Dandelion Delights

The dandelions in the front garden are rampant, and after eating some in a salad the other day I thought I would look some recipes and see if I could do anything else with such an unusual ingredient. Turns out you can do an awful lot. One in particular struck me as sounding pretty lovely, Dandelion Sorbet, you can find the recipe I used over at Emma Brabradshaw's Blog, a great blog I discovered in my quest.  I did make some rookie mistakes during this recipe but you can forgive that.

What you will need
2 pint glasses full of Dandelion Flowers - make sure you harvest them from a pesticide free area.
3 cups of Water
1/4 cup of Honey
1/2 Sugar
3tsp Lemon Juice

I made the most basic miss calculation, not picking enough dandelions, I mean they looked like there where hundreds in the garden. Emmas recipe calls for three pints I gathered about two, instead of two and a half cups of dandelions I had one. Ultimately that was quite good as it made two small portions.

Cut your dandelion petals as soon as you have harvested them or they will start to wither, don't cut to close to the white base of the petal as that area can be bitter. Try to avoid the green bits, but don't worry if there are some.

Next I added three cups of water, a quarter cup of honey and half a cup of sugar, then brought it all up to the boil. It was a bit fiddly getting all the honey into the water, my hands ended up getting sticky and I ended up with petals stuck to my fingers.

Now stir in the dandelions and turn down to a simmer, the smell is hypnotic. Slightly lemony and a bit like incense. Simmer for about an hour with the occasional stirring to keep an eye on the water level.  The colour will change dramatically.

Then use a very fine sieve or a muslin, and strain the syrup through it into a ice cream container. Add three tea spoons of lemon juice and put in the freezer.

Every couple of hours check on the forming sorbet and break up the ice a little. You do not want big lumps forming, it does take quite a while to set so I'd suggest making this when you get up if you are having a summer afternoon Barbecue. As rookie mistake #2 I thought it would set in a few hours so made it at like 6 o'clock in the evening. In the end I went to bed with it still like a sweet caramelish lovely tasting slushie in the freezer.

Luckily for me it broke up really easily, I then served it in ramekins. It tastes of something! something I just can't put my finger on, it is a definite taste I recognise but can't put my finger on. Almost like earl grey tea but not. It is very sweet, I'd maybe cut the honey next time I made it.

Yours

Belinda Stepford

xxx

Dandelion Salad

Dandelions are a delicious, nutritious and rarely used food source. They are chock full of base minerals that most people fail to get in their modern diets. So in my bid to try out dated foods, just as I did with livers, so to did I try dandelions. They where going mental growing in our garden and I thought I would find a use for them before composting them. Apparently dandelions are really great for your liver, who knew.

Firstly harvest them, cut the plant out by the root and discard any soiled leaves and all the yellow flowers. Early spring and late autumn are the best times for dandelions, in summer they get to bitter to enjoy. Once harvested, process the leaves by picking them away from the main stem and discarding any stems and strangely leaves.

The soak in some water for an hour then rise and shake the leaves to get rid of as much dirt as you can, you can be quite rough with them.

Dry the leaves and set in a bowl, to the bowl and a drizzle of lemon juice and equal parts good olive oil. mix into the leaves by hand.

Finally add some salt, pepper and some crushed up Thyme and mix in well. The taste in very strong, unusual and peppery, after the first few mouthfuls though you get used too it and its actually quite pleasant. I'd advise against selecting the larger leaves as they tend to get a bit bitter. I ate it with fried mushrooms and mash potatoes.

Yours

Belinda Stepford

xxx

Summer Sun

The sun has shaken of the wintery fog in Winchester, I've spent the past weekend sat on blanket in the garden, with my laptop and books, writing my essays. It was the least stressful way to do something stressful ever. 

Andy and Laura joined me, they sat doing history work and chatting about Arabic poetry. We did wonder into to town to buy sun cream and snacks when the day really got hot, we bought some Ice Slushes as well which was really refreshing. Honestly I think the weather sends me a little bit loopy, I was in a really chipper mood. 

My first year at uni is nearly over and that is truly, truly terrifying. It has gone so quickly and I've done so much I don't want it to be over yet, but its only a few more weeks and then boom done. On to summer, which should be filled with work and fuss and hopefully Paris. Then After that second year, the year that actually counts. eep.

Yours

Belinda Stepford

xxx

News from the puppies

My parents received an email yesterday from "Maggie" or the baby we knew as Clementine, shes been renamed by the boy who owns her after Maggie from The Simpsons. How cute! Heres what "she" sent us:

Hiya Paula + Philip,  


Just thought I would let you know how I am getting on in my new home,  I have settled in realy well and have practicaly trained the family to be well behaved and do just about anything I ask.  I have a nice warm bed and a couple of nice blankets, lots of toys and of course food.  I have been to the vets, I didn't like that at all but hey you have to show willing now and again.

Thought I would send you a couple of photo's of myself in my favourite spot, (on the couch) and with my boy Joshua.  He loves me very much and I can get him todo most things for me, although for some reason he's not to keen when I've been the loo.  He keeps telling me that in a few days we will be able to go out for a walk, (whatever that is), anyway I hope my mum isnt missing me too much, give her my love.

Yours Maggie xxxxx

Doesn't she look great! Seriously happy with the home she's gone to, it does make me a little happy sad that she has gone to a new home but that the point of puppies isn't it. In other news Angel and Blossom are going for their first walk today, in the lovely sunshine as summer is raising its head from slumber. 

Yours 

Belinda Stepford

xxx

Liver Gets Better

Okay so I've already made one post about liver, I get it not totally won over yet are you? Still a bit icky when you think about it? Okay then let me give you a recipe that will change you mind. Pate, is great. I love it on toast with breakfast, I love it with cheese and crackers, over all its just a great food. It is low in fat and protein crazy. So the perfect food. It is also super easy to make and looks really great too.

What you'll need:

The other half of your pack of liver
Olive Oil
Amaretto
Butter
Herbs and Spices (mix it up as much as you like this version I added rose petals and paprika to this one)

Firstly chop and fry the livers in olive oil, until they are fully cooked, when you cut them there should be a slight pinkness too them, do not under cook them too much as it can make you sick. That being said over cooked liver tastes revolting and is only really fit for dogs, you can slightly over do pate liver but not too much. Then add them to the food processor.

Then add about quarter up of Amaretto to the pan you cooked the livers in and warm it through while rubbing any bits of meat left stuck to the pan to break them off. Then add half of that to the food processor as well.

Grind and add your spices, I used a mixture of dried rose petals and  a half teaspoon of paprika, the flavours should not be over ridding to the flavour of the pate but complimentary. Then blitz the ingredients in the food processor until they are the consistency you like, I like smooth pate so I blast them on high for at least five minutes, making sure to scrap around the edge occasionally to knock back any pieces above the blade line.

Once thats done add the pate to ramekins or a bowl and press down with a teaspoon until there are no air pockets in the pate, you can bang the container down as well to encourage any air out of the pate itself. You don't want air in the pate as you want to keep it fresh. Then place in the fridge and allow to cool.

Once semi-cool add a lump of butter the left over Amaretto in the pan and heat until totally liquid. Then pour over the pate until the butter is a level seal completely covering the pate, this will help prevent any bacteria growth, it should keep for about three weeks in the fridge. Use within three days once the butter seal has been broken. Place in the Fridge and leave overnight so the butter can solidify.

Best served on hot toast or on crackers with the butter picked off. This recipe is crazy cheap and great for you. There is no excuse not to try it at least once. Go out there and try some lovely liver.

Yours

Belinda Stepford

xxx