The giving of food and drink may be as old as humankind but it’s still possible to add an original twist. With a little imagination and effort, even the most humble of domestic offerings can be made unique. And it’s a pleasure to make food gifts by hand – they become even more special and personal.

 

 

When many people are returning to growing their own crops, and weekend farmers’ markets are increasingly popular, it’s only natural that preserving is once again becoming a popular home pursuit. Preserving fruit and veges when they are in season and affordable is also an economical way of keeping them on hand when prices are higher or they’re out of season. But it’s not just a thrifty or therapeutic activity – the results are delicious and good for you, as there are no preservatives.

 

Many cooks have espoused the virtues of home preserving over the years. The great English cookery writer Elizabeth David has good preserves recipes in all of her cookery books (her Apricot Chutney with Coriander Seeds is just fantastic). Constance Spry, better known as a florist, wrote The Constance Spry Cookery Book in 1956 and it’s still well worth a look (try Amazon.com). The Store Cupboard chapter is superb for bottling jams, jellies, spiced fruits, pickles and more.

 

French infusion

Herbes de Provence is a popular dried herb blend from the south of France. It is good to add to oven-roasted veges, roast chicken, soups, stews and more. Ours is a classic blend of rosemary, thyme, mint and a bay leaf, with a dash of lavender flowers and twists of dried orange peel. Jug and jar stylist’s own.

 

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Bottled berries

Raspberry vinegar cordial is the old-fashioned forerunner of bottled squash, which can be diluted with plain or fizzy water. We’ve used soda water and made ice cubes with squashed and whole raspberries. ‘Bahia’ pink/green water glasses, call Meizai NZ for suppliers; cordial bottles from Arthur Holmes; ‘St Nick’ ribbon from Scarlet Ribbons; other glassware stylist’s own.

 

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	You’ll need: 800g button mushrooms, 1 litre of white wine vinegar, 3 blades of mace (dried nutmeg case), a heaped teaspoon of peppercorns, plain salt.
	1.  Add the mace and peppercorns to the vinegar and bring just to boiling point with the lid on the pan. Set aside to infuse for at least 3 hours. Wipe the mushrooms and trim the stalks.
	2.  Put the mushrooms into a pan and sprinkle lightly with salt. Cook gently, shaking well until the juice flows. Keep cooking until the mushrooms have softened and most of the juice has evaporated. Tip out any excess juice.
	3.  Add enough spiced vinegar to the pan to cover the mushrooms, bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Pack the mushrooms into sterilised jars, pour over the liquid from the pan and seal when cold.   Makes 1 large jar

 

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Shelf life

A pantry shelf brimming with home-made gifts, labelled and trimmed, is a satisfying sight. On lower shelf, from left, are: chillies steeped in sherry, pickled peppered peaches (see NZ House & Garden’s Fresh Inspiration feature, January 2009, for the recipe), raspberry cordial, Herbes de Provence, preserved lemons, spiced salt, garam masala, herb salt and luxury muesli. Bottles and jars from Arthur Holmes; chillies from Matakana Chillies; spices, nuts and dried fruit from Khyber Foods and Spices; ribbons from Scarlet Ribbons; labels from Spotlight, Passion for Paper and Paper Plus; other accessories stylist’s own.

 

Lemon-aid (on lower shelf, right)

Preserved lemons add a salty sharpness to stews and salads. Use the rind and the pith rather than the flesh. Our preserved lemons have been cut in quarters and salted, cloves added and covered with white wine vinegar in jars for four weeks. Jars from Arthur Holmes.

 

Morning glory (on lower shelf, right)

Home-made muesli is always a good gift. Ours is full of healthy and delicious morsels – almonds, sunflower seeds, golden sultanas, sesame seeds, dried cranberries and apricots. Ingredients from Khyber Foods and Spices; gingham ribbon from Scarlet Ribbons. 

 

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Spiced and herbed salt are good to have on hand to add to dishes such as roasted meat and vegetables. Our Indian-flavoured spiced salt includes black pepper, mace, black salt, coriander, cumin, asafoetida, chilli and rock salt. In the herb salt: dried thyme, bay leaves, marjoram, rosemary, ground mace, paprika, black peppercorns and celery salt. Our mix has been powdered, pounded and left unsieved for a coarse result. Jars from Arthur Holmes; spices from Khyber Foods and Spices; pink vintage glass container from 300 on Ponsonby Hospice Shop.

 

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Mix it up

A small jar of garam masala is a valuable addition to the pantry to spice up grilled, braised and curried foods. Make your own using ground spices, but don’t make too much at a time – it will lose its flavour. Our mix has black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cloves and mace. Present it tied with string and trimmed with a cinnamon stick. Spices from Khyber Foods and Spices; jars from Arthur Holmes; accessories stylist’s own.

 

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