THE VERDICT!

So without wishing to sound like an episode of the X factor, the verdict upon my quince tart tatin was a resounding  ‘yes’ !  ( unless all the members of my food group were being polite!). 

 

The sharpness of the fruit, complimented by Spanish Manchego cheese garnered comments like 'they taste like apricots' and 'have the texture of pears' - I think we were all pleasantly surprised!

 

So a message to my anonymous donor who is probably reading this now - yes please I'd  like some more next season!

 

And for those who weren't sure what a quince looked like here’s a picture.

THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT

'They dined on mince and slices of quince.... '.  A line from one of my all time favourite poems from childhood.   So being of a curious nature, when I was offered some of the gnarly fruits I felt compelled to try making a little something with them. Not one to have the patience or the skill to faff around with jam I thought I’d try my hand at a sweet and sticky tart tatin.   A difficult recipe as all the measurements were in cups and I only have mugs so don’t think my caramel was as thick and treacly as it should have been.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating - so will be taking samples to my food group this week to see what their verdict is. Will let you know the outcome.

http://serendipitouschef.blogspot.co.uk/2006/09/turning-gold-to-rubies-whb.html

CAULI KALE

 

Hearty, satisfying, inexpensive, quick and easy to make and comforting to the enth degree, there are so many reasons to recommend this recipe which pairs my frilly curly kale with creamy cauliflower, sausagemeat and a luscious cheese sauce.

 

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cali-kale-sausage-bake

WINTER WARMER

 

Well we don't really need to be thinking about winter warmers yet but somehow something about the chilly mornings makes one crave a little comfort at dinner time and this  recipe from Waitrose fits the bill perfectly and makes use of my beautiful  glowing amber  butternuts at the same time.  A lot healthier than a traditional Shepherd's Pie. 

 

 

 

http://www.waitrose.com/home/recipes/recipe_directory/s/squash-cottage-pie.html

IT'S BETTER WITH FETA

 

Have tried out several savoury muffin recipes in a quest to use up some of the courgettes from the garden.  This is one of the nicest I've tried for a while.  Salty feta, offset by the richness of oily sundried tomatoes, is complimented by several good handfuls of basil - giving them an almost Mediterranean feel.  Looking forward to enjoying them with some soup:)

To make 12 small muffins combine 150 grams of self raising flour with one small courgette, 75 grams of crumbled feta and a good handful of basil leaves chopped.  Melt 25 grams of butter (I used margarine).  Add that to a whisked egg and 90mls of milk and fold gently into the flour.

Spoon into cake cases and top each muffin with some more crumbled feta and chopped sundried tomatoes (about a tablespoons worth).  The recipe actually uses semi dried tomatoes if that's what you prefer  but I think the sundried ones worked perfectly.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 160 degrees (fan oven temperature)

A SEASONAL SONG (BLACKBERRY WAY TWO!)

 

As Autumn approaches we traditionally forage for blackberries and as a matter of course we always have a blackberry and apple crumble.   Hot on the heels of that comes this greatly anticipated delight. Blackberries crushed gently with crunchy golden caster sugar and a thick layer of devilishly sinful clotted cream, sandwiched between two layers of  shortcake, given an exceptional lightness by the buttermilk you add to bring the dough together.  It doesn't look that fancy but for me this is a true star of the season.

 

 

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2857/blackberry-and-clotted-cream-shortcake-

SIMPLE SUPPER

Bouncing with taste, Sichuan noodles with minced pork, another recipe from the Waitrose kitchen, comes highly recommended.

Miso and chilli paste don't come cheap but the outlay is worth it to make this straightforward stir fry.

Can't find a link to the recipe so will have to fill you in with the instructions for the recipe.

 

• Mix 200mls of fresh chicken stock with 2tbsp of soy sauce, 1tbsp of white miso paste, 1 tsp of cornflour mixed into 1tbsp of water and a tablespoon of chilli paste.

 

• Brown  a large pack of minced pork for about 6-8 minutes and set aside.

 

• Then fry two garlic cloves and a little chopped ginger before adding two large carrots finely sliced or julienned.

 

• Pop the pork back in the pan add some straight to wok noodles, four chopped spring onions, 100 grams of spinach leaves and the sauce.

• Cook for a few minutes and then add a good sprinkling of coriander ( I use the Waitrose frozen coriander for recipes like these as it gives a big hit of flavour).

A TASTE OF SUMMER

 

So satisfying to sit and enjoy the rewards of our labours.

 

Plump chicken breasts stuffed with goats cheese and thyme leaves, wrapped in crispy bacon, perch on top of sweet cherry tomatoes and a pile of sliced courgettes - a taste to remind us of summer as the autumnal days approach.

 

 Cubes of bonnie potatoes crisped up in oil are a perfect accompaniment.

 

 

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3925/goats-cheese-and-thyme-stuffed-chicken

USE YOUR LOAF!

So we are still using our supply of onions tucked away in the shed down the garden.  Buttery, earthy new potatoes and a plentiful supply of delicious dwarf beans are a great accompaniment to this sausagemeat loaf wrapped in salty bacon.  Add a fiery salsa and it lifts things to another level.

 

The recipe is no longer on the BBC Good Food website so here are the simple instructions.

• Mix a large pack of sausagemeat with 2tbsp of tomato puree, one chopped fried onion , four ounces of fresh breadcrumbs and a beaten egg.
• Shape  into a loaf and wrap four rashers of streaky bacon around it.
• Pop into a loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes at 170 degrees (fan oven) until the bacon is crispy.

PROUD PARENTS!

 

 

Can't resist boasting about the latest offspring harvested from  the allotment!  Peachy butternut squash glow under their green canopy,  startling purple-veined frilly curly kale shows off nature at its best - giving me just so much joy -  and I have harvested the first baby sprouts of the season, tucked away under their netting climbing skywards. 

 

 

SUMMER ON A PLATE

When I first got married making a summer pudding was a labour of love.  Supposedly heavy weights needed to be to piled on top of it and it had to be left in the fridge overnight before you could turn it out!  But now with the help of a recipe from the BBC Good Food magazine it can be done in a jiffy - unbelievably the recipe says ready in 30 minutes

 

I have no link but this will give you the gist - it is really straightforward.

 

To give you the three puds above or one large one  put two ounces of caster sugar into a pan with two fluid ounces of water and a pound of summer fruits and stir over heat to dissolve the sugar.  If you are using strawberries and raspberries add them once the sugar has dissolved.  Set aside for 10 minutes to give the juices time to release.

 

Sieve the fruit and saturate five slices of cheap white bread in the juice and mould them round your pudding basin, saving just a little for the lid.  I use my mini basins as I feel it looks nicer when they are served - however although they have always turned out perfectly they were just a little bit stubborn this time - always the way when you want to take a photo!

 

Pile the fruit into the basins - you can use any fruit but this time I  used all my blackcurrants from the freezer and just a few raspberries for a big hit of vitamin C  ( and we still picked up the lurgy that was doing the rounds!)   Their tartness made the pudding more enjoyable.  Then top with the remaining bread.

 

Hey presto a few hours later I loosened the sides of the pud with a knife  and we had a scrumptious pud which tasted like it had just come off the bush!  Single cream is the only accompaniment in my opinion.

GOT MY EYE ON YOU!

So I don't like eating fish with eyes - experienced a little of that in Italy when I felt the beady peepers of my trout upon me as I pulled the flakes of fish from the bones.  However this can be remedied by a quick trip to the fish counter in Tesco where they transformed some slippery shiny mackerel into gorgeous fillets for me.
Steam some bok choi - make a sauce with chillis from the garden (boy are they hot!), some salty soy, the acidity of lime, aromatic ginger and muscovado to sweeten  - and hey presto we get our  weekly omega three -  and all for an extremely good price too.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1916645/grilled-mackerel-with-sweet-soy-glaze

ROLY POLY!

 

 

 

Dispense with the pizza delivery man, buy some frozen wholemeal pizza dough from Waitrose and make your very own, much tastier Stromboli in no time at all -  and use up some of the glut of spinach from your allotment.

 

Roll out the dough into two large rectangles and smother with a good thick layer of tomato puree.  Cover with iron-rich spinach and three quarters of a pack of peppered salami.

 

 Pile on a good heap of grated mozzarella

 

Roll up and pop onto an oiled baking sheet seam side down, brush with a little oil  and cook at 200 degrees (fan oven) for between 20 and 25 minutes.

Add a riot of colour with a healthy salad and supper is on the table in a jiffy.

 

  This recipe hails from a magazine which came free with the Telegraph newspaper (passed on to me a few years ago at a cricket match in Arundel!)

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY.....

So we have summer chicken traybake from the Waitrose Weekend magazine - but unfortunately we have no balmy weather to go with it. He indoors who needs to be fed is relegated to a jumper with his shorts so things must be bad :(

However the recipe is a good one - chicken breasts, courgettes, tomatoes, leeks and red peppers nestle into tiny grains of orzo pasta its flavour enhanced with red pesto.

Such a simple recipe with so little washing up!  Just a little note on the cooking time though - the recipe suggests 25 minutes, I think I gave it a good hour and stirred it a couple of times too - I added the basil five minutes before serving.  I used two chicken breasts which I diced instead of the mini fillets.  I would also suggest that the recipe would serve three at a pinch rather than four but maybe as I've said before, we just eat too much!


https://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/recipe_directory/s/summer-chicken-traybake0.A4.html

HEALTH KICK!

 

 Serve glowing ochre corn cobs from the garden (apparently they have properties to keep your eyes healthy:)) with these peppered mackerel fish cakes (the omega three keeps your bones in tip top condition:)) and you're onto a winner. 
Also utilises the spring onions from the allotment.

 

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/724641/peppered-mackerel-fish-cakes

POSH NOSH

Exploding with nutrients on every level, this light supper dish from the BBC Good Food magazine  is crammed full of flavour.  Utilising spinach and tomatoes from the garden, the addition of pumpkin seeds gives a welcome crunch to this superfood scramble  with smoked salmon - one I think my health conscious sled-dragging 31 year old son would relish!

 

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/superfood-scrambled-eggs

 

SORRY STEVE!

 

Full of colour and goodness,  this totally delicious combination of salty halloumi,  sweet mango, sharp lime, powerful chilli and the bite of pumpkin seeds gives you a zest for life.

 However I'm sorry Steve of 'Steve's Leaves',   who I pinched the recipe from,  I used my own leaves from the allotment to make this perfect, simple main course for those aspiring veggies among us.  Also would be great as starter.

 

http://stevesleaves.co.uk/news-recipes/halloumi-chilli-mango-salad

I DREAM OF GREEN BEANS!

 

If there is one thing  designed to kindle my gardening partner's passions at the allotment, it's not me in my grubby gardening gear waving the trowel at him  - it's the runner bean. He has a mini fling with the sweetcorn but his real love affair is with the Scarlet Emperor. 
From the moment we sow the tiny seedlings, (or I when I sowed them this year and they dared not to show their plant like faces for what felt like an eternity and he panicked that we would have none!)  nothing gets more nurturing,  water or undivided attention than the beautiful  red flowers  cascading downwards to tempt him. 

 

 And we are picking early this year so I decide to try a new recipe - a green bean and chicken casserole - poached from a book at the library but sadly I can't remember which one so am probably breaching copyright here!

•  The quantities I'm using would amply serve two.  The recipe uses chicken thighs (skin on) but I used a standard pack of chicken breast mini fillets from Aldi and pan fried them in oil until browned and then set them to one side.
• I then softened a large chopped onion and added two cloves of garlic, a large heaped tablespoon of hot smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne.  Then add about 80grams of tomato puree.  You need plenty of paprika and puree to give the casserole plenty of depth. 
• Then add a couple of sliced carrots, 300grams of sweet potatoes cut into chunks and coat in the tomato mixture.
• Add a 400grams tin of tomatoes and enough water so all meat and veggies are submerged.
• Boil, then simmer for about 25 minutes until  everything is cooked through.

Add 250grams of green beans five or ten minutes before the end and cook till tender.  I used our runner beans but think dwarf beans might work better in this recipe.

 



 

This ancient metal contraption from Ebay , reminiscent of traditional family days in the kitchen way back when, makes the job of slicing the beans a breeze.

 

 

GET SHORTY!

And no the title of this blog is not a reference to my diminutive size!  As you can see by the photography it refers to the blackcurrant shortcake tart I made a few weekends ago from the delicious  harvest bursting forth from my Ben Lomond bush.   Probably picked enough for about two puddings so sadly none to share with anyone else.  Well  in truth I did give a pie to my parents when they were made so I'm not being completely selfish!

If anyone remembers my 'Getting Fruity' blogs last year you will probably remember references to a Marks and Spencer's 'Pies and Flans' book written by Mary Cadogan that I've had for an eternity.  Well this recipe comes from there too.

• Rub six ounces of butter into 12 ounces of self raising flour ( I used Stork margarine)
• Stir in six ounces of caster sugar
• Add a beaten egg and mix to a firm dough adding cold water if you need to.
• Roll out pastry and line your tart tin - I made one medium one and two smaller ones.  I can recommend the small Lakeland pie dishes for this.  The pastry is very fragile but persevere with it - it's worth it for the crumbly texture you end up with.
• Fill with eight ounces of blackcurrants and sprinkle them lightly with sugar, you don't need much, better to enjoy their tart flavour.
• With the pastry that is left over arrange strips in a lattice pattern over the tart and brush with milk.
• Bake at 170 degrees (fan oven) for 30-35 minutes.
• Enjoy with whatever you fancy - but my pick with blackcurrants is always clotted cream! or Cornish ice cream at a push.

 

VIVA ESPANA!

So we have harvested the onions early too. A mixture of sizes as usual -  not sure if we will grow them again next year as they take up such a lot of space.

Made this Spanish chicken stew in the slow cooker -  not as authentic  as it should have been as I omitted the olives but still didn't stop it from being an incredibly  tasty treat at the end of a busy day.  Doesn't create too much washing up either:).   I also diced some chicken breast instead of using the chicken thighs.

 

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-cooker-spanish-chicken


Used the first of the courgettes in some veggie kebabs tonight - just looking at the riot of colour makes you feel full of vitality!

 

SHOWING OFF!

 

So I'm showing off, so proud of my babies - two huge iceberg lettuces grown from seed and there are more to come if I prevent the snails from snacking on them! 

 

 And thanks to the Kitchen Garden magazine my free seeds also produced these delightful Chantenay carrots.  Have been dreading their possible devastation by carrot fly but have had them safely tucked away under cloches and this seems to have deterred them so far.

 

 

The exceptionally hot weather, reminiscent of the endless drought- ridden summer of 1976 when I took my O Levels,  has suddenly transformed everything and I am finding it hard to keep up with the picking.  Blackcurrants burst from their bushes and even the dwarf beans are making an  appearance.

 

The beauty of the frilly purple veined curly kale takes my breath away.  It is exceptionally early but enjoyed nonetheless in a  delicious Cauli-kale sausage bake.

I made my own cheese sauce and used a 500 gram pack of sausagemeat to make things easier.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cali-kale-sausage-bake

CUTE CANAPES

 

 

I've been distracted from blogging by the joys of grandparenthood but have torn myself away from the cuddles and the 'whats apping' to share the recipe for this sensationally easy summer canapé.

Add coriander from the garden to lime zest, juice, half a red chilli , chopped red onion (James Wong says these are so much better for you than the brown and white varieties) and some chopped mango.  Scoop onto a mini poppadom and wait for a burst of fresh flavours to tantalise your tastebuds!  Simple but one to impress your guests before dinner. 

 

http://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/food/recipes/poppadom-scoops

EAT YOUR GREENS

 

Put a spring in your step by adding a heady scented bouquet of herbs and leaves to some wholesome lentils to create a soup that will make you feel virtuous with every sip - might even transform you into the Green Goddess, though that reference will pass by anyone under a certain age!

This is a Covent Garden soup book recipe that has been slightly tweaked but unfortunately I am unable to find a link to it.

Chop half a stick of celery and half an onion and crush a clove of garlic and fry gently for a couple of minutes. 

Add 55 grams of red lentils and 600mls of vegetable stock and cover and simmer until the lentils are soft. 

Then add a good handful of herbs, including thyme, parsley and chives, a generous amount of rocket and just over 100 grams of spinach. 
 
Don't be a numpty and get carried away like I did taking photographs and then realise that you have forgotten to put in half the spinach!    The final colour of the soup could have had a lot more depth if I had been concentrating properly!

Cook for a few minutes until the spinach has wilted, add a spoonful or so of greek yoghurt and half a teaspoon of lemon juice and then blend.