Recipes

Quinces have been grown for centuries, a fruit that is a quiet king of the orchard, a truly magnificent fruit. Here in England they are misunderstood, overlooked and underused, so get out and find your quince he may look like a frog but once you cook it it turns into a prince.  Something as simple as adding quince to an apple pie, will change your taste buds forever. It is like nothing on this earth will ever be the same again.  Quince has always been the pinnacle of the year for me - although I have other fruit to pick and...

  The spring and summer cause great issues for foragers: what do we pick first? There is so much ready all at once that it drives me mad! I work on average 18-plus hours a day this time of year. The phone rings off the hook with friends, family, and customers sharing news of a new find, a secret foraging spot, or a glut of fruit that needs picking. Of course—as anyone who cooks will tell you—they all demand new and interesting recipes, along with special tips and ideas! I do my best, and there’s the garden to tend to...

The Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is a quintessential native shrub found abundantly in hedgerows across the countryside, including the beautiful grounds of the Chewton Glen Estate. Recently, Estate Manager Darren Venables shared a wonderful picture capturing this year’s early flowering, reminding us of the seasonal beauty right on our doorstep. It is always an exciting moment when nature begins to reveal her spring plans. The Blackthorn's moment of glory arrives long before its green leaves even appear, bringing immediate elegance and charm to bare winter hedgerows with delicate flowers as soft and white as spring clouds. Creative Ways to Use the...

As you know I am a fan of this particular farm in Spain their love and passion for growing organic oranges spreads across from Spain to our shores and into our kitchens like rays of the sun.  You can buy these beauties from River Ford Organics, or Waitrose and a few independent retailers.  This week on BBC radio Solent I talk about the farm marmalade making and here is the recipe the wonderful farmers send with their beautiful orange:  Ingredients: 1 kilo of Ava Marie Seville Oranges. 1 lemon Water 2.5 kilos of sugar. Instructions: Weight the empty pan and...