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Cooking Clever - Fab food for tough times No. 62

A little taste of summer

Late summer is, of course, the time of abundance. Make the most of any gluts that happen to come your way with some of these tried-and-tested recipes that will bring a little bit of summer to your table in the winter months and will also make fine gifts – if you can bear to give any of them away, that is. Free food at its best, writes Katy McGuinness

Gooseberry, raspberry or strawberry fridge jam

Tomato sauce

Apple and tomato chutney

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Each recipe serves: quantities vary. Costs: not much. Takes: less than two hours to prepare

Gooseberry, raspberry or strawberry fridge jam

(from River Cottage Everyday)

Makes 2kg

1.5kg gooseberries, raspberries or strawberries
Juice of one lemon
1kg jam sugar with pectin

Sterilise some jam jars by washing them in hot, soapy water and drying in a very low oven or put them through a dishwasher cycle. Divide the fruit in half, putting the smaller berries in one bowl and the larger ones in another. If the small ones are quite big, halve them. Roughly crush the large ones with a potato masher or by hand then add the uncrushed berries, lemon juice and sugar. Stir to combine, then leave for an hour to draw out the juices. Transfer the mixture to a preserving pan or a wide heavy-based pan that is deep enough for the jam to bubble away safely. Bring it quickly to a rolling boil, stirring a few times to make sure all the sugar dissolves, then boil hard for exactly five minutes, skimming off any foam from the surface. Take off the heat and leave to cool for five minutes. Put the hot jam in the warm jars and seal tightly. Label jars when cool. Unopened and stored in a cool, dry place, the jam will keep in jars for up to a year. Once opened, store in a fridge and use within three weeks. This makes a looser set than standard jam and uses much less sugar. It's good on toast but also as a type of compote with yoghurt, pancakes or rice pudding.

Tomato sauce

(from Moro East)

Makes about 1l

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
12 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium onions, finely chopped
4cm piece of cinnamon stock (optional)
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
2kg ripe tomatoes, blanched and peeled

Fry the garlic in four tablespoons of the oil until nut-brown (but not burnt) and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan, add the onions, cinnamon and sea salt and fry over a medium heat for 30 minutes or until sweet and golden, stirring occasionally. Add the cumin, cook for two minutes more, then add the tomatoes, the fried garlic and its oil. Bring to a boil and simmer for half an hour, mashing a little with a potato masher. The sauce is ready as soon as it starts to thicken and all the tomatoes have broken down, but you could cook it longer if you prefer a more reduced sauce. Season with pepper, and salt if it needs it, and strain out some of the tomato seeds if they bother you.

Apple and tomato chutney

(from Darina Allen's Forgotten Skills of Irisk Cooking)

Makes 12 x 450g (1lb) pots

3.6kg ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
450g onions, peeled and chopped
450g eating apples, peeled and chopped
1.3kg sugar
850ml white malt vinegar
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons ground black pepper
3 teaspoons allspice
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 level teaspoon cayenne pepper
350g sultanas

Prepare all the ingredients and put into a large, wide stainless-steel saucepan. Bring to the boil. Simmer steadily, uncovered, for about an hour until reduced by one-third and slightly thick. Pot in sterilised jars, cover with non-reactive lids and store in a cool, dry place.

Next week: three simple suppers on toast