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Fig and Earl Grey Jam

Jar of fig and Earl grey jam sitting on tea cloth surrounded by ripe figs

Everybody seems to have a favourite jam in our household   Fig and Earl Grey Jam is our goddaughter’s, Chloé’s absolute favourite.  Our fig tree seems to have good and bad years dependant on the weather so it makes it extra special when there are enough to make her some.

It is, of course, glorious on toast, and wonderful next to a blue or goats cheese.  But I think if Chloé had her way she’d just eat it straight from the jar!   I am with her on this one, although I’d probably alternate mouthfuls of jam with squares of dark chocolate!
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Rose Petal Syrup

Rose Petal Syrup

For some reason rose petal syrup seems to have gone out of fashion – but there is nothing like it to enhance the flavour of strawberries.  It makes them taste like you remember them from your childhood –  luscious, sweet and mouth-wateringly.  I can’t begin to tell you the difference it makes.  The syrup itself smells of the best of summer and brings out the sun in everything you put it on.   Fold a couple of tablespoons into softly whipped cream to transform a Victoria Sponge or meringues.   Pour over vanilla Ice-cream to lift it to a whole other level.

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Almond Cake with Orange Curd

  1. This is an absolutely delicious cake.    We are almond mad in this house so it never lasts long.  I admit that it doesn’t look as visually stunning as some but believe me this cake is well worth the making.   It can be served plain with a cup of tea or as a pudding with orange curd (see recipe link Blood Orange Curd and Icecream or use shop bought) and whipped cream or mascarpone.  You can also add toasted flaked almonds to add more texture as I have.    If you need this to be gluten free then gluten free flour works very well instead of the plain flour listed. Continue reading →

Rose Geranium Leaf Panna Cotta

  1. The secret of a good panna cotta is to use as little gelatine as possible so that it has that lovely, voluptuous wobble and is lovely and silky to eat.   I’ve flavoured panna cotta with many things over the years from vanilla to fig leaf.  I’ve used lemon balm, lemon verbena, black currant leaves and actually tarragon or fennel are surprisingly good too.  Not that keen on lavender in a creamy dessert but it goes very well in shortbread if you want to serve that alongside – though make sure you don’t add too much if you want to avoid a soapy taste. For the shortbread recipe go to Traybake Shortbread and Variations for further details. Continue reading →

Rhubarb and Almond Galette

This recipe uses a bought in, ready rolled, puff pastry as its base.  On top of that is an almondy frangipane and this is piled with glorious, red rhubarb glistening with apricot jam and guilded with toasted almond flakes.  It tastes wonderful, particularly warm with ice-cream or cream, but it tastes equally as delicious the next day,  straight from the fridge in slices and eaten as you would a danish with a cup of coffee or tea.  It’s not a recipe that is complicated to make, nor does it need lots of difficult ingredients.   If you have rhubarb in your (or a friends garden) it’s a wonderful way to use it as is the Rhubarb and Raspberry Crumble with Oats and Hazelnuts or, the real favourites in this household, the Rhubarb Gin and Rhubarb And Redcurrant Jam  We have both of these recipes on the go at the moment – we have one for breakfast and one in the evening.   I will leave you to guess which one is for when!

Chopped Rhubarb

Rhubarb, ready for the galette, chopped into 5cm/2” pieces, then halved.

You can make this vegan by buying the green packeted puff pastry which isn’t made with butter, and making the frangipane with a vegan butter and aquafaba and that works beautifully.  As Chloe isn’t staying with us at the moment I’ve gone all out with the all butter version here but don’t let that put you off if you are non dairy as those two substitutions make it so easy to adapt.
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Spiced Runner Bean Piccalilli

Open jar of Spiced Runner Bean Piccalilli, with spoon sticking out of it, on wooden tray. Other jars behind.

If you grow your own runner beans you will know that they are a bit like growing courgettes – they are the gift that keeps on giving.   Just a few vines and you have runner beans all summer long.

As much as I love runner beans there comes a point when there are protests at the thought of runner beans for supper yet again (let alone for breakfast and lunch) and even friends and neighbours don’t want a bag of them.  So I needed ideas as to how to deal with the surplus.   I have frozen some (strung and cut to size, blanched for two minutes, open freeze on trays so beans don’t clump, before putting into small bags to be cooked from frozen later) but frozen beans aren’t as good as fresh, and don’t seem right in the depths of January so freezing has limited appeal.  So what else can be done with the surplus?  Spiced Runner Bean Piccalilli take a bow! Continue reading →

Fennel and Blood Orange Salad

When its dreary and cold, or as the Scots would say “dreich”, I always crave something zesty and full of sunshine and this salad gives me all of that simply and quickly with its Mediterranean flavours of aniseed fennel, salty olives and the bright zesty sunshine taste of the oranges.  That’s the strange thing;  oranges (and indeed all citrus fruit), which look like bright orange orbs of sunshine, are at their best right now, in January. Winter.  Not a lot of sunshine.  Duh?

Most importantly, and particularly so for all you who share Paddington’s favourite food, Seville Oranges have arrived!! Y Viva Espana!!  NOTE:  Hurry as they are only here for a few weeks although you can buy them and stick them whole in the freezer if you haven’t time to make marmalade right now. Continue reading →

Christmas Gingerbread

Gingerbread House

I do love Christmas traditions.  I am also partial to a bit of kitsch and childish glee. Ticking all those boxes is the gingerbread house and gingerbread cookies for the tree I made this week.  The rustic charm of the house is due in no small part to a few subsidence problems due to my royal icing not setting quickly enough and my gingerbread being a bit wonky – but hey, curlywurlys came into their own as a roof ridge and hiding the gap where the top of the roof didn’t meet properly and jam jars make wonderful scaffolding till all is firm enough to hold its own. Start another Christmas tradition by having a mulled wine whilst you wait then your gingerbread roof will all seem a lot straighter!  Continue reading →

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

I fondly remember making these with my lovely goddaughter Chloe a couple of years ago.   They were delicious.   She had a bit of time that day so made her wonderful peanut sauce to go with them – if you are reading Chloe I am still after that recipe!

Chloe is vegan now and this is her version.  I often make them and add shredded left over roast meat to the roll but, honestly, it doesn’t need it. They provide a wonderful crunchy freshness as a totally vegan dish and  I swear they make you feel good as well as being delicious.

I love  Chloe’s website http://www.vetyogi.com and I really would recommend you have a look   There are wonderful guides to yoga postures and my favourite – 5 minute sequences for everything from neck and shoulders to back to feet and toes   Absolutely wonderful to practice along with at any time

In the mood for something healthy, fresh, crunchy and quick to make? These Vietnamese Rolls are ideal for helping you to get some of your 5 a day, and you can use whatever you fancy (or whatever you happen to have in the fridge). I often take these to work for lunch, and I find myself really looking forward to them. I can’t pretend my way is very traditional, but to be honest as long as they taste good, I just use whatever I have in at that time. Continue reading →

Crescentini

It’s a beautiful sunny day here in Suffolk today.  I don’t know about you but, over the last few weeks, unlike a normal Summer I’ve started to believe that the sun will keep on shining.  No-one seems to be complaining about the awful British weather for a change and we are all are actively looking for new topics of conversation. 

It has got me thinking about summer holidays and in particular a wonderful June I spent with my husband in Italy.  One particular hotel served the most wonderful breakfasts on your own personal patio overlooking the sea.  Blue skies and blue sea and the air perfumed with hibiscus.   Trays came laden with coffee, tea, cereals in little pots, yoghurts, various jams and – best of all in my greedy opinion –  a selection of pastries.  And the best pastry of all was a crisp full of buttery almond ness with a dash of apricot and was named the crescentini.

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