The black nets are coming off the vineyard next door and its like they have turned a light on. The hill side is awash with yellow and orange running down to the deep blue of the Clutha. In the upcoming days it will be a busy place as harvest takes place.
My crab apples have been turned into jelly . I almost over cooked them and had the jelly set in the pot. This is exactly the same method as making Apple Jelly or Quince or Japonica.
I washed my crab apples and placed them in a largish pot. Cover them with cold water and simmer for about 30-40 minutes until soft. Tip the crab apples into the sieve lined with an old teatowel and collect the juice in the bowl. The key is DONT squeeze the bag or your jelly will be cloudy. Leave for about 30 minutes. Measure the juice and return to your cleaned pot. Add an equal quantity of sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Remove any scum that floats to the top. As the juice starts to colour you need to test it to see if it will set. Spoon a little onto a saucer, let it cool then push it with your finger. If a skin forms in wrinkles then your jelly is ready. Wash small jars, place in the oven to heat and to sterilise. Pour your beautiful pink jelly into jars and seal.
It was a beautiful day and such a glorious sunny afternoon and I couldn’t help cutting branches of Autumn leaves so we could enjoy them inside.
Once again I was inspired by my favourite recipe book ‘ Simple ” (other than my own of course) I wanted to use the Eggplant I had in the fridge and modified a recipe to use my ingredients on hand .
Bulgar with Tomato, Aubergine, Labne and Grilled Figs
1 eggplant – diced into 3cm chunks, 1 onion – sliced thinly , 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 8 cherry tomatoes, 1 cup of my left over tomato ragu ( or 1 tablespoon tomato paste and a can of tomatoes) 125 grams bulgar wheat. 1 cup labne or thick yoghurt, 8 figs – cut in half, 2 teaspoon honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil
Place the eggplant chunks in a baking dish. Toss with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast at 200 deg C for 30 – 40 minutes until caramelised and soft. Toss around several times while baking. In a Saucepan add another 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the sliced onions and garlic. Add the allspice and cherry tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes start to soften and split. Spoon in a good cup of tomato ragu and a cup of water. Bring to the boil. Add the bulgar wheat and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to incorporate with the bulgar. Turn the heat off, place a lid on top and leave to rest for 20 minutes. The bulgar will absorb the liquid. Place the halved figs in a baking dish, drizzle over honey and olive oil. Place under a grill until golden and starting to brown.
To Serve : Spoon Tomato Bulgar wheat into serving bowls, top with eggplant chunks, a good spoonful of labne and finish with the sweet sticky figs. Oh my gosh this was so delicious. Served 2
I realise most of you won’t have a dear friend like Adrienne Heal in Cromwell who not only gave me the figs but a jar of her own honey . It has a slightly Thyme flavour and is sublime. You can omit the figs or maybe top with panfried slices of fennel or if you are missing the meat maybe a chicken breast or grilled fish.
What we do without the essential Kitchen table? At the moment for many households it is also the Kitchen office, games tables and the all important dinner table where we eat and share our delicious home cooked meals and hopefully some vibrant conversation – or probably the news.
Take Care ….. XXX Jude