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(if you are away from home the recipe may be adapted. See next recipe)
Take:
Method:
If the rabbits are not skinned and cleaned do this first, wash and then soak for an hour or two in plenty of water. Then, heat the oil or butter in the cooking pan or casserole. Fry the onion gently.
Meanwhile joint the rabbits and roll in flour. Add to the pan and fry gently with the onion until nicely brown. Add the root vegetables and cook to soften slightly. Add the water or mixed liquid and the herbs. Add a little salt and pepper now to add flavour, but wait until the stew is cooked before adding salt and pepper to suit your taste.
Bring to the boil and then simmer very gently on the stove or in a very slow oven. When cooked the rabbit meat will fall easily from the bones when pulled with a fork.
Beware of small rabbit bones.
Take:
Method:
Skin and clean the coneys. Joint them and fry in a little fat in a deep pan until nicely browned.
Add sliced onion, crushed wild garlic, or ransoms leaves finely shredded, or a leaf or two of jack-by-the-hedge. Add any root vegetables - taters would be ideal.
Soften then add the mushrooms if you have them.
Add the water, enough to cover the rabbit joints to twice their depth and add a little salt. Bring to the boil over a brightly glowing fire then allow to simmer. Move the pan onto hot stones besides the fire if the stew boils too fast. The stew is done when the meat falls easily from the bones, then wake your travelling companion and dish up the stew.
For hungry harvesters and unexpected guests
Take:
Method:
If using taters with this meal prepare and start them cooking before cooking the bacon. Then, in a large frying pan fry the bacon gently and let the fat run. Remove and keep warm in the oven.
Add the onion (if used) to the bacon fat and cook until golden brown. Remove and keep warm.
Add the mushrooms to the pan. You may need to add some butter or oil to the pan at this stage to help the mushrooms cook. Do not cook too fast. When the mushrooms are softened and cooked (doesn't take very long) dish up and serve with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the juices. If you are catering for farmhands it will be advisable to have plenty more bacon, mushrooms and onions cooking to allow for second helpings.
Large mugs of beer, cider, for the men, and home-made lemonade for the little ones will be welcome.
A nice recipe for high tea on a wet autumn afternoon.
Take:
Method:
Put the sliced mushrooms in a saucepan and cover with milk. Bring to the boil and cook for just few minutes until they are soft. Keep warm but do not continue cooking.
Meanwhile, make sure the fire is bright and clear, spear the first slice of bread on your toasting fork and toast both sides. Keep warm beside the fire while toasting the second slice (you can use a grill or toaster if you are unfortunate enough not to have an open fire).
When the toast is ready you might like a scrape of butter over it, but if not put it on a plate. Take the mushrooms in their pan and stir in a tablespoon or two of double cream so that the mushrooms are coated and the liquid is not too slack. Reheat and season. Dish up over the toast.
First pick your blackberries. Choose fine afternoons in September and October when there has not been rain overnight. Close encounters with prickles, stinging nettles, spiders and wasps should be anticipated and are part of the fun. Your hands will get covered in purple juice and become sticky. Do not pick below knee height.
There are lots of different types of wild blackberries, which look like black raspberries. They are all sweeter and better than cultivated ones. The biggest and juiciest are the dewberries. It is well known that the best berries are always just out of reach but all are delicious.
Pick as many as you feel like, take a basket, bag or basin to put them in. You will need at least a pint pudding basin full for a pie. When you have picked enough take them home and wash at once. Pick over to discard any that are not good. They can be stewed now, but this is not necessary.
Preheat your oven, it should be hotter than medium heat but not as hot as for making batter pudding.
Make the pastry - this is a simple shortcrust:
Take:
Method:
Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.
Rub in the lard and butter (or sunflower spread) until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Add a little cold water until the dough just binds together enough to be handled. Do not let it get wet or it will be hard when cooked.
On a floured clean surface roll knead the dough lightly and then roll out to fit your pie dish or pie plate. Do not roll too thin. If it is a small one the dough may be enough to line and top (double-crust tart), if it is large it will make a good top. If you have a large dish or plate and want a pastry top and bottom use 8 oz. flour and 4 oz. butter or spread.
When you have made your pastry put the washed blackberries into your pie dish and sprinkle over one or two tablespoons sugar or drizzle over the same of honey. Then top with the rolled out pastry. Make a slit in the middle of the crust to allow the steam to escape, and decorate the edge by pressing the tines of a fork into it all round after trimming off any overhang.
If you want a double-crust pie cut the dough in half, roll out the first piece, line the dish with pastry before putting in the berries and sugar or honey, and top with the other half of dough, rolled out. The top can be brushed with a little milk and sprinkled with more sugar to give a crunchy glaze.
Cook in a moderately hot oven, or Mark 6 until golden brown. The smell of a blackberry tart cooking is truly mouth-watering.
Serve hot or warm with cream or custard to finish off any meal.
This recipe can be varied by substituting sliced cooking apples for some of the blackberries. If the blackberry crop is poor apples will serve to fill up the corners.
Blackberries can also be used to fill baked apples, and these can be cooked well and conveniently (if not very authentically) in a microwave or a proper oven.
Just take one apple per person, wash but do not peel. Core it and score around the middle through the skin place in a suitable dish and fill the cavities in the apples with as many blackberries as you can pack in. Drip a teaspoon or two or honey, or the same of sugar onto the blackberries. Place in the oven and cook until the apples are soft. Serve with cream or custard.
If there is a glut of blackberries and you have storage space, blackberry syrup is an excellent soother for sore throats when added to warm water. It can also be poured over ice cream.
For the syrup you would need 1lb of sugar to each pint of juice obtained after stewing your blackberries. You will need lots. Stew them gently for an hour or two with just a little water to stop them sticking in the pan. Strain the juice from the pan and measure. For each pint take 1lb sugar, put juice and sugar in another large pan and boil gently for about 30 min. When cold, bottle and keep in the coldest part of your pantry.
Quick and easy to make if you suddenly have to feed thirteen unexpected visitors.
Take:
Method:
Sift the four and salt into a bowl and rub in the fat.
Add the sugar and the caraway seeds, and mix in.
Mix to a stiff dough with the egg and some milk if needed (depends on the size of the egg).
Take one or two baking sheets, grease and then place rough mounds of the mixture on them leaving room to spread a little.
Bake in a moderately hot oven until golden brown (about 20 min.)
Serve with as much tea, dandelion coffee, or ale as will satisfy your guests.
If you have to feed awkward relatives these seed cakes are quick but a little more refined.
Take:
Method:
Cream the butter or spread with the sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg.
Sift in the flour and salt and mix thoroughly.
Add the caraway seeds and stir in.
Mix with enough milk to make a soft dropping consistency.
Take patty tins or small paper cake cases placed on a baking tray.
Grease the patty tins if using.
Place spoonfuls of the mixture in each tin or cake case to half fill.
Bake at a medium heat until nicely golden and risen.
To test, press the tops lightly. They should feel springy and light when the trays are lifted.
When cooked, remove from oven. Remove the cakes from the patty pans, or lift the filled paper cases from the baking tray, and cool the cakes on a wire rack.
Serve as after watercress sandwiches in summer, or after Uncle Andy's Mushrooms on Toast in winter. Tea should be served in your best china.
These are specially for elven appetites where the miller's usual product is not acceptable.
Take:
Method:
Prepare these exactly as for the recipe above. They may cook a little faster so watch them more closely.
For entish appetites that will not accept any animal products, these are really scones rather than cakes but are just as delicious
Take:
Method:
Sift flour and salt into a bowl.
Rub in the spread and stir in the sugar.
Stir in the seeds and mix together with enough coconut milk to give a firm dough. It must not be sticky.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead very lightly to bind all together. Roll the dough very lightly and cut into 2 or 3 inch rounds with a cutter or glass. Do not roll thin. It should be a quarter to half an inch thick. Place the rounds on a greased baking tray and bake on a high heat for about 10 minutes.
Serve warm, split and spread with something suitable, but these are delicious eaten hot or cold just as they are.
Serve with whatever drink you like. These are delicious eaten on their own or a part of a meal.
More quick food for unexpected guests
Take:
Method:
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub in the fat or spread, stir in the sugar and currants (if used). Mix with the egg and enough milk to make a stiff dough.
Proceed as for the seed scones above - knead lightly, roll lightly, cut out and cook in a hot oven. These cook quickly (about 10 min.) so you can make several batches quite quickly if you need to. They are also cheap to make, but don't taste like it.
Serve with mugs or tea for hungry travellers, or in good china cups to create a good impression.
Serve warm with butter, jam, and a little thick cream if you have it to finish off a respectable afternoon tea, or just keep them coming if it's not respectable.
Perry's teatime buns for big appetites
Take:
Method:
Melt the butter or spread and add milk, the mixture should be just warm. Cream the yeast with the sugar. Leave in a warm part of the kitchen until frothy.
Then: sift flour and to this add the yeast mixture and the egg yolk. Mix well and leave to rise in a warm part of the kitchen for 1 hour.
The dough should be very light. Now beat in the currants until thoroughly distributed. On a lightly floured surface form into 2 round flat cakes, place on greased baking trays and leave to rise again for 15 min.
Bake in a medium hot oven for about half and hour.
Serve split and buttered, hot or cold, toasted or plain. Crab apple, or blackberry and apple jelly may accompany the bannocks.
An unusual pie for unusual guests
Take:
Method:
Make pastry as for blackberry tart. Line a pie plate or dish with one piece of pastry and reserve another for the top. Take some raspberry jam and spread on the bottom piece of pastry, fairly covering it. Take the stewed apples and pour over the jam. Top with the second round of pastry. Crimp the edges, and prick the centre with a fork. Brush the pastry with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar. Place the pie dish on a baking tray to catch spills. Bake in a moderately hot over until golden brown.
Serve with single cream or custard. For ordinary appetites this will go nicely after a meal of ham and fried eggs.
A dream of a meal precious
Take:
Method:
have your fish cleaned and filleted. Have your hot fat or oil heating in a deep pan. Slice your taters and cut into chips, not too thin or too long. Rinse in cold water and dry off as much as possible in a clean cloth.
When a blue haze rises from the hot fat carefully put in the chips, not too many at a time.
While they cook, shake a little flour onto a clean surface, shake over some salt and pepper and lightly blend together with your finger tips. Dip the fish fillets into it and shake to remove excess. In another shallow pan have a little hot fat heating.
If the chips are golden and cooked now, remove them and keep hot in the oven. Reheat the deep fat and fry more chips if you have them. While these cook begin to fry your fish in the shallow pan of hot fat. It will cook quite quickly. See that it doesn't burn.
Meanwhile, if the second batch of chips are cooked remove them from the pan and keep hot. Reheat the deep fat. If you need to fry more fish, keep the first batch hot in the oven. When all the fish is fried, remove from its shallow pan and keep hot.
Meanwhile, if the deep fat is again hazing quickly and carefully return the chips to crisp briefly.
Serve one or two fillets of fish, depending on size of fish and diner, with a good pile of crisp golden chips. The fish should have a slightly crisp coating from the flour. In summer, a spoonful or two of freshly cooked peas straight from the garden will be acceptable. In autumn a few mushrooms can accompany. In winter, very finely sliced and quickly cooked cabbage drizzled with butter can be offered, but is likely to be refused. Offer vinegar as well as thin slices of bread and butter (for the option of making chip butties) and mugs of hot tea. A blackberry tart will go well with this meal.
