Berry Jam

Makes about 3 jars

1 kg berries

600 g honey

2 tablespoons lemon juice

This ratio of 1 kg of fruit to 600 g of honey suits most fruits. 

Just be sure to weigh the fruit after removing stones or any bits you won’t use, and add enough honey for this weight.

Put the fruit in a pot, mash it lightly with a wooden spoon, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 

Reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered for roughly 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. 

You may need significantly less than 20 minutes, depending on the fruit. 

Stir in the honey and bring to a boil over medium or medium-high heat. 

It might froth up a bit, so stay nearby to stir when it does. Continue cooking over medium-high heat, ensuring it bubbles but doesn’t boil over or burn, stirring now and then. 

Cook until it appears fairly thick, then start testing small amounts of jam on a cold plate to check if it has reached a good setting consistency. It will take a minute or two to cool, so ensure it is fully cold before testing. 

Test for setting by tilting the plate slightly to see if it runs, and by drawing a line through it to see if it holds. 

Keep boiling and testing periodically until it sets well when cold, then transfer the jam into hot sterilised jars, seal with hot sterilised lids, and turn upside down for 5 minutes before turning them back upright. 

Alternatively, place in clean jars, seal traditionally, and process with boiling water bath canning for 10 minutes.

This jam will keep in the cupboard for about a year.

Roasted butternut squash soup

 🥣✨ What you’ll need:

🎃 Butternut squash
🧅 Red onion & bell peppers
🧄 Garlic & ginger
🍅 Tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
🥥 Coconut milk + veggie broth
🌿 Thyme, rosemary, paprika, cumin, black pepper & chilli oil

Roast everything until golden and soft, 

blend with broth and coconut milk for a silky, cosy soup. 

Garnish with fresh cilantro and a drizzle of coconut milk — pure comfort in a bowl.

Tips for the Best:

• Roast the vegetables until lightly browned for a deeper flavour.
• Use full-fat coconut milk for the creamiest texture.
• Adjust the consistency with more broth if you prefer it thinner.
• Add a drizzle of chilli oil or a pinch of cayenne for gentle heat.

 

 

Butternut Squash Soup

Preheat the Oven: 

Set your oven to 390°F (200°C).

Prepare the Vegetables: 

You can either peel and chop the butternut squash, or, simply cut the squash in half for roasting. 

Note: 

Halving the squash will require a longer roasting time, while chopping the vegetables smaller will speed up the cooking process.

Season the Vegetables: 

Add the seasonings (pepper, cumin, paprika, thyme, rosemary, and chilli flakes) to the vegetables. 

Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat evenly. 

If halving the squash, drizzle olive oil on the exposed flesh. 

Cover the dish with aluminium foil.

Roasting: 

Roast for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the vegetables are golden and soft inside. If you've chopped the vegetables smaller, the roasting time can be reduced. If you've halved the butternut squash, expect a longer roasting time. 

For the last 10 minutes, remove the aluminium foil to allow the vegetables to caramelise slightly.

Blending: 

Once roasted, scoop out the flesh of the butternut squash (if halved) and transfer all the vegetables to a blender. 

Add the vegetable broth and ginger (if using), and blend until smooth and creamy.

Cooking the Soup: 

Pour the blended mixture into a pot and place it on medium heat. 

Stir in the coconut milk and cook for about 2 minutes, allowing everything to warm through.

Final Touch: 

Adjust the seasonings to your taste. 

Garnish with fresh cilantro, a drizzle of coconut milk, and a pinch of chilli flakes or some chilli oil if desired.

Easy Jam Tart

From recipe at David Lebovitz

This should work with any jam, conserves, or marmalade, but I’d be a bit wary about using jelly, which may be too thin and runny. I’m thinking next time about adding a small amount of finely-chopped fresh rosemary to the dough, and you could certainly add a few swipes of fresh citrus zest, or a dusting of ground cinnamon or cardamom, if you’re so inclined. And although the tart is fine just as is, you could certainly serve this with vanilla or fresh ginger ice cream, or some whipped cream, to dress it up.

• 9 tablespoons (110g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups (190g) flour
• 1/2 cup (70g) stone-ground cornmeal or polenta
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
• 1 3/4 cups (450g) apricot,, raspberry or other jam
• coarse raw sugar; known as cassonade, turbinado, or demerara sugar, for finishing the tart

• Beat together butter and sugar until well-combined. Mix in the egg, egg yolk and almond extract.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients, just until the mixture just comes together.
• Measure out 11 ounces (300g), which is about 2/3rd of the dough if you don’t have a scale, pat it into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and chill it. Take the remaining dough and roll it into a log about 2-inches (5cm) in diameter, wrap it and chill it, too
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to room temperature slightly. With the heel of your hand, press the dough into the bottom and sides of an unbuttered removable bottom tart pan (one that’s 9″ or 10″, 24cm), or springform pan, patting it evenly.
• Spread the jam evenly over the dough.
• Remove the log of dough from the refrigerator and slice in cookie-sized disks, then lay them over the jam. Top very generously with lots of coarse raw sugar, at least 2 tablespoons.
• Bake until the pastry is golden brown. (If you don’t trust yourself, or your oven, Luisa’s recipe says 20-25 minutes.) Let cool before serving, and serve at room temperature.

Notes

Storage: Although lovely just after it’s made, this tart will meld together beautifully overnight and will keep well for a couple of days, well-wrapped. Since it’s not-so-fragile, it’d be perfect to take along on a picnic.

Caramelized Quinces

Quince fruit benefits include 

- improved digestion, 

- enhanced immune function, and - better heart health, 

largely due to its high content of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins (like C, A, and B vitamins), and minerals (such as potassium, copper, and magnesium). 

It may also support skin and bone health, aid in weight management due to its low-calorie count, and help with nausea and acid reflux.

 Приготовленная на пару, а затем обжаренная в масле и мёде, айва приобретает мягкий, приятно кисловатый вкус и, как и её аромат, немного загадочный.

3 large quinces, washed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp/28 g. unsalted butter

2 tbsp/42 g floral honey, such as lavender, acacia, or orange blossom, thinned with 2 tbs. water

Halve and  core the quinces (do not peel), dropping them into a bowl of water to cover with the juice of the lemon. 

Fill the bottom of a couscous or pasta pot with water, set a snug-fitting vegetable steamer or colander on top, and bring to a boil. 

Add the quince halves, cover, and steam until completely tender, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack to drain. 

Melt the butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. 

Add the honey and bring to a boil, stirring.  

Carefully cut each quince half in half, add to the skillet, and cook, uncovered, over medium heat, turning occasionally until glazed on all sides (about 5 minutes). 

Serve with chicken or lamb tagine or even good Greek yogurt for dessert. 

Serves 4.

Paula Wolfert’s Caramelized Quinces

DAVID LEBOVITZ

- QUINCE TARTE TATIN RECIPE

- Vanilla-Poached Quince Recipe

- Easy Jam Tart