Urban foraging is essentially the same as any other foraging. However, wild plants that grown in urban environments can ripen quicker than their wild counterparts due to local microcilmate effects. They can also grow larger due to better soils and the availability of more moisture. This is especially the case for fruit like blackberries where the urban ones can ripen a forthight before their wild counterparts.
This year I've been working on some traditional recipes to make the most of the season's first blackberries. These have essentially become a family tradition. The basic recipes can be found on the FabulousFusionFood's Cymric/Welsh recipes section.
Here I am going to present two of my recipes, for a blackberry snacking cake and a blackberry juice drink.
Blackberry Snacking Cake
 |
Blackberry snacking cake with a wedge removed to reveal the centre |
I first wrote this recipe out in Welsh, so this is my translation. This cake was also developed to be cooked in an air fryer.
Ingredients:
120g butter, softened
120g demerara sugar
2 eggs
120g plain flour
30g fine semolina
2 tbsp ground almonds (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
150g (about) fresh blackberries (enough to cover the base of your baking tin and a handful for the batter)
a little milk, if needed
Method:
Butter a loose-bottomed cake tin (about 20cm diameter is ideal).
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the semolina and ground almonds, then stir to combine.
Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly to combine after each addition.
Form a well in the flour mixture then add in the egg and butter mixture. Stir to combine, mixing until you have an even batter.
If the batter is a little too stiff add a few tablespoons of milk.
Arrange the blackberries to cover the base of your baking tin then fold a handful into the batter.
Scrape the batter on top of the blackberries then transfer to your air fryer. Cook at 160°C for 50 minutes. After 30 minutes cover the top of the cake with a sheet of kitchen foil.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the tin then take the cake out and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
This is a great breakfast cake and works any time of day to accompany tea or coffee.
The original version of this recipe, presented in Welsh and English can be found on the FabulousFusionFood Blackberry Air Fryer Snacking Cake recipe page.
Blackberry Juice Recipe
This is an excellent, slightly tart, unsweetened juice made from blackberries that's a great thirst-quencher during summer. One secret to this drink is to add a few unripe or under-ripe blackberries as you collect as this will increase the tartness.
Ingredients:
1.5l blackberries
250ml water
Method:
Place the blackberries in a bowl and use a potato masher to crush them. Mix in the water and crush again.
<p>Scrape the mixture into a saucepan and bring just to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Take off the heat and pour the mixture into a fine-meshed sieve.
Press the liquid through the sieve with the back of a spoon, leaving the seeds behind.
Set in the refrigerator to chill and serve over ice.
Once again, the original version of this recipe in Welsh and English can be found on the FabulousFusionFood Blackberry Juice Recipe page.
Comments
Post a Comment