EASTER MONDAY TREATS

I'm slowly winding down from a very busy Easter weekend and there's still much hilarity issuing from the dining room. Henry's managing to eat something while all the guests are onto coffee and water-mint infusions. (It is nearly 11.00 pm so I let him eat....!)

Full-house for dinner plus a refugee from the Shepherd's Hut (which was extremely cosy with its wood-stove puffing away earlier) so we did Lower Buckton Pork. Always a winner!

A week or so ago I won a basket of fruit in a raffle. It was full of the sort of unseasonal stuff which I do
n't usually buy like hard, bullet-like unnaturally-looking black plums and under-ripe avocados.  Anyway, by tonight the avocados had, at last, softened so, as I abhor waste of any kind and the  avocados didn't ask to end up unwanted and unloved in my kitchen I set about "doing something with them".  I thought they'd probably be pretty discoloured when cut open and even if not, did I have a lemon to squeeze over them to stop the rot?  No!  Oh well, ............ Henry had already brought in from the garden some French sorrel and Welsh onions so I thought, sorrel, that's a bit "lemony", that will do!  A quick mash of the avocados (and amazingly they weren't discoloured at all), mix in the finely chopped sorrel and snipped chives, a grind of pepper, sprinkle of salt plus a slug of lemon-infused rapeseed oil www.justoil.co.uk saved the day!  Spread over some toasted soda-bread, it was delicious............

 Pudding was off the cuff........ I had a basin of tangy blackcurrant syrup-juice from last season's crop and had a sudden urge to make some grown-up jelly. I have a collection of over fifty antique molds which cry out to be used. So I chose a classic "sand-castle" type with turrets and things and made the jelly with a good glug of Herefordshire Cassis www.britishcassis.co.uk from Jo Hilditch and it turned out a real treat especially after the battlements were plastered with whipped Mawley Farm double cream. Eat your hearts out, Bompas & Parr!  (Oh and there was more chocolate as well........!)

HAPPY EASTER! MUTTON BAKED in HAY

For this year's Easter Sunday Feast I've decided to bake some mutton in hay.  I'm writing this post in "real time", having just returned from gathering some ransoms (wild garlic) from my secret place beside a babbling brook.  It's a gorgeous afternoon and I also tramped down to a hidden piece of water and sat on a log for a few minutes watching wild-fowl: swan, mallard, coot, moorhen, heron plus some unidentified (by me) wading birds.

The ransoms are smothering the vegetation on either side of the little stream, still young with leaves no more than about five inches and no sign of any flowers yet.  I scrabbled and slipped in the leaf mold on the banks of the stream, enjoying the dappled sun-light filtering through the bare hazel branches above.  Delighted to find a flowering primrose peaking through and a sweet patch of violets.

After filling my trug I returned home along a country lane which passes this delightful little church at Pipe Aston with its very special, early tympanum over the door.  I then travelled on in the hope of find the Jersey girls out at grass enjoying the afternoon sunshine.  They're some of the organic herd which supplies milk and cream for The Dairyhouse's delicious, organic yoghurts I serve at breakfast.  Anyway, there they were, chewing cuds and giving me curious looks as a sneaked some photographs of them.  However I'm such a rubbish photographer and the results are way too poor to publish here!  So I'll just have to catch them another day.

Stopping on Burrington Bridge afforded me a lovely view of the meadering river Teme plus a few ewes with lambs at foot.  Well, it is Easter and I am preparing to eat one of their relatives!  Goodness!  From this photograph you can't even see any but I can assure you they are there,,,, some where!

Now, on with the mutton story........

I've been out the garden and gathered some woody herbs: sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram and bay.  Henry's brought in some sweet meadow hay from the centre of a fresh bale.  Jasper and Ayesha not too impressed at our commandeering their winter forage, but hey ho!

Here are all the ingredients laid out ready to go............

Note the Easter eggs with hen-cup, just to set the scene!

A rough chop of the ransoms then bash it altogether with some softening, local farmhouse butter, Welsh sea-salt and black pepper before slathering it all over the mutton.

Below is the mutton nesting on the hay before being covered with more hay, having some Herefordshire cider poured around it, getting covered with foil, a tin lid and going in the AGA for "as long as it takes".  Long and slow I think...........

Shall catch up with this blog later.  In the meantime I've a date with an Easter cake and a nice cup of tea!

Mutton baked in hay with wild garlic, part two!

I gave the guests a plate of oat biscuits topped with beetroot and chicken liver pate which I'd made yesterday.  I love beetroot and had pureed some with coriander and seasonings then added it to a basic chicken liver and garlic mixture before blitzing the lot together.  Ate some yesterday but by tonight the flavours had really developed well.  Will certainly be doing that again!

Decided to whizz up a quick soup from the some water-mint,  lemony French sorrel, Welsh onions and chives Henry had brought up from the garden this afternoon.  What a combo!  Threw in a pack of frozen peas, simmered then blended.........through the mouli.  Shan't be doing that again in a hurry.  Now I know why someone had donated the thing to a charity shop.  Next time, get out the Magimix and never mind the washing up!  Took a huge pot-ful through and served it with a basket of freshly made soda-bread - they all had seconds and some thirds!

After languishing in the Aga on a long slow cook the mutton beast was removed, unwrapped from its nest of hay and placed on a platter to rest.  I strained off the juices (which have a wonderful, grassy smell!) through the hay, threw in some chopped ransoms with a slug of cream and gave it good bubbling for a few minutes while Henry carved the meat in the dining room.  Fluffy roast potatoes, steamed purple sprouting and braised celeriac, carrot, parsnip with fennel fronds brought up the rear.  The mutton was SO sweet and meltingly tender and plates were licked!

With a pudding of apple and pear crumble and some meringues with lashings of cream followed by a round of The Ludlow Food Centre's "Cheese with no Name" with more homemade oat biscuits I think the only non-UK ingredient used was black pepper.  Absolutely everything else was either sourced/grown by us at Lower Buckton or was grown/produced within a ten mile radius of where we live.  True local, seasonal food with love.

My pro-Aga rant on The Guardian's "Word of Mouth"

Earlier today, Oliver Thring wrote something for Word of Mouth at The Guardian about Agas and all that's wrong with them.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/mar/15/aga-cooking 

I was pretty incensed so quickly knocked-up the following as a "reply" in the comments section below his article.

So read on.......

My Guardian AGA rant

What twaddle! You don't need one of those silly tennis racquet thingys to make Aga toast!

I run a busy bed & breakfast business and since installing my Aga I've turned off three radiators, don't use an electric kettle, toaster, bread maker, microwave or use other heat source for drying clothes. I'm very capable of cooking souffles, stir-fries and charring the best steaks on a griddle to perfect "blueness". Anything can "grilled" in the oven from comforting cheese on toast to rosy-pink lamb cutlets. The crackling from our own home-reared pork is the stuff of (culinary) dreams and amazing Yorkshire puddings are perfectly possible! There is nothing it can't cook. It's ready to go all the time and can turn out a five course dinner for 25 in two hours. Anytime! Oh and I rarely do stews! A properly running Aga does NOT take ages to heat up & doesn't cool down at the drop of a hat. Breakfasts are the best!

My Aga is like the Olympic flame: it never goes out. On its six-monthly service days I leave home, allowing my husband to tinker with its bits & I won't return until it's up to speed again! Sadly (luckily for me!) any hot summers we may have never permeate my kitchen enough to consider turning it off. Anyway it's my work-horse from which I earn my living. I also run Cook Days & Demonstrations from around my Aga specialising in cooking with local seasonal food from small-scale artisan producers.

There are no cooking smells, grease, condensation and steaming up to contend with. It's clean, cosy and comforting.

Never mind the stereotypical reasons for Aga ownership to dry boots & dogs, hatch eggs & keep tiddly lambs alive and just be a glorified meringue-maker! The Aga is truly my necessity and is absolutely not an extension some ego-centric-country-dwelling dream! (Although I do dry boots, make meringues and live in the country!).

I'm sitting beside it right now, laptop on knees, tea on the side and scones in oven, waiting for guests to arrive......

Come and experience my Aga in action! Stay at http://www.lowerbuckton.co.uk or follow me on http://www.twitter.com/agaqueen

Brock Hall Farm's Brockette goats' cheese with new-season's Worcestershire rhubarb & Seville orange relish.

Sarah at Brock Hall Farm near Ludlow rears and keeps a dairy-herd of goats and makes the most delicious, fresh-tasting cheeses.  Brockette is her latest addition and I think it makes a creamy partner to this zingy rhubarb sauce.

Serves two as a shared dish for light starter with some crusty bread

1 whole Brockette

for the relish..........

3 cups diced rhubarb (rinsed)

¾ cup sugar

1 Seville orange, zested & juiced

quarter tsp chili flakes

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 small onion, minced

(extra liquid)

Place all relish ingredients in a medium saucepan. Slowly, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring every so often, for about 10 minutes or until mixture thickens. Add more juice/water as required.  Cool and serve alongside the cheese

Fried smoked salmon skin

"Fried smoked salmon skin" doesn't sound like the most appetizing description for my next recipe!  You can hardly call it a recipe either: it's so simple and the best way to use up something that would in all probability be thrown away.  That's just pure waste.  So the next time you have a side of skin-on smoked salmon, here's what to do with it after you've enjoyed the flesh.

I get all my smoked salmon from The Organic Smokehouse which is just up the road from me at Clunbury Hall about seven miles away.  Michael and Debbie Leviseur have recently been awarded a Royal Warrant from HRH Prince of Wales and when I went there the other week their (huge) plaque had just arrived and they were lunching at the House of Lords!  All very grand.  However, they truly deserve it, their salmon is delicious and they smoke all sorts of other products including butter, cheese and salt.  So now you know!

Cut the salmon skin into strips, heat a heavy-based frying pan with a little olive oil and toss in a few strips at a time and fry until crisp and puffed.  Tip out onto absorbent paper and do the rest.  Easy!  Just serve on a platter with maybe a wedge of lemon, although I don't think they need it and they certainly don't need salt.  Eat alongside a glass of champagne as an appetiser before dinner or just anytime to you damn well like!

St Valentine's Day Chocolate Pots

Seriously perfect chocolate pots to make for St Valentine's Day

4oz/125g the best quality/organic 70%+ dark chocolate you can buy

1 large, organic egg yolk

1/4 pint/150mls organic double cream

Have six espresso cups lined up ready........

Put the egg yolk into a mixing bowl with a pouring lip and fork lightly

Break up the chocolate smallish into pieces and lay them on a flexible board or sheet of paper

Heat the cream in a small saucepan to just boiling point and immediately pour over the cream egg yolk, beating with a wire-whisk then quickly throw in the chocolate pieces and beat/stir until melted and smooth.  Add a small slug of alcohol (brandy or fruit liqueur) if you want to but I like the pure unadulterated version.

Pour evenly into the pots - scraping every last drop with a silicon spatula.  Chill for a couple of hours in the fridge.  They also freeze excellently so I always make a batch when I've yolks to use up after cooking meringues!  Always remove from fridge about half an hour before serving - way too cold straight from the fridge!

The very first time I made these pots I honestly thought that the amount would be too little for six servings so I doubled it up and poured it into six ramekins.  Absolutely no one, not even the hardiest of chocoholics could finish a whole pot so my greed won the better of me and I lost!  Since then I've always used espresso cups and tiny glasses until I found these cute, heart-shaped cups which seem just perfect.

In this photograph I've served them with blobs of home-made mint and vanilla ice-cream for a change!

A True Taste of Herefordshire

A few days ago our free-range, rare breed Berkshire pigs went off for slaughter.  Not always a sad day even though they've been part of the family for quite sometime.  We keep just a couple on average twice a year and "Built like hippos, behave like thugs" is a suitable description for Berkshires; these two were no exception.  We give them no names, just numbers and I've lost count without consulting the paper-work, which is extensive; I think they must have been about P19 & P20.  But who cares! Once you've been knocked off your feet for the umpteenth time whilst distributing tasty windfalls, parsnip tops and other vegetable garden trimmings for their delicatation, Pig Day down at AH Griffiths of Leintwardine can't come soon enough!  Seriously though, Doug Griffiths' slaughter house is five minutes' away and we are SO lucky to have it.  At present it's the only one of its kind in Herefordshire/Shropshire: traditional butchers' shop at the front (complete with displays of flesh & fowl on marble slab in the window) and slaughterhouse in the rear premises complete with rules and regulations to make the most compliant weep.  For some good old country humour mixed with black comedy and a good smattering of political incorrectness, venture if you dare, to the cutting-room with your carcass instructions carefully prepared..........!

Today was Sausage Making Day and so for my demonstration/hands-on Cook Day I decided to make my own-recipe Pork with Perry, Little Herefordshire cheese and fresh herb sausages.

Firstly we gathered together a good lump of Monkland Dairy's unpasturised Little Hereford cheese, a bottle of Dunkertons' goodly organic Perry, some of our own pears, onions, garlic and fresh, green herbs from the garden.  All sausages require a little "rusk".  This is not just a padding and excuse to get away with using less meat.  It really does help to bind the mixture and absorb the fat thus making for a better texture and taste.  I like to make my own and today used a mixture of organic, UK grown porridge oats which I ground in the Magimix and some crumbs made from a good sourdough loaf from the Ludlow Food Centre.

After chopping, grating and mincing all the flavourings I added them to the coarsely chopped meat which was taken from the hands of pork and then poured over a good slug of Perry after which, the only thing to do is to get down and dirty, mixing with your hands to get everything amalgamated.

We then passed all of the mixture through the sausage-making machine on a coarse-mince setting
to get the consistency right..........
At this point it's a good idea to sample some of the mixture just to check you like it!  So we passed some through the machine in "sausage mode" but without using the skins and frizzled it up and ate it with some toasted sour dough bread for a late breakfast.  Add seasoning adjustments now:- some Halen Mon salt and the only imported ingredient: black pepper.......

 

After rewarding ourselves with a pot of Lavazza coffee and some homemade biscuits, sausage-making proper can begin.

The runners have to be prepared by unravelling them into little individual mounds of skins and then each one has to be sluiced through with cold running water to wash them out and lubricate them to ease the filling process.

At last sausage-making proper can begin!

It's always exciting when the first run is completed....

There's a definite art to looping-up the links.....

.......and the old kitchen stool has many uses!

......... They do say that the proof of the pudding is in the eating.  However all that we cooked at the end of labours were eaten so fast and the rest were destined either for today's Cook Day participants to take home with them or for my own freezer, all I had left to photograph were a couple of "rejects" which Henry and I had for supper!

Oh well, here's to remembering P19 & P20!