Nuts about Nuts!

Nuts About Nuts

One thing is for sure, I’m never the first to spot a good harvest of hazelnuts in the hedges.  As I walk along the country lanes looking and checking for blackberries, damsons, rose-hips and mushrooms, I’ll also be checking amongst the hazel branches for this years crop of nuts.  This year has been a good one for the hazel family and the branches are dotted with little clusters of potential Ferrero Rocher! 

Long before I notice the nutty little gems, unfortunately the local squirrels (all of them) are already well on the case!  For me, the equivalent of a nut alarm is discovering mounds of already cracked, opened and eaten shells along the lanes beneath overhanging branches.  This little scenario can happen anytime from mid August onwards, long before the nuts have fully matured and developed a good, deep nutty flavour.  There is no solution, other than to pick early and enjoy them as they are, on the green side!  The advantage of early picking, other than beating the squirrel at his or her own game, is the much softer shell.  These can almost be cracked by a good and firm set of teeth, though if you’ve any expensive crowns, bridges or dentures I still recommend a nut cracker! 

Hazelnuts are by far the most common wild nut, although there are a few others.  The hazelnut (corylus avellana) grows wild on poorer land and hillsides, however they are often found in hedgerows alongside birch, beech, oak, dogwoods and hawthorn.  Although we find plenty of wild hazelnuts in Carmarthenshire, the larger cobnut is only really commonly found in Kent. 

A Kentish cobnut is a type of hazelnut. Most of the hazelnuts grown in Britain are of the named variety Kentish Cob, which was introduced in the early 19th century.

Unlike most nuts, Hazelnuts, cobnuts and filberts are marketed fresh, not dried like walnuts and almonds. Consequently, they can usually only be bought when in season, which is from about the middle of August through to October, but stored nuts can keep until Christmas. The filbert by the way, is another type of hazelnut grown in the UK, chosen mainly for commercial cultivation.

Once you’ve had enough of cracking wild nuts with your teeth and eating a sort of raw nut, you can progress to drying them! To do this you need to shell the nuts and place them on a baking tray.  Bake or dry in the oven at 180˚C for about 10 minutes.  This should be enough to deepen the flavour of the nut. Allow them to cool and then season with a sprinkling of salt, and enjoy.

Nature has a wonderful timing, the glut of garden vegetables has definitely been and gone, and what remains are now starting to look rather sad for themselves.  In their stead came the blackberries, and now that they are almost finished, they are replaced by wonderful hazelnuts.  When you are out and about, you will notice the amazing crop of sloes, perfect for making a boozy Christmas tipple. Take an extra bag for all these extra goodies you’re bound to find. 

HAZELNUTS - The Facts

• The hazelnut is the single-seeded fruit of the hazel tree, which grows to a height of 7 m. Hazelnuts are shell fruit (nut types) & the nut ripens from mid-August.

• The edible kernel within consists of delicious-tasting hard flesh enclosed in a brownish seat coat. 

• The hazelnut kernel is surrounded by a brown seed coat, which contains antioxidants which protect the oil-rich seed from atmospheric oxygen, preventing it from becoming rancid.

• To harvest them, sheets of cloth are laid beneath the trees and the branches of the trees are then shaken. The nuts are subsequently dried in a well-ventilated place. 

• Cobnuts were popular with mariners, as they kept fresh for months; the Victorians were devoted to them and bred many new kinds.

• In 1913, plantations extended to over 7,000 acres, most of the orchards or “plats” being in Kent. 

• Fortunately cobnuts are NOT prone to pests and diseases, and there is rarely any commercial need for crop protectants or fertilisers; many growers use none at all.

Are hazelnuts good for you??

Kernels contain:

12%-17% protein by weight

10%-15% by weight of fibre

They are rich in vitamin E and calcium containing about 21mg and 141mg per 100g kernel (dry weight)

They are high in vitamin B1 (o.4mg) and B6 (o.55mg) again, by dry weight

Mushrooms

Mushrooms

If there was ever a good reason to get up early on a cool, late summer morning, it’s to walk the dewy fields in search of wild field mushrooms. 

At the beginning of August, when the morning sun warmed the air and made alfresco breakfasts a frequent luxury, getting up to make a mug of coffee, and take a stroll around the garden was a joy.  Now, despite the sun still shining through the window, it’s a cool sun, and getting out of bed is not quite as easy!  By mid morning, however, things have improved; the morning mist has lifted, and there continues to be just a little warmth to ease the weeding shift.

It’s years since I last saw a decent crop of field mushrooms so I was thrilled to answer the phone this week, to be told by our friendly neighbour that he’d spotted a load of mushrooms in one of his fields.  Strangely enough, they weren’t doted around all the fields - just here and there, along very definite routes and circles.  The little white buttons appeared overnight, and revealed themselves amidst the long green grass.  Some managed to hide until they were a good 15cm across, open and past their prime; they were best left.

Walking through the crisp morning air, sun shining, across the dewy field, in wellies with bucket in hand, looking for the little beauties was fun and exciting.  I couldn't resist the odd photo, to prove their existence despite the bucket full of evidence in my hand!  Thoughts of bacon sizzling, a freshly cracked egg and mushrooms, went through my head.  Beef and mushroom stew cooked with Guinness, creamy garlic mushrooms on a thick wedge of toast….. I love mushrooms!

By the time you read this, the bounty will be gone, from this field at least, I’m sorry.  There will however, be plenty more, somewhere.  But make sure that before you pick and indulge, KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS. 

Many, even experts, have been sick and seriously ill having eaten poisonous mushrooms.  The Field Mushroom is fairly easy to spot, as is the Horse Mushroom, but don’t confuse them with the Yellow Stainer, which will give you a very unpleasant few hours, though thankfully you would recover. 

Be very careful about picking immature mushrooms as the distinguishing marks may not have developed fully, making it possible to confuse varieties.  If you’re not experienced in foraging for mushrooms, or lack confidence in recognising the edible from the poisonous, buy yourself a good book, and go foraging with someone in the know. Please don’t take any risks.

This week’s recipe makes the most of this sudden abundance of the field mushrooms, but obviously you can buy some at the supermarket to make a lovely wholesome soup, perfect for these cooler, end of summer temperatures

 Mushroom Facts

All mushrooms are fungi, but not all fungi are mushrooms!  For those fungi that produce them, the mushroom plays a similar role to a flower or a fruit in plants.  Some part of each mature mushroom produces microscopic spores that are similar to pollen or seeds.  The rest of the fungal organism typically lives in the soil, wood, or some other material and is composed of thread-like strands known as mycelium.  The expanding growth of the mycelium often results in circles of mushrooms or “fairy rings”  An individual mycelium can grow very large, with at least one well-documented case covering more than 1,500 acres!

More Interesting Facts about Mushrooms!

• Regular consumption of oyster mushrooms has been shown to reduce cholesterol.
• Mushrooms are a low-calorie food eaten cooked, raw or as a garnish to a meal. There are 27 calories in a typical serving of fresh mushrooms

• People who collect mushrooms for consumption are known as mycophagists, and the act of collecting them for such is known as mushroom hunting, or simply "mushrooming".
• China is the world's largest edible mushroom producer. It produces about half of all cultivated mushrooms

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 600 g mixed mushrooms

• olive oil

• 1 onion, peeled and finely sliced

• 2 sticks celery, trimmed and finely sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

• a few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped, stalks finely chopped

• a few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked

• 1.5 litres organic chicken or vegetable stock

• salt & freshly ground black pepper

• 75 ml single cream

Method

• Slice the mushrooms finely. 
• Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat add a little olive oil, and add the onion, celery, garlic, thyme leaves and mushrooms, place a lid on top and sweat gently until softened. 
• Remove about 4 tablespoons of the mushrooms out of the pan and put to one side.
• Pour the stock into the pan and bring to the boil. 
• Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Blitz with a hand-held blender until smooth. 
• Pour in the cream, bring just back to the boil, then turn off the heat. 

To serve, spoon the soup into deep, individual bowls, garnish with the chopped parsley and remaining mushrooms, and serve with crusty white bread.

Whole Grain salads

I love summer salads! I can almost year you gasp and shake your heads with disapproval, but I’m not going to change my mind or withdraw my statement. I’m not talking limp greens and a soggy half tomato served with manky piece of cucumber and a radish if you’re lucky; I’m talking of delicious and fresh, crisp vegetables, fruit and nuts (yes, nuts) mixed with grains and pulses, drizzled in a light citrus dressing. By grains, I mean couscous or giant couscous, barley, rice, quinoa (keenwah) or bulgar wheat to name but a few.

Whole grains are a great way to fill your plate, they are a good alternative to pasta and potatoes. So if you’re fed up of serving the same things over and over, give some grains a try. Many have a slightly nutty flavour and a great chewy texture and nearly all work well in a salad as all the flavours and textures work well together.

Barley has been used in soups and stews since for ever. I remember my Grandad adding a handful of barley to some of his soups, and I can recall clearly, fishing them out and enjoying their lovely flavour before devouring the rest of the broth. It’s funny, unimportant events stick in your memory! Due to the starchy nature of pearl barley, it can be used as an alternative to rice in risotto.

The protein rich Quinoa seemed to arrived in some peoples cupboards, in the past five years or so. I’ve no doubt than many many British people have cooked and eaten it for decades, but the majority had never heard of it. I remember it being used on a reality style TV cookery program a few years back. I had never heard of it, and it seemed no one could pronounce it then, and most still can’t. 

All of these grains have a distinct and lovely flavour of their own, and mixed with some of your favourite summer vegetables and salad crops, they are a really wonderful healthy addition to most meals. Don’t forget to make a fair sized portion (or two) as they can be used the next day as a very quick and nutritious lunch or after school snack. 

Bulgar wheat is the grain used in the north African and Middle Eastern cookery in dishes such as tabbouleh and kibbeh. The bulgar wheat grain is cooked and dried, then the grain is cracked to form smaller grain pieces. These can then be simply soaked in hot water or stock to soften the grain, before being added to other ingredients to make the salad or chosen dish. Different recipes require different sized grains, but all are fundamentally the same. Pilaffs require the coarse grain and will need a little more cooking.

Couscous which is now commonplace in the UK and is often sold ready made, can be spiced or flavoured. Making your own however, is very simple indeed, and at a fraction of the cost! It always amuses me, that they sell the ready made couscous, and other whole grain salads, in little pots, in such small quantities!

Recently, I’ve been using the giant couscous, combined with lots of fresh leaves and the salad crops I’ve been harvesting from the garden. The best decision I’ve made in recent months was to tear out, well, remove and transplant all the flowers from the patch next to the kitchen. In their stead, I  planted a variety of lettuce, radish, spring onions, leeks, beans, kohlrabi and Swiss chard. It’s only meters from the kitchen door, so it’s easy to pick just a little of this and that, to add to lunches and suppers, with no effort at all. It doesn't matter what salad vegetables you add, but add plenty! Add a little dressing, or sprinkle on some dried chilli flakes and a little olive oil. Experiment with orange or lemon juice on a different occasion, or for this week’s recipe add some roased spices butternut squash and a drizzle of olive oil.  

Half Term Fun

Love them or loathe them, barbecues are a sure sign that summer is upon us. Burnt sausages, charred chicken and rubbery meaty burgers seem to be the delight of many! For me, it's the accompanying salads, the radish, home-grown tomatoes, cucumbers, salad potatoes ... the list is endless. Give me a bowl of freshly picked broad beans, shelled and boiled with a little butter, salt and pepper with crusty bread ... mmm a meal in minutes!

I do love meat, though. Succulent chicken drumsticks marinaded in yoghurt and mint, or in olive oil, chilli and ginger ... or a great piece of fish slowly cooked in a foil parcel in the barbecue charcoals – oh, I could go on, lovely summer time food, eaten outdoors. 

In the early evening, the rolling hills of the Towy Valley cast shade over the Pumpkin Patch Garden at Allt y Gôg Farm, whilst valley below continues to be smothered by evening sun, giving warmth and light well into the evening. For us shade dwellers, we've re- discovered the camp-fire, a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors well into the night, whilst providing heat and light and an alternative to the barbecue! A few years ago Sam, our eldest son, and an outdoor enthusiast, convinced us to purchase a fire tripod ... what an investment! We now boil, fry and steam a variety of meals for breakfast, tea an supper! Not just for a late night feast either – we’ve even cooked our Sunday morning sausages on the camp-fire – slightly crazy but a delightful and relaxed way to wake up at the weekend! 

For safety reasons The Pumpkin Patch hasn’t been introduced to this way of cooking yet, but I'm sure the teenage class will soon enjoy a camp-fire evening – I can't wait! 

If cooking in the summer months is more of a chore than a delight, and if you can't bear to stay indoors more than you have to, I recommend the “tripod” - your evenings (or mornings for that matter) will never be the same again! Failing that, the traditional charcoal barbecue or a gas equivalent is an ideal way to cook and spend more time in the garden. If you are out and about, I find the quick and easy throw away barbecue in a foil tray also work really well, but they can be small and are only hot enough for a short while. A great alternative is a small gas camping stove and a frying pan. Keep them in the boot of the car for impromptu meals on the beach or in picnic areas.

REMEMBER…Don’t forget to check any rules and laws relating to campfires, barbecue and gas stoves before you start cooking, and always leave the beach or countryside as you find it, and take litter with you. 

Half Term Fun!

This week is half term, and providing that the weather is dry, this is a great time of year to enjoy the great outdoors. Introduce young children to camping by pitching a tent in the garden, and allowing them to play in it during the day. Hours can be spent ‘pretend’ camping and enjoying a teddy bears picnic! Let toddlers prepare their favourite sandwiches, and eat their picnic tea on a rug on the lawn. These simple pleasures are some of the most memorable and can beat expensive days out. 

Things to do with the family this week

• Make home made fruit juice lollies or flavoured ice cubes for hot days
• Pitch a small tent on the lawn for youngsters to play in
• Make some bread dough for home made healthy pizza or tiny pizzeta snacks - see this week’s recipe
• Go on a country walk and take photographs to make a photo collage on a rainy day 

Fantastic Flat Breads

Ingredients

3 cups of flour 

2 Tablespoons olive oil (or yoghurt)

Lukewarm water (approx 300ml - 400ml)1  teaspoons salt

1  teaspoons dried yeast

Method 

• Place the flour, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to mix 
• Start adding the water, bit by bit, mixing the dough with a spoon 
• Add enough water to make a very soft and almost sloppy dough 
• Knead the dough for about 5 minutes 
• Place in a bowl and cover with a tea towel (or shower cap!!)
• Allow to rise in a warm place for up to an hour 
• When the dough is ready, shape into small flat shaped breads 
• Gently fry in a frying pan for about 4 minutes per side until cooked 
• Serve with barbecued foods

TIP: These breads can also be made on the barbecue!