JEAN VIDLER’S 3 DAY MARMALADE
Former schoolteacher and bell-ringer Jean has been keeping Headcornians in Marmalade for decades. Many of us remember Jean selling marmalade along with second-hand books to support the Church of St Peter and St Paul. Unlike many thicker set English marmalades, Jean keeps it beautifully light and runny like the most expensive French variety.
Ingredients:
4 lbs (1.8 kg) of Seville oranges
12 pints cold water
2 pints boiling water
Approx 7lb (around 3 kg) of sugar*.
*Jean recommends pure cane sugar but if this is hard to find, granulated sugar will do.
DAY ONE – Wash 4lbs of Seville oranges in cold water. Cut each orange across and squeeze juice (carefully removing pips and saving in separate basin). Slice oranges and places in a preserving pan with the juice and 12 pints cold water. To the pips add 2 pints boiling water. Leave to stand for 24 hours.
DAY TWO – Strain liquid from the pips and add to the pulp in the pan. Cook gently until the peel is tender (about 1.5 hours). Stand for another 24 hours.
DAY THREE – To each measured pint of pulp add 1lb cane sugar (this type of sugar is best for keeping). Heat gently until all the sugar is dissolved. Cook fast until ready to set. Remove from the heat. Stand for 5 minutes then pot up in sterilised jars – see – http://youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaoOlEB3aio?si=z_y6-hXGfcPRL_jX&w=832&h=468
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ANNIE HAWKES’ BREAD PUDDING
Fill your biggest pan with boiling water and drop two tea bags into it and gently stir. Remove tea bags and add torn up pieces of stale white bread until nearly all the tea is absorbed and the bread looks brown. Add brown sugar, half a packet of mixed spice and half a cupful of oil or melted butter. Soak some mixed fruit in boiling water until expanded then drain and add to mixture, along with one beaten egg. Pour into a baking tray or roasting tin lined with baking paper and sprinkle sugar on the top to make a crust. Cook slowly on a low shelf until springy.
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CHUN MEI’S STIR FRY
Slice any type of cabbage thinly along with an onion and a carrot/green beans/peppers/broccoli, depending on what is available. Boil a cheap packet of spaghetti in water with a drop of oil in to prevent it sticking. Once cooked rinse thoroughly. Fry all vegetables along with ginger and garlic, plus chilli if required, until tender but still crunchy. Remove from pan and fry spaghetti. Shake on plenty of soy sauce. Mix all together.
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BELLA’S PIZZA
Cut a stale roll (can be crusty, a ciabatta or French bread), in half length-ways. Lightly toast on the outside in the oven. Turn over and spread with tomato puree. Sprinkle with chopped onion, garlic or fresh chilli if desired. Cover with grated or sliced cheddar cheese and return to oven until cheese has melted and started to brown
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KHUM’S DAHL
Boil black or red lentils with turmeric and salt. In a separate pan, fry a handful of cumin seeds until dark then fry an onion, followed by garlic and ginger to taste. Add this ‘tarka’ (final fry) to the cooked lentils, bring to the boil one more time, then serve with rice/wraps.
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BAB’S HOUMOUS
Rinse 3 tins of chick peas then boil in a little water for a few minutes to soften. Mash them thoroughly, then add the juice of lemons, some crushed garlic and a spoonful of tahini or some ground sesame seeds. Add a spoonful of olive oil just before serving and enjoy with olives and bread.
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FLIPPIE’S EGGY BREAD
Beat four eggs and add a cup of milk, salt and pepper. Soak slices of cheap white bread in the mixture. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and fry on both sides until turning golden. Serve with ketchup.
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SALLY’S COLESLAW
Slice half a white and/or red cabbage and one onion. Mix with 2 grated carrots and some diced apple. To make dressing mix thick yoghurt, lemon juice, olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper.
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FLIPPIE’S PASTA SALAD
Boil penne or pasta bows and while it’s still warm toss it in a French dressing. Once cool simply add sliced mixed peppers. For the dressing you can use 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons wine or balsamic vinegar and 6 tablespoons olive oil, shaken (not stirred!)
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DUNCAN’S KALE CRISPS
Get some kale leaves, strip from the middle vein. Cut them into one inch pieces. Place them on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Cook in the oven at 180 degrees for about 9 minutes. For different flavours, sprinkle with cumin or caraway before cooking, or soy sauce at the end.
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TACKLING FOOD WASTE : DO YOU REALLY NEED TO THROW THAT FOOD AWAY?
Yellowing broccoli tops can be trimmed off and the stalks still used for soups or stir-fries.
Cabbage stalks can be boiled up to make a rich stock or cut out the middles and eat them raw in salad.
To learn more about which older foods are safe to eat and which are not, please visit:
Heart of Headcorn 