Crazy Englishwoman Cooks!

My husband always laughs at me when we eat sweetcorn. I hate to get all the bits between my teeth and so, I carefully cut the niblets from the cob with a knife and eat them. Nic claims I'm the only person he knows who can make a square corncob!

Several of the people he works with grow some corn and so when he came home with a bag the other day, I had a problem. After all, he was flying to Texas that same evening and would be there all week. I knew I wouldn't eat all that corn. Since I'm in a canning frenzy, the answer was simple - relish. That would also make use of the fresh tomatoes I'd picked up at the Farmer's Market.

Corn Relish
The following recipe makes about 4 pints.

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 cups chopped onions
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4-6 ears worth of corn kernels - I ushttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5203344078476561722ed 4 ears, but would recommend 6 since my relish is a little liquidy.
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 serrano chile pepper, seeded and minced (Remember to use caution when seeding the pepper and DO NOT rub your eyes).
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tbs Kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Dice the cucumber, onions, and bell pepper until they are about the size of the corn kernels. Put them in a large pot with all the other ingredients.
Bring to the boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Spoon into sterilized jars and seal as you usually would when canning. If sealed properly, these can be stored in a cool, dry place. If you do not seal them, keep your relish in the fridge and use within 4-6 weeks.


So what am I going to use my relish for? How about:

• burgers
• hot dogs
• on salad
• in sandwiches
• on grilled meat
• mixed with cream cheese to make a dip

Every year, without fail, I make the same mistake. I see bunches of cherry, bright red radishes in the store and I just can't stop myself from buying them. Then I get home, chop some up for my salad, and remember that I really do not find radishes that exciting. Sure, the crunch is nice, but I just don't like them that much. And so they sit, ignored, slowly being pushed further back in the fridge until one day, many moons later, I discover something shriveled.

Not this year.

Yes, I still bought radishes. Yes, I ate a couple on my salad and remembered I don't like them much. But this year, I've tried pickling them.

You see, I'm also going through a huge canning kick at the moment. If it can be canned, I want to can it. As luck would have it, I came across a recipe for pickled radishes, and since I am of the firm belief that most things can be much improved by pickling, I thought "Why not?"

Unlike a lot of canning recipes, this is enough for one pint jar of pickles (or one bunch of radishes), letting you try them without being lumbered with cases and cases of pickled radishes (Christmas present anyone?) that no one wants.

So without further ado, here is how you pickle a radish or two:

Take your bunch of fresh red radishes and slice them thinly. Put the sliced radishes in a clean, sterilized mason jar.

In a small pan, heat:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed coriander seeds
1/4 tsp whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf.

Bring to a simmer and stir for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool for a few minutes, and then pour into the jar, over the radishes.

Cool for about 20 minutes. Put the lid on and refrigerate.

As you can see, the pickles take on a wonderful color. Of course, you can play around with the spices, depending if you prefer a sweeter or a hotter pickle.

I have just tried one and they are delicious! I expect the flavor to become more intense, the longer they sit, but these will be a great addition to sandwiches, salads, burgers, etc.

Looks like I'll keep buying those radishes after all.

I love all the fresh veggies that are available at this time of year, but sometimes you end up with a whole lot that you need to use fast - which is why I love this veggie paella that I made last week. If you don't have one of the veggies on the ingredients list, that's fine. Just use whatever you do have.

Of course, hubby's first question was, "Where's the meat?" But even he grudgingly admitted that it was good (although he did add a lot of hot sauce and say it would be better with chorizo!)

Baby steps....

Vegetable Paella

3 tbs olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
mushrooms - the original recipe called for 12oz. I had about 4 oz of fresh and threw in a handful of dried porcini too.
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
pepper
1 1/2 cups of rice - use whatever you like best, in my case a mix of brown long grain and Arborio
2 1/2 cups stock
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
salt
8 oz baby spinach
1 cup peas
1 cup artichoke hearts
2 tbs red wine vinegar
fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
Cook the onion for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and bell pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the paprika, oregano, garlic, thyme, and black pepper.
Add rice, stock, tomatoes, and salt. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Stir in spinach, peas, artichokes, vinegar, and a little of the parsley. Cook for another 5 minutes, then serve with a sprinkling of parsley.

Yesterday I shared the recipe for the cherry bakewell that my mum made with her fresh cherry booty. Today, I'll share the cherry clafoutis - yes, it seems there has been a lot of dessert eating over in Ramsgate.

Cherry Clafoutis

1 lb fresh cherries, pitted
4 tbs cherry brandy or kirsch - you could probably substitute this with water or cherry juice, but why would you want to?
4 fl oz milk
1/4 pt whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
4 eggs
4 oz sugar
1 oz plain flour
powdered sugar to dust

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, Gas mark 6). Grease a 9in wide ovenproof dish. Mix the cherries and brandy together.
Heat the the milk, cream and vanilla in a pan until almost boiling.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs and sugar together until creamy. Add the flour and beat until smooth. Pour over the hot milk and mix well. Leave the mixture to stand for up to 1 hr.
Scatter the cherries over the base of the greased dish. Stir the batter, then pour over the cherries.
Bake for 30-35 mins or until risen and puffy. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm or cold with whipped cream.

Mmmm...I'm not much of a cherry fan but I may have to try this with blueberries.

It seems my family in England have been on a cherry picking frenzy, and after the picking comes the baking. Today I'm sharing the recipe for the cherry bakewell that my mum made. Later in the week, I'll also share her cherry clafouti. If you like regular bakewell tart, this is a nice seasonal twist on the traditional recipe.

Fresh Cherry Bakewell

• 375g (13oz) fresh shortcrust pastry
• 100g (4oz) melted butter
• 100g (4oz) caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 100g (4oz) ground almonds
• 50g (2oz) toasted almonds
• Cherry jam
• 125g (4½ oz) fresh cherries, pitted and chopped

Roll out the pastry and line a loose-bottomed tart tin. Prick the base and line with foil. Chill for 15 mins.
Bake the shell  for 15 mins at 190°C (375°F, Gas mark 5). Remove the foil and return to the oven for 5 mins until the pastry is a pale biscuit color.
Melt the butter and sugar. Pour into a bowl and beat in the eggs and almonds.
Spread the tart case with a little jam and the cherries, then pour the egg mixture carefully over the top. Bake for 20 mins until the mixture is golden, risen and springy to the touch.

We all have days where we want something nutritious for dinner, but we need something that's relatively quick and easy. And if it's something we can cook all in one pan and stick on a plate with a salad, all the better. This recipe for spicy chicken and beans is just that sort of dish. It makes enough for four so is either enough for a family, or refrigerate half and eat the next day for dinner. As an added bonus, because it uses salsa, you can change the heat, sweetness, etc. simply by using a different type of salsa.

Four boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
chili powder, salt and pepper
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 cup salsa

Sprinkle chilli powder, salt, and pepper over both sides of the chicken breasts and cook in a little oil in a skillet. Once the chicken is cooked through, add the beans, corn, and salsa, and heat through.