The gooseberries are ripe in our garden now. We have both green and red ones.  They both taste pretty much the same, they're just different colours.  They are indigenous to Europe from what I understand, although you can find them pretty much all over now.   They have really sharp spines.  Apparently you can sometimes find wild Gooseberries in copses and hedgerows, but I have yet to come across any.




Like I said we have both red and green ones and I look forward to them ripening every year.   We love gooseberry crumbles and pies . . . gooseberry sauce with pork chops . . . and cakes.  Gooseberries make lovely cakes.




Lovely cakes such as these little Gooseberry Crumble Cakes which I have here in the kitchen today.  It's adapted from a recipe in Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries Volume 2, so you just know it has to be good.  Nigel's recipes always are.




I have been waiting all year to make  this cake, but it's sooooo hot today, I just couldn't imagine having a whole cake in the oven for a whole hour.  So, I decided to make small ones instead.  Using my straight sided loose bottom mini cake tin, I got six nice sized cakes, and they baked in half the time. 


 

The cake itself is lovely and moist . . . a beautiful texture, but I'd expect nothing less.   The Gooseberries add a lovely tang . . . just right with the cake, and of course that crumble topping is buttery and short.  Perfect. 




We had ours with a bit of pouring cream, as is the custom over here.  I was quite flummoxed when I moved over here and saw people pouring cream right on their cakes and pies . . . I was used to cream always being whipped and sweetened.   Now, I have to say, I am quite used to it and actually prefer it straight from the jug and un-sweetened!

 

We both enjoyed these very much and I can see that this recipe would work very well with all sorts of fruits and berries.  Don't be put off from baking it just because you don't have gooseberries.  Currants, raspberries, blueberries, chopped peaches . . . plums, pears or apples, or even a combination.   All would be lovely.  If you want to bake the cake whole, use a loose bottomed 9 inch round tin, the bottom lined with paper.   Bake it for one hour.  You will enjoy this cake no matter how you make it.  I promise you that!


Put the flour, butter and sugar into a food processor and blitz until the mixture forms crumbs.   Add a few drops of water and run a fork through the mixture lightly so that some of the crumbs stick together.  Sprinkle over top of the gooseberries loosely.  You will probably not need it all.   (You can freeze any leftovers for another time.) 

Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl of a food processor.   Tip in the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like fine bread crumbs.   Tip into a mixing bowl and stir in the sugar, cherries and chocolate chunks.   Beat the eggs and yogurt together in a measuring jug add milk enough to give you 400ml altogether (13 1/2 fluid ounces).   Make a well in the dry ingredients and tip in all of the milk mixture, reserving 2 TBS for later.  Mix together lightly to make a soft dough which is slightly sticky.  For light scones do not over mix.

 Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead briefly until just smooth.   Pat out to 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into rounds using a sharp 3 inch cutter and using a direct up and down tap with the cutter, taking care not to twist it, cutting as many as you can from this first cutting.  Remove to the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between.  Gently re-knead the scraps and pat out, repeating the cutting process, until you have 12 rounds.

a few slices baked ham, torn into bits (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Line a small baking tray with grease proof paper. 

Set aside.

Brush the chicken with some olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. 

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil.   Add the potatoes and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes until al dente.  While the potatoes are cooking, hard-boil the eggs in a small saucepan to which you have added 1 tsp vinegar.  Bring the water to the boil then slide the eggs carefully into the boiling water.  Cook for 8 to 9 minutes, then drain and run under cold water until they are cool enough to handle.  Peel, cut into quarters and set aside.

Serves 5 to 6

Printable Recipe

This is a fabulous way to use up the glut of courgettes which should be appearing in the gardens about now.

4 medium courgettes

3 medium free range eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
 2 TBS flour
 small handful flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1 small  clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium  onion, finely chopped

2 green jalapeno chilies, trimmed, seeded and chopped

1 cup grated strong cheddar cheese

1 cup grated Monterrey jack cheese

1 1/2  cup seasoned croutons
 2 TBS butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Butter a shallow 1 litre casserole.   Set aside.