Garden Herbs and Herbaceous Leaves
What amazing weather we’ve had this past week on the North Coast, everything is going at full tilt and I’m keeping a close eye on all the plants in the garden and my foraging spots in the countryside. The leaves are coming thick and fast and my favourite, the hawthorn blossom, is about to burst into flower. The landscape is technicolour with bright blue skies, super green hedges and fields and turquoise sea. It gets me thinking about the places we should visit nearby in the coming weeks; Rathlin Island, Breen wood and Whitepark Bay are at the top of my list. I love to recommend days out for people who are visiting the area and am always suggesting places and things that I feel make days out more special and holidays more memorable.
There’s a running joke in my family that I am the organiser, the go-to for air bnb recommendations and there’s no doubt that having a bit of a plan is key for me. Of course, I love to go with the flow and explore the unexpected but the worst thing for me is the oncoming frustration of hunger and the ambiguity of where to eat. It is not always enough to rely on the recommendations of guidebooks or the vicious world of tripadvisor so planning for me is always done through peers, those who’ve visited the areas or have lived there, the insider knowledge! I guess I am quite picky when it comes to what I spend my money on foodwise; food is my life so it contributes massively to my happiness and enjoyment. A huge part of any trip or holiday is the food and Dara and I have planned many detours with the promise of cake or pizza for the kids! At the end of June we’re going to Scotland and I’d love to hear your recommendations for things to do and places to eat. We’re staying in Glencoe, then onto to Perthshire with a couple of days in the capital.
Planning can also mean meal planning for the week and I’m afraid I am not this sort of person; usually each night is like an episode of Ready Steady Cook as I stare into the fridge and larder wondering what the end result could be. I approach things in the bakery and at Ursa Minor Dinners the same way, I get the list of fresh produce from our amazing suppliers and then base the bake or the menu around it- this also will change daily depending on what I’ve grabbed from the hedgerows or garden. This gets massively easier as we get closer to the summer when a salad sandwich is the best thing you could eat (self-confessed sandwich Queen) and a choux bun with local berries and whipped cream is simple heaven.
The sage is looking perfect in the garden and inspired by the gorgeous Towpath Café in London I made some fried eggs with chilli sage butter for brunch. On the way home from school run I grabbed some three cornered leek and couldn’t help but pick a chive flower from the polytunnel for subtle oniony prettiness.
Sage and Chilli fried eggs; Serves 2
Eggs 2-4
75g butter
A handful of fresh sage
Tblsp Lemon Juice
Handful of three cornered leek chopped
Half tsp of chilli flakes
Salt and pepper
Bread vehicle of your choice- I had ciabatta
Melt the butter in a small pan over a medium heat, add the sage leaves and continue to cook until they are crisp, take off the heat and add the lemon juice, leeks, chilli and season. Fry your eggs (try and get a crispy bottom) then top your bread and pour the butter over the top. You might have leftover butter, in which case make the same brunch tomorrow or stir through pasta. I’ve put the rest into a naan bread mix for tonight.
We’ve been lucky enough to host a wonderful woman this week on a work placement at the bakery and it’s been a lovely experience. I love teaching and talking about my approach to baking, but I also enjoy learning from others and Rachel had loads of great recipes and flavour combinations to share. Rachel has her own business called The Potting Shed Bakery in Suffolk and specialises in tarts; on her last shift she made a beautiful little tart using our spelt pastry, her zingy lemon curd and topped with a blackcurrant leaf Swiss meringue. A perfect little transition season mouthful. We visited my neighbours walled garden to collect the first of these gorgeous herbaceous leaves which I love to incorporate into bakes. I commented to Rachel that we’d be picking elderflower next, and she rightly reminded me not to wish the seasons away! It’s hard to appreciate the right here and now but spring is special time. If you are lucky enough to have access to the leaves, pick some and blitz with caster sugar to create a beautiful, scented sugar then use in whatever you fancy.
Here's a suggestion for sable shortbread to enjoy this fleeting moment of now!
Makes around 20 small biscuits
30g oats
Handful of fresh blackcurrant leaves
80g icing sugar
220g plain flour
Pinch salt
120g cold butter
1 egg
This is easiest on a food processor. First you need to blitz (use the pulse button) the leaves and oats together until they’ve broken down but still with a little texture and flecks of green.
Add all the rest of the ingredients except the egg and pulse until a sandy texture, add the egg and briefly pulse then remove and quickly bring together on a worktop, roll out to around 1cm thickness between 2 sheets of greaseproof. Chill for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees and cut out shapes. I love these long fingers! Bake for 12-15 minutes depending on the size and thickness.
I made a quick sorrel and blackcurrant leaf icing.
Really liked the egg & sage recipe. Must remember to nip out into the garden for some sage the next time I’m cooking eggs for breakfast