TARRAGON & THYME

These make nice sauces to pop onto home made ice-cream and are quite easily made.  They have been made with dried fruits that I needed to use up in any event, but they can also be used as a base for home made ice creams. These are some combinations that I have used so far: Crystallised ginger in ginger wine: basically if the ginger is starting to go hard pop it into a preserving jar chopped into small chunks and fill to the top.  Then pop in as much ginger wine  (I use Stones Green Ginger Wine or if I have it home made Ginger Wine). Leave it to steep. You can use this in fruit cakes too or in apple dumplings, a teaspoon mixed with some home made mincemeat and brown sugar and popped into the cavity left by the core being removed. Golden Sultanas in Brandy/Grand Marnier or Amaretto: Basically the same process. You could also add the zest of an orange or Mandarin. Rum N Raisin:  This is particularly yummy especially if used as a base for Rum n Raisin ice cream....

After sorting the pantry out just before Christmas I have quite a bit of dried fruit that has its sell by date fast looming and rather than waste this precious resource I have decided to start early by making some dried fruit chutneys as well as Mincemeat, which with the addition of other ingredients will turn these fruits into something different and filling for the pantry shelf as well as delicious for the family table. Its also a way of using up little amounts of things too especially when making a mincemeat in a large crock as you can perpetually add ingredients as long as you give them a good mix inbetween.  Its a bit hubble bubble in its creation but by golly its one of the best ways of making mincemeat I have come across. Mincemeat made in this fashion contains no suet and it  is very juicy and moist. The rest is Alchemy.  Not only that I will have most of my mincemeat and other goodies if made now on hand for use throughout the year and also in readiness for the C...