Worcestershire Sauce From Foraged Apples

We had a wonderful warm, sharing night at our last Living Better With Less meet up last Thursday.

Our new venue provided by Bridgette Watts and her partner was a huge success and I can see some great sessions to come. A small kitchenette will mean that we can do some hands on preserving and soap making in the months to come.

The Urban Farm Tas group also had crates of apples and pears that they had picked that day surplus to farm requirements and Cindy brought along her Worcestershire sauce for a taste test that is ideally made with foraged apples - BONUS!

Again the sauce was a real hit so here is the recipe again....

(Extracted from SJ blog 01.10.13)

"I was extremely impressed with the taste and the simplicity of the recipe.

Cindy believes the secret of this sauce lies in the apple and she used foraged apples from the side of the road which are typically less sweet than the commercially grown ones.

Here is the recipe....

It was from a CWA book and credit goes to Maty Coleman Rosebud Branch VIC.

Worcester Sauce

1kg of apples

1/4 clove garlic

1 cup salt

4 1/2 Lt of vinegar

100g ground allspice

100g peppercorns

100g whole ginger

2 fresh red chillies

1 1/2 cups treacle

Cut up the apples and garlic coarsely. Cover with water and boil to a pulp, then strain through a colander into a large pan.

Gradually add the vinegar to the strained liquid. Add all the other ingredients except the treacle and boil for 2 1/2 hours.

Add the treacle and boil for another 30 minutes.

Strain and bottle. Store in a cool dark place. Keeps well.

Makes about 2 cups."

The Urban Farming Tas group also brought along their seed box (isn't it magnificent?) of free seed to share. This is just the autumn/winter planting selection! They are a great not for profit food sovereignty group who encourage, share, feed, garden and distribute food and seed. 

They will be holding a share market at Bracknell Tasmania next Sunday to celebrate International Permaculture Day. You can find the details here. Among the planned activities will be soap making, basket weaving, worm farming and seed sharing.

I'll be there for sure.

Living Better Oct '13 Part III - Cindy Shares

Cindy brought in a bottle of her Worcester Sauce for a taste test.

I was extremely impressed with the taste and the simplicity of the recipe.

Cindy believes the secret of this sauce lies in the apple and she used foraged apples from the side of the road which are typically less sweet than the commercially grown ones.

Here is the recipe....

It was from a CWA book and credit goes to Maty Coleman Rosebud Branch VIC.

Worcester Sauce

1kg of apples

1/4 clove garlic

1 cup salt

4 1/2 Lt of vinegar

100g ground allspice

100g peppercorns

100g whole ginger

2 fresh red chillies

1 1/2 cups treacle

Cut up the apples and garlic coarsely. Cover with water and boil to a pulp, then strain through a colander into a large pan.

Gradually add the vinegar to the strained liquid. Add all the other ingredients except the treacle and boil for 2 1/2 hours.

Add the treacle and boil for another 30 minutes.

Strain and bottle. Store in a cool dark place. Keeps well.

Makes about 2 cups.

Cindy also shared her newspaper seedling pot technique.

I should have taken more photos of course.

It was a very simple technique and when one knows the knack you could easily make dozens for your seedlings. Very timely for this time of year although there was much lamenting around the table at the sheer amount of rain that has turned everyone's yards into swamps and bogs. It will be some time yet before the planting can really get going.

Nothing like a taste test and a hands on activity to inspire a group. If you are local and have been thinking of joining our group, just pop along. It's free and we discover lots of diverse things. Even more in the next post!

Thanks Cindy x

Apple and Raspberry with Salty Cashew & Macadamia Caramel Crumble - Trad and Thermomix Versions

This was a bit of a hit last night both with the recipients and some on facebook asked for a recipe.

It is not a real recipe as such but more of a twist on a traditional apple crumble.

I am still picking Granny Smiths from the tree in the back yard and I think they are the best cooked texture for a crumble. I used raspberries from the freezer but I could just as easily used blueberries. If you are still using rhubarb from the garden, great, that will go well too.

pre-heat oven to 180C

For the crumble

5 Tabs butter

2 Tabs plain flour

5 Tabs brown sugar

1 Tabs oats optional

1 cup of salted cashew and macadamias (or use walnuts, almonds etc they all work great)

Rub the butter into the flour with fingertips till it is combined. It will be a bit more buttery that a traditional crumble mix. Add the sugar and oats chopped nuts. You should have a coarse crumby mix.

OR

Process in your food processor being careful not to over-combine.

Thermomix method - place 100g butter chopped and 50g flour and 100g brown sugar 20g oats (optional) and 150g nuts

Process on speed 4 for 4secs. Check mix and process another 2 secs if needed for coarse crumbly topping. Set aside.

For the base

6 large Granny Smith apples peeled and cored and cut into chunks

juice of one lemon

1 cup of raspberries (or blueberries or rhubarb cut into chunks)

Place the apples in a saucepan with about 80ml of water and lemon juice and cook gently till slightly softened but not collapsing or mushy. (Cook the rhubarb too if you are using it and you may want to add some sugar to taste but don't get too carried away - you want to be able to taste the rhubarb)

Thermomix method - Place apple in the thermomix with 80g of water and lemon juice

7-10min, Reverse, speed 1

In a buttered casserole/baking/pie dish

place the apple and berries

top with the crumble

Bake for about 20mins or till bubbling and slightly golden brown on top.

The butter and brown sugar cook and combine to create a caramel like flavour so you really cannot substitute and still get the same flavour. The fruit will have softened further, if you really like to bite into pieces do not pre-soften your fruit, simply place the chunks with a drizzle of juice and water straight into the baking dish. 

This should serve about 6 people or 4 if your helpings are large.

I serve with the Thermomix egg custard in the everyday cookbook but I use less flour so it's not so thick.

Ice-cream and cream are also winners.

As with any of these things and Murphy's Law, if you notice a mistake let me know so I can edit it. 

Autumn + Cider

Autumn 

revisiting the arboretum at Eugenana

Cider

brewed in the bottle from neighbouring orchards

a tasting and a cheese platter

a very Tasmanian experience

Happy Birthday Camilla

Straight To The Pool Room

Aren't these fabulous little retro salt and peppers and in their own little crate no less!

Some time ago, I got the MOST intriguing and surprising present in the post from a fellow blogger all the way on the other side of Australia. She had filled it with Tasmanian paraphernalia (girl you op shop too much or West Australians love to travel and souvenir!)

These are going "Straight to the pool room" 

(this is a saying from a cult Australiana film that is instantly recognisable and part of the vernacular of most Australians. It is from the movie "The Castle")

Let's see what else Kylie sent me...

A very flash red apron (true colour, I didn't saturate)

Most exciting - it even has a picture of the Launceston Town Hall on it!

A relic from the folk art period of the 1980s when if it didn't move it was painted with flowers. There is much speculation that this is actually turned from Huon Pine, a very precious and ancient timber from this region used particularly for ship building. There are a couple of men here dying to give it a sand....

But the piece de resistance....

...you don't know what you are looking at do you and I can imagine you are scratching your heads...

Here's a clue

That's right, she is an "Applefolk".

I remember seeing these down in the Huon Valley in old orchard country sold in souvenir shops. Kylie you might be amazed to read more about them here. 

The heads are carved from real apples and then left dry and "wizen". Mmmmm attractive hey but they are classified as a "doll" and "collectible".

Well Miss Violet Vintage Blue, I have been trying my hardest to reciprocate with some giggly Western Australian souvenir classics but so far nothing! Perhaps we Tasmanians don't as often make the trek to the other side! Or Kylie just has a much keener eye. She certainly has got an eye for detail and design and I love her blog. It's a mixture of home design/style/retro celebration and her cooking is hysterical! Trust me, she won't mind me saying that. 

Thanks Kylie xxx

These Are Going Straight To The Pool Room

End Of Summer - Arboretum

The Tasmanian arboretum

(botanical tree park) was started in 1984.

Lots of wildlife but you have to be quick for the native hens.

It's a slow business growing trees (Gondwanan section)

This is how weary shearers visit the arboretum!

Unlucky, no platypus.

However,

had THE best ice-creams locally made.

If you are down that way also stop in and visit Spreyton Cider. A new cider business providing lots more opportunities for the local apple orchards. They brew in the bottle.

Heritage Apples

Tasmania is also known as the "Apple Isle" because at one time it was one of the biggest apple producers of the world. Apples love our climate and there are many trees dotting the highways and country roads. Craig reckons he is responsible for a good proportion of these wild sown trees from the many cores he has tossed road side travelling in the bush. When he took gangs of workers out planting trees, it was a real highlight for the back-packers to be able to stop on the way home from work, pile out of the troopy and pick new seasons apples from road side trees. The varieties were always different and it was a boon to their meagre living.

Wychwood Gardens played host to Woodbridge Fruit Trees for a day of heritage apple tasting and the opportunity to pre-order varieties for winter bare root stock. 

Here are some of my picks....

St Edmunds Pippin ripening February to March 

Huonville Crab ripens April to May. Smallish but prolific fruit. Good for cooking too I suspect.

Cornish Aromatic ripens May-June. An intriguing flavour of vague "spice". A good eating apple.

Geeveston Fanny ripens March-April. Not too sweet not too sharp. They tell a good story about it here

Gaol Farm 6 was very similar to the Geeveston Fanny I thought and also a good eating apple.

The Burwood! What a massive apple! Commonly grows up to 700g and you would think with that size there would be compromise on flavour and texture. Not so! Fabulously crisp and refreshing with a lovely flavour. Suitable for espalier too. That's Craig's big hand there in the picture to give you an idea of size.

What about this massive one!

The colour of these Ribston Pippin which ripens Feb-March. Rich autumnal orange, gold and umbre. A very good eating apple.

The apple press was also a great attraction not just for people but also for the European Wasps looking for sweet pickings. In fact in many of the photos above it is a bit like "Where's Wally" because there is a wasp hidden in nearly every photo!

I certainly learnt a lot and came away really keen for some more apple trees round the place.

Don't you think this man looks the quintessential Tasmanian Apple Man? Certainly knew his stuff.

I certainly urge you to consider the benefits of heritage apples on dwarf root stock as these are easily espaliered (easier than it looks) around the average suburban home garden. 

I also urge you to keep your eyes peeled for apples on the by-ways and take a moment to pick some free produce ready in season now, but leave some for the birds too!

Autumn at Wychwood (Tasmania)

It's autumn in Tasmania and arguably the most beautiful time of the year here, 

and it doesn't get any more beautiful than Wychwood Gardens.

Or more autumnal.

We revisited the gardens at the weekend for a special heritage apple day.

A bonus was some luscious special interest cars also having a day out...

I found more to love and inspire at every turn.

Amazing apples tomorrow!