What to do with a Celeriac? A problem for January

Celeriac is not the most beautiful of vegetables, and is not likely to inspire glee on opening the veg box, but I have learnt to love it.

For a quick mid-week lunch I make celeriac remoulade. Chop the celeriac into match sticks (not as time consuming as you would think if you slice off about 5 or 6 thin slices from the bulb with a large sharp knife then chop the slices together). I sometimes add dried cranberries, maybe sunflower seeds or carrots; many people make it really sharp with pickled gherkins and capers so experiment with what works best for you. Finally mix in with mayo and mustard for a surprisingly rewarding winter salad.

Celeriac Topping for Fish Pie
Poach fish pie mix (white fish, salmon/trout, smoked fish and maybe prawns) in milk and veg stock to cover; you can also add veg to the mix - carrots and peas work well. Carefully spoon out fish adding it to a pie dish, leaving the poaching liquid. Mix plain flour and butter into a paste then add to the milk/stock mix, whisk into a thick sauce over a medium heat. Season, add a little lemon juice and capers if using, then pour over the fish mix. Meanwhile steam potatoes and cubed celeriac together, mash as you would standard mashed potato. Spoon over the fish pie mix, top with a little cheese (optional) and pop in the oven. Very popular in our family!

Finally, don't forget soups, always great for those moments when you have little else to inspire you. Either blitzed to a smooth soup or all finely chopped minestrone style. This minestrone was delicious. I cooked as a chopped, starting with sweating off finely chopped onions in a pan then adding leeks, carrots, celeriac, swede and spring greens. I then added some vegetable stock, snapped up bits of spaghetti (so much more rewarding, snapping the spaghetti, than adding small pasta shapes) chopped tomato and tomato puree. All you need to do is simmer, season and add loads of basil at the last moment and serve with grated hard cheese (Parmasan / Pecorino / Gran Padano). It also tastes great if you add bacon or pancetta after the onions, but I throw authenticity to the wind and tend to leave it out.
What is your wildest combination?

Hedgerow Gifts for October
Sloe Gin
First have a lovely walk on a sparkling autumn day to collect loads of sloes. (If you are not sure which berries they are ask someone who knows.)

Prick the sloes with a fork. Tradition says that this should be a silver fork, maybe this was prior to the advent of stainless steel? At Innovation Cottage we used a standard kitchen fork (no silver involved).

Half fill a Kilner jar or similar with sloes, pour in sugar until it reaches the same level as the sloes - then fill up the jar with gin. Gently shake the mixture as often as you remember (daily is best) for anything between three months and a year. At the end of this time it should be a gorgeous ruby red and ready to be strained and decanted into bottles.

Either you have been carefully collecting bottles during this time or you can panic buy from the Jam Jar Shop .

Need I add that this is not a kiddie or Mum to be recipe? No, I thought not, thank goodness you are wise enough to know!


Crab apple and Chilli Jelly
I put chilli's into this initially as we had an amazing harvest, but since then we are addicted. There are loads of crab apple trees around but so few people seem to harvest them, so here is your chance.

Once you have picked the crab apples wash them and take off the stalks and then blossom ends. Put 3 to 4 pounds of crab apples into a large pan and cover with water just over the tops of the apples. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Put through a jelly bag / muslin but careful not to squeeze as this will turn it cloudy.

Measure the crab apple juice and for 4 parts juice add 3 of sugar. Bring to a boil and boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture sheets from a spoon (2 drops roll from either side of the spoon into 1 large drop which lets go of the spoon all at once) or you can see if a drop jells on a cold plate. This takes around about 1/2 hour, but some recipes say only 10 mins, so watch it carefully.

Skim foam, then add the chilli. You can do this to suit your palate, either a good sprinkling of finely chopped red chilli or one full chilli per jar (mainly for drama). Pour the mixture into sterilized glasses or jelly jars and seal with wax or lid.

An easy way to prepare the jars is to wash them in a hot wash in the dishwasher.

September recipe - Blackberry and apple crumble

We were happily picking blackberries from beside the footpath when a couple of perplexed young lads asked if they were edible. Yes, the kids had never tasted wild blackberries. We love picking blackberries - it gives our walks more focus and we love this crumble!

I hate washing up so all these recipes tend to centre on how to avoid it! So, core, peel and chop a couple of apples then pop them into an oven with a splash of juice (use any you have in the fridge - I normally use orange but apple is fine), a sprinkle of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon (or a cinnamon stick - but you must remember to take it out before you put the crumble on). I never bother to heat the oven in advance so just pop the apple in as it warms up to about 180' C.

While the apple stews, make the crumble topping. In a large bowl add around 25g butter with 2 scant tablespoons of plain flour and a tablespoon of oats. You can mix initially with a knife or just get stuck in rubbing the butter into the flour and oats. If you have ground almonds lurking at the back of the cupboard, add a spoon as this adds a lovely richness. Next, slowly add sugar to taste - I use a mixture of golden caster and muscovado, but use whatever you have. Once the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, the consistency is right.

When the apple is soft but not mush, you are ready to cover with your washed blackberries. Gently mix a few large handfuls in with the apples. Then spoon over the crumble mix. Pop into the oven for about half an hour and serve with creme fraiche, cream or ice cream and a smug grin for having harvested your local hedgerows!

July recipe - Stuffed courgette (image above)

This is the perfect recipe for a busy Mum or Mum to be. A few minutes of busy chopping, one pan, and then half an hour later you have nourishing, edible food.

Fry a chopped onion in a pan that has a lid (you'll need the lid later), then add some chopped/crushed garlic.

Cut the top off a courgette (lengthwise for normal ones, but I used a round courgette that I grew this year) then scoop out the flesh.
Add the courgette flesh to the onion mixture and soften.

Chop up some goat's cheese and mix with some fresh herbs - mint, chives and oregano work well. Mix in with some of the onion and as much of the courgette flesh as you can easily recover.

Stuff the courgette with the goat's cheese mixture.

Add a little more oil to the onions that are still in the pan, add a cup of risotto rice and stir well to coat the rice. If you have an open bottle of white wine, slosh in about half a slug and cook off the alcohol (and pour yourself a glass, cheers!). Add about two cups of stock. I also added a little spinach and a few beans because I had some to use up.

Gently lay the stuffed courgettes on the rice and stock, and cover with a well fitting lid.
Pop into the oven at 180'c for 20 mins and you should have a delicious low maintenance supper!


June recipe - Broad bean burgers

Most of the best inventions come out of necessity. This dish came about when faced with a near empty fridge and a hungry family. It worked so well that it has been repeated many times.

Shelled broad beans - steamed and outer membrane removed if they are tough

Finely chopped small onion, garlic and mushrooms sauted (onion first, then add the others)

Lightly beaten egg

Crumbled feta

Mix the ingredients, mashing them all in together with the back of a fork. Make into small burger shapes. Start by frying one side then finish under the grill (as flipping them can break them up). Serve with a grated carrot salad in a wrap.