Elderflower Champagne

Now is the time to have a go at making elderflower champagne.  We had a go at making some today and I was surprised how easy it is to make.  Here is a really simple recipe.

Making elderflower champagne is easy:-

• Go pick half a dozen full elderflower heads ideally on a sunny day when they are most fragrant.

• Half fill a clean bucket with 2 gallons of cold water (thats 10 Litres for my Euro chums)

• dissolve 2lbs (1kg) of white sugar into the water

• shake any debris and insects clear from the elderflower heads and immerse in the water

• Cut two lemons in half squeeze juice into water and throw in the squeezed halfs

• add a splosh (4 tablespoons) of white wine vinegar

• stir gently and cover with a clean tea towel

• leave for 24 hours stirring occasionally

After 24 hours, sterilise plastic carbonated drinks bottles – 10 x 1 litre lemonade/pop bottles are ideal – and strain jugfuls of the liquor through a sieve or muslin cloth into the bottles and screw the plastic tops on firmly.

Leave for a week and the naturally occurring yeast on the elderflower heads begins to ferment with the sugar creating a very weak alcohol content but lots of carbon dioxide.

Blackberry and Apple Crumble

Don't you love this time of year when you can pick loads of fruit and make some lovely home cooked dishes. A firm favourite in our family is blackberry and apple crumble. I must admit I've picked enough around our garden for about 4 crumbles in the last couple of weeks. As soon as I've picked say about half an pint jug I check there are no stalks left and wash them well and and place them in the freezer. Nothing beats it along with a roast dinner on a damp and dull Autumn day.

The recipe is really easy and here it is:-

Blackberry and Apple Crumble

3 large cooking apples

Half a pint or thereabouts of Blackberries

4oz Flour

2oz Margarine

4oz Sugar

You will also need a deep 8-10 inch ovenproof baking dish.
Grease the dish well. Peel, core and chop the apples and arrange on the base of the bowl and place the blackberries on top. Sprinkle half the sugar over the fruit, and cover with 2-3 tablespoons of water.
Now in a separate bowl rub together the flour and the butter, to make the "crumble". Place this over the fruit. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top, and bake in a slow-medium oven for 45 minutes, or until the "crumble" is a golden brown (Gas Mark 3-5, 180-190 C, 350-375 F). Delicious on its own, or with icecream, custard or cream.

Bonfire Night Soup

Parsnip and Apple Soup

25g (1oz) butter or margarine
700g (1 and half lb) parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cooking apple, peeled and roughly chopped
1.1 Litres (2 pints) vegetable stock or 2 veg oxo cubes
4 Sage leaves
2 Cloves
150ml (5 fl oz) single cream
Salt and pepper

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan; add the parsnips and apple, cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Pour in the stock, and add the sage and cloves. Bring to the boil, cover, then simmer for 30 minutes or until the parsnips are very soft.
3. Remove the sage leaves and cloves; leave the soup to cool slightly; then puree in a blender or food processor.
4. Return the soup to the saucepan, add the cream and reheat gently. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot and enjoy.
Serves 6 (For bonfire night I doubled the recipe and served it in mugs, may need spoons as it is a thick soup)