A quickie because I have been busy with other things - first a bit of weeding, and then a test drive in a new car whilst my current one is being services, which we used as an excuse to deliver some wine to friends half an hour away. My gourmet cook and gardener friend that is. Of course we stayed for a brief chat, and I left with a bagful of lemons from which I shall make preserved lemons, a jar of mixed citrus marmalade, a jar of tamarillo chutney and these pickled cumquats. All made from produce from her garden of course.
I am featuring the cumquats, because I have to say that when she first said she was giving me some, I thought, what shall I do with them? But then she said, that they were really good, sliced, mixed with butter and put under the skin of a chicken, or even better a duck before roasting.
Now that sounded really, really tempting so I vowed to myself that I would give it a go when they have matured a bit more. Apparently they have only just been done and need to mature a bit.
Alas I forgot to ask her what recipe she used but there are lots of them out there - one from the super trendy Cornersmith, for starters. I shall test Monika's out and if it's a wow experience I shall ask for the recipe. It probably will be because she is a super cook.
And what else can you do with them? Well I saw that you could drizzle the juice into a vinaigrette or into a cold soda water. The fruit itself would go well in all sorts of sandwiches, with cold meats and cheese. And now that it looks like outdoor picnics will be the coming thing they would be perfect for that.
Lots of Melburnians have cumquat trees loaded with cumquats - they seem to be pretty easy for everyone else to grow. And you obviously don't need to be restricted to marmalade, although that is good. I made some chutney once, but have never thought of pickling them.
I really must try duck one day. I don't think I have ever cooked a duck!
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