Author Archives: britinthesouth@gmail.com

Serviceberry Jelly

I have written before about the serviceberry season that we enjoy every year in Georgia from late May into June.

The fruit of the amelanchier tree, these bright red-purple berries are known by many names, so what we know as serviceberries are called such things as sarvisberries, juneberries or saskatoon berries in other parts of North America.

Serviceberry Jelly from britinthesouth.comThis year has seen a particularly abundant supply, with far more berries than last year. Couple that with the fact that I spotted a few more trees locally to pick from and we have ended up with a good supply of berries to play with.

Serviceberry Jelly from britinthesouth.comIn previous years I have made serviceberry syrup as well as a refreshing serviceberry shrub. Both of those are also on the agenda for this year but the plentiful supply means I can turn my hand to other things too, notably serviceberry jelly.

To make the jelly I had to extract the juice from the berries which is pretty easy to do. I followed the instructions in this handy serviceberry guide published by the co-op extension service at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. It also includes some other interesting serviceberry recipe ideas.

Serviceberry Jelly from britinthesouth.comThe jelly was pretty easy to make and I now have quite a few jars of bright, sweet, delicious jelly to remind me of the fleeting serviceberry season for the rest of the year.

Serviceberry Jelly

3.5 cups serviceberry juice

2 tbsp lemon juice

6 tbsp pectin (I used Ball RealFruit Classic Pectin)

5 cups granulated sugar

 

Pour the serviceberry juice and lemon juice in a large stainless steel pan and stir to combine.

Add the pectin to the pan and stir until dissolved.

Bring the pan to a rolling boil over high heat.

Add the sugar, then return to a rolling boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute until sugar dissolves.

Remove from the heat and skim off any foam from the top.

Pour the jam into sterilised jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace and then process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes. If you need to know more about water bath canning there is a good introductory guide on the Ball canning website.

 

Southern Spring Risotto with Carolina Gold Rice and Asparagus

I enjoy eating as seasonally and locally as possible.

I much prefer buying something fresh from a field just down the road and from a farmer I know than heading to the supermarket to grab produce that has travelled thousands of miles and lost much of its taste in the process.

Southern Spring Risotto with Carolina Gold Rice and Asparagus from britinthesouth.comOf course it means that for some fruit and vegetables I only get a short window of opportunity to enjoy and preserve as much as I can before they disappear again for another year. I’m fine with that. The anticipation and enjoyment of each new crop that comes along makes preparing and eating food all the more pleasurable.

Without a doubt, spring and early summer are the most exciting times of year as we eagerly await the first strawberries, tomatoes and peaches of the year, and we always get a little excited when we spy the first green spears of asparagus in our local farmers markets each spring.

Southern Spring Risotto with Carolina Gold Rice and Asparagus from britinthesouth.comFor a few weeks asparagus will feature heavily in our meals at home, sometimes lightly steamed and then dipped into a soft boiled egg, or roasted briefly with a generous sprinkling of Parmigiano.

Asparagus also makes a fine addition to a plate of risotto. The asparagus for this dish came from Watsonia Farms, an organic farm in South Carolina. To keep the South Carolina theme going I paired it with Carolina Gold Rice from Anson Mills, a well respected producer of corn, rice and grains.

Carolina Gold is a great rice with beautiful flavour and texture, and a rich history. After being a staple crop in South Carolina in the 18th and 19th centuries it almost died out thanks to a combination of fields lost in the Civil War, two hurricanes in the early 20th century, the Great Depression and the advent of mass produced rice.

Southern Spring Risotto with Carolina Gold Rice and Asparagus from britinthesouth.comThe revival of Carolina Gold rice began in the 1980s when an eye doctor from Savannah, GA, rescued some seeds from a USDA seed bank and began growing it once more. Anson Mills were also instrumental in planting Carolina Gold and reestablishing it as a viable crop.

It is a fragile rice and the grains are known for breaking easily into smaller pieces, but this quality is sought after by many chefs, yielding a soft, creamy texture in many dishes.

It certainly made a fine spring risotto.

Southern Spring Risotto with Carolina Gold Rice and Asparagus

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 tbs (1oz) unsalted butter

1 tbs olive oil

One glass of dry white wine

12oz asparagus, cut into one inch slices and blanched for 2 minutes

6oz rice

4 tbs grated parmigiano reggiano

5 cups vegetable stock (preferably homemade)

Salt

Black pepper

Heat the stock until it is gently bubbling, next to the ring on which you are cooking the risotto.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and the oil together in a large heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until it is softened and slightly coloured, about 5 minutes.

Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent it burning.

Add the glass of wine and stir until it has been absorbed by the rice.

Add a ladle of stock to the risotto. Stir regularly until it is absorbed before adding another ladle. Risotto is not a dish you can throw on the stove and forget about. It requires a lot of stirring and close attention to prevent it from sticking or drying out. Adding the stock a ladle at a time and stirring gently over a medium heat is the key to getting a wonderful creamy texture.

Southern Spring Risotto with Carolina Gold Rice and Asparagus from britinthesouth.comRisotto cooked this way typically takes about 20-25 minutes. Just before the 20 minute mark taste the rice to check how cooked it is. Like pasta it should be al dente. At this point you can also add the blanched asparagus.

Once you have achieved your desired texture, turn off the heat and stir in the additional tablespoon of butter and the grated parmigiano. Check for seasoning and add salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed.

Serves 2

Jam and Other Recipes for Strawberry Season

Strawberry season has arrived in Georgia. Here the season starts at least a month before it does back home in Britain so it is more of a spring than a summer fruit. When friends and family are enjoying berries at their peak across the pond it will already be too hot in the US South for this fragile fruit.

Strawberry recipes from britinthesouth.comSo we have to take advantage of the strawberry crop while it lasts, and we normally do, stocking up at local farmers markets and making a few trips to our favourite pick your own place where we invariably get carried away and fill far more buckets than we originally intended.

Strawberry recipes from britinthesouth.comLuckily, we have a range of strawberry related recipes up our sleeves to make the most of the fruit now and preserve some to enjoy all year round.

The obvious starting point is to enjoy some of the berries as soon as possible, usually with ice cream, whipped cream or with added meringue to make an Eton Mess.

Next our thoughts turn to jam. Our go-to strawberry jam recipe (details below) is based on one from the excellent “River Cottage Preserves Handbook” by Pam Corbin.

Once you’ve made your strawberry jam you can treat yourself to a cream tea, or even make some cream tea inspired chocolate truffles.

Strawberry recipes from britinthesouth.comOne great way to preserve the strawberry harvest is to turn it into a drink. Strawberries make a great dry, rosé wine for summer sipping. You can find the recipe here. Winemaking is relatively straightforward but does require a bit of equipment and some patience, but liqueurs and infusions are pretty simple, and you can infuse your harvest in something a little stronger to make strawberry liqueur or a strawberry bourbon.

Strawberry recipes from britinthesouth.comI don’t like anything to go to waste in my kitchen so I have even found a way to turn the leftover, strained strawberry pulp from making liqueur into chocolate truffles as well as a delicious dessert.

Strawberry recipes from britinthesouth.comStrawberries also make a great vinegar. You can use it in dressings or drizzle it on both sweet and savoury dishes but we usually drink it, diluted with sparkling water. Again, we use a Pam Corbin recipe.

I’m also a big fan of Marisa McClellan’s recipe for strawberry chutney at Food In Jars. It’s a wonderful accompaniment to an aged cheddar.

Strawberry recipes from britinthesouth.com

Strawberry Jam

2.25lb strawberries, hulled and quartered

2.5 cups granulated sugar

2.25 cups granulated sugar blended with 1 tsp pectin powder

0.66 cup lemon juice

Put 7oz the strawberries in a preserving pan with 1 cup of the plain granulated sugar. Crush with a potato masher.  Place over gentle heat and when the mixture is warm add the rest of the berries. Stir gently with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. After bringing the berries to a gentle simmer, cook for about 5 minutes until the berries have softened.

Whilst it is cooking, place a couple of saucers or small plates in your freezer to enable you to test later for when the jam has set.

Add the remaining granulated sugar and the sugar and pectin blend. Stir gently to prevent sticking until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the lemon juice. Increase the heat and bring to a full rolling boil.  Boil rapidly for 8-9 minutes then test for the setting point.

Test for a set by putting a small spoonful of the jam onto one of the frozen plates. Return it to the freezer for a couple of minutes then test by pushing your finger through it. If it is thickening and the surface “crinkles” when you push it, it is set. If the consistency is still liquid carry on cooking for a little longer.

When the setting point has been reached, remove the pan  from the heat and stir gently to disperse any  foamy scum on the surface.

Pour the jam into sterilised jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace and then process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes. If you need to know more about water bath canning there is a good introductory guide on the Ball canning website.

Hot Cross Bun Truffles

Today is Easter, and to celebrate we’ve been putting together a basket of Easter goodies for some of our friends.

Hot Cross Bun Truffles from britinthesouth.comNaturally it had to include some homemade chocolate treats, including salted caramel eggs and chocolate bark studded with mini eggs, and for good measure I thought I’d turn some hot cross buns into mini hot cross bun truffles.

Hot Cross Bun Truffles from britinthesouth.comIt’s a technique I’ve used before with breads and cakes such as panettone and sticky toffee pudding. It is a fun and fairly easy recipe to make and the results are usually delicious.

Hot Cross Bun Truffles

6oz hot cross bun, crumbled (in my case this was 2 buns)

6oz light agave syrup

1.5oz Unsalted butter

8oz White Chocolate

9oz Dark Chocolate

Put the crumbled hot cross bun in a bowl. Melt together the syrup and butter over medium heat and then add to the crumbled hot cross buns and stir to combine.

Hot Cross Bun Truffles from britinthesouth.comGently melt 6oz of the white chocolate over medium heat in a double boiler or a glass bowl over a pan of water. Once melted add it to the crumbled hot cross bun and syrup mixture and mix together. When cool, place in the refrigerator until the mixture is firm.

Hot Cross Bun Truffles from britinthesouth.comTaking a teaspoon full of the mixture at a time, roll into balls to form the centres of the truffles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then return to the fridge to firm up again.

Melt the dark chocolate for the coating in a double boiler. Dip the truffle centres in the melted chocolate to coat and place on baking parchment to set.

Hot Cross Bun Truffles from britinthesouth.comFor a final decorative touch, melt the remaining 2oz of white chocolate in a double boiler, and then, using a piping bag, pipe a white chocolate cross onto the top of each truffle. Allow to set before enjoying.

Yield: 25 truffles

Hot Pepper Vinegar

Pepper vinegar is another food item to file under “things I’d never come across until I moved to the Deep South”.

Pepper Vinegar from britinthesouth.comAs the name suggests, it is simply vinegar infused with peppers and is a staple item on many a Southern table, but despite it being relatively easy to make it is a versatile condiment, adding a great hit of sour spicy flavour to anything you put it on. Collard greens are the classic partner for it but once you start using it you’ll be sprinkling it on all sort of dishes.

Pepper Vinegar from britinthesouth.comYou can vary the flavour profile by playing about with the vinegar you use as well as the quantity and spiciness of the peppers you choose. My personal preference is for apple cider vinegar and a pretty potent heat level, so I like to throw some habanero peppers into the mix. A little of the resulting vinegar goes a long way.

Pepper Vinegar from britinthesouth.comOnce made, the vinegar gets better as it gets older.

 

Hot Pepper Vinegar

12oz hot peppers (I used a mix of jalapeno, serrano, habanero and fresno peppers)

3 cups apple cider vinegar

1.5 tbs salt

Wash and drain the peppers, then make a small incision in each one.

Place the peppers in a sterilised quart jar. You can sterilise a jar in boiling water.

Put the vinegar and salt in a pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring until the salt dissolves.

Pour the hot vinegar over the peppers in the jar. Seal the jar and leave for a couple of weeks for the peppers to infuse the vinegar.

I decant the vinegar into a smaller pourer to use at the table and top up the jar with more vinegar / salt mix as I deplete the original vinegar.

 

Baked Cheese with Black Truffles

There is something magical about melted cheese.

Well I think so anyway. I have a weakness for cheese in pretty much any shape or form but I find melted cheese particularly irresistible, whether it is a fondue, a bubbling rarebit or is oozing out of the side of a grilled cheese sandwich or panino.

Baked cheese with black truffles from britinthesouth.comOccasionally I like to indulge this passion and take a whole brie or camembert, stuff it with truffles and bake it in the oven. Spooning the resulting mix of gooey cheese and pungent truffles onto crusty bread is a delicious treat, especially on a cold evening.

Baked cheese with black truffles from britinthesouth.comThis time around my cheese of choice was Green Hill, a beautiful soft ripened creamy cow’s milk camembert style cheese from Sweet Grass Dairy in Thomasville in the south of Georgia. Green Hill comes in a neat 7.5oz wheel, making it a perfect starter for 2.

Baked cheese with black truffles from britinthesouth.comPreparation is simple. Just take your cheese and slice it in half. Generously cover one half with truffles. I used black truffle peelings which come in a can and are a useful pantry staple. If you want to make this during truffle season and have suitably deep pockets you could use fresh black or white truffles.

Then simply wrap up the cheese and stick it in the oven and you are just minutes away from a luxurious dish.

Baked Cheese with Black Truffles

One 7-8oz soft ripened cheese (Brie, Camembert or similar)

Approx. 2oz black truffles

 

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Slice the cheese horizontally across the middle.

Put a generous layer of thinly sliced black truffle on one of the cut sides of the cheese.

Put the other half of the cheese on top of the truffled side. Wrap in parchment paper and then wrap again in aluminium foil.

Place this package on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Carefully open the package to reveal the molten cheese.

Spoon out onto crusty bread to enjoy.

 

 

 

Bara Brith Truffles for St.David’s Day

March 1st is the feast day of St. David, the patron saint of Wales, and in honour of my wife’s Welsh heritage we always prepare a Welsh related dish to celebrate the day, such as Welsh cakes or bara brith.

Bara brith is a spiced fruity loaf made with dried fruit, which is traditionally soaked overnight in tea to boost the flavour. It translates from the Welsh into “speckled bread”.

Bara brith truffles from britinthesouth.comIt’s great as it is, especially when sliced and buttered, but I thought it also made a great candidate to turn into a chocolate truffle.

I used a technique I’ve used before to turn a cake or a loaf into a truffle, making the centres with a mixture of crumbled cake, syrup and chocolate before rolling them in yet more chocolate to produce the final truffle. You can experiment with any cake you like to make your own creations – the only limit is your imagination.

Bara brith truffles from britinthesouth.com

The bara brith truffles were great: moist and tasty and a perfect way to celebrate St. David’s Day.

Bara Brith Truffles

8oz bara brith, crumbled (click here for recipe)

2oz agave syrup

1oz unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

4oz milk chocolate (I used Guittard 38% Organic Milk Chocolate)

6oz dark chocolate to cover (I used Ghiradelli 60%)

Place the crumbled bara brith into a bowl. Melt the agave syrup and butter together in a small pan over medium heat.

Pour the syrup mixture over the crumbled bara brith and mix well to combine. Add a pinch of salt.

Melt the milk chocolate over medium heat in a double boiler or a glass bowl over a pan of water. Add the melted chocolate to the bara brith and syrup mixture and stir until combined.

Bara brith truffles from britinthesouth.comWhen cool, place in the refrigerator for an hour or two until the mixture is firm.

Taking a teaspoon full of the mixture at a time, roll into balls to form the centres of the truffles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then return to the fridge to firm up again.

Melt the dark chocolate for the coating in a double boiler. Dip the truffle centres in the melted chocolate to coat and place on baking parchment to set before enjoying.

Bara brith truffles from britinthesouth.com

Coffee Ganache Truffles

Valentine’s Day may be upon us but it isn’t too late to make some handmade chocolates for your loved one.

Coffee ganache truffles from britinthesouth.comThis is a variation on a basic water ganache recipe from Paul. A. Young, one of Britain’s best chocolate makers. No visit to London is complete without popping into one of his shops. His book, “Adventures With Chocolate” is a great resource for anyone wanting to dabble in chocolate making and he has a handful of handy chocolate making videos on his YouTube channel.

Water ganache is made with just three ingredients: chocolate, sugar and water, so is dairy free, and you can tweak the liquid to your heart’s content, so instead of water you can experiment with wine or beer or whisky or in this case, coffee. I used one of my favourite blends from my local coffee shop.

Coffee ganache truffles from britinthesouth.comYou simply bring your liquid of choice plus the sugar to a simmer until the sugar is dissolved, pour it over chocolate and then stir until it is melted into a smooth ganache. To turn the ganache into truffles you simply chill it and roll it into balls. In this case I finished the truffles by rolling them in cocoa powder, or you can get fancy and roll them in chopped nuts, coconut, chocolate sprinkles…….the only limit is your imagination.

Coffee ganache truffles from britinthesouth.comThey are pretty straightforward to make but the results not only look good but are smooth, intense and delicious.

Coffee Ganache Truffles

7oz dark chocolate (chopped into small pieces)

1.5oz dark muscovado sugar

1/3 cup strong black coffee

Put the chocolate pieces in a heatproof bowl.

Put the coffee and the sugar in a pan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Pour the coffee and sugar mixture over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate has melted and the ganache is smooth.

Let the ganache cool for a few minutes and then place in the fridge for a couple of hours to set.

Use a teaspoon to scoop walnut sized pieces from the ganache and roll into balls.

Roll the truffles in cocoa powder to finish. Shake off excess powder using a sieve.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Field Pea Puree with Wilted Kale

This is a recipe with a Southern twist, inspired by a New York City restaurant dish that itself is based on a classic from Italy.

Field Pea Puree with Wilted Kale from britinthesouth.comKing is a bistro in the Soho area of Manhattan that serves simple comfort food influenced by the food of Italy and Southern France. Their recipe for “Chickpea Puree with Wilted Dandelion Greens” first appeared in the Wall Street Journal in February 2017.

A creamy warm puree of chickpeas topped with dandelion greens, which have been wilted and simply seasoned with salt, pepper and good olive oil, it is a comforting dish for the cold days of February. The New York restaurant version is based on a simple Italian dish known as “crema di ceci e cicoria”

Rather than chickpeas I turned in a Southern direction and tried a variation on the recipe with field peas. Field peas are plentiful and common in our corner of the south at the height of summer. Last year we saw plenty in our CSA box and cooked and froze a few bags ready to enjoy in the middle of winter.

Field Pea Puree with Wilted Kale from britinthesouth.comField peas thrive in the hot, humid Southern summers. They are a family of legumes that come in a variety of guises and go by a range of names from the well known black eye peas to crowder peas, cowpeas, pink eyed peas and lady cream peas.

Field Pea Puree with Wilted Kale from britinthesouth.comThawed from the freezer it didn’t take long to combine the field peas with some aromatics and turn them into a soft, warm puree which went perfectly with some simply cooked and seasoned greens. A truly comforting dish for a winter’s day.

Field Pea Puree with Wilted Kale from britinthesouth.com

Field Pea Puree with Wilted Kale

12oz cooked field peas (I thawed a bag that I had previously cooked and frozen)

1 sprig rosemary

8 small sage leaves

5-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed with the side of a knife

1 small potato, peeled and diced

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch kale (or greens of your choice)

Put the peas in a heavy bottomed pan and add water to cover. Add the rosemary, sage, garlic, potato and 1/2 cup of the olive oil.

Bring to a boil over medium high heat and then turn down to a simmer and cook until the potato is tender, 20-25 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.

Remove the rosemary, sage leaves and garlic cloves.

In a food processor, puree the field peas and potato with the other 1/2 cup of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more oil or cooking water as desired to achieve a smooth consistency.

Meanwhile, take a bunch of greens (I used kale), and cook in salted water until tender. Once cooked, drain and then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Spoon the puree onto a plate, drizzle with a little more oil and serve with the greens on top.

Lemon Ginger Marmalade with Ginger/Lemon Liqueur

Not for the first time this winter, the South has been hit by a blast of arctic weather. The temperature is well below freezing so the snow is not going to disappear any time soon, and with the roads slick with ice most of the city is hunkered down at home.

It’s the perfect day to retire to the kitchen and cook something cosy and warming to fill the house with delicious aromas. A perfect marmalade day.

Lemon ginger marmalade with ginger lemon liqueur from britinthesouth.com Back home in Britain it is the middle of the short lived Seville orange season and marmalade making will be in full swing. As Seville oranges are hard to come by in my neck of the woods, I opted for a lemon and ginger marmalade, with a splash of locally distilled lemon and ginger liqueur to dial the flavour up a notch.

The result is a delicious golden coloured marmalade with a great balance of sweetness and bitterness and the ginger and the liqueur providing some gentle warmth. The perfect way to bring a ray of golden sunshine into a dull winter day.

The recipe is loosely based on this one from Vivian Lloyd.

Lemon ginger marmalade with ginger lemon liqueur from britinthesouth.com

Lemon Ginger Marmalade with Ginger/Lemon Liqueur

12oz lemons

0.75oz peeled fresh ginger

2oz finely sliced crystallised ginger

30 fl.oz. water

1.5lb granulated sugar

2 tbs lemon ginger liqueur (I used “Lawn Dart” from Atlanta’s Old 4th Distillery)

Yield: about 36oz

Scrub the lemons, and then juice them, adding the juice to a large pan along with the water.

With a sharp knife, separate the lemon peel from the the membranes and pips inside the lemon. Put those to one side.

Slice the peel into thin strips and add them to the pan.

Finely chop the membranes from the lemons. Bruise the fresh ginger, then securely tie it in a piece of muslin along with the chopped membranes and the pips from the lemons. Add this little package to the pan.

Leave the fruit to soak for a few hours or even overnight to help extract the pectin. The following day, bring it to the boil and then turn down, partially cover and simmer for two hours until the peel is tender and the marmalade has reduced by about a third.

Whilst it is cooking, place a couple of saucers or small plates in your freezer to enable you to test later for when the marmalade has set.

Remove the muslin bag and add the slices crystallised ginger to the pan.

Add the sugar to the pan and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Bring to a rolling boil for 8-10 minutes. Towards the end of the cooking time add the liqueur. Test for a set by putting a small spoonful of the marmalade onto one of the frozen plates. Return it to the freezer for a couple of minutes then test by pushing your finger through it. If it is thickening and the surface “crinkles” when you push it, it is set. If the consistency is still liquid carry on cooking for a little longer.

Once the marmalade has reached its setting point, remove the pan from the heat.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes, removing any scum that has formed on the surface.

Pour the marmalade into sterilised jars. Apply lids and then process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. If you need to know more about water bath canning there is a good introductory guide on the Ball canning website.

Yield: 36oz