rhubarb ice cream with rhubarb purée and honey toasted almonds

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Inspired by some magnificent rhubarb from my local market. To make the rhubarb purée wash and trim the rhubarb and chop it into 3cm (1″) lengths. The 2 bunches I bought weighed 1.35kg (3 lbs). Place in a saucepan with ½ a cup of water and 1 cup of sugar. This will result in a not very sweet purée which balances well…… Continue reading rhubarb ice cream with rhubarb purée and honey toasted almonds

spicy tofu with oyster mushrooms

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Oyster mushrooms have great texture and robust flavour making this a very satisfying vegetarian meal. Heat oil in a large flat frypan or wok until smoking hot then add 2 brown shallots, 2-3 cloves of garlic and 2-4 red chillies, all finely diced. Next add large squares of tofu (classic Chinese style) and allow them to fry on…… Continue reading spicy tofu with oyster mushrooms

date and tamarind cake with lemon cardamom icing

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A surfeit of dates and a search for ideas led me to this amazing Dan Lepard recipe. I just couldn’t resist and it didn’t disappoint. Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and grease and line a cake tin with baking paper. Put 200g (7 0z) of dates, 50g (1¾ oz) of tamarind paste and 300ml (10 fl oz) of water in…… Continue reading date and tamarind cake with lemon cardamom icing

dumplings

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A cooking club is my latest venture. And what better way to start than with dumpling making? With our home-made dough and freshly minced meat the results were delicious, although a little tricky to keep from sticking together (I now realise they should be either cooked or frozen immediately). Many dumpling dough methods were researched before deciding to use plain unbleached…… Continue reading dumplings

lamb meatballs with lemon and herbs

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Having bought a mincer attachment for my stand mixer, I decided on this meatball tagine to try it out. The meatballs were wonderfully soft and delicious. In a food processor combine ½ a brown onion and 2 tablespoons of flat-leaf parsley and process until finely chopped. Add 2 torn slices of stale white bread without crusts and…… Continue reading lamb meatballs with lemon and herbs

super soft sandwich bread + cultured butter

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Many years ago I attended classes run by Carol Bates in Simply No-Knead Breadmaking. I discovered that good quality untreated flour makes for less work. This recipe makes a deliciously soft white bread. For 2 loaves, mix together 8 cups of unbleached white bread flour, ⅓ of a cup of ground or instant oats (1 sachet), 6 teaspoons of…… Continue reading super soft sandwich bread + cultured butter

butternut and basil lasagna

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The arrival of autumn here and the garden still bursting with basil made this the perfect combination. Cut butternut pumpkin (squash) into pieces and toss them in a bowl with some olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry over low heat until they have some colour and are just soft then set them aside. In the same…… Continue reading butternut and basil lasagna

buffalo chicken wings

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Named for the city where they were invented, these chicken wings are normally deep-fried. Inspired by a trip to the US, Thomas made this amazing version, grilled over hot coals with a little hickory smoke and served with a blue cheese sauce. Choose plump free-range chicken wings and season them with salt and generous amounts of freshly ground…… Continue reading buffalo chicken wings