The perfect spot to reflect. A jetty at Aperlae, The Lycian Way, Turkey. Inntravel the Slow holiday people
Making: Upcycled jeans runner
Give an al fresco meal the stylish setting it deserves. Turn a picnic into an occasion with our upcycled jeans runner project. Ditch the saccharine sweeness of picnic pastels, and add a contemporary edge to your outdoor table instead. Just rummage for old jeans and begin. Make the denim runner to whatever size your table dictates.
Supplies
Old pair of jeans Fabric scissors Sewing machine Thread
1. Cut the legs off a pair of jeans (as far up towards the crotch as possible) using fabric scissors.
2. Cut down the inside-leg seam to open each leg out and then iron them.
3. Now hem each edge using your sewing machine.
4. Hem the cut edge at the end of one of the jean pieces, then hand-sew or machine-sew it on top of the other piece.
Project by interiors journalist, Heather Young, who blogs about her enviably stylish and crafty life at Growing Spaces.
For two more midsummer table makes, turn to page 40 of June's The Simple Things. Buy or download your copy now.
Win a personalised OS map and binoculars with Inntravel! (archived)
We’ve teamed up with Inntravel to give one lucky reader the great prize of a pair of Nikon Travelite bins and a customised OS map focused around your area of choice with a personal front cover! The Nikon Travelite VI 8x25 binoculars are just the thing to take on holiday, for a bit of bird-spotting or to stash in a day-sack for long walks. Retailing at £80, these great little bins are waterproof, fog-proof and foldable and a handy addition to any trip. The personalised OS map can be centred around the location of your choice in the UK – a favourite walk perhaps or simply centred on your home – just choose the location for the map; pick a scale and format; and select your own photo for the cover!
Remember the moment – and the place, with Inntravel. Just ‘like’ the Inntravel Facebook page to enter!
Simple style: The White T-shirt
Read our potted history of the classic white T-shirt in June's issue of The Simple Things? Have a little look at our tee outfits. Don't be fooled by its uncomplicated looks - the white T-shirt declares angst and rebellion like no other item of clothing. Since being liberated from underwear status by American sailors, who revealed it when removing their shirts in hot climates, it has become the wardrobe staple for the disaffected.
For women, it should be crisp and chic. Jane Birkin got it right in her Serge Gainsbourg days as she padded around Paris wearing one with jeans and a gap-toothed grin. Its combination of insouciance and comfort maintains its style status, but finding the perfect one can challenge even the most fashion-savvy.
White T-shirt style – three outfits, from left to right:
1. A true wardrobe staple, this classic white t-shirt (CC, £25) is probably best worn under a fitted jacket (Warehouse, £60), with jeans (M&S, £23.60) and loafers (Swear, £130) for a soignee, Rive-Gauche kinda vibe.
2. Made from linen with cascading sleeves, this is a pretty take on the classic (Mango, £17.99). Team with a broderie pencil skirt (Boden, £79) for a delicate summer outfit.
3. A flattering V-neck (J Crew, £30), especially when teamed with tanned collarbones and a pair of boyfriend jeans (H&M, £29.99).
Turn to page 24 of The Simple Things June issue for more t-shirt style. Buy or download your copy now.
Recipe: Elderflower champagne
Read our feature on ‘posh squash’ on page 35 of June’s The Simple Things? Get picking elderflowers before the season’s out, and use them to make this simple elderflower ‘champagne’ from blogger, Emma Bradshaw. With elderflowers in full bloom, it seems a waste not to use them in the kitchen. Have a go at this recipe from blogger Emma Bradshaw, who says: 'I've tried lots of different ways to make elderflower champagne, but this is my favourite most tried and tested method.'
You will need:
About 30 elderflower heads, in full bloom (pick on a sunny day away from the roadside, making sure you don't strip a tree of all its flowers!) 2kg natural sugar 4 litres hot water + 2 litres cold Juice and zest of four lemons 1-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar A pinch of dried yeast (although you may not need this)
Method:
1. Put the hot water and sugar into a large container (a preserving pan or spotlessly clean bucket is good) and stir until the sugar dissolves, then top up with cold water to 6 litres. 2. Add the lemon juice and zest, the vinegar and the flower heads and stir gently. 3. Cover with a clean muslin and leave to ferment in a cool, airy place for a couple of days. Take a look at the brew at this point, and if it’s not becoming a little foamy and obviously beginning to ferment, add a pinch of yeast. 4. Leave the mixture to ferment, again covered with muslin, for a further four to five days. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with muslin and decant into sterilised glass bottles. 5. Seal and leave to ferment in the bottles for a further eight days before serving, chilled.
Makes around 20 bottles.
Recipe and images by Emma Bradshaw. Visit Emma's blog for more wild food recipes and outdoor adventures.
Not got June's The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.
WIN a week in a VW camper! (closed 10 June 2014)
Enter our competition to win a holiday in a classic VW campervan. Thanks to O'Connors campers we have a week's stay up for grabs. Choose between a 1960s splitscreen Volkswagen, a 1970s bay window or a California campervan and you could be roaming Cornwall, Devon and Somerset with your family. Kitted out with everything you'll need, these stylish vintage campers will make for a memorable holiday.
Find out more about campervan holidays at O'Connors Campers
Click here to enter. Closing date is 10 June 2014.
The prize includes fully comprehensive insurance for the first driver, a sink, cooker, fridge, camping gas, mains hook up, cooking equipment, crockery, cutlery and an extra outdoor table and chairs.
Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.futuretcs.com for more details.
Food from afar: Pintxos recipe
Pintxos are elegant bites from the Basque region. Try a recipe for Sun-dried Tomato, Goats Cheese, Pistachio & Balsamic Pintxos.
Pintxos - pronounced 'pinch-oss' - may have much in common with their Spanish relatives, tapas: bite-sized snacks consumed in bars with amigos until long after stuffy, old northern Europe has gone to bed. However, they differ in crucial ways.
One, the bread factor. In pintxos, it's used as a mattress for a variety of fresh toppings to recline upon.
Secondly, there are the toothpicks from which they get their name - 'pinto' meaning thorn or spike - which lock bread and topping together, and enable the waiter to tot up the bill at the end.
Try your hand at an easy pintxos recipe for Sun-dried Tomato, Goats Cheese, Pistachio & Balsamic Pintxos from Anneli Faiers and her Delicieux blog.
Homemade sweet recipes
Clear an afternoon, you're going on a confectionary adventure! We've found four homemade sweet recipes. 'Fruit pastilles aren't tricky to make,' says Annie Rigg, author of Sweet Things, whose recipe is featured in the June issue of The Simple Things (p112). 'All you need is a sugar thermometer, heavy based saucepan and an hour.'
If you've tried your hand at these already, you probably want to make more. Go Willy Wonka and turn your kitchen into a candy production line with our top picks for homemade sweets from around the web.
Red candy apple slices
Let's kid ourselves these aren't all bad, shall we? Recipe here.
Microwave salted caramels
Yes, you read that right - salted caramels you can make in the microwave. This could get dangerous... Recipe here.
Homemade sweet tarts
We love how cute these look all wrapped up and ready to go - recipe here.
Homemade marshmallows
Easy to make, apparently, and can be flavoured with anything that takes your fancy. Let's give it a go. Recipe here.
Turn to page 112 of June's The Simple Things for a homemade fruit pastille recipe (buy or download now).
The Simple Things June issue: out today
June's The Simple Things is out today - find out what's inside our midsummer issue When dawn comes early and dusk comes late, it seems like there's all the time in the world to do, or not do, stuff. Time for strawberries, of course, for a clinking glass of elderflower cordial, to admire a single bloom or go looking for ladybirds. Embrace T-shirt weather and tea bread loaves, walking and talking, sailing and snoozing. Being busy merely means there are peas to be picked, fishing rods to be held. It means taking time to live well. Time to enjoy The Simple Things.
Join us for a midsummer feast: all manner of delectable nibbles and devilish puds to share in our Gathering feature, page 26.
Pev Manners, cordials king, explains how he seals summer's flavours in a bottle to savour all year, page 35.
The woman behind Camp Bestival, Josie Da Bank, gives us her take on fun, family, and fancy dress, page 54.
Turn to page 62 for Arianna Huffington's secret to success - it doesn't involve sitting still.
River Cottage's head chef, Gillon Meller, fishes for supper from the deck of a wooden boat, page 64.
We explore where and how to tackle the art of fishing on page 72.
If you hanker for more greenery, reinvent your indoor space with foliage and fronds on page 82.
A room of one's own - it's time to reclaim the shed: the perfect place to think, create and escape (page 90).
Plus - turn to Miscellany on page 107, for a curious combination of the practical and the playful, including how to finesse a G&T, pitch a tent, take lavender cuttings, get a kick out of Brazil, make fruit pastilles, know your ladybirds, strawberry recipes and more.
Have a flick through our sampler for more
The case for meat
At the close of National Vegetarian Week, biologist Colin Tudge argues the case for meat. Vegetarians and vegans say we should not eat meat. The agricultural industry, meanwhile, strives to produce as much as possible. The former claims that livestock farming is cruel and unsustainable. The industrialists say that by supplying more and more meat they are satisfying demand. The truth lies in between - but where?
Biological and historical evidence reveals us not as frustrated carnivores but as opportunist omnivores. We like meat, yet, as with other primates, a little goes a long way. But since World War II, meat has been marketed with all possible vigour. The real purpose of this was not to meet demand but remove the market ceiling on cereals. It is all too easy with industrial methods to produce a glut, and waste must be built into the system to keep prices up. Factory-raised livestock consumes 50 per cent of the world's cereal output and more than 90 per cent of soya output, and does the job perfectly. The same principle is applied to diamonds. Demand is not a measure of desire but of how much can be sold.
So where do we strike the balance between vegan austerity and industrial excess? Here we find huge serendipities. For if we kept just enough animals to clear up surpluses and made reasonable use of land that cannot easily be cultivated, we'd produce quite a few animals, though far fewer than now.
By farming sustainably, we would produce 'plenty of plants, not much meat and maximum variety' which is what nutritionists say we should eat. This nine-word adage, 'plenty of plants, not much meat and maximum variety' summarises the basic structure of the great cuisines: Indian, Chinese, Persian, Lebanese, Italian, Provencale, or indeed Polish or traditional American. All consist of huge piles of staples (rice, bread, potatoes, beans) with vegetables and meat used primarily for garnish and stock - and just the occasional feast, like the Christmas turkey.
Turn to page 96 of May's issue of The Simple Things for the full article - buy or download now.
Recipes from The Simple Things.
See our vegetarian Mediterranean feast for some meat-free meal ideas.
June issue cover reveal!
Psst! Have a look at the cover of the June issue of The Simple Things.
Out on 30 May 2014, The Simple Things June issue is available from all good newsagents and supermarkets, or you can buy online or download an issue now.
Living walls: vertical gardening
Bring your walls alive with our vertical gardening ideas.
These days the sky really is the limit when it comes to growing indoor plants. Wall mounted containers that allow displays to reach up rather than out are transforming our interiors. Not only do they look gorgeous, they purify the air too. If your kitchen is small (but perfectly formed, of course) and lacking a bit of extra space for container-grown herbs, it’s a great idea to make use of your walls. Whether you go for a culinary treat of salad leaves and herbs or an art-installation packed with exotic blooms, you’ll need to do a bit of research to ensure you pick the right plant for the job. Once you’ve considered the three P’s - position, plants & planters, you’ll be all set to get started…
Position:
Think sunny and light, though you can choose plants that like shade if your desired location receives less that half a day of sun during the summer months. Position plants that need the most light nearer the light source (window or artificial lighting) and work inwards using specimens that can cope with a bit more shade.
Plants:
Not all plants are suited to growing vertically in small pockets - think about types that have a shallow root system and will be able to cope with less water. Ferns and tropical plants make great bedfellows because they thrive in similar growing conditions.
For colour: gerberas - think bold bright large daisies. They come in a variety of shades, from yellow to pink and will flower right throughout summer. For scent: jasmine. a lovely climber that will cover well and provide plenty of fragrant flowers too. For luxury: orchid (phalaenopsis). Delicate blooms that will give your display an exotic appearance. For foliage: sword fern (polystichum munitum) lovely feather luscious green fronds that cope in sun and partial shade. and of course, for supper: salad leaves and herbaceous herbs!
Planters:
Go for kits which have a water reservoir integrated into the container as well as a fixing system to attach to the wall. Woolly Pockets offers plenty of choice and lots of advice about maintaining your creation. Minigarden is a more substantial modular growing system.The key thing is to mix up the types of plants to create a carpet of colour and texture that covers the planters you choose.
For more on garden rooms, turn to page 81 of June's The Simple Things (out 30 May 2014).
A midsummer night's feast: wine matches
Enjoy a laid-back celebration in the lingering dusk with super-chilled drinks and plenty of nibbles with our midsummer night's feast. This isn't a time to think about your five-a-day. Instead, make it a solstice to remember with decadently moreish savouries and summery sweet treats.
String up lanterns in a sheltered corner and lay on drinks and nibbles for an informal party for friends; young children will be thrilled at being out in the garden after dusk. Even if you don't quite make it through to the dawning of Midsummer's Day (24 June), you'll need breakfast to set you up for the longest day of the year.
Turn to page 26 of June's The Simple Things for a midsummer menu to remember, which includes the following recipes:
Gougeres
Spicy nougatine
Orange & yoghurt cake
Chocolate mousse
Babas au gin & tonic
Sweet chilli bruffins
Croissant pain-perdu
Making the menu? You'll need a few wine suggestions to go with the food.
Gougères with a side of Red Wine - Naudin Tiercin Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2011
Made from the Pinot Noir grape, this wine has just a subtle hint of spice, which picks up on the gentle kick of the chilli and paprika, yet the juicy berry fruit flavours in the wine give it a light and fresh quality that won’t overpower the wonderful cheesy bites!
Roast Garlic Bread - Coulaudin Bussy Chablis Premier Cru 2010
This Premier Cru Chablis sublimely combines a fresh, lemony character, with a strong backbone of acidity which perfectly cuts through the intensity of the garlic and makes for a very moreish combination.
Orange and Yoghurt Cakes - Bach Extrisimo Semi Seco Cava NV
The slight sweetness to this Cava makes it the perfect partner for these little delights. The gentle effervescence reflects the light, crumbly texture of the crumb and the delicate almond and citrussy flavours of the wine highlight the wonderful zesty orange of the cakes.
Wellbeing: take a walking meeting
Arianna Huffington's secret to success is surprisingly simple. Sitting down less could make you healthier - and happier. In her new book, Thrive, Arianna Huffington attempts to redefine the very notion of success by adding to the conventional measures of power and money a 'third metric' that focuses on lives well-lived. One of her top tips is the standing desk: a work-station that allows the user to work while standing rather than sitting. Arianna also devotes an entire section of her book to the multiple benefits of walking. Turn to page 62 of June's The Simple Things (out 30 May 2014) for the full article.
Likewise, Nilofer Merchant suggests a small idea that just might have a big impact on your life and health: Next time you have a one-on-one meeting, make it into a "walking meeting" — and let ideas flow while you walk and talk. Watch the video now:
Win a KitchenAid or Aga mixer, plus sponge cake recipe (closed 8 July 2014)
If you share our love of simple cooking pleasures, like baking a sponge cake or whipping up super-thin crepes, you're in luck! We're giving away two Betty Twyford mixers. The first prize is a metal KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer worth £429. Easy to clean and use, it's robust and stable and comes in a choice of either Almond Cream or Pistachio Green. The second prize is a black aluminium Aga kMix Stand Mixer, worth £349, which comes with a 4.6-litre bowl and three different mixing heads and has a 500W motor.
To enter the competition for your chance to win a KitchenAid or Aga mixer, head to our competition entry page.
Classic Victoria Sponge Cake
Ingredients:
4 free-range eggs 225g caster sugar, plus a little extra for dusting the finished cake 225g self-raising flour 2 tsp baking powder (this will guarantee your sponge to rise) 225g soft butter at room temperature, plus a little extra to grease the tin
Method:
Place everything into the bowl of your mixer, and mix on a fairly low speed until everything is combined and produces a dropping consistency. Divide the mixture between two lined sandwich tins placed on the middle shelf of your oven and bake for about 25 minutes at 180C/350F/Gas 4. When cool, fill with homemade jam and whipped cream – perfect. You could also sprinkle the top with icing sugar or caster sugar.
Tools of the trade: 5 most useful potting shed tools
It's Chelsea Flower Show this week, and we can't wait to get out in the garden. Come shopping for potting shed tools with The Simple Things!
Is a spade more useful than a fork, or a hoe essential if you grow veg? We investigate the five most useful tools for the potting shed.
1. Soil sieve
This tool looks great hanging up in a shed, but it's also a very practical bit of kit that helps cover seeds in pots and trays if you're not using vermiculite chips. You can buy new sieves, but you can't beat the worn, wooden vintage models. If you're doing a bigger job and need to sieve wheelbarrows of soil, why not knock up your own? Make two timber frames, a little larger than the barrow, sandwich mesh in between and fix in place with screws.
2. Tubtrug
A plastic tubtrug is a great addition to a potting shed as you can use if for many jobs, such as carrying tools out to the garden, filling with green waste when you're tidying, or soaking bare-rooted plants prior to planting out. (Of course, our favourite use is as a large ice-bucket to chill beer and wine after a hard day's graft in the borders!
3. Potting bench tray
If you don't have the luxury of a potting bench, this is a useful alternative that can be placed on any flat, even surface. It's the best way to tackle a seed-sowing session and keep all your compost in one area. Potting bench trays are available in plastic, metal or wood, so you can choose one to suit your budget.
4. Garden knife
A small, foldaway knife is a lifesaver in the garden. Whether you're taking cuttings, nicking a rogue sucker off a raspberry cane, or opening a bag of compost, it's all you need. Garden knives come in a range of styles with plastic, metal or wooden handles. It's a good idea to try before you buy - hold one in your hand to ensure it feels comfortable. If you don't like the idea of having to maintain your tools, go for stainless steel rather than carbon steel, as it won't rust.
5. Hoe
For a speedy way to keep on top of the weeds, find a hoe that really works for you. They come in a range of designs, from a Dutch hoe with a forward-facing blade that cuts through established and seedling weeds, to a half moon shape that helps access awkward parts of a garden border. A short-handled hoe is useful for more focused work.
Five ways with mint: recipes
The only herb that's also an adjective, mint deserves more than a cursory dip in your Pimm's. So don't leave it to run rampage in the garden, or wilt in a glass on the kitchen worktop - show it a good time with our recipes.
Five mint recipes from The Simple Things:
Chicken, preserved lemon and herb salad
Prepare 250g couscous with 400ml chicken stock, cover and leave for 5 minutes before fluffing up with a fork. Mix 3 roasted, torn chicken breasts, 2 chopped preserved lemons, 50g toasted flaked almonds, 1 tsp crushed cumin seeds, a packet of lightly crushed fresh coriander and a packet of roughly chopped fresh mint. Whisk 2 tbsp juice from the lemons with 2 tbsp oil and season, toss into salad and serve with couscous.
Fish cakes
Cook 700g King Edward potatoes until tender. Meanwhile, poach 300g salmon and 2 eggs in boiling water for 10 minutes; leave to cool. Flake salmon; chop eggs. Mash potato and stir in salmon, eggs, a bunch of sliced spring onions, 10g dill, 1 tbsp chopped mint. Season. Mould into 8 cakes and chill for 30 minutes. Shallow-fry fish cakes until golden. Serve with a dip made from 200ml creme fraiche, 2 tbsp garlic mayonnaise and 10g dill.
Mint and cranberry smoothie
Place 600ml light cranberry juice, 100g fat-free Greek yoghurt, 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint and 1 tbsp clear honey in a large jug and blend with a hand blender. Pour into 2 tall glasses. Add a handful of fresh or frozen raspberries for even more zing.
Minty summer pudding
Cook 800g fresh berries, 25g caster sugar and 2 tbsp water for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving juice; cool. Stir in most of a packet of fresh mint. Dip 6 slices of white, crustless bread in juice (one side only), sprinkle with leftover mint and lay 5 in a bowl. Keep leftover juice. Fill bowl with fruit, top with final bread slice and fold edges over. Place a saucer on top then something heavy. Chill overnight. Turn out and serve with remaining juice and cream.
Thyme and mint pears with raspberry sauce
Combine 150g caster sugar and 500ml water and bring to the boil. Simmer until sugar dissolves. Trim bases of 4 ripe, peeled pears so they stand upright. Add them to syrup, along with 10g fresh thyme and 3 sprigs mint, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove pears, discard herbs and reduce syrup by half (about 8 minutes). Add 300g raspberries and juice of half a lemon. Cook 1-2 minutes, blend, add thyme and serve with pears.
Taken from May's issue of The Simple Things - buy or download now
More recipes from The Simple Things.
Image: Alice Hendy Photography
Simple style: The Plimsoll
Read our potted history of the classic plimsoll in May’s issue of The Simple Things? Have a little look at our top trainer outfits. Invented in 1830s, these trusty white trainers have been shoeing the style-conscious on the street almost a century before trainers were a twinkle in Adi 'Adidas' Dassler's eye.
Nearly two hundred years on, how do you wear yours? Here are our top plimsoll fashion picks.
Plimsoll style - clockwise from top left:
1. A linen blazer matches the laissez-faire attitude of the nonchalant plimsoll. Uniqlo, £14.90
2. Classic denim meets classic kicks - perfection in an outfit. Jigsaw, £75
3. Plimsolls love to be by the seaside, as does a striped sailor top. Boden, £25
4. Skimmer jeans are perfect for paddling. Gap, £44.95
5. An easy-breezy skirt will help you keep cool. Joules, £39.95
Turn to page 24 of The Simple Things May issue for more plimsoll style. Buy or download your copy now.
World Baking Day: cake recipes
It's World Baking Day, and we're celebrating with our favourite cake recipes. Bake away the weekend with a homemade cake and a cuppa. Today happens to be World Baking Day and, although we need no excuse to get our pinnies on, we're taking full advantage with a range of cake recipes from The Simple Things.
Pictured above: Rhubarb cake
Sharp rhubarb, sweet orange and a hint of warming spice – this is a cake to curl up with on a rainy afternoon.
Or how about this Harvest cake, packed with courgettes, fig and pistachios?
We love raspberries, and this Pistachio raspberry loaf is delicious as well as beautiful.
Like unusual flavour combinations? Try this Rosemary olive oil cake.
It's nearly nectarine season, and this cake combines the fragrant fruit with honey.
Find more cake recipes from The Simple Things
Buy May's issue of The Simple Things, or download a free trial digital issue now.
Recipe: Piquant vegetable salad, and a vegetarian Mediterranean menu
Rustle up a weekend menu for family and friends - that just so happens to be vegetarian - then get the garden games out. Long, light days full of the promise of early summer and bank holiday weekends that top and tail the month - isn't May just the best? This is no time for slaving over the stove, though. What you need is food that's high in flavour and low on fuss to allow maximum time for chatting and quaffing. Fresh and colourful dishes with a Mediterranean influence will keep any post-lunch slump at bay, should the afternoon call for an impromptu game of ping-pong or boules.
Opt for an informal table with terracotta plant pots holding the cutlery and fresh herbs replacing flowers. Vintage crockery finishes the rustic, playful feel, while a freshly mixed mojito delivers a touch of holiday decadence. Double bank holidays - we'll drink to that.
Turn to page 26 of May's The Simple Things for recipes to recreate the full menu below (buy or download now):
Panzanella
Falafel with flatbreads
Hummus, Tahini sauce and Harissa
Piquant vegetable salad
French lemon tart with berry coulis
Mojitos
Piquant vegetable salad
A shredded veggie salad adds a pop of flavour and a burst of colour (serves 4 as a side salad)
Ingredients:
Half a cauliflower, finely sliced 2 carrots, peeled and grated 1 beetroot, peeled and grated
For the dressing:
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil Salt and black pepper, to taste 1 tsp agave syrup
Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl.
Combine all dressing ingredients, adding to the salad before serving.
For more information about National Vegetarian Week, including tips on how to go meat-free, visit the website.