29^th December 2009

When a couple of weary travellers appear all the way from America, the weather is wild and they have been too lost to eat and you have all those bits of cheese board from Christmas lurking eagerly in the fridge, and they are (sort of) vegetarian, the only think you want to offer them is Ken’s Welsh Rarebit, you know, cheese on toast. He used to make this on Sunday nights when I was on strike back in the days when he pretended he couldn’t cook anything else, since then he has proved himself more than competent on loads of dishes, but this is still his signature, and I have to confess, I can’t do it as well as he does it (well I pretend not to).

Ken’s Cheese on Toast

Makes 2 slices

cheese x100g grated (today it was mature cheddar and leek and wine caerfilly)

milk x250ml

cornflour x2 heaped tbsp

water to mix cornflour to a paste

mustard preferably English powder, x1 level tsp

salt

pepper

Put on the grill. Warm milk, but don’t boil. Add cheese, mustard, S&P. Use zummer until cheese disappears. Mix cornflour to a runny paste and add to mixture stirring all the time until it boils. When it thickens it should be thick enough to not run off the toast when piled ¾ cm high. If it is too thick add more milk, if it is too runny make up some more cornflour mixture to thicken. Adjust seasoning/cheese to taste.

bread x2 slices

Toast bread and butter them (if you must). Pile up the cheese sauce, and grill until brown. Please your family and your visitors. This is not too rich (as solid slabs of melted cheese tend to be).

Amanda Nantgwynfaen

www.organicfarmwales.co.uk