Back to the Chopping Board

Squash, Chilli and Sage with Parmesan Crumb Topping

2011-11-21T21:56:00.001Z

Now we are coming towards the end of autumn and winter is starting to approach, the flavours and taste of the season are still aplenty. On a recent visit to my local and favourite farm shop, there was a selection of different squashes. All different shapes, sizes, colour and textures. They instantly called out to me and I knew what I wanted to do with them. A Gem squash, one similar to a baby butternut squash, and a green bumpy one that I have no idea what it’s name is, found their way into my basket.

The soft texture of squash with the fragrance of sage, a little kick of chilli and the crunchy texture of a parmesan topping is both satisfying and comforting. A wonderful side dish that goes well with chicken wrapped in smoked streaky bacon and roasted cherry tomatoes. When choosing the selection of your squashes, go for the softer skinned varieties so that you can eat the skin. The gem squash and the bumpy one had a hard skin that was inedible and just got harder when it cooked. If you are not able to get the softer ones, don’t worry. Eat the flesh and leave the skin as I did.

Squash, Chilli and Sage with Parmesan Crumb Topping

Serves 4

:: 3 different small Squashes deseeded and cut into wedges :: 1 red Chilli deseeded and finely chopped :: 10-12 Sage leaves :: handful Parmesan finely grated :: handful fresh Breadcrumbs :: Olive Oil :: Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200C. Place the squashes into a roasting dish along with the chilli, and sage leaves. Season with salt & pepper and then toss all together with a drizzle of olive oil. Place in the oven for 30 mins, or until the squash is tender and soft.

While they are in the oven, put the Parmesan and Breadcrumbs in a bowl with a good drizzle of Olive Oil and mix well.

After 30 mins take the squash out of the oven and sprinkle over the Parmesan Breadcrumbs and put back in the oven until golden brown and delicious.

A Decadent Autumnal Dessert…

2011-11-13T19:36:00.001Z

As much as I love Spring and Summer, there is something I find comforting when the clocks go back. To me it really signifies that Autumn is now here. There will soon be the knock on the door of ghosts and ghouls asking for treats or giving tricks, the smoke filled air as flashes of colour and bangs take over the night sky. Or it could be that Christmas is fast approaching.

It has become a bit of a tradition now, that when the clocks go back it’s time to make Beef Cobbler. A warm and satisfying meal, just what you crave when the nights draw in. Sunday morning I was sat enjoying a cup of tea, leisurely looking through cookbooks for a fitting dessert to go with it. Turning the pages in Julia Parsons ‘A Slice of Cherry Pie’, I come across what must be the most autumnal and decadent dessert I have seen – Pear, Blackberry and Chocolate Tart. So simple to make and put together, flavours that match past perfection and every spoonful is a luxury.

I have now made this several times in the last few weeks, and every time it receives compliment after compliment with many a guest proclaiming this is the best dessert they have had. Go on, try it yourself.

www.asliceofcherrypie.com

Every journey starts with the first step…

2011-06-15T22:26:00.001+01:00

#1 Page 76 - The basic bread recipe, River Cottage Handbook No.3 Bread

An old boss of mine, used to have the saying “Every journey of a thousand miles, starts with the first step”. I don’t think I will ever forget that, as it was drilled into us each day. But this is my first step of this journey, my River Cottage Bread Journey. Although it’s not quite a thousand miles, it is 55 recipes – with a few variations along the way! Whether it feels like we have travelled a thousand miles, we will have to wait and see.

First step is ‘The basic bread recipe’, which Dan describes as his simplified bread recipe. One by which you can use as a starting point or basis to create many different types of bread. I would like to hope that by the time I have worked my way to the end of the book, I will be able to create some of my own breads. In fact I already have a few ideas, but hey, lets hold on a minute. Running before we could walk would not be a good idea.

One of the reasons I got this book, was because of the depth that it goes into on the ingredients, process and equipment. Which gives you a great understanding of what you are about to do and why you are doing it. The theory of why you put salt in, the types of flour you have to use right through to why you need a water spray bottle!

Just as I was getting the ingredients and equipment ready, one thing alarmed me. The recipe calls for 20g fine salt. Now reading it, it didn’t bother me that much. When I was weighing it out – that was a different matter. It looked like a ridiculous amount of salt, which made me a little concerned and dubious to honest.

Mixing the dough was easy, in fact very easy. Well what's difficult about that. Kneading the dough however, if you are not used to regular exercise it will cause your arms to ache….FACT! The bit I didn’t find quite so easily, was shaping the dough into a round. When first left to ferment, once you have deflated the dough for the first time and when you shape the loaves. I decided to make 2 x 800g loaves (although I wouldn’t say I divided the dough exactly in half), both of them being round. When I got them into the round shape and turned them over, the base looked like the Grand Canyon was running through it (wish I took a picture to show you). No matter what I did, I couldn’t make it look better. I just hoped and prayed when it came out the oven, it would look good.

Once it came out of the oven, I was impressed with way it looked. This will sound stupid but it actually looked like bread. Even the Grand Canyon in the base had gone. It had risen magnificently in the heat of the oven and the steam you create in the process. The smell was lovely and the crust was great.

When I sliced the bread, it had a lovely thickness of crust that was nice and crusty. The loaf inside looked nice and soft, it wasn’t doughy or crumbly. So far it smelt, looked and felt good. The next was the taste. It wasn’t fantastic, but it was good. The texture and taste of the crust was really great, with the crumb of the bread tasting good. I felt that it was just a little bit dense still, so maybe 5 minutes more kneading next time. The only downside to this bread, was I thought it was a little bit salty. Which was a concern I had at the beginning, and it made we wonder if next time I could reduce the quantity of salt. But I have decided that next time, I will stick with the 20g of salt and give it another chance. Overall I was pleased with the result. The time and effort was well worth it, and the satisfaction you get at the end, will put a large grin on your face. I used the bread to make some really nice ham salad sandwiches. Everyone that had one, commented on how good the bread was. Homemade bread is definitely the way forward.

If you have tried and/or posted about the basic bread recipe, I would love to hear how you got on with it. If you are following along, it’ll be great to share experiences. You can even tweet along with #rivercottagebreadjourney.

Next up is a variation on the basic bread recipe:

#2 Page 78 – Malted grain bread

River Cottage Handbook No.3 Bread by Daniel Stevens

Asparagus and Ricotta Tart, with Lemon and Mint

2011-06-06T21:56:00.001+01:00

With the asparagus season now over half way through, I still can’t get enough of the stuff. I was out shopping the other day at a local farm shop, and I spotted a magnificent bundle of asparagus for sale. Looked superb, I couldn’t resist, I had to buy a bundle. I didn’t matter to me that I already had a a stack of them in the fridge that I picked the other day!

Lemon and mint goes fantastically well with asparagus. This is ideal for a spring/summer lunch, with a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Asparagus and Ricotta Tart, with Lemon and Mint

Serves 4

:: 375g pack ready rolled Puff Pastry :: 250g Ricotta :: 1 Lemon (zest & juice) :: 20 spears of Asparagus :: Parmesan :: Mint finely chopped :: Chives :: Salt & Pepper :: Olive Oil

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6/200C. Unroll the puff pastry and cut into 4 rectangles (approx. 17cm x 12cm). Mark a border with a knife about 1½cm from the edge, but don’t cut all the way through. Very lightly score a lattice on the board for a decorative effect. Place in the oven for 8-10 mins until puffed and is lightly golden. Leave to cool, and using the back of a fork, push down the middle.

Mix the ricotta with the lemon zest and juice, and season. Divide this between the four tart shells and gently spread out. Carefully push into the ricotta mixture 5 asparagus spears into each tart. Drizzle with olive oil and put in the oven for 10 mins until the pastry is golden and the asparagus starts to wrinkle.

Sprinkle over the mint, shave over some parmesan and place the chives on top. Give a final drizzle of olive oil and serve warm with a dressed salad.

The River Cottage Bread Journey….

2011-06-01T21:07:00.001+01:00

So. I would like to invite you on a journey. A journey where there will be some success I hope and I’m sure some failure. A journey where I hope to become a better baker. To discover new types of bread and baking. Try new techniques, experience new tastes and smells. Finally to enjoy great ‘hands-have-made’ bread, as Daniel Stevens would say. You can either follow me on this trip of discovery, or join in.

For sometime now, I have been fascinated with the making of bread. How anyone can take a few humble ingredients and turn it into the staple of mankind the world over, intrigues me. The whole process of taking a handful of simple ingredients, going through the process of showing them love, care and attention, resulting in such a delicious end result is almost miraculous.

I had been hunting for a long time for the ideal book relating to making bread. After a long search I found it. The River Cottage Handbook No.3 Bread by Daniel Stevens. Exactly what I was looking for. This is the plan. To work my way through the book, from start to finish. Understanding the ingredients, learning the skills and trying every recipe. It will take as long as it takes, but I’m going for a different recipe each week. Maybe more, it just depends what I have on.

There are many different recipes I can’t wait to try – Ciabatta, Sourdough, Soda Bread, Churros, Lardy Cake, Crumpets and Nettle Pesto to name just a few. There is one I am dreading – Taramasalata (in the section of using left over bread), as I am just not a fishy person. Also there is one all mighty challenge. The building of a clay oven. The challenge – it won’t go in my garden, so I don’t know yet where I am going to build it. Any offers?

You won’t find me posting every recipe, as that would just be wrong. If you want the recipes, buy the book. You will see me post about how each recipe went, and a few adapted recipes. But do you know what would be great? If you were to grab yourself a copy of the book too. That way if you want to follow along, you can. We can share our experiences together.

So are you on this journey too?

Time to get this show on the road, and take the first step. The first stop this week…the basic bread recipe.

Dippy Eggs with Asparagus and Prosciutto Soldiers

2011-05-23T21:34:00.001+01:00

I’m going to make a statement, which I know for a fact nobody can dispute or argue with. If someone thinks they are brave and big enough, you can give it a go, but you won’t win. British asparagus is the best in the world. There I have said it. I wait so eagerly when we are in spring for the first green spears of deliciousness to be ready. I refuse to eat anything other than British asparagus , the downside being our very short season. So you have to get your fix while you can.

It’s a race. From the moment the asparagus is picked, the clock is ticking. The minute that spear is free from the earth, the lovely sugars in it starting turning to starch. You need to get it home as soon as you can, cook it and enjoy it. I’m lucky, I’m very lucky. You see we have two wonderfully diverse pick your own farm close by (Copas Farms). I can go, pick, get home and be cooking the asparagus within thirty minutes. As it is so fresh – trust me when I tell you it’s the best asparagus I have ever eaten.

After picking some the other morning (along with juicy strawberries and rhubarb), I wanted something for breakfast/lunch.

Oozy soft boiled eggs with asparagus wrapped in crispy prosciutto, simple and uncomplicated.

Dippy Eggs with Asparagus and Prosciutto Soldiers

Serves 1

:: 7 Asparagus spears :: 2 Eggs large :: 3-4 slices Prosciutto :: Olive Oil :: Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6/200C. Snap of the woody ends of the asparagus and wrap each spear in the prosciutto. Depending on the size of the slices of prosciutto will depend how many you need. Place the asparagus on a roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil. Place in the oven for 10 minutes.

Once the asparagus is in the oven, place the eggs in a small saucepan (so they don’t have much room to move around and crack). Cover the eggs in water by around 1/2 cm. Put them on a high heat, and the second they came to a boil, simmer for 3 minutes for a soft boiled runny yolk. Serve with the asparagus and some salt and pepper. Get dipping and enjoy….

Lemon Victoria Sandwich with Lemon Curd and Limoncello Filling

2011-04-30T11:52:00.000+01:00

After the very cold and dark winter that we have had, once the new year has begun Spring is what I always look forward to and long for. For when everything starts to turn green again in the countryside, blossom appears on the trees, the clocks go forward and days become longer. The cold, snow and dark nights start to seem a distant memory. All starts to feel good again.

During the stunning weather we had over the Easter weekend, I took a walk through fields with newly born lambs running and jumping around in the sunshine. Enjoying the warm air, the lush green grass they were what signified the joys of spring.

Walking through woods carpeted with Bluebells, the air filled with their heavenly scent. Fresh green leaves rustling in the summer like breeze, sunlight streaming through onto the woodland floor. It seemed more like a mid-summers day, rather than a Spring weekend in April.

It was peaceful, quiet and relaxing. The only sounds that could be heard were bees going from flower to flower, and a pheasant calling out in the distance.

Each Easter Julia Parsons hosts and Easter Cake Bake on her blog A Slice of Cherry Pie. Last year I made Chocolate Fudge Easter Cakes, however with the weather being as warm and nice as it was, I was just not feeling doing a chocolate entry. Looking through The Observer's website, I came across several recipes from Lorraine Pascale for Easter Cakes. As soon as I saw this, I knew it was the one….

Lemon Victoria Sandwich with Lemon Curd and Limoncello Filling (Lorraine Pascale)

Serves 8-10

For the Sponge

:: Butter 220g, softened :: Caster Sugar 220g :: Eggs 4 :: Vanilla Pod seeds of ½ :: Vanilla Extract couple of drops :: Lemon zest of ½ – 1 :: Self-Raising Flour 220g :: Baking Powder small pinch :: Lemon juice of ½

For the Filling

:: Lemon Curd 5-6 tbsp, good quality :: Double Cream 300 ml :: Icing Sugar 30g :: Vanilla Pod seeds of ½ :: Vanilla Extract couple of drops :: Limoncello 1 tbsp, optional

Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4. For the sponge, grease 2 x 20cm sandwich tins and line the bottom with greaseproof paper. Put the softened butter and caster sugar in a bowl and beat together well. Add 2 eggs, vanilla seeds and extract, lemon zest and half the flour and beat well. Then add the other 2 eggs, the rest of the flour and the baking powder and beat. If the mixture is stiff, add the lemon juice.

Divide the mixture between 2 tins and level off with the back of a spoon. Place in the oven and bake for 30 mins or until the sides of the sponge have shrunk slightly from the sides of the tins, the sponge springs back slightly when pressed, and a skewer inserted into the middle of the sponge comes out clean. Leave the sponges to cool in tins.

To assemble, once the sponges are completely cool, remove them from the tins and place on a serving dish. Spread one sponge with the lemon curd then whip up the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla pod and extract (and fold in the limoncello if using), then dollop on top of the lemon curd. Put the other sponge on top and sprinkle with some icing sugar.

Do you remember me?

2011-04-26T13:22:00.000+01:00

It’s an honest question. Do you? For I know I have been bad, and that I haven’t been here for twelve months. It doesn’t really seem that long, but it has been. So I’m sorry I have not been here for some time to see you. The past year has been very busy, both on the work and personal side. Which sadly hasn’t given me the time.

Now I feel that the time is ready to come back and say hello, and to start again. I’m excited and can’t wait to get back at it. Here are a selection of photos showing what I have been up to the past twelve months.

It’s good to be back.

April 2010

It was off to Warwick Castle, with my niece and nephew training to be Knights….

May

The kid goats at Odds Farm Park in May were having fun and the sheep are friendly….

A date at Whipsnade Zoo….

July

One of my all time ambitions fulfilled – dinner at The Fat Duck (I so want to go back)….

It was also my 30th Birthday BBQ….

August

A trip to The Bridge with my nephew….

September

A holiday to Northumberland in a beautiful coach house we rented….

October

It’s not Halloween unless you have a pumpkin or two….

December

I got my hands on the book “A Slice of Cherry Pie” and baked the delicious Christmas Cookies from page 188….

We had a “little” bit of snow….

And it was Christmas….

March 2011

It was a touch foggy up at The Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge in the North Yorkshire Moors….

But bright at the Tropical World at Roundhay Park in Leeds….

Always fun at the beach, this ones at Bridlington….

April

Off to Cotswold Wildlife Park, not been there since I was at school and on a trip….

The Garden 2010 – At the beginning…

2010-04-26T20:51:00.001+01:00

Nothing can beat going out into your garden to pick, dug up or collect fruit and vegetables that you have grown with your own fair hands. Or going into the garden and snipping some fresh home grown herbs. Then taking all this fabulous produce into your kitchen, and creating something tasty, delicious and very fresh. Well, to be honest, I don’t actually know if this is the case as I have never had the opportunity to do this before.

Back in March, driving back from a trip up on the Yorkshire Moors, we stopped at Castle Howard. This is a stunning 18th-Century residence, with luxurious interiors and over 1,000 acres of stunning landscapes. It also has a fantastic farm shop, selling produce and meat from the Estate. On the Estate grounds is a plant centre, and it was there while looking through the centre, I picked up a seed catalogue. The intention was just to find a few herb seeds, as I wanted to grow herbs that I use on a regular basis (Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley and Coriander). As I said, that was the intention. While flicking though this catalogue, I come across a range of seeds that immediately grabbed my attention.

You see, we have a very small garden. One that is not any good for growing any type of vegetables. The vast majority of the garden is patio or brick paved. So there lied the problem of wanting to grow your own vegetables. That was until I found this particular range of seeds – Kew Urban Garden Collection. These are designed by Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, so that they can be grown in small pots, containers or windowsills. Happy days!!

I also purchased a selection of herb seeds from Duchy Originals. Once ordered on-line, I waited in anticipation for them to arrive, as I know some of these really should have already been planted. So that was it, once they arrived, I was away in the garden with pots, seeds and compost. So which seeds do I currently have growing? This is what I have planted:

Fruit & Vegetables	Herbs
Beetroot (Cardinal F1 Hybrid)	Rosemary
Carrot (Atlas)	Basil
Leek (Lancelot)	Coriander
Lettuce (Dazzle)	Flat-Leaf Parsley
Spring Onion (Pompeii)	Chives
Parsnip (Arrow)	Thyme
Mangetout (Sugar Snow Green)	Sage
Spinach (Picasso F1 Hybrid)
Tomato (Sweet ‘n’ Neat)
Turnip (Atlantic)
Pepper (Sweet Ingrid)
Radish (Amethyst)
Salad Leaves (Cut ‘n’ Come Again)

Actually I haven’t yet planted the Spinach or Lettuce – will get onto those two this weekend. I need to get a few more pots to grow those in, I have used up all the ones I’ve got. As I had so many seeds, I thought I would plant some of them for friends.

Some of the seeds are unable to be planted directly outside straight away. The windowsill in my bedroom has now become a make-shift greenhouse, which hasn’t gone down to well!

We also have a furry little visitor that likes to come into the garden on a regular basis, who likes to dig up any pots that don’t appear to have anything in them. So needed to do a little bit of squirrel proofing on the pots.

Now it’s a waiting game. Waiting to see those first shoots appear, waiting to see if anything will actually grow and then waiting for everything to be ready. I will post updates on how they are all growing. Then, once they are ready to be harvested, tasty recipes using these vegetables and herbs.

Chocolate Fudge Easter Cakes

2010-04-05T21:30:00.002+01:00

Some things you make for the first time, and you know that every year they will become a tradition – and these will be one of them. I first made these last year – in fact I had to make them 4 times at Easter. They are that good!!

One thing I will insist if you make these…..use the best chocolate and cocoa you can get. I used Green & Blacks Cocoa and Green & Blacks Milk Chocolate – I suggest you do to, the difference is remarkable.

These I also made for A Slice of Cherry Pie’s annual Easter Cake Bake.

Chocolate Fudge Easter Cakes

Makes 16

For the Cakes

280g Butter, soft

280g Golden Caster Sugar

6 Eggs, medium

200g Self-Raising Flour

50g Green & Blacks Cocoa, sifted

For the frosting

170g Green & Blacks Milk Chocolate

170g Butter, soft

280g Icing Sugar, sifted

Mini Eggs to decorate

:: Preheat your oven to 190C/Gas Mark 5. Place the butter and golden caster sugar in a mixing bowl, and cream together.

:: Mix in the 6 eggs, and beat in well.

:: Mix in the self-raising flour, then mix in the cocoa.

:: Line muffin tins with 16 muffin cases, and fill each case to just two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for 15-18 mins until risen. Test with a skewer, if when inserted it comes out clean, they are ready. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

:: While the cakes are cooling, time to make the frosting. Cream together the butter and the icing sugar.

:: Melt the chocolate in a bowl, over a small amount of watering simmering in a saucepan. Once melted, leave to cool for a couple of minutes.

:: Add the melted chocolate into the creamed butter and icing sugar, and mix in well.

:: Place the frosting into a piping bag, and pipe onto the cooled cakes. (Please excuse my poor piping skills – need lots of practice on this!)

:: Decorate your cakes with a selection of different treats – malteasers, foil wrapped chocolate eggs etc. I used Mini Eggs, and Teeny Weeny Mini Eggs.

Hot Cross Buns and an apology

2010-04-02T11:00:00.016+01:00

OK, I need to first say sorry for not being around recently. I have had several things that have kept me away, including a very busy time at work. Pants I know, so I am determined to make and find time. Having already failed on my New Years Resolutions (bad person!), I will try and pick these back up.

During Easter, there are two traditions when it comes to baking in my kitchen, and one of those is Hot Cross Buns. These are in Britain traditionally eaten hot or toasted for breakfast on Good Friday. In Christian countries, the cross on the top of the bun stands as a symbol of The Crucifiction. I am not a religious person – and in fact there are some suggestions now that Hot Cross Buns actually pre-date Christianity, I do like the tradition of making and eating these on Good Friday, and what they symbolise for many people.

Eat these just simply toasted, with really good butter and a cup of tea!

Hot Cross Buns

Makes 16

500g Strong White Bread Flour

½ tsp Salt

85g Light Muscovado Sugar

2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 tsp Mixed Spice

½ tsp Grated Nutmeg

50g Butter, cut into small pieces

Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated

7g sachet Easy-Blend Yeast

45g Currants

45g Sultanas

45g Raisins

300ml Half Milk, Half Water

3 tbsp Plain Flour

3 tbsp Golden Syrup

:: Place the flour, sugar, salt and spices into a large bowl and mix.

:: Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips. Stir in the dried fruit, yeast and lemon zest.

:: Warm the milk and water mixture until it is body temperature, and stir into the flour to make a soft dough.

:: Turn the dough out onto a surface that has been lightly floured, and knead for 5 mins. The dough is ready when it is smooth and no longer sticky.

:: Divide into 16 equal size pieces and shape into a ball. Easiest way is to cut the dough in half, then each half in half again, then each of those into half again, and finally each of those into half.

:: Place in rows on a lightly buttered baking sheet. Cover loosely with a piece of oiled cling film, and leave in a warm place to rise for 2 hours

Before rising:

After rising:

:: Heat an oven to 200c/Gas Mark 6. Now make the mixture for the cross by blending the flour together with cold water in a bowl to create a smooth paste. Place into a piping bag, and pipe a cross on each of the buns (alternatively use a small food bag, fill with the paste and snip off the corner). Back in the oven for 15-18 mins until they are nicely browned.

:: Once cooked, place the Hot Cross Buns on a wire rack to cool, and gently heat the syrup. Once gently warmed, brush over the buns and serve.

Turkey Brochettes with Red Pepper Salsa

2010-01-31T18:41:00.010Z

So….on to my next New Years Resolution – to use my cook books more. The book I chosen for January was Gordon Ramsay’s Healthy Appetite, to go with the whole healthy eating vibe that people go for in January.

To me, this book was refreshing compared to other ‘healthy’ or ‘low fat – good for you’ cook books. There was none of the usual old suspects that appear in them. In this book there are original ideas for healthy breakfasts, brunches, working lunches, kids’ meals, barbecues, suppers, desserts and entertaining.

After much deliberating and changing my mind, I decided to have a go with the Turkey Brochettes with Red Pepper Salsa – which was in the ‘Healthy Kids’ section. It’s a very quick, fresh and tasty dinner. This was simply served with some plain rice. These would be great, cooked on the BBQ in the summer!

Turkey Brochettes with Red Pepper Salsa - from Gordon Ramsay's 'Healthy Appetite'

Serves 4-5

500g Turkey Breasts, skinless and boneless

Sea Salt and Black Pepper

2 Red Onions, peeled

1 Orange Pepper

1 Red Pepper

Olive Oil, to brush

Marinade:

1 tbsp Lime Juice

1 tbsp Olive Oil

½ tsp Smoked Paprika

½ tsp Celery Salt

½ tsp Cornflour

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Dash of Tabasco Sauce (Optional)

Dash of Worcestershire Sauce

Red Pepper Salsa:

250g jar Roasted Red Peppers in Olive Oil

1 Red Onion, small, peeled and finely chopped

4 Spring Onions, trimmed and finely chopped

Coriander Leaves, handful

Juice of a Lime

½ tsp Honey, to taste

:: Cut the turkey into 2.5-3cm cubes.

:: Whisk all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl, adding some salt and pepper.

:: Add the turkey and toss well to coat. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Soak 4-5 bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 20 minutes.

:: Cut the onions into bite-sized chunks, similar in size to the turkey cubes. Halve, core and deseed the peppers, then cut into 2.5-3cm cubes.

:: Thread the peppers, onions and turkey cubes alternatively onto the skewers. Place on a lightly oiled tray, cover with cling film and chill until ready to cook.

:: For the salsa, drain the peppers and chop finely. Place in a bowl and add all the rest of the ingredients. Toss together and season with salt and pepper to taste. (The salsa is now ready to eat, and can be chilled for up to an hour.)

:: To cook, heat a griddle pan or the grill until hot. Brush the brochettes with a little olive oil and cook for 10-15 minutes, turning several times. The turkey should feel firm when lightly pressed; don’t overcook or it will be dry. Serve immediately with the red pepper salsa.

Fresh from the Oven :: Chocolate Buns

2010-01-28T08:00:00.002Z

So I set myself a few New Years Resolutions at the beginning of this month, one was to bake more and the other to take part in more food blogging events. So one weekend I was looking through finding some new food blogs to read, and came across Fresh From The Oven.

This is a great bread baking community, whereby each month a different challenge is set for everyone to have a crack at. How about that, two of my resolutions in one hit – awesome! So I very quickly sent of an email to Claire and Jules (the founders of Fresh From The Oven) and that was it I was in, and raring to go with the first challenge.

The first challenge of 2010 was by Chele, and she had chosen Chocolate Buns, from Richard Bertinet’s first book ‘Dough’.

This was definitely challenging, and gave me a few firsts. The first time I had ever used fresh yeast (I still love that fact that my local supermarket gave it away for free!! Do they all do that?), and the first time I had to make Crème Patissiere (which I was very nervous if not a touch scared of I must admit).

However, I have to say they went down a storm with the family and they loved them in the office. Roll on the next challenge…… I can’t wait.

Chocolate Buns – from Richard Bertinet’s ‘Dough’

Makes 24 buns

250ml Full Fat Milk

15g Fresh Yeast

500g Strong Bread Flour

60g Butter, unsalted at room temperature

40g Caster Sugar

10g Salt

4 Eggs, large

25g Cocoa Powder, good quality

200g Chocolate Chips, milk/plain or a mixture

:: Pour the milk into a pan and warm gently, until it is at body temperature. It shouldn't feel either warm or cold when you dip your finger into it.

:: To mix by hand, rub the yeast into the flour using your fingertips as if making a crumble.

:: Rub in the butter, then add the sugar and salt, two of the eggs, milk and cocoa powder.

:: With the help of a plastic scraper, lift the dough onto your work surface. Even though the dough will feel quite soft and moist (and look like thick, sticky porridge) do not add any flour to the work surface. At this point I was panicking a little by this – but don’t worry.

:: Begin to work the dough, slide your fingers underneath it like a pair of forks, with your thumbs on top, swing it upwards and then slap it back down, away from you, onto your work surface (it will almost be too sticky to lift at this point). Stretch the front of the dough towards you, and then lift it back over itself in an arc (to trap the air), still stretching it forwards and sideways and tucking it in around the edges. Keep repeating this sequence.

:: As you work the dough it will start to come together and feel alive and elastic in your hands. Keep on working until it comes cleanly away from the work surface, and begins to look silky and feels smooth, firm but wobbly and responsive.

:: Now you can flour your work surface lightly, place the dough on top and form into a ball by folding each edge in turn into the centre of the dough and pressing down well with your thumb, rotating the ball as you go. Turn the whole ball over and stretch and tuck the edges under. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rest for 45 mins in a draught free place.

:: Make the Crème Patissiere (recipe below)

:: Once the 45 mins are up, use the rounded end of a scraper, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and, with a rolling pin, gently flatten it into a rough rectangle – mine was very rough.

:: Spread the chocolate crème patissiere evenly over the dough and sprinkle on the chocolate chips.

:: Starting with one of the longer edges, roll the dough up until it resembles a Swiss Roll. Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 2cm slices and place them on their sides on a baking tray. Glaze with egg wash (made from the remaining two eggs beaten with a pinch of salt) and leave to prove for 1 ¼ - 1 ¾ hours until the buns have roughly doubled in size.

:: Preheat the oven to 250C / Gas Mark 9

:: Glaze again and put into the preheated oven, turning the heat down to 180C / Gas Mark 4. Bake for 10-15 mins. As the chocolate dough is quite dark it can be difficult to tell when the buns are properly baked, and you need to take care not to under bake them. The best way to tell that they are ready if to lift one gently with a spatula and check that it is firm underneath.

If you don’t want to bake the buns all in one go, you can freeze some. When they are cut, just before proving, put them on a small tray in the freezer and when they are hard put them into a freezer bag. To use them, take them out, leave to prove overnight and bake in the same way.

Crème Patissiere

6 Egg Yolks

140g Castor Sugar

50g Plain Flour, sifted

500ml Full Fat Milk

1 Vanilla Pod

15g Cocoa Powder

:: In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks, 70g of caster sugar and the flour.

:: Put the remaining 70g of sugar into a saucepan with the milk, vanilla pod (split lengthwise and seeds scrapped in) and the remaining cocoa powder.

:: Place over a low heat. Leave until the first bubble appears, then remove from the heat. Whisk 1/3 of the milk into the egg mixture, then add the remaining 2/3 of the milk and stir again.

:: Pour back into the pan and put back into the heat. Bring to the boil simmer for a couple of mins, stirring constantly to ensure the cream does not burn on the bottom. Pour into a dish to cool. Sprinkle a little icing sugar or flakes of butter on top to prevent a skin forming.

Spicy Chickpeas with Coriander and Lime Rice

2010-01-13T22:53:00.007Z

Let me tell you a bit about this. You see, it was never intended to be posted. This was something that I came up with really quickly, to take something healthy to work the next day for lunch. I took a quick picture and put it on Twitter.

Then there was a request by two people on Twitter for the recipe (@LesTroisChenes and @foodwinediarist – please follow them both). So hence me now putting this up.

The inspiration came from another foodie blog that I have really enjoyed following and reading – Allotment 2 Kitchen. Its all about ‘Mangocheeks’ passion for growing organic fruit and vegetables and then cooking with them in many different ways. It has completely opened my mind to eating vegetables and vegetarian food – don’t panic, I won't be going vegetarian.

Spicy Chickpeas with Coriander and Lime Rice

Serves 2

1 tbsp Sunflower or Vegetable Oil

2 tbsp Madras Curry Powder

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 Garlic Clove, finely chopped

Ginger, thumb sized piece peeled and finely chopped

1 Red Onion, thinly sliced

2 Tomatoes, diced

1 tbsp Tomato Puree

1 cup Basmati Rice

Juice of a Lime

Coriander, bunch of

Salt and freshly ground pepper

:: Place a large frying pan on a medium heat and add the oil. Put the Madras Curry Powder and Cayenne Pepper in and cook for 2-3 mins to take the rawness out the spices. Then add the onion and cook for 5-10 mins until turning golden.

:: While the spices and onions are cooking, rinse your rice until the water goes clear, and place a large pan of water with a pinch of salt onto boil. Once the water is boiling add the rice, and continue to boil for 5 mins.

:: Add the garlic and ginger to the frying pan and cook for a further 2-3mins. Then add in your tin of tomatoes, tomato puree and chickpeas. Add a small dash of water. Stir well and cook for 6-8 mins.

:: Drain the rice in a colander, reserving some of the water in the pan. Put it back on the heat and place the colander on top of the pan, cover with either foil or a lid and leave the rice to steam for 10 mins. Tip: You really need to use a metal colander.

:: Once the rice is done, stir through a handful of coriander leaves and the juice of the lime. Stir another handful of coriander leaves through the chickpeas, season to taste. Leave both to cool.

(If you wish you can serve both these hot/warm, but I took them to work for lunch the next day cold.)

Healthy, Warming, Soothing, Amazing Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-01-05T21:31:00.001Z

After the overindulgence and excesses of food and drink over the festive period, I strangely look forward to going back to work away from it all. You can only do so much eating and drinking. Right?

So I wanted something for dinner that was healthy, light and refreshing. Chicken Noodle Soup was the first thing that came to mind. It was cold, frosty and icy outside (this was before the snow on Monday night). This was a lovely comforting, slightly spicy from the chilli, gingery warming soup. It would be the perfect remedy if you have the dreaded lurgey!

I made the chicken stock form Gordon Ramsay’s Healthy Appetite, following on from one of my New Years Resolutions.

Healthy, Warming, Soothing, Amazing Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves 4

700ml Chicken Stock (see below)

1 Chicken Breast, skinless and boneless.

1 Garlic clove, finely chopped

Ginger, thumb sized piece peeled and chopped

60g Fine Egg Noodles, cooked

2 Chestnut Mushrooms, finely sliced

15 Sugar Snap Peas, halved lengthways

2 tbsp Sweetcorn, canned or frozen

1 Spring Onion, shredded

1 Red Chilli, deseeded and finely sliced

small Basil leaves

:: Place stock into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and add the garlic, ginger and chicken breast. Cover and leave for 20mins until the chicken is cooked.

:: Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Return the chicken to the saucepan with the noodles, mushrooms, sugar snap peas and Sweetcorn. Allow to simmer for a further 3-4mins.

:: Serve with spring onion, chilli and basil leaves sprinkled on top.

Chicken Stock –adapted from Gordon Ramsay’s Healthy Appetite

I have used and tried various different chicken stock recipes over the years, and have tendered to favour Gary Rhodes. So I was some what dubious to try this one, because I haven’t been able to find one that rivals Gary’s for some years.

I have adapted the recipe slightly, by instead of using raw chicken bones, roasting chicken wings first.

Makes approx 700ml

5 Chicken Wings

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 Carrot, peeled and chopped

1 Onion, peeled and chopped

2 Celery Sticks, chopped

Celery Leaves

1 Leek, washed and sliced

1 Bay Leaf

1 Thyme Sprig

2 Garlic Cloves, peeled

2 tbsp Tomato Puree

2 tbsp Flour, plain

1.5l Water

Sea Salt and Black Pepper

:: Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 7 / 220 degrees. Break the chicken wings open and using a large knife, make large cuts right through into the bones. This will help the flavour come out more. Place in a roasting tray with a drizzle of oil, and a light seasoning of salt and paper. Make sure the chicken is all coated and place in the oven for 20mins, or until the chicken is golden brown.

:: Heat the Olive Oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, and add the carrot, onion, celery, celery leaves, leek, bay leaf, thyme and garlic. Stir occasionally until the vegetables are golden.

:: When you remove the chicken from the oven, lightly crush the chicken wings with a potato masher – this will help even more flavour come out. Add the tomato puree and flour to the vegetables and cook for a further minute, then add the chicken wings.

:: Add the water, stir and bring to the boil. Skim off any scum that comes to the surface. If you have any chicken bits and juices in the roasting pan, place on the hob on the heat. Once hot add a little water (or even wine – I’m trying that next time) and deglaze the pan, scraping up everything with a wooden spoon. Then add to the saucepan. Leave the stock on a gentle simmer uncovered for 1 hour.

:: Let the stock stand for 5 minutes, and then pass through a fine sieve and leave to cool. Once cooled, skim off any fat that may have risen to the top. Store in the fridge and use within 5 days, or freeze in handy sized portions.

Book One: Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite

2010-01-03T22:56:00.006Z

Now for the first of my New Year Resolutions for ‘Back to the Chopping Board’. I have a large number of cookbooks (over 70 and counting), which without a doubt will be added to this year. Never mind the numerous issues of BBC Good Food Magazines etc. So the first of my resolutions was to actually use some of these cookbooks, and to read the whole of at least one a month and recreate recipes for them.

I have selected my first book. Gordon Ramsay’s Healthy Appetite.

This book accompanied his third series of The F-Word, and as of yet I have not used any of the recipes, just thumbed through them.

Why this book? With it being January it had ‘healthy’ in the title, and I am sure many peoples (including mine) resolution is to eat more healthily. Short and sweet that's the reason.

During January I will post at least one recipe from the book and how I got on. For now, I am off to bed to read a few pages.

Night!

Happy New Year and Resolutions for 2010!

2010-01-01T22:00:00.002Z

Happy New Year everyone! Let’s have a toast together and raise our glasses to 2010. As we enter the New Year and decade, everyone has goals and dreams, wishes and ambitions, things they want to achieve and places they want to go. May 2010 be the year you realise these with peace, good health, wealth and happiness.

The turn of a New Year is when a multitude of people set resolutions for the next 12 months ahead. Some are kept (not mine) and some are broken (that’s mine!). I never make a point of making my resolutions to be known – for that very reason, as I usually fail. But every year, always full of vigour and optimism I make more, with some being the same as the previous. This year is no different. So this year I will make some of my resolutions known – these all relate to Back to the Chopping Board. However, I have written down my personal resolutions and I promise that this time next year I will tell you what they were and how I done – whether I achieved them or not.

I have had great fun the last 5 months starting this blog. I have learnt many different things, met some great people and increased my knowledge of food and cooking. I want to continue with this so my resolutions for Back to the Chopping Board are:

Use my cook books more… I now have over 70 cookery books, still with many more that I want, and that is despite any new ones that will be coming out. I want to use these more, and to actually read them all and not just look out recipes. So I plan to read at least one a month, and to put at least one recipe for each book on Back to the Chopping Board.

Highlight Seasonal Produce… When I had my idea for my blog, I wanted to use it to highlight what’s in season each month. I have tried to do that to some degree, but I have not been totally successful. Therefore I will dedicate at least one post each month to what is in season, and create recipes using these.

Bake More… Last year I started to have an attempt at baking my own bread and rolls. This, despite my doubts, was fairly successful. One of my Christmas presents this year was The River Cottage Bread Handbook, which I had asked for and luckily got, so that I can increase my knowledge and skill at baking. Each month I want to try and bake something different, be that different breads, cakes or biscuits.

Take part in more Food Blogging Events… Last year I took part in one event (In the Bag) and hosted one jointly with ‘A Slice of Cherry Pie’ (Farewell Floyd). Both of these were great fun to take part in, and I really really enjoyed them. This year I would like to, where possible, take part in at least one event each month.

They are my resolutions for Back to the Chopping Board for 2010, fingers crossed they will all be achieved. I am looking forward to giving it a good go. Have you got any foodie new year resolutions that you have set?

Here’s to wishing every one a very Happy New Year, and all the best for 2010.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

2009-12-24T15:12:00.006Z

It's Christmas Eve and my favourite time of the year. As I write this I am looking out the window to see snow on the ground, Christmas songs are playing in the background, the ham is cooking, stock is simmering ready for tomorrows gravy and the Cranberry, Orange and Port Sauce is done.

Preparations have been in full swing for several weeks. Mince pies, cheese straws, sausage rolls, stuffing, and pigs in blankets are all done and have been in the freezer ready to make their big appearances over this festive season. Presents are wrapped, cards written and all the decoration are up. I have just opened 'No 24' on the advent calender, and the time is now here.

I would like to now wish everyone that has taken the time and the trouble to read any of my posts, all those wonderful people that have placed great comments, a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas is all about spending time with you families and loved ones, seeing joy in peoples faces as they receive the presents you give, the excitement and anticipation of children for what Christmas Morning will bring them. I hope all of you and your families have a fantastic festive season.

Merry Christmas!!!

Spiced Golden Plum Chutney

2009-12-06T13:16:00.010Z

One thing that stands out for me of late summer or early autumn, is all the great fruits that we have growing in the UK, like apples, pears and plums. I have always had the urge to go out, pick some of these fruits and take them straight into the kitchen, but have never done it. My sister and her partner moved into a lovely house out in the country a few years ago, with a long back garden, with a large vegetable patch at the end backing onto fields. In the garden they have both a plum and a pear tree. This year the plum tree was absolutely dripping with fruit.

Every time I was in the garden, I was always wondering and thinking of what I could do with these plums. I finally decided on creating a chutney using the wonderful Golden Plums on the tree.

Making a chutney is something that I have never done before, so this was going to be interesting. I wanted to come up with a chutney that would be sweet and sour, have lots of intriguing spices going on and a little kick of chilli. I went through many books and recipes to get ideas, and to work out the balance between the vinegar and sugar. These plums were really sweet, and by the time you had finished cutting them in half and removing the stone, your hands were very sticky!

I made this Spiced Golden Plum Chutney around the 16th September - but I had purposely not posted this until I had the chance to try it, after it had been left in the jars. After all it may have been a disaster, and I had gone and given you a recipe that was a dud! When I tasted it just before I placed it in the jars, I though I had put way to much chilli in the chutney.

So last weekend we had some family visiting, and had cooked some turkey to have cold as part of a buffet for that evening. This, I thought, would be an ideal time to open and see what had happened. My sister was over as well, so she was able to try it as well. When I first opened the jar, there was this sharp, sweet aroma scented with ginger, cinnamon and star anise. It was smelling and looking promising. Then came the time to taste it, I was still nervous the chilli was going to blow your socks off. It was very fruity, with a subtle taste of the star anise, cinnamon and ginger. It wasn't too sweet or too sharp, and the chilli had mellowed and was just right. It went down a storm with everyone - especially my sister, and was great with cold turkey (can't wait for Boxing Day!). There is still something missing from it though - it's not perfect yet. I haven't yet put my finger on it. Possibly too much garlic, not enough ginger or cinnamon? But I only used a small amount of my sisters plums this year - have a feeling I will be using a lot next year to make this again.

Spiced Golden Plum Chutney

Makes enough to fill around 3 normal sized Jam Jars

1kg Golden Plums
3 Shallots, finely chopped
2 tbls Olive Oil
200ml White Wine Vinegar
6 tbls Water
2 Cinnamon Sticks
1 Star Anise
200g Golden Castor Sugar
2 cloves Garlic
2cm piece of Ginger, peeled
1/2 tsp dried crushed chilli
Salt and Pepper to season

1. Half, stone and chop the plums.
2. Grate the garlic and ginger.
3. Place a heavy pan on a medium heat, and soften the shallots, garlic and ginger in the olive oil for 5 mins. Do not allow them to colour, just soften.
4. Add the plums, vinegar, sugar, water, cinnamon and star anise to the pan, and stir well. Allow to simmer gentle for around 20 mins.
5. Once it has all cooked down and at your desired consistency, put the chutney into sterilised jars and seal. Leave for at least 4-6 weeks in a dark cool place.

Christmas Pudding Muffins and Fritters - Festive Foodie Competition

2009-11-19T19:21:00.009Z

I am going to start by NOT apologising for the amount of times I may tell in the next few weeks how much I LOVE Christmas! Pure and simple - it's the best time of the year! I LOVE CHRISTMAS!
So when the World's Oldest Pudding Maker - Matthew Walker - set a Christmas Pudding Competition, I was in. Matthew Walker have been making Christmas Puddings since way back in 1899! So it's fair to say they know a thing about Christmas Puddings.

Christmas is all about traditions - advent calenders, Stir-Up Sunday, Coca Cola's Christmas Advert, 12 days of Christmas and the list goes on. Matthew Walker make their Christmas Puddings to the traditional 13 core ingredients, representing Jesus and his 12 apostles (Sultanas, Raisins, Demerara Sugar, Currants, Glace Cherries, Stout, Breadcrumbs, Sherry, Vegetable Suet, Almonds, Orange and Lemon Peel, Cognac, and Mixed Spice). Using the finest of these ingredients makes the most sumptuous and delicious Christmas Pudding.

So the challenge was to create alternative Christmas fare using 'The Pudding'. My mind immediately went into over drive on lots of different ways to use a Christmas Pudding. Here are my two entries (sorry I couldn't decide what to create so whittled it down to these two).

Christmas Pudding Muffins

This is a great way to either use up your Christmas Pudding, or make on Christmas Eve, to then gently warm in the oven on Christmas morning for breakfast.

Makes 12 muffins.

75g Butter, unsalted
200g Plain Flour
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
2 tsp Baking Power
75g Castor Sugar, golden
pinch of salt
200ml Buttermilk
1 Egg, large
200g Matthew Walker 'The Pudding', crumbled

1. Melt the butter and leave to cool just a little, and preheat the oven to 200 C/ Gas Mark 6.
2. Place the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, castor sugar and salt into a bowl.
3. In a measuring jug beat together the melted butter, egg and buttermilk together well.
4. With a wooden spoon, slowly pour the wet mix into the dry ingredients, and stir as gently as you can. If it has lumps - great, don't worry that what you want when making muffins. Work the mixture as least as possible.
5. Add the crumbled Matthew Walker Christmas Pudding and again gently fold through the mixture.
6. Spoon into 12 muffin case. I find using an ice-cream scoop gives the perfect measurement, and if its one of those with a handle to squeeze it goes into the cases easy. Place in the oven for 20 minutes until risen and golden.

I wanted something different to put on the top, but I didn't want a frosting or an icing. So I decided to put a crunchy topping of castor sugar and clementine zest.

5 tbsp Castor Sugar
Zest of 1 Clementine

1. Place castor sugar and zest into a pestle and mortar and grind up well. If the mixture is too wet, add a little more castor sugar.
2. Once the muffins are out of the oven, sprinkle a little over the top of the muffins and place back in the oven for 3-4 mins. This will help some of it stick to the muffins.
3. Once the muffins are out of the oven sprinkle again with a little of the sugar and clementine topping.

Christmas Pudding Fritters - with Cointreau and Clementine Cream

If, and a big IF, you have any Christmas Pudding left over, this would make a perfect breakfast on Boxing Day. As it is still Christmas, you can have the cream as well and be very naughty!

Matthew Walker 'The Pudding', sliced
2 Eggs, large
1 tbsp Castor Sugar, golden
1tsp Cinnamon, ground
150ml Double Cream
2 tbsp Cointreau
Zest of 1 Clementine
Butter

1. In a bowl or measuring jug, whisk together the eggs, castor sugar and cinnamon. Then pour onto a plate or flat dish.
2. Add the Cointreau to the cream and whisk them to your desired consistency. I whisked them enough to be able to make quenelles. Then stir in the clementine zest.
3. Place the slices of Christmas Pudding into the egg mixture, turning several times to coat well.
4. Place a frying pan on a medium heat, and add the butter. When melted place the egg coated Christmas Pudding slices in the pan. Leave for 3-4 mins and then turn over. The egg should be cooked and a nice colour.
5. Drain on a piece of kitchen paper, place on a plate with the cream and sprinkle of icing sugar....and enjoy!

Sharing a pot of Venison Goulash cooked above an open fire

2009-11-16T19:06:00.008Z

I have been meaning to post a few lines about this over the last month, but things just seem to be getting in the way or be more important. One of the simple pleasures in life is enjoying great food with great friends.

Let me set the scene. Its early October on a Sunday evening. Clear skies above, which was making it a little bit chilly. Our next door neighbour, invited us and a few others in the street to enjoy his homemade Venison Goulash cooked on an open fire. He is Serbian and this is from a recipe they used to cook up in the hills of what was Yugoslavia.

As they had paved their back garden, they had to dig a small hole in the front garden to put the fire in. The large pot of stew was suspended over this. Each person brought round their garden benches or chairs and set them up around their front garden. Traditional Serbian music was playing, drink was flowing - including a range of homemade brandy's and liqueurs.

I can't even get close to remembering all the ingredients that went into it, and to be honest when you hear them you would think it would never work. The ones that stand out that I can remember - brandy, lager, coke and coffee. It had the most wonderful flavour, and the venison was melt in the mouth.

I decided to make my own bread to take as my offering. When I got there I found out also was a Master Baker attending.... whoops! Thankfully he gave my bread the thumbs-up! Yay!

That's one of the things I love about food, the fact that it brings people together. You can all tuck in, sharing jokes, having good conversation, talking and discussing about food. Drinking, listening to music, telling stories and meeting new friends.

Farewell Floyd: Round-up and Winners Announced

2009-11-01T21:27:00.018Z

When the idea first came about, and Julia suggested making it a reality, I don't think we would have ever expected the response we have had. It just demonstrates the amount of love and respect for the enigmatic Keith Floyd. We have had entries from around the world, recipes re-lived, adapted or new ones created in his memory. Everyone has done such an amazing job, both myself and Julia would like to thank you for taking part and making this event so great.

We also extended the deadline, due to the fabulous people at Absolute Press giving three copies of 'Floyds Food' for the top three posts. So here we are. The deadline has passed. Julia and myself have deliberated over who the top three posts are. This is it...... There are the top three posts, each winning a copy of 'Floyds Food'. Congratulations!!!

***TOP THREE***

Going With My Gut - Kenyan Goat Feast
Foodycat - Jambalaya

Anyone For Seconds - Coq au Vin

Well done again Wen, Alicia and Giles. You will soon have your copy of 'Floyds Food'.

However, there were some other great entries:

A Weekend Carnivore - Welsh Rarebit

Apple Crumbles - Shrimp, Mango and Ginger Stir-Fry

Them Apples - Beef Bourgignon

Annes Kitchen - White Onion Soup

Maison Mattmoo - Chicken Breast with Beetroot Sauce

Jo's Kitchen - Garlic and Coriander Chicken

Pan Gravy Kadai Curry - Chicken Tagine with Butternut Basmati

The Princess and the Recipe - Lapin aux Pruneaux (Rabbit with Prunes)

A Wee Bit of Cooking - Tabbouleh

Cyder with Eloise - Floyds Chuck Wagon Pork and Beans

Joanna's Food - Lapin aux pruneaux (Saute of wild rabbit with prunes and Armagnac)

Simply Splendiferous - Wellington Chicken with Cream Sauce and Marmalade Pudding

Once again, I would like to say thank you to everyone that took part, you all gave great tributes to Keith Floyd. Also thank you to the people at Absolute Press for providing the prize. Finally I would like to give a huge thank you to Julia @ A Slice of Cherry Pie - it's been such fun hosting this with you!

Please all fill you glass with wine, raise and toast to Keith Floyd - R.I.P Keith.

Farewell Floyd - Deadline Extended, win a copy of 'Floyds Food'

2009-10-21T20:16:00.005+01:00

So far Julia and I have had some great entries for our 'Farewell Floyd' food blogging event. It has been great to see how many people and by how much people were influenced by Keith Floyd. The closing date was for Sunday just gone. But we have decided to extend the deadline until Sunday 25th October. This is because the great people at Absolute Press have offered a fantastic prize. A copy of the recently republished 'Floyd's Food' - for the best three entries.

Absolute Press published this book (Keith's very first book) after it's Founder, Jon Croft, met him in his restaurant in Bristol. This is the very same publisher that is who is printing Julia's cookbook 'A Slice of Cherry Pie' - how wicked must that be to have your cook book published by the very same people as Keith Floyd!

So to be in with a chance of getting your hands on a copy of 'Floyd's Food', all you need to is get in your kitchen, pour a glass of wine and whizz up a Keith Floyd recipe in tribute to the great man.

Closing Date: 25th October 2009. For more information click here.

Oh What a Curry Night......Part Two (finally!)

2009-09-30T22:05:00.009+01:00

I need to apologise. You see I should have done this post 2/3 weeks ago (as this is continued from a previous post). I know, I know I'm pants....sorry. Anyway, this whole point of the curry night was to show Kim how to make a Chicken Korma from scratch.

It was great fun showing Kim how to make the Korma, and I need to give credit where it is due. I have made this a few times now, and to be honest this one that Kim done, tasted better than the others. Why? Who knows. There were a few slight changes to the recipe (its adapted from Jamie Oliver's 'Ministry of Food'), maybe that was it. Or maybe Kim had a great teacher :-)

In this Korma I have used chicken thigh meat, This if for two reasons: 1) It's cheaper (which means you can buy better quality and free range) and 2) It's much tastier than breast meat.

I also add in Creme Fraiche at the end to make it much creamier, and richer, like a good Korma should be. You will be amazed how much better, more fresh and flavourful it tastes when you make it yourself. Kim done an amazing job in making this......what do you want to do next Kim?

Korma Paste

2 cloves Garlic
Ginger, thumb-sized piece
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
2 tbsp Groundnut Oil
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
1 fresh Green Chilli
3 tbsp Desiccated Coconut
2 tbsp Ground Almonds
Coriander, small bunch
2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Coriander Seeds

1. Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan for a few minutes until they are golden brown. Remove from the heat and put in a pestle and mortar and grind until fine.
2. Peel the garlic and ginger and roughly chop.
3. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and whizz until you have a smooth paste.

Once the paste is made, we are ready to get on with the curry. If you don't want to make the paste, then use half a jar of shop brought Korma Curry paste.

Chicken Korma

800g Chicken, free range skinless and boneless thighs
2 Onions, medium
Ginger, thumb sized piece
Coriander, small bunch
1 x 400g tin Chickpeas
Groundnut Oil
Butter, knob of
Korma Paste (see above)
1 x 400 mil tin Coconut Milk
Flaked Almonds, 2 small handfuls
2 heaped tbsp Desiccated Coconut
Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
4 tbsp Creme Fraiche

1. Firstly cut the chicken into around 3cm pieces.
2. Peel and finely slice your onions, peel and finely chop the ginger, pick the coriander leaves and finally chop the stalks.
3. Put a large pan on a high heat, and add a few lugs of oil. Put the chicken into the pan and brown lightly on all sides for around 5 minutes, then remove from the pan.
4. Add the butter, onions, ginger and coriander stalks. Keep stirring it frequently to ensure none of it catches and burns, but turns golden evenly for around 10 mins.
5. Add the chicken back into the pan, and cook for another 2-3 mins.
6. Put in your Korma paste, stir well and cook for around 2-3 mins to help cook the rawness out.
7. Pour in your coconut milk, handful of flaked almonds, chickpeas (drained) and desiccated coconut. Fill the empty Chickpea tin half with water and pour into the pan and give a good stir. Bring back to the boil, then turndown the heat and simmer for 30 minutes with a lid on. Check the curry regularly to make sure it is not drying out - if it does add a little water.
8. When the chicken is tender, season with salt and pepper and stir through Creme Fraiche.
9. Serve with fluffy Basmati Rice, sprinkle over the remaining almonds and coriander leaves.

When having a curry I aways like to have side dishes, my favourite is Bombay Potatoes.

Bombay Potatoes

3 tbsp Sunflower Oil
Butter, large knob
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp ground Cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground Coriander
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Chilli Powder
6 Potatoes, peeled and par boiled, cut into 2 or 3 cm cubes
4 tomatoes, deseeded and diced
Coriander, small bunch roughly chopped

1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the spices for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add the butter and once melted add the potatoes. Make sure they are all covered in the lovely spicy buttery mixture.
3. Cook for around 10-15 minutes. Add in the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes and stir in the coriander.

Farewell Floyd: Food Blogging Event

2009-09-17T22:42:00.005+01:00

I have had the pleasure of being able to team up with Julia from the fantastic 'A Slice of Cherry Pie', to create a food blogging event as a farwell and tribute to the late, great Keith Floyd.

The idea of the event is that we all cook a meal in tribute to this much-loved chef. We hope you will all want to be apart of it.

This is the idea:

Cook up either:

- a classic Keith Floyd Recipe
- an adapted Keith Floyd Recipe
- a recipe of your own design inspired by, and in tribute to, Keith Floyd

Then blog about it, with a link back to this post and Julia's post, then we'll do a round-up at the end.

Please email a link and a photo to farewellfloyd@googlemail.com .

Closing date: 17th October 2009

Have fun, and enjoy a glass of wine for Keith as you do it.

One Month In.....

2009-09-17T21:23:00.002+01:00

It's now just over a month since I started 'Back to the Chopping Board' and I have to say, I LOVE it! I am totally gobsmacked at the amount of people of have visited in the first month. It's been a bit scary, a bit stressful and confusing, but most of all fun.

Now let me be honest, I thought at the beginning if I got 40-50 people to visit my blog in the first month, that would be absolutely brilliant. According to the stats from Google (not sure how accurate they are), there have been a freakin amazing 241 visits by 201 unique visitors. Truly unbelievable.

I was even more blown away from where people have visited from: UK, USA, Canada, Australia, India, Ireland, France, Italy, Singapore, South Korea, Serbia, Turkey, UAE, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Hungary, Maldives, Finland, Malta, Switzerland and Belgium.

I have had so much fun blogging, cooking and photographing. I have seen literally hundreds of recipes I want to blog, loads of recipe ideas I want to develop, and events and occasions to cover. There will never be enough time.

I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has visited, everyone who has left a comment, and everyone who has given feedback and help.

Keith Floyd 1943 - 2009

2009-09-15T20:44:00.007+01:00

KEITH FLOYD 1943 - 2009

Yesterday one of the pioneers of television cookery has left us. Without a doubt he was one of the most charismatic personalities that graced our screens. I sure we all have fond memories of Keith, whether that be always having a glass of wine in one hand, his light-hearted banter with who he was cooking with, or directing Clive his cameraman with "don't look at me look at the dish" or "back to me".

I can always remember being entranced by his chaotic presenting and cooking. it grabbed you and made you keep watching. If he made a mistake, which he did quite a few times, he just carried on and made the best of it. He always made the best of any situation and kept going. I can remember an episode when he is cooking in the middle of a square in some foreign town. It is blowing a gale, hammering down with rain and a thunderstorm kicking off. He didn't stop, he carried on with the production crew holding umbrellas over him. In another episode he was cooking on a beach, but the tide was coming in fast and by the time he had finished the dish, the sea was almost up to his knees.

Keith was the first chef to take to the road, and leave the studio behind. To be cooking on trawlers out at sea. Being the first to travel around the world touring countries. He brought many different cuisines into our homes. For me Keith Floyd will always be a legend. One person who I would have loved to have the pleasure of meeting.

As I write this, I sit here with a glass of red wine in tribute and in the memory of Keith Floyd who will be sadly missed. Rest in peace.

Oh What a Curry Night......Part One

2009-09-07T20:07:00.018+01:00

Sharing, talking, laughing and friends. Food and eating isn't just what we need to sustain life. It can be what makes life fun, enjoyable and fulfilled. Some of the best times you can have, is when you get great friends and family together. Prepare some great food, sit together and share.

So last week was one of those times when good friends where able to get together over some good food. Food that you can share is always best. Something you can all dip into. Something that is informal and relaxing. There are many different types of cuisines and foods that are ideal for sharing, and Indian is one of them.

It was also the ideal time for me to show Kim how to make a Chicken Korma...from scratch. None of this paste from a jar or ready made sauce. The real thing. But you can't just have one dish when sharing, so the question was what else to do. Lamb Rogan Josh is one of my favourite curries, especially when it is cooked slow and long so the lamb just melts in your mouth. So I couldn't resist but do that one.

Whenver I order an Indian takeaway, I always want to order lots of different dishes, but can't becuase there would be too much for me to eat. I always end up missing out on Bombay Potatoes, so these had to be a must. They are such a comfort food, especially on an autumnal evening or winters night. I always need to have naan bread with a curry. To mop all those lovely spicy juices and sauce. I currently have a 'thing' for garlic and coridaner naan bread - so I wanted to have a try at making those.

When ever you make a Lamb Rogan Josh there is one golden rule. It must be cooked long and slow. So that the lamb is ever so tender and melts in your mouth. Nothing can be worse than getting a bit of tough chewy lamb in a curry. This recipie is actually adapted from a Jamie Oliver one, from his Ministry of Food book. It's one of the best Rogan Josh recipes I have come across. Below is the Lamb Rogan Josh and Garlic and Coriander Naan recipes. I'll post the Chicken Korma and Bombay Potatoes ones tomorrow.

Rogan Josh Paste

2 cloves Garlic
Ginger, thumb sized piece
75g Roasted Peppers (from a jar)
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
2 tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Sea Salt
2 tbsp Groundnut Oil
2 tbsp Tomato Puree
1 fresh Red Chilli
1 tsp Turmeric
Coriander, small bunch
2 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Black Peppercorns

1. Toast the black peppercorns, cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan for a few minutes until they are golden brown. Remove from the heat, place in a mortar and pestle. Grind until fine.
2. Peel the Garlic and Ginger and roughly chop.
3. Place all ingredients into a food processor and whizz until you have a smooth paste.

Once you have made the paste, you can crack on with the curry.

Rogan Josh Curry

800g Shoulder of Lamb, boned
2 medium Onions
1 fresh Red Chilli
Ginger, thumb sized piece
Coriander, small bunch
Groundnut Oil
knob of Butter
4 Bay Leaves
2 tbls balsamic vinegar
1 x 400g tin Chopped Tomatoes
800ml hot Chicken Stock
Rogan Josh Paste (see above)
2 handfuls Red Lentils

1. Cut lamb into 3.5cm cubes. Peel, halve and finely chop your onions, finely slice the chilli, peel and finely chop the ginger. Pick the leaves from half the coriander and set them aside. Chop the remaining coriander including stalks.
2. Put a large casserole pan on a medium heat with a few tablespoons of oil and the butter. Add the onions, chilli, ginger, coriander and bay leaves. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and browned.
3. Add the lamb, season and cook until lightly browned.
4. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for two minutes, put the Rogan Josh paste in and cook for a further two minutes.
5. Pour in the tomatoes, stock, lentils and stir well. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down low and simmer for 1½ hours. Check regulary to ensure nothing is sticking to the pan or drying out (add water if necessary).
6. Serve when meat is tender with the coriander leaves sprinkled on top.

Garlic and Coriander Naan Bread

150ml warm Milk

2 tsp Golden Castor Sugar

1 x 7g sachet Fast Action Yeast

450g Plain Flour (you may need extra)

½ tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Powder

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil (plus a little extra)

150ml Natural Yogurt

1 large Egg, lightly beaten

4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped

Coriander, small bunch finely chopped

1. Add sugar and yeast to the milk, stir and leave for 5 minutes.2. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the garlic and coriander and mix with a fork.3. Add the yogurt and egg to the yeast mix. Pour into the flour gradually while mixing to form a ball of dough.4. Put the dough on a clean surface and knead for 10 minutes until it is smooth. This is where you may need to add some more flour if it is too sticky. Put ½tsp oil into a large bowl and roll the dough in it. Put clingfilm over the bowl and put in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.

5. Preheat you oven to the highest temperature and place in a baking tray to heat up. Preheat your grill as well.

6. Knock back the dough and knead for two minutes. Divide into 6 equal balls. Take each ball of dough and using the palm of your hand flatten and shape the dough.

7. Take the baking tray from the oven, place the naan onto it and put immediately into the oven for 3 minutes. Then place the baking sheet under the grill (about 7-10cm away from the heat) for 30 seconds on each side until lightly browned. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.

Honey and Seed Bread

2009-08-22T14:00:00.015+01:00

Lets talk about Bread. Recently I have just got the bug for home baked bread. Don't know where it has come from. But I have it. I'll tell you more about it in a later post, along with my dead simple, really easy basic white bread recipe, which you can then adapt to whatever you fancy.

So way before I got the need to bake bread, I had visited a butchers that sold a range of flour that came from local farms. I found myself driving past the butchers last week and suddenly remembered this flour they sold, and made an immediate diversion. They had a selection of different varieties, and I thought I would try something different........Honey and Seed Bread Flour.

I'm going to tell you a bit about where this flour comes from. It comes from Wessex Flour Mill in Wantage, Oxfordshire. The flour is milled using wheat that is locally grown around the mill. In fact, on the back of the bag of flour, they list the farms that provided the wheat for the bag. There were four farms that provided the wheat that was milled for the bag I had. They were:

Woodway Farm, Watlington, Oxon
Sleight Farm, Pottern, Wilts
Zouch Farm, Abingdon, Oxon
Swannybrook Farm, Abingdon, Oxon

It is used by over 150 craft bakers, and sold to the public though over 500 farm shops, specialist shops and independent food shops. You can check your nearest stockist by clicking here, or go here to order direct.

It was a pure pleasure running your hands the the super soft and fine flour, coming across little nuggets of honey, linseed, poppyseed, millet seed, sunflower seeds, cracked wheat and sesame seeds. Every now and then the luxury aroma of honey hit you. You could tell by the touch, that this flour was something special. Opening the over door when the bread is ready, you just can't beat that smell of home baked bread.......and with this you also get the hint of honey.

I like my bread to be nice and crusty, so that when you cut through it you hear that crispy crust. The taste always seems to be better as well I think. This bread was good for a cheese and pickle sandwich for lunch, and was wonderful toasted with a spreading of butter for breakfast the following morning. It wasn't a sweet bread as I was expecting with the honey, but it had a lovely background smoothness of honey. The bread inside was soft, with little seeds of taste dotted around.

Honey & Seed Bread

Makes 2 loaves

710g Wessex Mill Honey & Seed Flour
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Golden Granulated Sugar
1 7g sachet of Fast Action Yeast
16g soft Butter
400ml warm water

1. Preheat your oven to Gas Mark 6/230C.
2. Put the flour and salt into a bowl . Rub the butter into the flour.
3. Mix the sugar and yeast with the water, and leave for 2 minutes.
4. Make a well in the centre of the flour. Gradually pour in the water mix, while mixing with a fork, bring in flour from the outside. When it becomes stiff, add some more water. Continue until you have ball of dough formed.
5. Place onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, until a soft dough has formed. Place back into the bowl, cover with a clean damp tea towel and put in a warm place until it has doubled in size.
6. Once doubled in size, knock back the dough. Do this by placing your fist into the centre of the dough, and fold into the edge. Put onto a floured work surface and knead for 2 minutes. Cut the dough in half, and shape each half into a circle loaf. Cut a cross in the top of each loaf, place on a warmed greased baking sheet and leave for 30 minutes in a warm place.
8. Sprinkle the tops with plain flour if you like, and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Then turn down the oven to Gas Mark 6/200C and leave for another 20 minutes. Check the bread is cooked by tapping the bottom. If you have a 'hollow' sound it is ready, if not leave for a few more minutes. Place a wired rack to cool.

Piri Piri Chicken - How HOT do you like it?

2009-08-16T21:15:00.016+01:00

I was very excited. So excited that I could bite myself. Why? Well let me tell you. Before I started BTTCB, I spent a lot of time looking at and reading many food blogs. What kept jumping out at me was the various different food blogging events that go on. But there was one that really, really make me want to get involved with one. That was 'In the Bag' hosted by Julia over at A Slice of Cherry Pie. Which is fantastic, as it is all about using seasonal food - something I am trying to do more and more. For the month of August the ingredients that you had to use were Chilli, Garlic and Chicken. So this is it, my first entry and attempt at In the Bag........ Piri Piri Chicken.

The name Piri-Piri comes from the chilli that is used, which is more commonly known as the African Birds-Eye Chilli. Although Piri-Piri is Portuguese, it actually first came from Africa. It originates from Angola and Mozambique - which were colonies of Portugal. It is a hot sauce made from dried and soaked piri-piri chillies. I have memories of the first time I had Piri-Piri Chicken. It was in Portugal when I had just turned 18, off the beaten track in a tiny little village, in a little restaurant over-looking the hills. It was a beautiful setting. When I was making this I wanted to recreate that hot, but fragrant taste that I can remember.

Doing some research on Piri-Piri Sauce, I was amazed at the sheer number of variations and recipes. The most basic, which was probably the original, was just oil, minced piri-piri chillies and salt. But I wanted to have a bit more flavour to mine, to remind me of when I was back in Portugal. So I set about creating my version of Piri-Piri Chicken. Let me just interrupt at this point and say pop yourselves a few beers in the fridge to drink while eating this. You'll love the reason why. In chillies there is a substance called Capsaicin. This is the substance in a chilli that creates the burning sensation. When people eat something that is too hot, many people turn to water to try and cool their mouth down. It's not worth it. It's ineffective. You see Capsaicin is not water-soluble, so it doesn't do anything. The good news is, it's alcohol-soluble. That's why a cold beer goes well with a curry.

You can make this as hot or as mild as you like, it's down to you how much heat you can handle. Personally I like hot food, and when I made this I used 6 birds eye chillies. When I make this again, I will increase this to 8 or 9 as for me it could be hotter. But I will say with 6 chillies you still get a good kick and a wonderful flavour. You can also use prawns instead of chicken, use the sauce brushed onto corn on the cob, or toss potato wedges in the marinade before cooking.

Piri-Piri Chicken

Serves 2

6 - 12 red Birds Eye Chillies (depending on taste)

2 cloves Garlic, chopped

1 tsp Malden Sea Salt

1/2 tsp dried Oregano

1/2 tsp dried Thyme

1/4 tsp ground Cumin

100ml Olive Oil

50 ml Red Wine Vinegar

Juice of 1 Lime

4 free range chicken pieces (drumsticks/thighs - skin on)

1. Preheat your oven to Gas Mark 4/180C. Place your chillies in the oven for 10 minutes. Leave to cool and chop.

2. Place the chilli in a saucepan with the garlic, salt, oregano, thyme, cumin, olive oil, vinegar and lime. Bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes and then leave to cool. Place in a jam jar and keep at room temperature.

3. Make several slashes into the chicken, which will help the marinade penetrate the meat. Place the chicken in a sealable plastic bag and give the jar of Piri-Piri Sauce a really good shake. Pour half the marinade into the bag, and mix well with the chicken. Seal the bag and place in the fridge overnight (if unable to do overnight, just 1 hour will still be fine).

4. Preheat your oven to Gas Mark 6/200C. Get your griddle pan nice and hot, and griddle your chicken for a few minutes on each side to colour. Once you have some colour and lines from the griddle on your chicken, place in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked. Baste at least once with some of the remaining Piri-Piri Sauce. Alternatively, as I did in this time, you can barbecue.

5. Serve with Corn on the Cob, covered in butter with cracked black pepper and salad.

Eden Food Festival

2009-08-16T09:37:00.009+01:00

Back last year High Wycombe got a sparkling new shopping centre, 675,000 sqf which cost £140 million. Personally I think it is a great addition to the town - however there are some people that don't like it and will knock it at any turn. To be truthful though, these small minded people knock anything positive in the town. They have many events throughout the year for the people visiting the shopping centre - and this weekend was the first Eden Food Festival.

We got down there nice and early, as they had a Farmers Market and the restaurants in the centre giving out free tastings - yum! In total they had over 35 stalls packed with the highest quality, locally sourced produce. They also had a live cookery theatre. The two 'celebrity chefs' that would be cooking through the day was Sophie Grigson (one of the UK's best known, best selling food writers and broadcasters) and Russell Clement (winner of BBC2's 'The Restaurant'). They also had chefs from various different restaurants in Eden demonstrating throughout the day.

Unfortunately, we didn't have the time to spend the whole day down in Eden, but we did manage to watch Sophie's first appearance in the cooking theatre. This was all about breakfast. The first was a healthy kick start to your morning - Bircher Muesli with Nuts and Apple Juice. This was dead simple and easy to make. Rolled oats soaked in apple juice, with grated apple, Greek style yogurt, Honey, chopped Macadamia Nuts and topped with a selection of fresh fruit (Strawberries, Blueberries and Apricots).

One of the things that Sophie is known for, is for her passion on healthy food for children. She interacted with the audience as she shared her passion. She is a big believer in not cooking separate meals for children, and to cook one meal for the whole family. Why not? Too many times you hear nowadays about people not sitting down and eating the same meal together. I believe in what she says. This way children will learn more about food and have a wider knowledge of food. As Sophie says, the only thing you may need to do when cooking one meal for the family is to reduce the amout of chilli you may be using.

Talking of chillies... there was a stall being occupied by Chillies2U. They are a small farm in Oxfordshire that organically grows a range of chillies. They also make a range of chillis sauces - which along with the actual chillies are available mail order. This is one of the products that Sophie spotted as she walked around the farmers market and decided to add in an extra recipe to her demonstration. The other product that Sophie spotted was Chiltern Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil (the same that I picked up at the Farm Shop when I went fruit picking).

I'm not sure what the name of this particular recipe was, so I'm going to call it Mexican Breakfast Eggs. This was a super quick breakfast to make - and probably perfect if you are little worse for wear from the night before. She fried two eggs in the rapeseed oil. When they were almost done she added into the pan some chopped chilli (she used Joes Long from Chillies2U) and two chopped cloves of garlic. She then basted the eggs with the oil, chilli and garlic and squirted in the juice of a lime. The eggs were then plated up, sprinkled with chopped coriander and seasoned with salt and pepper.

For her final demonstration - it was something special. I had been waiting for her to do this all morning. She was making one of my favourite indulgences - Peanut Butter. But this was not just any ordinary Peanut Butter. Oh no. It was Honey Cinnamon Cashew Nut Butter mmmm. This is something that I HAVE to make and soon. Again this was another simple and quick recipe. It was just roasted cashew nuts whizzed in a food processor along with honey cinnamon and a touch of salt. Then just gradually poured in rapeseed oil until the mixture is thick and creamy. You can then just put this into a jar and use. I was lucky enough to be able to taste some of it, and wow, its was creamy, thick, stuck to the roof of your mouth the the taste of honey and cinnamon exploding in your mouth. I know this may sound wrong with it being August - but it tasted of Christmas (note to self - remember to make for presents this Christmas). I will let you know how I get on when I make it.

I have to give it to Sophie, she was great. Her enthusiasm and passion is infectious when you watch and listen to her. She tells many stories, and gives lots of tips and advise out while she is cooking.

It was then on to do a bit of shopping. The first stall we came to was Flour Power, must have had the biggest range of breads I have ever seen. We purchased a great Rustic Rye loaf, which we had for dinner in the evening with a Ploughman's. As we went up to the stall for Hare Hatch Sheeplands, my Mum something she hadn't had for a very long time. Lardy Cake. I've never had this before, so quickly took a free sample to try. It was sweet, sticky, gooey and delicious. So that was it, we had one of them. I was told it tasted much better and was more sticky and gooey if it is warmed in the oven. OMG they were right, I must find a recipe for Lardy Cake. It's definitely not for the health conscious - so be warned.

We then came across The Complete Pig. They hand make pork products from a herd of free ranging Duroc Pigs. They are based in Watlington, Oxfordshire. So went for some of there sausage rolls. When I got home and tried them, they must be the best tasting sausage rolls that I have eaten for a long time. There was no horrible paste in the middle of them, but proper coarse pork meat, seasoned very well and tasted totally different, but way better, than your normal sausage roll. We also picked up some of their dry cure streaky bacon, which I had for breakfast this morning. I have to say when it was cooked, the bacon did look a little unappetising. It was a more grey/brown colour, and I wasn't too optimistic. As the saying goes - don't judge a book by its cover. The taste was (this may sound strange) very meaty and tender. I have to say it was some very good bacon, one I will be happily buying again.

We then went to the stall of Manor Farm Game. I had some of their sausages brought back for me from this years Game Fair. They were Duck & Orange, Venison & Red Wine and Wild Boar and Apple. I haven't tried these yet, but I have some good ideas how I am going to use them. While at the stall I had a taste of their Pheasant & Pear Sausages. They were meaty, juicy and very moreish. So I had to grab a pack of them as well. The final place that we purchased something from was Give Me Cake. It was such a delightful stall with delightful looking cakes. From dainty looking cupcakes, to loaf cakes and various treats. We picked up a couple of slices of Yorkshire Parkin. I'll have that a little later with a slice of cheese and cup of tea.

Overall I think it was a fantastic event, and looking forward to next years. Not everyone has the opportunity or possibility to go out and purchase food from local farmers, growers and producers. So to bring these producers into the town centre for everyone to have access to is great. Not only does it educate and share seasonal produce with the public so they can eat healthier and better produce, but in these current economic times, we should be doing everything we can to help the smaller farmers and producers. After all not so long ago, we didn't go to these gigantic supermarkets to buy everything in one place - we went to individual retailers. I also think they the food festival proves one thing - at Farmer's Markets you are buying much better quality produce. It looks better. It smells better. It tastes better. That's because these people really care for what they create, and that comes through their food. One thing that did surprise me, was the price of everything. I was expecting some of the products to be 'over-priced', but I was pleasantly surprised. No some of the things that you could purchase were not as cheap as a supermarket. But for the quality of the produce there, the prices I thought were reasonable. At the end of the day, you get what you pay for.

Now I am really looking forward to 19th September. It's the first official Farmers Market, which will be on the 3rd Saturday of every month. It is a being organised by The Thames Valley Farmers Market Co-operative, and will be great to see more local produce. I'll blog then to let you know what it is like.

Rich Pickings

2009-08-15T18:11:00.007+01:00

Phew! What a busy week. I had the week off looking after my niece and nephew - and had a great time. Although I think I could do with another week off to recover. For one of the days out, I decided to take them to a Pick Your Own Farm. Not just because I wanted to go, but I knew they would enjoy it too. I also think it is so important for children to understand where food comes from, and how it gets to their plate. My niece and nephew are lucky in this regard already, as they have a fantastic vegetable plot at the very end of their garden. We have a great Pick Your Own Farm nearby (in fact they own two - one in Iver and the other in Cookham) - Copas Farms.

They grow a HUGE selection of fruit and vegetables for you to pick from May to September. The cropping seasons starts in May with you being able to pick your own asparagus, and ends in September with Raspberries, Plums, Apples, Runner Beans and Sweetcorn. They have a great website (http://www.copasfarms.co.uk/) that has a chart showing what they are cropping in each month, as well as an updated list of what they are currently picking. They even have a 24hr telephone number that has a recorded message giving you up to the moment information on what is available.

They allow you to have a taste of the food that you are picking, but not to blatantly just eat as you go round, and they have many signs up telling you that nothing is free and not to eat anything. My nephew has taken note of these signs. So as we were picking the peas in the pod, I opened a pod to try to see what they were like - much to the disgust of my nephew, who thought we were going to get into trouble. I tried to get him to taste a single pea - but he wouldn't have it as he thought we would get kicked out or not be allowed to leave.

If you want to go and get the freshest produced bang in season, then you should get yourself down to your nearest pick your own farm. Not only is it great fun (we had a gloriously hot sunny day, and took a picnic along), but you are also getting produce as fresh as you can giving you the taste you do not get if you buy it from a supermarket.

We came away with a bounty of Victoria Plums, Beetroot, Runner Beans, Peas in the Pod, Bramley Apples, Discovery Apples, Strawberries and Raspberries.

They also have a farm shop selling various other local products. I picked up a bottle of something that I had never used before - Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil. It comes from a farm in Tring called P.E Mead & Sons. I look forward to using that soon. I've already set my reminder to go back in May and pick my own asparagus......

Barbecue, Sea Bream and firing the Chiminea

2009-08-09T16:55:00.023+01:00

When I saw the weather forecast for this weekend, without a shadow of a doubt the barbecue would have to make an appearance. I love my barbecue. I don't think I could do without it. When the British weather gives us the opportunity to get the barbecue going, it should be a crime if you don't. The weather also gave my Dad the chance to light his Chiminea for the first time. It was a birthday present from my Mum earlier this year, but he hadn't had the chance to use it.
Apparently you have to 'cure' the Chiminea first, by lining it with sand, using small amount of newspaper and kindling and not letting the fire get too intense. This is to stop any damage or cracks to it when you first light it.

Recently my Uncle gave us a couple of beautiful sea bream that he caught when he went fishing. Now I'm not a big fish eater. Cod, Tuna, Sea Bass and Salmon is about as far as I go. However, I want to try more fish and 'make' myself like seafood. So this was the perfect opportunity.

I wanted to give the sea bream some extra flavours that would compliment the sunny weather we were enjoying. So I went for a Thai/Asian influenced marinade. It was just simply garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chilli, coriander and lime zest. I didn't want this to be a heavy marinade or flavouring, just something light. That when you eat it, you can taste each individual aspect and not one of them being overpowering.

I'm not one for gas barbecues, for me it has to be the real deal if you want the authentic taste from barbecuing your food. You just can't get that taste from gas. Yes they maybe quick to light, and you don't have to wait until the coals are glowing white. But if you going to do it, do it properly with a real barbecue.

When the fish was laid onto the grill, you hear that wonderful sizzle. Then the aroma of ginger hits you, then garlic and then the lemongrass. You can actually hear the skin crispen up. Turning the fish over was a bit of a pain, as I had the fear that it might stick - and it did. Well one of them did.

I had a dilemma of thinking what to serve with it. I wanted something soothing in case the chilli had a little too much of a kick. So I had the idea of a mint raita potato salad. I don't know why - its not as if you have mint raita with Thai/Asian food. I'll be honest with you - that idea was a bit of a disaster. One I wont repeat again, it just didn't work or taste nice. I also served a simple salad of thinly sliced red onion and tomato, with coriander leaves.

The fish tasted wonderful, it had lovely soft white flesh, and had taken on the flavours from the marinade perfectly. Each time you took a mouthful, you could taste each of the different aromatics individually. Woohoo!! That's another type of fish I will now eat. Considering I have never cooked fish on the barbecue before, I have to say to was cooked to perfection - yep beginners luck!

Barbecued Sea Bream with Ginger, Garlic, Chilli, Lemongrass and Lime

Serves 2

2 Sea Bream, gutted and scaled
1 clove of Garlic, finely chopped
1 large Red Chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 limes
2 sticks Lemongrass, finely chopped
1 thumbsized piece of Ginger, finely chopped
1 bunch Coriander
Oil

1. Finely grate the zest of 1 lime, and place in a bowl with the garlic, chilli, lemongrass and ginger. Finely chop some of the coriander and add to the bowl. Pour in enough oil just to loosely bring them all together.

2. Slash the sea bream down to the bone on both side, to allow the flavours to penetrate into the fish. Slice the lime that you zested, and place in the cavity of the fish with some of the coriander. Smear the fish with the marinade on both side, and ensure to work into the slashes on the side. Leave for 30mins for the flavours to mingle.

3. Once the coals are glowing white on your barbecue, place your rack over the coals to warm up. Lightly brush the rack with oil (be careful as this may cause the barbecue to flair up). The place the fish on the rack. Cook for 8-10 minutes on each side, or until the fish is cooked depending on the heat of your barbecue.

4. Cut the remaining lime into wedges, squeeze some over the bream and serve the others with the fish.

Hello There!

2009-08-09T15:05:00.003+01:00

Welcome to my blog - of which this is my first post - how exciting!! My name is James, and for a long time now I have had an obsession with food. If its not cooking, eating or buying food its reading about it, watching about it and now writing and photographing it. When I left school I was given the opportunity to work for a well known chef. I decided against it due to the long hours, being away from home and being paid very little. Looking back now, if I had any regrets that may be one of them.

So why did I start my own blog? Several reasons really. One of them is I wanted a place to record all of my experiences with food and recipes I try out. Somewhere I could look back on them. But also after reading food blogs online for sometime, I thought it would be fun to give it a go. I have to give credit to one food blog that gave me the inspiration to actually give it a go, and that is Julia Parsons 'A Slice of Cherry Pie'. Seriously, if there is any food blog you should read - Julia's is one of them. Now I'm not promising to be any good at this, but I am looking forward to the journey to see how this develops.

Where did the name come from? You see if I have a recipe from a book, I would usually follow it the first time. But the next time, I usually make a few little amendments to it. I also like to come up with my own recipes. But they don't always work the first time. So I hence having to go 'Back to the Chopping Board' to amend and improve it.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog. Hope to see you back here again soon.

James