Blueberries

These little power berries certainly do pack a punch when it comes to nutrients, and whether or not branded as a superfood, they are pretty great. Full of very important vitamins, they also provide fibre and an abundance of antioxidants. Many firmly believe that by adding these small purple berries to a diet, consumers are more likely to fend off heart disease, some cancers and even improve memory.
Originating from many North American species, our homegrown blueberries are usually the Duke variety. Wild blueberries were actually a vital food for Native Americans and were quickly discovered by European settlers in the early 1600s. Find British ones on the shelves from June until at least September and, to top it all, they taste divine.

Cider

Craft cider is now certainly a growing movement following a well-trodden journey by small breweries and even local gin distilleries. It seems we are acquiring a taste for a decent cider, something more thought through and produced with care. Long gone are the days of pressing mushy windfalls, resulting in a rough and ready scrumpy. Good cider is wonderful during hot and balmy summer evenings, when they arrive.
There are already plenty of specialist producers in our own area. Some making exciting still ciders such as Wobblegate, who have a well respected range of dry, sweet and strong ciders. Others create fine flavoured, sparking ciders such as the Garden Cider Company with a range that includes Elderflower, Plum & Ginger and Raspberry & Rhubarb, and it even proudly sources its apples from local gardens. For a cider that quite simply just ‘hits the spot’, look out for the uniquely named Silly Moo, a cider that comes from the fruit of a beautiful orchard in the Sussex countryside that is also home to their Trenchmore cattle.

Duck confit with blueberry sauce

www.crateslocal.co.uk
Serves two

Ingredients:
Four fresh duck legs
At least 500g duck fat
Two tablespoons sea salt
One teaspoon ground black pepper

For the sauce:
200g fresh blueberries
One tablespoon balsamic vinegar
A sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Confit is simply a method of preserving and it may be possible to source duck legs that are already confit. Failing this, it is easy to do, but preserve well in advance. The confit legs will last in the fridge for weeks in a glass or ceramic sealed container. This whole process is slow, but results are delicious and far less fatty than imagined.

Method:
• Cover the duck legs with plenty of salt and seasoning and place them in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
• Pre-heat the oven to 140 degrees centigrade, remove the legs from the fridge and allow to rise to room temperature, removing excess seasoning from the skin.
• Place the legs in a covered casserole dish or similar, cover them with duck fat and gently warm over a low heat to ensure all the fat has become liquid and covers the legs totally.
• Cover and oven roast for two and a half hours. Remove from the oven and allow the covered pot to cool down to room temperature.
• Once cooled, put the legs into a large, suitable sealed container such as a Kilner jar. Pour over the fat from the pot ensuring the legs are completely covered once again. Add more fat if needed. Once the jar and contents are completely cool, seal tightly and store in the fridge. They will last for at least several weeks, if not months, if properly prepared.
• When ready, remove the sealed jar from the fridge, pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade and heat a roasting dish. Allow the duck legs to reach room temperature before roasting.
• Remove the legs from the jar, wiping off most of the fat, but not all to ensure the skin doesn’t burn. If the fat has gone too hard, stand the jar in hot water for a while.
• Roast in the oven for at least 30 minutes until they are golden brown.
• The blueberry sauce is simply prepared by blending together all the ingredients until smooth. This can then be heated gently to serve hot or equally delicious served cold over the duck confit with a crisp summer salad.

Cider sorbet

www.crateslocal.co.uk
Serves two

Ingredients:
500ml medium sweet cider, still or sparkling
One tablespoon caster sugar
Half a lemon

Method:
• Gently heat the cider with the sugar. Once the sugar dissolves, add the juice of around half a lemon and stir well.
• Allow the liquid to cool and refrigerate until really cold.
• Put in a tub and freeze, but return every half hour to an hour (once the top layer freezes) to fork through and repeat until all of the mixture crystallises. Serve or keep frozen until ready to eat.
• Be warned, many craft ciders are quite high in alcohol, so this sorbet will be boozy!

essence info

Crates Local Produce, 24a Carfax, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1EB
Telephone: 01403 256435
Websites: www.crateslocal.co.uk