All Hallows’ Farmhouse Recipes

To make six x 500 ml bottles: 20 large heads of elderflower 1.8 kg granulated cane sugar 1.2 litres water 6 organic lemons 50 g citric acid Method Collect elderflowers in the early morning or late afternoon and shake them free of insects.  If you have also managed to...

Mid March through to early April, is quite often referred to as the 'hungry gap' by farmers and growers.  The stored root crops from winter are dwindling and if the weather is harsh and we experience a 'blackthorn winter'*, there is little coming though in the form of...

Gather from sunny glades and beneath hedgerows, wild garlic is easily recognised by the pungent aroma that will greet you long before you see it flourishing in chalky woodlands. Available to gather with permission from the landowner, from early March until the last...

Welsh Cakes are so easily baked on the AGA.  So there's no excuse to save them just for St. David's Day.  If you have a conventional stove, any heavy bottomed frying pan will make an alternative griddle.  Just make sure it is liberally greased and the heat evenly...

You may well be a traditionalist and like nothing more than a wafer thin crepe glistening with lemon and a sprinkle of caster sugar. Or perhaps like me, your mantra is always 'waste not, want not'.  So when there is a brown banana lingering in the fruit bowl, your...

Always so pretty in pink.  The sight of  a greengrocers display of neatly stacked forced rhubarb from the famous 'Yorkshire Triangle',  makes my heart leap.  Whether you simply chop and gently poach these beauties or prefer to whizz them up into a brightly coloured...

It's become something of a tradition that we begin making marmalade between Christmas and 31st December.  Whether it is the uplifting citrus aroma that fills the kitchen or simply the thought of serving a jar of this season's preserve marking the beginning of a new...

There's no time like the Christmas holidays to be able to take breakfast on the slow.  The ideal opportunity to savour the most important meal of the day. But we've found a way to enjoy our favourite muesli at any time, whether that may be as a decadent treat at...

This simple recipe is perfect to sip whilst you are creating your Christmas wreath and it's so easy to prepare ahead of time. Remember to prepare the ingredients, once you have gathered and conditioned your foliage and you will be all set to start feeling festive. You...

The season of mists and fruitfulness has arrived.  Wrap up warm for long walks down country lanes, kicking up leaves as you go.  Returning home with rosy cheeks to glowing log fires with the promise of hot chocolate and pumpkin pie. Or make this recipe to serve on...

As summer gallops full speed ahead, all of a sudden there is an abundance of hedgerow berries and orchards fruit, ripe for preserving.  Over the years we have gathered a collection of hand written methods on splattered pages.  We return to these tried and tested...

If you would like to make these fritters, gather the elderflowers as soon as you can.  They are a delicately scented treat with an aroma of late spring, but the flowers are definitely at their best NOW, whilst the blossom is just coming into flower. Once...

We never forget how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy time in the garden, whether it is a quick sandwich at lunch time or a leisurely pot of tea and homemade biscuit as a cooking class draws to a close on a summer's day. Whether you are happy with a...

With just three ingredients, these biscuits are simple to make and ideal for dunking.  Which makes them perfect to serve alongside a pot of tea. Or, if you can be persuaded, gently melt a few squares of chocolate to coat these bakes and finally dip them...