The Dandelion Cycle

I bottled 5 out of my 8 demijohns of fruit wine from last year over the weekend - 30 bottles in all.  Another 18 to go when I acquire some more bottles able to take corks. 

Varieties were Elderberry, Elderberry and Sloe, Blackberry and Sloe, Damson and Dandelion. Easily the most ready was the Damson, already a pleasant rosé when chilled.  The elderberry could be several years before it's drinkable.  All had identifiable fruit flavours, especially the blackberry.

 

Sadly the dandelion had lost much of the vibrant yellow it had when first brewed, now being a pale straw colour rather like a sauvignon blanc.

Meanwhile, the new dandelion heads are suddenly ablaze in the fields, so this weekend's wine task will be to pick the flowers for next year's brew ...

Swiss and Blue

Try this if you like blue cheeses (the family are heavily divided on this:  it's only me that does).

The swiss chard I left in the ground last autumn has overwintered wonderfully and is now glistening with health and vigour.  The sorrel has also taken off in the warm weather of the past few weeks.  Meantime, there is a piece of leftover Somerset Brie in the fridge ...

Assuming you have a whole chard, that should do as a vegetable for four.  Don't worry about sorrel if you can't get it, though it adds a wonderfully bitter note to anything you cook it with.
Slice the chard thinly at the stalk end and more broadly for the leaves. Separate the sorrel leaves from the stems; discard the latter and slice the former roughly.

Cook both the vegetables in butter over a medium low heat for a few minutes - so far, so conventional (see Jane Grigson for example).  Now add some blue cheese - to taste, but it can't just be a few flakes.  I think I probably added about 2-3 oz for the quantities above.  Chop it up so it melts quickly.  Cook down until the cheese has melted and covers everything in a glaze.