Optimist after lunch

Brussel sprouts with pomegranate

2009-11-15T20:14:00.007Z

I'm one of those many, perhaps tiresome people who don't like brussel sprouts. There's something about them that is just too much, rather stinky, like strong blue cheese must be to those people who don't like strong blue cheese. I've often thought it a shame-one less winter vegetable to eat, and I love their appearance, like a doll's house cabbage. And James adores them so, selflessly, I decided to try this recipe!

I must say that if ever one were to be converted to the sprout cause, this would be a good recipe to do it with. It's pretty appearance entices one, and the dressing is lovely. It disguises much of the taste I don't like about sprouts whilst leaving a pleasant texture. We ate them with the Pometgranate and honey-glazed lamb noisettes I posted yestereday and they complemented the dish admirably. But I'm afraid next time I will still be using this lovely recipe with a different sort of green. But sprout lovers, you will be in heaven.

Recipe

Adapted from Ottolenghi in the Guardian Christmas food special 2008

1. Cut the brussel sprouts into two lengthways.

2. Fry using olive oil on a medium heat for about 5 minutes until al dente with a golden brown outside. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

3. Fry 4-5 chopped spring onions for 2-3 minutes. Add to the sprouts.

4. Mix together 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the grated zest of one lemon and the seeds of half a pomegranate. Add this mixture to the warm vegetables and toss well. Can be served warm or cold.

Pomegranate and honey glazed lamb noisettes

2009-11-14T20:42:00.000Z

Diana Henry is one of my culinary heroes and in Cook Simple she has done the near impossible; really quick cooking that is still interesting and tasty, full of recipes you don't already have scattered across other books. This recipe is one of her best.

This sort of recipe is all about the meat and Savin Hill are one of my favourite producers of lamb, mutton and pork. They didn't disappoint. This part of my meal was ready in less than ten minutes actual work (and an extra couple of hours for the marinade).

1. Mix together 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses, 1 tablespoons of honey, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, two finely chopped cloves of garlic and 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper. Coat the lamb well and leave for 0-24 hours; whatever is most convenient.

2. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan and cook the lamb for about 3 minutes on each side on a moderate heat (thus avoiding burning the marinade).

3. Serve-I did them with potato wedges and a brussel sprout and pomegranate salad.

Apple sauce and a polenta cake

2009-11-13T19:51:00.000Z

I wondered what to post since I hadn't eaten in the house even once today, so I thought I'd just do a quick one showing what else I've done with the apples that I didn't think warranted a full post (NaBloWriMo makes you think on your feet).

I made four jars of apple sauce and used a water bath to sterilise them for the first time (thanks to my brand new stock pot from Lakeland!). I intend to make, amongst other things, David Lebowitz's granola, Tartelette's apple and vanilla souffle and Orangette's apple bundt cake.

I also made a Bolegnese apple and polenta cake from Jamie's Italy. I love this book, but I wasn't convinced by this particular cake. Jamie described it in clafoutis terms but mine turned out with a rather rubbery texture-I may have cooked it too long but in that case I blame his cooking temperature/times! In any case, what attracted my to recipe was the use of polenta, having previously made an amazing orange and polenta cake, but I couldn't really taste its use in this recipe. I still have plenty of apples so may try to make my own apple and polenta cake that is more to my taste.

Chicory and apple salad

2009-11-12T19:59:00.004Z

I don't get around to making salads nearly as often as I ought to-every time I do I am reminded of how refreshing they are, especially when eaten as I prefer, immediately after the main part of the meal. I was thinking early that chicory had effortless cool to it, like a french actress, then I realised that I may be being subconsciously swayed by the word "chic" being it's first syllable..! I think this challenge is addling my brain...

But anyway, for some reason I prefer autumn and winter salads to their seemingly more natural summer counterparts-chicory in particular excites me in a way mere lettuce doesn't. And as long as there's also a hot component to the evening meal on cold winter evenings like this, why leave salads to the summer months?

1. Toast a handful of walnuts in a dry frying pan, or in a low-medium oven until you can smell them. Allow to cool slightly (or thoroughly, if you have the time).

2. Fry half a red onion (chopped) in olive oil until thoroughly soft. Add a good 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Allow to cool slightly.

3. Thinly slice 2 eating apples and toss them in the juice of half a (small) lemon for taste and to prevent discolouration.

4. Roughly break up 2 handfuls of chicory leaves.

5. Mix the chicory and apple slices together thoroughly.

6. Arrange the mixture on your plate, followed by the red onion, walnuts and about 100g of small feta chunks. Drizzle olive oil liberally over the salad. You can also sprinkle over some finely chopped parsley if you have any.

Moroccan-style fish stew

2009-11-11T15:52:00.003Z

I've been cooking this for a long time, since I first moved away from home and before any real interest in cooking developed (as opposed to eating, I was always interested in that!). It's one of the few meals that have survived in my reportoire from that time, the rest having been discarded either because they were boring, or because they were things that my mother taught me at home that I've since decided make more sense being cooked for a family rather than for one or two. It shows an initial interest in the sort of cooking I love to do now, but can be simplified for the simplest of stock cupboards. If you prefer, you can leave out the chickpeas, possibly double the amount of fish used, and serve with rice. I'm pretty sure I initially saw this recipe on a tv programme, but anything more detailed than that has been lost to the mists of time-do tell if you recognise it!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 white skinned fish fillet (~250g) or a handful of prawns
200g canned chickpeas (or 100g dried, already soaked and fully cooked)
400g tin of tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 inch fresh ginger (or 1tsp ground)
1tsp cumin
1tsp turmeric
1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 tsp ground)
1tsp honey
pinch of dried chilli/paprika
flaked almonds (optional)
fresh parsley/coriander (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat some olive oil in a large pan and add the onions and garlic. Fry until softened.

2. Add all the spices and cook for a minute or two, stirring.

3. Add the tin of tomatoes and cook for ten minutes.

4. Add the fish fillet, cut into chunks, and cook for 5 minutes until tender. If using prawns cook for less.

5. Add the chickpeas and the honey and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

6. Optional: garnish with fresh coriander and flaked almonds (toasted for a few minutes in a dry frying pan until golden brown).

Pain perdu with buttery apples

2009-11-10T15:32:00.002Z

Another busy day, with a craving for something sweet at the end of it... when this happens in my house, pain perdu is usually made. Provided you have the ingredients to hand (and you're likely to), it's a fast, fuss-free pudding that makes me groan with greed. And of course, this month, it was served with apples slices fried in butter.

Serves 2.

Recipe

1. Whisk one egg with 75ml double cream and 1 tablespoon sugar. If you want you can add a dash of alcohol (brandy, rum, whisky...) to the mixture.

2. Dunk four slices of bread into the eggy mixture and leave for 5 minutes. Any white bread can be used for this dish as long as you can readily imagine it in a sweet situation! Brioche is commonly used but I love it with a plain country bread or my raisin-studded breakfast loaf. If you're using a crusty bread then you may need to cut the crusts off first. Softer crusts can be left on and will add to the texture of the dish.

3. If you want to have fried apple slices too, then melt a knob of butter in the frying pan and cook as many peeled slices as you want. Turn them onto the other side once slightly golden, them place them in the oven on lowest heat to keep them warm whilst you fry the bread.

4. Add another knob of butter to the frying pan and cook the bread slices until golden on each side. You may need to add more butter as you go.

5. These are perfect on their own, or with sugar/icing sugar sifted over the top and a dollop of clotted cream or sweeted mascarpone on the side.

Crusty pumpkin and mushroom

2009-11-09T18:48:00.005Z

Day Nine of NaBloWriMo and I nearly didn't make it today-a job interview some miles away took up most of the day and then I returned to practically the whole weekend's washing up. But this little blue squash has been patiently waiting to be cooked and I knew just the recipe-and it tasted so good I decided to post it despite the dire photo of the end result. I used to think I didn't like pumpkin or squash, and I'm only remedying that this autumn. I can find them rather too sweet, which in the right recipe (like a middle eastern pilaf with dried fruit) can be lovely but I wanted a rather savoury approach tonight.

This Ottolenghi recipe caught my eye for pairing squash with savoury mushroom, rather than tomatoes or the other sweet vegetables it is so often combined with. I also found this blue squash had to my mind a superior flavour to the orange varieties-less sweet and denser so it held up well to roasting and was a perfect match to the mushroom, although most varieties of squash will work well here and the original recipe does call for pumpkin. I am falling in love with the use of breadcrumbs in cooking (and have been putting pangrattato on top of practically all my pasta and risotto meals); as well as adding texture to a meal they carry fresher flavours such as lemon zest, chili and even anchovy so well.

Adapted from The Guardian's The New Vegetarian column, October 2006

Ingredients

1 small flavoursome squash (about 500g), peeled deseeded and skinned
1 red onion
200g mushrooms, preferably large, robust and open-cap, quartered
200g purple sprouting broccoli (or romanesco cauliflower, etc), separated into florets
1tbsp lemon juice
70g breadcrumbs
2 tbsp grated Grana padano (or parmesan)
3 tbsp pinenuts, roughly chopped
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 garlic clove
1 red chili, deseeded and chopped
the zest of 1/2 of a lemon
1 bunch of parsley
2 tsp rosemary

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/200C/400F.

2. Cut the squash and the red onion into wedges about 2cm wide. Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Season and place in a large baking tray.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, herbs, nuts, seeds, chili and lemon zest. Add enough olive oil for it to bind together loosely (I used about 2 tablespoons).

4. Toss half of the breadcrumb mixture with the squash and put in the oven for about 8-15 minutes, checking that you don't overcook the squash (it could end up soggy, especially if you use a larger pumpkin variety) and that the breadcrumb mixture doesn't burn. You want the mixture to brown nicely, but if it looks as if it might go too far before the squash is tender then cover the dish with tin foil. My squash cooked incredibly quickly without needing the foil.

5. Leave the mushrooms in large chunks, and fry in olive oil and salt for a few minutes. Then add the second half of the breadcrumb mixture and let that fry for another minute. Remove from the heat.

6. Boil enough water in a large saucepan for the purple sprouting broccoli and cook until al dente, which should take about 4 minutes.

7. Pile all the vegetables together in the baking tray and mix gently, then serve.

Appley Lemon Curd

2009-11-08T14:40:00.000Z

I started out wanting to make lemon curd out of purely altruistic reasons, but by the end I was scraping every last bit of the bowl to eat off the spoon. As a general rule I find lemon curd too harsh and lemony(!), but this curd is more soothing and custardy than the traditional lemons-only recipe. Now I'm disappointed I have to share it! If you prefer traditional lemons-only curd, then increase the lemon juice to 200ml (4-5 lemons) and the zest of 3 lemons.

This recipe is taken from the book on preserving, I can't recommend this book enough. Not only does it have all of the basic recipes and techniques you would expect from a book on the topic, it also has combinations and variations you wouldn't have dreamed of, as well as several recipes using foraging ingredients (food for free! That's how I got into preserving).

From River Cottage Handbook No. 2: Preserves by Pam Corbin

Ingredients

500g apples (peeled cored and chopped into 1cm pieces)
2 lemons (you need 100ml juice, and all of the zest)
125g butter
450g sugar
4 eggs (you need 200ml beaten egg)

Instructions

1. Cook the apples with 100ml water and all of the lemon zest until soft and fluffy. Mash to a purée.

2. Put the apple mixture, lemon juice, butter and sugar into a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. As soon as the butter is melted, pour in the beaten eggs through a sieve, making sure beforehand that the butter mixture isn't too hot (it should be below 60°C). Once the eggs are added, whisk until smooth.

3. Stir the mixture over a medium heat until thick and creamy, which will take about ten minutes. If you have a thermometer then it should reach 82°C but if you don't then judge it by the texture-it should be getting near the texture of lemon curd. It will be slightly softer though as it will set more as it cools.

4. Pour into sterilised jars and seal. It will keep for up to 4 weeks in the fridge.

Read this post for more on preserving and sterilising jars. I use recycled jam jars.

Apple and Crystallised Ginger Mincemeat

2009-11-07T17:15:00.001Z

I love preparing for Christmas, especially on a cold, wet day in November. I never buy anything early, or put my decorations up in October, but there's nothing like the smell of dried fruit, alcohol and spices wafting through the house to give the illusion of warmth and cosiness in my drafty Victorian flat.

This particular recipe contains fresh fruit as well as dried which gives it an extra soft, yielding fruitiness. The original calls for pears so use these instead if you wish-as I remember from last year's mincemeat the fruit supplies more texture than actual flavour, you would be hard-pressed to tell whether it was apples or pears once cooked, so use whatever is more convenient. This recipe makes a gloriously generous amount that will keep you well supplied with mince pies through December; half it if you feel neccessary but remember if you've had one pie too many this concoction can also be used to stuff baked apples or roly-poly pudding, or even to make mince pie ice cream.

Adapted from the Guardian, November 2007
Makes ~2.5kg

Ingredients
500g apples, peeled cored and chopped into 1cm cubes
1kg dried fruit (I used 200g sultanas, 200g raisins, 250g figs, 250g currants and 100g prunes)
250g suet
Juice and grated zest of 2 oranges
100g chopped almonds
100g orange marmalade
250g soft brown sugar
100g finely chopped crystallised ginger (I make my own)
1/2tsp ground cloves
1/2 nutmeg, grated
2tsp ground ginger
100ml brandy, rum, whisky or sloe gin

Instructions

1. Mix together all the ingredients except for the alcohol in a large bowl.

2. Cover with a plate and leave for 12 hours so that the dried fruit swells.

3. Spread the mincemeat out in the largest roasting dish you have and cover with foil.

4. Bake on the lowest possible heat for around 2 hours.

5. Mix in the alcohol, and pack immediately into clean warm jars and seal with lids.

6. Mature for at least a week, and eat within 12 months.

Read this post for more on sterilising jars. I either use recycled jam jars or le parfait jars.

Lazy apple and pecan strudel

2009-11-06T20:15:00.003Z

I know the daring bakers made their own strudel dough not long ago, but I am not a daring baker (daring cook perhaps). I didn't even think that I liked strudel all that much! But then I began to realise that I didn't like the mixture of stewed apple and raisins (or even apple and cinnamon!) and perhaps that was why I had only mildly enjoyed strudels in the past. I came across a recipe in Feast: Food for sharing from central and eastern europe; it didn't involve raisins, cinnamon or making your own strudel dough, and it DID involve pecans. I am a sucker for the pecan. And it turned out rather marvellous if I do say myself-light, appley and crisp on the outside. It's the kind of light cake I can stomach for breakfast as well as for pudding. However, it did look like a monster-I rolled it up tight but it ballooned during baking!

Ingredients

You will also need a pastry brush.

70g butter
500g apples (weight after peeling, coring and cubing)
1 tbsp lemon juice
100g pecans, roughly chopped
85g caster sugar
10 large sheets of ready-made filo pastry

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/200C/400F.

2. Line a flat baking tray.

3. Cook the apples and lemon juice in a saucepan until the apples are quite soft.

4. Place the apples in a bowl and add the pecans and sugar.

5. Melt the butter in a small saucepan on the lowest heat. Once melted remove the saucepan from the heat source so that it does not continue cooking.

6. Once you remove the filo pastry from the fridge you need to move quickly so that it doesn't dry out. Place the pile of filo pastry onto a plate and cover with clingfilm and/or a damp towel (I do both). Take the sheets out one at a time and cover the plate again straight away. The first time you do this you will feel like a bomb-diffuser, only to become more blasé the more you get used to working with filo pastry.

7. Lay one sheet of filo onto a work surface and brush gently yet generously with the melted butter. Get a 2nd sheet out from your clingfilm, place it directly over the first sheet, and brush with the melted butter as before. Repeat with the next 8 sheets. Your first few sheets may rip a bit, but don't worry, as the sheets layer up they will become stronger in combination, and individual rips will be covered by another sheet of filo. Together they will make a whole.

8. Once all 10 sheets are stacked up, place the apple mixture into the middle and smooth out evenly, leaving a generous margin on all sides.

9. I folded both left and right sides in by one inch, then rolled up from bottom to top like a swiss roll.

10. Butter the roll on all sides and sprinkle some extra sugar over the top. Place on the tray and into the oven for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Apple and cranberry chutney

2009-11-06T08:53:00.002Z

I only got into preserving this summer but I've already got a cupboard bursting with jars containing lovely delights. I was scared before I tried it for the first time, but it's actually rather easy, just mix together ingredients and simmer for a set amount of time. Chutney is a wonderful place to start because you don't even need to get it to a particular temperature like you do with jam-the acidity of the ingredients makes it perfectly safe. You don't need any special equipment-just a large saucepan (a stockpot is perfect, but for this sort of amount your largest saucepan will cope just fine) and some old jam jars.

I knew when I got the apples I'd make a chutney and then I found this recipe and knew it was the one to try. You are supposed to leave your chutneys, once made in tucked away in sterilised jars, for at least 8 weeks in order to "mature" but I had some pesky leftover couple of tablespoons that I couldn't resist eating.. if it tastes this good now it's only going to get better as the weeks go by. I've made an ale chutney in the past which is also lovely, but this one is light and fruity. I liked it so much I've already decided that I didn't make enough last time, so I'm going to repeat the recipe next week! Eaten here on black pepper crackers with Mrs Kirkham's Lancashire Cheese.

Recipe
From Nigella's Christmas-Makes about 1 litre

1. Sterilise your jars (2x500ml, or equivalent). To do this you can use a dishwasher, or wash them in hot soapy water then place them in the oven on the lowest possible heat until dry (takes 5-10 minutes). For jams and chutneys I tend to use recycled jam jars, you only really need to buy Le Parfait/Kilner jars for bottling or any method that involves cooking the jars. You can buy separate lids for recycled jam jars at Lakeland if you lose any or they look corroded. If you don't know the volume your recycled jars hold, just estimate using water.

2. Put the following ingredients into your pan:

750g peeled chopped apples
250g dried cranberries (or other fruit if you prefer)
350g cider vinegar (or a nice white wine vinegar)
200g sugar
1 chopped onion
1 tsp ground turmeric
1tsp ground coriander
1tsp ground ginger
1tsp ground cumin
2tsp Maldon sea salt (or a tablespoon rock salt)

3. Stir and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to let the pan cook on a fast simmer for about 45 minutes.

4. Ladle in to your jam jars whilst both are hot. Keep somewhere dark for at least 8 weeks to mature. They will last up to 12 months.

Delia's sausages braised in cider with apples and juniper

2009-11-05T18:50:00.002Z

I am a simple person at heart, and once I find what I see as the perfect recipe for a certain ingredient (sausages, for example..) I will tend to cook that recipes every single time I have that ingredient in-thank god for cooking seasonally, as this forces me to change every now and then! As it is, this is the recipe I cook every single time I have sausages whilst British apples are available. It is devine.

I adore British sausages and I think they are what I would miss most should I ever move away from the UK-other countries have lovely sausages too but British bangers are quite different to any of them. Sausages are also such a good-value meat, even the posh ones I get from my local farmer's market cost less than £4 so good quality sausages are within every budget's reach, so go and get the best you can from a good butcher or the supermarket.

I love using juniper berries, they feel like such a northern european ingredient which is somewhat unusual with today's mainly Mediterranean-obsessed eaters. I am always transported to the time I spent working on a sheep farm during lambing time on the north German moors, deep in snow and surrounded by tall juniper bushes. We would come back to the farmhouse freezing and eat a warming, juniper-scented mutton stew. You can change the herbs around in this recipe using any of the hardy herbs, and you can leave out the pancetta successfully, but the juniper berries are close to essential-I think they are the base note securing the apples into this savoury dish. You can also use juniper berries in most stews and braised meat dishes, and they will last over 12 months without diminishing in flavour so don't worry if they're a new addition to your cupboard.

I know some people have a bit of a downer on Delia, especially since her horrific last book but please don't let that put anyone off this particular recipe. It's from How To Cook: Book One, which is one of the books I used to give me a good grounding when I first moved away from home. It was great for explaining technique but I rarely use any of the actual recipes these days-except for this.

Ingredients
6 pork sausages (0r 450g)
1 large onion, sliced into rings
1 garlic clove, chopped
225g of streaky bacon or pancetta, chopped
450g apple (one large cooking and one eating apple, or whatever is available), unpeeled
1 tablespoon plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tablespoon cider (or white wine) vinegar
420ml strong dry cider (I use Westons Organic)
A few sprigs of fresh thyme, or a teaspoon of dried
1 large bay leaf
1 desertspoon of juniper berries, slightly crushed

Instructions

1. Place a small amount of olive oil into a frying pan and place in on a medium heat. Fry the sausages until nicely browned-you don't need to worry if they are fully cooked at this stage. Remove from the pan and place in your casserole dish, a large saucepan, or a slow-cooker.

2. Add the onions, garlic and bacon to the frying pan and fry until golden. Remove and place in your dish.

3. Now core and thinly slice your apples, and place in the frying pan for a few minutes to brown slightly. You may need to add some extra oil to the pan. Remove and place in your dish.

4. Have your chosen dish on a moderate heat, add the flour and stir. Add the cider vinegar, followed by the cider a little at a time whilst stirring. There will be a little cider left if you are using a standard sized bottle-pour it into a glass as your cook's privilege!

5. Add the herbs and the crushed juniper berries (use a pestle and mortar or the back of a spoon) and season (be careful as the bacon will also be salty).

6. Put the lid on your chosen dish and simmer very gently on a low heat, 1 hour on the hob or several in the slow-cooker. Serve with mashed potato to soak up the delicious sauce.

My mashed potato
If you're happy making mashed potato then ignore this, but many people seem to find it a little more difficult than it should be. Making good mash is less about a recipe than it is about good observation though. I'm going to come right out and say that I can't stand mash made with an electric whisk, it tastes so watery! Mash shouldn't be lumpy, but it shouldn't be overly smooth either-it should have some texture. I don't peel my potatoes for mash, as I think it adds to the flavour (and also most of the potato's nutritients are in or just below the skin), but it's up to you.

Firstly estimate how much mash you will want from the raw potatoes-I always make too much (which I either freeze, or warm up the next day with grated cheese on top and eat it for lunch with a poached egg) but I'd go for 4-5 large potatoes, do less if you've got a small stomach! Boil the potatoes until thoroughly cooked, then drain. Season the potatoes then add a desertspoon of butter and mash roughly with your potato masher (or a wooden spoon). Add 100ml (or less scientifically, a splash!) of milk (preferably whole or full-fat milk as it actually has a flavour) and beat more carefully using a fork. Your arms should hurt! Stop to consider the texture of the mash. It will probably require at least 50ml more milk. Add any extra milk in small quantities so you don't drown the potatoes, but I usually find that the best textured mash had at least a tablespoon more milk than I expected to need-it stops the mash being too heavy. Taste, season again if neccessary, or add some grated cheese for extra flavour (to my mind Lancashire, or another white crumbly cheese, works best).

Toffee Apple Ice Cream

2009-11-05T09:08:00.004Z

This is an over-the-top ice cream in all the right ways! It's the kind of ice cream children (and adults with a sweet tooth) will love and it's absolutely lovely. Although I used my new ice cream maker, its custard base and high sugar content would make it a perfect contender for still-freezing. If you haven't made ice cream before don't be scared-it's far easier than cake making and the recipes usually take well to adaptations. An ice cream maker does produce a smoother texture but you don't need one unless you really get into doing it; I was making ice cream without one for 12 months and the results were still great.

Ingredients:

125g butter
125g caster sugar
500-600g apples (weight before peeling, coring and quartering-about 4 medium eating apples)

4 medium egg yolks
150g caster sugar
3tsp vanilla extract
350ml whole (full-fat) milk
150-200ml double (or heavy) cream

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the sugar and apples.

2. Place over a moderate heat and caramelise, stirring until the apples are golden and soft.

3. Place the mixture in a bowl and mash gently with a fork or potato masher. Allow to cool.

4. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and 2tsp of the vanilla extract (or the scraped out insides of a vanilla pod if you have them available) together in a separate bowl.

5. Pour the milk into a clean saucepan with 1tsp of the vanilla extract (or the split pod) and place on a moderate heat and slowly bring to just below the boil.

6. Pour the milk into the egg mixture whilst whisking continuously.

7. Pour this custard into a clean wide-based pan and stir gently yet continuously over the lowest heat possible. This will take 5-10 minutes and requires patience as increasing the heat will make the custard curdle (if this happens, place in a blender then return to the pan and start again). The custard is ready when it is thick enough to just coat the back of a wooden spoon, and when you trace your finger along the spoon the path remains clear and does not run.

8. As soon as the custard is done, remove it from the heat and pour into a bowl so that it does not continue to cook as it would in the pan. Allow to cool.

9. Whisk the double cream and add to the cooled custard, then whisk the apple mixture into the custard.

10. Add to your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Or, if still-freezing, pour into a large container (like a reused ice cream tub!) and place in the freezer. After an hour, take it out and beat the frozen edges into the unfrozen middle with a fork. Place in the freezer again, and repeat after two hours. Once it has fully frozen you will need to remove the ice cream from the freezer 20-30 minutes before eating in order to allow it to soften.

For further advice on making ice cream without a machine read these invaluable posts by ice cream king David Lebovitz:

How to make ice cream without a machine

Tips for making homemade ice cream softer

Rabbits, buttery apple cake and a savoury apple tart

2009-11-04T20:32:00.002Z

To illustrate the scale of the apple "problem" I had two rabbit assistants..

I've already broken my NaBloWriMo promise and haven't really got the time tonight, but just so I don't break it for a third day in a row(!), here's two apple recipes I've tried from the blogosphere. I'll be back tomorrow with some recipes of my own!

Firstly I made Melissa's Buttery Apple Cake-Tart from The Traveler's Lunchbox. I love this website, and this cake made me love it even more. It really is like a hassle-free, upside-down tart-so easy and tasty! Some recipes you just know you will be following again and again, and this is one of those recipes. I ate mine with Chantilly Cream.

I also made Heart of Light's Savoury Apple Tart. I added fried diced pancetta and lemon thyme, and used Lancashire cheese. It was nice, but it was rather sweet-savoury, so be sure you like that sort of thing before you make it!

Recipe Index

2009-11-02T16:18:00.011Z

Breakfast
Appley Lemon Curd
Pain perdu with buttery apples

Preserving
Apple and Cranberry Chutney
Apple and Crystallised Ginger Mincemeat
Appley Lemon Curd

Vegetarian
Crusty roast pumpkin and mushrooms
Brussel sprouts and pomegranate salad

Meat
Delia's sausages braised in cider with apples and rosemary
Pomegranate and honey glazed lamb noisettes

Fish
Moroccan-style fish stew

Cakes
Lazy apple and pecan strudel

Puddings
Toffee apple ice cream
Pain perdu with buttery apples

Miscellaneous

Christmas
Apple and Crystallised Ginger Mincemeat

Here we go...

2009-11-01T08:03:00.001Z

I've been meaning to start this for ages but it's taken NaBloWriMo to galvanise me in to any sort of action. A baptism of fire... I adore food and cooking, and have been avidly reading other's foodblogs for some years now, so I've decided to join in. I'm currently repeating a year at university for making a bit of a huge mistake in one module so I currently have plenty of time on my hands that I need to make feel like I haven't wasted, and during this recession I'm unlikely to be able to find paid employment although I am looking!

My special food interests are middle eastern and north african cooking, modern and traditional british, and cooking seasonally. I love using fruit and nuts in my cooking.

Along with the NaBloWriMo challenge, I have been given two huge sacks of apples from my boyfriend's parent's garden, and I'm going to try and post everything I cook with them, so be prepared.

Lastly, apologies for my horrific photography. It's my lack of skills in that department that have put me off starting this blog. I adore cooking, I don't adore photography. But the blogs I like best take good photos too, so I'm going to try my best and hopefully I will improve with practice!