Rhubarb Pie

Rhubarb is delicious any way and especially in a pie. This recipe makes about 6 - 8 servings.

Ingredients

Pastry:

• 200g plain flour
• 50g brown sugar
• 100g butter, cubed
• 1 egg yolk
• A little water

Filling:

• 550g rhubarb stalks, cleaned and cut into 5cm pieces (discard the tips of the stalks)
• 200 ml water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 100g sugar
• 1 apple, peeled and cut into small pieces
  

Steps

1. Mix the pastry ingredients together to form a soft dough.
2. Boil the water with the lemon juice and sugar.
3. Add the pieces of rhubarb to cook. Cook for around two minutes.
4. Remove from the heat. Add the apple pieces and stir in.
5. Drain the liquid and leave the fruit to cool.
6. Roll the pie base.
7. Add the cooled fruit and cover the pie with the top pastry piece and seal the edges.
8. Prick the pie top a few times for steam vent holes.
9. Place in the oven at 160ºC and cook for 20 minutes, or until golden.
   

Materials

• Large cooking pot
• Wooden spoon
• Pie dish
• Fork

Photo courtesy of Paul Goyette's Flickr Photostream.

Spiced Cherries

These are a great garnish for dish presentation if you leave the stalks attached.





Ingredients

• 1 kg cherries
• 6 cups white vinegar
• 750 g sugar
• 12 cloves
• 1 tbsp peppercorns
• 2 cinnamon sticks

1. Clean the cherries. Discard any that are marked (eat them!).
2. Put the clean cherries into a large jar that has been warmed slightly.
3. Combine the vinegar, sugar, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and allow to boil for 2 minutes.
4. Pour this hot vinegar mix over the cherries in the jar. Cover the fruit completely with the vinegar mix.
5. Cover the jar with a cloth and put somewhere out of the way for one week. During this time, the cherries are pickling.
6. Pour the vinegar off into a saucepan after one week. Bring it to boil and pour over the cherries again. Allow the contents to cool completely before sealing tightly. Store in a cool place or the refrigerator.

• Leave the pit in; provided you leave the stalk attached, it is obvious that the pit is still intact.

Photo courtesy of Bensonkua's Flickr Photostream. I am the original author of this article but it is placed elsewhere on the internet in tradition with my wish to spread the knowledge widely.

Quinoa Salad

Quinoa salad is delicious. Quinoa is very high in protein - a complete protein filled with essential amino acids - and it was a staple grain of the Incas. It tastes nutty and has a very enjoyable chewy texture.





Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup cilantro/coriander, fresh and chopped
• 1/2 cup watercress
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions (spring onions/scallions)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh
• 1/4 cup olive oil (good quality)
• 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tomatoes, quartered
• 1 lemon, cut into 8 quarters

Steps

1. Mix the ingredients together, apart from the tomatoes and lemon.
2. Continue mixing until well blended.
3. Refrigerate for 3 hours in a glass bowl.
4. Remove the salad from the refrigerator. Garnish with the tomato wedges and lemon slices. Serve.

Materials

• Bowl (glass)
  
• Mixing spoon
• Fridge

Photo courtesy of Fran Ulloa's Flickr Photostream.

How to Make Pear Jam

Fancy making some Pear Jam? Circe couldn't imagine anything more pleasant to make on a rainy, chilly Sunday night when the TV proved dull, the weather was threatening and pears sat there asking her questions about their utility.

This pear jam is a great treat. Goes well on toast and is a marvellous accompaniment to cheese dishes for the cheese-hearted. It is also great smeared over crepes (thin pancakes). Come to think of it, it probably goes well over thick pancakes too. It is probably suitable for market stall goodies too - put it in a lovely jar with a neat bow and add the cheese platter suggestion. Give extra jars to friends. They'll appreciate it. Lots.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg/3lb firm pears
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons five spice powder

Steps

1. Wash the peels before beginning.
2. Peel and quarter the pears. Remove the cores. Keep the peel and trimmings.
3. In a heavy-based pan, place the pears. Pour over enough cold water to cover the pears.
4. Bring to the boil, then immediately reduce to simmer. Continue to simmer until the pears become very soft. This will take around half an hour, give or take a bit (keep an eye on it).
5. Using a slotted spoon, lift out the fruit. Leave the pears to one side on a plate.
6. Throw the peel and trimmings in the liquid and boil for 10 minutes.
7. Cut the cooling pears into small pieces. The shapes do not matter.
8. Strain the boiled liquid and remove the peelings. Press out as much juice as possible from the peelings before discarding them.
9. Measure the liquid and make up to 1 cup using cold water.
10. Return the liquid to the pan with the lemon juice and add the sugar and spice. Stir together well over moderate heat. Keep stirring until the sugar dissolves.
11. Boil the dissolved mixture rapidly. Test a few drops now and then on a cool plate. When these drops form a jelly, add the pears back in.
12. Boil rapidly until the jam thickens and turns into jelly when tested on a plate. The pears should be golden and transparent.
13. Cool the jam a little in the pan removed from the heat.
14. Pour the jam into clean, sterilised jars; seal and cover once cooled. Store in the refrigerator.

Tips

* It helps to label the jars and date them.
* Wash the pears because you will be using the peel.
* Use a slotted spoon as it allows the liquid to pour back into the pan. Wooden slotted spoons are preferable as the wood does not react with fruit.

Materials

* Peeler
* Knife and chopping board
* Heavy-based pan suitable for making jam
* Cup
* Plate
* Jars for storing jam, sterilised properly

Photo courtesy of CW Buecheler's Flickr Photostream

Simple Eggless Cake

Looking for a way to make a great cake without eggs? This is a neat old-fashioned recipe and you will likely have most ingredients in the pantry already.

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fruit and nuts of choice, chopped finely
• 1 grated lemon or orange rind
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice
• 2 cups flour, sifted
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  

Steps

1. Put all ingredients except for flour and baking soda into a saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool right down.
3. Add the sifted flour when the mixture is nearly cold and the baking soda. Mix in well.
4. Pour mixture into a loaf tin/pan for baking.
   
5. Bake in a moderate oven (350ºF/180ºC) for about one hour.
6. Remove from oven and cool cake on a wire cooling rack. Ice if wished when cool.
   

Tips

• Substitute the butter for vegan margarine if you would like a non-dairy version of this cake.
  

Materials

• Saucepan
• Wooden mixing spoon
• Baking pan, loaf shape; line with baking paper/parchment to prevent sticking
• Wire rack for cooling
  

Apple, Banana and Citrus Jam

This is a delicious jam with an interesting combination of fruits that can often be spotted getting a little too old on the kitchen counter. It has a lot of sugar (beware!) which ensures that this keeps well.

Ingredients

• 3 large cooking apples
• 3 bananas
• 2 lemons
• 2 large oranges
• 5 cups water
• 4 cups sugar

Steps

1. Peel the apples and core them. Cut into square pieces approximately 2.5cm/1" diameter.
2. Peel the bananas and slice.
3. After washing the lemons well, slice them very finely (including the peel).
   
4. Cut the flesh of the oranges into small cubes
5. Place all cut ingredients into a large pan suitable for jam making.
6. Add the water and leave to simmer for around 2 hours, checking regularly.
7. Add the sugar and simmer for another hour. The jam is ready on thickening.
   
8. Bottle and seal as usual.

Materials

• Chopping board and knife
• Large cooking pan
• Stirring spoon (wooden)
• Sterilised bottle with seal
  

*Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Vegetarian Sausages

While there are many versions of meatless sausages available on supermarket shelves these days, they can be quite pricey. This recipe is for a basic meatless sausage recipe which you can play around with and adapt to your own tastes over time by adding spices, fresh herbs, veggie pieces etc., once you are used to making the basic version.


Ingredients

• 1 cup soaked and cooked dried peas, beans, lentils or lima beans
• ½ cup dried breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup fat, e.g., olive oil, macadamia nut oil, butter, margarine
• 1 egg (or use egg replacer if preferred)
• ½ teaspoon crushed sea salt
• 1 teaspoon sage, dried
• Flour to roll sauasage in

Steps

1. Mix all the ingredients together.
2. Take small handfuls and shape into sausages.
3. Roll each sausage in flour.
4. Fry in olive oil.

Tips

• Serve with sauce or chutney to bring out the flavours and to add moisture.

Materials

• Mixing bowl
• Mixing implement
• Floured board or clean workspace
• Bowl for flour
• Frying pan/skillet

Reference
Article sourced from public domain materials: C. Houston Goudiss and Alberta M Goudiss, Foods that Will Win the War and How to Cook Them, 1918; public domain resource - this eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at Gutenberg.

*Photo courtesy of Ewan M.

Banana Marmalade

Banana marmalade is a delightfully different kind of marmalade that your grandmother might have made. This recipe originates from an old New Zealand booklet called "Enquire Within", dating somewhere back in the 40's by the looks of the images and the corsets... Anyway, it's a good recipe, so enjoy the outcome.

Ingredients

• 2 lb bananas, after peeling
• 2 lb sugar
• 2 lemons, juiced and grated (juicing before grating is a much easier experience)

Steps

1. Cut the bananas into thick rounds about 1/2"/1.5cm thick.
2. Put the banana slices, sugar, lemon juice and grated lemon rind into a double boiler. Cook until the sugar dissolves.
3. Put the cooked mixture into a preserving pan. Bring to the boil gradually, stirring constantly. Skim off any scum that froths up.
4. Continue to boil fast, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick and sets.
5. Pour into a suitable glass container for storage. Seal. It is best kept refrigerated after opening and used within three months.
   

Materials

• Knife and chopping board
• Double boiler
• Preserving pan
• Wooden spoon
• Jar for storage, sterilised
  

Rose Petal Jam

Rose petal jam is synonymous with dainty afternoon tea parties and is a delightful for jam for breakfast too. If you are lucky enough to have access to rose petals from the garden, this jam is a very special way to make use of them. Make sure to use petals that haven't been sprayed with anything toxic before using them.


Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 250g rose petals, organic (unsprayed) and clean
  
• 2 lemons, juiced

1. Check that the petals are clean. Wash and dry any petals that are not.
2. Put the petals into a bowl. Add 1.5 cups of the sugar and stir. As you stir, crush the sugar into the rose petals.
3. Leave the crushed petal mixture to stand overnight. The rose essence will imbue the sugar, leaving a dainty rose flavour. Cover with a clean teatowel or similar cover to prevent dust etc. from settling on the petal mixture.
   
4. Combine the remaining sugar, water and lemon juice with the petal mixture the following day. Stir together until the new ingredients are dissolved.
5. In a heavy-based saucepan, bring the mixture to a boil gradually. This must be a very slow process, in order to release the aroma of the rose and soften the petals.
6. Simmer until setting point is reached.
7. Store in a clean, sterilised glass container and keep in the fridge. Use within one month of making.
   

Items Needed

• Bowl
• Mixing implement
• Teatowel, clean for cover
• Heavy-based saucepan
  

Delightful Apricot Fruit Logs

Apricots make wonderful additions to sweets; their delicious flavour and enjoyable texture can tempt many a person to take extra nibbles. This recipe is an ideal hiking food, snack food and school lunchbox addition.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped (prefer the sulphur-free version if you have allergies)
• 12 dates, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup sultanas
• 2/3 cup dessicated coconut
• 1 cup skim milk or soy milk powder
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• 2 teaspoons sesame seed
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon or orange rind (choose organic)
• Additional dessicated (shredded) coconut for covering the logs
  

1. Place the water into a heavy-based saucepan and add the apricots and dates. Cook over low heat with a lid on the saucepan until the dried fruit has become soft. Keep an eye on the fruit to ensure it does not burn as the water evaporates. This step will take around 5 - 10 minutes only.
   
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the boiled dried fruit.
3. Mix the ingredients together well.
   
4. Shape the logs. Divide the mixture evenly into two lots. Roll each lot into a log shape of around 4cm width.
   
5. Roll both logs in the additional coconut.
6. Wrap the rolls in food wrap or greaseproof paper (more eco-friendly).
7. Place in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
8. Remove from the fridge and cut both logs evenly into slices. Serve. If you wish to store these logs (if there are any left!), place them in an airtight glass storage jar, packed one on top of the other.
   

Tips

• This recipe is best made first thing in the morning to allow it stand all day; or make it the night before in readiness for the next morning.
  

Items Needed

• Heavy based saucepan with lid
  
• Clean bench space for rolling logs and coating in coconut
• Food wrap or greaseproof paper
• Refrigeration or cold storage facilities
• Knife
  
• Glass jars for storage
  

Make Caribbean Coconut Rice

Caribbean coconut rice carries the flavour of the Caribbean into your dining room.





Ingredients

• 1 medium sized red onion, peeled and sliced into rings
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 12 whole allspice berries
• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
• 400ml coconut milk (it must be milk - cream is too thick)
  
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 100g snow peas, blanched

1. Place the oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Fry the onion gently over low heat. Add the garlic, allspice berries. Continue frying until the onion becomes transparent and soft but not brown.
2. Turn up the heat and add the rice to the frying pan. Stir the rice continuously for 1 - 2 minutes until the rice changes to white in colour.
3. Pour the hot water over the rice and continue cooking while stirring. Add the coconut milk and salt. Stir and bring to the boil.
4. Once boiled, turn down the heat and allow the dish to simmer. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until the liquid evaporates.
5. Remove the cooked rice from heat and leave to stand for 2-3 minutes.
6. Toss through the fresh thyme and snow peas. Serve immediately.

Tips

• If desired, other types of rice will suit as well as basmati. Substitute with jasmine or other long-grain rice types.
  

How to Make Fig and Almond Stuffed Apples

Ingredients

• 4 cooking apples
• 1/4 cup blanched almonds, chopped roughly
• 1/2 cup dried figs, chopped
• 1 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 1 tsp orange zest
• juice one orange
• 4 tbsp butter or walnut oil
• 5 tbsp honey or maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
2. Core each apple. Peel a thin strip from around the centre of each apple.
3. Place each apple in a baking dish.
4. Mix the almonds, figs, ground cinnamon and orange zest.
5. Stuff this mixture into the empty core of each apple.
   
6. Add a dab of butter or walnut oil at the top of each apple and drizzle with a little honey or maple syrup over each apple.
7. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. The apples should not be mushy but they should be tender and holding together well. It is a good idea to check the apples from time to time and carefully scoop the liquid over the apples to keep moist.
8. Remove from oven once cooked.
   
9. Place each apple in a shallow serving bowl. Spoon over the remaining juices prior to serving.
10. Add ice cream or thickened cream if desired. Serve.