Treacle Tart

Pastry

150g plain flour
2.5 ml salt
65g butter
Flour for rolling out

I just used a packet of frozen dessert pastry which I had in the freezer.

Filling

45ml golden syrup
50g soft white breadcrumbs
5ml lemon juice

Method

Heat the oven to 200C.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. 
Rub in the margarine until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add enough cold water for the mixture to form a stiff dough.
Press the dough together with your fingertips.
Roll out the pastry onto a lightly floured surface.
Use it to line a 20cm pie plate.
Reroll the rest and cut into 1cm wide strips to form a lattice on top of the tart once filled. (optional)

Filling

Melt the syrup in a small saucepan.
Stir in the breadcrumbs and lemon juice.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pastry case.
Add lattice if using.

Bake for approx 30 mins - keep an eye on the pastry

Seriously unhealthy and I have never had a treacle tart before so I don't know how it would compare but we thought it was lovely! I didn't do the lattice on top as I am not that keen on pastry.

Tartuffo

serves 12.

180g cacao (dark choc) finely grated,

300ml double cream

150g icing sugar.

 

 

Line a 20cm loose bottomed cake tin or small loaf tim with cling film.

Melt choc by placing in heatproof bowl over pan with simmering water..

Meanwhile lightly whip cream with 50g icing sugar.

Stir remaining sugar into the melted choclate and leave to cool slightly

Gradually fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream and pour into cake or loaf tin (or individual moulds). Refrigerate until firm. Slice and serve with seasonal berries.

Tip; Leaving the melted cacao to cool slightly means the cream won't collapse when cacao is added to it.

Grissinni

About 300g plain flour
2 tsp fine salt
75g unsalted butter
2 tsp dry instant yeast
75g soft cheese, such as chèvre or gorgonzola, say
150ml warm milk
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs – any that take your fancy (optional)
Put the flour and salt in a bowl, rub in the butter and toss through the yeast. In a separate bowl, break up the cheese into smallish pieces and mix this with the milk and herbs, if using. Pour this into the flour bowl and mix to a soft, sticky dough. Cover and leave to stand for an hour.
On an oiled or floured worktop, lightly knead the dough for 10-15 seconds only, no more. Return the dough to its bowl, cover and leave for another hour.
Heat the oven to 160C (140C fan-assisted)/320F/gas mark 2½. Without using flour, roll the dough to about 1cm thick, cut into strips and then, using your hands, roll each strip into a pencil-like stick. The idea of treating the dough this way is that you won't stress it out too much as you roll it.
Lay the dough sticks on a baking tray lined with nonstick paper and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden and crisp.

Pistou Soup

SOUP

• 11 plum tomatoes
• 100g frozen broad beans
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
• 1 leek trimmed and diced
• 2 carrots peeled and diced
• 2 courgettes topped tailed and diced
• 2 potatoes peeled and diced
• 1 x 250g can of haricot beans drained and rinsed
• 75g dried spaghetti

• 75g french beans topped and tailed and
• cut into 4 pieces
• 100g frozen peas
• salt and black pepper
• 1 handful of basil leaves to garnish

PISTOU

• 1 plum tomato reserved from the soup see Step 1
• 60g fresh basil leaves
• 4 cloves of garlic peeled
• 75g grated parmesan cheese
• 135ml olive oil

1. For the soup: score a cross in the bottom of each tomato, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 45 seconds, then drain and peel off the skin. Reserve 1 tomato for the pistou. Cut the remaining tomatoes into quarters, remove the seeds and chop the flesh. Blanch the broad beans for 2-3 minutes in boiling water, then refresh in cold water and peel off the skins.
2. Place a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, add the olive oil and all the chopped and diced vegetables except the tomatoes and fry, without browning, for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the haricot beans, fill with enough water to cover (about
   1.2 litres) and bring to the boil.
4. Meanwhile, wrap the spaghetti in a clean tea towel and crush it on the edge of a worktop, pressing it backwards and forwards to break it into small pieces, then add these to the soup.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes, bring back up to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked, adding the french beans, broad beans and peas after 10-11 minutes. (It’s best to add these towards the end of cooking in order to preserve their fresh colour.)
6. While the soup is cooking, deseed and chop the reserved skinned plum tomato, place in a blender with the remaining pistou ingredients and purée to a paste.
7. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the pistou. Season well with salt and pepper, garnish with basil leaves and serve.

We tried it today and felt:

Dd would prefer it without the courgette and with the onion chopped really small.
The Pistou could do with less garlic - it is very garlicky.
As little tomato as possible is good.

Garden Vegetable Pasta

350g Penne
140g Broccoli (cut into small florets)
100g sugar snap peas (halved)
2 courgettes (diced)
 1 tbsp olive oil
100g light cream cheese
50g veg parmessan (grated plus a few shavings to serve)
zest and juice of one lemon (optional)
large handful of basil

Method

Cook the penne according to instructions.
Add the broccoli florets and sugar snap peas to the pan for the final 3 mins.
Meanwhile gently fry  the courgettes in oil for 7/8 mins until soft and tinged pale gold.
When the penne is nearly ready remove a ladleful of the cooking water from the pan and set aside.
Add 6tbsp of this water to the courgettes, along with the cream cheese, grated cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice if using.
Season.
Drain the penne and veg and mix with the sauce, adding the basil.
Garnish with parmesan shavings.

Watercress Sauce

150g Watercress (washes and thick stems removed)
25g butter
25g plain flour
300ml milk

Method

Blanch the watercress for 2 mins in boiling water, then drain and refresh in cold running water.
Finely chop and lay aside.

Melt the butter in a heavy based pan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 min.

Gradually whisk or beat in the milk and cook until smooth and creamy.

Season with salt and pepper and stir in the watercress.

Leek, apple & cheese sausages

10oz breadcrumbs
5 1/2 oz grated mature veg cheese
1 small leek finely chopped
1 dessert apple, cored and grated
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp milk
2 eggs
Olive oil for brushing

Method

In a large bowl mix 150g of the breadcrumbs (save the rest for coating), cheese, leek, apple and thyme. Stir in the mustard, milk and 1 of the eggs and season with salt and pepper.

Shape into around 12 sausages of equal size and chill in the fridge to firm up.

Beat the remaining egg in a bowl.  Dip each sausage in the egg then roll in the breadcrumbs to coat. 

Lightly brush or spray with Olive oil

Bake in the oven for approx 15/20 mins until cooked through and golden and crisp on the outside.

Serve on a bed of shredded savoy cabbage with a side of watercress sauce.