R U R A L
AUTUMN ISSUE 1
R U R A L
AUTUMN ISSUE 1
Welcome to Rural Magazine. This first issue is an ode to the beauty of nature and a celebration of the autumn season. This issue is dedicated to the joys and emotions the season brings and is filled with beautiful photography and design. This new edition focuses on the enjoyment of foraging for foods and provides simple recipes from your gatherings. We hope this publication will inspire you to explore and forage for foods to create your own exciting dishes. These recipes are perfect to share with the family or for your autumnal dinner parties, whether around the table or out-of-doors.
SOLITUDE
The state or situation of being alone The solitude of the woods
I lift up my eyes to the hills
THERE IS A PART OF ME THAT WILL FOREVER WANT TO BE WALKING UNDER AUTUMN LEAVES CARRYING A BRIEFCASE. Roger Ebert
Another thing i like to do is sit back and take in nature. To look at the birds, listen to their singing, go hiking, camping, jogging and running. Walking through the fields, playing games and sometimes being alone with the great outdoors. It’s very special to me.
Larry Wilcox
“ I remember when I was a child, walking into the woods by myself and feeling the solitude around me build like electricity and pass through my body with a jolt that made my hair prickle. � Marilynne Robinson
He names the sky his own.
AMONG THE DELIGHTS OF AUTUMN ARE PICNICS IN THE WOODS BENEATH A LEAFLESS TREE.
FORAGING
Gathering foods from nature Recipes from foraged foods
Wild Garlic & Parmesan Pesto
100g of wild garlic leaves with flowers 200ml extra virgin olive oil 50g pine nuts or walnuts 2 garlic cloves 50g Parmesan cheese, grated Salt & black pepper
Method Blanch the wild garlic leaves in boiling water for about 10 seconds. Put the wild garlic, olive oil, pine nuts or walnuts, together with the garlic cloves, into a food processor and blend to a puree. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the grated Parmesan. Season carefully and put into a sterilised jar. Pour over a little extra virgin olive oil to seal and cover tightly.
“Use it to impress as a dressing over salads, bake into your favourite bread dough, add to any pasta dish or mix with butter and slip under the skin of a chicken roast.�
Roasted Sweet Chesnut Cookies
5 whole roasted and peeled chestnuts 6 tbsp unsalted butter 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup golden brown sugar 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp sea salt 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1 egg 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
Method Add 1 cup of chopped chestnuts, butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, salt and flour into a food blender and pulse until even dough is formed. Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide dough into small cookies on baking tray. Bake cookies until golden brown on bottom and just pale golden on top, about 14 to 17 minutes.
“These are perfect cookies to make for a party, served by a roaring fire, and a cup of hot chocolate.”
Hawthorn & Wild Apple Sauce
500g chopped wild apples Large handful of Hawthorn berries Honey to sweeten
Method Place the apples and hawthorn berries in a pan and half cover with warm water. Simmer quickly until the apples begin to turn to mush. Place mixture in sieve and run over with the back of a spoon straining the sauce, leaving all the apples skin and hawthorn pips behind. You should get a pink delicate sauce. You may with to add a little honey to sweeten.
“Enjoy your homemade hawthorn and applesauce, topped over pork chops, or even served warm over vanilla ice cream for a delicious treat.”
Dandelion & Burdock Lemonade
A couple of large burdock roots (150g) A handful of dandelion roots (50g) 3 roughly chopped unwaxed lemons 140g caster sugar 1 litre cold water Honey to taste
Method Blend dandelion and burdock plant leaves into a processer. Combine the mixture, sugar and 1 cup of the water in a small saucepan and bring to simmer over low heat to dissolve sugar. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat to cool. Cut lemons in half and squeeze. Repeat until you have one cup. Add the cooled syrup to your pitcher, followed by the lemon juice and the remaining 4 cups of water. Stir. Taste and adjust, add more sugar if need be.
“Relive the taste of the great outdoors with this tradtional flavoursome soft drink.�
Nettle Leaf Tea & Cream of Nettle Soup
1 cup of nettles Boiling Water 1 tsp of sugar or honey Sliced lemons 1 tbsp olive oil 1 chopped onion 1 finely sliced leek 1 large potato 1l vegetable stock 400g stinging of nettles 50g butter 50ml double cream
Method Start by picking the nettles for both recipes. Wash the nettles one by one, to get rid of soil and insects. Tea - Put the nettles in a pot and add enough water to just about cover them. Boil until the water becomes slightly green Remove nettles. Serve with sugar and sliced lemons. Soup - Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, leek and potato, and cook for 10 mins until the vegetables start to soften. Add the stock and cook for a further 10-15 mins until the potato is soft. Add the nettle leaves, simmer for 1 min to wilt, then blend the soup. Season to taste, stir in the butter and cream.
“Stinging nettle plants are nevertheless a gift to anyone who favours cooking with local, seasonal, and fresh ingredients.�
Rosehip & Ginger Tea
3 tsp of dried rose hips Slice fresh ginger Boiling water Honey to taste
Method Boil a kettle of water. Once the water has been thoroughly boiled, carefully pour the water into a heatproof bowl. The size of the bowl will depend on how much water you have boiled. Take your handful of dried rosehips. Place the rosehips into the bowl of boiled water. Make sure that the water completely covers the rosehips. Leave the rosehips and the boiled water to steep for 10– 15 minutes. Do not cover the bowl or disturb its contents. once 10-15 minutes are up, carefully pour the tea into serving cups.
“When the cold weather of autumn and winter hits, warm yourself and your guests with a delicious cup of rosehip tea.”
Elderberry Balsamic Vinegar
400g ripe Elderberries Freshly picked 500ml of organic red wine vinegar Sugar
Method Put Elderberries in a bowl and pound lightly with the end of a rolling pin. Pour over the red wine vinegar, and cover with muslin. Leave for 5 days. Strain through a fine sieve, and pour the liquid into a saucepan. Add the sugar, and warm until dissolved. Keep stirring so the sugar doesn’t burn or start to caramelise. Then bring to a rolling boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Now pour into sterilised bottles and cap.
“This Elderberry Recipe makes a unique alternative to traditional Balsamic vinegar. Deep, rich, and beautifully smooth and goes extremely well as a salad dressing.�
Wild Mushroom in Cream & Garlic Sauce Large wild mushroom 1 small finely chopped onion 250g wild mushrooms 150ml single cream 16 small roughly chopped wild garlic leaves Salt and pepper Butter Brioche Method Pour oil into a frying pan and place over a gentle heat. Finely slice wild garlic and add to pan. Fry gently for a few minutes, stirring occasionally and ensuring the garlic doesn’t start to burn. Prepare your wild mushrooms by wiping any dirt from their surfaces. Slice the mushrooms into pieces and add to pan, stirring so that they become coated with the oil. After a few minutes, the mushrooms should be cooked, turn the heat back down and add the cream to the pan along with black pepper according to taste. Stir everything around and heat gently for a couple of minutes.
“This recipe is ideal for either breakfast, lunch or dinner and it delivers so much flavour for something so simple. - Wild garlic will work wonders in this dish”
Blackberry & Almond Tart 150g freshly picked blackberries 100g ground almonds 375g shortcrust pastry 1 tbsp plain flour 100g butter 100g caster sugar 1 large egg 100g ground almonds 25g toasted flaked almonds Method Preheat a baking sheet in the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. For the pastry, place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend together, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add enough cold water to bind the mixture together and shape into a ball. Remove from the food processor and shape into a bowl. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pastry into a large disk. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend together. With a palette knife, spread the mixture over the pastry disk, and fold the edges in to create an edge. Slide the tart onto the baking sheet and transfer into the oven for 10 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.
“This blackberry and almond recipe is a delightful way to use up the abundant brambles that are currently dripping of the bushes in the countryside. A tasty autumn dessert.�
Wild Watercress & Pomegranate Salad
Handful of Watercress 1/2 pomegranate seeds 2 chopped wild apples 1 tbsp Pomegranate molasses 1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar 2/3 olive oil Cup salad dressing Salt and pepper
Method Whisk pomegranate molasses, Balsamic vinegar and olive oil in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Combine watercress in bowl. Pour 2 tablespoons dressing over; toss to coat. Arrange sliced apple wedges in spoke pattern onto plate. Drizzle 2 tablespoons dressing over apples. Sprinkle with cheese and pomegranate kernels.
“This watercress and pomegranate recipe is a refreshing and delicious foil to all those heavy winter foods; it’s a great dish for those many Autumn and Winter celebrations.�
WOODLAND
The welcombe hills A place to admire
Autumn isn’t just about preparing for winter. It’s also about sitting on a quiet bench in the woods, in a worn wool sweater, warming your hands over the swirl of steam rising from a coffee cup. There is nothing like being left alone again, to walk peacefully with oneself in the woods.
A
It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. Henry David Thoreau
AUTUMN The mellow season.
R U R A L
AUTUMN ISSUE 1