Welcome to my blog all about the things I love to grow and cook. You'll find a collection of seasonal gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan-friendly recipe posts, as well as a round up of my gardening throughout the year. I wish you good reading, happy cooking and perfect planting!
Bean salad flavoured with almond and poppy seed pesto. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
Hello there. I hope you are enjoying some good weather this season. It’s been very hot here in the UK again, and so salads are very much still on my daily menu. To follow on from my post last month which you can read here , I have another recipe which can help towards increasing your calcium levels if you are on a gluten-free, dairy-free and/or vegan diet.
Gorgeous greenhouse green beans. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Summery greenhouse basil. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
It’s been a bumper season for the green (French) beans (Cobra variety) in my greenhouse. The vines have been producing an abundance of beans for several weeks now, and the basil plant loves all the heat and sunshine as well. To my delight, I discovered that both green beans and basil offer useful amounts of calcium, and that’s how my recipe this month began.
Combined with some other calcium-rich ingredients, this tasty salad is delicious on its own or as a side dish. The table below gives you a breakdown of which ingredients contain the most calcium so that you can make up your own combinations.
Rocket
216mg calcium/100g
Baby spinach
119mg calcium/100g
Cooked cannellini beans
93mg calcium/100g
Cooked green beans
61mg calcium/100g
Green olives
61mg calcium/100g
Fresh basil
250mg calcium/100g
Whole almonds
269mg calcium/100g
Poppy seeds
1580mg calcium/100g
Garlic
19mg calcium/100g
Source: McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods
For the pesto, put 20g fresh basil in a food processor with a peeled garlic clove and add 50g roughly chopped whole almonds, 20g poppy seeds and some salt. Pour over 60ml extra virgin olive oil and blitz until smooth.
Making almond and poppy seed pesto. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
For the salad, I combined 240g canned cannellini beans with 100g chopped cooked green beans and half the pesto sauce above. I lined a salad bowl with 40g wild rocket and 20g baby spinach and piled the bean mixture on top. Serve with 100g pitted green olives and extra basil leaves, with the remaining pesto on the side.
Assembling the salad. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
The salad serves 4, and each portion will provide 238mg calcium and 330 calories.
That’s me for another month. Hope to see you again soon. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Hello there. What a glorious month to be outside in the garden. All the fine weather we had back in the spring has produced some fine garden blooms this year. Fortunately we have had some rain to revive everything and currently Mother Nature is providing us with a good balance of sunshine and showers which is helping keep everything fresh. The bank of blue geraniums and yellow day lilies is one of my favourite floral combinations at this time of year.
The bees love them too. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Golden lilies. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
It’s been a great year for Campanulas. The wall variety is crammed with flowerheads and the taller varieties are popping up all over the garden.
Scottish blue Campanulas. Images: Kathryn Hawkins.
The old rambling rose in the back garden has been a victim of its own success this year. It has grown so tall and produced so many flower heads it is too heavy on top for its stems underneath and has to be tied back. The scent is as wonderful as ever.
Rambling rose bush. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
More delicious scents in another part of the garden, from the peonies, also popular with our little winged friends.
Perfect, petaly and perfumed. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Amidst all the rainbow colours in the garden, these bright white Delphiniums are putting on a lovely show this year.
Ice white Delphiniums. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
One of the more unusual plants in flower at the moment is the Phlomis with it’s tufty flower heads that remind me of tiny pineapples.
Fabulous Phlomis. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
My sunny Sunday garden. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
That’s all from me for now. I hope you have a great few days and are able to get out and about in the sunshine. Until next time, thanks as ever for stopping by 🙂
It’s that wonderful time of the year when the garden begins to yield produce thick and fast. My latest pickings are from the many Salal (Gaultheria shallon) bushes around the garden which have provided a very abundant crop of berries this year. Too many for me to deal with, so I’m happy to say that the birds are enjoying a feast as well.
This year’s Salal berry harvest. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
The berries are quite challenging to pick individually as they often go to mush in your fingers when they are very ripe. Last year I found a better way of dealing with the problem. Harvest them on their stalks – they grow in clusters so it is easy to snip off the stems with the berries attached.
Preparing berries for the freezer. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Wash and dry the berries well, then lay on trays and place in the freezer until you are ready to deal with them. Once frozen solid, they pull away easily from the stems and the berries can then be packed and returned to the freezer for future use.
If you want to use them fresh though, you’ll have to persevere and pull them gently from the stems after washing and drying them.
Zesty, fruity loaf cake. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
My recipe this week uses the berries fresh, but you don’t need that many for the mixture. I did try it with frozen and it worked fine, but the texture was a little wet for my taste. Blueberries would make a good substitute if you prefer. This is one of those cakes that gets better the longer you leave it. The flavours become more fruity and the texture is denser and richer. Store in an airtight container for up to a week if you can leave it alone. The initial crunchiness of the lemon sugar top will disappear on storing, but it is replaced by a sticky lemony crust instead. It freezes fine as well 🙂
A berry nice slice. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
Serves: 8
Ingredients
1tbsp ground linseed
Juice and rind 1 unwaxed lemon
185ml plant milk (I use a barista-style oat milk)
115g plant butter, softened
150g caster sugar
175g gluten-free plain flour blend
50g ground almonds
¼tsp xanthan gum (optional, but the cake is very crumbly without it)
¾tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
80g fresh Salal berries, washed
75g granulated sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan oven, Gas Mark 4. Line a 1kg loaf tin. Mix the linseed with 3tbsp cold water and put to one side to thicken. Mix 2½tsp lemon juice into the milk and leave for a few minutes at room temperature to thicken.
2. Whisk the butter and caster sugar together until creamy and well blended then gently whisk in the linseed and milk mixtures – don’t panic, the batter will look very lumpy!
Making the loaf cake batter. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
3. Add the lemon zest, flour, almonds, xanthan gum and baking soda, and mix well until the batter is smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the berries.
4. Transfer the mixture to the loaf tin, smooth the top and bake for about 1hr 15 minutes until risen and firm to the touch.
Adding the berries. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
5. While the cake is in the oven, prepare the lemon topping by simply mixing 2tbsp lemon juice with the granulated sugar.
6. When the cake is cooked, place the tin on a wire rack and skewer the cake in a few places. Spoon over the lemon sugar evenly to form a crust and leave the cake to cool in the tin.
Making the lemon sugar crust. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
As the cake cools, the sugar sets in a crusty layer on top whilst the juices soak into the cake. Delish. I served my cake decorated with a few (washed) Salal leaves for a splash of colour – just for show, these are not edible.
Freshly sliced loaf cake. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you again soon. Best wishes and happy baking 🙂
Hello again. I thought I’d take a look back at the month and post a few pics of what’s been happening in the garden. This is the time of year when the soft fruit is ready. The cherries were picked a few days ago. The Morello tree is only very small, but I picked enough for a pie and managed to keep them protected from our feathered friends.
Ripe and juicy pickings. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
Only a few of the original canes of raspberries remain in the garden now. PLanted about 18 years ago, they still produce a fair few berries over the month. There are still a few left to ripen.
This year’s raspberry haul so far. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Brightening up what continues to be a very up and down summer season this year, are some very colourful blooms. These 3 golden beauties produce new flowers right through until early Autumn.
Left to right: Bananas cream Leucanthemum, Argyranthemum, and Sunfire Coreopsis. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
All the lavenders and bellflowers (Campanulas) in the garden have done very well this year – they obviously appreciate the mix of sunshine and showers we’ve been having for the past few weeks. Very popular with our little winged, buzzing friends as well.
Lovely lavender and beautiful Bellflowers. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
The old white Hydrangea bush is putting on a great display of blooms this year. Elsewhere in the garden, these more recently planted mauve and blue varieties are also thriving. The colours are at their most vivid at the moment.
Gloriously white Hydrangea blooms. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Cool coloured Hydrangeas. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Last year a white Delphinium was added to this flowerbed which did so well, another one was planted a few weeks ago. The tall stems add great height to the beds and make the Hydrangeas look even bolder in colour.
Bold and bright Summer shades. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
And that’s me for another post. Looking forward to the month ahead, I’ll be back in the kitchen for my next post. Until then, thanks for taking the time to stop by 🙂
Hello there. I have 2 recipes for you this month: light fluffy pancakes served with a homemade fresh peach jam, inspired by acquiring some homegrown fresh peaches last July. My then neighbour, asked me in to water his burgeoning garden and greenhouse whilst he was away on holiday, and in return I was able to enjoy the pick of the crop. How lucky was I when I discovered the greenhouse peach tree bearing fruit that was ripening so fast the peaches were literally falling from the tree.
Greenhouse white peach tree. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
I gathered up the crop and made peach jam for the very first time. Delicious it was too, and, by the way, I did give him a pot when he returned 🙂 The peaches were a very sweet and juicy white variety which peeled very easily without any intervention. I made some this year with firmer, yellow-fleshed peaches and dipped them in boiling water for a few seconds to loosen and then peel away the skins. You can also use a vegetable peeler to do this if preferred. You do need to peel peaches and nectarines for jam making because the skins become very tough when boiled with sugar.
Just peachy jam. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
Pancakes make the perfect base to enjoy homemade jam, so I am combining the jam and pancake recipes below in case you want to make either or both.
Makes: approx. 1.125kg jam and 12 pancakes
Ingredients
For the jam:
1kg peaches
6tbsp lemon juice
800g granulated sugar (I used 200g demerara sugar and 600g white sugar)
For the pancakes:
175ml plant-based milk
2½tsp lemon juice
150g gluten-free blended self raising flour
30g cornflour (cornstarch)
½tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
50g plant-based butter, melted
1tbsp maple syrup
A little vegetable oil for frying
1. For the jam, wash, skin and chop the peaches. If the peaches are very ripe, then will break up easily. If the peaches are firm, cut them into small pieces. Put the stones to one side and place the peach flesh in a bowl. Mix in the lemon juice.
2. Put the stones on a square of muslin, twist the edges together to contain the stones within, and bash hard with a rolling pin to smash them open. Tie the muslin securely.
Peach and peach stone preparation. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
3. Transfer the peach and lemon mixture to a saucepan, and heat until steaming and hot, then simmer gently to soften the fruit. If the peaches are very ripe and soft, they will require little or no cooking.
3. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved, then raise the heat, add the bag of crushed stones and boil rapidly until setting point is reached – between 104° and 105.5°C.
Making peach jam. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
4. Discard the stones and leave the jam to stand for a few minutes to thicken slightly, the stir to distribute the fruit pieces and spoon into clean jars and seal straight away. Cool, then label. The jam is ready to eat but will keep for several months if stored correctly.
Jammy spoonful. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
To make the pancakes:
1.First make a buttermilk. Mix the milk and lemon juice together and leave to stand for a for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.
2. Sift the flour, cornflour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the melted butter, maple syrup and buttermilk and gently mix everything together to make a thick batter. Note: as soon as you mix the liquid into the dry ingredients, the raising agents get to work and produce air bubbles. You need to get the batter cooked as quickly as possible in order to make fluffy pancakes.
Making the pancake batter. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
3. Working quickly, brush a large frying pan or flat griddle pan lightly with oil and heat until hot. Use a tablespoon measure to spoon 2 spoonfuls of batter on to the hot pan to make a thick pool. Add further pools depending on how much space you have in the pan. Cook over a medium heat for about 2 minutes, turn over and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until lightly golden and puffed. Either transfer to a dish, cover and keep warm, or cool on a wire rack, whilst you cook the remaining batter.
Cooking pancakes. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Serve warm or cold with your favourite toppings. The pancakes will keep for a few days in a sealed container and can be toasted or quickly pan-fried to heat through. They also freeze well.
Summer vegetables captured in a jar. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
Hello again. So, we’ve passed the mid point of the year already. Time for a recipe which preserves the time of year perfectly. My recipe this week is an excellent way to use up a selection of the vegetables that are at their best over the next few weeks. If you have homegrown produce, all the better.
Summer vegetables for chutney making. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
I was inspired by one of my favourite vegetable dishes, Ratatouille, when I put this recipe together. You can mix and match different, similar-textured vegetables in the recipe below, just replace weight for weight, one for another. I used a combination of red onion and mixed peppers, with fresh tomatoes and cooking apples, and some diced courgette (zucchini). The chutney is flavoured with garlic, bay leaves and ground coriander. Aubergine (egg plant) or squash would also be good in this mixture.
A taste of Summer. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
The quantities below make a very generous amount of chutney but you can of course, cut the amount of vegetables you use to make less.
Makes: approx. 3kg
Ingredients
450g prepared mixed bell peppers (approx. 1 each large green, yellow and orange peppers), finely chopped
3. Pour over the peppers and onions and stir in the coriander and courgette (zucchini). Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 25 minutes until tender and jam-like.
4. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then mix in the salt and some pepper. Bring to the boil and cook for about 30 minutes until thick and jam-like.
Cooking up vegetables for chutney. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
5. Turn off the heat, discard the bay leaves and spoon into clean jars. Seal immediately. Leave to cool, then label and store for about 1 month before opening. The chutney should keep in a cool, dark cupboard for several months.
Chutney, cheese and oatcakes. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
I look forward to sharing another recipe with you next month. Until then, enjoy the season and thanks for stopping by 🙂
Hello again. July has been a busy month in the garden and greenhouse. The weather’s been cooler than usual, with a mix of bright days and rain showers, but the plants have really been growing very well and yielding lots of goodies throughout the month.
July here in central Scotland is the month for raspberries and cherries. I have been training some new raspberry canes for a couple of years and the rewards are starting to show. Sadly the older canes suffered storm damage earlier in the month, so this may be their last season. Not bad going really, they were planted some 18 years ago! Berries are still ripening on the new canes, so it looks like I’ll be picking for a couple more weeks yet.
Broken canes but still a good harvest. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
The small espalier Morello tree didn’t produce quite as many cherries this year, but I did manage to get the fleece on earlier enough to stop the birds having a lovely feast. I have enough for a pie later in the year, and that’s good enough for me 🙂
2023 Morello harvest. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
In the greenhouse, I’ve been picking mini cucumbers throughout the month. The tomatoes have started to turn colour, and the aubergine (eggplant) plants have a few flowers on them now – I hope they form fruit.
A plentiful greenhouse. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
The greenhouse yielded a few surprises earlier in the year when small seedlings started appearing in the soil. I realised after a while that they were sunflower seedlings. I think a mouse must have stashed some of the bird seed in the soil and perhaps had forgotten to retrieve it. Anyway, I ended up with several seedlings which I planted outside back in May, and this month they have started flowering. Not the biggest sunflowers you’ll ever see, but a quirky addition to the garden nonetheless.
Mini sunflowers. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
None of my garden produce would be possible without the help of the gardener’s best friend, the bees. They have clearly been busy since the spring blossom was out, and now they have all the garden flowers to feast on.
Bees at work in July. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
My last image for this post is another view of the garden. It’s been cool and mostly cloudy this past week, and at times it has felt a little bit autumnal. I think this image captures the mood, especially as the globe thistles (Echinops) are beginning to open up and the later summer flowers are coming into bloom. Until next time, thanks for stopping by and I hope to be posting again soon.
Chilled rhubarb and rice risotto decorated with edible flowers. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
Hello again. The garden fruit and veg supply is beginning to mount up. This week I picked some more rhubarb stems and made them into a compote to eat with a creamy rice dessert. At this time of year, I prefer to serve this combo cold, but in Autumn/Winter, the same rice mix makes a comforting winter pudding to serve with any fresh or cooked fruit you like.
Freshly pulled rhubarb and sweet risotto ingredients. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
It’s a simple enough recipe for the rice mixture, but it takes a little bit of time to cook through, so allow plenty of time to make it. It’s well worth the wait 🙂 I flavour my rice with vanilla but cinnamon or ginger would also work. And, of course, if you’re not vegan, the recipe works just as well with dairy products.
Creamy, sweet risotto, chilled and ready to serve. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
275g prepared fresh rhubarb
50g caster sugar
500ml plant-based milk (I use oat milk)
100ml plant-based double cream (for a less rich version, replace the cream with extra milk)
1 vanilla pod, split
15g plant-based butter
150g risotto (arborio) rice
250ml free-from custard
1. Chop the rhubarb into lengths about 4cm long and place in a pan. Add 2tbsp water, sprinkle with 25g sugar and heat until steaming. Cover with a lid and cook gently for 6-8 minutes until tender but still holding shape. Leave to cool.
Cooking the rhubarb. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
2. For the risotto, put the milk and cream in a saucepan with the vanilla pod and heat until very hot. Reduce the heat to low and keep the mixture hot.
3. In another saucepan, melt the butter. Add the rice and mix well until coated in the butter. Add a ladleful of the hot creamy milk and stir until thoroughly absorbed.
4. Keep adding the creamy milk, ladle by ladle, stirring in between, until each batch is absorbed, and the rice is just tender – this may take anywhere between 30 to 50 minutes depending on how quickly the rice absorbs the liquid. Don’t be tempted to raise the heat too much as the liquid may evaporate before being absorbed.
How to make sweet and creamy vegan risotto. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
5. Once the rice is tender, thick and creamy, transfer to a heatproof bowl and stir in the sugar. Cover with a layer of greaseproof paper to prevent a skin forming and leave to cool completely, then mix in the custard.
6. To assemble, divide the rhubarb between 4 x 225g dessert glasses and spoon the rice mixture on top. Chill until ready to serve.
Completing the dish. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Let the desserts stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to develop. Decorate with edible flowers if liked.
Creamy vanilla rice and fresh rhubarb compote. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
Thanks for stopping by. That’s me for this week. I hope to see you again soon 🙂
Everything in the garden is blooming. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
Hello again. It’s been a very different June this year here in central Scotland. Having had a very warm May with little significant rain, the first 3 weeks of June followed along the same lines. Subsequently, many of the flowers that are usually around for at least a couple of weeks have bloomed early and only lasted a few days in the heat and drought. The weather has broken now, but it has left me wondering what the garden will look like in July and August with so many favourites having bloomed early.
Early June Allium. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Back at the beginning of the month, the Alliums were blooming proudly and looked striking with their tall long stems and intricate star-shaped flower heads. Usually, June is all about Lupins and foxgloves. This year they began flowering in May, and sadly by the middle of the month, they had faded and dried, and the few second flowers also came and went. The foxgloves still have a few flowers at the top of their very long stems, and the bees are still managing to collect pollen from the bell-shaped blooms that remain.
Purple, orange, pink and white lupins earlier in the month. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Flowers and bees in early June. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
I think the biggest mark of difference in the garden this summer, are the geraniums and day lilies. Both usually provide colour into July, but all the geranium petals have fallen, and only a very few day lilies are left to flower.
Midsummer blue and gold. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
So here we are at the end of the month. There are still a few peonies in bloom providing rich colour and delicious fragrance, and the old rose bush (which hasn’t failed yet) is looking and smelling wonderful at the moment.
Mid June Peonies. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Bloomin’ marvellous. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
I’ve started harvesting produce from the greenhouse. The baby cucumbers I’m growing were about 3cm long at the beginning of June, and this week, I picked the first couple of fully formed fruit. In the shady parts of the garden, the wild strawberries have done well again this year.
First pickings. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
June 2023 wild strawberry harvest. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
At ground level, these two Dianthus varieties are my favourite plants in the garden at the moment. If I keep removing the spent heads, I am hoping that new buds will keep forming and that there will be flowers for a couple more weeks yet.
Lilac and pink Dianthus. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
I’m closing my post with a flower that’s just opened up this week. The first of many (I hope) Japanese Anemones in the garden. This one’s about 2 weeks ahead of schedule. And that’s me, until next time, have a great few days and thanks for stopping by 🙂
Early white Japanese Anemone. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
Hello again. It’s been super-warm here in the UK for several days now, so, it feels the right time to publish an easy ice cream recipe. Of course, this will mean that the weather is guaranteed to break, but hey ho, we do need some rain 🙂
Fruity scoop. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
This ice cream really is very easy to make. Just 3 ingredients. No ice cream machine required although you can of course use one if you prefer. You will need to use a bit of elbow-grease to beat the mixture twice, but that’s the only effort necessary.
Take 3: fruit, cream and condensed milk. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
You can make the ice cream with any fruit. I happened to have a lot of physalis (Cape gooseberries) when I made up this batch. Fruits like gooseberries, blackberries, cherries, apricots, plums, blackcurrants and other currants will need to be cooked into a pulp for best results, but other softer fruits like raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, peach and mango can just be blitzed in a blender. Whether you sieve to remove seeds is up to you. I prefer the added texture from seeds and skins and use the pulp as it is.
1. To prepare fruit for cooking, place in a saucepan with 2tbsp water, heat until steaming, then cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes until soft. Leave to cool them blitz with a blender until smooth. Sieve if preferred.
3. Whip the cream until softly peaking then fold into the mixture, stirring well until combined.
4. Freeze for about 2hr until the mixture is soft and slushy. Beat well to break up the mixture and return to the freezer for a further 45-60 minutes until it has firmed up again. Beat once more, then keep in the freezer until ready to serve.
Preparing the ice cream. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
And that’s it. If your freezer is particularly cold, you may need to let the ice cream stand at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping. For longer term storing, pop a lid on the container, and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
3 ingredient fruit ice cream. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
I’ll be out in the garden again for my next post at the end of the month. See you then and thanks for stopping by 🙂
My Virtually Free-from Kitchen 