Thoughts on moving forwards..

I have been neglecting my double saucepan.

It is my favourite, most precious bit of kitchen kit, and I have just not been using it enough…but hopefully that is about to change. When I leave my office today that will be for good and in September I will be back at King’s College London training to teach kids about books that have been made into films they will complain about having to watch, never mind trying to get them to read the longer, wordier hard copies!

In between I’m having a summer holiday, a month off to curd and preserve and potter about in the kitchen and garden to my heart’s content. I also want to take myself to the Guildhall Library to do some research on British preserves, watch this space for some historical food thoughts soon.

So, double saucepan, you had better get ready

10 yellow jars..

Helen of Food Stories fame held a Big Lunch in Peckham on Sunday. A fab idea, and in aid of Maggie’s, an amazing charity who provide, information, support and lots more to Cancer patients and their families. She had requested through the magic means of the internet donations of food, drink, and everything else one would need to hold an event like this!

She had a huge response, and was given everything from ex-student halls’ cutlery to a KitchenAid, along with loads of booze, food and other bits and pieces.

I thought I would pass a few jars of curd her way and at the same time this gave me the opportunity to take some photos of the process. The labels have not made the final cut, and I will be posting soon with examples of the ones we have decided on!

Zest and juice of loads of lemons

almost done..

treasured double saucepan (more than 75 years old)

hot jars from the oven

labelled

boxed and off to Peckham we go!

(the 2 pink ones are Pink Grapefruit…not P.G. Fruit as J suggested)

Fruity experiments

I’ve made a lot of Lemon Curd recently, partly for product photos, also for an afternoon tea at The Shed and  I’ll shortly be making some for a Big Lunch in Peckham. It suddenly dawned on me that I haven’t tried any new flavours for quite some time!

So, inspired by a thank-you present of Maldon Smoked Salt several weeks ago that I was yet to open, I set to thinking at work yesterday..

I’ve written before about about my wish to create new, seasonal curds, for the quality of fruit but also because it somehow feels like a more natural way of existing. So, taking advantage of the abundance of stunning summer fruit which is currently available I was led swiftly to summer berries.

Blueberries to be exact.

With smoked salt.

And the other ingredients a person would add to curd (butter, sugar, egg).

It doesn’t sound right, in fact, it sounds really a bit wrong.

However, somehow the sweet, and simultaneously bitter edge of the blueberries when cooked with the salt and pushed through a sieve creates a lip-smacking spread which, though quite American in flavour, is really quite lush.

I think I’ll have a play with some Grapefruit and Pineapple combinations later in the week. I’m also contemplating the addition of some candied lemon flesh to the Blueberry curd to give it a bit more kick.

What is the opinion on these left of centre curds, I know there are creative people like Anarchy in a Jar doing it with jam in Brooklyn, but what happens to our opinions and feeling about these combinations when the flavours are muddled with dairy as well as sugar?

Comments/ideas/requests all very much appreciated…