Lancashire Food

Cream Crackers !

2012-01-29T14:59:00.000Z

Every wonder why a cream cracker is a "cream" cracker, well its because it contains cream, real diary cream. Hubby likes experimenting so he located a recipe, which is very easy and produces some tasty little crackers which would be great for serving with cheese, dips or a drinks nibble. You can sprinkle with extra sea salt, herbs or parmesan cheese, its up to you.

Ingredients

1/2 cup double cream
1 cup plain flour
1/2tsp salt

Method

Sieve flour and salt into a bowl, mix.
Add the cream and mix with your hand until you have a sort of dough.
Now tip onto a floured surface and knead until you have a smooth dough.
Wrap your ball of dough in cling wrap and let it rest at room temperature for about an hour.
Now roll out very thinly , ideally between two pieces of baking paper, cut into your desired shape
Bake at 170C for approx 15 mins maybe a little longer until lightly golden and the crackers are crispy.

Store in an airtight tin, if you can resist the temptation to eat them all at once.

Callooh! Callay! - Funky tea shop Clitheroe

2012-01-24T17:17:00.002Z

Callooh Callay is funky little tea shop in the lovely Lancashire market town of Clitheroe, for those in the know its smack bang in the centre of all things foodie, the area is well blessed with fabulous growers, farmers, producers and talented chefs and cooks who make use of all this great grub to produce some of the best food in the country.

Callooh Callay sits on the charming traditional high street, so is very handy to bob into for a drink or a light meal whilst you are enjoying the delights of Clitheroe. Based on the theme of the mad hatters tea party, this quirky little tea shop draws you in. the decor is great, all chintzy retro, with lots of recycled and reused crockery, fabrics and furniture. The flooring however is amazing and its worth paying a visit for this alone, its an old map blown up of Clitheroe and then made in vinyl, amazing !

The menu is relatively short, but thats not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion and is a range of soup, sandwiches, toasties and homemade cakes. The tea menu however is longer after all this is an ode to all things "Jabberwocky" after all, lots of custom blends specially made for the tea shop. They also serve "Hot Vimto", a classic winter warmer.

Service was attentive and our food arrived in a reasonably time, so it was freshly prepared, both the sandwich and toastie that we ordered were well flavoured and accompanied by vegetable crips and homemade coleslaw and some dressed salad. So all in all a great little tea room.

Valentine Treats - Hotel Chocolat

2012-01-22T17:22:00.000Z

Its that time of year when everyone's thoughts turn to LOVE, if like me you find it difficult to know what to buy as a treat for your loved one or even just a treat for yourself, then Hotel Chocolat can give you a helping hand without breaking the bank.

Hotel Chocolat have a great selection of gifts which can be delivered direct to the door of your loved one, this modern funky artisan cocoa grower and chocolatier has a gift for all budgets. I found it really easy to search for my selection by using the search function on their website.

My choice The Sleekster LOVE selection, a large mixed selection of luscious truffles,silky pralines and hand finished hearts comes packaged in a glossy long funkily decorated box of 260 grammes. Inside carefully packaged, smooth, seductive and utterly devoted to love chocolates nestle.

The box contained 2 of each chocolate, Cherry Bombe, Bison Grass Vodka, Praline Oyster, Caramel Sweetheart, Chilli Sweetheart, Champagne truffle, Blackcurrant truffle, Vanilla truffle, Raspberry Rupture, Strawberry & black pepper, Bucks Fizz, Soft Chilli Caramel and Sweet Lips.

The chocolate was delicious in all its forms, especially the praline oyster, champagne truffle and Blackcurrant truffle.

So go on take all the stress out of Valentines day and order your gift now from Hotel Chocolat

Have Your Cake and Eat it too ! Sally Bee's new book !

2012-01-21T16:38:00.001Z

As regular readers of my blog will know I really admire the work and personal courage of Sally Bee. I have been really lucky to be given the opportunity to review her latest book "Have your cake and eat it too !", her ethos being that life is too short to miss out on cake and puddings just because you are trying to eat healthy. Along side her common sense advice of positive thinking and living an active life, she has re worked all your favourite cake and dessert recipes to be more heart healthy.

The book is presented with a sensible wipe clean cover for the busy cook and is well illustrated, the recipes are laid out in different sections to cover all the options for a sweet treat, Large cakes, small cakes, cookies, puddings, ices, etc. Each recipe is easy to follow and the instruction are comprehensive and feature healthy ingredients which should be easily sourced at your local supermarket, recipes are also provided for healthy toppings and frostings for your delicious creations.

This book makes a great addition to any cooks bookshelf, whether a beginner or a more experienced baker, and is available from Amazon or your local book shop. I can so recommend the Blueberry Muffins !!

Lancashire Nuts

2012-01-21T16:38:00.000Z

Intrigued by a class on the schedule for the county WI show for "Lancashire Nuts", I set about finding out what they were ? Now I consider myself to be pretty well informed when it comes to all things foodie but this is one local delicacy I wasn't aware of and had never baked. I located two recipes on the internet and one in a recipe booklet I have in my archive, all slightly different. I haven't been able to find any history as to why they are called Nuts even though they don't contain nuts or anything about them looks like a nut, so if anyone can let me know their origins I would be grateful.

One of my fellow baking enthusiasts @Janemorecakepls, also a fellow WI member thinks they are a bit like a Lancashire version of a whoopie pie, and given the results when I baked the recipe I would tend to agree. You can apparently fill them with jam, lemon curd or butter-cream and they are a nice cross between a cake and a biscuit.

Ingredients

4oz Quality Margarine
4 oz sugar
4oz cornflour
4 oz self raising flour
1 egg
pinch of salt

Method

Cream your margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy
Add all the ingredients and mix well, your mix will be firmer than a normal cake mix
Spoon onto a greased baking tray using a teaspoon
Flatten your dollops with the back of your teaspoon slightly
Bake in a pre heated oven at 150-160c for approx 20 minutes until firm and lightly golden
Cool on a wire tray and sandwich two together with your desired filling

Homemade butter and Spelt Soda Bread

2012-01-15T16:12:00.000Z

I fondly recall making butter when I was about 7 at school with Mrs Bolan, if I remember rightly it involved a yoghurt pot and lots of jiggling as we passed the carton round the class, at the end we did get butter. This week Tom and Henry Herbert ( The Fabulous Baker Bros) refreshed my memory on how easy it is to make butter at home.

Double Cream and my trusty Kitchen aid mixer were all it took to produce so delicious butter and buttermilk for use in the Soda bread. You just mix until the butter forms on the spiral whisk and buttermilk is left in the bowl, you then rinse the butter in clean cold water to remove any buttermilk left in the butter.

Soda bread is equally as simple, I just followed the recipe in this Saturday's Times -Weekend from those fabulous baking bros again, the recipe uses spelt flour.

Ingredients

300g spelt flour
Pinch of salt
2 tsp baking powder
230ml buttermilk, if you haven't got enough from your buttermaking top up with milk

Preheat your oven to 230c and put your tray into to pre heat

Method

Mix all your dry ingredients in a bowl and then add the buttermilk
Mix with your hands until you have a sticky dough
Turn out onto a floured surface and shape to a round
Place on your tray and quickly slash deeply into the classic four
Bake for 15 - 20 mins

Cinnamon Spelt Cake

2012-01-08T14:45:00.001Z

Spelt , is a species of the wheat family and has been in use since the Bronze age. The grain is grown in Britain and is reputed to be easier to digest that other strains of wheat, I have been using the flour in some of my baking for a while. Its pretty easy to get hold of in a quality supermarket and most health food stores will stock Spelt in various forms.

This recipe was one of the first I made using Spelt flour and you will find that the flour gives a pleasant nutty yeasty twang to the cake, recipes in most cases need to be adapted slightly to spelt flour. The topping is also a little unusual but go with it as it works to provide a nice crunchy top to the cake.

Ingredients

100g softened butter or quality vegetable margarine
2 tsp ground cinnamon
100g soft brown sugar
3 eggs - free range
100g demerara sugar
150g spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
50g ground almonds

Method

Cream the margarine / butter with the soft brown sugar, then beat in 2 of your eggs
Add the spelt flour,baking powder and 1tsp of cinnamon
Mix well and then turn into an oiled cake tin, either a loose bottomed or springform works best.
Mix together your demerara sugar, ground almonds and the remaining tsp of cinnamon and the egg to a grainy paste, spread this over the top of the cake mix in the tin.
Bake in a pre heated oven @ 180c for approx 30 minutes until well risen and cooked through.
Cool in the tin

White Allium Soup

2012-01-07T19:47:00.000Z

I was kindly sent a sample recently of some veal stock powder from Essential Cuisine, a company that specialising in stock both for the food service industry and the home chef. I needed a recipe that showcased the stock yet didn't actually need veal, as veal meat is very hard to get hold of in my area without pre-ordering. I have fond memories of onion soup as a child, a white onion soup as apposed to a dark french onion style one. So here is the recipe I came up with.

Ingredients

2 large white onions, peeled and very finely sliced
1 large leek, finely sliced, white part only
1 clove garlic - very finely chopped
Essential cuisine veal stock, you could also use chicken stock
Thyme
Cream (optional)
Slaked cornflour
chives - optional garnish
Butter

Method

Melt your butter in a large saucepan
Add your finely sliced onions, leeks and garlic and cooked without colouring over a low heat
Add a sprinkle of finely chopped thyme
Add your stock and simmer until the onion mixture is very soft
Add your slaked cornflour and stir whilst over the heat to thicken your soup
Season and add cream and chives if using
Serve

Roast Roots and mushroom stew with parsley dumplings

2012-01-01T10:33:00.000Z

What's better than a stew or casserole on a cold winter evening, nothing, well may be a hot chocolate by a roaring log fire comes close. Mildly inspired by the recent series "River Cottage" Veg a vegetable only stew was in order. This has all the flavour of a roast dinner but none of the meat , intensely satisfying and comforting. The recipe serves 3 -4 persons when accompanied with a green vegetable such as cabbage, use whatever root vegetables you have to hand , swede and turnips are just as suitable.

Ingredients

Olive oil
Onion - large , peeled, chopped in to large segments
3 carrots - peeled and chunky chopped
3 parsnips - peeled and chopped into chunky pieces
1 large sweet potato - peeled and chopped in to chunks
1/2 a medium celeriac - peeled and chunky chopped or swede or similar
4 cloves of garlic - whole and unpeeled
Cornflour - 1tbsp
4 large mushrooms - chopped
Vegetable stock - about 400ml
Dried porcini - soaked

You could also use butternut squash or pumpkin as some of your vegetables if you wish.

Method

Preheat your oven to 200c
Place your vegetables (except the mushrooms) on a baking tray, drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil
Roast for approx 30 mins until tender and golden
Transfer to a large casserole dish and cover with your stock, reduce the oven to 180c and bake covered for 30 mins.
Fry the mushrooms (drain the porcini and chop if large) in a little olive, now add the cornflour and some of the porcini soaking stock, stir and then add the whole pan to the casserole dish, stir and return to oven.
Prepare your dumplings (check out my earlier recipe) and bake the stew with the added dumplings for a further 15 mins until your dumplings are cooked and fluffy and your stock has thicken.
Serve sprinkled with fresh herbs.

Eves Pudding

2011-12-27T20:17:00.000Z

Don't know about anyone else but after the festive season I always seem to have some fruit in the fruit bowl which is getting a little long in the tooth, I hate to waste food and try wherever possible to use them in some recipe or another. Eves Pudding is a great recipe to have in the arsenal and is delightfully comforting, it smells wonderful when baking and the lemony zesty aroma is a great pick me up. The Eve in the name refers to the fact that apples are used in the recipe.

Ingredients

450g or so Apples - peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks (ideally bakers but whatever you have)
75g Demerara sugar
Lemon zest - 1 whole lemon
75g Margarine
75g Caster sugar
Egg - free range
150g self raising flour
Milk - about 1tbsp

Method

Preheat your oven to 180c
Grease your baking dish
Place your apples in the dish and sprinkle with the demerara sugar and lemon zest
Mix your sponge in the normal manner, use the milk to achieve a dropping consistency
Spoon over your apples and smooth to cover
Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes until the apples are soft and the sponge is golden

Serve hot, warm or cold, either on its own or with cream, custard or ice cream. Delicious

Banana Crumble slices

2011-12-27T18:38:00.000Z

And now for something completely different, after all the Christmas baking and spices here's a recipe to ring the changes and also to use any overripe bananas you are bound to have in the fruit bowl in the bargain. I haven't made this recipe in a while, its another one from my scrap book and can't remember why I don't make it more often. Enjoy.

Ingredients

175g sugar
175g Vegetable margarine
225g self raising flour
100g porridge oats
2 medium bananas - mashed
25g sultanas or raisins
Caster sugar to sprinkle

Method

Pre -heat your oven to 180c fan / 200c non fan
Cream the sugar, margarine together
Add the flour and oats and mix to a crumble mixture
Lightly oil or spray your baking tin - which is approx 8 by 12 inches
Sprinkle half your crumble mixture in the baking tin, press down lightly.
Spread over the mashed bananas and sprinkle on the dried fruit
Sprinkle over rest of mixture and cover banana, press down lightly
Bake for 25-30 mins until golden
Sprinkle with caster sugar
Cool in tin and cut into chunks.

Mincemeat and Sultana Muffins

2011-12-18T17:02:00.001Z

Another lovely recipe to use your homemade mincemeat, these muffins are delicious and well flavoured, a real tea time treat and a great substitute to the traditional mince pie that is normally left out for Father Christmas on Christmas eve.

It's basically an all in muffin recipe and you can use any dried fruit you fancy, apricots, cranberries, I think raisins would all work really well but I chose sultanas this time round. I used my homemade sloe vodka mincemeat from an earlier post but you could use ready made.

Ingredients

80g Sultanas or other dried fruit ( if you use apricots chop into small pieces)
280g Plain flour
2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb
1/2 tsp salt
90ml sunflower oil
350g mincemeat , good half of a large jar
1 egg - free range beaten
240ml milk
85g caster sugar

12 -14 large muffin cases, muffin tray

Method

Preheat your oven to 180c fan, 190c normal oven.
Sift all you dry ingredients in to your bowl,
Add all the other ingredients (except the dried fruit element),
Mix very gingerly until incorporated and then add the dried fruit,
Quickly fold this in until all the flour is just incorporated ( do not over mix)
Spoon into your cases and bake for approximately 20 -25 minutes, tested with a cocktail stick. Cool on a wire tray and sprinkle with icing sugar to serve.

Caramelised Onion Sausage Rolls

2011-12-18T17:01:00.001Z

For my recent WI Christmas party , this is the savoury recipe I decided to cook, its an easy twist on the classic sausage roll. Instead of using the traditional puff pastry I used shortcrust to ring the changes and if you are short of time you could use ready made to save time. Ideally if you can get hold of sausage meat then great but often as not I use a high meat content sausages and remove the skins. You could also serve them at a drinks party or even on a picnic.

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry
Caramelised onion chutney
Sausage meat
Herb of your choice ( sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley)
Egg
Poppy seeds or sesame seeds

Method

Firstly mix your sausage meat in a bowl with your chosen herb, use your hands to squeeze and fold the mixture together and put to one side.
Roll out your pastry into an oblong approx 12 inches long by 8 inches wide.
Now half and half again to give you 4 pieces 12 inches long by 2 inches wide.
Half the sausage meat and form each into a long sausage approx 12 inches long.
Spread 1 tbsp of caramelised onion chutney centrally along the length of one of the strip.
Place your sausage snake on top of the chutney.
Place your other matching strip of pastry on top.
Seal the edges with a little beaten egg, and crimp both edges.
Repeat until you have 2 sausage snakes.
Place on a baking tray and cover with cling film.
Chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight if you want to pre-prepare.

When you are ready to bake -
Cut into pieces approx 1 inch in size.
Glaze with beaten egg.
Sprinkle with seeds.
Bake in an oven on baking parchment on a baking tray.
Your oven should be at approximately 180 -200c
Bake until golden, this will be approx 15 - 20 minutes.

Family Teatime

2011-12-09T18:23:00.001Z

Need an idea for a great Christmas gift for a friend or family ? Then look no further, Family Teatime is a lovely book which has some great cake, biscuit and tea time treat recipes. The book is beautifully illustrated with Vintage images and postcards and filled with tips and anecdotes on the origins of afternoon tea.

This delightful book has a practical wipe clean cover and has an illustration for each recipe featured. The recipes are for all the traditional teatime favourites and one or two surprises, each recipe is detailed and easy to follow. The book would be ideal for all the family to bake together and having fun experiencing a traditional afternoon tea.

I have enjoyed making a number of the recipes from the book, scotch pancakes, almond and cherry cupcakes and lemon bars which all turned out well.

I have kindly been sent the book to review by Flame Tree Publishing, the book is available to purchase on Amazon.

Wholemeal mincemeat slices

2011-12-06T18:25:00.001Z

In one of my earlier posts I made mincemeat ready for Christmas, its been maturing for a few weeks and is now ready to use in some lovely baking. I like traditional mince pies but feel that any of the commercial avlaible ones are overly sweet, therefore I enjoy making my own when time allows. This is a recipe I have made for the last few years and is the ideal vehicle for my lovely homemade mincemeat. The pastry is lovely and crumbly and is somewhere between a flapjack, biscuit and shortcrust pastry. The slices were very popular at my WI Christmas party.

Ingredients

150g butter or quality margarine
75g soft brown sugar
225g plain wholemeal flour
110g porridge oats
Approx 225g mincemeat, about 1/2 a large jar

Method

You'll need a 11 x 7 inch shallow baking tin, butter well

Melt the butter and sugar in a pan,
Once melted allow to cool slightly, then add your oats and flour.
Stir and mix thoroughly.
Press half of this mixture firmly in the base of the tin, the firmer you press the better.
Spread your mincemeat on top of the base coat smooth with a spoon.
Pour on the top and gain level across the tin and press down firmly.
Bake in a pre heated oven at 200C for approx 20 minutes or the top is browned slightly.
Cut into desired pieces whilst still in the tin.
Cool in the tin fully and serve sprinkled with icing sugar. Store in an airtight tin.

Shortbread for Christmas

2011-12-05T17:27:00.001Z

Things are starting to get festive in our household, I have always loved shortbread and I hadn't baked any for a few years so I thought I would bake some in the run up to Christmas. The buttery short sweet crumbly biscuit is lovely as a gift or great served as a afternoon treat with tea. To save time I mix mine in my trusty magimix food processor, Its important to use a quality butter in your mix to give the best results.There is just one problem it disappears very quickly !

Ingredients

200g plain flour
50g cornflour
175g butter(unsalted) - softened
75g caster sugar

Method

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until just coming together, tip out onto floured surface and form a ball of dough, shape and roll to desired shapes, place on baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven @ 160c fan / 180c no fan until lightly golden ( about 15-30 mins depends on thickness), remove from oven and sprinkle with caster sugar and cut whilst warm into desired pieces. Cool then eat, delicious. Store in an airtight tin.

Bailey's Tipsy Cake

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000Z

Baileys Tipsy Cake, other Irish whisky cream liqueurs are available!

For our most recent Clandestine Cake club outing the themewas secret Santa, so basically it’s a mystery until we all turn up to themeeting, hoping that everyone doesn’t turn up with the same cake. I decided tobake a tipsy cake, easy but slightly different and definitely Christmassy inspirit, well at least rich in spirit – hick!

Tipsy cakes are basically sponge cakes soaked in alcoholicsyrup, then served in dainty slices to your guests, from my research on theinternet this seems to be another idea from the USA. My recipe is based on oneby Thane Prince published in the Saturday Telegraph at least a decade ago,which survives as a clipping in my recipe scrapbook. Yes, I know very anal andOCD ish but it does mean I can find some fabulous recipe inspiration when Ineed it. It’s a great recipe and terribly easy.

Ingredients for the cake

110g soft butter or quality margarine
110g caster sugar
2 eggs
110g self raising flour
1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp of hot water

Ingredients for the syrup

150ml water
55g caster sugar
120ml Irish cream liqueur – baileys or Aldi’s version isgood too and much cheaper!
To finish Whipping or double cream, chocolate shavings,shards, and whatever else takes your fancy.

Method

Mix your sponge by the usual method adding the coffee mixture for the last mix, bake in a 6-7” ish loose bottomed round cake tin, oiled and base lined, theoven is at about 160c for fan, 180c without fan. Bake until golden, well risen andcooked through when tested with a skewer, this is about 30-40 minutes. Allowthe cake to cool for approx 10 mins in the tin, then turn on to a deep servingplate.

Now make your syrup, dissolve the sugar in the water andboil for approx 2 minutes until slightly reduced, allow to cool slightly andadd you liqueur. Now make loads of holes in your cake and spoon your syrup, nowallow to cool fully. Top with whipped cream and your decoration.

Golden Lion at Wheelton

2011-11-29T18:34:00.001Z

On a blustery wintery day we paid our first visit to the Golden Lion Pub in Wheelton, a small village near Chorley in Lancashire. The Golden Lion is a traditional pub at the heart of the village and its community, we were warmly welcomed by the owners and the log fire burning in the grate.The pub is traditionally decorated and even has a pool table if you fancy a game, but on to the food.

The emphasis is on good quality locally produced pub grub, all the favourites are available and everything is reasonably priced, they also have specials and their steak nights apparently are very popular.

We ordered our choices from the menu at the well stocked bar, they had a great selection of real ales according to Mr B, and waited in anticipation of homemade pie and steak pudding (from a local butcher of repute).

The food arrived piping hot with a selection of fresh vegetables ( always a good sign ) and hand cut chips, yummy ! So visit this nice local pub when you are in the area for traditional lovingly prepared pub grub, oh and a good pint too !

The pub is dog and walker friendly and has a large car park behind complete with chickens and geese.

Nigella's Clementine Cake

2011-11-27T17:17:00.001Z

I have to thank my boss at works for the inspiration for baking this recipe, she made this for the "Children in Need" bake sale last week. After digging about in my recipe book collection I located the recipe. The recipe is gluten free as it uses ground almonds instead of flour, so its a handy one to have in case of a ceoliac visitor. The recipe is easy and fairly foolproof, its not the most pretty of cakes but it more than makes up for this flavour stakes.

Ingredients

4-5 clementines ( about 375g )
6 eggs
225g caster sugar
250g ground almonds
1 heaped tsp baking powder

Method

Put your clementines in a pan with just enough water to cover and bring to the boil, simmer for 2 hours until soft. Keep an eye on the pan ensuring it doesn't boil dry. Drain and cool, once cool split and check for pips, remove any you find. Pulp the clementines in a food processor(all of it), then add the other ingredients and whizz until you have a smooth mixture.

Pour into a greased and based lined springform tin, roughly 7 inches across. Bake in a preheated oven 180c for approximately an hour, as the cake quickly browns you should cover it with foil after the first 30 minutes. Test with a cocktail stick , so that it comes out clean when its done. Cool in the tin, dust with icing sugar.

Slow Cooked Brisket of Beef

2011-11-24T07:07:00.001Z

I use my slow cooker a lot in the winter, its an easy way to have a scrummy no messing evening meal waiting for you when you come home from work. They take a little getting used to, but once you have learned that you need to hold back on the liquid compared with oven cooking they are easy to use. A favourite recipe in our household is brisket of beef, tender melting well flavoured meat that can be used to create some delicious meals. I get my brisket from Spout House Farm which is near me, but any good butcher should have this for you and in a size of piece suitable for your family.

Its easy to ring the changes with this recipe and use whatever you have to hand, the main rules being the quality of the brisket and the quality of the stock.

Ingredients

Beef brisket - rolled
Flour - seasoned
Onions - chopped
carrots
bay leaves
mixed herbs
Beef stock / Beer / red wine
salt and pepper
Balsamic vinegar or fruit vinegar
Dijon mustard
Oil

Method

Firstly make your seasoned flour, roughly 1 tablespoon of flour on a plate and add salt, freshly ground pepper and some mixed dried herbs. Roll your brisket in this mixture until well coated and don't forget the ends. Fry off your brisket to seal it in a little oil and to give a nice golden crust. Now place in your slow cooker ( if you don't have one then you can use a casserole dish and the oven instead but its a bit more hassle), next fry your onions and carrots in the same pan, scraping up any brown bits from the meat as this is were the flavour is, until the onions are slighty softened. Next add to the pan the stock / wine/ beer, balsamic, mustard and bay leaves and bring to a simmer, stirring ever so often to again loosen any sticky bits on the pan. Then pour this over your brisket in your slow cooker or casserole dish, put on the lid and if using a slow cooker cook for at least 4 hours on high, but I just leave it all day and it always turns out fine, if using an oven cook on 150c for at least 4 hours, but check every hour or so to see if needs more stock or water as it can dry out. Your brisket is ready when it falls a part when gently crushed with a fork, your gravy will be well flavoured, thicken if necessary with slaked cornflour and serve with your favourite vegetables. Enjoy !

Smoked haddock and leek chowder

2011-11-18T21:33:00.001Z

This is one of my favourite soup, so warming and comforting. Its loosely based on a recipe in "New Covent Garden Soup - Book of Soups" one of my extensive collection of cookery books. I first had their version off their stand that used to be on London Euston railway station, on a business trip. I make my version fairly regularly throughout the winter season, its easy to substitute the smoked haddock for salmon or prawns and the leek for onion, you could also add sweetcorn too.I used Leeks today as I had a fresh supply from the garden.

Ingredients

Large knob of butter
2 large leeks - cleaned and chopped
2 large potatoes - peeled and chunky chopped
500ml fish stock - a stock cube is fine
1 largeish piece of smoked haddock, cooked, de-skinned and flaked and any bones removed
Pepper
Dill Weed

Method

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add 2/3rds of the chopped leeks and potatoes to the pan, cook gently without colouring for about 5 minutes, then add the stock and bring to a simmer, cook until the vegetables are just softened. Now allow your soup to cool and use a stick blender to liquidise until smooth. Now add the rest of the vegetables and bring back to simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, if you need to add more water you can do, add the flaked fish and dill weed, taste and season. You probably won't need any salt as smoked haddock is fairly salty.

Serve garnished with parsley or a swirl of cream or both if you wish.

Cosmopolitan - Chorley

2011-11-18T21:21:00.001Z

The last few months has seen the opening of a new restaurant in Chorley - Cosmopolitan is a Restaurant, wine and cocktail bar. The food is modern Mediterranean in style but they also have a tapas menu. Situated on St Georges St, right in the heart of the town this is an ideal venue for a pre theatre meal. The building itself is an old stables conversion and is fronted by a courtyard seating area, inside it is cosy and rustically decorated.

We were warmly welcomed on a chilly evening and ordered from the early bird menu, which had plenty of choice for all and was very reasonably priced at 2 courses for £10.95.

The portions were very generous and well presented, generally the food was very good, my first course was the homemade chicken liver pate which was nicely herby. Hubby's first course was a huge hummus, olives and oil and vinegar selection, with 2 types of bread. Ours main arrived quickly and were piping hot, my vegetable risotto was well flavoured and very filling. Hubbys steak was cooked as requested (rare) if a little stringy and was accompanied by a nice pepper sauce and seasonal vegetables. We had no room for desserts so they will have to wait till our next visit.

Cosmopolitan is nice addition to the dining venues in Chorley town centre.

Food Bloggers Unplugged

2011-11-17T16:50:00.001Z

I have been tagged by Sue @Twitottee to take part in the fun of #foodbloggersunplugged, the idea being to tag another 5 foodie bloggers to keep the initative on a roll. Sounds like great fun to me and enables us all to understand more about our fellow foodies, so I am happy to take part.

The questions we have to answer are as follows:-

1. What, or who inspired you to start a blog?

2. Who is your foodie inspiration?

3. Your greasiest, batter - splattered food/drink book is?

4. Tell us all about the best thing you have ever eaten in another country, where was it, what was it?

5. Another food bloggers table you'd like to eat at is?

6. What is the one kitchen gadget you would ask Santa for this year (money no object of course)?

7. Who taught you how to cook?

8. I'm coming to you for dinner what's your signature dish?

9. What is your guilty food pleasure?

10. Reveal something about yourself that others would be surprised to learn?

Finally...tag 5 other food bloggers with these questions...like a hot baked potato...pass it on!

Use this ~~home made~~ expensive Food Bloggers Unplugged logo (below) on your blog and link up with the hashtag #foodbloggersunplugged on Twitter.

So here goes

1.What, or who inspired you to start a blog ?

My hubby, he kept moaning about how I should be sharing all my makes with the world, I had a slow start but now really enjoy blogging all things foodie.

2.Who is your foodie inspiration ?

Got to be Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall,I have appreciated his work for years, just wish River Cottage was a bit nearer to Lancashire.

3.Your greasiest, batter-splattered food /drink book is ?

It's Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course, all the pages are falling out and its very tatty.

4. Tell us about the best thing you have ever eaten in another country, where was it, what was it ?

That's a difficult one as I have eaten loads of lovely things in lots of different places. Think the best and most memorable was a fabulous meal in Dunworly, Southern Ireland at Otto's Creative Catering, a fabulous slow food, locally sourced/ produced organic venue. The food was amazing, all grown or produced on site and the meal was topped off by playing with dolphins on the nearby beach. Its now closed as Otto and his wife (Hilde) have retired. Darina Allen has visited too.

5. Another food bloggers table you'd like to eat at is ?

Carl Legge @CarlLegge on twitter, I love foraging and using different sustainable ingredients. I am also very interested in Permaculture and Carl is an expert in all of these things.

6. What would be the one kitchen gadget you would ask santa for this year ?

Another bowl for my beloved Kitchenaid mixer.

7. Who taught you have to cook ?

A combination of my Nanna, My Mum and my domestic science teacher at school.

8. I'm coming to you for dinner whats your signature dish ?

Tough one as I like to experiment and it changes, I am known however for my courgette recipes.

9. What is your guilty food pleasure ?

Peanut butter on plastic bread toast.

10. Reveal something about yourself that others would be surprised to learn ?

I used to be a member of a "blacked up" morris dancing group !

My bloggers I am tagging are (you must say this in a tension building manner)

If you have been tagged you will need to link to A little bit of heaven on a plate.

Go on join in and have a bit of fun.

Sultana slab - a great traybake

2011-11-13T16:21:00.001Z

I am entering this tray bake in Ruth "The Pink Whisks" Traybake challenge, Ruth was a finalist in 2010 series of the "Great British Bake Off" and has gone on to host a fabulous baking blog. I made this bake for Children in Need.

Ingredients

450g sultanas
3 eggs - free range please
350g Sugar
2 tsp almond extract
225g butter
350g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder

Approx 8 by 12 inch roasting tin / tray bake tin

Method

Preheat your oven to 160c, grease / oil your tin, I use oil spray to make things easy. Place your sultanas in a large pan and cover with water, bring to the boil and gently simmer for approximately 15 minutes until your sultanas are plump and juicy. Meanwhile in another bowl mix the eggs, sugar and almond extract.

Drain the sultanas and put them back in the pan along with the butter to melt with the residual heat, if they need any help just put on a low heat, until all the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and allow to col slightly. Now add the egg mixture and then the flour and baking powder, mix thoroughly. Pour into your prepared tin. Bake for approx 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Cool in the tin and when cool cut into slabs, hence the name. Keeps well and will also freeze.

http://www.thepinkwhisk.co.uk/2011/11/tpw-november-challenge.html#more-1722

Mocha Ginger Biscotti

2011-11-13T16:13:00.001Z

Biscotti are hard italian biscuits, which are usually served with coffee as breakfast or a snack. I love all things Italian food wise and make a number of different of types of biscotti, I like the combination of flavours in this bake, chocolate, coffee and ginger, its a bit festive and smells wonderful when baking. It makes a great gift served in a pretty metal tin or clear glass "kilner" style jar decorated with ribbon. I am entering this recipe in Vanessa Kimbells blogsphere campaign "Lets make Christmas".

Ingredients

100g plain flour
30g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
120g sugar
1/2 tbsp ground coffee
30g dark chocolate - roughly broken
2 eggs beaten (use free range)
2 balls of stem ginger - finely chopped

Method

Heat your oven to 180c. Sieve flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in your food processor, add the sugar, coffee and chocolate. Process until finely ground. Add the eggs and process until you have a firm dough, don't panic if it looks fairly sticky, it will be OK, quickly add the ginger and fold in. If you need to make the dough looser add milk. Tip it out onto a floured board, gently form into a log and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the oven down to 150c. Allow your log to cool, then using a serrated knife carefully cut into 1cm wide slices. Lie these on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until firm. Then allow to cool completely on a wire rack, then store in a jar or air tight tin.

http://writingacookerybook.blogspot.com/2011/10/lets-make-christmas.html

Celery, apple and Lancashire Cheese salad

2011-11-08T19:03:00.002Z

Celery is a pretty underrated vegetable. Most the recipes you see it in are for some form of waldorf salad , well my hubby doesn't like nuts so that crosses most of them of the list straight away, most also feature mayonniase too. I like the combination of celery and apple so I thought I would combine this with a good Lancashire cheese and see what I got.

Fenland Celery is a hierloom variety , that has a beautiful nutty mellow flavour and is crunchy and not at all stringy, so special that protective geographical indication status has been applied for.

The resulting salad was delicious and crunchy, dressed with rapeseed and balsamic vinegar.

Celery cake

2011-11-08T18:58:00.001Z

As I love all things baking and having been kindly sent a sample of Fenland Celery to experiment with, its an heirloom variety grown in a traditional way, so special that PGI status has been applied for. I thought I would have a go at a celery cake. Yuck, I hear you all cry, after a little searching on the internet I discovered a few recipes which use celery as a baking ingredient, all are from the USA where people experiment a little more than here. The recipe uses mayonnaise as its fat / oil content, but don't let that put you off, I have done other mayonnaise recipes before and they have always turned out fine, the chocolate one being the best (of course). But that's a post for another day. I am using american cups so the recipe is a doddle to follow.

Ingredients

3 cups plain flour - sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs free range
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mayonnaise ( low fat is fine)
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups apples, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup celery - finely diced

Method

Preheat your oven to 180C, oil and flour a 9 inch round cake tin.

Beat your eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until fluffy, now add the mayonnaise and beat until well incorporated. Now add your flour and milk in thirds, beating after each addition. Fold in your apple and celery and pour in your prepared tin, bake in for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 15 until well rise, golden and cooked through when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool initially in the tin, carefully remove after 15 mins and finish cooling on a wire rack.

If you want to ice, mix apple juice with icing sugar and drizzle on top.

The resulting is delicious and moist !!!

Hotel Chocolat - Christmas Gifts

2011-11-06T11:17:00.002Z

I have been lucky enough to be selected as one of the chosen food bloggers to review some of Hotel Chocolat Christmas range. Hotel Chocolat is the high street and mail order retailer of high quality chocolate products, their web site is a treasure trove of all things chocolatey, I choose two products to review and awaited eagerly for my goodies to arrive.

My first choice was a box of 6 Alternative Mince Pies, a chocolate cup of salted caramel topped with praline. I must admit I was little disappointed at the size of the pies, the flavour however was lovely, I am a fan of salted chocolates and caramels. These pies would make a nice stocking filler if a little pricey for that special person in your life, especially if they don't enjoy the ordinary mince pies.They come packaged in a cute little box which is festively decorated.

My next selection was a Mini Christmas Wreath, a cute wreath shaped chocolate , a wonderful mix of quality milk and dark chocolate for that intense chocolatey hit which is so enjoyable, the mix also has cranberries, cookie pieces and whole caramalised hazelnuts in it. This is a full 100 grammes of weight and is intensely satisfying, the wreath would make a great gift for just about any one and is wrapped in a cellophane wrapper tied with a Hotel Chocolat ribbon, to give a designer edge to the presentation.

Hotel Chocolat have a facebook page and also can be followed on Twitter @HotelChocolat

Chocolate ginger cake

2011-11-06T11:04:00.001Z

I love ginger cake, the warming spice is one of my favourite flavours and now that the weather is starting to cool this is a great bake to make. This cake combines a traditional ginger cake recipe with chocolate. Everything is improved by adding chocolate isn't it !

Ingredients

150g butter
150g dark brown sugar
150g treacle
225g plain flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp bicarb
190ml milk
1 egg beaten
100g plain dark chocolate- chopped

You will need a 20cm square cake tin or a deep roasting tin - oiled and lined

Method

Heat the oven to 150c, melt the syrup, butter and sugar in a large pan over a low heat, then allow to cool slightly. Quickly add the flour, spices and bicarb, beat in and then the egg and milk, lastly add the chocolate chunks. Work quickly to mix until smooth, pour in your prepared tin and bake in your preheated oven for approx 40-50 minutes, until well risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin, can be consumed as soon as cool but benefits from being left to mature for a couple of days in an airtight tin to become sticky.

Cox Cookies and Cake - Adults Only cupcake book

2011-11-03T07:18:00.001Z

What do you get when "Cake Boy" Eric Lanlard & fashion designer Patrick Cox work together ? a very funky uber hip twist on the cupcake. Cox Cookies and Cakes is a baking recipe book with a difference. the complete opposite of the saccharine sweet twee recipe books that feature gingham, butterflies and small furry animals.

The black glossy book has shocking pink page edges and is distinctly aimed at the more adult market, showing how cupcakes and cookies can still be hip and cool. Kylie and Liz Hurley can't be wrong can they ! Heh the foreword is even by Sir Elton John no less.

Eric as a master patisserie insists that his cakes taste amazing as well as looking amazing, something that other cupcake books seem to forget. Most of the recipes in the book are illustrated, but some of the pages are black so it could be difficult to read the finer points in a dimly lit kitchen, the recipes range from Red Velvet cupcakes to Black Skull cakes and look to be detailed.

Content wise there are some more unusual bakes which may intimidate the more inexperienced baker and some of the decoration may be a bit edgy, thongs for example, for those used to the butterflies and flowers style, but the recipes I tried came out well.

I experimented with the Espresso brownies, which in the book features crystallised ginger not something I normally have in my store cupboard store I skipped the ginger from the recipe. The brownies were moist with a mocha choc flavour and in celebration of the style of the book I used a gold glitter spray to decorate them.

I was lucky to be given the opportunity to review this book by Octopus Publishing, the book is available to purchase on Amazon.

ACHOCHA

2011-10-30T18:47:00.001Z

Is it a bird ? is it a plane? no its achocha a mexican vegetable we have been growing in the garden this year. Despite almost taking over the garden, this is the sum total of the produce from the 4 plants, I don't think we will bother next year, apparently you cook them like green peppers. So I'll let you know what they taste like !

Cherry and Almond Loaf

2011-10-30T17:32:00.001Z

Feeling a autumnal nip in the air, I wanted to bake something comforting and homely. This is cake is the equivalent of a cosy snuggly jumper. Based on a recipe from the Domestic Goddess herself, Nigella, its a pretty easy bake. Glace cherries always remind me of when I was little and my Mum used to buy glace cherries in different colours (green, yellow, red) and other dried fruits for Christmas loose from a lovely shop in Southport, the shop is no longer there and loose dried fruits is something you don't see now.

Ingredients

200g glace cherries, preferably the undyed if you can get hold of them
250g self raising flour
225g butter softened
175g caster sugar
3 eggs beaten
2-3 drops almond essence
100g ground almonds
6 tbsp milk

Method

Preheat your oven to 170c, grease and line your 2lb loaf tin

Firstly rinse your glace cherries,drain and dry and then tosh in a little flour. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually add your eggs and almond essence, until well mixed, now add the flour and ground almonds. Lastly mix in the milk and the cherries. Now spoon into your tin, bake for approximately 45 -60 minutes until golden and baked through when tested with a skewer.

Allow to cool in the tin, stores very well in foil.

Awesome beef stew & fluffy dumplings

2011-10-26T20:33:00.001+01:00

My all time favourite casserole / stew is based on Jamie Oliver's Jules Beef stew, Jo had the idea of including butternut squash in his vegetables which cooks down to a satisfying mush in the gravy and not browning the meat. Both contribute to producing a casserole which has non of the bitter edges which sometimes result from slow cooking beef.

Ideally when sourcing you beef, buy from a good butcher or farm shop and go for beef skirt or shin which should ensure a great result if its available. I will be buying my from Spout House Farm, delicious local meat.

Ingredients

Beef - stewing, shin or skirt, toss in seasoned flour
Onions - chunky chopped
Carrots - chunky chopped
Butternut squash - chunky cubes
Fresh sage
Fresh Thyme
Beef stock
Red wine or beer
Tomato puree
Other vegetables, maybe parsnip, celery, swede - chunky chopped

Dumplings

50g Suet - vegetable
100g Self raising flour
Dried herbs
pinch of salt
Water

Method

Preheat your oven to 150c, add all your non dumpling ingredients to a cast iron casserole, ensuring you only add as much stock / wine to just cover your ingredients, bring to a gentle simmer, cover and place in oven for anything from between 2 - 4 hours. I often use my slow cooker and simmer all day whilst at work. Be assured its better to cook long and slowly to achieve a good result, this is slow cooking at its best. You know its ready when the vegetables are beginning to fall and the meat is soft and tender.

Now to make your dumplings, mix all your dry ingredients in a bowl and then add enough water to make a soft dough, split the dough into small round balls - golf ball sized this mix makes approx 6 - 8 balls, be gentle with your mixture as over working makes your dumplings tough, pop into your casserole for 20-30 minutes until well risen and fluffy, serve and enjoy.

Banana and almond tray bake

2011-10-24T06:33:00.003+01:00

This weekends bake is an easy traybake using up a couple of spotty bananas from the fruit bowl in the process. The recipe is based on a recipe from "The Great British Bake Off, How to Bake" book. I like traybakes as they are perfect for lunch boxes and for packing in a picnic.

Ingredients

175g butter softened or quality margarine
250g caster sugar
1/2tsp vanilla extract
3 free range eggs - beaten
50g ground almonds
225g self raising flour
150ml creme fraiche
2 ripe bananas

Method

Preheat your oven to 180c. Grease and line a tin approx 25 by 20 by 5 cm.

Beat your butter until softened and then add your sugar and beat together until lighter and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then gradually add your eggs , beat well after each addition.Now fold in the ground almonds. Sift in approx 1/3 of the flour and fold in, add 1/3 of the creme fraiche and fold in. Now add the rest of the flour and creme fraiche and fold in. Now add the lightly mashed banana and stir in, tip into your tin and level before baking for approximately 50 minutes until golden brown and a cocktail stick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool slightly in tin and then cool on a wire rack. Cut in to approx 20 pieces.

Apple Cake

2011-10-20T21:33:00.002+01:00

Maple apple cake was my second bake for the South Lancashire Clandestine Cake Club, despite a cake malfunction which involved shedding most of the icing and a broken plate whilst transporting the cake to the meeting, the cake turned out well and was incredibly light yet moist. I hope all my cakey friends enjoyed it. Sorry I haven't a piccy, I 'll have to bake it again, in the meantime here's the recipe.

Ingredients

400g cooking apples
3/4tsp ground cinnamon
2tsp maple syrup
125ml sunflower oil
150g light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 lemon grated zest
2 large free range eggs
275g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarb of soda
good pinch of salt
2 large free range egg whites

Method

Preheat your oven to 180c. Peel, core and the apples, cut into approx 1cm chunks and toss in a bowl with the cinnamon and maple syrup. Now mix the oil, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and sugar in a mixer, until fluffy, break in the eggs and whisk until fluffy.

Now sift the flour, powders( salt, bicarb, etc), into the bowl and mix, add the apple mixture and stir, this will be a stiff mixture.

Whisk the egg whites ( I use my lovely Kitchenaid mixer) until at the stiff peak, now fold into the other mixture trying not to lose air. Spoon into your prepared (base lined and oiled tin), I used a round springform tin approx 8 inch across, or you could use a tray approx 25x20x5cm.

Bake for approx 30-35 mins until cooked through, well risen and golden.

Allow to cool in the tin and then on a wire rack. I iced mine with a cinnamon soft cheese icing, but its so pretty that you don't really need to.

Store in an airtight tin.

Cup of Tea cake

2011-10-16T15:20:00.003+01:00

One of my most faithful and reliable recipes is a straight forward matter of fact, tea loaf. It can be made with store cupboard ingredients and has minimal washing up so its a favourite I make very regularly. Its also very comforting in a like "Granny used to make" way. You can serve it as it is or buttered and of course with a cup of tea, if you want to ring the changes then use different types of tea, earl grey or Rooibus are nice alternatives.

Ingredients

4oz butter
1 cup of strong tea
8oz Dried mixed fruit
1 tsp bicarb of soda
1 tsp mixed spice
8oz self raising flour
4oz sugar
1 egg - free range

Method

Preheat your oven to 160c and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin. Melt your butter in a large pan, then add your tea and mixed fruit, bring to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes, so as to swell the fruit. Now allow to cool for about 5 minutes so as not to curdle your egg. Once cool add the flour, sugar, bicarb and spice, mix well and then add the egg, mix well. Pour into you tin and bake for approx 1 hour until well risen and golden brown, test with a skewer to ensure its cooked through.

Cool in the tin and then on a wire rack, freezes beautifully when double wrapped with foil.

Blondies

2011-10-16T15:13:00.001+01:00

A few weeks ago my weekend bake was chocolate beetroot brownies, so to ring the changes its blondies, these offer the same dense squidgy experience but with white chocolate and comforting vanilla hit. The recipe is almost identical to normal brownies, in this case I added a handful of dark chocolate chips, you could use nuts, they do have a tendency to sink through the mixture but who cares it chocolate. You are aiming for a more buttery caramac ( for those old enough to remember) flavour rather than an intense chocolate hit.

Ingredients

125g butter
200g white chocolate
4 eggs
1tsp salt ( if using unsalted butter, otherwise adjust)
350g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
300g plain flour

Brownie tin- 25by20 by 5cm ish tin - buttered

Method

Preheat your oven to 170c. Melt the butter and chocolate using either the microwave, a bain marie or the warming oven. Mix the eggs, salt, vanilla and sugar and whisk until fluffy, Then add the chocolate, butter mixture once cooled slighty, mix and finally fold the flour (and choc chips, nuts if using), pour into your prepared tin and bake for approx 30 minutes, until golden, well risen but still a bit squidgy in the middle. Allow to cool initially in the tin and then cut into small chunks and allow to cool fully on a wire rack.

Enjoy.

Chocolate Banana Muffins

2011-10-09T14:15:00.001+01:00

This weekend's bake is inspired by a couple of spotty banana in the fruit bowl and a recipe I came across in "Cupcakes and Muffins" as reviewed in an earlier post. It's an easy recipe that uses things you would normally have in the store cupboard, I switched the spice from cinnamon to cardamon as that is what I felt needed to be experimented with but it's your choice.

Ingredients

125g softened butter or quality margarine
225g soft brown sugar
2 large spotty bananas - peeled and mashed
2 eggs - free range of course
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon or cardamon
225g plain flour
25g Cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb
85ml buttermilk (or milk with a couple of drops lemon juice)

Method

Preheat your oven to 180c. Line your muffin tin with paper cases, the mix makes approx 12-14 large muffins.

Whisk the butter and sugar together , add the mashed banana, eggs and vanilla extract and mix, sift the spice, flour, cocoa powder and raising agents and mix gently and then add the buttermilk, mix until smooth. Spoon the mix in to the cases and bake for 25 minutes until well risen and firm in the centre. You can then decorate to your taste once cooled.

Bought, Borrowed or Stolen - Allegra McEvedy

2011-10-09T14:03:00.003+01:00

Bought, Borrowed and stolen is not your usual cookery book, its the intensely personal food journey of chef "Allegra McEvedy". Allegra is well travelled and has visited a myriad of countries both as a chef and as a child following her historian Father.The book charts her journey and the life experiences she encountered on the way and where and how she experienced the recipes that are detailed in the book.

Unusually Allegra collects knives where ever she goes and these are sharply displayed in the book making a point of their importance in her life, the countries or cities each having a bio so you get a sense of the place before going on to the recipes. The recipes in the book come from such diverse locations as Malawi to New York.

I particularly liked the fact that every recipe is illustrated, the two recipes I have tried so far where easy to follow and gave good results, they did however challenge some of my culinary boundaries, this is a cook book to buy for yourself or a close friend who will appreciate the personal stories Allegra tells.The narrative is modern and chatty, I can almost hear Allegra making the comments in the book.

My only criticism is that the book has a fabric cover, which isn't very practical for the kitchen.

You can purchase a copy from Amazon, I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to review the book by Octopus Publishing.

Boil and Bake Christmas Cake

2011-10-02T20:31:00.002+01:00

Last weekend I made mincemeat for the store cupboard for Christmas, this week I am baking a Christmas cake. Over the last few years I have made a variety of different cake recipes , traditional fruit , chocolate fruit, so this year I have gone for a boil and bake fruit cake, sort of a combination of the two. This recipe is based on one I came across in Good Housekeeping magazine and is very easy, the result appears to be quite impressive but only time will tell.

Ingredients

175g butter
500g mixed luxury dried fruit
100g ready to eat prunes - chopped
100g glace cherries - roughly chopped
100g Cranberries / Stem ginger (your choice)
Finely grated zest of a lemon ( unwaxed)
150ml amaretto
175g dark brown muscovado sugar
200g self raising flour
1tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
3 eggs beaten

8inch cake tin, loose bottomed - greased and lined on base and sides

Method

Preheat your oven to 140C. Place all you dried fruit in a large pan with the lemon zest and amaretto, bring to the boil and allow to simmer for approx 5 minutes. Then add the butter and sugar and allow to melt and stir to ensure well incorporated and the sugar has melted.

Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool slightly before adding the other ingredients and spices, stir to mix well and pour into the prepared cake tin. Bake for approx 1-45 to 2 hours, until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Once baked leave to cool in the tin, once completely cool, wrap and store in an airtight in, feeding at weekly / fortnightly intervals until Christmas.

Beetroot Rosti

2011-10-02T20:26:00.003+01:00

Another #thinkyouknowbeetroot recipe this time for an accompaniment to a main meal, based on the traditional rosti recipe this one uses beetroot.

Ingredients

3-4 large cooked and peeled beetroot
2 tsp Rosemary fresh leaves chopped
Salt and pepper
½ cup of plain flour
2 tbsp butter

Method

Grate the beetroot with a coarse grater or food processor, Press any excess water out of them using a sieve. Heat a large non-stick pan on a medium heat ready to fry the rosti.Mix the grated beetroot in bowl with the rosemary and season to taste, then mix in the flour, adding just enough to bind the ingredients.

No with your hands press the beetroot mixture into patties and form the rosti, add the butter to the pan and once it begins to sizzle, add the beetroot patties.Turn the heat up a little, fry the patties for 10 minutes and allow them to crisp, shimmy the pan if they start to stick. Flip them over and fry for another 10 minutes on the other side.

Delicious, here served with chicken and a spinach sauce.

Beetroot Butter Pie

2011-09-27T19:43:00.000+01:00

In one of my very early blog posts, I have a recipe for a traditional Lancashire Delicacy, this site is called Lancashire Food after all. I am talking about "Butter Pie" my most popular post by far, so in honour of the #thinkyouknowbeetroot challenge I have decided to "pimp" this most traditional of dishes. Beetroot is a traditional accompaniment to most meals which contain potato in Lancashire and is often served along side meat and potato pies and most famously with Lancashire Hotpot. The pie is a hearty meal which needs nothing with it other than maybe a cup of tea. I used Simon Hopkinson's "The Good Cook" pastry recipe from his Mum's Lancashire Cheese and onion pie as my base and went from there.

Ingredients

For the Pastry

60g Lard
60g Butter
200g Self raising flour
pinch of salt
2-3 tbsp cold water
Egg Wash

For the Pie filling

4 large potatoes peeled, cut into round approx thickness of a pound coin
1 large onion
salt & pepper
Butter ( it does contain butter!)
2-3 lightly pickled beetroot, cut to the same thickness as the potatoes

You will need an enamel pie dish, its not a proper pie unless cooked an enamel tin !

Method

Rub in your flour & salt with your fats until breadcrumb like or use a food processor like me. Slowly add the water, mixing until a soft dough is formed, pull the pastry all together to form a ball and allow to rest in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes, before rolling out to line your tin and to make a lid large enough to cover your pie.

Whilst the pastry is resting, parboil your potatoes and onion until soft, drain the onion and potato and place in the pastry case ensuring that you do this in two layers, inserting the beetroot in the middle, dot each layer with flakes of butter and season with salt and pepper. Once you have filled your pie then top with your pastry lid and crimp the sides, make a 2 small slits in the top ( 2 slits is traditional in my family) to allow steam to escape. Wash the top with egg and then bake in a preheated oven at 180c for approx 30 minutes, until golden and smelling delicious. Serve immediately.

This recipe is dedicated to all Lancashire expats where ever they may be in the world, a taste of home !

Apple and sloe vodka mincemeat

2011-09-25T19:12:00.001+01:00

I have never made mincemeat before but inspired by Holly's Blog , one of the finalist's in the year's Great British Bake Off, I thought I would have a go. Especially as I am still trying to use up the glut of apples from the Garden. The recipe is surprisingly easy and the results look and smell like the luxury mincemeat you can buy commercially ( haven't tasted it yet as you need to leave it for at least a couple of weeks to mature), I also took the opportunity of using some of my store of sloe vodka as the preserving alcohol. This is my second contribution to the #homemadeandwellpreserved campaign. Check out Sue's blog for further yummy recipes Not just any old food blog or via twitter @TwitTottee using the hash tag.

Ingredients

Apple - grated equivalent quantity of 1 large cooking apple (peeled and cored)
600g mixed dried fruit ( use whatever you like sultanas,raisins, currants, glace cherries)
300g suet
250g dark muscovado sugar
85g mixed chopped peel
Good pinch of ground nutmeg
Good pinch of mixed spice
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon ( unwaxed)
100ml of alcohol ( whisky, vodka, gin, brandy, port, etc) whatever you like
Fresh bay leaves

Method

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, leave for flavours to mingle for approximately an hour. Pack the mincemeat into sterilised jars ( the jars must be cooled otherwise the suet will melt) and seal. Leave for at least two weeks before use, ideally keep until Christmas and use to fill homemade mince pies. Could also make a great gift.

Sweetfire beetroot, goat cheese and rocket salad

2011-09-24T20:59:00.004+01:00

As one of the lucky bloggers taking part in the #thinkyouknowbeetroot campaign from lovebeetroot here is the first recipe using one of the samples I have been sent to play with. Any regular readers of my blog will know that I enjoy finding novel ways of using ingredients. I was lucky to already to have a supply of fabulous local goats cheese from Capra Products, the last of homegrown wild rocket and a few tomatoes from the garden. Sweetfire beetroot is baby beetroots marinated in a chilli olive oil dressing, so the beetroot has a slight chilli piquancy, I mixed up a quick olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing ( I use Gift of Oil black label) to pull the dish together.

Ingredients

Salad Rocket
Sweetfire Beetroot
Goats cheese
Tomatoes (optional)
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil

Method

Place the beetroot on your serving plate, sprinkle with rocket, crumble the goats cheese and drizzle with your dressing. Delicious, simple lunch ideal served with crusty bread to mop up the lovely dressing.

Spiced Apple Chutney

2011-09-24T08:42:00.003+01:00

My cake baking, hen keeping friend Susan, who I met as one of the organisers of the South Lancashire Clandestine Cake Club, has launched her own cyber initiative #homemadeandwellpreserved. She has a lovely foodie blog called "A little bit of heaven on a plate".This initiative is for making preserves, either as additions to your store own cupboard or as a gift.

In recent weeks I have fighting a losing battle with fruit off the tree's in the garden. Apples and courgettes are mainly this years glut. As I really hate waste, I am in full blown jamming and preserving mode. This spicy apple chutney is a favourite way to use up some apples. Its an easy recipe and is lovely on a cheese sandwich or with a cold pork pie.

Ingredients

225g Onions - chopped
900g Apples - cored and chopped
110g sultanas, raisins or chopped dates
15g ground coriander
15g paprika
15g mixed spice
15g salt
340g sugar
750ml vinegar - malt but you can use fruit vinegars as well

Method

Place all the ingredients into a large pan, slowly bring to the boil ensuring all the sugar has melted. Simmer for a couple of hours ( I can't be exact as it depends on the moisture level in your fruit), stirring from time to time to ensure the chutney doesn't stick and burn. Its ready when you can draw a spoon across and the channel does not fill with liquid. Pot into sterilised jars, seal and cool. Store in a dark cool cupboard for a couple of months for the full flavour to develop. Its not easy to be precise with how many jars either this recipe makes between 3 - 6 jam jars.

Chocolate Beetroot Brownies

2011-09-20T17:53:00.003+01:00

Flicking through this month's Country Living magazine I came across another recipe for Chocolate Beetroot Brownies, I normally use HFW recipe but thought I would try this one. The result is a very moist chocolatey brownie that also seems light in texture, this is hubby's favourite brownie so far and uses beetroot one of my favourite ingredients due to its vivid colour. Beetroot are very easy to grow in the garden too !

Ingredients

250g cooked beetroot ( or you could use a packet) pureed until smooth
200g plain dark colour
250g butter
250g caster sugar
3 eggs ( free range please)
150g self raising flour, sifted

Method

Preheat your oven to 180c, whilst the oven is warming for eco reasons, I put the butter and chocolate in a bowl to melt in the warming oven. Meanwhile whisk together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, whisk in the butter and chocolate mix when melted and then add the flour, mix well and pour into your lined 30cm by 22cm baking tin.

Bake until well risen and until just slightly moist in the centre. This will be approximately 20 minutes. Allow to cool and then cut in to chunky pieces.

Another courgette cake recipe - Spicy this time !

2011-09-18T16:57:00.000+01:00

The courgette plants in the garden are still producing in abundance and as we also have builders in at the moment any home baking isn't lasting very long, so I am baking again. This recipe has a lot of similarities to a carrot cake in its spicing and is a from a newspaper cutting I have had for many years, I think this was originally from the "Saturday Telegraph".

Ingredients

225g Caster sugar
170g soft brown sugar
350g plain flour
2 tsp bicarb
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
200ml sunflower oil, extra for tin oiling
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
225g courgettes - grated finely
200g raisins

Method

Preheat your oven to 180c, oil and flour your deep cake tin - approx 33cm by 23 cm. Grate your courgettes and then add all other ingredients, beat to mix well and pour into your prepared tin. Bake for approx 40 -60 minutes until cooked and well risen. You could decorate with a cream cheese topping flavoured with orange or vanilla if you are serving straight away. This keeps well in an airtight tin and freezes successfully as well if wrapped in foil.

Freemasons at Wiswell

2011-09-17T16:57:00.002+01:00

For a quite a while we have been promising ourselves a visit to the Freemasons@Wiswell, especially after we had attended the chef demonstration at Clitheroe Food Festival by Steven Smith. I booked our table a few weeks ago for my birthday lunch, the inn itself is cosily situated in a little nook off the main village green. Parking, I think could be an issue as this is a Lancashire hill village, so leave plenty of time to park but there is plenty of on road parking in the village. The inn's decor is rustic country pub style, warm and inviting, I especially liked the glass cloth style napkins and tartan curtains. We were warmly welcomed and seated at our table by the fireplace, Despite it only being just after 12 noon the pub was busy, we were brought menu's and our drinks order taken. The inn is well staffed and we were looked after well, all staff had a smile and were knowledgeable about the food and drink on offer.

The menu's changes frequently to reflect the seasons and the best local produce. As this was our first visit and the fact that I like to try a seasonal menu we chose from the excellent value "seasonal menu", the a la carte also looked very tempting.

Various local beers were on offer including one from 3B's from Blackburn and also a local cider, after selecting our choice of the home-baked bread our starters arrived. I have opted for the Chicken and sweetcorn veloute, which was served in a china tea cup, this was a delicious well flavoured soup topped with a thick creamy swirl, crispy chicken skin crumbs and chives. Hubby ordered the the Pughs Piglet, a terrine of "porkyness" including being studded with black pudding, the terrine was garnished with apples and blackberries. If hubby could have licked the plate he would have.

On to the mains, we had been recommended to order some of the wicked chunky chips cooked in duck fat, as neither of our mains came with potatoes, these were presented in a cute frying basket. Hubby's main was Hake with butter sauce, mushy peas and tartare sauce, this was pronouced "amazing"and quickly demolished, I did get to sample it however and it was beautifully balanced. My main was the Tandoori roast pork belly, pork nuggets and scratchings, pumpkin, apple and cumin. Yummy !

On to the desserts, spiced plum souffle with a hot plum sauce for Mr B, Lemon Tart for me served with a salted walnut crumble, poached blueberries, clove ice cream. The clove ice cream was awesome, I am sure without a delicate touch this so easily could become medicinal, but this was perfectly balanced and absolutely delicious when eaten with the plum souffle.

This was our first visit but I am sure it won't be our last.

Spout House Farm

2011-09-17T16:34:00.000+01:00

Today saw our first visit to Spout House Farm in Higher Wheelton, Chorley. We have been meaning to visit for quite a while as this is a supplier to our favourite restaurant " The Red Cat", which is just down to the road from the farm. The farm shop also comes recommended by Phil from Slow Food Lancashire and Throughly Food.

We were warmly welcomed and glad to see that this is a family affair with the emphasis on local produce and Lancashire, the lamb and beef is produced on the premises and at a great price, also they have local free range chicken and pork, cheese vegetables and baked goods.

Pay them a visit. I have some lamb shanks I am planning to slow cook, so I'll let you know the results.

UPDATE - The lamb shanks were awesome, slow cooked .

Fantasy Cupcakes

2011-09-17T16:30:00.003+01:00

This week I finally got the opportunity to use the voucher from Fantasy Cupcakes which was in the NW Fine Foods hamper we won.

I arranged delivery to my place of work, this immediately created some excitement when the delightful looking box arrived. When you order you have the choice of various different flavours of cupcakes and the style of decoration, I choose a vanilla sponge but left the decoration up to Melinda from Fantasy Cupcakes. She didn't disappoint, the cakes had either a pink or blue butter-cream swirls delicately decorated with rosebuds, butterflies, bows and edible glitter. All my work colleagues were very impressed, one so much so that she is seriously considering ordering cupcakes for her wedding, the cakes were delicious and enjoyed by all.

Cupcakes and Muffins - Ann Nicol Flame Tree Publishing

2011-09-12T19:05:00.000+01:00

I have recently been approached by Flame Tree Publishing to review my first cookery book. I was excited to receive a copy of " Cupcakes and Muffins" by Ann Nicol to review, this is a lovely chunky wipe clean softback filled to the brim with delicious looking recipes.

The author Ann Nicol is an expert on cake baking and cake decorating, having written for many leading magazines such as BBC Good Food, Women's Weekly and Home and Freezer Digest. Her passion is all things baking and she has published many books in this topic area.

The book is divided into 8 sections which cover all you need to know to bake and decorate great looking and more importantly great tasting cupcakes and muffins.Sections such as basic techniques, once they're done and decorating lead you through baking and decorating the cakes and muffins.

The book has lots of recipes for you to try, some that are more unusual as well as the basics and has many ideas for novel ways to decorate your creations. Each recipe is illustrated and all are easy to follow and include storage details as well. Whilst loving the looks of cupcakes and muffins, some tend to be all topping and have little or no flavour when it comes to the cake part, so I was keen to try recipes from the book which were more about the cake and its flavour than the topping. I wasn't disappointed.

I tried the recipe for Banoffee cupcakes which used up some over ripe bananas I had in the kitchen, with the following results.

I also baked the Gingerbread Cupcakes as well

Both recipes gave great results and tasted as good as they looked. The book has a lot to offer both the beginner and the more experienced baker and has in particular a strong section on decoration and one on basic cake recipes which can be used in a variety of different ways.

I would thoroughly recommend this book and this is seconded by the 5 star ratings it has on Amazon, where you can purchase a copy. It would make a great gift for a girlfriend or the bride to be.

The publisher also has a facebook page and is currently running a competition as well if you would like to enter.

Tomato and Tarragon Soup

2011-09-11T13:08:00.002+01:00

As things are turning distinctly autumnal and having picked lots of vegetables from the garden recently, I am inspired to make soup. I am very fussy when it comes to soup, I am not a fan of anything in a can and only really like homemade or may be New Convent Garden cartons. I think this is mainly because I like to know what is in the soup. A quick turn round the garden produced the ingredients for this soup. Credit for the lovely Foccacia has to go to Moreartisan bread.

Ingredients

Tomatoes, chopped, but still with skins, pips, etc. You could use tinned if you haven't got fresh.
1 large onion chopped.
2 cloves of garlic - crushed.
Butter - large knob of.
Chicken stock.
Tarragon- fresh or dried.
Lovage - fresh.
Salt & pepper to taste.

Method

Melt the butter in a large pan and start by sweating off the onion and garlic, until slighty softened. Now add the tomatoes and herbs, cook these gently for a few minutes, don't allow to colour. Now add the stock, you will need enough to cover the vegetables, simmer gently until all the vegetables are soft and the tomatoes broken down. Now seive into a clean pan, removing all the vegetables, pips and skins, taste for seasoning and add to taste. If the soup is too thin for your liking, then thicken with slaked cornflour. Serve with bread for a delicious treat.

More courgette cake - Courgette & Cinnamon Loaf

2011-09-09T18:24:00.000+01:00

Another cake recipe to use up that glut of courgettes from the garden, this one freezes beautifully wrapped in foil, so its a good one to make to store for another day. The recipe originally came from the BBC Vegetarian magazine (no longer published) many years ago.

Ingredients

225g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2tsp bicarb
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs beaten
1 tbsp golden syrup
150ml sunflower oil
100g light brown sugar
225g finely grated courgettes
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Sieve the flour and cinnamon, bicarb, salt and baking powder into a large bowl, then add all other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour into a oiled and lined 2lb loaf tin. Its a fairly liquid mixture, but don't worry it rises wonderfully. Bake until cooked through when tested with a skewer, this normally takes 45-60 minutes, but depends on your oven. Cool initially in the tin and then remove to cool fully on a wire rack.

The loaf should be served in thick slices , buttered if you like. Delicious and different too. We have had builders in at home recently and this proved very popular.

Little Poppet Cupcakes

2011-09-08T19:04:00.001+01:00

Little poppet Cupcakes - lovingly prepared for yourspecial occasion or an everyday treat.

I was recently given the opportunity to review thesebeautiful handcrafted cupcakes from "Little PoppetCupcakes" who are based in Bolton, the selection I was given to review were thoughtfully titled"Blooming Lovely ", and they were.

A delightful selection of dreamy looking cakes are lovingly presented in a special presentation carrier whichholds the cupcakes.The decoration was superb and tastefully presented,I particularly liked the Daisy flowers, all were stunning andany recipient of these cakes would feel very special. The buttercreamtopping was a dream not too sweet, the icing soft and yielding and thecake soft and vanilla flecked. What more do you need in a cupcake? Treat yourself today.

Jamming !

2011-09-04T17:31:00.000+01:00

After picking up a bargain of 2 kilos of fresh English strawberries at the market, jam making was in order. I always feel that homemade jam is far superior to shop bought, the flavour sparkles and is delicious on scones or in Victoria sponge.

I experimented with two different recipes, the first one was a "Pam the Jam" from River Cottage, the second off the back of the jam sugar packet. We will have to see which one comes out better, Strawberry jam is particularly problematic and can easily up as strawberry soup, so its all in the set.

Jam is a great addition to the store cupboard and preserves the fruit for those dark winter days.

Pear, cardamon and sultana cake

2011-09-02T09:18:00.000+01:00

My lovely friend Jo, delivered a huge carrier bag of pears from her garden this week so I have been scouting about for recipes to use my bounty. Pear chutney is planned but in the meantime I came across a recipe for this cake. Well you know me and cakes, so hear goes.

Ingredients

125g butter, soft
125g light brown sugar
2 eggs free range, lightly beaten
250g Self raising flour, sifted
1 tsp ground cardamon
4 tbsp milk
500g pears, peeled, cored and finely chopped
125g sultanas

Method

Beat the butter and sugar together in a food mixer until pale and fluffy, Continue beating in slowly the eggs, add a little of the flour if it looks like it will curdle. Stop the mixer and add the rest of the flour, cardamon and milk, quickly blend and then add the pears and sultanas to give a chunky cake mix.

Spoon the mixture in a greased and lined 2lb loaf tin, bake in a preheated oven @ 160c for approximately 1 1/2 hours until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool initially in the tin and then turn out to cool fully on wire rack.

Store in an airtight tin if it lasts that long. The result is a deliciously moist softly fruity cake.

Random Bakes Of Kindness

2011-08-30T07:07:00.004+01:00

Vanessa Kimbell, has created a quiet revolution across the internet with her #RBOKindness , the idea being to bake a little more of whatever you are baking and gift it to someone who you think deserves it as a gift.

What a lovely idea, I am all for sharing the love and if it makes someone smile even better. Personally I shared my last bake "Agave Cookies" with my lovely elderly neighbour "Jenny", despite being in her late 80's she still gardens and does her own cooking. I love popping in for a chat, sharing recipes and local gossip, correspondingly she is always willing to take in parcels when we are out and keep an eye on things when we are not there.

Check out Vanessa's blog for more details if you are interested in taking part.

Agave nectar baking - cookies

2011-08-29T11:52:00.008+01:00

I have an interest in more unusual ingredients (you may have noticed) and also slightly more healthy recipes ( I know how can cake be healthy !), so I thought I would give Agave nectar a go. This a natural sweetner extract from the mexican wild agave cactus. You need to adapt your standard recipes but there are plenty on the internet for you to try.

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup spelt, whole wheat flour
1 cup ground almonds
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup dried cranberries
½ cup agave nectar
½ cup vegetable oil
½ tsp. vanilla paste

Method

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, preheat oven to 180c, place small balls on dough on a oiled baking sheet, press down well, bake for approx 10-15 minutes, cool slightly and then transfer to a wire cooling rack until fully cool.

Star Anise Biscuits

2011-08-29T09:39:00.007+01:00

As there is a distinctly autumnal feel in the air and despite it being August, thoughts turn towards spicy baking which warms the soul. This recipe is based on a James Martin Recipe from BBC Good food. Aniseed flavours take me back to my childhood and the dark hard aniseed balls which you used to suck on for hours until they yielded a small anise seed in the middle. This biscuit has all the flavours of those sweets. It would also be ideal to serve with poached seasonal fruit ( apples, plums, blackberries) and cream, ice cream or custard.

Ingredients

50g farmhouse butter
2 tbsp demerara sugar
1 tbsp treacle
1 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp freshly ground star anise
140g plain flour
1/2tsp bicarb
some oil for the baking tray

Method

Preheat oven to 180c, then melt the butter, syrup, treacle and syrup in a pan until all the sugar is dissolved. Mix this with the sieved dry ingredients, this will result in a sticky paste, remove from bowl and wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins or more.

Gently roll out using a little extra flour until fairly thin, cut in to required shape and place on lightly oiled baking tray, place in oven and bake for approx 5 minutes until lightly golden. Allow to cool slightly on tray and then transfer to wire rack to cool fully. Store in an airtight tin.

Lancashire Pasty Company

2011-08-28T17:01:00.006+01:00

What do you get when with classic flavour combinations are encased in pastry, = "The Lancashire Pasty Company".

The company established by Barry Woods specialises in using local quality ingreduients to create a classic pastie with a twist. I have been fortunate enough to sample the Caramelised onion and Black Pudding Pastie, a delicious combination which could have been heavy and fatty, but it wasn't, amazingly tasty, juicy and with a hint of mustard.

The "fish, chips and mushy peas" is a revelation, just like a classic chippy tea even with the vinegar. And for those of you with a sweet tooth apple, sasparilla and custard". Again a classic, the best that old parish Lancashire has to offer wrapped in pastry.

Genius !

Parsnip , apple and syrup cake

2011-08-26T18:47:00.006+01:00

As you have probably noticed I have a thing about vegetable based cake recipes, this weekend's bake uses parsnip as its base. My recipe is based on one I found on bbcgoodfood.com, "Catherine Berwick's parsnip & maple syrup cake". However for economy reasons I swapped the majority of the maple syrup for golden syrup and also used a buttercream filling.

Ingredients

175g butter or butter/ quality vegetable margarine
250g demerara sugar
100ml maple syrup or golden syrup
3 eggs - free range
250g self raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
250g parsnip, peeled and grated
1 medium eating apple, grated, no pips or core
zest and juice of an orange
icing sugar for finishing

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease and base line 2 sandwich tins. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan gently, until all melted. Allow to cool slightly, then beat in the eggs, stir in the flour, baking powder and spice. Now add the parsnip, apple and orange. Pour into your prepared tins. Bake for 25-30 mins until cooked when tested with a skewer.

Cool on a wire rack, once cooled slightly take the cakes out of the tins and allow to cool fully.

You could fill with cream, buttercream, soft cheese or mascapone. I mixed up a vanilla buttercream and filled the cake with this.

This is a very light tasty cake, the spicy note is lovely and slightly autumnal.

Delicious !!!

Sticky Gingerbread cake

2011-08-21T15:33:00.008+01:00

I normally bake at weekend and was inspired by a friend on facebook who was making Ginger cake so I decided to give a new recipe a try. The recipe proved very easy to make and produced 2 loaves of gingerbread.

Ingredients

225g self raising flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
1tsp bicarb
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
115g butter
115g treacle
115g syrup
115g dark brown sugar
275ml milk
1 egg - beaten

Grease and line 2 x 2lb loaf tins

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c . Start by sifting the flour, bicarb and spices into a bowl. Add the cubed butter and rub in like you are making pastry, you could use a food processor. Warm the treacle and sugar in a pan or in the microwave, do not boil. Melt the sugar in the milk by gently warming. Allow to cool until lukewarm.

Quickly mix the milk mixture and then the syrup mixture with the flour, then add the egg, mix well and then pour into the prepared tins.

Bake for approx 45 mins until when tested with a skewer and is fully cooked.

Turn out of tin when fully cooled, wrap and leave to go sticky for at least a day if you can resist that long .

Blackberry Crumble cheesecake

2011-08-18T20:19:00.006+01:00

Currently we have loads of blackberries ready in the garden, we grow the thornless variety "loch ness" and its great, very reliable. We had friends from Spain visiting so I made this for dessert for our "tea". It was enjoyed by all, left overs went to work the next day and disappeared very quickly.

Ingredients

250g digestive biscuits
125g butter melted plus a little more to grease the cake tin
175g caster sugar
300g full fat soft cheese
2 eggs separated
250ml double cream
100g blackberries , halved
vanilla paste
Topping
100g plain flour
50g butter cold
50g demerara sugar
100g blackberries halved

You will need a deep springform cake tin

Method

Firstly pre heat the oven to 160c. Crush your digestive biscuits to a fine crum, I use a food processor and then add the melted butter, I use the microwave, pulse to mix and the form the base in your cake tin, press it down firmly. Now grease the rest of the tin with the reserved butter. Chill whilst you make the filling.

Whisk half of the caster sugar with the soft cheese, then add the vanilla paste and the egg yolk. Once well mixed add the double cream.

Now whisk the egg whites until at the stiff peak stage, now add your rest of your sugar in 2 stage, whisks well, until shiny and well peaked.. Now mix the meringue mixture to the cheese mixture, don't worry too much about loosing air in the mixture

Now spoon a layer of the cheese mixture on to your base and top with some blackberries, add more cheese mixture and more blackberries until you run out of mixture. Now place this in the oven to bake for approx 20 mins whilst you make the crumble topping.

To make the topping, rub the butter into the flour, once it resembles crumbs add the sugar and the blackberries. After the 20 mins have passed carefully top the cheesecake with the topping and bake for another 40 mins , don't be alarmed if it rises then sinks this is normal. Once golden on top remove to cool fully before springing the cake tin. Keep refrigerated.

Delicious !!!!!

Flapjacks - homely baking at it's best

2011-08-14T09:27:00.009+01:00

I love flapjacks, but they have to be chewing for me. I don't enjoy the teeth jaw testing crunchy one's but each to their own. I am going to tell you my secret (please eat the evidence afterwards) to getting them to be chewy, but you must promise not to tell anyone, no-one ........

I sometimes add dried fruit, seeds and choc chips if the mood takes me

Ingredients

150g butter
100g soft brown sugar
4tbsp golden syrup
350g rolled oats

Method

Grease your tin, I use a non stick swiss roll tin.

Melt your butter and syrup in a pan over a low heat, mix the oats and sugar in a separate bowl (that's the secret don't melt the sugar). Add the melted mixture to the bowl and mix well, then turn into your tin and press down firmly.

Bake in the oven at 180c for about 20 mins, until lightly golden and firm. Cool slightly in the tin, before marking in to pieces, cool fully and cut pieces and remove carefully from tin.

Flapjacks store well but never last that long in my house !

For the artistic or if you are in search of a chocolate hit, either drizzle with melted chocolate or dip one corner in melted chocolate.

Yum!!

CCC Chocolate Beetroot Cake

2011-08-08T20:31:00.011+01:00

In honour of the inaugural South Lancashire Clandestine Cake Club, i need a reliable but showy recipe. This cake has already been featured on BBC Radio Lancashire and on BBC North West Tonight, so I thought it fitted the bill.

Ingredients

180ml sunflower oil
190g self raising flour
60g cocoa powder ( i use Green & Blacks)
1tsp bicarb
250g caster sugar
250g cooked beetroot
3 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract or 1/4tsp vanilla paste

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c

Oil and line a round cake tin, approx 23cm in diameter, I use a spring clip one, its easier.

In a large bowl sift the flour, cocoa and bicarb, stir in the sugar.

Puree the beetroot in a processor , until well pureed. Add the dry ingredients, then add the eggs and vanilla and then the oil. Mix well and then pour into your prepared tin.

Bake in the oven for approx 45 - 50 mins, or cooked when tested with a skewer. Remove and cool on a wire tray.

To ice mix 250g icing sugar with a little water and red or pink colouring to make a thick icing, pour over the icing and allow to set. Now you let your artistic side reign free and melt white and dark chocolate separately in the microwave, about 25g of each type and then drizzle all over the cake.

The cake went down very well with the South Lancs Clandestine cake club members.

If you are interested in joining the South Lancs Clandestine cake club check out the link.

Chocolate Courgette Loaf

2011-08-04T19:43:00.010+01:00

In celebration of the annual courgette glut and the fact that my new work colleagues haven't experienced its delights as yet, I am revisiting my Prize winning Chocolate courgette loaf, as published in Green & Blacks - Chocolate Recipes - Unwrapped.

Its a really easy recipe if a little fragile when it first comes out of the oven. If you wish to guild the lily you can ice and fill if with jam or cream, it is quite rich already so I prefer it plain.

Ingredients

175g Dark chocolate ( at least 60% cocoa solids)
225g courgettes
200g Plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla paste
110g caster sugar
175ml sunflower oil
2 medium eggs

Method

Preheat oven to 180c / 350f/gas mark 4

Greased and lined 2lb loaf tin

Melt the chocolate, I use the microwave, but be careful don't overheat. Grate the courgettes in your bowl, sift the flour, baking powders and spices into the bowl, add the other ingredients and mix well, lastly add the slightly cooled chocolate. I use my food processor but a bowl is fine too. Pour into your prepared tin and bake for approx 50 mins, test with a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave in the tin to cool, before finishing the cooling process on a wire rack.

The loaf stores well in a tin and also freezes well.

Coppers Tea Room Leyland

2011-07-29T18:42:00.005+01:00

A group of ladies that lunch, i.e myself and number of colleagues from work visited this newly opened tea room in Leyland on a busy Friday lunchtime. We were all intrigued to visit the old Police station and view the cells. Coppers is a family concern and the focus is on a traditional tea room experience. The old Police station has been refurbished in a traditional Victorian style complete with chandeliers, traditional farmhouse kitchen paraphernalia abounds and lots of eclectic china welcomes you in. The other room is more lounge style with comfy chairs and low tables.

The menu is very much focused on a traditional experience, sandwiches, soup, jacket potates and lots of cake. You can even order a full afternoon tea served on a cake stand. Taylors teas and coffee are the order of the day and old school soft drinks such as Iron Brew, saspirilla and dandelion and burdock are available.

The menu is reasonably priced and only one of the party had a slight criticism, the soup despite being very tasty was a little cool, otherwise we were all very satisfied. A couple of us even had room for cake which was very nice. You also get a proper pot of tea, a china cup and a jug of real milk.

Call in soon, it was very busy on the day we visited we didn't see the ghost but the cells were very interesting.

Sugarless Sultana Cake

2011-07-29T07:27:00.006+01:00

Keeping with the theme of healthy eating, the ultimate recipe is healthy cake. I first discovered this recipe about 15 years ago when my Father in law was diagnosed with Diabetes. Despite containing no added sugar, wholemeal flour and low fat spread it is surprisingly good.

Ingredients

8oz sultanas
1/2pt orange juice
30z low fat margarine
8oz wholemeal self raising flour
1tsp mixed spice
2 eggs - free range

Method

Oven @ 180C

Using a 6 inch square cake tin, grease and line. Soak the sultanas in orange juice overnight. Rub the margarine into the flour and spice mix and then mix in the eggs and the orange juice and sultanas. Mix thoroughly and turn into the prepared tin, levelling the top. Bake for approximately 1 and a half hours, testing with a skewer to see if ready. You may need to cover the cake with foil if browning too quickly. Cool on a rack, the cake stores well and improves after a couple of days.

Favourite Healthy Recipes

2011-07-27T07:05:00.007+01:00

In the last week or so I have been trying to eat more healthy, trying to beat the genetics I have been born with, I have both heart disease and diabetes in my family, so I thought it was about time that I started working with recipes that are that little less decadent and more about health and vitality. One of my major inspirations around this is "Sally Bee", she has published a couple of fab recipe books which focus on heart friendly recipes. Sally's story is inspirational after surviving major health problems, her positive attitude is inspirational. Read her story on her website.

One of the best of her recipes is her Chicken risotto parcels, this is awesome, it's so easy and so so very tasty and its low fat, low salt and according to friends very child friendly. It is also easily scaleable. I often get the parcels ready before going to work, I put them in the fridge until I get home and then just pop them in the oven.

Ingredients

( this makes 1 parcel, but scale up as necessary)

1 skinless chicken breast
4 mushrooms - sliced
4 cherry tomatoes
1/4 onion, finely sliced or a couple of spring onions chopped
drizzle of olive oil
1/2 cup rice ( easy cook or long grain work well)
Roughly 1/3 cup of chicken stock or wine
Good squirt of tomato puree, about a tablespoon
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
sprinkle of chopped herbs, fresh or dried (mixed herbs is fine)
finely chopped clove of garlic
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Take a large piece of foil, do double thickness for strength, place all the ingredients in the parcel, folding up to make a tight parcel so nothing leaks. Place on a baking sheet and put into a preheated oven @ 200C and cook for 45 minutes to an hour. All the stock should be absorbed when ready.

You can easily substitute other vegetables such as peppers or courgettes, what ever you have available.

I can't encourage you to try this enough, its awesome, everyone I know who tries it makes it time and time again.

Hana Adams Mediterranean Cypriot Foods

2011-07-17T12:56:00.010+01:00

On visiting Grimsargh farmers market recently, I met Hana Adams an euthiastic local food producer specialising in cypriot food. Hana thinks there is a gap in the market for this type of food. Hana is very knowledgeable about her product and we both chatted about our experiences on recently appearing on BBC Radio Lancashire.You can purchase her products via her website http://hanaadams.co.uk/

Hana's range includes sauces, salads and sweet biscuits. She is planning to retail these initially through farmers markets in the area.

Tomato and bell pepper sauce

A chunky tomato and bell pepper sauce, rich with vegetables this is a very well flavoured sauce, delicious served hot or cold. If serving cold this would be ideal with crudites or corn chips, the flavours are fresh with a slight citrussy twist , the sauce has a slight background heat. Warm for a couple of minutes in a pan or in the microwave the sauce works well with pasta, rice or sausages even. The sauce is fresh chilled so should last in the fridge for about 5 days.

Pastry fingers

Delicious , light delicate pastry fingers, not filo, not flaky , not shortcrust, sort of a mixture of all of them,which is sweet, crumbly and very moreish. They are great with coffee, but would also be ideal served with creamy puddings, yoghurt or ice cream. They disappeared very quickly.

Creamy spicy white onion sauce

I decided to serve this with a poached salmon fillet, warmed through in a pan for few minutes and poured over the salmon. Delicious,a warm spicy background to the sauce, yet creamy at the same time. A good alternative for fish instead of the usual hollandaise.The sauce could also be served over vegetables such as broccoli or even steak. The sauce comes in a plastic which is easily stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Bulgar wheat salad

Bulgar wheat and onion salad, gently swelled grains flavoured with a herby stock and veegtables. Very adaptable as it can be served hot or cold, the pot was microwaveable. The salad is light with a grain size larger than cous cous, fresh tasting and flavoursome. The ideal side dish to anything.

Chick pea salad

Soft earthy chickpeas,bite sized potato chunks, peppers, garlic, onion and herbs make up this tasty salad, warm with coriander and peppers this is ideal to serve alongside grilled fish , meat and salads. Hana sells this is generous pots which store easily in the fridge.

Banana Crumb Muffins

2011-07-13T17:22:00.011+01:00

Another recipe for using up over ripe bananas. This one is lovely and easily adapted for lactose free by using margarine instead of butter. The cinnamon and sugar streusel topping elevates these muffins to another level.

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda / bicarb
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup butter / marg melted.

Method

Sift the flour, bicarb salt and baking powder into a bowl. Melt the butter and allow to cool a little, mash the banana in a separate bowl, add the butter, egg and sugar, mix thoroughly and then add to flour bowl. Mix quickly and pour into cases, makes about 10 large muffins.

For the streusel topping, 1/3 cup soft brown sugar, 1/2tsp cinnamon, 2tbsp flour, 1tbsp butter, mix until you have a fine crumb, then top the muffins before baking in a oven @ 190c for approx 15-20 mins.

Yummy !

Oyster & Otter

2011-07-08T16:40:00.004+01:00

Today we visited the Oyster and Otter seafood restaurant in Feniscowles near Blackburn, on the way back from picking up some of foody prizes from Blackburn market. The restaurant is a former pub site that has been extensively refurbished into a chalet style building, interestingly as well as the restaurant, there is a fish and chip shop on site for take aways.

Eventhough we arrived just on noon, there were already a couple of cars on the car park, always a good sign. We were warmly greeted and quickly seated with menu's to peruse, lots of choice and plenty of seafood dishes obviously. We both plumped for the great value lunchtime menu of two courses for £15.95 including a drink. Thwaites "Wainwright" was one of the beer options which won hubby over immediately.

Twice baked Lancashire cheese souffle with a walnut and apple salad was my choice for starter, hubby ordered the Potted Goosnargh duck and mushroom country pate, toasted onion bread, shallot and mustard seed relish. The souffle was very light and a lovely contrast to the crisp fruity salad and very tasty. The pate was served on an attractive wooden platter, hubby's only criticism was the onion bread was a bit over crisp to spread the chunky pate on. Still very tasty though.

On to the mains, Malaysian seafood curry, coconut rice, lime pickle for me, beautifully presented with pea shoots, delicious with scallops, king prawns amongst other fish. The rice however was served cold, but I didn't really need it as the curry also had spring onions and butternut squash in it. Classic fish and chips with a twist for Mr B , black peas rather than the usual mushy, parched peas for those in the know. Fabulous fresh fish, yummy chip shop style chips, what more do you want.

Overall very nice restaurant, the decor is nice too all driftwood tones, very cosy. We will be visiting again.

NW Fine Food awards Hamper

2011-07-03T09:43:00.008+01:00

Whey hey, Mr B won a hamper of foodie goodies , from NW Fine Foods. All he had to do was like a facebook page to enter ! "Lancashire Food" is a great supporter of everything food in the North West so the prize couldn't have come to a better place. It was delivered by the lovely Clare ( who has a blog as well ) - who is an ardent foodie like myself and hubby,she also wants chickens too !

The hamper contained goodies from many of this years prize winners of the "NW fine Food awards"

Agnes Rose - Damson Vinegar, Blackberry and Mint Vinegar

Hawkshead Relish - Damson Extra Jam

Bowland Brewery - Headless Peg, Cromwell Stout and Admiral of the Blues

Reedys - Blackberry Vinegar

Masons Gourmet Foods - Rich Genoa Fruit Cake

Vouchers for

Dales Butchers - Pork & Mr Vikkis Chill jam pies, Pork and Mr Vikkis Chilli jam sausages

Capra Products - Voucher for meat or cheese.

Fantasy Cupcakes - Voucher for 12 cupcakes

The Original Cheshire Cake Co - Voucher for Cheshire Cake

H Clewlows Butcher - voucher

Backford Belles - Jersey Ice cream voucher

Cheshire Farm Ice cream - voucher

Fabulous prize, couple of the vouchers present slight logistical problems however,so we will have to see what we can sort out.

Banana Tea Loaf

2011-06-30T17:45:00.012+01:00

Every wondered what to do with slightly manky banana's, the very spotty soft ones. Not one to waste food I have a number of recipes that I use to make the best use of these sweet fragrant goodies. This one is called a tea loaf even though it doesn't contain any tea. Its also pretty healthy too !

Ingredients

200g self raising wholemeal flour
Salt / baking powder pinch
1tsp cinnamon
75g soft brown sugar
3 mashed bananas
75g polyunsaturated margarine melted ( use microwave)
100g raisins or chopped dates or other dried fruit 2 Eggs- lightly beaten

Method

Place all ingredients except dried fruit in mixer or food processor, mix well until smooth and then add dried fruit. Pour into a lined and oiled 2lb loaf tin. Bake in a pre heated oven @ 160C for 1-1 1/4 hours, until cooked through when tested with a skewer. Cool on a wire rack

Delicious if left for a couple of days to mature in foil, could serve buttered or with cream cheese but that would not be as healthy !

Enjoy !

Daily Bread !

2011-06-19T10:18:00.015+01:00

I love fresh artisan bread, I would dearly love to have enough time every day to make fresh bread. Instead I make do with buying good bread when I see it or making my own. At last weekend's Food show , I got chatting to a representative from Clitheroe Food Festival , she recommended the "Michel Roux" Sandwich bread loaf recipe as a quick and easy recipe. So hear goes.

Ingredients

20g/1oz golden syrup
25g/1oz melted butter
350ml/14fl oz warm milk
10g/½oz yeast
250g/8oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
250g/8oz strong bread flour
10g/½oz sea salt

Method

Stir the golden syrup and melted butter into the warm milk until well combined. Stir the yeast into the warm milk , until dissolved.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix until a smooth dough forms. I used my mixer to knead the dough or you could do this manually until dough is smooth and elastic.

Return the dough to the bowl, cover with cling film and place into a warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough has nearly doubled in size

Meanwhile, grease and flour a 12cm x 20cm/5in x 8in bread tin.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface again and knock back a few times. Divide equally into two pieces and shape into balls. Place the dough balls side by side in the prepared bread tin, cover with cling film and set aside to rise again, until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 220C/410F/Gas 7.

Using a sharp knife, slash the dough a few times and place into the oven immediately. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and bake for a further 30 minutes, or until the bread is golden-brown. To check if the bread is done, remove from the tin and tap the bottom with your knuckles – it should sound hollow.

Leave the loaf to cool on a wire rack.

Nigel Howarth's Fantastic Food Show

2011-06-12T14:33:00.006+01:00

Just arrived back from "Nigel Howarth's fantastic food show, which has been held for the last two days @ Ewood Park, home of Blackburn Rovers Football club. This is the second year for this foodie event and its getting better year on year, still needs a bit of assistance on the organisation front, but the featured food needs no help at all, its wonderful already. The vast majority of the local food was great, fabulous cheeses and meats and loads of local producers.

Of special note are More Artisan bakery, who had a wonderful array of stone baked breads , sourdoughs, foccacia's and rye breads. The bread looks and taste's stunning, this is real bread with holes and a proper crust, not the pap that's normally sold around here.

I was also pleased to spot a locally produced Cider from Lancashire apples, Ribble Valley Gold is produced using locally grown apples by Dove Syke Cider company, naturally we had to sample some and very pleasant it was too.

Lots of samples of cheese's, sausages, wine, gingerbread and the like were on offer , plus we saw our Slow Food Friends too. A great day out was completed by a lunch of Pork and Black pudding pie from Dales Butchers.

Looking forward to Clitheroe Food Festival on 13th August 2011, see you there.

Lancashire Elderflower delight

2011-05-29T20:04:00.007+01:00

I love this time of year when the Elder tree is in flower, from earlier blog posts you can see I have somewhat an obsession with the flowers and what you can do with them. So when I purchased River Cottage Handbook no 7 Hedgerows I was pleased to see another way to use them. Elderflower delight. I just had to have a go, especially as on my last visit to The Red Cat, my favorite restaurant, the team had prepared their own Turkish delight which was served with coffee.

Ingredients

20 Elderflower heads
20g leaf gelatine
700g granulated sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
400ml water
130g cornflour
30g icing sugar

Method

Soak the gelatine in a shallow dish of water, meanwhile strip the elderflower heads of the flowers and place in a piece of muslin which you are going to make into a bag tied with string. Take the granulated sugar, lemon juice and 300ml of the water, put in a saucepan and heat gently until all the sugar is dissolved, leave this to cool.

In a bowl mix 100g of the cornflour with the remaining water until smooth, then mix into the cooled lemon sugar syrup. Put the saucepan back on a low heat, add the gelatine sheets, squeezed of any excess water and whisk until throughly dissolved.

Bring back to the boil slowly and simmer for 10 minutes stirring all the time. suspend the muslin bag in the mixture and simmer for a further 15 minutes, squeezing the bag to release the flavours. The mixture will become very sticky and gloopy, keep stirring, when ready cool for 10 mins.

Mix the remaining cornflour and icing sugar in a bowl to create the tossing powder, line a shallow baking tin with baking parchment and dust with a tablespoon of the tossing mixture. Poor in the warm delight, removing the bag. Leave to cool fully and then put in the fridge to firm up until rubbery. Cut up with a knife or scissors into cubes and toss in the tossing mixture.

Very impressive and very delicious. The ideal gift.

Easy Peasy Yoghurt Cake

2011-05-26T07:07:00.006+01:00

Thought I would quickly share with you one of my all time favorite recipes, its so easy , it doesn't even involve weighing scales. All the measurements are based on the yoghurt pot that your yoghurt has come from. If you have bought your yoghurt in a large pot just use a tea cup / american cup or similar. It scales perfectly. You just might need more baking tins !

Ingredients

Carton of yoghurt, plain , can be 0% fat if you want
1 1/2 cartons of sugar (caster preferably)
1 carton vegetable oil (sunflower I use)
3 cartons self raising flour
2 eggs free range of course
Vanilla extract / paste - a drop

Method

Mix all ingredients together until smooth and put in a greased and lined 2lb loaf tin, bake @ 350F, 180 c, Gas mark 4 for approx 1 hour until firm and cooked through, test with a cocktail stick. Leave to cool in tin for 10 minutes and then carefully turnout onto a cooling rack. Best kept for a couple of days wrapped in foil. Freezes beautifully.

A taste of the unexpected

2011-05-26T06:52:00.008+01:00

I recently purchased a copy of this book after becoming aware that this was the same chap who did the majority of the food gardening for River Cottage. Mark Diacono of Otter Farm has developed what he calls a “climate change farm” , it run on loose permaculture principles, but more on the basis that he got bored with growing mediocre standard fruit and vegetables and thought he would try something different.

He was inspired by the “mulberry” initially, I agree with Mark, life is too short to be growing vegetables that you can buy cheaply locally , plus these are always the vegetables that are most susceptible to pests and disease because they are grown commercially.

It’s a beautiful book and Mark is very knowledgeable and his enthusiasm comes over well in the book. He also recently featured in the Radio 4 food programme and advocated hosta’s as a vegetable, this meant that myself and Mr B dashed to the garden to try our selection. He tweets and has a blog if you are interested in finding out more.

Inspired by his book we have planted a goji berry and a Japanese wineberry in the garden, so lets see how we go on. I would also like to try a blue honeysuckle as well.