Oven-Dried Tomatoes

This is a really handy recipe to have in your repertoire, as once dried in the oven these tomatoes can either be eaten immediately or stored in a sterilised jar, covered with olive oil, until you are ready to use them. If you are lucky enough to grown your own tomatoes or know someone who does and is prepared to part with some of their produce, this is the recipe for you.

Drying the tomatoes in this way intensifies their flavour and really highlights their natural sweetness. Once made, these tomatoes can be used in a number of ways; scattered on salads or pizzas, roughly chopped up in sauces - the possibilities are endless. I regularly make preserved tomato bread rolls as one in a selection of flavoured breads if I am hosting a dinner party or other occasion which I have to cater for. They always go down a treat and people invariable ask for the recipe (which I will post in the near future).

I love homemade tomato soup using fresh tomatoes, but I find that the addition of a few preserved tomatoes before puréeing the soup really adds something extra in terms of the finished flavour of the soup.
 

The long slow cooking dries out the tomatoes leaving them slightly chewy, with a little moisture still remaining. If you cook them for too long they will become hard, brittle and a little bitter to taste - this is obviously not what you are trying to achieve, so I would advise checking them for the last half hour of the allotted cooking time, just in case they are ready sooner than expected.

The point that I want to get across is that these tomatoes are incredibly delicious but are also an extremely versatile ingredient with a myriad of uses in so many other dishes, so when tomatoes are in season, are abundant and cheap, have a go at making a few jars.

      

Ingredients:

100ml olive oil, plus extra to cover them if being kept
8 garlic cloves

500g cherry tomatoes

2tsp icing sugar

A few sprigs of thyme

Salt & freshly ground black pepper
 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 110C/Fan oven 90-100C/Gas Mark ½.
2. Put the oil and garlic in a small oven proof bowl and place in the oven for 20 minutes to allow the garlic to infuse into the oil.

3. Meanwhile slice the tomatoes in half across their middle. Gently squeeze each halved tomato to remove some of the seeds and then place the tomatoes in a single layer, cut side uppermost in the baking dish (approximately 20cm x 30cm). Pour over the infused olive oil, discarding the garlic and ensuring that the tomatoes are well covered in the oil.

4. Sieve the icing sugar evenly over the tomatoes and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Tuck the sprigs of thyme around the tomatoes.

5. Place in the pre-heated oven for 2½ hours. You can either serve the tomatoes warm or place them in a jar, discard the thyme and cover with fresh olive oil and refrigerate. They will keep in the fridge covered in oil for up to 6 weeks… if they last that long!

 Makes 1 small jar.
      

Preserved Lemons

The supermarkets and grocery stores are full of citrus fruits at this time of year. As I have mentioned many times before, lemons are, in my opinion, an essential ingredient for any cook. A couple of squeezes of fresh lemon juice will perk up any savoury dish and it also has a wide range of uses in baking and sweet dishes. As you can see, I am quite a fan of the humble lemon!

Preserved lemons are used in many Moroccan dishes, most famously tagines, where their sour pungency cuts through the richness of other ingredients used. Many recipes for preserves lemons employ a method whereby the lemons are preserved in salt and vinegar. Whilst these are delicious, the saltiness can sometimes linger, even when the lemons have been rinsed beforehand and they can skew the flavour balance of the recipes in which they are used.

 

This recipe for preserving lemons avoids that problem as no salt is used, but rather the lemons are preserved in a light sugar syrup with added spices and aromatics courtesy of the inclusion of coriander seeds, bay leaves and fresh chillies.

This is a really useful condiment to have in the kitchen cupboard and is incredibly easy to prepare.
 

Ingredients:

9 smallish sized lemons
1 litre water

300g granulated sugar

Juice of ½ lemon

4 bay leaves

1 long, thin red chilli pepper, quartered lengthways

1tsp coriander seeds
 

Method:

1. Wash the lemons and scrub them with a vegetable brush.
2. Put the whole lemons into a large saucepan with the water, sugar and lemon juice. Bring up to the boil and then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer the lemons for half an hour.

3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool.

4. When the lemons are cool enough to handle, remove from the syrup with a slotted spoon and using a sharp knife cut into quarters. Carefully remove any lemon pips that you come across and discard.

5. Pack the quartered lemons into a sterilised jar (1litre capacity) along with the chilli, coriander seeds and bay leaves.

6. Reheat the syrup and bring up to the boil. Allow to bubble away for 7-10 minutes until it has reduced by about a third. Strain into the jar containing the lemons. Seal the jars and when cool, store in a dark cupboard for at least three weeks before using. Once opened, refrigerate.

Makes 1 x 1lt jar.     

Seville Orange Marmalade

Marmalade is one of those foods that really seem to have gone out of fashion. Whereas once it was commonplace on the breakfast table, these days the trend seems to be more towards breakfast cereals and foods that can be quickly consumed. I think that this is a dreadful shame as there is something so unique about the taste of a good orange marmalade made with Seville oranges. I should point out that I am by no means suggesting that the preserve can only be used at breakfast time; as a fervent marmalade devotee I believe you should consume it when and wherever takes your fancy!

A good marmalade is initially sweet on the tongue but this quickly gives way to a bitterness, which truly celebrates the flavour of the oranges that are used. Seville oranges are not your usual type of orange. Firstly they are quite tart and definitely need the addition of some type of sweetness to halt their sour bitterness; but it is this very quality that makes them ideal for use in making marmalade. Secondly they are usually only available in January/February of each year. Although January is without a doubt the dreariest of months – a month to endure and just get through – the one thing that definitely brightens it for me is the arrival of Seville oranges in the grocery shop.

There is nothing like homemade marmalade. It just tastes so delicious. To me toast with marmalade is comfort food of the highest order. If also accompanied with a large mug of my favourite tea, it’s one of those things that will always manage to make me feel as if all’s right with the world.

 

Yes it is time consuming to make your own marmalade from scratch, but if you like the taste of marmalade, the sense of achievement you will feel seeing the newly potted jars of the preserve with their jewel-like coloured contents sparkling at you, is great to experience.

 

Normally, I prefer to be hands on in the kitchen and will forgo the use of kitchen gadgets, opting to get stuck in with my hands instead. When juicing citrus fruits for recipes, I usually use the carved wooden juicer that I have had for years… but NOT when I am making marmalades. It is labour intensive having to juice so many fruits. More juice always seems to get on me than in the container/jug into which I am trying to squeeze the extracted juice. For this reason I always hunt out from the back of the kitchen cupboard, the electric citrus juicer that my husband and I were given as a gift on our wedding day and it really does the job so effectively. The electric juicer may only see the light of day a couple of times during the year, but on those occasions, it is invaluable and I always think fondly of the person who gave it to us!

 

To sterilise your jars, wash them well in hot soapy water and then rinse thoroughly. Place in a baking tray in a low oven to dry completely.

 

Ingredients:

1kg Seville oranges
3.4 litres of water

2kg granulated sugar

Juice of 2 lemons
 

Method:

1. Halve the oranges and squeeze the juice into a large saucepan.
2. Scoop out the pips, pith and any remaining pulp and place into a sieve. Put the orange skins/peel to one side.
3. Using a wooden spoon squeeze as much residual liquid into the saucepan as you can get. Don’t discard the pips, pith and pulp, but rather tie it up in a square of muslin and add to the saucepan with the liquid.

4. Chop the orange peel into fairly fine shreds, or as I prefer chop it coarsely. Also add this to the saucepan. Add the water and lemon juice and leave everything to soak overnight.

Next day:

5. Place 4 small saucers in the freezer to chill for use later in testing setting point.

6. Put the saucepan over a moderate heat and bring up to a simmer. Allow to simmer for approximately 2 hours until the peel has softened. You may need less time if you have shredded the peel finely.

7. Remove the muslin bag and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Weigh the juice and simmered peel. There should be 1500g – 1600g. If there is less, add a little extra water to bring it up to 1500g.

8. Add the sugar to the saucepan and heat everything over a low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves.

9. When the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat and bring up to the boil. Do NOT stir whilst the marmalade is boiling. After 8-10 minutes test for setting point.

Testing for setting point:

10. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the bubbling mixture to calm down a little and the bubbles subside. Spoon a little liquid onto one of the saucers from the freezer. Wait 30 seconds and push the marmalade along the plate with your finger. Setting point has been achieved when the marmalade “wrinkles” and the marmalade is not runny. If it’s not at setting point, return the saucepan to the heat and boil for a further 2 minutes. Test again and repeat this process as necessary. To be honest I use a sugar thermometer, and once you it hits 105C, setting point has been reached!

11. Leave the marmalade to stand for 15 minutes and is starting to thicken. Spoon off any scum and discard.

12. Pot up the marmalade into sterilised jars, seal and label. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to a year.

 
Makes 1.5kg approximately.

     

Pear & Ginger Chutney

This spicy chutney is another great preserve that can be made now and will have matured just in time to use over the festive season.

As this chutney matures, the pears mellow but still remain beautifully fruity.

 

It is such a useful preserve to have in the store-cupboard. It is delicious with cheese and I love to eat it with a strong cheddar, but it really comes into its own when served with a blue cheese such as the Irish Cashel Blue or Bellingham Blue, an English Stilton or a French Roquefort – with a few pickled walnuts on the side or a couple of thinly cut slices of fresh pear – HEAVEN! Pears and blue cheese go so well together and is one of my favourite food pairings.

 

You do not need to confine the use of this chutney to being just an accompaniment to cheese. I regularly add a couple of tablespoons to my homemade beef stew and sometimes a little does wonders to perk up gravy. I also like to smear a thin layer of it into a blind-baked pastry case before filling with some sweated onions and streaky bacon, a savoury egg custard and sprinkling with some cheese before baking in the oven.

 

Chutneys are great to give as gifts. I like to make a variety of chutneys, jams and pickles during the autumn and package them up in little baskets along with some homemade gingerbread and fudge as gifts to give at Christmas.

 

There is nothing difficult about making this chutney… the only slightly tedious bit is the chopping of all the fruit and vegetables, but you are then rewarded with the most beautiful jars of delectable chutney at the end.

 

Ingredients:

1kg pears, peeled cored and cut into 2cm cubes

450g onions, peeled and finely chopped

450g tomatoes, preferably peeled and sliced

250g raisins

2 balls of preserved stem ginger cut into tiny cubes

8 peppercorns

700g demerara sugar

1tsp cayenne pepper

1tsp ground ginger

2tsp salt

750ml cider vinegar

Method:

1. Place all the fruit and vegetables in a large heavy based saucepan over a gentle heat until some of their water is released and they are just starting to simmer.  Do not cover the saucepan.  Tie the peppercorns in a small piece of muslin and pop into the saucepan with the fruit and vegetables. Add the rest of the ingredients and allow to simmer at a very low heat for 2-2½ hours. Make sure to stir the chutney regularly to avoid it catching on the bottom of the saucepan.

2. When ready the chutney should be thick and most of the liquid will have evaporated, but don’t over-reduce it as the chutney will continue thickening as it cools. Remove the little muslin pouch of peppercorns and spoon the chutney into warm sterilised jars and seal with vinegar proof lids. Store in a cool dark place for at least a month before opening. The chutney can be stored for up to6 months unopened, but once opened it should be stored in the fridge and consumed within 6 weeks.

 

Makes approximately 2.5kg.
 

Pickled Pears

I do love pears. When they are at that moment of optimum ripeness, there really is nothing to beat them. Apples are undeniably popular and this is due in part to their versatility, but the complexity of flavour that a perfectly ripe pear possesses is something that, in my opinion an apple never achieves.

Pears are wonderful used in cooking, and have something valuable to contribute to a range of sweet and savoury dishes. They are easily preserved and made into different chutneys, jams and pickles.

Pears are abundant in Autumn, although they can be a little tricky to cultivate if grown on an exposed, windy or cold site. Certainly, I have never been able to grow them successfully because of prevailing chilly winds where I live! Thankfully a number of different Irish varieties are available in supermarkets and greengrocers at a reasonable cost when they are in season. I tend to bulk buy them at this time of year and celebrate the many different dishes that I can create using them.

There’s something about making jams, chutneys, pickles and other preserves that really appeals to me. I love the somewhat romantic notion that I have developed of having food available during the “long, hard Winter” The irony of this is not lost on me given the fact that in the modern world all you have to do is walk into a shop and there are so many different foods that can be bought, but still, every year I like to bottle and preserve some fruits and vegetables.

This pickle is great and extremely easy to make. 1 kilogram of small to medium pears will yield three 500ml jars of pickled pears. I really do urge you to store the pears for at least a couple of weeks before eating them, because the flavours mellow and become almost sweeter but without being overly so. I particularly like eating these pears with cold meats at Christmas, but I recently tried them with some home-made vanilla ice-cream as a dessert and they were also delicious. In fact they made quite a sophisticated dessert and the sour acidity of the vinegar was well-offset by the sweetness of the sugar and the cinnamon.

Ingredients:

1kg pears
425g granulated sugar
400ml cider vinegar
200ml white wine vinegar
6 cloves
3 star anise
12 black peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick broken in two

4 strips of orange rind

4-6 slices of fresh root ginger root, peeled

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients except the pears into a large heavy based saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Turn the heat down so that the pickling sauce is gently simmering and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave aside while you prepare the pears.
2. Peel and halve the pears trying to retain a small length of the stalk at the top of each pear. I find it useful to use a very small sharp knife when doing this. Use a melon baller or small teaspoon to neatly scoop out the pear cores.
3. Place the pears in the pickling liquid and heat up over a moderate heat and allow simmer until just tender. This should take about twenty minutes, but to be honest the timing completely depends on the pears that you have used.
4. Once the pears are ready, remove them with a slotted spoon and place in sterilised 500ml jars. I used Kilner Jars.
5. Continue to boil the pickling liquid until it reduces and becomes quite syrupy, but do remember that it will thicken more as it cools. Strain the syrup over the pears, but scoop out the cloves, star anise, peppercorns and cinnamon and add to the jars. Do not add the orange rind or root ginger.
6. Seal the jars and store for at least a week before eating. They can be stored for up to 6 months in somewhere cool and dark.

Makes 3 x 500ml jars.