The provenance of our food is of the upmost importance and crucial to the education of our children. Here is the latest blog by Jenny Jefferies.
Simply knowing where our food comes from lends each and everyone of us a deeper understanding of the world, nature and the circle of life. Whether or not you live in the town or in the country, coast or inland, bridging that gap is what I help try to do with my regular writings and my books For The Love Of The Land and For The Love Of The Sea.
This country thrives off of charity and there are many that help educate and who provide useful and crucial resources for children, teachers and schools about food and farming. Charities such as LEAF Education, NFU Education, Kids Country, Countryside Trust, Love British Food, to name but a few, are fantastic at integrating farming and agriculture into the school national curriculum; especially STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
Every farmer and every produce has a story to tell, especially if we choose to listen, as Holly Moscrop of One Girl And Her Cows says in my new book For The Love Of The Land II:
Both my mum and granny are also very passionate about cooking, especially with ingredients theyve grown, reared or foraged. I was taught by them from a young age how much love and effort goes into our food, to always know and respect the origins of it and be proud of its story.
Stories are important, stories matter.
Here is Hollys recipe for Hedgerow Sponge Pudding from For The Love Of The Land II.
PREPARATION TIME: 30 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 40 MINUTES TO 1 HOUR | MAKES AN 11-INCH (28CM) ROUND PIE DISH
Ingredients
For the fruit filling
300g Bramley apples, fresh or frozen
250g blackberries, freshly foraged or frozen
2 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp granulated sugar
For the sponge
250g self-raising flour (also works with gluten free self-raising flour)
50g British porridge oats (or rolled oats) 80g soft brown sugar
150g British unsalted butter, diced
2 medium British eggs
Method
For the fruit filling
Preheat your oven to 180c (160c fan) and grease an 11-inch (28cm) baking dish. Peel, core and dice your apples before putting them into your dish with the blackberries (or any other berries youre using).
Sprinkle the cornflour and granulated sugar over the fruit, adding more sugar if you know the berries are particularly tart, and give it a quick stir. Place the dish of fruit in your preheated oven to bake for around 15 minutes while you make the sponge.
For the sponge
Place the flour, oats, soft brown sugar and butter into a bowl, or a food processor, and rub together, or pulse the processor, until the texture is like chunky breadcrumbs.
Remove around 4 heaped dessert spoons of the crumbly mixture and set aside in a separate bowl. Lightly beat the eggs in a mug and then stir them into the remaining mixture to create a smooth cake batter.
Remove your baked fruit from the oven and give it another stir to make sure all the pieces are spread evenly across the dish, then pour the sponge mixture over the fruit and smooth out the top.
Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture over the top of the cake mix and return the dish to the oven for a further 30 to 45 minutes, or until lightly golden and a skewer comes out clean (this will vary depending on your oven).
Remove from the oven and allow the pudding to cool slightly (if you can wait) before scooping out generous portions and serving warm with cream, custard or vanilla ice cream. You can also pop leftovers into the fridge and reheat them the next day in the microwave. Its also rather moreish when eaten on its own, even when cold and straight from the fridge (not that Ive stolen a spoonful, or two, when passing...) so enjoy!
Quote
This pudding is a celebration of the Great British Countryside and the fruits that nature delights us with. I made it with apples and blackberries because we were overrun with them, but you can swap the fruits for whatever you have a glut of; you really cant go wrong! Holly Moscrop
