Fruity Alcohol

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the amount of soft fruit ripening in my garden and rapidly beginning to run out of jam jars and ideas. I suddenly thought "alcohol"  - as you do!

But not as in throw the fruit in the compost freezer type of way and pour a large glass of wine. Although the thought did cross my mind several times.

Alcohol, as in fruit marinating or steeping in a relatively neutral alcohol to transmogrify it into a fruity, flavoursome kick-in-the-glass type of alcohol. For enjoying in front of a blazing stove on a freezing cold, windy, rainy Irish winter's night when memories of a lovely, long, hot summer are in the distant past.

Cue idea!

Redcurrants in vodka, following a recipe I made last year for homemade crème de cassis. I have named it crème de groseille rouge.

Well why wouldn't it work? Or would it? The only way to find out was to try it.

So a 75cl bottle of "cheap" vodka was purchased (there's not much point using a premium vodka when you are going to add fruit and sugar to it: to my mind anyway).

I added 750g of red currants to the vodka and put into a demi-john. Any glass jar with a lid or a bottle will suffice.  Leave to steep for three months.

After three months pour the mixture out into a large bowl and using a potato masher mash the fruit into the mix extracting as much of the flavour and colour as possible. Pour the mix into a large kitchen sieve lined with muslin. Allow to drip through for a couple of hours. Give it a gentle push to help it along with the masher.

Make up a sugar syrup with 300g of sugar and 150ml of water.

Add the syrup to the fruit mix. Add to taste. I don't like anything too sweet so I always aim for less rather than more.  Add according to your palate.

Transfer into clean, sterilised bottles.

I can't tell you what it tastes like because I've only just made it, but when I do get around to tasting it I will let you know. I intend to serve it with white wine, prosecco, or even sparkling water.

So gooseberries.

Googling recipes I came up with this.

I'm not sure how I will make the gooseberry syrup especially as I made gooseberry jelly with what I had left over. I also made redcurrant jelly with the rest of the redcurrants.

I read recently that the gin in Aldi had beaten Hendricks Gin in blind taste tests so I used this in the gooseberry recipe.









I will also report back on what the gooseberry martini is like. Being a gin lover I don't imagine it will be too unpleasant.

For the jelly recipes I used a Nigella one for the redcurrants.  And I used this for the gooseberry one.

















I bought these lovely little 250ml Kilner bottles in a kitchen shop in Gorey, Co. Wexford and I'm going to use my fruity alcohols to fill them and give them as little gifts at Christmas. Otherwise I would be very tempted to drink it all myself and that wouldn't do at all (at all).














Tags: Fruity alcohol recipes  Redcurrants in vodka  Crème de groseille rouge  Gooseberries in gin  Green Cowboy Martini  Redcurrant Jelly  Gooseberry Jelly

 

Summer Terrine

In hot weather this summer vegetable terrine makes a great lunch or even works as a main course.

It's really easy, tastes and looks great.

All that's needed is a selection of summer vegetables. I used aubergine, courgette, cherry tomatoes, basil pesto and a soft goats cheese.

1 aubergine
3 small courgettes
8 cherry tomatoes
half a goats cheese log
6-8 teaspoons of pesto
A few basil leaves
Salt and pepper
Olive oil to drizzle

Either serve with a green salad and crusty bread for lunch or with new potatoes, green beans and salad for dinner.

Wash and slice the aubergine and courgette lengthwise.  Heat a griddle pan and brush with olive oil.  Cook the strips of vegetables until just soft.

Set aside and cool.

Make some basil pesto . Recipe here (just substitute basil for oregano. Or buy a good quality one.

Get a loaf tin and line with cling film. Make sure it overlaps the tin.


Layer up your courgettes and aubergines with small pieces of goats cheese, drizzle with pesto, basil leaves and season.



You don't need to cook the cherry tomatoes.  Just slice them.

When you have finished layering. Drizzle over the top with olive oil.

Cover over with the cling film.  Weigh the terrine down with something heavy.  I used tins and the cast iron pan on top.

Refrigerate.


When it's cool. Remove from the fridge and cut into wedges.  This quantity serves four easily.



























Tags: Summer food  Summer terrine  Aubergine recipe idea  courgette recipe idea basil pesto  goats cheese

Asparagus Soup

Asparagus soup

I really love asparagus when it's in season, which is now. But I hate throwing away the stalks.

Cue, brainwave!

I made asparagus soup with them.

And it's really, really easy and delicious.


I used the stalks of one bunch and it made enough soup for two servings.









Sweat an onion, a garlic clove, a stick of celery in a mix of olive oil and rapeseed.  Season well and add the leaves from a sprig of fresh thyme.

When they have started to soften, add the asparagus and a small potato if you like a thick soup.

Continue to cook for a few minutes.  Add 300ml chicken stock. Recipe here. Simmer until vegetables are just soft and then blitz to a creamy consistency.

I make stock and freeze in old yoghurt cartons or ricotta tubs. Anything that has a lid really.  It means you always have small quantities handy.

Serve the soup with a sprig of mint (flavour really works well with the asparagus).

And of course some delicious homemade sourdough toasted and dripping in butter.

As my granny said " waste not - want not".











 

Tags: Asparagus soup  asparagus asparagus stalks summer food  summer recipes  Irish food