Tag: herb

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Handy Kitchen Herbs

We made some fab hanging baskets recently, stuffed full of beautiful, useful herbs – and it got us thinking! Why not grow your favourite culinary herbs in planters right outside your kitchen door? We know that sometimes everyone needs a reminder of how easy it is to add a twist to otherwise standard foods, so although we’re probably preaching to the choir, here’s our handy list of kitchen herb combinations.

 

Blackcurrant and sage

This unlikely combination is guaranteed to please the taste buds. Just a tiny pinch of sage is all you’ll need to add an unusual flavour to this seasonal fruit. Check out this recipe for fantastic fruity tarts and experiment with the use of sage – you won’t regret it!

 

Strawberries and mint

While there are still plenty of strawberries around, why not have a go at adding a little finely chopped mint and sugar for an easy but exciting pudding. If you’re feeling really adventurous, try your hand at a mint jelly  and serve with crème fraiche.

Potatoes and rosemary

Sometimes the classics really are the best and it doesn’t get better than potatoes and rosemary! Whether it’s a pinch in your mash or a sprinkle on your roasties, it’s an easy trick that never fails to please. Rosemary’s great fresh or dried, so if you need to stock up have a look in our food hall.

Butter and fennel

We all know that everything tastes better with butter, but why not try something new with butter and fennel? Mash a sprinkle of fennel in with your butter for a super easy seasoning, great for roasting fish, slathering on bruchetta or use instead of garlic butter for a great garlic bread alternative!

Yoghurt and coriander

The summer months are a great time for casual eating, finger food and dips in the garden with a cocktail in hand! Spruce up your yoghurt with a handful of chopped coriander leaves – great just with breadsticks, cucumber and carrots or try it as an unusual salad dressing.

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St Kitts Crème Brûlée!

Crème brûlée is one of those desserts that are always impressive – and so much easier than they seem! This foolproof recipe adds a herby twist to a delicious classic.

Ingredients:

4 large egg yolks

60g sugar

560mls double cream

113g St Kitts Herbery white cardamom chocolate

½ tsp vanilla extract

4 tsp sugar to top

 

Method:

.    Preheat the oven to gas mark 2

.    In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until creamy and smooth.

.    In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the white chocolate, turn off the heat and whisk until the chocolate is melted.

.    Add 2 tablespoons of the white chocolate mixture to the egg yolk mixture, whisking continually to prevent the eggs from scrambling. This is the most important step to get right or you’ll have a lumpy, egg-y pudding!

.    Add the remaining white chocolate mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Whisk until smooth.

.     Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.

.    Pour into four 6-inch ramekins or custard cups. Place the cups in a baking pan. Add enough hot water so the cups sit in 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water.

.    Bake for about 45 minutes, until set. If you lightly shake the pan, the crème brulee should wobble with a jelly like consistency.

.    Once cool, refrigerate the custards until chilled – for best results leave overnight.

.    Before serving, sprinkle the tops of each ramekin with 1 teaspoon of sugar. If you can get your hands on a kitchen blowtorch, use this to caramelize the top until golden brown. (If you don’t have a blowtorch then under the grill should work for this). If you’re new to using a blow torch, don’t worry! Just check out this handy guide!

.    Refrigerate for 5 minutes before serving.

Delicious!
                                                                  Delicious!

The cardamom chocolate in this recipe gives this dessert a rich, creamy taste without being too heavy. If you’re short on time, it can be easily adapted into a cold custard recipe!

 

 

 

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Betty’s Buns

Not really a bun but we couldn’t resist the title – our gorgeous Betty has been indulging her passion for baking and in this occasional feature will share her favourite recipes.  Today she is making her raspberry adaptation of Nigella Lawson’s simple chocolate cake – and it’s delicious!

choc rasp cake

I love Nigella Lawson’s recipes, both for taste and simplicity, but especially because they always work. Although her simple chocolate cake recipe is gorgeous as is, I made this adapted recipe with a raspberry twist to satisfy my fruity cravings. For a really naughty treat, replace the raspberry coulis with a raspberry liqueur!

Ingredients:

For the cake:

5oz plain flour

1tsp baking powder

1oz unsweetened cocoa

6oz margarine

6oz sugar

3 eggs

3 tsp vanilla extract

For the topping:

125mls raspberry coulis

2oz butter (or margarine)

6oz icing sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder (or more to taste)

75g raspberry chocolate

Fresh raspberries to decorate

 

1. Preheat the oven to about Gas Mark 8 (230C)

2. Grease and line a springform cake tin, around 20cm in diameter

3. Cream together the sugar and margarine in a mixing bowl until     light and fluffy, then add the vanilla extract

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly until fully combined

5. Sift in the flour and cocoa and mix well, this should look like a creamy chocolate batter. Fold gently to release any trapped air

6. Pour into the greased and lined tin and bake in the oven for 14-15 minutes, until a knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool

7. Whilst the cake is cooling, you can make the butter icing. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl.

8. Add in the butter and beat (any kind of beater will do, electric, whisk or fork). Continue until it resembles a thick paste.

9. Once the cake is cool, remove from the tin and using a skewer or fork, poke a few holes into the top.

10. Pour the raspberry coulis over the cake and allow time to soak in

11. Pipe on the butter icing (or spoon it on if a piping bag is not easily available!)

12. Grate or curl raspberry chocolate liberally on top of the icing and add fresh raspberries to decorate

13. For best results serve with chilled raspberry coulis and clotted cream

 

This really is an incredibly easy, mouth wateringly delicious cake.

 

 

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Herb of the Week – Aloe Vera

With the sun making a welcome appearance this week we are sure to see plenty of sun burned skin – so our herb of the week must be Aloe vera.  This important medicinal plant has so many uses – in beauty preparations and medicinally.  Sun burnt skin can be treated with cooling aloe vera gel.  We keep a plant in the kitchen and use the sap directly from the leaves for all types of minor burns – especially those little cooking accidents.

 

Aloe can help in the relief of symptoms of dermatitis or psoriasis as well as eczema and skin irritations.  It contains a mix of properties including anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agents as well as minerals and vitamins, which aid penetration of the skin and tissues and encourage healing.

 

A perennial, tender succulent, this plant should be grown indoors on a sunny windowsill.  It needs a well drained gritty soil and little water, allow to dry out completely between waterings.  It can grow up to 3 feet tall with clusters of long, fleshy leaves and tubular yellow flowers.  Aloe vera is really easy to grow and is a great plant if, like me, you are a bit slack with watering your houseplants!

 

The sap is also preserved and dried or liquified for use commercially in a wide range of products including toiletries.

 

We use aloe in our skin care range and our aloe gel can be used as a shaving gel or even used as a base to create a fabulous face mask, try adding avocado and oats.

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Pip McCormac’s Violet Scones

Have you seen this fantastic new book from Pip McCormac?  We have and it is choc full of wonderful recipes. In fact, we loved it so much that, following a chat with Pip, we have the privilege of being able to share one of his recipes with you, so here are Pip’s Violet Scones!

 

Violet Scones with honeyed cream

50g butter, plus extra for greasing

225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

25g sugar

150ml milk, plus extra for glazing

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 violet flowers, chopped, plus extra petals for serving

100g clotted cream

2 tbsp runny honey

VioletScones051

I’ve never been a fan of the soapy taste of parma violets, but if you use violet flowers sparingly and bake them they are far subtler – a clever floral note rather than an overpowering flavour. The honeyed cream is what provides the real sweetness here; it’s thick and indulgent and removes the need for jam or butter… although a dollop of lemon curd goes well if you have a really sweet tooth.

Preheat the oven to 225C/Gas mark 7 and line and grease a large baking tray. In a food processor, mix together the flour, butter and sugar until it resembles breadcrumbs. Pour in the milk and vanilla extract and beat into a stiff dough. Add the violet flowers and give a final few pulses of the processor to combine them into the mixture. Lightly dust your worktop with flour and place the dough in the middle, sprinkling a little flour over the top. Using a rolling pin, work the dough until it’s about 2cm thick. Take a 5cm round cutter and cut out discs, placing them onto the baking tray. Roll the leftover dough out again and cut out more rounds, repeating until all the dough is used up. Try not to roll the dough too many times as this will lead to tough scones. Brush the top of each with a dab of milk and place the tray in the oven for 12–15 minutes until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

Just before you are about to eat the scones, place the cream in a small bowl and briefly fold in the honey – do not mix until combined, you want it to have a rippled effect – and top with a few violet petals. Cut open the scones, spread a bit of cream on top and serve.

 

This recipe is taken from The Herb and Flower Cookbook by Pip McCormac (Quadrille, £16.99)

9781849494168
Pip McCormac’s “The Herb & Flower Cookbook”

Photograph © Yuki Sugiura

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Herb of the week – Rosmarinus officinalis

Rosemarinus officinalis is an evergreen, perennial plant that flowers in late spring.  It prefers full sun and will thrive in poor soil, it is great for seaside gardens as it is salt tolerant.   Originally the plant comes from the Mediterranean. However it has adapted to cooler climates and grows well in this country.

Widely used in cooking, place sprig of rosemary in the roasting pan for meats and potatoes.  Or try Nigella Lawson’s recipe for Rosemary Cake.

Rosemary has a rich history of useage; during the middle ages it was used as a strewing herb to sweeten and disinfect the home (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strewing_herb). Bunches can be hung around the house as a natural air freshener, or the leaves and flowers can be included in pot pourri.  It can also be usefully scattered on the barbecue to deter insects.

In bath products rosemary is invigorating, it adds it’s sharp scent to our signature Rosemary & Bergamot range of products where it mixes beautifully with the citrusy orange aroma of bergamot.

Historically the Ancient Greeks believed anointing the forehead with a tincture of rosemary would increase their memory.  Linked with Biblical tales it is said the plant will only grow as tall as Christ did.  It is also believed to be endowed with health giving powers. Sprigs of Rosemary have also been used as a protection against evil, being placed in baby’s cots, bridal bouquets and the hands of the dead.  Rosemary is the herb of remembrance, its use is said to improve memory, Greek scholars apparently wove it into their hair for this reason.