This delicious recipe is ideal for plums but can also be used with other fruit such as apricots, peeled apples or peaches. Taken from her book, Minding 'My Peas and Cucumbers: Quirky Tales of Allotment Life', Kay Sexton has kindly donated this yummy recipe which is a great way to use up a glut of plums!Kay says: "You can substitute the plums for apricots, peeled apples or peaches, which make a very similar pulp. However, soft fruit like raspberries, redcurrants and strawberries have to be sieved to take out pips and cores and blackberry or blackcurrant curds both taste fine but tend to be an unattractive pale grey-mauve colour. These curds are not as strongly flavoured as the aggressive lemon curd sold in supermarkets, and have a higher fruit content so they might be considered to be a bit healthier. Their subtlety lends itself to imaginative ways of baking and creating desserts, and they are particularly good simply spooned over vanilla ice cream!"
Start by making plum pulp. Put the plums in a saucepan and cook them gently until they soften and the skins begin to shred. Then allow them to cool a little before using a wooden spoon to push them through a colander placed over a glass bowl so that the pulp is broken up and passes through but the pits (which, in wild plums, can be so small they are more like pips) are trapped.
Add the sugar and butter to the glass bowl with the pulp and place over a pan of simmering water - I prefer to put the bowl on a trivet to avoid any chance of the curd sticking to the bottom of the bowl. Stir frequently until the butter is melted and sugar dissolved. Now whisk the eggs and yolk together and beat into the mixture.
Continue to cook, beating away, until the mixture thickens - you can test this by dipping a clean metal spoon into it and watching how it coats the back. You want it to stick rather than running straight off. If you’re in doubt, unsure of your preserving skills or easily distracted, this should take about ten minutes on a timer.
Remove from heat, and while it is cooling, give it the occasional whisk to encourage the heat to dissipate and to stop it setting too firmly. When it is completely cool, pour it into sterilised jars, cover and refrigerate. A home-made curd keeps for a couple of weeks in the fridge, but rarely lasts that long, once people know it is there!
Notes
This plum curd recipe is taken from Kay's book Minding 'My Peas and Cucumbers: Quirky Tales of Allotment Life'.There are many different varieties of plums that you can grow and they would all work well in this recipe. However, Plum 'Victoria' is one of the most well known varieties.
Since the first seed catalogue was published in 1855, Thompson & Morgan has grown to become one of the UK’s largest Mail Order Seed and Plant companies. Through the publication of our catalogues and the operation of our award-winning website, Thompson & Morgan is able to provide home gardeners with the very best quality products money can buy.
Jacqui Brown says: "Here is my favourite recipe that I bake at least once a week as I just love something sweet at the end of a meal, but being virtually fat free it isn't too naughty! We are lucky enough to have an orchard in Poitou-Charentes, France with 5 large cherry trees and we freeze the fruit to use all year round. We also have plum, peach, apple, pear and quince trees so I vary the recipe to use whatever is most abundant!"
Since the first seed catalogue was published in 1855, Thompson & Morgan has grown to become one of the UK’s largest Mail Order Seed and Plant companies. Through the publication of our catalogues and the operation of our award-winning website, Thompson & Morgan is able to provide home gardeners with the very best quality products money can buy.
June is perfect for making Cheats Curry for One.With crops sown in late winter now bursting in the allotment, greenhouse or garden, this month, I thought I’d take advantage of some of ingredients available right on our doorstep, along with a way to use up any of last year’s sauces you may have hidden in the freezer.The list of ingredients used was enough to make just a meal for me as my partner doesn’t like aubergines. Just double/triple etc, the quantities to make extra portions and use up a glut of crops.Note – I have not used salt in the list of ingredients as I do not cook with it, however you may wish to use it, therefore just season to taste. You may also add chilli flakes.
Peel the potato, cut into bite size chunks and par-boil in the small saucepan.
While the potato is boiling, de-seed and slice the sweet peppers. Wash and slice 1/4 of the aubergine into identical shaped cubes.
Chop the dried apricots into quarters. Slice and dice the onion and press the garlic. If you don’t have a press just bash the handle of a heavy knife onto the garlic on a chopping board.
Drain the potatoes and leave in a colander.
In the large saucepan, on a low heat mix curry powder, garam masala and black pepper with the olive oil, and allow the spices to infuse.
Add the garlic and onion and fry until translucent. Next add the aubergines. The aubergines will soak up the oil, but don’t add any more, just turn down the heat and keep moving the pieces around with the spatula/wooden spoon.
Add the sweet pepper and fry for about two minutes. Next pour over your sauce, stir well, cover with the lid and heat for ten minutes.
Add the cooked potato, apricots and raisins. Taste and add more spices if needed.
Replace the lid and heat on low for a further ten minutes. If your sauce is getting too thick you can either add some vegetable stock or a splash of boiling water.
When you have the desired consistency and taste, serve immediately.
My name is Amanda and I live in Pembrokeshire with my fiancé and our garden is approximately 116 meters square. I want to share with you my love for gardening and the reasons behind it, from the good to the bad and ugly. I want to do this for my own personal pleasure. If you would like to take the journey with me then please read my blogs and share with me your gardening stories.
Have you ever wondered why Welsh fans carry inflatable leeks to rugby or football matches? Legend says Cadwaladr, a 7th century King of Gwynedd, once ordered his men to wear one into battle for identification purposes. But this tasty veg is more versatile than identifying troops. Rich in antioxidants, leeks are packed with vitamin K, manganese, vitamin B6, copper, iron, folate and vitamin C, as well as vitamin A vitamin E, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids. Leeks may be perfect for roasting, souping and frying, but they make surprisingly good cakes too.
Line the bun or muffin tray with paper/silicone cases.
Wash the leek throughly to remove any soil from between the leaves. Then slice the leek into thin circles. Slice these circles into thirds.
Measure out the flour, baking powder, herbs and spices in the mix together in a bowl, then turn gently with a wooden/silicon spoon. (Note salt can be used if desired.)
Pour the measured milk into a glass and beat the egg into it with the fork.
Make a well in the flour, add the milk eggs mix and required amount of oil.
Quickly blend together for one minute.
Next add the leeks and cheese. Continue stirring for two minutes until the mixture is of a stiff consistency.
Use a filled teaspoon to drop the mixture into the cases.
Place on middle shelf and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
Serving suggestions:
Go Welsh and serve with a bowl of Cawl.
Go Oriental and dip in a bowl of sweet chilli sauce or mango chutney.
Freeze for the summer and enjoy with an egg fried in plum tomatoes for lunch.
Grow your own leeksLeeks are hungry plants, so add plenty of well rotted manure to your plot, or alternatively grow them in a deep container with fresh compost, adding a feed of Incredigrow.Start the seeds in late February or through March and April either in a single seed in cellular trays outdoors or direct in your soil. From May to July the plants can then be transferred to their final growing positions.To have a more blanched stem it is necessary to fork the soil around the stems as they grow, being careful not to get it between the leaves.Beware of the leek moth and leek rust – for more information on this you can always visit our guide on growing onions and leeks from seeds.
My name is Amanda and I live in Pembrokeshire with my fiancé and our garden is approximately 116 meters square. I want to share with you my love for gardening and the reasons behind it, from the good to the bad and ugly. I want to do this for my own personal pleasure. If you would like to take the journey with me then please read my blogs and share with me your gardening stories.
If you're growing your own pumpkins this year and want to use them for more than just a spooky Halloween decoration, this delicious soup is perfect!Rebecca from the T&M team says: "This is a really warming soup, perfect for a chilly day. We often add a tablespoon of grated fresh ginger for an added kick. For vegetarians, simply leave out the bacon and use vegetable stock. And for something a bit special, why not use the pumpkins themselves as the bowls? Just remove the tops and scoop out the flesh."
Rebecca works in the Marketing department as part of the busy web team, focusing on updating the UK news and blog pages and Thompson & Morgan’s international website. Rebecca enjoys gardening and learning about flowers and growing vegetables with her young daughter.
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Homemade soup isn’t just good for the soul – it’s a healthy, wholesome and cost-effective meal that makes excellent use of homegrown veg.
If you’re taking part in this week’s Big Soup Share, or you’re looking for new ideas to fill your family’s soup bowls and lunch flasks, check out some of our favourite bloggers’ recipes for inspiration…
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