Spiced Summer Berry Compote

One of my favourite things about late summer is the abundance of summer berries . . .

There's still the odd strawberry hanging about, but in truth they're mostly gone by now, but the shop shelves are now filled with beautiful Scottish and British Raspberries . . .







Lovely Blackberries from Kent . . . the hedgerows are beginning to fill up with them as well . . .

Beautiful plump Blueberries from Devon . . .







Oh such a lovely lot of berries . . . sweet and delicious and perfect for light desserts and sauces.

Beautiful desserts such as this spiced berry compote. Delicious in it's own right . . .







but equally as scrummy spooned warm over vanilla ice cream . . . the warm juices trickling down the cool vanilla mountain and mingling with it's sweet milkyness . . .







Or served cold in a bowl and topped with a dollop of softly whipped cream . . . perfect foil for it's heady richness and beautiful colours . . .

or . . . and this is the creme de la creme . . . spooned onto the bottom of a buttery fruit scone and topped with tasty dollop of Clotted Cream a la creme tea!







And . . . why not! mmm . . . mmm . . . mmm . . .







*Spiced Summer Berry Compote*

Serves 6

Printable Recipe



Rich and heady. Beautifully coloured. Simple. Perfect with some cold ice cream, vanilla of course!



400g of fruit (a generous pound) blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, loganberries, tayberries etc.

(I use about half blueberries)

4 TBS caster sugar

3 TBS spiced berry squash drink mix, undiluted (can use a fruit flavoured liqueur such as framboise)



Put half of the berries (blueberries) into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Sprinkle with the sugar and the berry squash drink mix. Slowly bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer just to the point where the berries seem about to burst. Remove from the heat. Stir in the raspberries, blackberries and any other fruit you are using.



Serve warm in glasses or small bowls, or spooned over ice cream.



Delicious also spooned between fruited scones along with a nice dollop of clotted cream. The ultimate in a cream tea!

The Best Carrot Salad

I sure hope you aren't tired of salad yet, because I have one more easy and delicious salad to show you here today . . . then I promise to give them a rest for a few days at least!

We love carrots in this house and in fact are growing and enjoying our very own carrots from the garden at the moment. I have never been overly fond of frozen carrots and so I have been using them up in any way that I can so, that they won't go to waste.



As you can imagine there have been some lovely carrot cakes, loaves and muffins . . . and yes, we've enjoyed them steamed and buttered with our suppers, and mixed with some of those lovely peas and mint we are also growing.

But carrots are not just for cakes, puddings and to be eaten as a cooked vegetable. They also make pretty delicious salads as well! (Yes, all of those coloured bits are links to my recipes for those particular things!)



We've been enjoying this particular salad for a couple of days now. It's one of those salads that kind of just taste better and better as the days go along and it marinates just that little bit more.



Crunchy and filled with lovely flavours, kind of sweet and sour, with a hint of spice and some chewy sweetness from the dried fruit. This delightful salad pleases on a lot of levels.



You don't have to add the coconut if you don't want to. I decided to add it at the last minute and we enjoyed the results.



This goes fabulously with grilled meats, chicken and even fish. I do hope you'll give it a try . . . and I promise to have something a bit more exciting for you to look at tomorrow than a salad. Cross my ♥! (Chocolate comes to mind, but that's just a hint. I'm being cheeky I know!)



*Carrot Salad*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Refreshingly light, with a sweet and sour tang.

3 large carrots, peeled and grated
2 spring onions, finely chopped
a small handful of flat leaf parsley, chipped
a large handful of mixed fruit (raisins, currants, chopped peel, etc.)
a handful of flaked coconut
3 TBS vegetable oil
2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and black pepper to taste.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
This will keep for several days, covered, in the refrigerator.

The Dog Days of Summer and a Tasty Salad Roundup

Well, here we are in the Dog Days of Summer and the temperatures are soaring and not a lot of cooking is going on in the kitchen. We are opting for cool and quick . . . summery flavours and textures, refreshing and healthy and quick to prepare, leaving us with more time to be out in the garden enjoying the sunshine!

I thought it would be fun today to show you some of my favourites that I like to prepare in the summer months. Here are my top ten! I hope you enjoy. If you click on the title of each it will take you to the original post and the recipes! Happy August Everyone!

(All my salad recipes that I have ever posted can be found HERE.)




Summer Fruit Salad

A tasty bowl of stone fruits and summer berries, lightly dresssed with mint, honey and fresh orange juice. Can you say REFRESHING?



Beetroot Summer Salad Bowl

A delicious supper salad of baby peas, little gems, cooked beetroot and ham with a tangy yoghurt and horseradish dressing!



Three Grain Salad

A hearty side dish salad filled with all the goodness of chopped apple, raisins, toasted walnuts, wheatberries, barley and rice with a warmy spiced honey dressing. Deliciously different!



Broccoli Delight Salad

Everyone's favourite, with broccoli, red onion, toasted nuts, and raisins in a delish sweet and sour buttermilk dressing!



Turkey Cobb Salad

A tasty combination of roasted turkey bits, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, bacon and blue cheese in a tangy and flavourful dressing. A meal in a bowl.



Corn and Bean Salad

A little bit different than your usual bean salad, with chickpeas, cannelini beans, tomatoes, corn, courgettes, spring onions and peppers in a deliciously tangy Yoghurt, Lime and Coriander Dressing!



Chicken Salad

A tasty version of chicken salad with mostarda di fruitta, spring onions, toasted pecans, celery and chicken! (Of course!)



A Salad of Cherry Tomatoes and Olives

Cherry tomatoes, green and black olives in an herby Balsamic Dressing. Oh so delicious!



Warm Potato, Olive and Green Bean Salad

Baby new potatoes, plum tomatoes, olives, fresh green beans, red onions and rocket in a tangy Balsamic dressing and topped with grated Parmesan!



Moroccan Carrot Salad with Green Olives and Mint

A real winner with the fresh Middle Eastern Flavours of mint, harissa, coriander, cumin . . . warm and inviting and deliciously different!

Blueberry Bliss

I've been collecting the Waitrose Recipe Cards for years now. Every month they used to put new ones out and I would dutifully collect the ones that looked delicious to me. Sadly, since I moved up to Chester I've not been able to collect any more, but every once in a while I go through the ones I have and make one of them.



I am never disappointed. Never. They always live up to their promise and we are always delighted with the results.



Today I had some blueberries I wanted to use. I had picked this card out of my Waitrose File a week or so ago, and put it in my to make soon file. It's from May 2004, but is just the perfect dessert for August!!



Back home the wild blueberries would be ripening in August and August is when I get to craving those little blue beauties. This recipe is a glorious blue variation along the traditions of Eaton Mess . . . except it used blueberries, and lemon curd yoghurt.



♥ S-C-R-U-M-M-Y ♥ doesn't even begin to describe how wonderful this is!! You truly MUST make it and soon! You won't be sorry you did. It's light and lemony and blueberry-ee and just wonderful!



Oh, and did I forget to mention it's easy peasy lemon squeasy??? Well, it is! Welcome to August!!



*Blueberry Bliss*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A blueberry version of a traditional Eaton Mess, using blueberries, lemon curd yoghurt, whipped cream and meringues. Oh yes . . . some good!

250g of blueberries, washed (2 cups)
1 TBS sugar
4 TBS cold water
142ml of double cream (1/3 cup whipping cream)
2 X 150g pots of Lemon Curd Yoghurt dessert (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 TBS icing sugar, sifted
2 meringue nests roughly broken into chunks

Place half of the blueberries into a saucepan with the sugar and cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the berries begin to break down. Remove from the heat and press through a sieve into a bowl to make a glossy blueberry coulis. Set aside to cool.

Whip the cream in a bowl until it JUST begins to thicken. (Don't overwhip please.) Carefully fold in the lemon yoghurts, icing sugar and meringues along with the whole blueberries that are left., reserving a couple for a garnish.

Spoon a third of the cream mixture into a large serving dish, or 4 individual serving dishes. Drizzle with a TBS of the coulis. Repeat this twice, finishing with a final layer of the cream Decorate with the reserved berries and some more coulis. Serve immediately.

Pork, Bacon and Sage Escalopes

I have had this recipe kicking around my recipe files for several years now. It comes from a little booklet that I picked up at our local Waitrose when we were living down South in Kent.



It's entitled Essential Summer, Waitrose Seasons Cookbook 2009. I always love the Waitrose recipes. They are usually very, very good.



Actually I really miss Waitrose up here in Chester. The food they sold was always of exceptional quality. It may have cost a bit more, but I never ended up having to throw any of it away. Today alone I had to throw away a packet of spring onions and half a cucumber. I only bought them on Friday. I won't say where . . . unfortunately they had already turned, in just 3 days. That shouldn't happen, but it happens all too often. It's a disgrace!



Anyways, back to the recipe. Delicious pork loin steaks, cut in half and pounded until thin . . . wrapped in bacon strips, with some sage leaves tucked in . . . brushed with a grainy mustard oil and then grilled on the barbeque until scrummy delicious.

Served up with a moreish honey and grainy mustard dressing, they were fabulous!




*Pork, Bacon and Sage Escalopes*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Delicious pork cutlets, flavoured with sage, wrapped in bacon, brushed with a mustard flavoured oil and grilled until scrum yum delicious!

3 thin pork loin steaks (about 1 pound in total) (Preferably free range, organic)
6 rashers of thin cut smoked streaky bacon (dry cure)
14 large sage leaves
4 tsp grainy mustard
1 TBS clear honey
4 TBS mild olive oil
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Prepare and light the grill. Cut the pork loin steaks in half, then pound them lightly between two sheets of clingfilm until they are about 1/4 inch thick with a rolling pin, taking care not to tear the meat.

Wrap a rasher of bacon around each piece of meat, tucking in two sage leaves and securing the bacon and sage leaves in place with wooden picks. Place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the oil and dressing.

Whisk together 2 tsp of the mustard, along with the honey, 2 TBS of the oil, the white wine vinegar and the Worcestershire Sauce. Set aside for the dressing.

Whisk together the remaining oil and mustard. Finely chop the remaining sage leaves and stir in. This will be used for basting the pork while you are cooking it.

Cook the meat on the barbeque for approximately 3 to 5 minutes per side, basting with the mustard oil mixture, until the juices run clear. Serve hot with some of the mustard honey dressing spooned over top.

Note: To cook indoors, grill in a hot skillet, gently frying on both sides for about 3 to 4 minutes per side and brushing with the mustard flavoured oil.

Berry Custard Pie

One day a few weeks back I was talking to my mother on the phone and somehow the conversation got around to pies, as they do . . . ☺



My mother always made the best pies going. When pie was on the menu, everyone in our family was a happy camper . . . and it didn't matter if it was a sweet pie or a savoury pie. All her pies were great!!



When I was 13, she had to go away for a weekend and she left me in charge of the kitchen. I had to do all the meals which was no problem. She had left a homemade Turkey Pot Pie for one of the meals. I thought I had divided it up equally amongst everyone . . . but I was accused of having taken the largest piece for myself, which I strongly denied, but which in retrospect I probably did! Isn't that the cooks prerogative??? (I was doing all the work, even if it was only heating it up and cutting it into servings!!!)



Anyways, back to our conversation and pies . . . we got to talking about blueberry pies. When I first moved over here to the UK, you could not find a blueberry for love nor money. Having grown up with an abundance of wild blueberries, they were something that I really, really missed over here. I was so happy when they started to appear in the shops. They may not be wild and they may come mostly from Poland (although more and more are being grown here), but I just love them, and they are so good for you!



My mom was saying that her mother (my grandmother) always used to make the custard variety of blueberry pie and I was intrigued when I thought about it afterwards . . . how delicious it sounded . . . blueberry custard pie . . . wowser, wowser!



I've been thinking about it ever since and today I came up with this tasty little gem. You don't have to use blueberries with it . . . you could use just about any type of berry you want, or a combination of several different types. Blueberries were what I had today though, and Blueberry Custard Pie was what I was dreaming of, and so that is what I made, in honor of my dear late grandmother.



It was fabulous! I think I have found a new ♥ favourite ♥ kind of blueberry pie! It may even become your ♥ favourite ♥ kind of blueberry pie. You never know! (Ice cream would go very well with this, but I didn't have any . . . sigh . . . )



*Berry Custard Pie*Makes one 9 inch pie
Printable Recipe

A delicious berry pie layered with berries, custard and a vanilla streusel on top!

You will need:
your favourite pastry recipe to line one 9 inch glass pie dish

For the Filling:
1 oz plain flour (1/4 cup)
10 ounces sugar (1 1/2 cup)
450g of berries (blueberries, raspberries, currants) about 3 cups
2 large free range eggs, beaten lightly
170g tin of evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed) (6 fluid ounces)
1/2 tsp vanilla

For the Streusel:
1.5 ounces of plain flour (1/3 cup flour)
3.5 ounces sugar (1/2 cup)
2 ounces butter, cut into bits (1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a 9 inch glass pie dish with your pastry, trimming and crimping the edges to please.

Put the berries into the crust. Whisk together the flour and sugar for the filling to mix. Sprinkle this evenly over the berries, stirring them up a bit to mix. Beat together the eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla. Pour this evenly over top of the berries and flour mixture.

Rub the streusel ingredients together until they resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the berry filling.

Bake for about 1 hour in the heated oven until the pie is golden brown and set and the crust is nicely crisped.

Allow to cool at least two hours before serving. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Grilled Chicken with a Summer Berry Salsa

I am just loving summer with all of it's fresh fruit and vegetables! It is by far and away the best time of year for fruit and veg just packed with flavour!



The supermarket shelves (not to mention my garden) are a dancing parade of delicious colour and taste, and I am love, love, lovin' every moment of it!



I especially love the abundance of fresh berries! Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, red and black currants, gooseberries, . . . oh so lovely. And the stone fruit . . . English cherries, early plums, apricots and fresh peaches from the continent . . . oh so yummy!



There is so very much you can do with them and we have been enjoying our fair share of them fresh and eaten out of hand and then in some pretty scrummy desserts . . . but you know what?



They just aren't for dessert! They also make lovely fruity salsa's that are just perfect with grilled chicken, lamb and pork.



Today I did some lovely grilled chicken breasts, all moist tender and flavourful . . . accompanied by a fruity yet zesty fresh berry salsa.



Each mouthful was a delight . . . the berries sweet and yet at the same time tangy from the lime juice and a bit salty from the salt and the pepper, chili and cilantro gave it a nice zip! And let's not forget the rich creaminess from the avocado!



All in all a truly wonderful combination that I hope you will want to try out for yourself! (I am thinking it would also be wonderful in a wrap with either sliced roast turkey or chicken, and perhaps a gutsy lettuce like Baby Gems or even rocket.) Watch this space!

This is light, fresh, colourful and delicious!



*Grilled Chicken with a Summer Berry Salsa*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Berries aren't just for dessert! Moist tender chicken with a delicious berry salsa that has a bit of a bite!

3 TBS olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
the juice and zest of one unwaxed lime
100g of fresh strawberries, roughly chopped (6 large berries)
100g of fresh blueberries (about 3/4 cup)
100g of fresh raspberries (23 raspberries)
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped (do be careful not to touch your nose, face or eyes when
working with fresh chilies)
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 ripe avocado, skinned and diced
20g of fresh coriander leaves, chopped (Cilantro) (a handful, leaves only, discard stems)

Heat a griddle to medium heat. Brush 2 TBS olive oil over the butterflied chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on the heated griddle, turning halfway through the cooking time, until cooked through and the juices run clear. (4 to 5 minutes per side.)

While the chicken is cooking, whisk the remaining oil with the lime juice and zest. Season to taste with some salt and pepper.

Put the berries into a bowl. Add the dressing along with the onion, chili, avocado and coriander. Toss gently together.

Serve the griddled chicken with the berry salsa spooned over top. Serve immediately.