The Delectable Garden Food Blog. A collection of recipes inspired by my seasonal garden.
The Delectable Garden Food Blog. A collection of recipes inspired by my seasonal garden.
Homemade Creme De Mure is a delicious liqueur made from red wine and blackberries. This sweet velvety drink is best enjoyed over ice or in the classic Bramble cocktail. Blackberry season is here and it fills me with warmth. Picking blackberries makes me think of …
My Quick No Fuss Eaton Mess is a dessert that can be thrown together in 20 minutes. Absolutely no kitchen skills are required, the messier it is the tastier it looks! I’ve been making this Quick No Fuss Eaton Mess for over 10 years. This …
Wild Garlic Tzatziki Dip is a twist on the Greek favourite using wild garlic foraged in a local woodland. Wild Garlic Zatziki Dip is made with thick and creamy greek yogurt mixed with grated cucumber and fresh wild garlic. Serve with pitta bread as a …
Homemade Creme De Mure is a delicious liqueur made from red wine and blackberries. This sweet velvety drink is best enjoyed over ice or in the classic Bramble cocktail. Blackberry season is here and it fills me with warmth. Picking blackberries makes me think of …
My Quick No Fuss Eaton Mess is a dessert that can be thrown together in 20 minutes. Absolutely no kitchen skills are required, the messier it is the tastier it looks! I’ve been making this Quick No Fuss Eaton Mess for over 10 years. This …
Wild Garlic Tzatziki Dip is a twist on the Greek favourite using wild garlic foraged in a local woodland. Wild Garlic Zatziki Dip is made with thick and creamy greek yogurt mixed with grated cucumber and fresh wild garlic. Serve with pitta bread as a side or enjoy as a healthy snack.
It’s only the past couple of years that I have become obsessed with wild garlic. It’s really flavoursome without the sometimes hard hitting punch of regular garlic. I’ve had wild garlic raw in wild garlic pesto as well as this Wild Garlic Tzatziki Dip and it really is delicious.
When you find a source it’s easy to pick, there is usually an abundance of it and best of all it’s absolutely free. You can pick and use the leaves and flowers from April to June. Just give them a little rinse when you get home and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Please resist the urge to uproot the bulbs, you can’t eat them and removing the bulb means it will never grow back.
I love foraging, some of the tastiest food grows in the wild. I think it’s because it tends to be harder to grow commercially so is left to do it’s own thing in nature. You don’t have to be an expert to forage. It just takes a little research to understand what’s in season and to understand what you are picking. If you are unsure- don’t eat it!
You can normally find fruit, edible flowers, nuts and herbs in woodland, parks and the countryside across the UK. Just make sure you are not on private land and you should be fine.
My favourites include wild garlic from April, Elderflower in June and Blackberries and Chestnuts in October.
I say this Wild Garlic Tzatziki Dip serves 4 as a dip, but me and Gary smash a bowl of this with a couple of pitta breads as a snack. With only 30 calories per serving it’s an easy low calorie dip to whip up for any occasion. It goes down particularly well with salads and BBQ’s.
I experimented with wild garlic in this tzatziki recipe because sometimes I would go overboard with the regular raw garlic and it was too over powering. Wild garlic is subtle and shares the stage with the cucumber and yogurt, rather than being the star ingredient.
They key to successful tzatziki is the yogurt. Make sure you buy good quality thick Greek yogurt. I make my own and strain it for hours so it’s really thick. You can strain shop bought Greek yogurt by popping it into fine sieve and placing it over a bowl in the fridge for a couple of hours. If you are interested in making your own yogurt I did a review of the yogurt maker I purchased from Lakeland, read it here.
We love the Greek island because of it’s stunning scenery, rich culture, friendly people and of course the incredible food. Tzatziki is a staple part of Greek cuisine. when in Greece there is nothing I love more than relaxing in the sunshine with a drink in one hand and pitta bread smothered in Tzatziki in the other. Now I want to go back to Greece!
Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @TheDelectableGarden and Facebook @TDG.co.uk if you make my Wild Garlic Tzatziki Dip. You can also give my recipe a star rating or leave a comment to let others know how delicious it is!
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Like this? Why not make my Greek Inspired Beef Souvlaki and have yourself a Greek night…… don’t bill me if you start smashing plates.
Enjoy,
Lee
Fudgy and chewy Triple Chocolate Mini Egg Easter Brownies that are easy to make and look incrdilby pretty. Triple Chocolate Mini Egg Easter Brownies are the perfect treat for Mothers day or some Easter fun with the family. Who doesn’t love Mini Eggs? They are …
I’m finally sharing my secret dry rub mix for you to make The Best Slow Cooked Pulled Chicken Recipe at home. This blend of herbs and spices tenderises the chicken and infuses it with an authentic BBQ flavour. The Best Slow Cooked Pulled Chicken Recipe …
Easy Homemade Maple Pecan Granola is the perfect way to start a chilly autumnal morning. Enjoy with yogurt and fruit as part of a well balanced breakfast.
I’ve been making homemade granola for about a year now. I started making it to control what went into my food, and to reduce food and packaging waste. My first recipe was a Honey and Almond Granola. This is still a classic that I make regularly. However, it has taken a back seat since I started making this Easy Homemade Maple Pecan Granola.
The idea for Easy Homemade Pecan Granola recipe started after I made my last batch of Sticky Maple and Pecan Cinnamon Rolls. I had some left over maple syrup and pecans. I hate wasting food so I started thinking of other recipes to use up the leftovers. Straight away I knew this would be my favourite granola. Sweet and nutty with a good crunch, what’s not to love? It has a delicious warmth from the maple and spices, making it perfect for a crisp autumn morning.
Granola is really simple and fast to make. A midweek breakfast that can be made, and enjoyed, by all of the family. It’s comforting to know you can make something healthy, with wholesome ingredients, and reduce food and packaging waste at the some time.
The Sticky Maple and Pecan Cinnamon Rolls are incredible for weekend breakfast treat. If you haven’t made them yet you are missing out! Follow the link to the recipe and make them next weekend.
I am officially a homemade yogurt enthusiast. Another product you can make at home. Like my Easy Homemade Maple Pecan Granola you can make a staple food product and choose what ingredients to put in, or more importantly, what to leave out!
It takes about 9 hours to produce a litre of yogurt, the hands on time is very minimal. The Yogurt Machine I purchased makes the process really simple, you simply turn it on and forget about the yogurt for 8 hours. The flavour and texture of homemade yogurt is certainly worth the wait. It’s very satisfying topping it with your own homemade granola.
If you make any recipe from my blog be be sure to tag and follow me on Instagram and Facebook. I love hearing from you, send your comments to me on social media.
Enjoy,
Lee
These Sticky Maple and Pecan Glazed Cinnamon Rolls are pure filth. Sticky, sweet, warm and fluffy, they hit the spot. I’ve made (and eaten) my fair share of cinnamon rolls and I’ve finally reached cinnamon roll perfection with these. Sticky Maple and Pecan Glazed Cinnamon …
Hi all, I hope you are all safe and well. It’s been a while since my last post. I want to reassure you I have been busy grafting and not taking an extended holiday- I wish! I have recently started producing and selling DIY food …
Lemon and Elderflower Posset is the taste of summer captured in a refreshing dessert. A smooth and creamy dessert with sweet floral hints and a touch of tang. Perfect for BBQs and alfresco dining on warm summer nights.
Elderflower brings me so much joy. For just a few short weeks in June it’s delicate, creamy flowers burst open. Unveiling the elder’s full beauty and delicious scent, signalling the arrival of summer.
I’ve always loved the flavour of Elderflower and was pleasantly surprised to see it in garden when we first moved in. It was one of the first produce I started to experiment with and gave me the idea for The Delectable Garden.
When it come to infusing, Elderflower, is different to most flowers and herbs. It tastes as good as it smells in bloom. Homemade elderflower cordial is a good way to capture the flavour. I’ve made it every year since we moved in and I use it to make elderflower curd.
My Lemon and Elderflower Posset is made with a homemade elderflower syrup (recipe included below). Elderflower syrup can also be used to add a sweet floral hint to cakes and cocktails. I brushed the elderflower syrup over a lemon cake before adding the drizzle. I also add 15ml of syrup to a gin and tonic with a dash of lemon.
I have a huge sweet tooth. No meal is complete without a desert. In winter I crave chocolate, caramel and fudge desserts. In summer I love lighter cakes, pastries, meringue with fruits and cream. This Lemon and Elderflower Posset with Shortbread Thins is the perfect end to a summer meal in the garden.
Lemon and Elderflower Posset is made with just 4 ingredients and is quite possibly the easiest desert you will ever make. Simply stirring cream, sugar, lemon and elderflower syrup together to create a thick and smooth dessert that’s sharp yet sweet in flavour.
The shortbread thins to accompany the Lemon and Elderflower Posset are also simple and delicious, so simple and delicious it’s dangerous! The recipe is a good base to experiment with. You could try adding lemon zest, lavender flowers or some chocolate chips.
It’s time to enjoy the sunshine and capture the taste of summer before it disappears. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and Facebook when you use my recipes.
Forage safely. If you aren’t 100% sure, don’t eat it! Some plants, flowers and mushrooms can be highly poisonous when consumed.
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Here is how to sterilise bottles and jars.
Enjoy,
Lee
Mediterranean Spinach and Feta Tarts need to be at the top of your baking list this summer. Enjoy on a picnic or in the garden with new potatoes and salad. Going Free Range in Lockdown The garden has been our saviour during lockdown. We have …
