Wintery sweet treats!

I've put my baking head on recently. It's not something I've really done in a very long time (except for the odd 5 minute mug cake but more of that another time!!) and I am constantly surprising myself with just how easy it is, not to mention how satisfying. I have to admit the main reason I don't bake is becaused then I would have to eat all those lovely muffins, pies and puddings but ah well, it is Christmas!!

Homemade pastry is certainly something I have not made in a very long time and as my Mother-in-Law's pies are easily the best in the Northern hemisphere, I have indeed been daunted. But no more!! This recipe is from my trusty bible Prue Leith's Cookbook.

Mince pies - makes 12-24 depending on the size of your cutter!!

Jar of mincemeat (for me) and a jar of jam for the rest of the household
6oz plain flour
pinch of salt
3 1/2 oz of butter
1 egg yolk
2-3 tbspn very cold water

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and crumble with your fingers to a fine crumb. Mix 2 tbspns of very cold water to the egg yolk and add to the flour mixture. Start stirring with a rounded knife and then mix with one hand. Add a very small amount more of very cold water if the mixture is still dry but you will not need a great deal more. Do not overwork the pastry. Cover and place the dough in the fridge for half an hour.

Roll out, cut your bases out, place in a baking tray (pie tray), place a small amount of mincemeat or jam in and then place a smaller shape (circle of maybe a star, depending on your cutters) on top. Brush with milk. Place in a preheated oven - gas mark 6 - for 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove pies from the tray and place on a cooling rack until you can no longer bear it and then EAT! Mmmm...


We are also enjoying a homemade treacle sponge after Sunday lunch at the moment. So quick to whip and once again so satisfying, particularly on a gloomy winter's afternoon in front of the fire. Although you can steam treacle puddings, this baked recipe is a firm favourite - the sponge is lovely and soft with a crisp base and a wonderfully sticky topping of treacle. Best served with custard. Recipe to follow...

And talking of steamed puddings my Dad and I are in agreement; our family recipe for Spotted Dick is the one and only recipe for this particular dessert delight. No other recipe beats it. This is best served with cream (or custard if you must) and an extra dollop of treacle. Another recipe to follow!

Tasty muffins galore!

My son had an inset day from school, so I planned a day of activities to keep them entertained.

We started off with some baking sessions which worked a treat. First off, banana muffins which worked well as a breakfast treat and then some rather special blackberry and chocolate chunk muffins.

If you've never made muffins before, they are incredibly easy to make, with very good results. I have to admit that they taste much better on the day of baking but they do last well and freeze well too.

The blackberry recipe actually makes 18 muffins, so we weren't going to get through those in a day (although I was seriously tempted!!). This was also a good way of using up a glut of blackberries picked from the allotment and then frozen. I think the fact that they were semi defrosted when they went into the recipe may have helped the final outcome but I could be kidding myself! This recipe could be adapted to many other berries, I imagine, with similarly tasty results.

Banana muffins (makes 12)

200g (7 oz) plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 large bananas, mashed
150g (5 oz) caster sugar
1 egg
75g (2 1/2 oz) butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4 & place 12 paper cases in a muffin tin. Place the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in one bowl. Combine mashed bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter in another bowl. Fold in flour mixture and mix until smooth. Spoon evenly into baking cases. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until muffins spring back when lightly tapped.

So simple! I shall be making these again.

Courtesy of allrecipes.co.uk


Blackberry and chocolate chunk muffins (makes 18)

This recipe has been adapted by a recipe from the Goddess's Kitchen blog. It is a classic example of a muffin mix - combining all the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients and finally combining altogether. If you're using frozen fruit, allow it to defrost but not fully so that the fruit holds its shape when cooked.

250g blackberries (fresh or frozen)
30g bar of chocolate (milk, plain or white depending on taste)
2 eggs
240ml milk
120ml vegetable oil
200g caster sugar
375g plain flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
50g brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 200°C (gas mark 6, 400°F)  and put the baking cases into the muffin tray. Place the eggs, oil, sugar and milk in a large mixing bowl and beat together.
Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon and add to the wet mixture, stirring thoroughly. Smash the bar of chocolate into chunks - bigger than chocolate drops. Gently stir the chocolate and blackberries into the mixture. Spoon the mixture (about two thirds full) into the cases. Sprinkle sthe brown sugar over the tops of the muffins. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Delicious!!

A Sunday Lunch to look forward to!

A little squeal of excitement was heard in our housethis afternoon when I discovered that our favourite pub The Exeter Arms is going to be serving meals on Sundays now. I can't wait!

We've already sampled some of their amazing food which is locally sourced, freshly cooked and served with a smile: Their Great British tapas board is amazing - thick cut, skins-on chips served with a beautiful scotch egg, sausage roll, pork pie, all of which are homemade, a chunk of locally made cheese and a picallili which is probably the best I've ever tasted! We've also had a beetroot cured salmon served with wasabi cream (part of the fish board), a humous grazing board and a chip shop platter (fish and chips with a twist). Their burgers are calling me and I could go on... and on... and on...

It was borne from their micro brewery, The Dancing Duck and you're always guaranteed a good ale (or wine). It's a lovely welcoming traditional pub with roaring fires in the winter and a lovely courtyard to sup in, in the summer. They have bands playing regularly which I have yet to experience but all look interesting  and their Monday night quiz (Dr Pippen's Paradoxical Perlustrations - not as scary as it sounds!) packs the pub out.

You just can't fault the place and my only complaint is why can't there be more places like this that take their food, ales, environment and clientele seriously - with a cheeky twist. Oh and prices (as we must consider in these straightened times) are very good. Considering the standard, you're not going to get any better for your pounds!

Anyway, looking forward to trying a Sunday lunch there in the not too distant future!

A meal with friends

It's been a while since I posted unfortunately but this meal is worth writing about! We'd had a lazy day getting things ready for the evening which always help our creativity when putting a food together I think!

Chris had recently presented me with a lovely little book of ice cream recipes and browsing through I found a recipe for brown bread ice cream. It took me back to the times my parents made it for special occassions... excellent, that was pudding sorted! To top it off it's a very simple recipe which needs to be prepared hours before, leaving you more time for friends. If you've never had it before bear with me. It's a lovely delicate, toffee-like ice cream. Well, Phil came back for seconds so that says it all really!

I wasn't going to do a starter but Chris came back from a foraging expedition (some call it a trip to the supermarket I think) and proudly presented me with smoked duck breast; tiny, delicate slices of cured meat. We had a fresh seeded loaf which I thinly sliced and lightly toasted, placed a couple of slices of the duck on top, added a garnish of salad leaves and finished with a honey and walnut dressing.

Main course was a slow roasted affair which added to the general air of tranquility! Slow roasted pork with star anise, cinnamon and coca cola. Done right, the meat is tender and juicy and the crackling, well, crackles! This was served on a bed of wilted spinach which complemented the meat beautifully, together with roasted vegetables; carrot, parsnip and apple which had been tossed in olive oil, lemon juice and chilli flakes.

Honey and walnut dressing
100ml olive oil
50ml white wine or cider vinegar
50 ml runny honey
chopped walnuts
seasoning

Mix well and leave to marinate for half hour for all the lovely flavours to infuse.

Brown bread ice cream, serves 6-8
3 thick slices of brown bread
4 oz brown sugar
300ml double cream
150ml single cream
2 eggs separated
1 tbsp whisky, rum or brandy (optional) 

Crumb the bread in a processor, removing any difficult to crumb crusts. Spread on a baking tray and lightly toast, turning every few moments for an even toast. Leave to cool. Pour the cream into a bowl and whisk with the sugar until thick but not stiff. Separate the eggs and add the alcohol to the egg yolks, if using, mix and fold into the cream. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and add to the cream mixture together with the breadcumbs. Pour into a freezer container and freeze for at least 4 hours. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving and enjoy!

I actually couldn't taste the rum when I made it, so maybe add another tablespoon but you have to be careful as alcohol will prevent it from freezing if too much is used. Other flavours to add could be honey or ginger. And I may try a version where some of the brown sugar is mixed in with the breadcumbs when they're toasting for an extra toffee explosion...

And a note to self: I must invest in some walnut oil!!

Tea, dinner or supper?

A typically British dilemma: What do you call your evening meal?

There are many variations and the current "en vogue" evening meal with friends is the country or kitchen supper. Sounds a little poncy to me.

I was brought up having lunch then dinner. After all you have a brunch but you don't have a brinner (A mid-morning meal combining breakfast with lunch)! Since having children (& probably because I'm married to a Yorkshire man) I've noticed myself saying tea more and more often when talking about our evening meal. This is probably also down to the fact that "tea-time" is around 5.30 - 6 o'clock to accommodate the kid's bedtime. I guess, if we decide to eat after they've gone to bed, it's supper but we still call it dinner...

Tea and supper to me, sound like lighter affairs. Maybe an omelette, a salad or a bowl of pasta. Dinner to me is a heavier meal with more thought and preparation behind it that's served ata more adult-friendly time.

So I guess I'm saying that if it's a lighter meal and it's earlier or later in the evening it is tea or supper respectively. If you go for a more substantial meal which you sit down to eat at say 7 o'clock, it's dinner. Complicated isn't it?

And then there's the inviting of friends to share food. I don't think you invite a group of friends round for tea - although the children's friends would come for tea - and we don't invite our friends around for supper be it country or kitchen, so we do invite them round for dinner. But it's not a dinner party. No, too formal!

Any thoughts?

A weekend of eating out

We were in Cheltenham this weekend. A beautiful place that we've never visited before. We had actually gone to visit friends who kindly gave us a tour.

We had lunch at O'Neills - more for convenience and a pleasant outside eating area. I don't think any of us expected much. The menu looked interesting and we soon ordered a 'light' lunch. When the waitress took our empty plates away she asked the obligatory question "Was everything alright for you?" We replied "Yes, thank you... actually!". She laughed and said she heard that a lot! So there you go! O'Neils is good for a tasty, affordable lunch. Whether it was because it was a Cheltenham O'Neils remains to be seen...

The following day we met some other friends for Sunday lunch at The Flowerpot in Derby, a real ale pub which puts on regular gigs. The kitchens have changed management a few times in recent times and although the last time we had Sunday lunch there it was OK, it wasn't a meal that would have made me return (think too much mashed potato and overcooked veg).



This time it was one woman on her own and our table of 10, plus whoever else was eating there at the time. The veg was not over cooked or under cooked,so just right! The gravy was tasty, the yorkshire puddings seemed ok... no mashed potato (not my idea of a good SD supplement). Perhaps the only critiscm would be that there wasn't enough meat and maybe it was slightly overcooked but the gravy compensated for that. For the price, we'll be back!

Mushroom risotto

Even my husband, The Meat Eater, enjoyed this without once stating that "there's something missing"!

Serves 2 as a main meal or 4 as a starter

Half an onion finely chopped
Stick celery finely chopped
Oil for frying
100 - 150g mushrooms
3 tbsps of fresh herbs 
50 ml white wine or vermouth
risotto rice
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1l of vegetable or chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
50-75g fresh or frozen peas
A large knob of butter (50g approx.)
100g cheese

Bread (sliced)
garlic clove
olive oil
tomato

Finely chop the onion and celery and sautee gently in a wide bottomed pan or a frying pan with a lid, until soft and transparent. Add the mushrooms and half of the fresh herbs - I used thyme and lemon balm this time. Next, add the rice. Stir, coating evenly with the vegetables.

Once the rice has started to turn transparent (a couple of minutes), turn the heat up and add the wine or vermouth. Allow the liquor to absorb and then add the garlic, stir and add a ladle of stock. Keep stirring the rice until it has absorbed the liquid and add another ladle of stock. Taste the liquid as you're stirring and adjust seasoning accordingly. As I used a homemade chicken stock, it needed 3 pinches of salt and a good twist of black pepper. Add the peas after about 10 minutes.

Carry on stirring and adding stock, until the rice is almost cooked but with some bite to it and you are happy with the seasoning. When it reaches this stage, turn the heat off and add the butter, the rest of the chopped herbs and half the cheese. Put the lid on and leave for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, stir well then dish up, placing the rest of the cheese on top.

The trick with risotto, I feel, is to use plenty of stock, to continually taste and adjust
the seasoning and to not overcook the rice - there should be a slight bite to it.

This can be served with a slice of toasted bread. Once toasted, drizzle with olive oil and rub with half a clove of garlic, followed by half a tomato.

A simple side salad of chopped tomatoes drizzled in olive oil with chopped garlic would also work well with this.

Enjoy!

Campfire cooking

 We still want tasty, healthy yet simple to produce food even when we're camping. With 2 stove tops, a grill and a barbecue to hand, we have to be more creative than usual. The beautiful thing about camping is that invariably we are close to good produce - farm shops etc. Shopping tends to be done daily due to lack of storage, so at least produce is fresh. Salads, bread, rice, pasta, packet cous cous are all good staples along with the obligatory sausages, bacon, eggs, tinned tomatoes and beans...

Favourite Camping Recipes
 A favourite start to a camping trip (after a hard drive and even harder setting up) is chilli con carne which I've made previously and frozen. The idea being that it defrosts on the way down AND helps to keep the cool bag cool... Serve with crusty bread or rice.

 This next idea is very simple - chopping up whatever veg is available (preferably onions and peppers, at least), frying off with chorizo, adding tinned tomatoes and serving with, rice, pasta or bread. You could also break an egg per person into the simmering mixture, serving once cooked.

 As long as you take (or buy) a fairly decent oil and vinegar, a few dried herbs & spices, garlic, stock cubes, salt, pepper and maybe tomato/brown sauce, you can't go wrong. The fresh air always makes the food even tastier anyway!

 Pasta with a tomato sauce, chicken curry with rice, lamb or beef mince kebabs or chicken kebabs served with salad, pitta or cous cous... You can also make stove top stews with new potatoes. Just buy good cubed lamb, beef or chicken, add tinned beans maybe, tomatoes, seasonings, chopped veg and serve with bread or rice maybe.

Hot dogs and burgers are easy enough to throw together. Maybe boil some sweetcorn cobs and barbecue some vegetable kebabs. Halloumi is an excellent addition to a barbecue. It's good marinaded in an oil with herbs and grilled, fried or added to your veg kebabs. It's salty flavour is moreish and it's meaty enough to satisfy any appetite!

You can also serve pies and quiches with salad or put together a ploughmans with eggs, pork pie and of course, lots of cheese.

Tasty snacks, whilst watching the sun go down which are both tasty and simple could be fresh bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping, hoummous and breadsticks, olives

For a good Sunday Roast find your nearest decent hostelry, order a pint and sit back!!

Family camping

 Camping is certainly a favourite way for us to spend time together as a family and see different parts of the country.

 My love for the UK is developing as we travel. Although I would happily board a plane to sunnier climes, there is always something utterly compelling that brings us back time and again to camping. When the weather is behaving itself, the views, the air, the beautiful spaces that make up this country are all worth it.

At the end of 2010 we took advantage of a sale (and my husband's redundancy money) and purchased our fanciest tent yet. It's got good sized bedrooms for our little, yet growing family and a good living area with (ha ha!) windows - and curtains!!! Gone are the days when I would sneer at anyone who didn't use a bed roll mat... We are the Family With Luxuries now. With a young family and UK weather, I have to admit it makes sense. I would never leave my airbed at home now and we even have facilities for hook-up now. Our morning cuppa is ready in moments, and, if we have the energy, we can stay up to the small hours enjoying the peace and quiet. Have to admit though, I'm not long behind the kids when it comes to camping bedtimes!

 Last year we took advantage of the tent no less than five times. Our maiden trip was to a favourite local haunt, Hulme End, near Hartington and the Manifold Valley in the Peaks. An absolutely stunning, and popular location.

Manifold Inn, Hulme End

 There are 2 campsites in the teensy village and we always choose the site behind the Manifold Inn. It is very basic and very cheap but we tend to go there for a couple of nights only at a time. There is plenty to do if you enjoy walking and cycling (it is conveniently placed at one end of the Manifold Trail) and the pub is an excellent find. Good ales, a fantastic menu and a charming beer garden. It's only a couple of miles from the lovely and popular  village of Hartington which is worth a visit. Can't recommend the place enough.

 Our next trip was a Busman's Holiday really. I work for a magazine publishing company and it was their annual Crich Festival for boat owners. I worked and Chris and the kids wandered about the site enjoying what the show had to offer...

The miniature railway at Orchard Farm, Filey 

This was followed by a weekend in Filey, North Yorkshire. Our group of friends is becoming more and more far-flung and we decided to meet up for a weekend of camping, kids, food and the odd drink. Or two.

Again, a lovely site and we were lucky with the weather. Orchard Farm was spot on, with excellent facilities; lovely site for the kids and it accommodated the (drunken) adults pretty well too!

Not having been to Filey in a very long time, we had a recce to the beach front and were pleasantly surprised by both the beach and the town. It's a lovely old fashioned beachside town and the park located very near to the beach is attractive and has lots for the kids to do. We enjoyed it so much that we vowed to make it an annual event. Unfortunately it's looking like this weather is putting pay to that idea this year...

Our fourth camping trip took us to a fantastic site in Cornwall. Treveague Farm, on the Rose Peninsular below St Austell, is wonderful and we're looking forward to our return visit later on this year. We had a fantastic pitch overlooking the bay which was good for sunsets and early morning mists. 

View from Treveague Farm, Gorran

Although a working farm, it is very much a campsite; friendly and with excellent facilities, a lovely cafe serving locally reared produce, coupled with a little farm shop and restaurant. Throughout the summer months they put on entertainment for the children - story time in the Teepee by a local storyteller -and a barn dance. There is also a hide for viewing the badger family which is very popular and the only place on the entire site where the kids are quiet for long periods! It is well placed for some amazing and not overly populated beaches. You can walk to some of the beaches but last year when we visited our little girl was eighteen months old, so these were largely off-limits to us. We had a brilliant time. Have I said that already?

Our final trip of the year took us to the Gower Peninsular, South Wales.

Rhossili Bay, Gower Peninsular

It's not an area that I was familiar with before and I was thoroughly amazed by the beautiful landscapes we encountered, from driving through the moors to get to our campsite, Bank Farm, Horton, to the the stunning beach at Rhossili Bay. The weather was very typical for Wales I must admit, although we were lucky for our trip to the beach.

Camping once more on a beach headland proved extremely hair raising at times due to some inclement (to put it mildly) weather. It was the only time I have ever felt unsafe when camping, so maybe next time we visit, it might have to be self-catering!

The campsite wasn't the best site we've ever been to. It had all the facilities you could need; swimming pool, laundrette, shop and bar but the bar in particular was grotty to say the least. There was some building work going on, so that may be behind them.

We also visited the picturesque Heritage Centre on the way to Swansea which is packed full of things to do. Adults and kids alike enjoyed it here (don't be put off by it's frontage from the road, it is huge, on a long site backing away from the road). We shall most certainly be returning to this stunning area too!

The allotment is trying to beat us...

 It's been a while since the family have managed to get to the allotment, largely because of the rain but also because we have been busy.

 Any how those weeds are back! We wore suitably sheepish looks on our faces, together with determination.

 We packed the kids up (having been swimming to wear them out and it worked!). On arrival, Chris cooked some sausages on the camping stove in the shed whilst I got stuck into the weeds (again) and the kids ran around screaming "We're hungry!!". The sausage cobs did their job beautifully and Chris & I got properly stuck into the weeds, largely looked on by Chairman Dave (don't ask).

 What we don't have in time, we have bucket loads of, in enthusiasm and did a pretty good job of clearing a large part of the site once more of the weeds and dug up a healthy amount of onions. Unfortunately because of the weather some had perished, as too had a large amount of potatoes. Chris did manage to pull enough potatoes up for our dinner. And then our helpful neighbour strimmered them. Humph. Didn't do too much damage fortunately and they still did us well for dinner.

 Having had a late night on Saturday celebrating a friend's birthday, then the swimming in the morning and a lot of hard work at the allotment, I was shattered by dinner time! It was a happy, peaceful shattered so I made the decision to have an early night. When I arrived at work the following day my chipper demeanour was commented on. I have to say that exercise such as this is the best tonic for everything!! I felt fantastic, rejuvenated and raring to go. Now that 'summer' is here and me and my daughter have got a bit of spare time, I hope to be able to put a good few more hours in at the allotment and reap the rewards!

Carrot and coriander salad

Another salad to help your barbecue go with a bang!

2-4 carrots, grated
500 ml olive oil
coriander seeds

Grate the carrot. Heat a frying pan and add the seeds. When they start popping, add them to the carrot with the olive oil. Stir and serve.

Tomato and garlic salad: a firm favourite

Some more salads whilst I think about it! This one is a real crowd pleaser (stolen from our friend Robin). Goes beautifully with barbecued meats.

Version 1
200g tomatoes (sweet and juicy preferably)
2-4 cloves of garlic
salt
100ml olive oil
black pepper

Chop the tomatoes up and place in a bowl. Add the chopped garlic, oil, pinch of salt and pepper, mix and leave to chill for an hour. Serve.

Version 2
200g tomatoes
2-4 cloves of garlic
100ml olive oil
30-40ml balsamic vinegar / lemon juice
black pepper
salt

Chop the tomatoes up and place in a bowl. Add the chopped garlic, vinegar, oil, pinch of salt and pepper, mix and leave to chill for an hour. Serve.

Summer salads & salad dressing

I look forward to summer particularly for all the lovely fresh salads we can throw together... unfortunately with this year's British summer, salads are much lower down on our food desires list than I would like.

Yesterday we enjoyed a simple roast chicken with boiled potatoes fresh from the allotment and a very tasty salad of freshly picked leaves from the garden, tomatoes, cucumber, pak choi, red and green peppers, salad onions, home grown radishes and a vinaigrette.

Today being Monday or as it is known in this house, Leftovers Day (or The Day After A Roast), we finished off the chicken (roasted once more in the oven for half hour on a good high heat, to heat it through and make the skin beautifully crisp).

I served it with a lemon and garlic cous cous and a salad of radishes, raw cauliflower, green beans and salad leaves. This was finished off with an olive oil and lemon juice dressing - beautiful! It tasted very light and fresh and if we shut our eyes we could even pretend it was summer!

Lemon juice and olive oil dressing
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
pinch salt
black pepper

Combine the olive oil and lemon juice and season. Drizzle over salad. This works particularly well with radishes, raw cauliflower and green beans for a light and zesty flavour.

You could also add grated parmesan for another element.

Delicious croissant bread and butter pudding

This is actually made with croissants, so there's no bread and no butter. It's not very often that we have stale croissants in this house but I have to say, it's worth it. I think it's wonderful!!

4 stale crosssaints
Raisins, fruit peel, chocolate chips, nuts (combination or a choose one that takes your fancy)
300 ml milk
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 dessert spoons of sugar
good pinch of cinnamon
1 tsp of vanilla extract (optional)

Break the croissants into large chunks and place in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with your choice of raisins, peel, choc chips and / or nuts. We had raisins on one half and choc chips on the other half to please everyone.

Beat the eggs together and add the milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Pour over the croissants and leave to stand for at least 30 minutes.

Bake in the oven (gas mark 4, 180C / 350F) for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Serve with custard, ice cream or cream.

You could soak the fruit in an alcohol, whisky, rum or brandy perhaps and maybe add an irish cream to the milk for that little extra something!

Gnocchi with gorgonzola and walnuts

We're relative newcomers to gnocchi but so glad we've discovered it finally! This is certainly a favourite supper dish. And once again, lovely and simple!

Gnocchi
200ml single cream
50 ml white wine
125g gorgonzola (or other blue cheese - stilton, shropshire blue etc)
Black pepper
Grated nutmeg
50g walnuts
Rocket leaves to serve

In one pan boil water. Once it is boiling add gnocchi. When it floats, it's ready.

Meanwhile place the cream in another pan over a low heat. Once it has warmed though, add the wine and stir. Add the crumbled cheese and stir until melted. Season with black pepper and nutmeg. Just before serving add the walnuts. Stir through the gnocchi and serve with some rocket leaves.

Sunday lunch at Mr Grundy's

We were meeting friends for lunch and needed to eat somewhere tasty that accommodated children and didn't serve carvery. Mr Grundy's has a reputation for good Sunday lunches and their beer garden is good enough for the kids to run around.

The website recommends that you book a table because their lunches are so popular. The power of words eh? There was only one other table in the restaurant section that was occupied, although I think another table filled up as we were leaving. To be fair there were a few other people dotted about who were tucking into their meals. The decor was also shabby; fittings in the bathroom were missing and outdated.


The menu was very basic which makes a pleasant change. The Sunday menu is a choice of beef, pork, chicken and for the adults, lamb shank. There was also a vegetarian lasagne option (& something else which escapes me at the moment). It arrived fairly promptly. Three of us ordered the lamb shank, two had the beef and the two youngest had chicken. The gravy was an inspid affair which seemed to serve all meats. The meat was served with roast potatoes, boiled potatoes, yorkshire puddings (good where they weren't burnt), carrots, frozen peas and sweetorn, boiled cabbage (think school dinners). I like my veg but this wasn't appealing. The roast potatoes were ok but as my husband said, so crispy that they were chewy. And one of his boiled potatoes was rotten all the way through. The beef wasn't up to much and the kids roast chicken turned out to be half a chicken breast that was so well done it was rubbery and difficult to chew. Portions were big and we didn't even opt for the Big Plate. The only good thing I think I can say was that the lamb shank was lovely and prices weren't too bad at £7.95 for adults and £3.95 for kids.


We did decide to have a pudding which were good traditional offerings; apple pie, spotted dick, chocolate fudge cake, jam roly poly, treacle sponge served with either cream, custard or ice cream . The puds went down well!


They did ask if everything was ok once we'd eaten but as it was pointed out, what could they do about it if we'd already paid upfront?


On the plus side, they now operate a micro brewery and they have 4 or 5 of their own beers on tap. These were good and went down well! So if you're looking for a decent pint in the sun you wouldn't do too badly there.


Disappointing and we won't be going there again. The search goes on.

Eating out

We enjoy our food and we enjoy cooking but it doesn't mean that we don't like to eat out. Indeed when we eat something good or see an inspiring menu, all the better! Unfortunately, not every meal you pay for is of a reasonable standard. By reasonable standard I mean quality of ingredients and the little quirks / touches that turn a good meal into something memorable and outstanding. Simplicity is often the key.


We live in Derby (UK). It's a small city but has plenty of cafes, restaurants, pubs and so on. Unfortunately, few really hit the spot with us. We can categorise them into value for money, easy dining (everyone likes it, generally chains), global cuisine (Indian, Thai, Chinese, Mexican...), which got us thinking... Why not rate our meals and find out what others think.


We have a group agreement that one of the best Sunday lunches we ever had was a little pub on the A39 on the Cornish/Devon border, The Old Wainhouse Inn. It has become our benchmark for a good quality, well priced, Sunday lunch. The meat was served as it should be; the beef was medium rare, the root veg was roasted and the yorkshire puddings were spot on. The only downside was that we had discovered it the day before our holiday ended. Good reason to go back though!


So where do we go in Derby?


The Mundy Arms on the Ashbourne Road can be a little hit and miss / overpriced but I enjoyed my last meal there; a kind of falafel burger but my husband was disappointed with his meal and sent it back... So maybe that's not a recommendation!


We actually had a fantastic steak meal at the local Beefeater, The Mallard, which surprised us; it would have been a little on the expensive side had it not been for the Father's Day offer though. They did serve Campo Viejo as the rioja, so that adds a point or two!


Our local, Ye Olde Spa Inn has been known to do a decent carvery (I know, a contradiction in terms, some might say!) but management has changed on a fairly regular basis, so jury's out on that one. As you can tell from the places I have mentioned, children have to be accommodated and 'good food plus children' seems to be a little difficult. It's quite possible to serve good food and accommodate children. After all, if they're enjoying their food, and lets face it they can be as discerning as any adult, it's a winning combination.

We tend to go to chain restaurants when eating with the kids because they will cater for them in every way and provide good value for money. To that end, we shall be road-testing the relatively new-to-Derby Ask. Their online menu looks good but of course, the proof is in the pudding!


The Greyhound is a fairly recent newcomer to the good food guide of Derby and we're hoping to visit there in the near future so I will report back! And on the theme of looks good but yet to try, there is The Exeter Arms. Looking forward to trying them out!


Top quality independent local restaurants are: Zest, Le Bistrot Pierre's (Pierre's) and of course Darleys. My favourite cafe is Jack Rabbits which serve wonderfully large portions of homemade cake. Last time I had a slice there I had to miss lunch - it kept me going all day, even with 2 kids to run round after!


I would be interested to hear what other people think of Derby restaurants and keep us up to date on new and up-and-coming places to eat.

Recent review: Mr Grundy's

Beetroot, walnut, black pudding and goats cheese salad

 Fresh beetroot from the allotment provided inspiration for todays salad.


 This is definately a GU favourite salad of ours - ideal as a starter or light lunch. If it's a lunch (or supper) add some lovely fresh bread. I like walnut bread but whatever takes your fancy! As usual this is in large part whatever is available so it's rarely the same when I put it together.


Quantities are down to how hungry you are...
Salad leaves - rocket or lollo rosso maybe
beetroot, boiled and sliced thinly
Goats cheese
Black pudding
Red onion thinly sliced
Walnuts
Balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
Black pepper


Prepare the ingredients by chopping into bite-sized chunks or thin slices. Lay the leaves, onion, beetroot and cheese on a plate. Fry the black pudding until turning crispy on the edges. Add the walnuts to the pan a minute before serving to lightly toast. Add to the salad leaves, toss. Drizzle with the vinegar or lemon juice and add the pepper. Serve.


Alternative ideas could be;
Adding chopped apple or pear (fry this with the black pudding)
Swap the walnuts for hazlenuts
Try stilton (particularly white stilton) or feta

An allotment supper of creamy pea and bacon pasta

We had a lovely GU supper courtesy of our allotment in part; very simple and very tasty. I'm pleased to say that my efforts in weeding the strawberry patch have paid off too!

We started with a creamy bacon and pea pasta dish (serves 2)

Pasta - enough for 2
Bacon, 5 rashers, grilled
Peas - a decent handful
Olive oil
Lemon juice approx. dessert spoon
Black pepper
Chilli flakes 1/2-1 tsp and/or crushed clove of garlic (optional)
Cream 200ml
Grated parmesan

Boil the pasta. If you're using fresh peas, just pop them, but if they are frozen add to the pasta a couple of minutes before it has cooked through. Drain the pasta, add a good glug of olive oil, lemon juice & black pepper (and chilli flakes and/or garlic if you wish). Add chopped up crispy bacon, cream and the fresh peas and stir well to coat the pasta. Serve with freshly grated parmesan.

The fresh peas really lift this dish. Our only criticism was that we could have had more peas but as our 2 year old daughter got wind of them, stocks were fairly depleted... ah well!!

To follow, it had to be a big bowl of freshly picked strawberries and cream of course. Lovely!

Brisket curry

So tasty! This kept the kids very quiet until their plates were clean.
(Leftover) brisket
1 onion finely chopped and
2 garlic cloves
Root ginger - about 1" finely chopped / grated
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli powder (or to taste)
1 tbsp tomato paste
500ml boiled water
half tin of tomatoes
Mushrooms
Handful of red lentils
1-2 tbsp of mango chutney
1/2 tsp salt
Fry onion slowly to golden brown. Add garlic, ginger and spices. Fry for a minute. Add tomato paste, liquid and tinned tomatoes. Shred brisket, add to mixture, coat and stir. Add mushrooms, lentils, chutney and salt. If this is with a fresh joint of brisket, leave in the slow cooker for 3-4 hours on medium to high. If this is with leftover brisket, cook through for 20-30 minutes. Top up with liquid if needed. Serve with basmati rice and warm chapatis.

Tasty tuna pasta bake

Lovely comfort food! Quick and easy to make and use whatever you have in your cupboards or fridge. 
Serves 3-4
Pasta
1 onion (finely chopped)
Red wine - approx 100ml
1 tbsp tomato paste
Chilli powder to taste
3-4 sundried tomatoes (finely chopped)
Handful of black olives and/or capers (optional)
Tin of tuna
Half a tin of sweetcorn
Grated cheese for topping

Pre-heat oven to gas mark 5.

Boil pasta. Whilst the pasta is boiling, fry the onion gently. When it turns golden brown, add wine and de-glaze. Keep frying until the onions are soft and sticky. Add the tomato paste, chilli powder, sundried tomatoes, olives and capers if using. Fry for one minute. Once pasta has boiled, drain, add sweetcorn, tuna and onion mixture. Combine in ovenproof dish, top with cheese and bake until golden brown (about 25 mins).

Chocolate Torte

This is very much like a torte but with the digestive biscuit base, it's very similar to a cheesecake. It sounds (and looks) pretty heavy and rich but is in fact... well, simply perfection. Not too chocolatey, not too creamy or sickly. This may be down to the type of chocolate used. It's an 81% dark chocolate from Lidl. Whilst holding onto the distinctly bitter note of a quality chocolate, it still manages to be smooth and very pleasant to eat. Serve with red berries and a dusting of icing sugar. Divine.

For the base
80g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
60g dark (70-85% cocoa solids) chocolate
225g digestive biscuits

For the filling
180g dark (70% cocoa solids) chocolate, broken into pieces
180g unsalted butter
4 medium eggs
180g dark muscavado sugar
180ml double cream
Creme fraiche to serve

Preheat the oven to 180C / gas mark 4.

For the base melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until melted and combined. Add the crushed biscuits.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 23cm loose-based tin. Put the base in the tin, press it down and chill for half an hour.

Melt the butter and dark chocolate for the filling. Blend the eggs, sugar and cream. Allow the melted chocolate mixture to cool. Once cool (the cream will curdle otherwise) add the melted chocolate mixture and blend again, making sure that the sugar is mixed in.

Pour the filling over the chilled base. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes until firm. Allow to cool and then serve. Enjoy!

Courtesy of Millie Charters, Green and Blacks

Return to weedy mountain

I saw clear blue skies this morning. They filled me with hope and wonder...


 We went to the allotment yesterday for Father's Day. It's been a week or 2 since we were last there as we'd been working on our garden instead. Having spent several back-breaking hours weeding on our last visit, I was shocked and dismayed to see a sea of knee-high weeds covering the entire plot. And it's a large plot. Scattered amongst them were the begnnings of the new season's crops. Two hours later we had unearthed about half of the plot.

Oh dear...

And several hours hard graft later!

 The weather has been damp recently, to say the least. We are fast approaching mid summer and by this time last year, we had had a bumper crop of big, fat, sweet and oh-so-juicy strawberries. This year they are still green and some are already turning to mush. Today has been dry and hopefully the weeding has allowed the rays to penetrate and make those little emeralds turn into big fat rubies. I keep my fingers crossed.


 We have been successful with the onions (red and white) and garlic. There is a sweet, pungent all-pervading scent in the air which makes me feel content. The shallots are not looking so promising but never mind. You win some, you lose some.


 As it was Father's day and the weather was holding out, we put in as much time as we could at the allotment. The kids were happy, running amok, eating picnics, chatting to the neighbours. By the time we were ready to leave it was all I could do to put one leg in front of the other. Fortunately I had booked us a table at the local pub. We'd not been there before but their offer of a free steak for Dad was too tempting to ignore. We were all famished. The service was good, the steak was spot on and the rioja was excellent. The kid's were worn out and easily distracted and it made for a very pleasant evening all round. Couldn't fault it.

Sourdough

I really have to try this recipe out for sourdough. Never having tried it before, the idea never appealed. That, and the bizarre way of nurturing the 'mother'! Then I tried some that someone had made for  a party recently and I am hooked! It's not like any other bread that I've tasted and so more-ish! The fact that there is always some ready to start once you've established it means that you should never run out and, of course, you can never beat freshly baked bread.

My husband was given a bread maker as a birthday present from my parents a few years ago and once he got into the swing of it, we were having fresh bread every day. Unfortunately the habit was broken and we're back to buying bread. I hope that once we've begun the sourdough 'mother', that we'll be up and running again. I shall post the results!!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/xanthe-clay/8360013/Laura-Harts-sourdough-bread-recipe.html