Vegetables

Recipe book recommendations

This isn't a new book, and perhaps you all have it already, but I would just love to enthuse about Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's book "Every day Veg" (or "Veg everyday"?).  Alongside our incredible lamb joint (from New Close Farm Shop in Sacriston) which we were eating for the third day (I'm fairly sure this is the cheapest way to eat meat), this evening we had caramelised carrots with gremolata (much easier than it sounds) and sweet potato and peanut gratin (also very easy).  And it was just delicious.

I've mentioned before that we have been getting a Riverford veg box for a decade, and still love it.  But there are always veg that I find uninspiring (carrots, again), and veg that some of us don't like (nick is not a sweet potato fan).  My good friend Fiona, also a longtime Riverford customer bought me HF-W's book for Christmas last year.  It took me a while to use it (scared of an entire recipe book with no meat!), but it has revolutionised my veg cooking.

It's £10 from the Book People at the moment.  A bargain to help you get more excited about vegetables.

A year or so ago, I picked up Nigella Lawson's Feast in a second-hand shop.  This is a really old book now!  It is lovely to look through though, because she has compiled and invented recipes for festivals and occasions when you would want to cook for.  From Christmas to Easter via Passover, Thanksgiving and Eid, and many others.  She even has an entire chapter on chocolate cakes.  I have been so impressed with how easy many recipes she has included which turn out incredible tasting food which usually feeds a large crowd.  

I'm including it here now because I recently whipped up 3 decent veg recipes from Feast in about 30 minutes for a  barbecue at which there was a vegetarian.  That makes it a winner!

You can buy a second-hand copy of Feast for 1p (plus postage) from Amazon Marketplace.  Or if you object to Amazon, an old copy will set you back 66p (plus postage) from my favourite online second-hand book seller, alibris .

It's hard to eat veg, but good recipes make life a LOT easier!  

Cakes! Ginger and Apple. But not in the same cake...

Farm shops

Friday is Nick's day off and today was an errand day. Prescriptions, broken glasses, haircuts, banks...  But after all that we did the rounds of farm shops.  Lunch at one, where the children could run around outside, and then shopping at New Close.  Of course we could have shopped at the first, but we love the second, they love our kids and it is still the best shop ever.  I am tempted to see if we could live on just the groceries they sell there, alongside their meat, and Riverford veg (we've been Riverford customers for 10 years and love them still).  

Buying local (or from a supermarket which we're sure of) has become more important to us over the decade we've been married.  I can't really explain a lot of it, but I do know farmers shouldn't be losing money on feeding us, just as a carpenter shouldn't lose money in his job, or anyone else.  I've no idea where this puts me politically or economically, but I'm glad we're able to do it because we have a local shop which sells meat the way we want to buy it:  VERY local, animals which were cared for well in life, and direct from the farmers, with no middle man.

Tomorrow, we  head to beautiful Alnmouth in the Northumberland, home of my favourite beach.  And Alnmouth Priory.  A large group of the older folk from church are spending the day there and Nick will join them.  The children and I will lunch with everyone, but will either hit the beach or the famous Barter Books in Alnwick (depends on the weather).  The lovely ladies love my cakes, and there are a couple I have been meaning to try, so I made them this afternoon, and have just had a slice of each so I can report back here!

Gluten-free Sticky Ginger Loaf

The first was waitrose's Sticky Ginger Loaf.  This is a gluten-free recipe and I've been very excited about making it.  I have to say, it isn't quite as good as I was hoping.  I also burned the top.  The recipe does talk about covering it but I lost track of time.  If you are gluten-free and love ginger and like less sweet cakes, this is for you, but just watch the top!  I'd probably also turn the temperature down to 160C.  

You'll find the recipe here.

Gluten-free Apple Fritter Traybake

This is even better than the last apple cake.  The original recipe was from a facebook post, and I have made it.  But my poor husband didn't get to try it since he is the wheat-free one. I prefer to make a cake in its original form before trying it gluten-free so I know what it is meant to taste like, but today was the day for the experiment.  I reckon converting plain or self-raising flour to Dove's Farm self-raising GF flour and ground almonds, and adding an extra egg does the job in converting cakes, so I did that.  And it's yummy!  (I'll post the original too when i find where it came from, for all you wheat eaters). Oh, and it's not as faffy as the list of ingredients suggests.

Ingredients

Cake mix

120g butter, melted

240g Dove's Farm Self-raising Wheat-free flour

130g ground almonds

200g caster sugar

4 tsp baking powder (make sure it's wheat-free)

360g milk*

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

5-6 small eating apples, peeled, cored, chopped into small pieces

Cinnamon topping

230g butter, softened in the microwave 

200g caster sugar

2 Tbs wheat-free flour, as above

1 Tbs cinnamon

Glaze

240g icing sugar

5 Tbs milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Heat oven to 170C, line an A4 sized, 5cm deep baking tin

Put all the cake ingredients into a bowl, APART FROM THE APPLES, and mix together.  Pour into the tin, then sprinkle the apple chunks evenly over the cake mix.

Mix the topping ingredients together then blob all over the top of the apples.

Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.  Leave to cool for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together the glaze ingredients.  When the cake has been cooling for about 20 minutes, pour the glaze over the cake.  It doesn't need to cover it like an icing, and it sinks in to the cake.

Cool completely and cut into 24 pieces.  Then try not to eat it all at once.

* if you weigh your liquid it is more accurate.  If you weigh it straight into the mixing bowl you save washing a jug.  What's not to love?

The original recipe is here

Squab Lamb Casserole

For the day when a pie is too much effort

A few years ago I found a recipe for Gloucestershire Squab Pie in Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's mum's recipe book.  This is a lamb pie with apples, and seasoned with allspice and nutmeg.  I adore this pie!

This week has been pretty tiring, mostly mentally, with a church event this afternoon to prepare for, and I didn't really have a grip on what I was going to cook when I bought a small lamb joint from New Close Farm Shop (have you visited yet?).  

When I got home, and remembered the vast quantity of apples we have been given this week (both cookers and eaters), I wished I had bought lamb pieces, because then I could have made that wonderful pie (albeit it with gluten-free pastry these days).  Then I thought, I couldn't really face making a pie anyway.  Then I had my ah-ha moment.  Perhaps I could just potroast the lamb joint in the pie gravy ingredients.  So I did, and it was delicious!  The original recipe didn't have carrots or celery in, but since they needed eating, I added them in.  They aren't essential.

Squab Lamb Casserole

Serves 6

oil
1 lamb joint (ours was 1kg shoulder)
1 large onion, finely sliced
3 sticks celery, finely sliced
Carrots, chopped into chunks
4 small/2 large cooking apples, pealed, cored and cut into chunks
1 Tbs flour (gluten-free if necessary)
1tsp ground allspice
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 150C

Heat 2Tbs oil in an ovenproof casserole pot which has a lid.  When hot, fry the lamb joint for a couple of minutes each side until browned.  Remove the lamb to a plate.

Add the onions and celery to the pan and cook gently for about 10 minutes until soft and beginning to brown.  Add the apples carrots (and any other veg you have lying about, I guess!) and cook for a few more minutes.  Add the flour and spices, salt and pepper and fry for a minute, stirring.  

Replace the lamb, making sure it nestles down with the veg.  Pour in some hot water until it covers the veg, but is below the top of the lamb.  Put the lid on and bring to the boil.  Transfer to the oven and cook for about 2 hours.  Serve with some potatoes and green veg.

Yum!

Gluten-free Apple (and Blackberry) Cake

I don't really understand this recipe thing...

...how a recipe becomes yours when you change the words a bit.   I suppose there aren't many new cake recipes which would actually work, but I have spent the evening (while Hama beading) pondering how to introduce this recipe. 

2 days ago I remember seeing a recipe for apple cake on facebook.  The urgency to use it arose when a kind congregation member gave us a LOT of apples, which needed to be used quickly (and a few hours later another kind congregation member came round with lots of blackberries, hence the optional extra in this cake)*.

I searched for the cake, and the person who had posted it then gave me another, simpler recipe for apple cake.  I looked at it, reckoned it could be made gluten-free, adapted it as such, made a few errors along the way, and had delicious cake for dinner.  So whose recipe is it?  Have I written a recipe, or should I credit it?  I think it is actually mine, but i still feel a little guilty, but probably not as guilty as when I'm eating it in bed later.**

It was easy, it was delicious and youngest child had 3 helpings.  Both children refused to eat Apple and Blackberry pie last week so I felt this cake was something of a triumph in the children-eating-cooked-fruit challenge.


Easy Gluten-free Apple Cake

3 Eggs
350g caster sugar 
1 tsp cinnamon
110g oil (It's MUCH easier to weigh liquids!)
180g Doves Farm wheat-free self-raising flour
120g ground almonds
6 apples

Heat oven to 170C.  Line an A4 tin, 5 cm deep, with parchement

Stir together the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, oil, flour and almonds.

Peel, quarter and core the apples.  The slice each quarter thinly widthways and stir into the cake mixture.  Stir in blackberries if using them.

Put into the tin and spread into the corners.  Put into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until nicely brown on top.

I left it in the tin to cool a bit, but we ate it warm with creme fraiche or yoghurt.  






* The Bible doesn't command giving homegrown fruit to pastors, but many people act as though it does, for which I am grateful and feel very loved!

**Gluten-free cake goes stale a LOT quicker than normal cake, so should always be eaten in bed at night, for breakfast, morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea and pudding again.

Flapjacks. yep

Not the most interesting biscuit...

But I'm very glad for flapjacks.

Today was the start of a new year of our after-school club.  Each session I like to provide some yummy homebaking.   For the first 2 1/2 years the yummy homebakes revolved around favourites like mars-bar cake, brownies and malteser fridge cake.  Our club was also full of VERY LOUD children who found it difficult to sit still.

Have you spotted it?

Yep.  After 2 1/2 years we did a food craft which involved filling wraps with spready cheese, raisins, pepper, dates, cucumber, etc.  During this session, the children sat and listened.  Soon after we made bread rolls.  And again, calm children.  Unbelievable that it took me that long to realise that I was making it impossible for the children to listen by giving them an immense amount of sugar as they came in.  Now we've switched to scones, rock cakes, cinnamon rolls and similar which are much lower in sugar.  

I'm not sure where flapjacks come on the sugar scale.  However, they take 3 minutes to make (not including baking time), are enjoyed by everyone, and are easily gluten-free.  On a day like today when I have not got everything ready the night before for craft and visuals, and when you open the cupboards for dried fruit for rock cakes and there isn't any, flapjacks are the only thing to make.  Here is my recipe:

Gluten-free Flapjacks

250g Butter
250g sugar (I like light brown soft but i don't think it matters)
1 Tbs syrup
300g gluten-free oats
60g gluten-free self-raising flour
60g ground almonds

Heat oven to 170C.  Line an A4 sized tin with baking parchment.

Put butter, sugar and syrup in a microwaveable mixing bowl.  Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes until all melted.

Stir in all the other ingredients.  Squish into the tin and cook for 15 minutes.  It shouldn't look too cooked!

Social media (and bolognese)

The Net at its Best

At a recent family wedding I had a lovely conversation with the girlfriend of my cousins' cousin.  I always worry at weddings about ending up sitting near people to who I have nothing to say, but this one worked well.  My dear beloved big brother, Daniel,  was on my left, and since he is the member of my immediate family I see least of, I was exceptionally grateful for this.  On my right was the cousin family of my cousin.  My brother and I were overheard by the lady (whose name has left me) who was working on a TV programme about social media.   Daniel and I were discussing the way Facebook has enabled very isolated farmers to finally network and be encouraged by shared experiences and support.  Our chat also included the amazing benefits to our home education journey because using Facebook I can find out about curricula which I never could have known about, and I have found a whole network of local home educators for the children and I to hang out with and mutually encourage.  

Overhearing this conversation, our fellow guest joined us because in her research for the telly, she has only found negative stories.  Infidelity and Divorce caused (in part) by Facebook.   And worse.

I added in the fact that Nick and I met on the internet (although in the days before social media!), to say that social media is brilliant.  

*

During the last few months, our maths home education has been dominated by my lack of ability to explain a concept which I felt eldest could probably grasp.   We tried and tried and tried, and then gave up and turned to Khan Academy to fill the gap.

Returning in September began miserably.  Exactly the same problem, but it was very clear to me that the issue was mine.  I didn't know how to explain this concept in a way which worked with her brain.  And it was frustrating.  The happy ending to the story comes from the very large, american Facebook group I am a member of which follows a particular guide to home education.  I stated my question.  I had 20 answers within a couple of hours.  I checked them all, looked at the different ways of explaining the concept in one evening, spent a few minutes digging through my craft pile in the loft the next day, half an hour colouring balls and cutting up egg boxes.  2 maths lessons later and BOOM.  Cracked it.  

And without Facebook, I would still be sitting here sobbing, my relationship with eldest strained by my inability.  Social media has transformed our world, and I imagine it has transformed mums' abilities to educate their kids at home.  For which I am grateful.



*

Bolognese sauce

Some recipes develop over years and this is one of them.  It has evolved from the one my mum frequently cooked for us as children, and is one I make frequently.  It is much complemented when I feed it to others, especially when it ends up in a (very cheesy) lasagne.

Ingredients

Oil
1 onion, chopped
Optional extra veg: mushrooms, sliced; courgettes, peppers, in 1cm cubes ish!
500g beef mince (full-fat!)
Optional extra meat: chopped pancetta or bacon; chopped chorizo
2 tins chopped tomatoes
1/2 the tomato tin filled with water
2 Tbs tomato puree
2 Tbs sun-dried Tomato puree
1 tsp herbes de provence

Heat your oil in a large saucepan, then add the onions.  Very gently fry for 10 mins or so, with the lid on, stirring from time to time. Add in any other veg.  This makes the sauce go much further.  Fry til everything is soft.  I keep the lid on.

Add all the meat and stir obsessively to break up the mince into tiny pieces.  I cant bear lumps of mince!

once it is all broken and no longer looks raw, chuck in the rest of the ingredients, stir and leave on a very low heat to gently bubble for 30mins-1 hour.  It does get better with a good bubble.

Serve on pasta, with lots of cheese, or make lasagne (particularly yummy with chorizo).  Buen apetito.  Or something!

More yumminess from Nigella

An obsession with Nigella

for lunch today I did a Nigella triptych of One-Pan Sage and Onion Chicken and Sausages, accompanied by her sticky Garlic Roast Potatoes and Cauliflower Cheese, all from Feast.  Fortunately I can give you  a link to the chicken because I pretty much did exactly as I was told.  Apart from boiling potatoes for half an hour, because, ug!  Soggy potatoes.

Here is the chicken.  This was the first time I'd made it and it was delicious!  Surprisingly so!

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/one-pan-sage-and-onion-chicken-and-sausage-133

Pudding was Blackberry and Apple Pie - Gluten Free!  One of our lovely guests asked about Gluten-free pastry because it is so hard to make.  I completely agree.  The best GF pastry I make is using a rough-puff recipe which contains as much butter as flour.  That's twice the amount in normal shortcrust.  I think i also add an egg to help bind it.

And the flour.  I haven't experimented with flours, but I do go for the slightly odd choice of Dove's Farm GF Self-raising flour.  It is much less dry than the plain flour, and perhaps because of the xanthan gum in it, it is much easier to use.  The raising agents don't seem to make any difference to pastry, or inded gravy.  No more lumpy GF gravy once I moved to self-raising.  How odd!

This is my favourite Pie recipe 

Oak Cottage Blackberry Pie

And I do exactly what it says apart from subbing the flour.  Oh - and don't expect it to roll out very well.  It'll crack and fall apart and drive you nuts, but cracks can be patched, and once it is glazed and sprinkled with sugar you'll barely notice.  Possibly!

Today though, I had some yummy fresh bramleys from Maureen at church (Thank you!) and some blackberries from the garden (thank you Lord for brambles and free food).

So I found this online

Jamie's Blackberry and Apple Pie with a hint of ginger

(See, it's not all about Nigella)

And it was VERY YUMMY.  I think i overcooked the filling though, it was totally lumpfree and perhaps some chunks of apples would have been nice.  But I could have eaten the whole lot, especially since the only thing I had in the fridge to accompany it was clotted cream.

mmmmm.

Persian Delight

A Day in the Big City

There is a not a great mix of ethnicities in our town.  Most people are from the same ethnic background as we are. I imagine 98% would tick "white, British" on their census.  

When we are out and about elsewhere, I catch my children staring at people who look different.  That is what children do, in many situations, and it's often fine. They have also been known to ask loudly about why "that lady" is wearing a particular item of clothing, or ask about the colour of a man's skin.   This is normal for children, however, we don't want them to constantly be shocked into silence whenever we leave home for somewhere like London, or Newcastle.  

So, when the need arises for spices and rices, we head to west Newcastle for our favourite asian supermarket.  It is such fun looking at wacky fruit and veg, huge bags of spices and dazzling number of different brands of Basmati rice.  It is a great reminder to the kids that life in the UK is not really reflected in our town.

After that though (and this is the best bit), we head for the Persian Delight Restaurant a little further north.  Each day of the week they serve one main dish.  Since we always go on a Friday, we have only ever had the same dish.  Lamb cooked with lots of lime, coriander and pink beans.    A lovely bowlful with a huge side of rice.  In addition to the dish of the day, they serve a variety of chargrilled meats, either with rice or GIANT flatbread.  We asked for lamb chops for youngest.  EIGHT arrived!  And a similar quantity of chicken kebab for eldest!  You may be surprised to know that they ate most of it...

Nick and I agreed that we would love to eat food like this every day.  I remarked that it is similar, in some ways, to Colombian food.  A bowl of something delicious, with other delicious things on the side, with lots of flavours playing with each other.  When I lived in Bogota for a year I just loved going out for food because it was so delicious and so tasty.  A big bowl of soup, with some rice, some fried plantain, baked, salted south american potatoes, an array of interesting raw veg salads, freshly squeezed juice of any fruit you can imagine.  And street-food of charred, unidentifiable meat and offal-filled blood sausage, deep fried coconut chunks, hot cornmeal-arepas filled with melting cheese, obleas (circular wafers) with caramel and colombian cheese between them.

I love food, and decent english food is great, but we miss something of the incredible foods of other nations.  Hence the joy of living near a big city and going to the Persian Delight and revelling in simple, delicious food from all nations.

Now I just need to find a Colombian restaurant in Newcastle...