Finally, after years of following my husband around our nearby woods in search of mushrooms, I am now a self-confessed porcini hunter. For those unfamiliar with porcini, they are an edible woodland fungus classified as ‘Boletus edulis’, identified by their brown shinny cap and white spore. In the past, once my husband found some porcini, I would not eat them until 24 hours after he … Continue reading Pocketing Porcini
I am on a roll with food for free this autumn. A friend kindly brought round a basket of windfall apples and inspired me to pick some from my own back garden! Thinking back to my childhood and remembering my mother baking apples in a roasting tin and then squashing them though a food mill, I decided to have ago myself. For an even easier … Continue reading Pure Apple Puree
For me Autumn is the start of the soup season and from now until Spring I will be getting the ladle out every lunch time to enjoy this ‘souper’ way to eat vegetables. A favourite of mine is Minestrone, which is a perfect way to use any leftover fresh pasta – see my last blog. The addition of pancetta is optional, personally I prefer just … Continue reading Minestone Soup
Simplicity is the key to a good pasta dish, with few ingredients you can have a truly magical meal. Good quality pasta is essential. As a rule, when buying pasta, go for the more expensive brands as it’s a cheap ingredient and won’t harm the budget. However, one step better is to make your own and it is super easy and quick if you have … Continue reading Homemade Pasta (with Porcini)
Out walking in this stunning autumnal weather, I stumbled across some rosehips. Remembering back to my childhood of picking these beauties and then the arduous time- consuming task of preparing them, I now understand why my Mum put myself and my three siblings to work making this Scandinavian delicacy. After picking, each rosehip needs to be topped and tailed and have its seeds removed. Gloves … Continue reading Rosehip Chutney – a labour of love
Swedes love nothing more than stopping for coffee and cake at absolutely any time of the day. They love it so much they even have a word for this experience – it’s ‘Fika’. If you love cinnamon you will love this classic Swedish recipe. Get baking, make some coffee and invite your friends around and enjoy the moment. If you haven’t got time to bake, … Continue reading Mini Cinnamon Buns for that full on ‘Fika’ feeling
Dogs love treats so make sure you totally spoil them with these homemade goodies. Get yourself some bone shaped biscuit cutters big and small for both instant snacks and special celebrations too. Try making them with the kids – easy to mix, roll, shape and bake. You can even wrap them for special presents for all your canine friends. Made with wholesome ingredients so you … Continue reading Give a Dog a ‘Bone’ – Biscuits for Canines
