmm, intriguing! Out of my way, I'm off berrying.

Anyway mosey on down to Food In Jars and join in the pickle and preserving frenzy. 

Celebrating Abundance: Blackcurrants

I seem to be inundated with fruit. I mean I am literally swimming in fruit. Let me get this clear.... it is summer and we have tons of fruit. People are going around saying... please take my fruit... gooseberries - take them! Cherries... they are falling from the bowers. Blackcurrants - we have currents the size of cherries! Phew!

So this has been the season of bottling, preserving and generally trying to keep this fruit for the barren months of the winter. So expect lots of recipes in the next coming month or so involving this abundance of fruit....

But just what to do with so many blackcurrants - why blackcurrant jam of course!

• 1kg of blackcurrants
• 400ml of water
• 1.5 kg jam sugar

1. Place the blackcurrants, and water in a pan. Bring to the boil and let simmer for around 10 minutes.
2. Add the sugar and bring to the boil.
3. Boil for about 5 minutes.
4. Now comes the tricky part - the testing. Put a small plate in the fridge for a couple of minutes. Take it out and put a teaspoon of the mixture on it. Place back in the fridge. After 2 mins test it by moving it with your finger. If the mixture has started to set and has a visible skin on it that wrinkles when you push it, then it’s ready. If not repeat the test with a new teaspoon of the still boiling mixture.
5. Once the mixture has attained the setting point take it off the boil and pour into jars that have been sterilized in boiling water. Usually  I wash the jars in hot, soapy water, rinse and place in a cold oven.  Put the oven on a low heat and warm for about 15 minutes.... actually it is a good idea to prepare your jars before hand and have them already to whip out of the oven.
6. I fill the jars right to the top and place a little wax disk on top (you can buy these in many cookshops).  Place the top on and leave to cool.  You should see the little 'button' on the jam jars pushed in once the jam is cooled.  If it isn't don't worry too much just use that jam first.  (Of course that will unlucky if they all fail to work).

This is Ambrose's jam and he is not amused.