         Early June is quiet and cold. Rain and wind shakes off what remains of the autumn leaves. I watch boys ride bikes around puddles and muddy their knees. Slowly, I clear out the garden of weeds and dead things, add to the bonfire pile and compost heap. Mulch the broccoli and leeks. Sow beans, peas, lettuce and carrot seeds. Prune the roses and the plum tree. I spy the green tips of bulbs emerging, hyacinth and daffodils. Inside the wood heater is kept stoked and warm. We mark off the days until the lockdown lifts, then the days until the school holidays, how long till spring begins. I bake often - for hunger and comfort, elevenses and afternoon tea. Winter is reading in bed with a hot water bottle on your chest and socks on your feet. Winter is slowing down whether you want to or not, feeling the cold and savouring heat //
Banana, Coconut + Raspberry Bread 125 butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar // OR 1 cup honey or maple syrup 2 ripe bananas 4 eggs 1/4 cup olive oil 3/4 cup rice flour + 3/4 tapioca starch // OR 1 + 1/2 cups GF plain flour mix 1/2 cup coconut flour // OR desiccated coconut for a rougher texture 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 2 teaspoons GF baking powder 1 cup frozen raspberries // OR berries of your choice // OR 100g chopped dark chocolate Makes 1 large loaf - - - In a large bowl or mixer cream together butter and sugar - followed by mashed bananas, eggs and olive oil. Mix in flours, spices and baking powder. It should be a thick batter consistency. Finally gently stir in raspberries. Pour mixture into a high-sided loaf tin that has been well-greased (or lined with baking paper - I usually just squash a rectangle of baking paper into the tin) and make in a moderate oven at 180'c for 45 mins - 1 hour. It will be ready once a skewer or knife inserted into the centre of the bread comes out clean. GF Anzacs with a twist 2 cups quinoa flakes 1 cup puffed amaranth 1 cup desiccated coconut zest of 1 orange 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup GF plain four // OR 1/2 cup each rice flour and tapioca starch 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup honey 200g butter 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda - - - Preheat moderate oven to 180'c. Place quinoa, amaranth, coconut, flour, zest, cinnamon, flour and brown sugar in a large bowl. Meanwhile heat the butter and honey in a saucepan over a low heat until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in bicarb soda (it will fizz up a bit) - tip wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Shape a heaped tablespoon of mixture into paper-lined oven trays (I ended up with four trays of cookies). Use a fork to flatten the tops and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden. Cool and store in an airtight container - they last ages!
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  Rhubarb + Strawberry Jam This is my favourite kind of jam. I love the sweetness and fragrance of the strawberries alongside the tart and distinctive flavour of the rhubarb. The rhubarb also helps to thicken the jam. 2 cups fresh rhubarb stalks, chopped in cubes 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, quartered 2 cups white sugar juice of one lemon In a medium-sized saucepan combine all the ingredients and stir on a low-heat until boiling. Pour into clean glass jars or container and store in the fridge.   The Whole Beet Dip
This is an absolutely delicious, earthy dip using the whole of the beet - root, stalk and leaves - and is a perfect accompaniment to meat like kangaroo or beef . It is also wonderful scooped up with crackers and carrot sticks. 1 large beetroot (leaves, stalks, root), washed thoroughly 1 garlic clove, minced olive oil handful flatleaf parsley, minced juice of 1 lemon 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup thick, unsweetened greek style yoghurt or labneh Peel and grate beetroot, chop finely leaves and stalks. In a small frying pan gently sauté beetroot with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once softened, add crushed garlic and continue to stir until completely cooked (you may need to add a little boiling water if it gets too dry). Set aside to cool in a mixing bowl. Add parsley, lemon juice, spice and sea salt. Using a stick blender - blend beetroot mixture until it resembles a paste. Stir in yoghurt and season with extra salt or lemon juice to taste. Serve in a bowl with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Should keep for up to a week in the fridge in a well sealed container (not that it will last that long!)   It really is! We are going through so many plums at the moment as we are getting them fresh in our CSA fruit box each week. There is nothing so nice as locally grown (without chemicals), seasonal fruit that tastes and feels as it should! This is my gluten-free adaptation of Stephanie Alexander's frangipane tart in her cookbook-to-rule-them-all, A Cook's Companion. She doesn't call for plums, but of course they work perfectly alongside almonds and the buttery shortbread base. It works just as well with nectarines, peaches, apricots, cherries, blackberries, strawberries, mulberries, raspberries, pears, poached quinces or apples or rhubarb. Basically most fruit!
Plum Frangipane Tart For the base: 200g plain gluten-free flour (or 100g each of rice flour + 100g tapioca/arrowroot starch or cornflour) 1 tablespoon sugar 100g cold butter, sliced into small cubes 1 small egg 2 teaspoons cold water Blend flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until crumbly. Add egg and water with the motor running and blend together until a dough forms. Roll out onto a piece of floured parchment paper (I might this minimises mess and stickiness). I do not bother chilling the dough as specified in the recipe - I simply roll out a disc shape to fit my pie dish which is about 22cm in diameter (with enough size to line the fluted sides). Instead of greasing and flouring the dish, I lift the dough with the baking parchment and place both of them in (the paper of course creating a barrier between the dough and dish). This ensures simple lifting out of the tart and cleaning of the dish. Feel free to grease if you prefer! Once dough is pressed into the dish, use a fork to mark a number of pricks on the base of the tart. Bake in a low-moderate oven (160'c) for 25 minutes or until lightly golden. Again I don't bother with weights or rice for the baking, the dough seems to keep it's shape well enough. For the frangipane: 150g white sugar 120g unsalted butter 200g ground almonds 2 eggs 1/4 cup brandy or similar (this really gives it a delicious something else, but can be omitted) ______ 1/4 cup flaked almonds 5 small-medium sized plums, pitted and halved or sliced into wedges. You may need more/less depending on the size of the plums to cover the surface of the tart. Cream together butter and sugar in a food processor. Add almonds, eggs and brandy if using and mix well. Spread over tart base and arrange pitted and sliced plums on top of the tart. Bake in the oven (180'c) for 20 minutes. Oven oven and pull out tart so you can scatter with flaked almonds and a tablespoon of white or raw sugar (you may omit this if you wish). Cook for a further 15 minutes (or until tart is golden brown and the centre feels springy to touch - the size of the plums and moisture in them may increase cooking time). Cool in the tin. Serve on it's own or with some double cream. Baking festive cookies to share with family and friends fills me with joy! Here are five of my favourite recipes which I have tinkered and adapted to be gluten free and coeliac friendly...  * “Bunsli” Swiss Chocolate Spice Cookies * The favourite. Hands down the best Christmas cookie! I like using ground hazelnuts instead of almonds in my Brunsli but you can use either or a combination of both. Nice dark chocolate and that hint of cinnamon and cloves makes them so special. You will need: 3/4 cups white crystallised sugar 1 pinch of salt 250g ground hazelnuts (you can also use almonds or a mix of both) 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoons of ground cloves 2 tablespoons flour (I use rice flour) 2 fresh egg whites (70g), lightly beaten until frothy 100g dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa -- 1/2 cup white sugar for rolling/dusting Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl beat egg whites with a fork until frothy but not stiff (you can also just shake them up in a jar with a lid until frothy) Add egg whites to dry ingredients and mix. Next melt dark chocolate and pour over other ingredients and mix well. Using clean hands knead dough into a ball. On a lightly “sugared” (more white sugar) surface roll out dough to 1cm thickness and cut into desired shapes – if your cookie cutter gets too sticky, rinse in warm water - I keep a bowl next to me for this purpose. You will also need to re-sugar the work surface. Arrange cookies on trays lined with baking paper and sprinkle with a little more sugar. Bake in a moderate oven (180’c) for 10 minutes (they will hardern as they cool down). Once cool, store cookies in an airtight container – they will last 3 weeks if stored like this. **I find rolling out the dough on a piece of baking paper prevents sticky dough clean up, and you can use it for baking the final batch of shapes on**  * Raspberry Marshmallows * Making your own marshmallows is fairly simple and satisfying: they are light and delicious! These ones include real raspberries which bring a gentle pink colour and flavour... You will need: 1/2 cup frozen or fresh raspberries 2 cups white sugar 2 tablespoons water 3 tablespoons powdered grass-fed beef gelatine 1/2 cup water Place raspberries, sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Stir every so often to make sure all the sugar dissolves and the raspberries break up. Meanwhile let the gelatine powder “bloom” by sprinkling it on top of the 1/2 cup water - I do this in a deep cooking pot or large mixing bowl. Once the raspberry sugar syrup is gently boiling pour slowly onto the gelatine - whole beginning to beat with an electric mixer on a low speed. Slowly increase speed to high and beat mixture until it becomes thick and glossy, the colour will lighten. It takes about 8-10 minutes. Spread marshmallow mixture into a baking paper lined tray and set in the fridge for an hour or two. Using a cookie cutter of your choosing press shapes out of the marshmallows and dust lightly with icing sugar and tapioca starch or cornflour. I make a mixture of 1 tablespoon or each. You can also use dedicated coconut. Store in an airtight container... You can use all the offcuts for homemade rocky road or chopped up in festive warm drinks  * Zimtsternes: Cinnamon Stars * I love to make are these cinnamon stars or “zimtsternes" as they are called in German. These are especially lovely with the addition of citrus zest and juice and ground cinnamon. Delicate, fragrant and spicy. They are often covered with white royal icing or meringue but I prefer them adorned simply with a thin brushing of egg white and a sprinkle of raw sugar... You will need: 250 grams or 2 cups ground almond meal 1 pinch sea salt 2 tablespoons rice flour + 2 tablespoons tapioca starch OR 4 tablespoons of GF plain flour 1 cup crystallised or raw sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons lemon or orange zest 2 tablespoons lemon or orange juice 2 fresh egg whites, beaten until frothy ------- 1 egg white, beaten and frothy, for brushing on top Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl beat egg whites until frothy but not stiff. Add egg whites to dry ingredients and mix. Next stir in citrus zest and juice. Using clean hands knead dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface (lightly sprinkled with crystallised sugar too) roll out dough to 1cm thickness and cut into desired shapes. Arrange cookies on trays lined with baking paper and air dry for 2-4 if possible before baking (I have skipped this step many times before and they have worked out fine). Preheat oven to 180'c, brush cookies with egg white and bake cookies for 10 - 15 minutes, careful not to brown them - they will harden as they cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a month.  * Gingerbread Angels * It’s no secret that I love gingerbread. I share this recipe every year for your gluten free gingerbread needs! The psyllium husks is an unusual addition I know, but it really helps bring a little elasticity to the dough without drying it out. For added zing stir in a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger into the dough. You will need: 60g butter 3/4 cup of honey or golden syrup 2 cups of GF plain flour (or 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/2 cup buckwheat flour + 1 cup tapioca starch) 1 teaspoon of baking powder 1 tablespoon of ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ground cloves + ground cardamon 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder 1 tablespoon psyllium husks 1 small egg Melt butter over low heat in medium sized saucepan, add honey or golden syrup and bring to a gentle boil, remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. Add sifted dry ingredients, psyllium husks, spices and a small egg, stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Cover pot and stand at room temperature for 1 hour. It will thicken considerably and become more “dough” like. Turn mixture on to surface which has been dusted with extra flour. Knead lightly, working in only enough flour until mixture loses its stickiness. I find rolling and cutting the dough on a piece of baking parchment/paper helps reduce stickiness. Roll dough to about 1/2 inch thickness and cut out shapes as desired. Decorate with dried fruit such as cherries, currants and citrus peel. Bake in moderate oven (180’c) for 8-10 minutes or until golden. They will harden as they cool. Recipe can be doubled.  * French Style Chocolate Hearts *
This recipe is adapted from a French Christmas biscuit magazine I bought while we lived there. It’s a simple shortbread that is sure to please chocolate loving friends and relatives - with both flecks of chocolate throughout the cookie and one side dipped in rich, dark chocolate. You will need: 2 cups GF plain flour (or 1 cup each rice flour and tapioca starch) 1 egg 1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles or chopped chocolate 180g butter 1 teaspoon vanilla essence pinch of salt 70g dark chocolate (70%) for melting In a large bowl combine the above ingredients (except dark chocolate for melting) and shape with your hands into a ball. You can use a food processor on a low speed if you rather. Wrap dough in foil or plastic-wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Meanwhile preheat oven to 180'c. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2 cm thickness and cut into hearts - arrange on baking-paper lined trays bake until golden for 10-15 minutes. Cool. Melt dark chocolate and taking each heart dip one side into the chocolate, letting any excess chocolate drip off - before placing back onto the baking-paper lined tray to dry. It should take about 1 hour or two for the chocolate to set.  This is a Christmassy twist on classic play-dough which includes cocoa, cinnamon and essential oils. You can even mix in a little gold or silver glitter. It makes a lovely, creative gift for young children in a container with a few cookie cutters, interesting rocks and gum nuts to play with. See instructions below for how to make baked salt-dough decorations with it which you can hang on your tree.
Festive Salt Dough You will need: - 1 3/4 cups plain flour + 1/4 cup cocoa powder - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon - 1 cup fine salt - 2 tbsp oil - 4 tbs cream of tartar - 2 cups water optional: add a few drops of essential oils such as sweet orange and clove Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until the mixture thickens and comes away from the sides of the pan. Tip out onto a clean plate and roll dough into a ball and let it cool before playing with it. ** You can make decorations with your salt dough by rolling it out flat, cutting out your desired shapes. Gentle poke a hole near the top of each shape (the end of a pen or pencil works well) - this hole will be what you can thread ribbon or string through so it can be hung up. Arrange your shapes on an oven tray, and bake for 15 minutes in a moderate oven at 180’c. They will harder as they cool. Once cold you can paint your decorations or brush with glue and glitter etc. Thread ribbon or strings through the holes and hang on your tree **  My second offering for celebrating Easter at home is to try making doughy garden scenes using homemade salt dough. Find the recipe below or use your own favourite recipe. Gather sticks, pebbles, flowers, nuts, seeds and stones from the garden to use in your scene.
You might like to make the garden where Jesus was buried in the tomb, using a big stone to roll over the entrance. Use your imagination and explore the different textures and patterns nature can make in the dough. Big kids will enjoy this too! You will need: 2 cups plain flour 1 cup fine salt 2 tbsp oil 4 tbs cream of tartar 2 cups water few drops food colouring (green, brown, grey, whatever you wish! Method: Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until the mixture thickens and comes away from the sides of the pan. Tip out onto a clean plate and roll dough into a ball and let it cool before playing with it.  My second offering for the Easter at home series is to try making these traditional sweet Easter buns – my version is not as sweet as the store-bought ones - I love to add extra peel and citrus zest but you can omit these if you wish. Gluten free of course! You will need: 1 cup warm milk (any kind will do) 1/2 cup rice sourdough starter OR extra 1/4 cup milk 1 1/2 tsp natural dried yeast 2 tablespoons sugar/ honey 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter 2 whole eggs 1/3 cup psyllium husks 1/2 rice flour 1/2 cup buckwheat flour 1/2 cup arrowroot/tapioca starch 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp ground ginger 3/4 cups soaked dried fruit of your choosing. zest and juice of 1 orange + 1 lemon Method: Whisk all of the above in a large bowl. Next add your flours, spices and fruit: Stir to combine - don’t over mix as this will compact the flours: it should look like a wet dough - the consistency of thick, lumpy soup. Cover bowl with a clean tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. When you come back to it the mixture should see former and more dough like. The psyllium husks help absorb the moisture without making it too dry. If it’s still “sloppy” add an extra 1/4 cup each of the flours mentioned above. Now, grease your hands with olive oil and scoop out a big heaped tablespoon of dough at a time - the oil on your hands will stop the dough sticking. Place balls close to each over on a baking tray lined with paper or dusted with GF flour. Once all the dough has been shaped into buns - cover them with a tea towel and let them sit to rise in a warm place. Next make your crosses by mixing together: 4 tablespoons plain GF flour (or 2 tablespoons each of rice flour and tapioca starch) 2 teaspoons of olive oil 2 tablespoons water Whisk together in a small bowl or jug. It should be a thin paste consistency. Add more flour or water as needed to achieve this. Scoop paste into a piping bag or a plastic zip lock bag (which you can easily snip the corner off). Pipe crosses onto each bun. Bake buns in a hot oven at 190-200’c for 15-25 minutes depending on the size of your buns. They should look golden in colour when baked. While the buns are hot - brush them with warmed marmalade/apricot jam or honey over the buns. You need about 3 tablespoons of jam for the lot - I find this is a wonderful way to use up the jam or marmalade nobody seems to be eating. These buns are best enjoyed warm! Eat then within 3 days or slice up and freeze for another time.
 Herbal Body Butter Lotion I may be biased but I really think this is the BEST all-purpose body lotion - it can be used all over your body, or as shaving cream or for nappy rash cream. It is thicker than most lotions thanks to beeswax and solid oils in it, and really moisturisers and protects dry hands and skin. You will never want to buy body lotion again! Best of all you can use YOUR preferred oils, with no nasty chemicals or preservatives. To make it you will need some basic equipment that you probably already have in your kitchen: a bar mixer, small saucepan, measuring jug and electric scales. It can be a little tricky to get the emulsion process to work properly - that is to introduce water molecules into the fats + oils so that they permanently change their structure (much like the process of making mayonnaise) so that the water and oil are evenly combined and can no longer separate. I find the emulsion works best when the water mixture and the oil-fat mixture are the same temperature before combing. You will need: 210g boiling water 2 tablespoons fresh herbs/flowers (lavender, chamomile, rosemary, mint, calendula) OR 2 herbal teabags 35g beeswax 85g solid oil such as lard, coconut oil, cocoa butter 170g liquid oil such as olive, sweet almond, argan, 40 drops essential oils of your choosing **fills two 250ml jars approximately** Method: Make a herbal infusion by bruising the leaves of your flowers/herbs in your hands or with the back of a knife. Place leaves in a mug or small pot. Pour over boiling water and allow it to steep until faintly warm. Strain the herbs/flowers out. Gently heat oils/fats/wax together until melted. Cool to room temperature. Slowly pour the infused water into the oil mixture, while beating with your bar mixer. Continue to agitate and beat up and down until the mixture is combined and thick. Spoon mixture into jars and containers. Store up to six months - you might like to store your lotion in the fridge over the summer months to prevent spoiling. Remember your lotion only contains natural preservatives (beeswax) so will not last like store-bought preservative rich lotions. Cocoa-butter and coconut oil are known for their anti-fungal properties and are a good addition to the solid fat component of the lotion. I find it is better to make a small amount and use it up quickly, than make too much that you can’t use quickly enough. I often halve the recipe above to make a smaller jar quantity or just give half away to a friend. Herbal lotion made in different seasons: I love that every batch is a little bit different...
 Quince is my favourite fruit, and to my utter delight we recently stumbled across an old fruiting quince on the farm! It is the epitome of autumn for me, I love the rich fragrance of the fruit and the way it changes from pale yellow to deep red when cooking. People often ask me what to cook with quinces aside from the obvious quince paste and stewed fruit. I actually love to eat it in savoury dishes such as Moroccan-style chicken tagine or simply quartered and popped in around a shoulder of lamb set to slow roast. It lends itself so well to meat, but then there is this recipe too: quince tarte tatin (upside down tart). It is not a super-sweet tart which I love, and the flavour of honey on the quinces and nuts in the pastry is especially delicious! And gluten free of course...
You will need: 4 medium sized quinces, peeled, cored and sliced about 2cm thick 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons honey For the pastry: 3/4 cup almond or hazelnut meal 1 cup plain GF flour (I use 50:50 rice and arrowroot flours) 1/4 cup sugar 100g cold butter 1 small egg Method: Combine flours, sugar, butter and egg in a food processor and blend until smooth and they form a ball of dough. If it’s too dry you can add a teaspoon of water / if it’s too wet add a tablespoon of flour and continue until you achieve the right consistency. Roll dough out onto a floured surface or a piece of baking paper and roll out into the shape of the pie dish or tin you will use. My dish is about 22cm wide. Set aside. In a frying pan melt honey and butter together until small bubbles begin to form. Lower the heat and gently sauté quince slices, turning them with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes or until they begin to soften. Place a circle of banking paper in your pie dish or tin: arrange quince slices on top and pour any remaining honey butter juices on top. Next gently ease your piece of pastry over the top tucking the edges down over the quince. Bake in a moderate oven 160’c for 45mins to 1hr - the pastry will look golden brown and the quince will begin to blush red around the sides. Invert the tart on a big plate or wooden board and enjoy warm or cool with cream, greek yoghurt, cheese or by itself... |
ABOUT the authorEmily Clare Sims is a farmer and mama to three young boys. Each day she looks for ways to notice beauty, contemplate her faith and savour the seasons... Categories
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