Sauces and Pestos and Such

Sauces and pestos and such

Green Sauce; Place about ¾ litre of loosely pack green leaves in a blender or pestle. Ramsons can be used alone or a combination of summer leaves such as sorrel, borage, rocket, mallow, oregano, cress, chervil, chives, parsley, salad burnet, dill, lemon balm, even daisy, ribwort plantain and dandelion and other soft leaves. Add about 30 ml vinegar or lemon juice and blend to a smooth green paste with olive (or other) oil to desired consistency. Some onion and garlic can be included and in some regions they add some bread to give a thicker consistency.

Basic Pesto: About a litre of gently packed nettle leaves (or 2/3 nettle and 1/3 golden marjoram), or other suitable greens (Ribwort plantain and sheep’s sorrel combined works well; wild rocket; parsley- dandelion leaves do nt).

1-3 cloves garlic

½ cup of ground almond or hazel nuts, or use whole cashews or pine nuts

1 dessertspoon balsamic or cider vinegar

125-250 ml olive or hemp seed oil, depending on the texture you like. I tend to gradually drizzle the oil into the mixture and it is processed in the food processor.

Salt to taste

Put all the ingredients except the oil in the food processor. Start the processor running and drizzle in oil until the desired texture is achieved. Pesto can also be made using a pestle and mortar.

Garlic honey

Garlic honey is a traditional treatment for colds and flu- chop garlic finely, place into a sterilised jar (preferably with equal amount of thyme) and cover with honey.

Onion syrup is another traditional cold remedy. Slice onions into a glass bowl with sugar scattered over. Leave for at least 30 minutes and drink resulting syrup. This can also be prepared by mixing the chopped onion with apple juice concentrate and the resulting mixture makes a delicious fresh relish as well as a cough syrup. Another alternative is to hollow out a turnip, grate the material scrapped out and mix with sugar or honey; place back into the turnip, leave for several hours and drink the resulting syrup. Also makes an excellent fresh raw relish

Mint, yogurt and cucumber dip/dressing

½ cucumber, grated and with excess juice drained off

Large bunch mint, finely chopped

300 ml live yogurt

1-2 cloves minced garlic (optional)

Black pepper to taste

Combine ingredients and use as a dip or as a dressing.

Spicy Mustard with stout and honey

300g powdered yellow mustard seed

9 tablespoons brown mustard seeds

3 teaspoons honey

3 teaspoons allspice berry powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon clove powder

1 can stout

Mix the dry ingredients together. Add the honey and stout and blend together into a smooth paste. Place in sterilised jars. Leave to sit for a week before using. Best kept in the fridge and will keep for about 6 months.

Good with cold meats or cheese.

Tomato oregano pesto

230 g brazils

40 g fresh oregano

55 g lemon juice

250 g soaked sun dried tomatoes

25 g water

6 cloves garlic

90 g olive oil

30 g hemp oil

Place all the ingredients in the food processor and blend to a smooth consistency. Can be spread on bread or stirred through pasta, or used on baked potatoes.

Oregano pesto

1 litre loosely packed oregano leaves

A handful of pine nuts or cashew nuts

3-5 cloves garlic

Dessertspoon of balsamic or cider vinegar

Salt to taste

Place ingredients in food processor and start to blend. Drizzle in olive or hemp seed oil until desired consistency is reached.

Rosemary and red wine gravy

40 ml olive oil

3 dessertspoons flour

750 ml stock (either from roasting juices from meat or made up with vegetable bouillon, or combination of both)

250 ml red wine

1-2 dessertspoons of finely chopped rosemary

1 finely chopped onion

1-3 minced cloves garlic

Heat the oil and sauté the onions and garlic. Stir in the flour to make a roué. Add the stock and red wine gradually to make a smooth consistency. Add rosemary and simmer gently for 20 minutes with lid on to allow the flavours to mingle. Great with roast potatoes (with or without meat).

Rosemary broad bean pate

2 cups cooked broad beans

2 minced cloves garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 dessertspoon lemon juice

Salt and black pepper to taste

Puree all the ingredients together into a smooth pate; great on bread, baked potatoes or as a garnish with salad.

Raw Nettle Pesto

About a litre of gently packed nettle leaves (or 2/3 nettle and 1/3 golden marjoram)

1-3 cloves garlic

½ cup of ground almond or hazel nuts, or use whole cashews or pine nuts

1 dessertspoon balsamic or cider vinegar

125-250 ml olive or hemp seed oil, depending on the texture you like. I tend to gradually drizzle the oil into the mixture and it is processed in the food processor.

Salt to taste

Put all the ingredients except the oil in the food processor. Start the processor running and drizzle in oil until the desired texture is achieved. Pesto can also be made using a pestle and mortar.

Plantain and sorrel pesto

½ litre ribwort plantain leaves

½ litre sheep sorrel or garden sorrel leaves

1-3 cloves garlic

½ cup pumpkin seeds

1 dessertspoon cider vinegar

125-250 ml olive or hempseed oil

Salt to taste

Method as above

Wild rocket and pickled pepper pesto

1 litre wild rocket leaves

2 chargrilled pickled peppers

1-3 cloves garlic

½ cup cashew nuts

1 dessertspoon cider vinegar

125 ml olive oil

Salt to taste

Method as above

Chilli and garlic relish

250g garlic

250g chillis (deseeded if you want it really mild - I leave the seeds in)

150 ml olive oil

250 ml cider vinegar

1.5-2 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoon ground cumin seeds

1-2 tablespoon chilli powder if you want extra heat

2 teaspoon arrowroot (optional as thickener)

Put all ingredients except arrowroot in food processor and process until finely chopped. Put into pan and bring to boil then simmer for 1-1.5 hours until reduced by a third. Mix arrow root with a little vinegar and stir in. Boil rapidly for one minute until thickened. Spoon into sterilized jars and seal. Ready immediately but improves with keeping. Keeps for 1 year, but normally devoured before that.

Ginger and garlic relish

250 g garlic

250 g fresh ginger, grated

150 ml olive oil

250 ml cider vinegar

1.5 tablespoon sea salt

1.5 tablespoon ground tumeric

2 tablespoons ground cumin seeds

2 tablespoons ground coriander seed

2 teaspoons arrowroot

Follow the method for the previous recipe

Mushroom tapenade

200g mushrooms, finely chopped

1-2 cloves garlic finely minced

30 ml olive oil

A generous bunch of thyme (5-6 sprigs)

Pinch of sea salt

Black pepper to taste

Sauté mushrooms with the other ingredients until all the water is driven out. It is delicious on toast or crackers. It can also be stored in a jar in the fridge for a week and used as a substitute for stock powder in soups or stews.

Seaweed tapenade

60g dried seaweed mix, soaked

4 large gherkins, chopped

½ red onion, chopped

Tablespoon capers, chopped

Cup of flat leaved parsley or Cuban oregano , chopped

Tablespoon walnut or olive oil

1 clove garlic , minced (optional0

Tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

Squeeze excess water out of the seaweed and place all the ingredients in the food processor and process to required consistency. Great on rice cakes, baked potatoes, rice or as

an accompanying salad.

Hummus

1 tin chickpeas

80 ml olive oil

80 ml lemon juice

½ teaspoon sea salt

3 heaped dessertspoons tahini

Level dessertspoon ground cumin seeds

Level dessertspoon ground coriander seeds

1-3 cloves minced garlic depending on taste

Place all the ingredients except the chick peas in the food processor and blend. Drain the chickpeas and add and blend. A couple of dessert spoons of water may be added to give a lighter consistency.

Variations:

Add the grated zest of an organic lemon. Substitute 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika for the cumin and coriander. Add 5 sundried tomatoes.

Baba ganoush

1 aubergine or substitute half a butternut squash or 2 medium sized courgettes

60 ml olive oil

60 ml lemon juice

3 heaped dessertspoons tahini

½ teaspoon sea salt

Dessertspoon turmeric, or cumin seed , ground (optional)

Slow roast the aubergine or squash at about 180 oC until soft and allow to cool ( best if a little oil is drizzled on the vegetables before roasting). Allow to cool, peel and mash thoroughly. Mix in the other ingredients.

Pumpkin chutney

2 kg pumpkin flesh

75g fresh grated ginger

3-4 fresh chillies

1l cider vinegar (we used a combination of infused vinegars- fresh borage, fresh Melissa, and vanilla powder)

500g honey

1 tablespoon salt

Arrowroot powder if needed

Chop the pumpkin flesh into chunks and place in a pan with the ginger, chopped chillies and vinegar. Simmer for 30 minutes to soften the pumpkin. Add the honey and salt and continue to simmer for about and hour to evaporate the liquid. If necessary add some arrowroot powder (we used 3 teaspoons) to thicken to the desired consistency. Before adding the powder blend to a paste with some vinegar. Pack the chutney into hot sterilized jars. Ready to use immediately.

Sage onion and honey apple chutney

1.5 kg apples

500 ml cider vinegar

2 onions finely chopped

8 sprigs fresh sage, finely chopped

1 tablespoon sea salt

400g honey

Peel and roughly chop the apples (the skins are cores can be used to make cider vinegar). Add them to a preserving pan with the onions, sage and vinegar . Simmer for 20-30 minutes until puréed. Add the salt and honey and simmer for a further 40-50 minutes until thick. Stir to ensure that it does not stick. Whilst simmering pour boiling water into 5 jam jars. When the chutney is cooked empty out the water from the jars and spoon the hot chutney into the hot jars.

Chilli apple chutney

2.5 kg apples

2 heads of garlic , peeled and minced

6 chillis

800ml mixed herb infused cider vinegar

200 ml star anise infused cider vinegar

2 tablespoons salt

660 g rappadura sugar

Follow the method for the previous recipe

Seasoning blends:

Molle chilli powder blend

1 part chilli powder

1 part ground black pepper

1 part ground cumin

1 part ground coriander seed

2 parts oregano

1 part cocoa powder

1 part garlic powder

Herb Provencale blend for soups and stews

9 g fennel seed

9 g black pepper

5 g sage

5 g thyme

10 g oregano

Grind herbs together in a coffee grinder

Ras-el- Hanout is a blend of spices which varies from household to household; a sample mixture

2 tspn black peppercorns

1 tspn coriander seed

1 tspn cumin

1 tspn allspice

2 tspn cinnamon powder

1 tspn nutmeg powder

1 tspn ginger powder

½ tsp cloves

½ tspn cardamom

chilli

1 tspn rose petals

Barbeque Spice Blend

20 g Rosemary leaf

60g Thyme leaf

20g Fennel seed

20 g Black pepper

20 g Chilli powder

40 g Oregano

40g Sumac

20g Salt

Garam masala

2 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp black peppercorns

2 tsp clove buds

1 tsp cardamon seeds

2 tssp cinnamon powder

¼ tsp chilli powder

Grind and combine all the ingredients