Summer berries and currants are now in season. We don’t have any fruit bushes in the garden but wandering along the canal bank yesterday I was really happy to see a few straggly raspberry plants. The fruits were very small and delicate, but I did manage to collect a handful. Since I am working on strawberry desserts at the moment for the Breast Cancer Care Strawberry Tea. I decided to make something savory wth the raspberries.
Last autumn I made a blackberry vinegar and have been enjoying it ever since , on salads and to add notes to stews and pasta sauces. This recipe will work with all types of fruits here with raspberries
Raspberry Vinegar
100g raspberries
1 tbsp caster sugar
100ml of white wine vinegar
1. Place the berries in the vinegar, crush them and leave to soak for a few hours ( the harder the berries the longer the soak required – blackberries take a number of days)
2. Add the sugar to the berry-vinegar mix. Bring to a gentle simmer for one minute
3. Pour the mixture through a fine strainer to remove the berries’ flesh and seeds.
4. Put the strained vinegar into bottles
The 1990s was when balsamic vinegar burst onto the UK recipe scene and rapidly drenched everything in its path so I though I would try some recipes from that era using this lighter fruit vinegar.
Warm Goats Cheese on Toast with Watercress Caramalised Onions and Bacon
I ate a lot of Warm Goats Cheese Salads as a vegetarian in the 90s. It was often the only option on the menu. I never got bored of them though a classic combination of peppery leaves, crunchy bread , salty soft cheese , but it is a good vinegar and oil , brings everything together. I couldn’t resist adding some onions and bacon but to keep it vegetarian you could instread add some toasted walnuts
Warm Goats Cheese on Toast with Watercress Caramalised Onions and Bacon
Watercress
Red Onion
Bacon
Fresh Bread
Goats Cheese
Fennel Seeds
Raspberry Vinegar
Rape Seed Oil
- Fry the onions and bacon until both are caramalised and crispy
- Meanwhile grill a thin piece of bread until slightly brown on one side, Add slices of goats cheese to the ungrilled side sprinkled with fennel , salt and pepper.
- Place the watercress heaped in a bowl, scatter over the onions and bacon
- Lay the toast and cheese on top
- Drizzle over the oil and vinegar.
- Serve
Strawberries with Raspberry Vinegar and Black Pepper
Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar and Black Pepper sounds unusual but dare I say it with this fruit vinegar it is even better , once marinaded these strawberries are lovely on salads, but also great as a dessert, with a few dollops of creme fraiche.
Strawberries with Raspberry Vinegar and Black Pepper
Strawberries
Caster Sugar
Raspberry Vinegar ( or Balsamic Vinegar)
Black Pepper
- Slice the strawberries and drizzle with raspberry vinegar to coat and a fine dusting of caster sugar and leave for 15 minutes
- Scatter with freshly ground black pepper and leave for a further 5 minutes
- Serve
(new to the blog ) Love it, well done.
As an extra for the vinegar addition to the strawberries.
I add some vinegar and some balsamic (a small amount of good quality is best) plus sugar BUT then leave this over night in the fridge….. its amazing the difference 24hrs makes in the change in flavour….goes great with hand whipped cream and vanilla extract.
You have inspired me to make black raspberry vinegar! I discovered a bounty of these wild berries this year, but because they have SO MANY seeds, I’ve been looking for alternatives to jam. I picked enough to make a litre of liqueur, but the vinegar is a great idea. Beautiful photos, great recipes. Thank you!
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