HAPPY MONDAY......

and Elderflower Cordial!

Good morning!
I do hope you have all had a happy weekend?
Ours went super fast (don't they always?) and I can't believe that it is Monday already?
Saturday held a big family party in a nearby Italian restaurant, a special birthday celebration for a member of our family......delicious food and all generations together is always a fun and happy combination!  Yesterday was busily spent working in the garden, and then an impromptu arrival of children down from London for supper.....it's amazing how far one roast chicken can go when it needs to!  Plenty of lovely vegetables, including the first Chard of the season from the kitchen garden which was a real treat.  

With our hedgerows bursting with white fluffy clouds of Elderflower over the last few days......I decided to make a large batch of Elderflower cordial.  The arrival of this delicate foraged flower always truly announces the arrival of summer for me.....quite late this year, as I have usually made a large batch by the end of May.  This year, I also plan to make a Rhubarb and 
Elderflower jam, to use up my glut of rhubarb in the garden.....and I recently found recipes for Elderflower syrup cake and an Elderflower panacotta, both of which I am looking forward to making over the next week.

Elderflower cordial really is very simple to make, and is so refreshing with still or sparkling water and slices of lemon or sprigs of mint and plenty of ice.  I tend to fill large plastic water bottles and store in the freezer, to defrost one at a time and decant in to smaller clip top bottles for the fridge as and when we need them.

For any of you who have not had a go at making this delicious cordial, here is the recipe which I have taken from 'Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook', a particularly lovely version of cordial with its addition of oranges, limes and lemons in the mix which is not too sweet.

Elderflower cordial:

(makes 2 x 750ml bottles)

1.35kg granulated sugar

Flowers from 15-20 elderflower heads

2 oranges, thinly sliced

2 lemons, thinly sliced

2 limes, thinly sliced

30g tartaric (or citric) acid

Put 1.5 litres water and the sugar in a saucepan, and dissolve the sugar completely before bringing to the boil.  Add the flowers and return the water to the boil.  Remove from the heat immediately.

Thinly slice the fruit into a large bowl or jug.  Add the tartaric acid and pour over the hot syrup and flowers.  Stir well and cover loosely.  Leave for 24 hours.

Strain into warm sterilised bottles and seal.  This keeps for a couple of months in the fridge.  If you make plenty, pour some into plastic bottles and freeze.  It will last for years.

                                      

So easy!

Delicious and refreshing........and for a special treat, try mixing with a dash of vodka and topped up with fizz for a fabulous summer cocktail!

All pictures via: Pinterest

Wishing you a very happy start to the week.....

Sophia xx