Monday 11th January 2010
Sophie made this up, she’s good!
Sophie’s Spectacular Potato Wedges
Serves 5
potatoes, medium x10
curry powder, x1 tbsp (less if spicy)
paprika, x1 tsp
vegetable oil, x2 tbsp
salt, plenty
pepper, plenty
Peel potatoes, cut each potato into about 6, wedges. Cover with all ingredients and bake for 45 minutes on 200°C.
Easy peesy.
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
Monday 11th January 2010
There was no school and Sophie (13) offered to cook dinner (it was music to my ears). She is quite a whiz in the kitchen and although she was inspired by her DK cookbook, she is like me and does her own thing. And I have to say, it was quite a thing. I meanly gave her 4 drumsticks to deal with, thinking smugly that I could lick everyone’s bones, as they are usually so wasteful. Well, I went hungry, the bones were licked clean, the meat just melted and you really didn’t even need teeth. How do I know? I watched them (hungrily) and they all said it was lush. I regretted not giving her that extra drumstick!
Sophie’s Saucy Chicken Legs
Serves 4
Preparation time, 10 minutes, cooking time, 4 hours
chicken drumsticks, x4,
ketchup, x1 long squirt
soya sauce, tamari, x4 tbsp
honey, clear runny x4 tbsp
lime, a good squeeze
sunflower oil, x2 tbsp
garlic clove, crushed, x2
mustard, French's squirty, x1 squirt
pepper, red, x1 finely chopped
sweet chili sauce, x 1 tsp (optional)
Whizz up all ingredients in the zummer. Place drumsticks onto a large piece of foil. Smear marinade over them. Wrap up foil so drumsticks are well sealed, with no peaky holes, but with enough air inside to steam them. Cook on hot, 200°C for half an hour. Turn oven down to 150°C for a couple of hours (or more). When nearly ready to eat, turn up oven to 200°C, unwrap foil and brown for half an hour turning once.
Sophie served this with an exotic salad (with flecks of red cabbage), and her Spicy Potato Wedges. It was clean plates all round, 3 cheers for Sophie! Thank you!!
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
Sunday 17th January 2010
I don’t think I really need to describe this one, but I’m listing the ingredients. Needless to say it is quick, and as it was a sunny day there was no way I was going to do roast! It was warm too, such a treat. Had a tidy up after all the snow. Amazingly, I found a white Christmas Rose (Hellibore) hiding in a pot, and lots of buds - things just want to grow.
Spaghetti Bolognese
Serves 8
onion, x1 cut finely chopped
leek, x4, washed (cut longways) and chopped finely (can use more onion if no leek)
olive oil, dash
beef, minced, 1x500g pack
ketchup, x1 squirt
tomatoes, chopped, x2 tins
herbes de provence, x2 tbsp
garlic, x4 cloves
salt
pepper
I served this with brown penne (risky), a pesto option on the pasta, grated cheddar, parmesan and crisp organic lettuce leaves with salad dressing. The Weston’s Cider was particularly welcome. There were the predicted moans about brown pasta, but I am hard, and ignored them (noticing that some even had seconds….). There was leftover bolognese, so that will probably become a chilli con carne, watch this space!
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
Sunday 17th January 2010
I really hated rice pudding, but now, even though I don’t make it for myself, it is quite comforting, and I ate loads, I’m greedy, yes, granted, but it’s actually quite nice really. Again, I wasn’t going to bother to describe this one, but Kristy happened to be here (her washing machine is still burst from the frost so she was just collecting the laundry) and I noticed that she was watching and taking note. And now that I think of it, I do remember some really bad rice pudding disasters that I have made in the past, so, for all you rice pudding lovers and disaster mongers, this is really easy…famous last words – but they are true. I have to say also, that I didn’t make this for myself, but if I’m honest I wouldn’t have thought to make it for the others either (even though Ken loves it), you see I am just not that nice, what it was, was that, there was a pack of out of date whole milk which didn’t sell in the shop that just ‘wanted’ using…..
Rice Pudding
Serves one extremely greedy person, or 2 greedy ones or 4 regulars
Takes 5 minutes to prepare, and a couple of hours to cook
milk, whole is best, x1 litre
cream, optional – for when you are entertaining and want to show off (for the amount of cream used, deduct same quantity of milk)
sugar, white, x2 tbsp
vanilla, extract – good quality, a drop (or do that posh infusing the sugar or milk business with a vanilla pod/seeds which I can’t be fussed with)
rice, pudding rice, I used Aborio which I think is for risotto
butter, to grease the dish
Heat the oven to 190°C (not fan). Grease the dish – mine is 1.5 inches deep, 10 inches long and 5 inches wide, allegedly. Sprinkle the rice over the base. You want it one grain deep. Heat the milk in a pan to nearly boiling, add sugar and vanilla, and stir to dissolve. Pour over rice and put in oven. Bake 20 minutes (or until it gets the brown ‘skin’). Turn the oven down to 125°C for a couple of hours, or until it is thick and creamy.
Ken thinks that I should give all the other milk puddings a shot now, the ones he likes and I don’t! Tapioca (which he calls woogly woogly pudding), Semolina and Bread and Butter Pudding …. Just depends whether there is any more out of date milk I reply… I think we might have some stale bread, and I can’t stand waste, so you know, he just might be in luck….
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
Friday 15th January 2010
In Nepal when we were trekking, every night we would have dhal baat and with such a long trek, and so little to embellish it with at altitude, it eventually became dull baat. But do not despair I have developed this out of my in-stock lentil soup recipe with a flurry of (rare) inspiration after a visit to the local Indian…. So here goes, really easy, really quick, really cheap, very healthy, and bonus: child friendly too! yum…
Manda’s Not Dull Dahl Baat
Serves 8
celery, x2 sticks
onion, x2
carrot, x2
vegetable oil, x2 tbsp
curry powder, x1 heaped tbsp (less if it is a spicy one)
Heat oil. Chop veggies finely and fry in curry powder for a few minutes. Add:
water, x1 pint
stock cubes, x1-2
salt
pepper
lentils, red, x1 cup
Boil for 15 minutes or so until the water has mostly been absorbed and the lentils are soft. Add:
coconut milk, x1 tin
Blend with zummer, check seasoning & serve with rice, naan, and stir-fry veggies.
Any leftovers can be watered down for a hearty soup.
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
Saturday 16th January 2010
Dad’s favourite, and really so simple you can’t believe it. Beware, you must use butter and proper stock (just boil up some chicken wings the day before, strain over night, take off fat – or, boil the roast bones), and use plenty of onions, be ready to cry! We are still using our own onions, planted far too late, but got away with it. Alas they are nearly gone.
French Onion Soup
Serves 5
onions, x6 cut in very thin rings
butter, preferably unsalted, very large knob
Cook the onions in the butter really slowly (25 mins), so they sweat, and eventually start to caramelise. Don’t burn them like I do. Add :
stock, x1½ pints of the real thing
wine, white, x½ cup (optional)
bay, x1 leaf
thyme, x2 sprigs (if you have any)
stock cube, x1, chicken
garlic, x2 cloves, crushed
flour, x¼ cup, mixed to a paste in some cold water
salt
pepper, plenty
Simmer for about 15 minutes until the onions are soft and the pan deglazed. Season very well, remove the bay leaf and thyme.
Surprisingly nice, worth the sweat and tears! I think my dad liked this because you could use up that half cup of wine that was left over – no waste, see. Ken has just told me that this is his favourite soup too – how can you still find stuff out after 20 years. Life’s full of surprises!
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
Saturday 16th January 2010
It was a terrible dream, he tossed and turned as he saw it all unfold…. Ken had locked Mary (the overlocker) in the J’burg clothing factory where he worked. Not overnight, but for the whole Christmas holiday. It was a terrible mistake, and when he arrived back in the New Year, there was poor Mary, parched and barely able to speak (she was dead actually). The horror. Sylvia (the accountant) comes in and being of a very nervous and anxious sort breaks down. Ken’s guilt and Sylvia’s suffering were bordering on hysteria.
Suddenly a little springy man comes through the door. He is a caffetiere, and has Jimmeny Cricket arms and legs (Disney style) with spats and little white gloves. As he bounces along his little lid (which is his hat) bobs up and down too. He sits Sylvia down and pats her on the back and announces that he is Mr Scardey Coffee, and he is going to make everyone a nice cup of coffee, which will calm everyone’s nerves, and everything will all be all right again. And so it was. Hence Ken’s Scardey Coffee.
This recipe is a tribute to Mr Scardey Coffee. Whenever there is a crisis, or whenever we deserve it, and always on Saturdays and now on Wednesdays too (to celebrate mid-week and sometimes on Tuesdays when we think it’s Wednesday, and then again on the Wednesday when it is Wednesday), and when we have Chelsea Buns, or if we feel risky and always if someone comes over, we have a Scardey coffee, and it is all OK again! Even when there is no crisis, we can always think of one….. Ahh.
I always have the smallest cup because it is quite strong.
Ken always has the largest mug because it is quite strong.
Ken always makes this because he does it best.
Ken’s Scardey Coffee
For one soul (and ones soul)
coffee, filter, Latin American, x1.5 scoops (tbsp) per person. Percol is the brand we use.
water, boiling, a little, just enough to cover
milk, semi-skilled
Boil the kettle and pour over coffee in a caffetiere. Leave to brew. Heat the milk in the pan. Whist heating, get your gadget primed. It is the pumper, and worryingly it is on it’s last legs and I can’t find another one. This is a plastic mini bicycle pump thingy with two perforated discs inside and it froths the milk. You can measure the milk to nearly fill the chosen mugs or play guessing games on volumes for fun (sad). If you like sugar put that into coffee first and stir, then add frothy milk.
This is a long blog about a small issue. But it is not as long as the ritual business of Ken’s tea.
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
Saturday 16th January 2010
There is an early teenager flurry this morning. This is most unusual. I smugly think it is because I am making Chelsea Buns, however, I find out, that actually, it is because a boy is visiting! Ken set the dough on last night (bread machine) and it had risen up to the top of the tin by the time I started this morning. It takes about an hour to roll out, rise, and cook. Best served with frothy (Scardey) coffee and alert teenagers.
Chelsea Buns
Makes 12
flour, strong white bread x4 cups
water, x1.5cups
vegetable oil, x3 glugs
vinegar, x1 slosh (blame Ken, I don’t know how much this is either!)
sugar, x2 tsp
salt, x1 tsp
yeast, x1.5 tsp
Dough setting, (8 on mine, it doesn’t matter if you leave it for a bit - overnight – to prove).
Warm up the oven and the roasting tin, put it in on 50°C for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, roll out the dough onto a floured board. Make it into a big rectangle, about 18-20 inches. Cover with:
butter, melted, x½ pack (125g), and spear over dough
sugar, soft brown, x2tbsp
cinnamon, x2 tsp (less if you don’t like it much)
sultanas, x½ cup
Roll it all up into a long sausage pinching along the join, and cut into 12 equal rounds. Place on greased baking tray (or non-stick parchment) and place in warm oven (must be able to put your hand in without screaming – too hot will kill your yeast) until doubles in size. When ready to cook, turn oven on to 200°C fan (220°C). Cook for about 15-20 minutes until brown. 5 minutes before taking out, baste with sugar syrup which you have boiled for a few minutes:
Sugar, x2 tbsp
water, x3 tbsp
Eat buns whilst still warm, receive praise gratefully and pat oneself on back (ignore guilt as pile on more butter to serve). At Christmas, arrange buns in the shape of tree and tie a ribbon on it’s stump (can add red and green cherries for extra cheer).
In our house, Chelsea Buns can only served with Ken’s Scardey Coffee….
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
Monday 11th – Wednesday 13th January 2010
Horray! School at last…. But only one out of 3 could go … boo. With all the advantages of having the kids at school, comes the daily lunch box dilemma. The challenge is to pack in enough health, interest and carbohydrates to last the day. He won’t do sandwiches, and school dinners are not great, so it’s soup and more soup, in fact the flask has been the most useful thing. Soup is tasty, cheap, nourishing and quick. I can do these in 10 minutes - they can be in the flask and out the door in less than half an hour. You can make enough for yourself and the teenagers (alas, they are still lurking around – very nocturnal). I have used stock cubes, but if you have any stock, use it up here, it will be even better (and more nutritious)!
Basic Vegetable Soup
Serves 5
leeks, x2 large, washed (cut in 2 lenghwise and rinse under running tap)
potatoes, x3 large, peeled
carrots, x2 large, peeled
peas, x handful (optional)
stock cube, x1-2 (any, but I like the organic chicken ones)
water, x1 pint, boiling
salt
pepper
Put the water in a large pan and boil. Add the stock cube. Meanwhile chop the vegetables very finely, half centimetre cubes, boil rapidly for 15 minutes. Season. Done. Simple Pimple.
This is a basic ‘cawl’, Welsh soup, and usually would have some meat in it, swede, onion, & parsnip too.
Serves 5
butter, large knob (optional – but makes it nicer)
leeks, x6, washed (cut in 2 lenghwise and rinse under running tap)
potatoes, x4 large, peeled
celery, x1 stick
stock cube, x1-2 (any, but I like the organic chicken ones)
water, x1 pint, boiling
cream, for luxury, entertaining, avoid if everyday! (optional)
milk, to thin down (optional), I use oat milk for Cai
salt
pepper, lots
Chop leeks finely and fry in butter whilst chopping other veg. Boil the water add to leeks with other finely chopped veg (half centimetre cubes). Add the stock cube. Boil rapidly for 15 minutes. Season & thin if you want. Keep it lumpy on this serving and blend for leftovers (seems like another dish – but it isn’t!).
Serves 5
olive oil, (optional)
onion, x2, peeled
celery, x2 stick
carrots, x2
lentils, red, dried, x1 cup
stock cube, vegetable or chicken
water, x1 pint boiling
curry powder or cumin, x1 pinch (optional)
garlic, x1 clove, (optional, good for fighting flu, have lashings)
salt
pepper
Finely chop onion and fry in olive oil whilst chopping the other veg. Add all ingredients and boil rapidly for 15 minutes – check the lentils and onion are soft. Season & thin down if you want. Keep lumpy or blend. Cleansing comfort food.
Saturday 9th January 2010
The butcher used the wrong recipe for my leek sausages, so I have been stuck with these insipid looking things, which are, embarrassingly, not up to my usual standard. Needing to disguise and embellish them somewhat, I came up with the following, which did the trick! This was good, it would be really excellent with my Toulouse (garlic) sausages! The secret with this recipe is to cook everything really gently, perfect for range cookers and slow cookers (but you could even do it on the campsite, so no excuses!). It’s a good winter warmer for thawing the extremities after a hard day attacking snowmen (you know who you are boys!), and is a hearty meal too.
Sausage Caserole
Serves 6
Cooking time, best all day, start early!
sausages, x1 pack of 8 or so
sunflower oil, x1 tbsp
Brown the sausages in oil (gently) in an ovenproof casserole pan. Add:
onions, 2 chopped
Fry gently until onion caramelises and is beginning to catch on bottom of pan. Add :
tomatoes, 1 can whole (or chopped)
callennini beans, 1 can (or equivalent beans)
water, x1 pint/500ml
lentils, green (or red), x1 cup (approx) (optional, the kids complained about these, but bravely tolerated them)
potatoes, x6 finely diced
herbes de provence, x 1tbsp
worcester sauce, dash
piri piri sauce, dash
stock cube, x1 low salt vegetable (or other)
salt
pepper
Simmer for 20 minutes and put in very low oven approx 130°C for several hours with the lid off. You want a ‘plop’ boil, and for everything on the top surface to caramelise and brown. Turn sausages over (they float to the top) to brown all round. When thickened and done, put on lid and rest for half hour. Serve with crusty French bread and greens (we had Chinese cabbage).
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
Saturday 9th January 2010
Well we can’t get to the shops today (snowed in still), so it’s time to make bread. I cheat blatantly and use the bread machine. I know many people who are scared of theirs – don’t be, it takes 3 minutes to measure out, they are wonderful, use them more and avoid that pappy bought rubbish. You can of course make this by hand, using the same quantities.
French Bread
Serves 6
water, 1⅜ cups
salt, 1½ tsp
sugar, 1 tsp
flour, strong white bread, 3 cups
yeast, instant fast-acting, 1½ tsp
Put all ingredients into the bread machine and put onto dough setting (mine is number 8, takes 1hr 30mins). Or, mix and kneed using the traditional method and leave to rise an hour.
Turn onto a floured board and shape into 2 or 3 french sticks and slash top with a knife. Cover with greased clingfilm and put somewhere warm to rise. I put mine in the bottom oven of the Rayburn, (when it is on), or in the cooker which I have heated to 50°C and turned off. When double the size, brush with water and bake on greased baking sheets at 190°C (or hot) pre-heated fan oven for about 15 minutes. For extra crispness, spray / brush with water 2 or 3 times during cooking.
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
Friday 8th January 2010
We were all snowed in (again) and next door had walked over for a shower (theirs was frozen). In honour of this, Mum had decided to cook for us but she had no water either, so we all did it together here in the kitchen. With the luxury of a warm Rayburn and running water, the many hands and modern conveniences, it was all quite effortless. I wasn’t going to bother writing this one out – everyone knows how to do Shepherd’s Pie, but then it was particularly good, and Kristy said “so that’s the secret – Bisto”… so thought I had better write it down, so everyone knows the ‘secret’. We also always do it with beef mince, so really it should be Cottage Pie, but it’s still Shepherd’s Pie to us.
Shepherd’s Pie
Serves 2 families and a granny
onions, x4 chopped finely
sunflower oil, x2 tbsp
Brown the onions in oil (gently). Add:
beef, minced, 2x500g packs
Fry gently. Add :
carrots, x4, grated
water, 1 pint (approx)
salt
pepper
Simmer very gently, for as long as possible.
Bisto original powder, (don’t use the granules – they have serious additives in them), x2 level tbsp.
Put the Bisto powder into a glass and add half a cup of COLD water and mix to a smooth creamy paste. Take the meat mixture off the stove and stirring rapidly, pour Bisto mixture into the meat (careful here not to get brown jelly bobbles). Give it a really good stir, returning to the heat, stirring, until it boils, add more water if too thick (or mix more bisto powder mixed to paste if too thin). You want it a bit sloppy, but not runny. Check seasoning. Boil for 1 minute then transfer to oven proof dish(es). Allow to cool as long as time permits (never long in my case!). Meanhwhile prepare:
potatoes, 2-3kg peeled and cut into half inch cubes
Boil these until tender and mash, add:
salt
pepper
butter
Carefully put mash on top of meat, fork it over to put in some nice crunch lines. Melt a little more butter and brush over the top. Cook for 30 minutes on 180°C (fan, hotter for conventional) until brown on top.
You could freeze half and have a ready meal for a busy day.
Vegetarian/healthy option, substitute mince with 2 cans of puy or green lentils, add more veg like leeks & peas. Budget option, cook green lentils from scratch in a stock cube, or use half the amount of meat, and use lentils for other half (I sometimes do this, but get found out – and scolded – they moan – but grown ups don’t mind).
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
Tuesday 5th January 2010
The girls had a sleepover and their favourite brunch is pancakes. They have them with maple syrup, sometimes lemon and sugar, but their speciality is with chocolate sauce. The chocolate sauce recipe has been lavishly embellished by Annie over the years and now resembles a rich truffle filling. It’s in the department of Nutella without the nuts, the grease or the over sweetness. I’ve also put in my original, simple budget version too. For the B&B visitors I offer American pancakes. I used to make them thicker with self-raising flour and add sugar, but they really weren’t as good – more like cakes. So I now serve proper pancakes with whipped cream, smoked bacon drizzled with maple syrup in their last minute in the pan, and plenty of berries (previously frozen ones are fine), with lashings of maple syrup (not for the faint hearted!)
Makes 1L, approx 12 thin pancakes
milk, 1 pint/½ litre
flour, plain white, x 8 heaped tbsp
egg, x2
butter for greasing the pan
Heat your best cast iron or non-stick pan. Put all ingredients into a jug and mix to smooth cream with the zummer. The mixture will keep 24 hours in the fridge, and is better the next day. Make sure the pan is hot. Put a small dob of butter into it and melt. Pour in enough pancake mixture to cover the bottom of the pan (you know how you want them, thin and crispy, thick and doughy). Loosen the edges with a spatula and turn once when the base has an even speckling of golden brown freckles.
Butter, x1tbsp
Golden syrup, x2 tbsp
Melt the butter and golden syrup until just beginning to blister on the edges. Remove from the heat. Add:
Chocolate, good quality milk (G&B), 100g, broken into squares
Leave the chocolate to melt without stirring. After a few minutes add:
Crème fraiche, x1 heaped tbsp
Stir very gently until mixed. It is quite runny and perfect for pouring on to pancakes or ice cream. When it cools it sets quite hard, pour into eggcups for a chocolate pot treat after dinner. Keep in the fridge.
Butter, x1 tbsp
Golden syrup, x2 tbsp
Melt the butter and golden syrup and boil for one minute. Remove from heat. Add:
cocoa powder, x1 tbsp
Monday 4th January 2010
Once, we escaped the family for a night (actually for a funeral) but it was still romantic. The quaint village in the Quantocks was beautiful and so was the food, Sukie made good fish and amazing homegrown veggies for us. The parsnips were out of this world, and when I enquired what she had done, she modestly said they were from Delia. So thank you Delia, who I googled and learnt from, this originates from you! It is really simple and quick and can be done in advance. It will give you the wow.
Serves 6
parsnips 3 large, peeled and quartered or in thirds if thin
Heat oven to 200°C. Boil parsnips for 3 minutes. Strain, shake with lid on and keep hot.
parmesan, grated finely, x2 tbsp
flour, plain white x 1 tbsp
salt
pepper
Mix dry ingredients on plate. Use tongs to coat the hot parsnips (don’t let them get cold – it won’t stick). These can be put in the fridge to roast later or even frozen.
oil, I used sunflower, x 2 tbsp
Monday 4th January 2010
We are lucky to be able to peer into our freezer and take out a piece of our own home grown, home killed, home butchered organically reared Tamworth pork which spent a happy life eating organic barley and drinking organic milk and whey (from the cheese farm down the road) and roaming amongst our woodland which mum planted 11 years ago when we arrived. It was a smallish portion of meat for all of us, but after the Christmas excesses I only wanted a taste of meat, and with all that sticky melty fat and crispy crackling, was more about succulent juicy flavour than quantity. The idea was to pop it in, pop to the cliffs for a romp, and pop back to find it all ready… We don’t normally have roast on a Monday, but to me, with the kids still off school until tomorrow, today was definitely a ‘Sunday’…
Serves 6 (just), but if you are greedy for it, it may only serve 2 (but belly is quite rich, so you have been warned)!
onion x 1 large, finely chopped
celery x 3 small sticks, finely chopped
carrot x 1 large, finely chopped
pork belly x 1kg, skin scored in 1 cm strips (depth of the skin only) with sharp knife or Stanley knife.
salt
pepper
lemon x juice only of ½
Lay some foil onto the roasting pan. Put the chopped veggies in a pile in the middle. Score the pork. Place the meat, (skin side up), on top of the veggies. Rub in salt, pepper and lemon. Seal the foil carefully so there are no holes, with a bit of space above the meat. Roast on hot, 200°C for 30 minutes. Then turn down to 130°C for approximately 4 hours, until you are back. Meanwhile par boil your roast potatoes for 3-5 mins depending how waxy/fluffy they are and strain, shake in pan with lid on to make fluffy around edges, then leave until you return.
Turn up the oven when you come back, to hot - 200°C. Unwrap the pork, take off the foil and the veggies and cook meat without veggies for a further 20-30 minutes until the crackling is very crisp – pour off the fat regularly. You can take off strips of crackling if they are done, and keep others on to crackle some more. It will blister and really snap when it is ready. A lean indoor reared, commercial breed pig, may not crackle, beware, always buy good meat!
Meanwhile tip the fat off the foil into another roasting pan for the potatoes, season and roast them on hot until crisp and brown.
Take meat out when fully cracked and remove all crispy crackling. Resist temptation (impossible) to nibble it and put on an open plate so it doesn’t steam. Cover pork with foil to rest at least half an hour. This is very important, it is a bit like the difference between eating yourself just after a run, or when you have relaxed for half an hour after running, those hard muscles have gone tender and floppy again, and that is exactly what happens to the meat. I hope you like yourself enough and are not put you off your pork with this analogy!
Use the previously roasted veggies to thicken the gravy (mush with the zummer) and I’m afraid I often use Bisto Original powder (NOT the granules), but you could use cornflour or flour. Add veggie water. We had sprouts today, which were a bit sprouty due to the fact that they froze on their sticks the wild arctic weather. We also had apple sauce (just mushed stewed apple, no sugar) and great parsnips, see recipe below.
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
3rd January 2010
Don’t buy salad dressing it is expensive and full of gum, which is no fun! Just get a jam jar (my preference is a Robertson’s mincemeat one which I like for the black and white stripy lid). My kids love salad dressing, and have it on rice and things which is weird I know, but it means they always eat their salad…
Lasts a few meals, takes minutes to make.
balsamic vinegar x ¼ the amount of oil
maple syrup x 1 tsp
garlic x 1 clove crushed (optional)
salt
pepper
mustard x ¼ tsp (optional)
Put it all in the jar, put on the lid and shake.
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
3rd January 2010
When there is snow all around and when your 8 year old pleads for a warming chilli con carne and even offers to help and you haven’t thought of anything better, how can you resist? You might think it is always handy to have a pack of that ready mixed chilli seasoning mix, but it is quite expensive and this homemade mix is as quick as opening the pack….
Serves 2 adults, 3 teenagers and an 8 year old with a good portion leftover
Cooking time: as little as half an hour, however, the longer and slower the better, preferably most of the day on a plop…or even the day before, but this is what I aspire to, and invariably it is done in half an hour from a frozen lump of mince – and it’s fine, but improves the longer it stews.
onion x 1 large diced finely
oil x 2 tbsp
Fry for 5 minutes, add:
beef, minced x500g
coriander x2 tbsp
cumin x 1 tbsp
paprika x 2 tsp
cayenne pepper (or chilli powder) x ½ tsp (or however spicy you like it)
garlic x 4 cloves crushed
sugar x ½ tbsp
salt
pepper
Fry gently for a further 20 minutes until beef is thawed (keep turning), brown in the middle and in ballies. Add:
kidney beans x 1 can
tomatoes, chopped x 1 can
Boil on gentle, slow plop for a few minutes, the longer the better. Don’t boil rapidly as the fibres in the meat will go tough.
Serve with long grain brown rice. This causes groans, but I kind of get away with this with chilli, as the chilli is so tasty and saucy, they don’t complain, (too much) and I serve it in a pretentious mould (formed using the bread machine cup, a slightly splayed shape) which seems to trick them into thinking it is great! And for veggies, a crunchy grated red cabbage and carrot salad with sultanas (optional) and salad dressing (recipe below).
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
2nd January 2010
When one of the family is allergic to salmon (which is what the rest had for dinner) and another of the family had sardines on toast a couple of days ago and left a third of a tin and when the husband made too much cheese sauce for his cheese on toast (see 29th December 09) ….. this is the only thing that could be done – and luckily, I got away with it, she even asked for the recipe, so here goes.
Serves 1
sardines in oil x1/3 of a tin
potatoes x3 small boiled (leftovers!)
parsley, pinch of dried, chopped fresh would have been better
salt
pepper
Turn on the grill. Mush all the above in a small (brown) pie bowl with a fork until well mixed and the healthy bones and bits of skin don’t show.
cheese sauce (29th December 09 - see Ken's cheese on toast)
Put cheese sauce on top, about 1cm thick. Grill ‘till brown.
Serve with asparagus (or something green), compliment self on allergy friendliness, budget, simplicity and speed. Tidy.
Thing is, I have one more portion of cheese sauce left in the fridge, and if I open another tin of sardines I will be stuck with 2 thirds, I guess this means the only thing for it is to put one or other on toast, and the line can be ruled under that leftover thread! But then again if I still had the potatoes, I could make fish cakes with the rest…. Isn’t it exciting?
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
02 01 2010
(looks nicer than 2nd January 2010)
In my pursuit of zero waste and maximum interest I have really pushed out the boat here, the fluke of the experimental ‘lets get all the little bottles out and see what they make’ certainly paid off, and the leftover salmon from new years eve (it’s all just leftovers this week) was given a new lease of life. The accompanying asparagus (guiltily from Peru) complimented the meal to a T. Served with basmati rice, a drizzle of melted butter on the asparagus (plenty black pepper), and salmon with fishy sauce, you have to remember this one for when something needs jazzing up on it’s second time round. Fish, oriental, or just for sticking bread and celery sticks into.
Olive oil x2tbsp
fish Sauce x0.5tsp or less
piri Piri Sauce x1tsp or less
(a fresh chilli would have been even nicer)
sugar x1tsp
soya Sauce (Tamari) x1tsp
balsamic Vinegar (posh one preferably) x1tsp
lemon x0.5 juice only
Just mix and drizzle….
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
2nd January 2010
Snowman fare, a winter warmer to thaw the cockles and compliment the log fire …… The moonlit snow had dawned into the most delicious pink, and next to the pale blue sky, it was a morning to remember. Too nice to take down the decs, and the turkey stock was pleading with me (either use me today, or chuck me out and live with the guilt of ‘waste’), the butternut was not only rotting on one end (hence the half butternut in the recipe), but had been nibbled by the little mouse we caught last night…and so it was another case of ‘the best recipes are the ones which are dictated by your deteriorating ingredients’ (and in the vein of leftover surprise). Result was a 100% thumbs up from the fickle family – a soup fit to perk you up and fuel you for an afternoon of snowballs (snowboarding in the field and building fine snowmen, and falling asleep with ones book in front of the ole fire)!
Serves 4
0-eating in 30mins
Butter x1 large knob
Onion x1 diced finely
Garlic x4 cloves chopped finely
Butternut x 0.5 diced
Fry for 10 mins gently,
then add:
Stock turkey was good or water x0.5L
Stock cubes x2 chicken
Carrots x2 diced finely
Lentils, red, x1 handful
Cumin x ¼ tsp
Nutmeg x freshly ground fine sprinkle
Salt
Pepper
Boil for 20 mins, blend, turn down heat
Then add:
Milk x0.5L
Crème Fraiche x2tbsp
Peas x1 handful
Cook gently until peas are done.
Amanda Nantgwynfaen
www.organicfarmwales.co.uk
29th 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).
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
