Elderflower Cordial!

It's that time of year! The elderflower is blooming in abundance and I was determined to make some cordial from them this year (since I discovered how to identify them at last)

I used played fast and loose with the recipe from here:  

 The changes I made were: 

• Added less sugar - 1kg instead of 2 (My pot wasn't big enough!)
• Less citric acid - as a result of the less sugar, I added about 50g
• Lemons AND Oranges! - I threw in the rind of an orange too. Bonus yum. 

And it has not disappointed at all. The kids keep asking for "Flower Juice" and we've gone through a bottle already. And it's such an easy recipe, you should hunt down some elderflowers and give it a try! 

Oh! and I made a label for it which you can download. :)

--Click here to download the .pdf of the elderflower cordial label!--

P.S. Here is the link to the post with the Blackcurrant labels. You know, just in case. :)

Recipe! Roast Butternut and Lentil Soup

Autumn is here, and so squash and pumpkins have been in the shops for less than an arm and a leg. I had me a fancy for some lovely pumpkin soup, so after messing about in the kitchen for awhile, came up with this recipe. 

It's a lovely warming butternut soup with cumin, onion and garlic, and thickened with red lentils - because I can never cook them without them tuning to mush anyway.

Roast Butternut and Lentil Soup
Makes 4-6 portions
Ingredients:
1 kg Butternut squash (or pumpkin, if you prefer.)
1 Medium onion
1 Clove of garlic
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 Tbs Cumin
1 Litre of Vegetable Stock
1 Cup of red lentils.

Method
1) Roast your squash - I just chop the bottom off the butternut, halve it, scrape out the seeds and throw it into the oven at 200 C for about 40 minutes or so until soft, but you could make smaller pieces so it roasts faster. Once roasted, put it aside to cool, and scrape the cooked flesh from the skin
2) Sweat the onions and garlic - Roughly chop your onions and garlic and add to a large pan with the vegetable oil and cumin. Cook at a low temperature until the onions are translucent and soft. (Don't cook them too fast! If they brown it changes the entire flavour of the soup)
3) Bring it all together - Once the onions and garlic are nice and soft, add the lentils, pumpkin, and warm stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the lentils are soft.
4) Blend it up! - Once the lentils are soft and disintegrating, blend it until smooth.

Eat it with croutons, thicken with cream, or just guzzle it as it is. 

xx