Ginger Beer

Tags

ginger, Ginger beer, Lemon, recipe, sugar, water, yeast

Ginger and sugar in boiling water

Lemon Slices

Yeast starting to activate

Mixture maturing

 

Making your own home made Ginger Beer is really easy.

Ingredients : 

• 4,5 l water
• 28 g whole ginger
• 2 cups sugar
• 10 g active dry yeast
• 1 lemon

Method : 

• Boil the water, bruise the ginger and add to hot water with the sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
• Pour into an enamel jug or pail and allow to cool until lukewarm.
• Combine the active dry yeast with 1 teaspoon sugar and add 1 cup luke-warm water. Put aside in a warm place for 5 to 10 minutes or until it starts to ferment. Add to the sugar-water
• Cut the lemon into thin slices and add.
• Allow to stand for 24  hours. Strain through a damp cloth.
• Pour into bottle and cork tightly. It will be ready for use in 1 – 2 days.

 

Corn Bread

Tags

Corn Bread, Pinch of salt, recipe, self raising flour, tablespoon oil

Ingredients :

• 500 g Self Raising flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tin corn kernels
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• Milk
• 1 tablespoon oil

Method :

• In a large bowl place flour, sugar, salt, and egg.
• Open tin Corn and drain off liquid into cup
• Add oil and milk to cup to make up 250 ml
• Mix into the flour and egg

Mix until the mixture is a soft dough. Place into well greased bread tin

Bake in oven 180 deg for 60 minutes.  Use a knife, by stabbing the bread to test if done.  If knife comes out clean your bread is done.

 

Bon Appetite

Pickle your sweet Peppers

Tags

Bell Pepper, Bell Peppers, recipe, sweet pepper

Bell Pepper

Bell Peppers ripening

Bell pepper, also known as sweet pepper or a pepper. Peppadew is the brand name of sweet piquanté peppers (a cultivar of Capsicum baccatum) grown in the Limpopo province of South Africa.

Although the pepper is sometimes described as a cross between a pepper and a tomato, this description is not botanically accurate, and refers only to the resemblance in color and size between peppadew and cherry tomatoes.
Applications have been made by the various owners of the brand to secure international breeders rights.

The following recipe was taken from the Angela Day Cookery School.

• 1.5kg Peppers
• 250 ml coarse salt
• 2 litres cold water
• boiling water
• 750 ml white wine vinegar
• 15 ml mustard seed
• 4 whole cloves
• 5 ml peppercorns
• 2-3 Bay leaves
• 2-3 red chillies
• 250 ml
•  sugar

Make a slit in the peppers and remove seeds.

Dissolve salt in cold water and soak peppers overnight. Weigh down with a plate to keep them under the water.

Drain and rinse in fresh cold water, drain again.

Pour boiling water over peppers and allow to stand for 29 minutes. Drain.

Pack into sterilized jars

Heat vinegar and add remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

Pour over peppers

Seal jars and leave 2-3 weeks before using.

Seared Marinated Tuna

Seared Marinated Tuna.

Rocket – Eruca vesicaria sativa

Tags

Cashew, cashew nut, dinner, Eruca sativa, food, gardening, home grown, Italian, Mediterranean, Olive, olive oil, organic, pesto, rocket, Seed, skin blemishes, teaspoon cayenne pepper, vegetarian

Rocket has undergone a huge revival in popularity, even though it has been cultivated since the Middle Ages. It is native to the Mediterranean and was prized among the Romans and Persians. It fell out of use for 200 to 300 years. It only in the 1990s that the Italians started using it in ‘designer salads” that it regained its popularity. Medieval Monks were not allowed to grow Rocket in the cloister gardens as it was considered an Aphrodisiac.CULTIVATION
Rocket is a fast growing annual. It will often reseed itself 3 times in the Summer. It demands little attention and will thrive in full sun on compost and regular water.PROPAGATION
Collect seeds from dry pods. Sow from early Spring until mid Autumn. They can be sown in trays and planted out. Once planted out do not move them.HARVESTING
Pick the leaves and flowers often. The more you pick the more it produces.

USES:
Medicinal: Rocket has been used to treat bruises and sprains. Crushed seeds are spread on top of a warmed flannel bandage and holding against the skin without allowing the seeds to touch the skin. Crushed petals are made into a paste to treat skin blemishes. In Medieval times the flowers and green seeds were crushed and mixed with honey to treat coughs. Rocket is an invigorating tonic taken when tired or anxious. To make the teas, use 1/4 cup rocket and 1/4 cup parsley, pour over 1 cup boiling water, allow to steep for 5 minutes, strain and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Drink slowly.

Cosmetic: Rocket juice is used as a facial cleanser for oily skins. It is often used to treat itchy inflamed spots, bites and rashes. Rocket seeds, pounded and mixed with Olive oils is used to treat broken nails and calluses.

Culinary: Rocket is used in many Italian dishes and designer salads. Steam the leaves and make a rich white sauce, and use over baby potatoes of leeks. Rocket pesto is also a firm favorite.

Rocket Cashew Nut and Chili Pesto Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh Rocket leaves
1 clove garlic crushed
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
50g crushed Cashew nuts raw
1 small chilli

Place all ingredients in food processor, blend until smooth, more Olive oil may be added to make into a creamy paste.

Bottle and enjoy with all your favorite pesto meals.

Basil is King

Tags

basil, food, Greek language, Herb, home grown, olive oil, organic, pesto, Pine nut, Summer savory

Basil is one of the world’s most loved herbs. The Greek word for basil is basileus which means King.

Growing: Basil has deep tap roots, and do not liked to be moved. So transplant your seedlings carefully in the cool of the late afternoon. Keep the soil moist. Sweet Basil is best grown from seed sown in the early Spring and transplanted 50cm apart..

Harvesting: Basil is best used fresh (dried and frozen Basil loses flavor) It is best to pinch of the tips, this also discourages it from flowering, ensuring a longer life span of the plant.

Companion planting: Plant Basil with tomatoes, Summer Savory and fruit trees.

Uses:

Culinary:  Probably the most popular use is Basil Pesto. It tastes good with pizza, pasta, tomatoes, chicken and sausages.

Medicinal: Basil tea is  excellent  to  detox and de-stress. It is good for migraines, peptic ulcers, mouth infections, coughs, hypertension, indigestion and delayed menstruation.

Use 1/4 cup of leaves in  1 cup of boiling water. Leave to draw for 5 minutes, and sip slowly. Cooled tea can be cooled and used as a lotion for insect bites and stings. Basil vinegar is good for sunburn and scalp infections.

Cosmetic: Basil  tea is the perfect toner for an oily skin.

Other uses : Basil leaves rubbed on kitchen window sills keeps the flies at bay and freshens the air.

Basil Pesto

4 cups fresh Sweet Basil Leaves

2 to 3 cloves of garlic – peeled

sea salt to taste

4 tbs pine nuts/ Almonds/ walnuts or pecan nuts

5 to 6 tbs Olive Oil

4 tbs Parmesan Cheese.

Blend all ingredients till a smooth paste if formed.

Serve with pasta, baked potatoes, grills etc.

Raw Tomato sauce in a jiffy

Tags

Cook, food processor, garlic, home, home grown, honey, olive oil, organic, Pizza, raw, raw unfiltered Honey, recipe, Ripe homegrown tomatoes, sauce, sundried tomato, tomato, Tomato sauce

Invariably at this time of year I have a glut of tomatoes, so here is an idea to use up that extra surplus.

Ingredients :

Ripe homegrown tomatoes – 1 cup ( cut in half)

Sun dried homegrown tomatoes – 1/2 cup (softened in a little hot water)

Large clove homegrown garlic – (processed)

Glob of raw unfiltered Honey (from your hive)

pinch of salt.

Method : Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend.

This tomato sauce is delicious on Pizzas, toasted sandwiches, crackers, chip dip. In fact let your imagination be run wild as to how you use this tasty sauce. The sauce stores well in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days.

This post was shared on Wild-crafting Wednesday 

Green Fig Preserve

Tags

carbonated soda, Christmas, christmas puddings, cooking, Ficus, fig, food, fruit, gardening, home, Lemonade, pantry shelves, preserve, recipe, Syrup, vegetarian

Most Afrikaner grew up in homes where rows and rows of jams, pickles and chutneys were stuffed into pantry shelves, jostling for position – a legacy of an era where everything edible had to be preserved in some way or another. Groenvyekonfyt (green fig preserve) may not have originated in the Afrikaner kitchens but almost every home had a couple of jars squirreled away for special occasions and it was served with cheese or bread and butter, turned into cakes and tarts and at Christmas, became an essential ingredient in the trifles and Christmas puddings inherited from the British.

1. Select figs which are plump, with no cavity inside.

2. Scrape and wash the figs. Make an incision in the shape of a cross at the blossom end of the fig. Weigh.

3. Soak over night in a solution of  Bi-carbonated soda, 2 (T) soda to 3,5 liters of water.

4. Rinse fruit, place in boiling water, and boil for about 15 minutes until tender. Use the water to make the syrup.

5. Press out the water and gradually put figs into boiling syrup. Use 2 cups sugar for every 500gs fruit, and for extra syrup 1 cup per every 375ml water. Prepare 1,5l (6 cups) of extra syrup to add when necessary.

6. Add a few cloves, cinnamon sticks and bruised pieces of ginger and 3 to 4 teaspoons lemon juice for every 3kg fruit.

7. Boil rapidly for about 2 hours in the syrup until the fruit is clear and the syrup thick.

8. Pack into clean sterilized jars, fill with syrup and seal.

Tip: Test the syrup by allowing a little to cool in a spoon and then pouring it from the spoon. It should stick together and not fall in separate drops.

Allow to mature for 6 weeks.

Related articles

• Fresh Fig topped with Fig Pesto and Caramelized Walnuts (cali-zona.com)

Basil is King

Tags

basil, food, Greek language, Herb, home grown, olive oil, organic, pesto, Pine nut, Summer savory

Basil is one of the world’s most loved herbs. The Greek word for basil is basileus which means King.

Growing: Basil has deep tap roots, and do not liked to be moved. So transplant your seedlings carefully in the cool of the late afternoon. Keep the soil moist. Sweet Basil is best grown from seed sown in the early Spring and transplanted 50cm apart..

Harvesting: Basil is best used fresh (dried and frozen Basil loses flavor) It is best to pinch of the tips, this also discourages it from flowering, ensuring a longer life span of the plant.

Companion planting: Plant Basil with tomatoes, Summer Savory and fruit trees.

Uses:

Culinary:  Probably the most popular use is Basil Pesto. It tastes good with pizza, pasta, tomatoes, chicken and sausages.

Medicinal: Basil tea is  excellent  to  detox and de-stress. It is good for migraines, peptic ulcers, mouth infections, coughs, hypertension, indigestion and delayed menstruation.

Use 1/4 cup of leaves in  1 cup of boiling water. Leave to draw for 5 minutes, and sip slowly. Cooled tea can be cooled and used as a lotion for insect bites and stings. Basil vinegar is good for sunburn and scalp infections.

Cosmetic: Basil  tea is the perfect toner for an oily skin.

Other uses : Basil leaves rubbed on kitchen window sills keeps the flies at bay and freshens the air.

Basil Pesto

4 cups fresh Sweet Basil Leaves

2 to 3 cloves of garlic – peeled

sea salt to taste

4 tbs pine nuts/ Almonds/ walnuts or pecan nuts

5 to 6 tbs Olive Oil

4 tbs Parmesan Cheese.

Blend all ingredients till a smooth paste if formed.

Serve with pasta, baked potatoes, grills etc.

 

Raw Lasagne

Tags

almond, basil, basil sauce, Cashew, cashew nut, clove garlic, food, garlic, lemon juice, meat free monday, mushroom, olive oil, organic, raw, raw almonds, raw cashew nuts, recipe, rosemary, sun-dried, sweet basil, Tahini, Tahini sauce, tomato, Tomato sauce, tsp lemon juice, vegan, vegetarian, Zucchini

Just reading this recipe makes my mouth water.

Cashew Cheeze

1 cup raw Cashew Nuts

1 cup raw almonds

1 onion, peeled and sliced

1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced

2 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

Place all ingredients in food processor and blitz, tamping down the edges  until it resembles dough.

Tomato Sauce

1 cup sun-dried tomato reconstituted in warm water

1 small tomato

1 sprig rosemary

1 clove garlic

1 tsp lemon juice

1 chili (optional)

glob of honey

salt and pepper

Process all ingredients until a smooth paste forms.

Basil Sauce

1 cup fresh sweet basil

1 clove garlic

olive oil

Blitz all ingredients until a smooth paste is formed.

Other

Soak thinly sliced mushrooms in Tahini and Olive Oil for 1 hour

Mandolin a baby marrow. If you do not have a mandolin, use a potato peeler.

slice 1 tomato finely.

Construction

In a lasagna dish start with a layer of Cashew Cheeze, then tomato sauce, then mushrooms, baby marrow and tomato. Alternate layers. Top with basil sauce. Leave in refrigerator for an hour, to set.

My neighbor had this to say about it… WOW, such a fusion of delightful tastes.

Raw Lasagne

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