It's late summer and there are blackberries everywhere free for the picking.  What better way to live more with less than to harvest from the hedgerows.  Below are some recipes for your pickings!

Bramley Apple and Blackberry Cake 

This recipe could be made less expensive by replacing the bramley apple with windfall apples you may find along the roadside.  It would be better if the apples were on the tart side since Bramleys are a cooking apple.

Ingredients

• 175g butter , plus extra for greasing
• 300g plain flour , plus extra for dusting
• 4 Bramley apples , (approx 800g/1lb 12oz)
• squeeze lemon juice
• 284ml carton whipping cream
• 225g golden caster sugar , plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling
• 3 eggs
• 300g blackberries 

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Grease a roasting tin (30x20cm) with butter, dust with a little flour, then set aside. Peel, core and slice the apples into rings, then toss in a little lemon juice to stop them going brown.
2. Tip the cream and butter into a saucepan, bring up to the boil, then set aside. Whisk the sugar with the eggs until they thicken and turn pale, about 3 mins. Whisk the buttery cream into the eggs, then fold in the flour until completely smooth.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and arrange the apple slices over the top. Scatter over the blackberries, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bake for 50 mins-1 hr until golden and beginning to pull away from the sides of the tin. Leave to cool in the tin and serve cut into squares.

Blackberry Chutney

• 500g blackberries
• 140g caster sugar
• 140g red onions , sliced
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh root ginger
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 150ml white wine vinegar 

1. Combine all the ingredients, except the vinegar, in a large saucepan. Stir mixture over medium heat until the blackberries burst. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the vinegar and allow the mixture to simmer uncovered for 10 mins. Cool, transfer to a sterilised jar and seal immediately. 

Blackberry and Apple Bakewell Pudding

• 6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar
• 400g blackberries
• 150g butter , softened
• 150g golden caster sugar
• 3 whole eggs plus 1 yolk, beaten
• 150g ground almonds
• 1½ tsp almond extract
• 100g self-raising flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• a handful flaked almonds
• icing sugar , for decoration 

1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Put the apples and demerara sugar in a pan. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the apples have softened. Stir in the blackberries. Tip into an ovenproof dish, approximately 20cm x 30cm and cool.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together then gradually beat in the eggs. Mix in the ground almonds and almond extract. Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder and fold in.
3. Spoon the almond mix over the cooked fruit then level out. Sprinkle over the almonds. Bake for 40-45 minutes until risen, golden and cooked through. Dust with icing sugar to finish. 

Blackberry and Apple Yorkshire Puddings

• 25g butter
• 140g golden caster sugar
• 4 apples (Cox's are good), peeled, cored and cut into bite-size chunks
• 1 egg white
• 2 eggs
• 140g plain flour
• 200ml full-fat milk
• 150g punnet blackberries
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil 

1. Heat oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9. Heat the butter and 100g of the sugar in a frying pan, throw in the apples and cook over a high heat for 3-4 mins until slightly caramelised and just starting to soften. Set aside.
2. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy, then whisk in the rest of the sugar, the whole eggs, the flour and the milk. Stir the apples and the blackberries into the batter. Place a 6-hole non-stick Yorkshire pudding tin over a high heat and add a splash of oil to each hole. Spoon a large ladleful of batter into each hole, making sure all the fruit is used. Put the tin in the oven and leave for 15 mins, without opening the door, until puffed up and golden. Remove from the oven and carefully place each pudding onto a plate. Serve immediately with custard or vanilla ice cream.

Apple and Blackberry Loaf
 

• 250g self-raising flour
• 175g butter
• 175g light muscovado sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 2 rounded tbsp demerara sugar
• 1 small eating apple , such as Cox's, quartered (not cored or peeled)
• 2 large eggs , beaten
• 1 orange , finely grated zest
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 225g blackberries 

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C. Butter and line the bottom of a 1.7 litre loaf tin (see tip below). In a large bowl, rub the flour, butter and muscovado sugar together with your fingers to make fine crumbs. Measure out 5 level tbsp of this mixture into a small bowl for the topping, and mix in to it the cinnamon and demerara sugar. Set aside.
2. Coarsely grate the apple down to the core and mix in with the eggs and the zest. Stir the baking powder into the rubbed-in mixture in the large bowl, then quickly and lightly stir in the egg mixture until it drops lightly from the spoon. Don't overmix.
3. Gently fold in three quarters of the berries with a metal spoon, trying not to break them up. Spoon into the tin and level. Scatter the rest of the berries on top. Sprinkle over the topping and bake for 1¼ -1 hour 20 minutes. Check after 50 minutes and cover loosely with foil if it is browning too much. When done the cake will feel firm, but test with a skewer.
4. Leave in the tin for 30 minutes before turning out, then cool on a wire rack. Peel off the paper before cutting. Will keep wrapped in foil or in a tin for up to 2 days. 

 Apple and Blackberry Crumble

FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING

• 120g plain flour
• 60g caster sugar
• 60g unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces

FOR THE FRUIT COMPOTE

• 300g Braeburn apples
• 30g unsalted butter
• 30g demerara sugar
• 115g blackberries
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• vanilla ice cream, to serve 

1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Tip the flour and sugar into a large bowl. Add the butter, then rub into the flour using your fingertips to make a light breadcrumb texture. Do not overwork it or the crumble will become heavy. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins or until lightly coloured.
2. Meanwhile, for the compote, peel, core and cut the apples into 2cm dice. Put the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan and melt together over a medium heat. Cook for 3 mins until the mixture turns to a light caramel. Stir in the apples and cook for 3 mins. Add the blackberries and cinnamon, and cook for 3 mins more. Cover, remove from the heat, then leave for 2-3 mins to continue cooking in the warmth of the pan.
3. To serve, spoon the warm fruit into an ovenproof gratin dish, top with the crumble mix, then reheat in the oven for 5-10 mins. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Blackberry Jam

Cliff and I went blackberrying this evening and at first I thought I would make a pie but now I have decided to try jam and the following recipe from the Good Food magazine.

Ingredients

900g fruit (blackberries, plums, raspberries or strawberries), prepared weight
900g golden granulated sugar
knob of butter


Put the fruit into a preserving pan or large heavy-based saucepan. For blackberries, add 50ml of water and 1½ tbsp of lemon juice; for plums (halved and stoned), use 150ml of water; for strawberries, add 3 tbsp of lemon juice (no water); and for raspberries, add nothing. Bring to the boil.
Lower the heat. For blackberries, simmer for 15 minutes; for plums, simmer for 30-40 minutes; for raspberries, simmer for 2 minutes; for strawberries, simmer for 5 minutes. The fruit should be soft.
Tip in the sugar, stir over a very low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Raise the heat, bring to a full rolling boil, then rapidly boil blackberries for 10-12 minutes, plums for 10 minutes, raspberries for 5 minutes or strawberries for 20-25 minutes - don't stir though - until the setting point of 105C is reached.
Remove from the heat, skim off any excess scum, then stir a knob of butter across the surface (this helps to dissolve any remaining scum). Leave for about 15 mins so the fruit can settle. Pour into sterilised jars, label and seal.

Time to hit the hedgerows - Elderberries

I spent 4 days in New York and then another 5 and 1/2 days on the Queen Mary 2 coming back to the UK. I had hoped to visit some cookery book stores but unfortunately I only went into two book stores, one was a generalist and the other a French language store. However, I did experience some interesting food both in the city and on the ship.

The impression I have of New York is one of a city full of places to dine or to buy food to go. I went out early every morning and bought a take away breakfast. Near my hotel was near Briant Park where I sat under trees and watched New York wake up and pass by. More about New York and the Queen Mary 2 later.

I came back to England to discover various hedgerow fruits ready to be picked. Just nearby to the house are ripe blackberries and in Emma's garden (number 2 daughter) there are elderberries. Both of us were wondering what we could do with them and so I have been doing some research. At this site, you'll find some important information about Elderberries. Did you know that they had cyanide in them unless they are cooked?

Homemade Blackberry Jam

6 lb. blackberries
1/4 pint water (5 fl. oz)
Rind and juice of 2 lemons
6 lb. sugar

Instructions

1. Put the cleaned fruit, the water and lemon rind and juice in the sauce pan.

2. Simmer until the fruit is soft.

3. Stir in the sugar and boil rapidly until setting point is reached.

4. Remove from the heat, skim, pot, cover, and label.

10 jars (depending on your size of jar)

Food from the highways and byways

Along my road we are anticipating a bumper crop of blackberries. They won't be ready for another 3 or 4 weeks but I am already planning jams, pies and ice cream. I have also discovered a number of apple trees at a near by round-about which could supplement my lone tree if it doesn't crop well this year. What a surprise to find some recipes in the Guardian today which should help me put some of these fruits away for the winter months.

Blackberry and apple leather

Makes 2 sheets of 24 x30cm

500g blackberries
500g peeled, cored and chopped
cooking apples (2-3 large apples)
juice of 1 lemon
150g honey

1. Preheat the oven to 60C. Line two baking sheets, measuring about 24 x 30cm, with baking parchment.

2. Put the blackberries, apples and lemon juice into a pan. Cook gently until soft and pulpy, about 20 minutes. Rub the mixture through a sieve or mouli into a bowl; you should have about 700g smooth fruit puree. Add honey and mix well.

3. Divide the puree between the two baking sheets. Spread it out lightly with the back of a spoon until the puree covers the sheets in a thin, even layer. Put the baking sheets in the oven and leave for 12-18 hours, until the fruit puree is completely dry and peels off the parchment easily.

4. Roll up the leather in greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin. Use within 5 months.

Guardian, Perfectly Preserved, July 21, 2008