Jam Jar Jan

What's in Jan's Pan

The fruit is ripening unseasonally early, I usually start to pick it in July. Our fruit and veg patch has redcurrants. blackcurrant, gooseberries which fruit evey year, and now Alpine strawberries have taken hold and spread over the ground as well.
There’s nothing better than going down early morning or late evening to pick the fruit. It’s very therapeutic, away from the call of social media, lost in your own thoughts with the sound of nature around you. It’s a gentle way to ease into the day and feel at one with the world. Long trousers and gardening gloves are required to avoid the brambles and nettles which catch you unawares as you reach over, focussing on a particularly ripe and juicy blackcurrant. These ripen at different stages even on the same cluster of currants, so it’s never all done in one go.
Redcurrants drip like Jewels and the sprigs are easier to pick. De-strigging them can be time consuming (I use a fork to pull them off) so I tend to freeze them with the sprigs on because the currants just fall off once they’re frozen. I keep them in a bag and take out what I need throughout the year.

Fruit picking can be a labour of love - picking, sorting, washing and preserving, but it's become part of my annual routine and I benefit from the bounty all year round.
I do love to make jam, blackcurrant is my all time favourite, but as it is so sugar laden I also like to make a much lower sugar conserve to keep in the fridge for more immediate use.
Jam requires 60% sugar to preserve it fully which allows you to keep for a year or more. This time I cooked up the blackcurrants with a squeeze of lime (my favourite flavour combination) 30% sugar which is just enough to sweeten but retain the sharpness of the fruit.

It's easy enough to work out how much to add with this simple calculation:
For standard jam with 60% sugar divide the weight of the fruit or cooked pulp by 0.6 and multiply by 0.4% to give the weight of sugar to add.
This can then be adjusted accordingly depending on the percentage you want to incorporate.
For 30% sugar divide the weight of fruit by 0.7 and multiply by 0.3% to give the weight of sugar to add, and so on.
It's less likely to spread like a traditional jam, but it's less of a sugar hit and just as tasty, but it will need to be kept in the fridge as the shelf life is shorter. It's perfect for quick desserts though - layer up with yoghurt or custard and crumbled biscuits or sponge for an easy mid-week trifle-style dessert.

The garden has been gorgeous, and there have been plenty of opportunities for al fresco dining this month. I served this salad at a recent Friday night gathering on the patio during a particularly good spell fo weather.

Roast Bunched Carrots with freekeh, carrot tops and feta

Serves 4

I love the bunched carrots that arrive in my veg box, and this recipe makes the most of the edible tops as well. They look like firmer less delicate versions of dill or fennel tops with a grassy, earthy flavour and a subtle hint of the carrots. full of iron and a shame to waste them. Recipes for pesto too, good to bulk out other more fragrant herbs. So simple, but effective. Freekeh is a delicious smoky flavoured cracked grain from the Middle-East. It's available in supermarkets, but the most authentic I have found is available from wholefoods direct. Bulgur wheat, pearl barley, wheatberries or couscous are good alternatives, but do try the freekeh if you haven't before it;s much more flavoursome.

Cut off the tops as soon as you receive them. Pop them in a jug of water to keep them fresh. Wash and chop a good handful of the fronds.
Heat your oven to 220C/200C Fan/ Gas 7. Scrub the carrots and cut in half. Lay them on a baking tray and toss generously with olive oil. Roast the carrots for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally, until they soften and char.
Now crumble a block of feta into large chunks and scatter over the carrots. Allow to soften and char for up to 10 minutes until the edges are golden brown.
Meanwhile cook 200g freekeh in some well flavoured vegetable stock.
In a salad bowl put 3tbsp EVO, the zest of 1 lemon plus 1tbsp juice, salt pepper and the chopped carrot tops. Drain the freekeh and tip the warm freekeh directly into the dressing and toss to coat.
Top with the soft warm carrots and feta and sprinkle with some extra carrot top Serve warm or cold.

What's on Jan's plate

Norman Musa's Malaysian supperclub at Divertimenti in the Brompton Road

We were welcomed with hibiscus fizz, Malaysia's national flower symbolizing the country's cultural heritage, unity, and resilience. Its five petals represent the five principles of Rukun Negara, reflecting core national values such as loyalty and morality. 

aubergine and a canape of  tempeh slice , such an innovative use of tempeh, firm
starters umai - halibut ceviche with beetroot lemongrass and ginger
chicken satay with chunky sauce
spiced honey prawns
beef short rib rendang with turmeric rice fried lotus root
Asian tiramisu with macha