22 July 2010

Returning to the Scene of the Crime

It is a Tondo Chiaro di Nizza 
I spun down home again yesterday morning, between the torrents of rain, to see if I could poach anything fresh from the garden.  This week the courgettes were ready...and some!  One was heading for marrow status and is sitting in my fridge waiting for me (or a passing family member) to figure out what to do with it - probably a nice ratatouille.  We have a new courgette this year, picture above which I need recipe ideas for too. 

A quirky little addition to the borders of the veg. patch was this little pairing of mushrooms.  I thought they were really stunning but decided to best leave well alone without a little prior research.  I have Mum working on an answer to that!

19 July 2010

Guest Contribution - Mum's Blackcurrant Fool


"When we started our garden we discovered that blackcurrants were very easy to grow and were very prolific. We had mountains of fruit that kept us supplied with delicious jam with plenty left to put in the freezer. Michael’s mother used to tantalise us with stories of the black and redcurrants she used to eat as a child, with lashings of cream from their farm.  As a result Blackcurrant Fool became part of our Summer repertoire. It is an easy and luscious dessert that never fails to get the taste buds tingling!"
How to make Blackcurrant fool
  • First, pick your blackcurrants.
  • Make a sugar syrup by dissolving 450g of sugar in 600ml of water. Bring this solution to the boil for 2 minutes, and allow to cool.
  • Put 3 cups of blackcurrants into a saucepan and just cover them with the syrup solution.
  • Cook them on a gentle heat until the fruit bursts. Now allow it to cool.
  • Purée with a blender or a processor and sieve the mixture with a nylon sieve. 
  • Add it to an equal quantity of softly whipped cream.
  • Pour it into a deep bowl. I use an old cut glass bowl that I inherited from my Godmother.
  • Decorate with a few whole blackcurrants and /or some blackcurrant leaves if you have them.
Spooning the Fool!


Cooks notes:
This recipe works just as well with gooseberries.
For a healthier option, use half cream and half good quality Greek yogurt..or Crème Fraiche.
The fool also looks good in individual glasses.
The syrup will keep for a week or two in the fridge.

Rory's tip:
The sugar syrup is also very useful for any number of cocktails!

18 July 2010

Raiding the Vegetable Patch!



I took time out last weekend to spin down home and raid the vegetable patch.  I didn't want to see all those fresh fruit and veg. going to waste while the parents were away. Dad has always worked hard at maintaining a good supply of the best potatoes, onions, lettuce, runner beans, gooseberries, blackcurrants, raspberries and courgettes, to name but a few. For as long as I remember we have been treated summer after summer by Dad to the freshest garden produce, with the support of a key ingredient - quality local manure!

The lettuce is always crunchier and more flavourful than anything I have ever bought.  The courgettes will range from baby to full-on marrows. And I will always make a particular effort to seek out the new potatoes.  At the age of 10 or so I remember being incredibly impressed by the combination of boiled new potatoes, real butter and little pinch of salt.  Prior to this I had no appreciation of salt's importance to bringing out the best in food.  It is still a summer favourite!   


The berries are put to good use too, with jams and fools making a particular mark at family gatherings and events.  Gooseberry fool is an essential addition to weekend desserts, and credit goes to the gooseberries as much as the lashings of cream.  The blackcurrant jam is likely to feature in sponge cakes or bakewell tarts throughout the rest of the year. 



10 July 2010

Presents from Provence

The parents are not long back from a couple of weeks in Provence (They are working on their guest blog contribution!).  Having covered around 4000km up and down the length of France, their holiday tax for myself and Claire included a beautiful selection of local saucisson.  The variety of flavours is truly amazing, with our little collection made up of a saucisson with figs, one with olives, one with lavender and one rolled in Provençal herbs.  Its this last one which played a central part of my pre-dinner snack tonight and it gets a big thumbs up from me.  The quality of texture and flavour is really fantastic.  More please!

Rosemary Garlic Potatoes




The great majority of my favourite recipes are ones that can just be thrown together with little or no care for weight or measurement.  For the evening that's in it - post-work, wet and just a bit mucky - I needed something simple to see me through the 3rd place World Cup match tonight.   

Chop up as many potatoes as you are hungry - not too small that they will dry out in the oven but not too big that they take too long to crisp up.  Lace the chips in olive oil, chop a few cloves of garlic into the mix and lots of fresh rosemary.  Add a little salt and pepper too.  Throw it all onto a hot baking tray and leave them in the oven - 200 degrees or so.  Generally about 45 minutes will do it, and tossing them half way through helps the crispiness. (A little cheese - Parmigiano Reggiano or just a bit of Dubliner cheddar - grated on top is a nice addition).


04 July 2010

Celebrating the 4th of July


It was too nice a day to let the 4th of July pass without a decent burger with all the extras...avocado, smoked rashers, gherkins, tomatoes, swiss Gruyère and a good squeeze of ketchup.  I did not quite go as far a making the burgers from scratch.....it's Sunday, a day of rest after-all.... so bought some of Fallon and Byrne's finest beef burgers. I did however put some effort into the chips....par-boiled and then double fried with a little seasoning at the end.  Fortunately I also had some great company on hand to help demolish the lot.