Wed, 13 February 2019
Kumquat Compote with Labneh
Serves 6–20 depending on how it is served
235g (8 1/2oz) kumquats
110g (4oz) granulated sugar
grated dark chocolate, to serve
for the labneh (makes 500g/18oz)
1kg (2 1/4lbs) natural yogurt
To make the labneh, line a strainer with a double thickness of sterilised cheesecloth. Place it over a bowl. Pour in the yogurt. Tie the four corners of the cheesecloth to make a loose bundle and suspend the bag of yogurt over a bowl.
Leave it in a cool place to drip into the bowl for 8 hours. Jersey milk yogurt is thicker and needs only 2–3 hours to drip. Then remove the cheesecloth and put the labneh in a bowl. Refrigerate overnight, and store until needed in a covered glass or plastic container. The liquid whey that has drained off can be fed to pigs or hens or used for fermented dishes and in whey lemonade.
To make the kumquat compote, slice the kumquats into 4–5 rounds, depending on size, and remove the seeds. Put the kumquats into a saucepan with 200ml (7fl oz) water and sugar and let them cook very gently, covered, for 30 minutes or until tender. If the compote accidentally overcooks or becomes too dry, add a little water and bring back to the boil for a minute – it should be juicy.
Serve warm or cold. This compote keeps for weeks, even months in the fridge.
To serve, spoon a little compote over the labneh and sprinkle with grated dark chocolate.
Labneh with Wild Garlic or Summer Herbs
Add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped wild garlic (Allium ursinum) if available or Summer herbs into the labneh, taste and add a little salt and honey if necessary. Pile into a bowl, scatter with wild garlic flowers (if available) and serve with homemade cheese biscuits.
Wild Garlic Pesto
50g (2oz) wild garlic leaves, destalked
25g (1oz) cashew or pine nuts
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
175-225ml (6-8fl oz) olive oil
40g (1 1/2oz) freshly grated Parmesan, (Parmigiano Reggiano)
salt and sugar to taste
Whizz the wild garlic, cashew or nuts, garlic and olive oil in a food processor or pound in a pestle and mortar. Remove to a bowl and fold in the finely grated Parmesan cheese. Season to taste. Store in a sterilized covered jar in the fridge.
Roast Rhubarb
A dish of roasted fruit couldn’t be simpler – rhubarb, plums, greengages, apricots, peaches, apples, pears. Once again I love to add some freshly chopped herbs, e.g rose geranium or verbena to the sugar or the accompanying cream.
I’ve become a huge fan of the sweet and intense flavour of roast rhubarb
Serves 6
1kg (2 1/4lb) red rhubarb
200-250g (7-9oz) sugar
Preheat the oven to 200˚C/Gas Mark 6.
Stainless steel or non-reactive ovenproof dish, 45cm x 30cm (18 x 12 inch) (size depends slightly on the thickness of the rhubarb)
Trim the rhubarb stalks if necessary.
Slice the rhubarb into 2 1/2cm (1 inch) pieces and arrange in a single layer in an oven proof dish. Scatter the sugar over the rhubarb and allow to macerate for an hour or more, until the juice starts to run. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and roast in the pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes depending on the thickness of the stalks - until the rhubarb is just tender.
Serve alone or with ice-cream, panna cotta, labneh or thick Jersey cream……
