Our week that was: Gardens & nature

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There’s been so much rain around in the past week, but we’ve been lucky enough to have a couple of well-timed windows of sunshine. My local branch of the Women’s Institute has had another outdoor visit in the diary for a while, and it proved to be anything but a washout. I’ve popped out into the garden – between showers – to pick sweet pea flowers and fig leaves. Ditto to take the dog for a walk; alas, we did manage to get soaked on a couple of occasions!

Trawsgoed Mansion

Grounds to the front of Trawsgoed Mansion
Grounds to the front of Trawsgoed Mansion

Trawsgoed Mansion tennis court changing room Trawsgoed Mansion tennis court changing room
Steps in the garden of Trawsgoed Mansion Statue in the garden of Trawsgoed Mansion

This week, my WI had a visit to the garden at the nearby Trawsgoed Mansion. We felt privileged to be invited (the owner is a friend of one of the members) to have a look around such a wonderful and historically important place. The mansion (and its grounds) is currently for sale – it really needs a buyer who’s willing and able to restore it to its former glory – there’s so much potential!

Butterflies


Buddleia is at its peak at the moment, and my little video clip and photos show why it’s referred to as the ‘butterfly bush’. This particular buddleia shrub grows out in the wild on one of my dog-walking routes and was literally abuzz with all kinds of butterflies, bees and other insects. A few of them managed to stay still long enough for me to capture their beauty!

Painted lady butterfly Butterflies on buddleia Peacock butterfly

Fig syrup

Home-made fig syrup

We’re lucky enough to have three small fig trees in our garden, one of which should give us a crop of about a dozen fruits this year. The long hot spell really suited them this year!

I picked about half a dozen of the younger leaves to make some fig syrup. I’ve not tasted it before; apparently, it’s meant to have a flavour reminiscent of coconut and vanilla. I’ve never made it before, either, so I only made a small batch in case I don’t like it. I’ll let you know what I think next week. I’m planning to use it as a cordial with fizzy water and as an alternative to maple syrup on pancakes and waffles. Here’s the recipe in case you want to try it yourself:

Home-made fig syrup

Fig syrup

Course Condiment

Ingredients
  

  • 250 g granulated sugar
  • 250 ml boiling water
  • ½ tsp citric acid
  • 6 small fig leaves washed & patted dry

Instructions
 

  • Push the washed & dried fig leaves into the bottom of a sterilised glass jar
  • Put the sugar into a measuring jug and pour over the boiling water. Stir to dissolve completely
  • Add the citric acid and stir again until dissolved
  • Carefully pour the boiling syrup over the fig leaves in the jar. Immediately fasten the lid/stopper and give the contents a gentle swirl
  • Leave to steep for at least 24 hours and up to a week
  • Remove the leaves and discard
  • Reseal the jar or decant into a sterilised bottle, refrigerate and use the syrup within a month
Keyword figs, syrup

Cakes & Bakes: Honey-roasted fig & marzipan tart

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Home-made honey-roasted fig & marzipan tart

We have some friends that live nearby who are having their kitchen renovated. For the next few weeks, all they’ll have to cook on is a single-burner camping stove.

Honey-roasted fig & marzipan tart ingredients

We’ve been in the exact same position in the past – it’s such a drag! We invited them round to ours for dinner tonight so we thought we’d cook them something that they can’t currently make at home.

Glazed figs before being put in the oven to roast

Justin’s making the main course – chicken breasts filled with a fennel, pastrami and chicken mousse with a spinach and pine nut lasagne – and I’m making the dessert.

Honey-roasted fig & marzipan tart before going into the oven

In keeping with the loosely Mediterranean theme, I’ve cooked a honey-roasted fig & marzipan tart. You can buy ready-made shortcrust pastry to make the base, but it’s really easy to make yourself at home – a simple 2-minute job… honest!

Honey-roasted fig & marzipan tart before going into the oven

I’ve not made this tart before – I hope it’s a hit with everyone tonight!

Home-made honey roasted fig & marzipan tart

Honey-roasted fig & marzipan tart

BBC Good Food Magazine
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas mark 6
  • Grease a shallow, loose-bottomed 20cm flan tin
  • Roll out the pastry on a lightly-floured work surface
  • Line the tin, carefully pushing it into the base & sides and making sure the pastry comes above the rim. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
  • In the meantime, halve the figs lengthways and put them cut side up on a roasting tray
  • In a small measuring jug, combine the lemon juice and honey before pouring the liquid over the figs
  • Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes until just soft
  • Drain off the juice (if any) and reserve
  • Remove the pastry case from the fridge and prick the base all over with a fork, line with a circle of greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes
  • Remove the paper & beans and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the pastry is golden
  • Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 150ºC/300ºF/Gas mark 2 Leave the pastry case to cool slightly before filling
  • In a food processor or using an electric beater, cream the butter and sugar until smooth & pale
  • Add the ground almonds and whiz briefly to combine
  • Add the egg yolk and 1 tbsp of the reserved fig juice and whiz again until smooth
  • Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the marzipan evenly over the pastry case base
  • Gently press the figs, cut side up, into the almond mixture
  • Bake for 1¼ hours or until the top turns golden all over
  • Leave in the tin for 15 minutes before removing sides and transfer to a wire rack to cool
  • Serve cool or cold with crème fraîche or clotted cream
Keyword figs, fruit tart, marzipan, tart

Cakes & Bakes: Hazelnut fig frangipane cake

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Home-made hazelnut and fig frangipane cake | H is for Home #recipe #cake
When this image of Domestic Sluttery’s delicious looking Hazelnut fig frangipane cake appeared on Facebook, I immediately pinned it to our Cake! Pinterest board.

Justin loves frangipane and I’ve never used it in a recipe before. The idea of frangipane, figs and runny honey… in a cake… IRRESISTABLE!

We happened to already have all the ingredients in the store cupboard. We used soft dried figs instead of fresh or tinned as the original recipe calls for – they worked a treat!

Home-made hazelnut and fig frangipane cake | H is for Home #recipe #cake

Hazelnut and fig frangipane cake

Ingredients
  

  • for the cake
  • 100 g hazelnuts
  • 140 g butter softened
  • 140 g golden caster sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 60 g ground almonds
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ nutmeg finely grated
  • 60 g self raising flour
  • 6 soft dried figs
  • for the syrup
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp hot water
  • Icing sugar and a few rough chopped hazelnuts to decorate (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 160ºC /325ºF/Gas mark 3
  • Put the hazelnuts in a dry, heavy-bottomed saucepan and set over a medium heat to toast for around 5 minutes, shaking every so often to make sure they don't burn
  • Tip out onto a clean tea towel and rub vigorously to remove the skins
  • Using a mini food processor or similar, finely grind the hazelnuts and set aside
  • Cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy
  • In a small measuring jug, gently whisk the eggs before adding them to the butter & sugar in three stages, mixing after each addition
  • Add the ground hazelnuts, almonds, vanilla and grated nutmeg
  • Gently fold in the flour until just combined
  • Spoon the mixture into the greased cake tin and level out with a spatula
  • With a pair of scissors, remove the hard stalk from the figs and press each gently into the mixture
  • Sprinkle the top of the cake with a little caster sugar
  • Bake for 40 minutes until a skewer inserted comes away clean
  • Cool in the tin on a wire rack for a few minutes
  • Dilute the honey with the teaspoon of hot water
  • Poke a few holes in the cake whilst it's still warm and spoon over the syrup evenly over the top
  • Remove from the tin, dust with icing sugar and a few chopped, toasted hazelnuts and serve warm with mascarpone or Greek yoghurt and a nice cup of tea!

Cakes & Bakes: Fig, walnut and blue cheese loaf

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sliced fig, walnut and blue cheese loaf

It’s been a while since I shared a bread recipe – this one is for a fig, walnut and blue cheese loaf. It’s a recipe I devised myself and the resulting loaf is a great accompaniment to a cheese board or ploughman’s lunch.

Cakes & Bakes: Fig, walnut and blue cheese loaf

Servings 1 x 1kg loaf

Ingredients
  

  • 175 g/6oz sourdough starter recently refreshed
  • 250 g/9oz tepid water
  • 325 g/11½oz strong white flour
  • 75 g/2½oz wholemeal flour
  • 125 g/4½oz figs chopped
  • 50 g/1¾oz chopped walnuts
  • 5 g/1tsp sea salt
  • 50 g/1¾oz blue cheese cubed (something like a Dolcelatte, Gorgonzola or Roquefort)

Instructions
 

  • Mix the starter and water in a large mixing bowl
  • Add the white and wholemeal flours and combine until there are no lumps
  • Fold in the figs, walnuts and sea salt until mixed evenly throughout the dough
  • In the bowl, knead the dough gently for 10 seconds
  • Leave to rest for 10 minutes
  • Repeat this kneading & resting process another 3 times
  • Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or cling film and leave the dough in a warm place to prove for an hour and a half to 2 hours
  • Knock back and fold in the cubed blue cheese until mixed evenly throughout the dough
  • Shape the dough into an oblong and put it into a 1kg-size banneton
  • Cover and allow to prove in a warm place for 3-4 hours (I put my banneton into a large plastic bag which I reuse again & again, but you can get special elasticated, washable banneton covers)
  • 20 minutes prior putting the loaf in to bake, preheat the oven to 240ºC/475ºF/Gas mark 9
  • Put an empty, shallow baking tin onto the bottom shelf of the oven
  • Fill a cup with water and leave on the side near the oven until you're ready to bake the loaf
  • When proved, turn the loaf out gently onto a large greased baking tray
  • Carefully score the top with a few diagonal cuts using a serrated knife or lame
  • Put the loaf on the top shelf of the oven and carefully pour the cup of water into the baking tray on the lower shelf before closing the oven door
  • After 10 minutes, turn the oven temperature down to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas mark 6
  • Bake the loaf for a further 20-25 minutes
  • Check that it's done by tapping the underside of the loaf - it should sound hollow
  • If not, turn the oven off and leave the loaf in for another 5 minutes
  • Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to cool on a large wire rack for at least 45 minutes before eating

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