Recipes

This is brilliant way to make optimum use of the glut of courgettes in your garden. It freezes beautifully.
Makes 2 x 1lb loaf tins
1lb /480g Strong white flour
2 heaped teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon ground mace
I teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs (free range if possible
11oz / 330g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
14oz /420g courgettes, trimmed, washed and coarsely grated
7 fl oz /175mls sunflower oil
8oz / 240g coarsely chopped walnuts
Preheat your oven to 180C

1. Sift all dry ingredients, except the sugar into a bowl and mix well to combine.
2. In a separate large bowl beat the eggs and sugar together until they ‘ribbon’ well, add the sugar, grated courgette, vanilla essence, oil and walnuts. Mix well to combine then add in the dry ingredients gradually until well combined.
3. Divide the mixture between two 1lb loaf tins and bake in a preheated oven for 45min, or until a skewer comes out clean.
4. Leave the bread to cool in the tin before turning out. 

Labels: Bread And Cakes, Dessert

Quick Dinner for family of 5
1 x 1500g chicken, cut into 8 pieces (I asked my butcher to do it for me)
2 Red Peppers
1 Yellow pepper
2 sweet potatoes
15 baby potatoes
2 red onions
1 small lemon
Bunch of Rosemary, sprigs and leaves.

Red pepper aioli
1 roast red pepper
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika (if you have it)
Pre heat oven to 180C

First Brown chicken in a frying pan until golden.
Peel sweet potato, and cut into chunks, quarter peppers, peel and quarter onions, quarter lemon, toss all vegetables including potatoes and lemon in olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
Place all vegetables in a large oven proof dish, put chicken pieces on top and sprinkle with lots of rosemary. Roast for 45 minutes in a pre heated oven. Once cooked turn off the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
For the red pepper aioli, pop roast red pepper (skin and seeds removes) along with 2 cloves of garlic, 3 table spoons of mayonnaise and a teaspoon of smoked paprika in a food processor, blitz for 1 minute until combined. Transfer to a small bowl and serve with chicken.

Labels: Main Course

Serves 8
400g blackberries
450g plums, stoned & sliced
2 pears, peeled, cored & sliced
250g golden caster sugar
Grated zest & juice of 1 orange
12 – 14 medium sliced & open textured white bread, crusts removed
2 tbsps crème de cassis (optional)

1. Put the blackberries, plums, pears and sugar into a pan with the orange zest & juice.  Cover and cook gently for 5 minutes, until the fruit softens slightly and releases its juices.  Remove from the heat.
2.  Dampen the inside of 8 x 175ml mini pudding basins.  Line with cling film, making sure it overhangs the edges, then smooth any creases.
3. Pour some of the juice from the fruits into a separate bowl.  Cut out 8 x 5cm rounds of bread, dip into the juice then press into the base of the basins. Then line the sides with bread (also dipped in the juice), cutting to fit.
4. Using a slotted spoon, divide the fruit between the bread-lined basins.  Cover with the remaining bread and drizzle with some juice from the pan. (Chill the leftover juice.)
5. Wrap the overhanging edges of cling film over the top of each pudding, and weigh each one down with a saucer and can.  Chill overnight.
6. To serve, unwrap the cling film and upturn onto a plate.  Mix the cassis, if using, with the leftover fruit juice and drizzle over each pudding. 

Delicious served with fromage frais.

Labels: Dessert

Makes 2 x 500ml pots
300ml white wine vinegar
300g golden caster sugar
2 tsp sea salt
7cm cinnamon stick
12 cloves
4 bay leaves
approx 8 (900g) under-ripe peaches

1. Heat two half-litre le Parfait jars (or whatever jars you are using) for 5 minutes in a medium hot oven at 190 C (170 C fan oven) gas mark 5.
2. Pour the vinegar into a medium-size saucepan, add 300ml of water, the sugar, salt, spices and bay leaves.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  In the meantime, halve the peaches and slice each half into 4 segments.
3. Add the peach slices to the liquor, bring back to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes until they are translucent and just soft.  Ladle the peaches and aromatics into the hot jars, pressing them down with the back of a spoon, then pour over enough liquor to cover them, and seal.  Leave to cool completely.
4. The peaches can either be eaten straightaway or matured for several months.  Once opened, store in the fridge for up to two weeks, making sure that the fruit is completely submerged beneath the liquor.