Oven-Dried Cherry Tomatoes

500g of cherry tomatoes seems like quite a bit, but after 10 or more hours in the oven it won't be. I think I might try starting with 1kg next time. If you look closely at the photo you'll see that over half of the jar is already gone!

Citric acid should be easily obtainable from a large supermarket, if you can't find it there, try a health food or home-brew shop. It will help it keep for longer. It should keep for 4-6 weeks in the fridge.

The time the tomatoes will take to dry out depends on your oven and the tomatoes themselves so the time given is an estimation. Yours may need more or less time.



Oven-Dried Cherry Tomatoes
takes 10 hours +/-

500g cherry tomatoes, washed, halved
20ml/1 tbsp red wine vinegar
100ml + olive oil
1/2 t salt
1 t dried marjoram
1 t dried oregano
1 t dried rosemary
1/4 t citric acid


Preheat an oven to 80°C/175°F.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Gently coat tomato halves in salt, 1 tbsp oil & vinegar.
Place tomatoes on tray cut side up.
Bake 5 hours.
Turn tray around.
Bake another 5 hours, or until completely dried, but not burnt!
Mix together 100ml oil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, citric acid & a little salt and pepper in a small jug.
Place tomatoes in a sterilised jar.
Pour over oil mix.
If need be, add more oil until tomatoes are completely covered.
Store in the fridge.


P.S. I know I was all talk about ration-inspired recipes, but as things sometimes go, the last few didn't work out. Maybe it'll be revisited in the future.

Carrot Fudge

So, I'm back from my trip and am now broke. In the spirit of not having anything, and having developed a love for a TV show hosted by a pair referred to as The Supersizers, I'll be featuring some fantastic (or not ?!) British WWII Ration recipes. Albeit with some modern updates.

This carrot fudge was a typical treat. Carrots were a bountiful substitute for fruits and sweets. Originally it was made with only orange essence or a little squash, so this version is sweeter than the original, and I'm afraid that it only just counts as sweet. Think of how much of a shock the original must've been! I suggest adding a few tablespoons of a liquid sweetener, eg. agave syrup, when you add the orange juice, if you feel that you may be shocked by the lack of sweetness!




Carrot Fudge
makes approx 12 squares

140g carrots, scrubbed, finely grated
100ml orange juice
140ml water
1 tbsp agar flakes

Put carrot & water in a small saucepan.
Cook gently over med-low heat for 10 mins.
Add orange juice.
Cook a further 5 mins.
Turn heat down to low.
Add agar flakes, Stir well.
Cook gently, stirring often, until flakes have dissolved.
Pour into a flat rectangular container, around 500ml size.
Leave to cool for 10 mins.
Place in fridge to set.
When set, Cut into small squares.
Keep in the fridge.

Great Southern Land

I'm off to fly south, far south, to Australia. Not sure how much time I'll get to update this here blog over the next few months. I'm quite excited to just be back and catch up with everybody after being on the biggest and longest roller coaster ride of my life these past two years. I guess you'll all just have to wait and see what happens.

Gigantes Plaki: Greek Giant Baked Beans

You might have guessed that I've got a bit of a thing for Greek food. Gigantes are a type of Greek giant white bean, impossible to find so far North, but lima/butter beans are more than adequate for this recipe.

This would usually be made with fresh dill, but one day I couldn't find any fresh dill so decided to substitute dried dill. Use a really small bunch if you'd like to use fresh.



Gigantes Plaki
serves 2 as a main

700g gigantes or lima/butter beans, cooked (about 350g dried)
OR x 3 400g tins, drained & rinsed
500g tomato passata
2 stalks celery, diced
1 L onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
40ml/2 tbsp tomato paste
30ml/1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
1/2 t chili flakes
1 1/2-2 tbsp dried dill
1 S bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
150ml vegetable stock
olive oil, preferably Greek

Preheat an oven to 175°C/345°F.
Oil an oven dish approx 20 x 30cm, 6cm deep.
In a pan over med-low heat,
Sauté bay leaves, onion, garlic, celery in oil.
When onion is soft,
Add tomato paste, chili, vinegar, passata.
Stir well.
Cook 20 mins over low heat.
Add parsley, dill, stock, beans.
Stir well.
Check for seasoning.
Add to oven dish.
Cover dish with foil or lid.
Bake in oven 30 mins.
Uncover dish.
Turn up heat to 220°C/430°F.
Bake 15 mins or until top has started to dry out.
Try to remove bay leaves before serving.

Ramsons Pesto

Ramsons is a type of green leaf wild garlic, related to chives. It's generally found throughout the Northern half of Europe. It's first evidence of human use is from a mesolithic settlement in Jutland. You generally have to go foraging for it yourself if you want it fresh as it's just started to undergo a revival in recent years, but I have seen it for sale in Føtex this week.

I've heard Claus Meyer call rapeseed oil the olive oil of the North - Yes, I do know he's somewhat of a pretentious git. I don't know how much he is aware that rapeseed oil, better known as canola oil to most English speakers, is actually a Canadian product. Wild rapeseed contains the toxin erucic acid and experimentation in Canada in the 1970s produced a rapeseed that was safe for human consumption. The name Canola comes from Canadian oil, low acid. It also sounds nicer than rapeseed oil.

Tusind tak for ramsløg, Rasmus!



Ramsons Pesto
makes about 100ml

40g fresh ramsons leaves
zest of 1/2 lemon
15 whole almonds
3 tbsp/60ml rapeseed oil
sea salt
black pepper

Wash ramsons well.
Process almonds until roughly ground.
Add zest, ramsons.
Process until roughly chopped.
Add oil little by little until desired consistency.
Season with salt and pepper.

Aromatic Orange Bitters

And so the theme continues...

I really like an aromatic bitters, like Angostura Aromatic, but I intended this bitters recipe to also have a slight orange aroma. I set about to basically combine, in my opinion, the best parts of an aromatic bitters and an orange bitters. Of course there is minimal colouring when you put this bitters into a drink, this is because it hasn't been loaded with colourings like a bought bitters would be. I'm going with calling this Aromatic Orange Bitters solely to irritate some mixologists and mixed drink connoisseurs. It should keep for up to a year.



Aromatic Orange Bitters
time 20 days+ - makes approx 500ml

1 organic orange, peel
1 organic lemon, peel
2t coriander seeds
2t caraway seeds
10 whole cloves
4 sticks cinnamon
350ml vodka
150ml water

Remove peel from orange & lemon with a vegetable peeler,
be careful not to get any of the white pith.
Place all, except water, in a sterilised 700ml pickling jar.
Seal tightly.
Leave in a cool, dark place for 10 days -
Shake the jar every day.
After 10 days, Remove spices & peels.
Place them in a small pot.
Add water to pot.
Cook pot over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Add to jar. Stir. Seal tightly.
Leave to infuse for at least 10 days -
Shake the jar every day.
(Leave for more than 10 days for a stronger flavour)
Strain. Discard solids.
Pour into sterilised bottle/s.

and now the drink...

Lemon, lime & bitters is an immensely popular drink in Australia, where it supposedly originates from. Apparently amongst Australian golfers it became a custom to have a refreshing lemon, lime & bitters after a round. There's also the equally popular soda, lime & bitters which is just using soda (sparkling) water instead of lemonade. Upon travelling outside of the great southern land I was surprised to have not encountered either of these drinks anywhere even though all the ingredients are readily available.

Lemon/Soda, Lime & Bitters
serves 1

20ml homemade bitters (5 dashes bought)
1/4 lime OR
15ml lime juice cordial
lemonade OR
soda (sparkling) water

Roll the bitters around a 300ml tall/highball glass,
making sure to get all over the inside.
(This means it will mix itself)
Gently squeeze in the lime juice, or pour in cordial.
Fill up with lemonade or soda (sparkling) water.
Garnish with the piece of lime.