February 2, 2011
Tuesday 15th February 2011

This week I worked with Guildford Borough Councils recycling team at a health event at Surrey University . As part of their Love Food Hate Waste campaign to reduce food waste we showed students how to prepare a vegetable packed sauce to use as a base for 10 different meals. This is a great way to save time and money and works just as well for families. You can download the recipes here (link below). Big thanks to Unique Fruit who have a fantastic fruit and vegetable stall at the University for agreeing to donate all the vegetables we needed. If you want some more ideas for how to use this versatile recipe contact me!

In the news.......Surrey Advertiser 17.2.11

One Planet Sauce

This base sauce can be used to make at least 10 different meal solutions. At this event we presented basil and tomato soup and chick pea curry. Once you have made a large batch of sauce the meal extensions take a short amount of time to prepare.

One planet sauce

Download file

8 further recipes (1 sauce = 10 meal solutions)

Download file

 

---

October 22, 2010
Nectarine Jam

I love jam but these days much prefer the lower sugar versions around. Less sugar means storing them in the refrigerator and accepting a shorter shelf life. This recipe for nectarine jam was inspired by a recent self catering holiday to Spain. On arrival at our villa we discovered 3 fig trees brimming with ripe fruits. The landlord who also grew vegetables in the garden told us to pick whatever we wanted. The first morning we were there my husband went out early and got a large bag of freshly baked croissants but we didn't have anything to go on them. Fig jam I thought would be perfect! I picked half a dozen very ripe figs and cut them into a rough dice and cooked them in a small saucepan with a large spoon sugar and half a small glass of orange juice from our welcome pack. Warm fig jam, freshly baked croissants and coffee - a great start to a relaxing holiday. Since then I have experimented with other low sugar jams which I make a small batch of when I have some leftover or extra fruit. This one is particularly good.

Nectarine & Vanilla Jam

This is a cross between a fruit compote and a jam. For those of you who think jam making has to be a whole day affair in the kitchen with bubbling pans be assured this simple low sugar version is stress and mess free. You can use any soft fruit for this all you need to know is the ratio, which is half the amount of sugar to fruit. This will keep for up to 3 weeks. If you want to make long life traditional jam you need to use an equal weight of sugar to fruit. I used 3 white flesh nectarines but prefer the intense yellow ones if they are available. Figs, plums, berries and apricots on their own or as a mixture all work well with this recipe. If you don’t like vanilla or don’t have any in stock just leave it out.

Makes 2 jars

Ingredients

150ml fresh fruit juice,
(I used orange and mango, but apple, white grape or pear would do)
200g golden castor sugar
400g nectarine flesh, cut from 3 large fruit into 1cm chunks
1 vanilla pod

Equipment; measuring jug, weighing scales, medium size saucepan, heatproof spoon, chopping board, vegetable knife, 2 jam jars, deep baking tray.

Method

1. Place the fruit juice and sugar in the saucepan and place over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Add the nectarine chunks and vanilla and bring to the boil.
3. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the fruit has broken up into a jam like consistency.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 150°C.
5. Wash the jam jars thoroughly and place right way up in a baking tray with a centimeter of cold water in the bottom, lay the lids separately in the water.
6. After 10 minutes remove the jars from the oven and fill with hot jam. Allow the jam to cool in the jars before placing the lids on. Dry the lids with a paper towel before use.
7. Keep in the refrigerator and use up within three weeks.

Serve with hot croissants for breakfast or stir a spoonful into some natural yogurt.

Why not try this? Toast a slice of Panettone and serve with a spoonful of nectarine jam and a dollop of half fat crème fraiche for a quick pudding.

 

---