landscape november/december issue

Witch hazel | W

inter jasmine | Parsnips | W

| Dorm

ice | Pink foots | Vegetable napkins LandScape - Life at nature’s pace

beautiful rosehips

www.landscapemagazine.co.uk

Life at nature’s pace

£3.90 Nov / Dec 2012

Nov / D

ec 2012

The scented winter garden

Tudor beams and Norman ruins

Wild geese flocking

Bewitched by magical witch hazelThe strange clusters of yellow and orange-red witch hazel flowers provide a glow of warm colour this season

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’ has unusual and eye-catching flowers.

The shrub has a goblet-shaped habit once established

Bewitched by magical witch hazelThe strange clusters of yellow and orange-red witch hazel flowers provide a glow of warm colour this season

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’ has unusual and eye-catching flowers.

The shrub has a goblet-shaped habit once established

Wash parsnips and set aside a medium-sized one. Chop onions and parsnips into cubes. Heat the butter and sauté the onions. Add the parsnips and sauté lightly altogether. Add the stock, wine and seasoning. Cover and simmer for about 30mins. Cut the remaining parsnip into thin slices. Stir-fry in 4 tbsp of heated oil for 5-6mins until crispy, remove from pan and season with salt. Wash the parsley, shake dry. Pick off the leaves and chop them finely. Stir cream and cornflour together. Purée the soup well, return to pan, add cream mixture, re-heat and season with salt, pepper and sugar. Mix the crème fraîche and milk. Using a spoon handle or knife tip, add swirls of crème fraîche to the soup and sprinkle with parsley and parsnip chips.

Parsnip cakeServes 10

250g parsnips

½ tsp caraway seeds

2 untreated lemons, washed

1 tsp + 80g caster sugar

180g self-raising flour (or 180g plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder)

1 tsp baking powder

125g butter

2 medium eggs

200g icing sugar

Fat and flour for the tin

Tin foil

Peel the parsnips, wash and grate finely. Chop the caraway seeds coarsely. Wash the lemons in hot water, pat dry and remove half the peel with a fine grater. Remove the remaining peel in zest slivers and mix with 1 tsp sugar. Halve the lemons and squeeze out the juice. Mix the flour, baking powder and caraway seeds. Beat the butter and 80g sugar together for 5mins until creamy white. Beat the eggs for 2-3mins and then add little by little to the sugar/butter. Stir in the flour mix, parsnips, grated lemon peel and 5 tbsp lemon juice. Grease a spring form cake tin (20cm) and dust with flour. Fill with the cake mix and bake in a preheated oven (175◦C/Gas 4) for about 35mins. Test with a skewer and cover with foil if it needs longer. Take the cake out and leave to cool for about 15mins. Remove from tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Stir the icing sugar and 3-4 tbsp lemon juice together into a thick paste. Coat cake with the lemon frosting; cool a little and then decorate with the lemon zest slivers.

Parsnip cream soupServes 4

800g parsnips, peeled

1 onion, peeled

30g butter

1 litre vegetable stock

50ml dry white wine

Salt and pepper

4 tbsp oil

½ bunch parsley

100g whipping cream

1-2 tsp cornflour

½ tsp sugar

1 tbsp crème fraîche

1-2 tsp milk

Wash parsnips and set aside a medium-sized one. Chop onions and parsnips into cubes. Heat the butter and sauté the onions. Add the parsnips and sauté lightly altogether. Add the stock, wine and seasoning. Cover and simmer for about 30mins. Cut the remaining parsnip into thin slices. Stir-fry in 4 tbsp of heated oil for 5-6mins until crispy, remove from pan and season with salt. Wash the parsley, shake dry. Pick off the leaves and chop them finely. Stir cream and cornflour together. Purée the soup well, return to pan, add cream mixture, re-heat and season with salt, pepper and sugar. Mix the crème fraîche and milk. Using a spoon handle or knife tip, add swirls of crème fraîche to the soup and sprinkle with parsley and parsnip chips.

Parsnip cakeServes 10

250g parsnips

½ tsp caraway seeds

2 untreated lemons, washed

1 tsp + 80g caster sugar

180g self-raising flour (or 180g plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder)

1 tsp baking powder

125g butter

2 medium eggs

200g icing sugar

Fat and flour for the tin

Tin foil

Peel the parsnips, wash and grate finely. Chop the caraway seeds coarsely. Wash the lemons in hot water, pat dry and remove half the peel with a fine grater. Remove the remaining peel in zest slivers and mix with 1 tsp sugar. Halve the lemons and squeeze out the juice. Mix the flour, baking powder and caraway seeds. Beat the butter and 80g sugar together for 5mins until creamy white. Beat the eggs for 2-3mins and then add little by little to the sugar/butter. Stir in the flour mix, parsnips, grated lemon peel and 5 tbsp lemon juice. Grease a spring form cake tin (20cm) and dust with flour. Fill with the cake mix and bake in a preheated oven (175◦C/Gas 4) for about 35mins. Test with a skewer and cover with foil if it needs longer. Take the cake out and leave to cool for about 15mins. Remove from tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Stir the icing sugar and 3-4 tbsp lemon juice together into a thick paste. Coat cake with the lemon frosting; cool a little and then decorate with the lemon zest slivers.

Parsnip cream soupServes 4

800g parsnips, peeled

1 onion, peeled

30g butter

1 litre vegetable stock

50ml dry white wine

Salt and pepper

4 tbsp oil

½ bunch parsley

100g whipping cream

1-2 tsp cornflour

½ tsp sugar

1 tbsp crème fraîche

1-2 tsp milk

Walnut and watercress salad

Serves 4

100g sugar

75g walnut halves

2 bunches of watercress (about 125g)

150g blue cheese such as Stilton

5 tbsp light balsamic vinegar

1 tsp medium ready-made mustard

Salt and pepper

7 tbsp oil

Greased tinfoil

Caramelise 100g of sugar in a pan. Toss the walnuts in the caramelised sugar and spread them out separately on the greased tinfoil. Leave to cool. Cut off the watercress leaves, pick over, wash and let drain. Cut the rind off the cheese and cut into

cubes. Stir the vinegar and mustard together; season with salt, pepper and sugar. Beat in the oil.

Take the nuts off the foil, mix with the cress, cheese and vinaigrette. Season the salad again and serve.

Serves 6-8

125g wholegrain rice

150g onions

2 garlic cloves

4 tbsp oil

2 tsp dried thyme

400g white Champignon mushrooms

100g cashew nuts

300g coarsely chopped walnuts

100g Parmesan cheese

4 medium eggs

150g crème fraîche

Salt and pepper

Ground coriander

Hot paprika powder

2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Roughly chop up half the walnuts. Line a spring form cake tin (18cm) with baking parchment. Beat 125g butter and the caster sugar together with an electric whisk. Stir in the eggs one by one. Mix the flour and baking powder, stir in 75ml of the black coffee and the chopped walnuts. Pour the mixture into the cake tin, smooth the top and bake in a pre-heated oven, (175◦C/Gas 4) for 50-60mins. Test with a skewer and cover with foil if it needs longer. Take out of the oven and let it cool, then remove from the tin and slice horizontally into three pieces. Put the bottom

layer on a cake plate and put a cake ring over it. Beat 300g butter with the whisk of a hand-mixer until creamy white. Stir in the icing sugar and beat for a further 2-3mins. Stir in the remaining black coffee little by little. Spread a third of the icing mix on to the lowest cake layer, smooth it down and put the middle cake layer on top. Spread another third of icing mix over it and put the last cake layer on top. Spread the remaining icing on top and chill for 2 hours. Remove the cake from the cake ring and decorate with the remaining walnut halves.

Walnut and coffee cakeServes 10-12

100g walnut halves

425g butter

100g caster sugar

3 eggs

150g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

125ml black coffee

250g icing sugar

Baking parchment

Tin foil

Cook the wholegrain rice according to the instructions, drain and cool. Chop up the onion and garlic finely. Heat 2 tbsp oil and cook the onion, garlic and thyme for 10min. Leave to cool. Chop the mushrooms up small, and brown them in the remaining 2 tbsp oil, season with salt. Cook until the oil has evaporated and leave to cool. Chop the cashews finely (or even grind) and chop the walnuts coarsely. Grate the Parmesan. Preheat the oven to 180◦C/gas 4. Beat the eggs in a big bowl. Add the rice, Parmesan, crème fraîche, onions, garlic and mushrooms and press the mixture together. Season to taste with salt, pepper, coriander and paprika powder. Grease a loaf tin (30cm x 11cm) and sprinkle breadcrumbs around. Fill with the mixture and smooth down. Cook in the preheated oven for 50-60mins. Remove the roast from the oven and leave in the tin to cool on a wire rack. Remove from the tin carefully after 10mins. Serve hot with gravy if desired. Roasted potato wedges and sliced carrots are a good accompaniment.

Vegetarian roast

Walnut and watercress salad

Serves 4

100g sugar

75g walnut halves

2 bunches of watercress (about 125g)

150g blue cheese such as Stilton

5 tbsp light balsamic vinegar

1 tsp medium ready-made mustard

Salt and pepper

7 tbsp oil

Greased tinfoil

Caramelise 100g of sugar in a pan. Toss the walnuts in the caramelised sugar and spread them out separately on the greased tinfoil. Leave to cool. Cut off the watercress leaves, pick over, wash and let drain. Cut the rind off the cheese and cut into

cubes. Stir the vinegar and mustard together; season with salt, pepper and sugar. Beat in the oil.

Take the nuts off the foil, mix with the cress, cheese and vinaigrette. Season the salad again and serve.

Serves 6-8

125g wholegrain rice

150g onions

2 garlic cloves

4 tbsp oil

2 tsp dried thyme

400g white Champignon mushrooms

100g cashew nuts

300g coarsely chopped walnuts

100g Parmesan cheese

4 medium eggs

150g crème fraîche

Salt and pepper

Ground coriander

Hot paprika powder

2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Roughly chop up half the walnuts. Line a spring form cake tin (18cm) with baking parchment. Beat 125g butter and the caster sugar together with an electric whisk. Stir in the eggs one by one. Mix the flour and baking powder, stir in 75ml of the black coffee and the chopped walnuts. Pour the mixture into the cake tin, smooth the top and bake in a pre-heated oven, (175◦C/Gas 4) for 50-60mins. Test with a skewer and cover with foil if it needs longer. Take out of the oven and let it cool, then remove from the tin and slice horizontally into three pieces. Put the bottom

layer on a cake plate and put a cake ring over it. Beat 300g butter with the whisk of a hand-mixer until creamy white. Stir in the icing sugar and beat for a further 2-3mins. Stir in the remaining black coffee little by little. Spread a third of the icing mix on to the lowest cake layer, smooth it down and put the middle cake layer on top. Spread another third of icing mix over it and put the last cake layer on top. Spread the remaining icing on top and chill for 2 hours. Remove the cake from the cake ring and decorate with the remaining walnut halves.

Walnut and coffee cakeServes 10-12

100g walnut halves

425g butter

100g caster sugar

3 eggs

150g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

125ml black coffee

250g icing sugar

Baking parchment

Tin foil

Cook the wholegrain rice according to the instructions, drain and cool. Chop up the onion and garlic finely. Heat 2 tbsp oil and cook the onion, garlic and thyme for 10min. Leave to cool. Chop the mushrooms up small, and brown them in the remaining 2 tbsp oil, season with salt. Cook until the oil has evaporated and leave to cool. Chop the cashews finely (or even grind) and chop the walnuts coarsely. Grate the Parmesan. Preheat the oven to 180◦C/gas 4. Beat the eggs in a big bowl. Add the rice, Parmesan, crème fraîche, onions, garlic and mushrooms and press the mixture together. Season to taste with salt, pepper, coriander and paprika powder. Grease a loaf tin (30cm x 11cm) and sprinkle breadcrumbs around. Fill with the mixture and smooth down. Cook in the preheated oven for 50-60mins. Remove the roast from the oven and leave in the tin to cool on a wire rack. Remove from the tin carefully after 10mins. Serve hot with gravy if desired. Roasted potato wedges and sliced carrots are a good accompaniment.

Vegetarian roast

Simple table decorationS Shards of tree bark, a sprig of rosehips and a small crocheted doilie form a simple but attractive arrangement for entertaining on cold autumn evenings.

a ring of roSehipSAs one of the last fruits of the season, rosehips are ideal for making syrups and wine. Rosehip syrup

contains 20 times more vitamin C than oranges. During World War Two, when citrus fruits were rare, parents gathered wild rosehips in order to make a vitamin C rich syrup for their children.

a baSket of lightAn old wicker basket and pillar candle can be transformed into a seasonal decoration by gently winding rosehip cuttings around the inside of the basket. The bark from a silver birch tree can be worked around the candle and held with glue.

A circle of rosehips decorates a homemade bottle of rosehip wine. The small red berries are threaded onto a ring of thin wire

Simple table decorationS Shards of tree bark, a sprig of rosehips and a small crocheted doilie form a simple but attractive arrangement for entertaining on cold autumn evenings.

a ring of roSehipSAs one of the last fruits of the season, rosehips are ideal for making syrups and wine. Rosehip syrup

contains 20 times more vitamin C than oranges. During World War Two, when citrus fruits were rare, parents gathered wild rosehips in order to make a vitamin C rich syrup for their children.

a baSket of lightAn old wicker basket and pillar candle can be transformed into a seasonal decoration by gently winding rosehip cuttings around the inside of the basket. The bark from a silver birch tree can be worked around the candle and held with glue.

A circle of rosehips decorates a homemade bottle of rosehip wine. The small red berries are threaded onto a ring of thin wire

Merrythought is now the only Teddy bear factory in the UK, and its young owners are justly proud of it

b ehind wrought-iron railings topped with golden Teddy bear heads is an old foundry building where you can feel that

something magical happens. In this unique factory and shop on

the banks of the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, Merrythought Teddy bears are brought to life by the Holmes family. Sisters Sarah and Hannah are the fourth generation of the family to work here.

“Sarah and I were each given a Merrythought bear when we were born,” says Hannah. “I still have mine, which I will keep forever. My father also made me a special one with my initials embroidered on it for my 18th birthday. He even made me a miniature of our Cheeky Bear design. I was going travelling for a year and that

There were once more than 30 bear makers in the UK. Just

one has survived, for 80 years, in a beautiful Shropshire village

A special toy maker

meant I could take him with me.”The name Merrythought derives

from an archaic term for wishbone, which was once commonly associated with happy thoughts and good luck. And Merrythought bears hold a special place in the heart of many people, from children who play with them, and serious collectors, to the Holmes family and the staff. There are 20 people working at Merrythought, who make about 100 bears a day.

“This is the 288th ear I’ve cut out today,” laughs Leslie Hunnisett, one of the staff. She employs huge metal cutters to stamp out bear body parts from fabric. Hundreds of rolls of cloth are stored in the back room of the factory.

The pieces of cut out fabric are passed on to machinists Lynn Gough, Carol ›

Four generations on: Sarah, left, and Hannah, can trace the story of Merrythought back to their great-grandfather, Gordon

The factory is on the Banks of the Severn at Dale End, a site it shares with Ironbridge Brewery

Merrythought is in the heart of the Ironbridge World Heritage Site; it’s close to the village’s famous bridge and is housed in an old foundry

Merrythought is now the only Teddy bear factory in the UK, and its young owners are justly proud of it

b ehind wrought-iron railings topped with golden Teddy bear heads is an old foundry building where you can feel that

something magical happens. In this unique factory and shop on

the banks of the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, Merrythought Teddy bears are brought to life by the Holmes family. Sisters Sarah and Hannah are the fourth generation of the family to work here.

“Sarah and I were each given a Merrythought bear when we were born,” says Hannah. “I still have mine, which I will keep forever. My father also made me a special one with my initials embroidered on it for my 18th birthday. He even made me a miniature of our Cheeky Bear design. I was going travelling for a year and that

There were once more than 30 bear makers in the UK. Just

one has survived, for 80 years, in a beautiful Shropshire village

A special toy maker

meant I could take him with me.”The name Merrythought derives

from an archaic term for wishbone, which was once commonly associated with happy thoughts and good luck. And Merrythought bears hold a special place in the heart of many people, from children who play with them, and serious collectors, to the Holmes family and the staff. There are 20 people working at Merrythought, who make about 100 bears a day.

“This is the 288th ear I’ve cut out today,” laughs Leslie Hunnisett, one of the staff. She employs huge metal cutters to stamp out bear body parts from fabric. Hundreds of rolls of cloth are stored in the back room of the factory.

The pieces of cut out fabric are passed on to machinists Lynn Gough, Carol ›

Four generations on: Sarah, left, and Hannah, can trace the story of Merrythought back to their great-grandfather, Gordon

The factory is on the Banks of the Severn at Dale End, a site it shares with Ironbridge Brewery

Merrythought is in the heart of the Ironbridge World Heritage Site; it’s close to the village’s famous bridge and is housed in an old foundry

state of full hibernation: the hedgehog and the dormouse. The very name ‘dormouse’ derives from the Old French

verb ‘dormir’, meaning ‘to sleep’. And the hazel dormouse, to give the species its proper name, sleeps longer than any other British creature. They hibernate for more than half the year, in the winter and spring months. In fact, a dormouse may spend as much as three-quarters of its lifetime asleep!

Preparing for sleepDuring the dormouse’s long period of hibernation it is vital that it remains safe from predators. So when it starts to get cold, dormice build a nest of bark and moss beneath the leaf litter on the forest floor and hide away inside to sleep.

Hibernation is an extraordinary process, during which the animal is able to lower its metabolic rate – heartbeat,

As winter’s chill sets in, the little hazel dormouse prepares for its six-month hibernation

Hidden treasure

T he dormouse must rank as one of our best loved mammals. The creature’s fame comes partly from its endearing appearance, and partly from its starring role in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in

Wonderland where it determinedly slept through the Mad Hatter’s tea party.

“They really are very charismatic little animals, with huge eyes to help them see in the dark,” says Hazel Ryan, from the conservation charity the Wildwood Trust. “They’re considered very cute and cuddly, which makes our conservation work easier – people like them so much.”

Despite being so well known, the reason why so few people have ever actually seen a live dormouse is because of its unusual behaviour. Of Britain’s 60 or so species of terrestrial mammals, only two (apart from bats) go into a

Conservationists give dormice a helping hand by providing

boxes for the mammals to use as safe hibernating sites

Dormice reach a body length of about 9cm (3½in), not including their bushy tails, and weigh just 20g (⅔oz)

Senior conservation officer Hazel Ryan checks a box for hibernating occupants during a dormouse survey

state of full hibernation: the hedgehog and the dormouse. The very name ‘dormouse’ derives from the Old French

verb ‘dormir’, meaning ‘to sleep’. And the hazel dormouse, to give the species its proper name, sleeps longer than any other British creature. They hibernate for more than half the year, in the winter and spring months. In fact, a dormouse may spend as much as three-quarters of its lifetime asleep!

Preparing for sleepDuring the dormouse’s long period of hibernation it is vital that it remains safe from predators. So when it starts to get cold, dormice build a nest of bark and moss beneath the leaf litter on the forest floor and hide away inside to sleep.

Hibernation is an extraordinary process, during which the animal is able to lower its metabolic rate – heartbeat,

As winter’s chill sets in, the little hazel dormouse prepares for its six-month hibernation

Hidden treasure

T he dormouse must rank as one of our best loved mammals. The creature’s fame comes partly from its endearing appearance, and partly from its starring role in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in

Wonderland where it determinedly slept through the Mad Hatter’s tea party.

“They really are very charismatic little animals, with huge eyes to help them see in the dark,” says Hazel Ryan, from the conservation charity the Wildwood Trust. “They’re considered very cute and cuddly, which makes our conservation work easier – people like them so much.”

Despite being so well known, the reason why so few people have ever actually seen a live dormouse is because of its unusual behaviour. Of Britain’s 60 or so species of terrestrial mammals, only two (apart from bats) go into a

Conservationists give dormice a helping hand by providing

boxes for the mammals to use as safe hibernating sites

Dormice reach a body length of about 9cm (3½in), not including their bushy tails, and weigh just 20g (⅔oz)

Senior conservation officer Hazel Ryan checks a box for hibernating occupants during a dormouse survey

Anne and Pete Cianchi’s love of pigs began when they helped their daughter choose two rare breed Berkshires for her birthday

Preserving the breeds of the past

D own a lane, near a bend in the River Wye in Herefordshire, dozens of vari-coloured pigs enjoy a life of rooting and

wallowing. Pete and Anne Cianchi farm 19 acres of pastureland near the village of Bycross. For the past six years they have reared rare breed pigs in an environment as close to wild living for the animals as they can make it. “Our pigs are allowed to grow at a natural pace,” says Anne. “They mature more slowly than intensively farmed pigs. Their movements are not restricted and their diet is not enhanced artificially. I’m proud of that.”

Start of something bigFamily life changed forever for the Cianchis in March 2007 when their daughter Emma asked her parents for a rare breed pig for her 14th birthday. Anne recalls that her husband Pete arranged a visit to a free-range pig farm and she fully expected that the trip would end in a revised request from Emma for a rabbit instead. On the contrary, both father and daughter came back buzzing with enthusiasm and reporting that pigs don’t smell!

“We’ve since learned that pigs are quite domesticated. They’re much cleaner than other animals so long as they’re kept outside and you haven’t got too many on the land,” says Anne.

Anne’s mother, a farmer’s daughter, had given her some money to invest in a piece of land. The family decided that they would get a pair of pigs for Emma and

would use the land to house them. Soon Pete was building arks to protect the new arrivals from the elements, and erecting electric fencing to define the pig fields.

Emma chose her two sows, Acorn and Berry, from a Shropshire farm selling Berkshire pigs, and brought them home at eight weeks of age.

“They were only ever intended to be pets. They’re still with us and will never be sold,” says Anne. “Acorn is the softest thing ever and loves being stroked. She’s the equivalent of a family labrador. Berry

is more like the family cat and very independent. She will let you stroke her, but on her own terms.”

Anne continues: “There are different personalities associated with different pig breeds. Tamworths, for example, have a wilder nature and Middle Whites are quite timid and hard to stroke. Berkshires are inquisitive and like human company and will always give you a good sniff.

“They are our favourite because, as we’ve found with Acorn and Berry, they all have such wonderful personalities.”

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A traditional breed Berkshire pig has a

fondness for windfall apples

Anne and Pete Cianchi’s pigs wallow in the natural environment of the couple’s farm