From Farm to Food Bank

This is Kathy, taking a break on a recent cycle-ride

Bassetlaw Food Bank Needs a Manager

Bassetlaw Food Bank needs a manager to co-ordinate the daily running of the operation.  Local residents need to know where to turn for support.  A bright, forward-thinking, committed and energetic person is needed to make this happen.  Perhaps you know the perfect person for this role… or could it be you?  For further details on this vacancy click on the link here https://www.bassetlawfoodbank.org/food-bank-manager-position/. I only know about this job because my friend Kathy, who is a trustee of the Bassetlaw Food Bank, told me all about it. It would help if you knew a bit about Kathy…

Here’s Kathy just about to get on her bike and ride
Here’s Kathy just about to get on her bike to begin an epic ride

A kindred spirit

Most people know that I am originally a townie. Since moving from the city into the beautiful North Nottinghamshire countryside  I have made many new friends and met some remarkable women.  Some of whom you may already have been introduced to in my blog.  https://savourthemoment.co/wp-admin/edit.php?category_name=a-chat-with Now it is the turn of Kathy Cowbrough – another remarkable lady – and a kindred spirit!  Our backgrounds could not be more different. And she knows everything there is to know about food – and the Bassetlaw Food Bank.

Kathy just about to set off on a cross-country ski
Kathy about to set off cross-country skiing

Originating from Canada

Kathy is a Canadian now living in North Notts and is passionate about the importance and the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity.  Kathy had the opportunity to work as a home economics teacher in Zambia and Botswana for 5 years. Whilst the teaching was rewarding, Kathy realised she learned a great deal about real poverty… but more of that later.  

Life on the farm

Life for Kathy started on a farm in Southern Ontario.  It was a mixed farm – chickens, sheep, pigs, cattle, horses, a dog and a range of crops – hay, wheat, oats, corn and a veg plot!  There were also maple trees in the ‘bush’ on their land.  Her dad would tap the trees for the syrup every spring.  Sounds idyllic but then it was impossible to go on holiday and for a small child that’s tough… although it had its compensations.

At the age of 10 Kathy was driving tractors even though she could barely reach the pedals. It wasn’t until much later that Kathy realised how lucky she was.  Other children her own age must have envied her freedom.  In rural communities there were ‘4H Clubs’ where children could learn life-skills like gardening, cooking, sewing, animal-husbandry and of course the opportunity to meet other farm children.

It’s a bit pixilated but this is Kathy doing a sky dive in tandem
Daredevil Kathy doing a tandem skydive

Schooldays

School was something else!  A two mile walk to a ‘one room school’ which had one teacher that taught all eight grades.  A couple of good things were to come out of this.  One: it was necessary to learn at an early age how to work on your own – and two: there was a dance – a barn dance, or ceilidh as we know them – every month!  High school was a different matter – different subjects and different teachers – a different world. 

Kathy developed her interest in food and nutrition and sewing at high school.  This led to the study of Home Economics at University.  After graduation she found a job as a County Home Economist – which supported the local ‘4H Clubs’ and ‘Women’s Institutes’. This gave her the confidence she needed to take a very bold step.

Volunteering overseas

After two years Kathy volunteered to be a Home Economics teacher overseas.  A big adventure when she spent two years in a remote area of Zambia where she taught at a girls boarding school.    During the school holidays she seized the opportunity to travel – hitchhiking to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda – can you imagine?!  After two years, she returned to Canada.  But, the shock of the return to a country of plenty was hard to take and so she went back to Africa – this time to Botswana where she stayed for three years.  To follow a British syllabus in Botswana was not without difficulty – make roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, really?  When the local food was mainly nshima (a thick porridge-like substance) – no real chance of a proper Sunday roast!

Kathy on a workingholiday in Laos
On a working holiday in Laos where Kathy was able to help with building simple kitchens for girls schools

A different view

Her challenge on the return to Canada was to highlight the unfairness of the prices paid for many foods grown in developing countries.  Armed with what she had learned on her travels, Kathy decided to take a masters in Public Health Nutrition through a bursary from the government of Nova Scotia which led to her becoming the Public Health Nutritionist in Western Nova Scotia.  Kathy says that this was a fun and rewarding time in a beautiful part of Canada that she had never previously visited. 

The Scottish connection

During her time in Botswana a young Scotsman managed to persuade her to go on a cycling holiday in Scotland.  This, and the fact that Kathy’s grandfather was born in Scotland, allowed her to work in the UK.  Dear reader, she married him!

And then there were four!

Jump forward a few years and Kathy is still here in the UK today.  However she now has 36 year old twins – a boy and a girl… and a granddaughter and another one on the way!  And as I can testify, it is hard to leave one’s family, even for a short time.  It is important to be close by and on hand – to watch them and their families grow, and to help out when needed.  A return to Canada for anything other than a holiday could not realistically be considered.

Kathy is at the summit of a monumental walk with a group of fellow walkers
Here is Kathy second from the left, she made it to the summit with a group of fellow walkers

Do you have a plan?

Kathy says that jobs in Scotland seemed to come easily.  Probably because she is very likeable and very easy to say ‘yes’ to! She asked the Health Education Board for Scotland direct if they had a plan for health and nutrition in Scotland.  They did not!  This led to jobs as a Public Health Nutritionist in Stirling, and then Edinburgh and Health Promotion officer in Glasgow as well as lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University.  A neighbour offered to look after the twins whilst she worked part time… she took up that offer and to this day they are still good friends.

Why England?

So why move to England?  It’s simple really, Kathy’s husband Graeme was offered a job that he just could not refuse and she too was fortunate to find good jobs in England.  The most rewarding of which were in Sure Start Children’s Centres in Mansfield and Langold. At the same time she set up her own business as a freelance dietician.  

Healthy eating

Kathy’s freelance work included: needs assessment and programme planning; nutrition education; training of health professionals and lay personnel; resource development; writing for the press and speaking at events. Her passion is and always has been the importance of healthy eating and physical activity to prevent long-term health problems. 

A colourful, appliqued banner declaring ‘Fair Trade Makes a Difference’
A colourful, appliqued banner declaring ‘Fair Trade Makes a Difference’

Fairtrade

Her work-schedule allowed her to get involved with some other passions too – such as: Fairtrade.  Sadly, Fairtrade in Bassetlaw, a Fairtrade district since 2009 has struggled to survive.  Many committee members had worked long and hard and have now withdrawn.  Kathy chaired Fairtrade for Bassetlaw for five years and fought to keep it alive.  But new volunteers were needed to make it work and to encourage businesses, schools and churches, to support Fairtrade and organise events to promote Fairtrade – but this was not to be.  

So many other things to do

However, so many other activities and projects fill Kathy’s life.  She enjoys Morris Dancing with the local Rattlejag dance troop; cycling distances of between 20 and 30 miles at least once a week – as well as cycling as an alternative form of transport for local trips; singing with the Retford Community Choir; Pilates; is a trustee for the Bassetlaw Food Bank; enjoys cooking particularly homegrown fare and baking bread and she has – as you might expect if you knew her – been sewing scrubs and masks for PPE during the Coronavirus Crisis.  It would not surprise you to know that she and Graeme do not have a TV – because they just do not have the time!

Kathy dressed in vibrant colours in her role as a Morris Dancer
Kathy wearing the vibrant colours of the Rattlejag Morris Troup

Most importantly, people rely on Food Banks…

Kathy’s enthusiasm for life is infectious and her willingness to get her sleeves rolled up and help out cannot be ignored.  As You now know, she is a trustee for the Bassetlaw Foodbank.  They more than most have struggled during the pandemic and this is a great concern to her.  Obviously she knows and understands the importance of health and nutrition, particularly to the vulnerable: the elderly, young families, single parents and the homeless.  These are the people who rely on Foodbanks – a sad indictment of our times.  Supplies are desperately needed.  As we emerge from lockdown, we can expect an upsurge in demand.  Bassetlaw Foodbank needs to be ready and fully stocked.  If you can help with anything at all, please get in touch. All the contact details can be found on their website https://www.bassetlawfoodbank.org/

Bassetlaw Food Bank

Bassetlaw Food Bank is a non-profit, charitable organisation which distributes emergency food parcels to people in need in Bassetlaw.  It is a local independent food bank which receives donations from residents and businesses across Bassetlaw is now working as part of the Bassetlaw Community Emergency Food Distribution Hub Team.  It works in partnership with Bassetlaw District Council and Bassetlaw Community Voluntary Service and offers assistance to those in need across the Bassetlaw district.  It has distribution centres in both Retford and Worksop.  Kathy tells me that both centres are over-stretched and need more volunteers – as well as donations.  The crisis has increased the need and consequently the stress on the two hubs.

What makes her tick?

I asked Kathy what it is that motivates her. She said quite a lot… but in essence these are her thoughts:

  • Was there any way that she could repay the privileges and opportunities that she had been given by giving opportunities to other people? 
  • Indirectly facilitating people-oriented activities 
  • The importance of healthy eating and activity
  • And above everything else… we need to be aware of the impact that our purchase choices have on others and also be aware of the support that our purchases choices can give to others

Simple really

A group of seven people having fun at a Fair Trade event
Kathy and friends at a local Fair Trade event

The Cottage Vegan

Apple crumble cake
A headshot of Rachael Care
Rachael Care – the face behind The Cottage Vegan

A cup of tea and a chat with Rachael Care – The Cottage Vegan

Although we live in the same, small North Notts village, I had never met Rachael – until the village plant sale at the Clayworth Memorial Hall.  A few of us had taken homemade cakes to sell to help boost the proceeds.  Rachael had made a selection of vegan muffins which looked eye-poppingly gorgeous.

Blueberry and lemon Chelsea buns drizzled with glace icing
Sticky blueberry and lemon Chelsea buns drizzled with glace icing

A gap in the market for vegan food locally

She and I chatted and it seemed that she was on the verge of starting up her own business ‘The Cottage Vegan’.  Having done some research locally she discovered that there is a gap in the market for home-prepared, vegan food.  After the plant sale we linked up on Facebook.

Apple crumble cake
Apple crumble cake – looks stunning when baked in a bundt tin

Such glorious cakes

The pictures she was posting of her glorious cakes gave me the idea that someone I know might appreciate one of her creations.  I messaged Rachael and within minutes she responded saying that she was baking at that moment and would have a carrot cake ready for me that very afternoon.  Now that is service!  The cake went down a treat, it tasted divine and it didn’t break the bank!

A very col,our full Hummingbird cake decorated with edible fresh flowers
Hummingbird cake, decorated with edible fresh flowers

Cup of tea and a chat

I asked Rachael if she fancied a chat over a cup of tea and she kindly invited me to her cottage.  And it is is exactly as you would imagine – a typical English cottage in a typical English village!  She has over a hundred cookery books and her kitchen is all neatly laid out ready for the next baking session.  It seems that ‘The Cottage Vegan’ (very aptly named) went ‘live’ on 1st July.  One month in and business is already brisk.  Simple word-of-mouth alongside social media and the orders are rolling in.

All set for afternoon tea with fresh flowers a cup of tea and an apple cram horn
Afternoon tea with apple cream corn

We made a connection

She and I seemed to connect, having much in common: a love of cookery, making things, creativity and ‘flavour’!  I was bowled over by her determination and passion and asked her how she had arrived at this point in her life – on the cusp of a new business.  It seems that she has taken a long and winding route to where she is now. 

Buckwheat pastry with cheese, onion, tomatoes and homemade mango chutney
Buckwheat pastry patties with cheese, onion, tomatoes and homemade mango chutney

Back to school

Rachael has worked with various companies in administration and also at one point as a carer.  But she had always harboured the desire to learn to cook, although she could already cook she wanted to learn to do it professionally.  She was encouraged to follow her dream by her husband so gave up her job and started a vocational college course https://www.don.ac.uk/. 

If you don’t ask you don’t get

With a need to keep some money coming in and also to get a foot into the catering industry, she took a job as a chamber maid at a local hotel with a fine dining restaurant attached http://www.mountpleasant.co.uk/ . One thing led to another and she dared to ask the Head Chef if he would give her a job. To her surprise he said ‘yes’! and he continued to be her mentor and oversee her progress… and her rise to pastry chef.

Satay skewers and rainbow salad
Satay skewers with rainbow salad

Home is where the heart is

Something that has always been on her mind is, like me, she loves to be at home.  All those endless days spent staring out of someone else’s window with a longing just to be at home.  Also like me, she enjoys her own company.  All this points to where she is, developing her own business from where she loves more than anywhere else to be… her own kitchen.

Business is booming

Market research was to supply her husband’s colleagues with her first bakes, actively encouraging their feedback – and ultimately their orders, which began to gather momentum.  She now finds herself very busy.  Because she is flexible and open to suggestions she is constantly adding new lines and experimenting with flavours.  She will even prepare a week’s worth of readymade vegan meals to people who don’t have the time to shop and cook.  It’s a service that is clearly much appreciated.

Get in touch with Rachael at the Cottage Vegan

Have a look at The Cottage Vegan’s Facebook page and if there’s anything thing there that tempts you (believe me there will be whether you are vegan or not!) send her a message. https://m.facebook.com/thecottagevegan/ 

Variety is the spice of life

So, it’s not just cakes… it’s Jamaican patties, vegan lasagne, bean and vegetable casseroles, flatbreads, vegan burgers, the most amazing gâteux, muffins and cakes – and probably anything else you might ask of her.  All her bakes and makes are made to order with top-quality, local produce… and lots of love.

Quick and Easy Super-Soup Recipes

Vibrant veggie soup, Spiced Cerliac and Parsnip alongside Spinach and Pea soup

Two quick and easy, super-soups, both veggie, both delicious, nutritious and low in fat… and low-carb too.

Vibrant veggie soup, Spiced Cerliac and Parsnip alongside Spinach and Pea soup
Vibrant veggie soup, Spiced Cerliac and Parsnip alongside Spinach and Pea soup

Spiced, Celeriac and Parsnip Soup

Approximately 150 calories per mug-full.

Makes enough for 6 servings, freeze it and that’s several lunches for a ‘behave yourself’ kind of diet sorted.

The equipment you will need:

  • a sharp veg prep knife and chopping board
  • a large soup pan
  • a wooden spoon
  • a hand blender

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons  olive oil
  • 1 large onion peeled and chopped
  • 2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped
  • Half a celeriac, washed, peeled and chopped
  • A sprinkle of chilli flakes
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Few shakes of white pepper
  • Few twists of ground black pepper
  • A sprinkle of sea salt
  • 2 veg stock cubes I used https://www.oxo.co.uk/ made up into 1 litre of stock

Step 1

Peel and chop the veg

Step 2

Heat the oil. Sauté the onion for 3 minutes until translucent.  Add the diced cleriac and parsnip.  Cover and cook on a low heat until the veg  is tender about 5 minutes.  Add the hot stock, stir well, cover and cook for 10 further minutes. Add the seasoning except the chilli flakes. Stir well. Cover and cook until all veg is tender.

Step 3

Remove from the heat. Blitz with a hand-blender.  Sprinkle a few chilli flakes on each serving.  Serve hot,  or portion and freeze when cold.

Spiced celeriac and parnsip soup
Spiced celeriac and parnsip soup

And next Easy, Peasy, Spinach  (and anything else in the fridge that’s green) Soup

Pea and Spinach soup with a swirl of Greek yogurt
Pea and Spinach soup with a swirl of Greek yogurt

Again about 150 calories per mu-full

You will need exactly the same equipment as for the Spiced Cerliac and Parsnip soup.

Makes enough for approximately 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 400g (ish) frozen peas
  • 1 large pack of fresh, baby spinach
  • Any salad leaves, watercress, rocket that might be lurking in the fridge begging not to be thrown away
  • 1 clove of garlic, grated
  • 1 litre of veg stock
  • A sprinkle of seasalt
  • A shake of white pepper
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional – Half a teaspoon of dried mint

A dollop of Greek yogurt to serve if desired.

Step 1

Put all the I gradients in a pan.  Bring to simmering point. Do not over cook.  Allow 3 or 4 minutes to simmer.   Blitz with a hand blender.

Step 2

Serve with a dollop of Greek yorgurt if desired, or freeze for later in the week.

Pea and Spinach soup with a swirl of Greek yogurt

Make a stunning Christmas centrepiece

A very effective table centrepiece

It takes a bit of patience but it’s worth it

Make a stunning, table centrepiece using your Christmas cake and fondant icing.

Fondant icing reindeer and trees with tea lights to make a woodland scene
Fondant icing reindeer and trees with tea lights to make a woodland scene

You will need:

  • Christmas cake with marzipan icing
  • Large pack of fondant icing, I got mine from https://www.aldi.co.uk/
  • Rolling pin
  • Scalpel or small, sharp, pointed knife
  • Cardboard, pencil and scissors to make template
  • Icing sugar and water for the grace icing
  • A few toothpicks

Ice the cake

Roll out the fondant to the size of the cake, leaving enough spare to make the reindeer.  Dampen the marzipan and place the fondant over.  Smooth the surface.  Leave for a couple of days to harden before making the reindeers snow scene.

Christmas cake with a layer of marzipan under a layer of roll-out fondant icing
Christmas cake with a layer of marzipan under a layer of roll-out fondant icing

Make the template

Find a simple line drawing or picture of a reindeer.  Sketch onto a piece of card.  It doesn’t need to be posh card, I used a piece from a tea-bag box https://www.yorkshiretea.co.uk

Cut out the shape and then… carefully and painstakingly cut out the reindeer.

Carefully cut out reindeers shapes using a card template
Carefully cut out reindeers shapes using a card template

Leave them alone

Put them on a board to dry out for a couple of days.  Leave them out of reach.  They become quite brittle and so need to be treated with great care.

Glace icing snow

Place three tea lights on the cake. up a paste with icing sugar and a few drops of hot water.  Use this to make snow drifts in which the reindeer will stand.

Set the scene

With great care place the reindeer in the snow as in the picture.  Use toothpicks to prop them up until they have set.  Some of the legs may come off! In which case they become  laying reindeer.  Some of the antlers may snap off – in which case they become does!

Use toothpicks to prop up reindeer until they have set into position
Use toothpicks to prop up reindeer until they have set into position

In the woods

Trees can be made from simple, right-angle triangles.  Lean three together in a puddle of glacé icing with a little icing spread on the edge where they join together.

Centrepiece

Light the candles and turn out the lights for a stunning, Christmas  centrepiece.

 

 

 

How to Make a Mahoosive, Celebration Cookie

Fudge icing and Smarties to decorate a mahoosive cookie

It’s really easy to make a celebration cookie

I have a confession to make which might shock:   I don’t like cake. There, I said it!  I don’t ‘do’ puddings and cakes.  The only thing I might eat, to be sociable, is biscuit or cookie. So here is my mahoosive, celebration cookie recipe…

A little help may be needed with the decoration of the cookie
Get help with decorating the cookie

Don’t buy one, make one!

To buy a celebration cookie from a specialist cookie maker at the shopping centre can be fraught with problems.  Celebration cookies can be expensive and they are difficult to get home.

It’s fun!

It is far more rewarding to make your own.  And it is really easy.

You will need:

White sugar, brown sugar, chocolate chips, butter, eggs, flour and essence
The ingredients needed to make a giant cookie

Ingredients for one 14” cookie

(I got the icing from https://www.bmstores.co.uk/)

The equipment you will need:An electric hand whisk, a seive, greasproof paper and a round, 14” metal pizza tray

 

Now, make a mahoosive cookie:

Preparation time 15 minutes Baking time 20 minutes Decorating time 10 minutes 

Cream the butter and white sugar
Cream the butter and white sugar

  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, caster sugar, dark brown soft sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.

    Cream the butter and sugar
    Cream the butter and sugar
  • Gradually add flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda, beating until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips/chopped chocolate.

    Fold in the flour and baking powder
    Fold in the flour and baking powder
  • Line a 14 inch round pizza pan with greaseproof paper.
  • Evenly spread the mixture onto the paper

    Spread the mixture onto the greasproof paper-lined pizza tray
    Spread the mixture onto the greasproof paper-lined pizza tray
  • Bake at 190oC for 20-25 minutes. 
  • Cool the cookie in the pan. 

    The baked, giant cookie
    The baked, giant cookie
  • Decorate as desired.

Go mad with the Smarties
Go mad with the Smarties

By the way.  It can stay in the pan, it doesn’t make any difference.  It freezes well – also in the pan.  You can serve it from the pan too!

All you ever wanted to know about gin

Is it the weekend yet?

I like gin and so was delighted to have the opportunity to visit Plymouth Gin on a recent visit to Devon.  I discovered everything I ever wanted to know about gin.

The Plymouth Gin Distillery
Plymouth Gin Distillery

A visit to Plymouth Gin Distillery

The cost of a tour of Plymouth Gin http://plymouthgin.com/ is £7 (no concessions) and it is worth every penny.  There were about 18 others on the tour too.  We were asked to lock away our bags and cameras and switch off our phones.  A strict ‘no photography allowed’ policy is observed. Which is a shame, I  would like to have iincluded an image or two of a Victorian copper vat or perhaps a few ‘botanicals’. 

Good value

The tour lasts for forty minutes and is finished off in the bar with either a complimentary gin and tonic or a miniature gin or sloe gin to take away with you.  

The oldest distillery in England

Plymouth Gin has been on the Barbican near the famous harbour since 1793.  Parts of the building date back to the 1400s when it was a monastery inhabited by the Black Friars… and their distillery – it is now the oldest working gin distillery in England.  

The entrance to Plymouth Gin
The entrance to Plymouth Gin

A link with the Pilgrim Fathers

Plymouth is renowned for its associations with the navy.  One of its most famous sons being Sir Francis Drake.   It was also the last port of call for the Pilgrim Fathers before they set sail for the New World in 1620 https://www.mayflower400uk.org/visit/scrooby-babworth/notts-attractions/mayflower-pilgrim-visitor-centre/.   A wooden plaque in the upstairs cocktail bar lists some of those who boarded the Mayflower on their way to lay down the foundations of what we know today as the United States of America.  An image of the Mayflower, the ship on which the Pilgrims departed these shores, is on every bottle of Plymouth Gin.

A wooden plaque with the names of some of those who boarded the Mayflower in 1620 on their way to the New World
A list of some of those who boarded the Mayflower in 1620

Dutch origins

From its earliest origins in the Middle Ages, gin has developed from a herbal remedy to a major player in the spirit industry. Gin was based on the Dutch drink known as jenever.  It became popular in Britain when William of Orange became King William III of England.  English soldiers who fought in Holland in the 17th century, drank jenever to calm themselves before battle.  It soon became known as ‘Dutch Courage’ which we know today as drinking alcohol in order to steady the nerves.

Mother’s ruin

Gin was also known as ‘Mother’s Ruin’.  In the mid eighteenth century the effects of gin on the family and economy were disastrous. Gin was the poor man’s drink because of its affordability.  Drinking it had started out as a medicine but as it was cheap and readily available, men became impotent and women became sterile.  This caused the London birth rate to drop.  Also, drinking a pint of gin and having an extremely hot bath was recommended as a way to induce a miscarriage during the 1950s and 60s.

Botanicals

Botanicals are the core flavouring agents for gin.  They can be roots, fruits, herbs or spices.  The botanicals used vary but all must contain juniper berries by law.   

Juniper

Juniper is the most important botanical in gin. In the 16th century it was used as a remedy for indigestion. The juniper is a hardy bush and grows wild all around the globe. And it is juniper that gives gin its pine aroma and bitter(ish) taste. 

Coriander

When dried the essential oils obtained from coriander seeds provide an unexpected citrus top note to gin.

Cardamom 

Cardamom is one of the world’s most expensive spices.  It is from the ginger family and is often found in the rice portion of your Indian takeaway.  Not much cardamom is needed.  It can provide gin with a distinctive, spicy flavour that works with juniper and coriander.

Orris root

Orris root is from the rhizomes of the Iris plant and has a faint, sweet aroma.  If you are old enough to remember Parma Violet, then it is very similar to that.  However, it is not used for its scent but for it’s fixative powers. 

Angelica root

Angelica root, which we know as the crystallised green streams used in cake-decorating and trifles, adds another earthy note to the gin and marries the other botanical ingredients together.

Citrus peels

The oil derived from lemon and orange peels is used as flavouring in gin.  Different brands of gin use varying blends of botanicals which gives them their individuality.

Wheat-based alcohol

The alcohol that carries the botanicals in Plymouth Gin is wheat-based and comes from Yorkshire.

Exit through the shop

Three types of gin are on sale in the shop at the end of the tour: Regular Plymouth Gin is 41% and is generally used for a standard gin and tonic. (Tonic water originally contained quinine which was used to protect against malaria in the tropics.  The gin was added to disguise the bitter taste of the quinine).

And Navy Strength

Navy Strength Plymouth Gin which is 57%.  It seems that ordinary strength gin – if leaked onto the gunpowder on board ship – would render the gunpowder useless.  But they found that the higher proof gin, if accidentally spilled onto gunpowder, would enhance the properties of the powder.  And so Navy Strength was provided for officers of the Royal Navy, which they drank with water.  Ratings, however were still issued with their rum ration.

Plymouth Gin Navy Strength
Plymouth Gin Navy Strength

And Sloe Gin

Sloes are harvested locally from Dartmoor.  They are stored in sugar and gin for four months to make a delightful, slightly almond-flavoured liquer.  It goes well with Stilton as an alternative to port.

Copa Balloon Glass

I also purchased a Copa glass.  This is the type of balloon glass that has a stem, a bit like a red wine glass.  The Copa de Balon glass dates back to the 1700s – so not as modern as I imagined.

The distinctive navy blue packaging of Plymouth Gin Navy Strength
Plymouth Gin Nay Strength and Copa glass

Cocktails

A Gimlet is gin mixed with lime cordial.  Again, this has its roots in the Royal Navy, the lime provided the vitamin C and is where English sailors got their name ‘Limeys’ (from the Yankees).

A Pink Gin is again thought to have originated from the Royal Navy. Plymouth gin is a ‘sweet’ gin, as opposed to London gin which is ‘dry’, and had angostura bitters added as an antidote for sea sickness.

A typical pink gin is one part gin and one dash of angostura bitters.

A classic gin and tonic with a slice of lemon
A classic gin and tonic

So there you have it, everything you ever wanted to know about gin.  Drink anyone?

Make your own refreshing, Elderflower Cordial

This is elderflower blossom in full bloom and also ready to bloom

How to make homemade Elderflower Cordial

I make Elderflower Cordial every year and the time to make this wonderful, refreshing ‘summer in a bottle’ is now!  Get out and pick some of those lovely, fragrant blossoms fast – before they fade.  Top tip – try to find an elderflower tree that is not on a busy road.  They grow just about everywhere and should be easy to find,

Refreshing Elderflower Cordial is so summery

Every year at this time I collect elderflower heads and remember my Mum.  It was the last thing that we did together a couple of weeks before she died twelve years ago.  She had a large elderflower tree at the bottom of her garden.  She reached up with her walking stick to bring down the biggest blooms for me.  This refreshing, summery drink is literally bittersweet for me, she loved it – and everyone who has tried it since loves it too.

This is elderflower blossom in full bloom and also ready to bloom
This is what elderflower blossom looks like. Tiny, creamy-white flowers and bright green foliage and a delicate fragrance 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refreshing Elderflower Cordial is such a good mixer

Mix it with prosecco, gin, vodka – or sparkling water of course – and it can be used to flavour cakes and desserts.  It is so easy to make, I ans sure that you will be impressed at just how good it is – and everyone else will be too.  Here’s how to make elderflower cordial:

Ingredients:

Three lovely, yellow, fresh lemons ready for peeling and slicing
Three fresh, unwashed lemons ready to peel and slice

Equipment needed:

  • A large saucepan
  • A large mixing bowl
  • A wooden spoon
  • A peeler
  • A colander
  • A clean muslin cloth
  • Some clean, reusable plastic or glass bottles

Method:

  1. Gently shake the elderflower heads to remove any ‘wildlife’
  2. Put the sugar and 1.5 litres (2 ½ pints) of water into a saucepan, bring to the boil. Stir from time to time to dissolve the sugar. Remove the zest from the lemons in broad strips with a peeler and put in a bowl with the elderflowers. Slice the lemons thinly and add to the bowl. When the sugar syrup has come to the boil, pour over the flowers and lemons. Stir in the citric acid. Cover with a clean dry cloth and leave in a cool, dark place for 24 hours.
  3. Strain the cordial through a muslin-lined nylon sieve into a large bowl or container.  Pour into warm, sterilised bottles and seal.  (Or plastic water bottles for the freezer, just remember to leave enough space for expansion.  This way you can have the taste of summer at Christmas!)
  4. Leave to cool and keep in the refrigerator. It will last for four to six weeks.

Elderflowers, lemons, syrup and citric acid all mixed together to steep for 24 hours
Elderflowers, lemons, syrup and citric acid all mixed together to steep for 24 hours

Creamy-white elderflower blossom
Elderflower blossoms just ready for picking