(Not up for the chitchat? Completely get it. Click the email title to go to a web-based version then jump straight to the recipe or Cultural Fun.
There. I said it. I mentioned the C word.
My brother texted me this week and began the official Christmas Negotiations. Who will be where and on what dates? You know: the usual yuletide nitty-gritty. There are a lot of Heals - plus other associated relatives and in-laws - who have to be pinned down and booked up for the requisite quantities of comfort and joy to abound.
Eventually there will be meal plans and gift lists and so on and so forth. I haven’t started thinking about all that yet. And neither should you. I apologise for mentioning the subject before we’ve even hit October. BUT - if you want to give any preserved citrus as presents or use it in your festive cooking, it’s worth laying down a few jars now.
Today’s recipe is a specifically Christmassy one though. A jar would make a nice gift and I’ll bring you some recipes too. Subscribe to make sure they appear in your inbox at a seasonally appropriate time.
The oranges in a minute, first though a little housekeeping…
Field-to-Ferment workshops are back!
The workshops I ran at Home Farm House in June were some of my favourite days of 2024 so far. The house itself is grade II*-listed and beautiful with a recently-renovated kitchen just perfect for teaching and the adjoining field is used by Worthy Earth, a no-dig, regenerative agriculture project.
We picked vegetables fresh from the ground and turned them into delicious seasonal ferments. It was absurdly bucolic and totally delightful.
There were a few delays in finalising our next batch of dates but I’m pleased to announce that we have two more in the pipeline:
Friday November 22nd and Friday January 24th.
The vibe obviously won’t be quite as summery as the pictures above but there will still be plenty of veg in the field for picking and we will still have a splendid day.
We’ll hear about the Worthy Earth market garden project from its founder Harrison Fannon, pick our vegetables straight from the ground and turn them into krauts, kimchi and pickles.
We’ll also enjoy a tasty home-cooked lunch made by Home Farm House’s owner Anita and then investigate vinegar, kombucha and kefir before you go home with jars full of goodness and detailed instructions on how to look after them.
Tickets are £150 but book before October 12th for an early bird discount. Use the code GARDENBIRD for 30% off.
I know I always bang on about preserved citrus. But it takes a while to get good - at least a month and sometimes more like three - so making a few jars now would mean you were well ahead with your Thoughtful Homemade Gifts Intentions.
We’re using the same method as for my beloved lemons but adding Christmassy spices with a view to maybe using them in some nice festive recipes nearer the time.
Makes one 750ml jar
Ingredients
5 oranges (unwaxed or scrubbed, plus possibly half of a sixth if you don’t have a pickle weight)
100g flaky sea salt
1 vanilla pod, split down the middle
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp cloves
4 cardamon pods
6 star anise
1 inch fresh ginger (unpeeled but sliced into pound coin thicknesses)
Method
Prepare the oranges. Remove any stem remnant from the oranges and cut them vertically into quarters.
Layer up oranges quarters with salt and spices. Squeeze four orange quarters into your (scrupulously clean) jar. Squish them really thoroughly, getting as much juice out as possible then drop the peel in to the jar. Add two tablespoons of salt (approx 20g) and some of the spices and ginger slices. Repeat for all five fruit, layering squeezed orange quarters, salt and spices.
Weigh down the oranges and seal the jar. Use a pickle weight, half another orange cut around its circumference, a lemon cut in the same way or a sandwich bag filled with brine to keep the squeezed orange quarters below the salty juice. Seal the jar.
Now we wait. Leave at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Check occasionally that the orange pieces are still covered by the brine – if they have begun to dry out top up with more juice or water or they will go brown. If the pickle weight fruit goes mouldy, replace it.
When ready, move to the fridge. The oranges are ready when the peel is entirely soft and has lost its pithy bitterness. This will take anywhere between one and three months. The brine will also no longer be liquid, instead it will have turned into a kind of salty, orangey goo. Once ready, move to the fridge where they will keep indefinitely.
Notes (If Ifs And Ands Were Pots And Pans…)
Use unwaxed oranges if you can find them. These are weirdly much harder to come by than unwaxed lemons but you can put waxed fruit in a bowl of warm water and give them a scrub.
Once these are ready you can use them as they are, straight from the jar, taking a quarter, removing the pips and chopping it fine. What I prefer to do is turn mine into pureé. Run a thumb over each quarter orange to remove any pips and spices before putting them in a food processor. Add any brine/goo left in the jar and blitz the lot until smooth. Return to the jar.
These will be great in all manner of recipes from stews and grain salads to cakes and marinades. Use them in any of these recipes or I will return to the topic in early December with some more ideas.
Cultural Fun
Since I’ve broken the seal on Christmas , I’m going to recommend a couple of things to book if you’re in the market for outings.
A Christmas Carrol(ish), is a tinsel-covered good time. An all-singing, all-dancing outing for Mr Swallow the showbiz alter ego of Nick Mohammed (Nate from Ted Lasso). We saw this last year at the Soho Theatre and it’s now got a West End run. Very silly but a lot of fun.
Also, I know Christmas at Kew is hardly a niche recommendation but it always sells out earlier than you think so consider this a public service announcement to book now if you want to go. There are so many illuminated trails these days but Kew is the best I’ve been to by a long way with inventive and beautiful artist-designed installations.
By contrast, Kenwood’s effort a couple of years ago featured a lot of fairy-lit animal figures seeming purchased from a garden centre. Not quite Lapland scandal but it came across as cynical.
I also liked the Elizabethan-themed revels at Hatfield House last year. No word on what they’re doing for 2024 yet though. Are there any illuminations you’d recommend?
I’ve written before about how much I enjoy the Offline podcast in which Jon Favreau (of Pod Save America) and his cohost Max Fisher investigate different aspects of internet culture. I’ve particularly loved the recent Online Movie Club, hosted by Fisher: discussions of twelve films that have shaped our perceptions of the internet and tech.
They began with The Social Network and finished today with Bladerunner. My favourite episodes were on The Truman Show and Fight Club but all twelve were really illuminating, wide-ranging discussions. Smart people talking about interesting stuff.
Bye! See you next week!
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It's never too early for the C-word in my opinion. Thanks for another inspiring recipe x