This is far more versatile than the usual horseradish sauce. Mix it with oil for a salad dressing, toss steamed vegetables in it or just use it as a sauce
2 cups grated horseradish root
1 cup grated raw beetroot
2 cups vinegar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 stick cinnamon
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cloves
Stir together the horseradish and beetroot and pack into sterilised glass jars.
Boil all other ingredients together stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Boil for 5 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and pout the liquid over the horseradish mix in the jars.
Seal and label.
Store in a dark place for 4 weeks before using.
Recipes
Culinary oils, vinegars and Mixes
A tasty oil to use for salads, on pasta or for cooking
6 fresh sage leaves
6 sprigs fresh basil
12 black peppercorns
300ml olive oil
Lightly bruise the herbs and crush the peppercorns. Place in a clean, sterilised jar and pour the oil over. Shake well. Store in a cool dark place for two weeks. Strain into a clean, sterilised bottle. You can add a new sprig of sage for decoration.
To have a better colour, but less flavour, remove from the heat after thickening and then add the flowers
250 g violet flowers
600ml boiling water
750g sugar
½ cup lemon juice
Boil the water, add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Add lemon juice and flowers and simmer until thickened.
Remove from heat and pour into small sterilised jars. Seal and label.
A marinade that’s perfect for fish, chicken, lamb and steaks
1 small clove garlic
1 handful fresh oregano leaves
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Juice of ½ lemon
10-
Mash the garlic in a pestle and mortar.
Add the oregano and olives and mash again. Then add the lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well.
Rub the marinade into the meat or fish and leave for at least 1 hour.
Grill without removing the marinade.
Index
This is a collection of all of those ‘extras’ that are needed to make a good meal. Here you will find salad dressings, marinades, herb mixes, herbal oils and vinegars and some jams and pickles.
Remember that some things can have multiple uses -
A butter or spread can also be used to grill or fry with; jams and pickles can be
added to an oil or vinegar and used as a dressing or marinade -
Oils & Vinegars
Marinades
Sauces
Dressings
Butters & Spreads
Pickles
Herb & Spice Mixes
Sugars
Jams
1 kg ripened sour figs
1 kg brown sugar
500 g raisins
2 oranges, peeled
juice of 2 lemons
Chop the orange peel, discarding the pulp. Cover peel, raisins and sour figs with 1 litre water for 2 hours. Boil in the water in which they were soaked. Add sugar and lemon juice and simmer until transparent and thick. This takes approximately 1 hour. A cup of chopped pecan nuts or walnuts can be added 5 minutes before the conserve is ready.
Bottle in hot, sterilized bottles, seal with wax paper soaked in brandy and screw the lids on firmly.
For best results use good quality ingredients
75ml white wine vinegar
20ml mustard
75g blue cheese
60 ml cream
250ml Olive or sunflower oil
Blend everything together and keep in the fridge until needed.
This dressing is delicious over salads, vegetables, chicken or fish
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Jalepenos seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic and chilli, cook over a low heat until soft. Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir for 2 minutes. Add parsley and black pepper and pour over the food while still hot.
500g dried sour figs
500g white sugar
1 litre water
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2cm piece of fresh ginger
1 tsp cloves
Soak the figs in water for 12 hours. Remove the hard part at the bottom.
Cover the fruit with water and boil until tender then drain.
Boil the sugar and water and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Add the fruit, lemon juice, ginger and cloves. Boil until the syrup becomes thick. Pour into sterilised jars. Seal and label
This marinade is excellent with chicken or pork, but can also be used with lamb or beef.
6 lavender flower stems (English)
2 tsp grated orange peel
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 tsp honey
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh thyme
Mix everything together and marinate meat for at least one hour before cooking.
2 cups fresh mint
1/2 cup olive oil (or safflower oil)
4 cloves garlic
Mix well in a
mortar or blender. Use as a baste for broiled or grilled lamb, or serve with lamb
patties
Wonderful for chicken, fish or pork. You can also use it for stir-
125ml Peanut Oil
125ml Olive Oil.
2 tsp. Brandy or cane
20-
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
Handful chopped basil
Place everything in a glass bottle, shake well to combine. Marinate for at least 2 hours before cooking
These make a good substitute for capers.
300ml white vinegar
15ml salt
3 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
225g nasturtium seeds
Put the vinegar, salt, peppercorns and salt in a pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the nasturtium seeds.
When cool bottle in sterile jars.
Mix together 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley, ½ cup butter, a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and pepper.
2 cups parsley, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
½ cup cream
1 cup cream cheese
2tbsp lemon juice
Salt & pepper
Mix everything together and season with salt & pepper
This can also be used in the kitchen, but it is also very good for acne. Apply to clean skin, preferably at night because of the smell.
Fill a glass jar with crushed whole garlic cloves. Bring apple cider vinegar to the boil and pour over the garlic. Seal the jar with the lid.
Leave for 1 week in a warm place. Strain and discard the garlic. Repeat the process with fresh garlic.
Strain through muslin cloth to make sure the vinegar is clear.
Pour into sterilised bottles and label
Recipes from: The Illustrated Herbal
Philippa Back
This can be used for cooking, as a salad dressing or for rubbing onto the chest for catarrh, asthma and coughs as it is a decongestant.
Fill a glass jar with crushed whole garlic cloves. Pour olive oil over the garlic, making sure there are no air bubbles. Cover with a muslin cloth or loosely with foil. Leave for 2 days in a warm place. Strain the oil into clean sterilised bottles and label.
This oil can also be thickened with beeswax to make an ointment for arthritic pain.
2 tsp lavender flowers 2 tsp thyme
2 tsp rosemary 1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp ground black pepper 2 tsp marjoram
3 tsp basil 1 tsp garlic
Mix together and store in an airtight container
These are truly delicious!
I had to use about 20 gherkins as they were very small. They can be served with cold meats and cheese. You can eat the leaves too.
10 fresh pickling cucumbers (gherkins)
60g dill stalks
7 fresh dill crowns
125g blackcurrant, oak or cherry leaves ( I used loganberry)
1 Tbsp fresh horseradish
1 tsp dill seeds
1 l water
125ml white vinegar
75g coarse salt
1 tsp white peppercorns (I used black which seemed fine)
1 fresh garlic clove
Wrap each cucumber in a blackcurrant leaf. Fit them into a 2 litre jar, putting horseradish, dill stalks and dill crowns or seeds in between.
Combine the water, vinegar, salt, peppercorns, garlic and 1 tsp dill seeds in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Simmer for 5 minutes and cool.
Pour the liquid over the cucumbers, they should be totally covered.
Store the bottle in a cool, dark place for 3 weeks before using.
They must be kept in the refrigerator after opening.
From Natural Cooking the Finnish Way
Ulla Kakonen (1
2Tbsp Fennel seed 2 Tbsp cumin seed
2 Tbsp Coriander seed 1 clove
½ Tbsp black peppercorns ¼ tsp salt
½ cinnamon stick 2 cardamom pods
½ tsp chilli powder
Crush everything together in a pestle & mortar. Store in an airtight container.
This is the real thing! Once you have made this you won’t want to buy the ready made stuff again.
Many recipes ask for green curry paste as an ingredients, but you can make a simple curry using the recipe at the end.
1 Tbsp coriander seed
2 tsp cumin seed
2 tsp dried shrimp paste
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp ground nutmeg
12 large green chillies
1 cup garlic chives 2 Tbsp sesame oil
4 stems lemon grass
10 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp coriander roots
2 tbsp coriander leaves
6 Kaffir lime leaves
2 tsp grated lime rind
2 tsp salt
Dry fry coriander and cumin seed for 2-
Wrap the shrimp paste in foil and grill for 3 minutes.
Place everything into a food processor and finely chop.
Keeps in the fridge for 3 weeks or can be frozen
Fry one chopped onion in a little oil. When it is soft add
2 -
Add 1 cup of the main ingredient (this can be de-
Stir well until everything is covered with the spices.
Fry for 3-
Add 1 tin coconut milk and stir well. (You can also use half stock and half coconut milk if you don’t want it so rich)
Simmer gently for 5 minutes and then taste and add more paste if needed
Cook for a further 5 -
Serve with a bowl of fluffy rice and chopped fresh coriander.
Barefoot Herbs
You need a lot of patience and nimble fingers to crystallised flowers. These frosted
violets are much easier, although they do not keep very well. They should be used
within 2-
Freshly picked violets
1 egg white
Caster sugar
Lightly whisk the egg white until it is white, but not stiff.
Carefully paint the petals on both sides with the egg white and then sprinkle liberally with caster sugar.
Gently shake to remove excess sugar.
Place on a tray and leave in a warm place to dry. It will take 1-
Store in an airtight container.
You can substitute other flowers, such as Sweet violet or lavender for a different taste
This is great to have on hand for quickly flavouring a mixture when making cakes, biscuits and puddings. It can also be sprinkled on custards, biscuits and sponge cakes.
Make the scented sugar by putting alternate layers of rose-
Violet Vinegar/ Salad Dressing
This is a very unusual, but pretty vinegar to make. It makes a lovely dressing for the milder salad leaves and also for chicory and fennel.
Vinegar: Pack a clean jar with flower petals, making sure you have removed all green and white parts. Cover with a good white wine vinegar. Seal and leave in a warm spot for 4 weeks, shaking occasionally. Strain into clean, sterilised bottles.
Dressing: Place 2 tsp white sugar, 1 garlic clove, 3 tbsp violet vinegar and 9 Tbsp oil in a screw top jar. Shake well before using.