this is just to say .....

whenever I take a plum from the fridge, I always think of this poem .....

Niki's lemon fromage

I have this in my recipe book as Jenny's lemon fromage but I think a lot of the best recipes doing the rounds in Zim were from Niki originally.  Although it is called a fromage it doesn't have any cheese in it - it is actually based on a traditional Danish dessert called Citronfromage made from farm fresh cream and eggs.  I love this description on when to eat it that I found on a Danish food blog :

"Citronfromage is a classic Danish dessert, a familiar old friend to all Danes. It can of be served any time of the year but I associate it with long summer days when the sun sets late in the evening. The mousse is a beautiful pale yellow color and it is filled with air making it a very light dessert. The tart lemon flavor is complimented with sweet whipped cream which gives it nice contrast. Make sure to serve the Citronfromage cold with a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy!"

Lemon fromage is really quick and easy to make and deliciously light and airy despite all the cream.   I use half lemon juice and zest and half lime.  You can serve it in a big glass bowl but I like to do individual servings in my Moroccan tea glasses.

Lemon Fromage

2 eggs

6 oz (175g) caster sugar

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind

1 pint (570 ml) cream lightly beaten

1 tbsp gelatine

4 tbsp cold water

Soak the gelatine in cold water and dissolve over hot 

Beat the eggs until light and fluffy

Add sugar to eggs gradually, continue beating

Add the gelatine 

Stir in the lemon juice and most of the rind

Fold in most of the cream reserving some for topping

Place in glass bowl or individual glasses, top with cream and decorate with grated rind

Refrigerate until set (about 3 hours)

Juj's banana bread

Kate, Emma, George and Hope's favourite.  Juj always has some in the car when he picks K&E up from the airport for them to eat on the M4! 

Nigella's recipe - it's from here:

Banana Bread

100 grams sultanas
75 ml dark rum or brandy
175 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon salt
125 grams unsalted butter (melted)
150 grams caster sugar
2 large eggs
4 small very ripe bananas (mashed)
60 grams chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the sultanas and rum in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Put
the butter in a bowl and put the bowl on top of the saucepan like a lid
so the butter melts while the brandy cools. Leave the sultanas to drink
rum and get fat for at least 30 mins.

Beat together butter and sugar

Beat in the eggs one by one

Stir in the bananas, walnuts, drained sultanas and vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients in another bowl then stir them in bit by bit.

Line a loaf tin (mine is 20cm x 7cm) with greaseproof paper and put the
mix in it.

Bake 1 hour at 170ºC

peach pie

Having watched the movie 'Labor Day' recently, and because of the beautiful peaches in the shops in summer here I was inspired to make a peach pie.  This is an adapted recipe from Gourmet Traveler magazine - don't put too much sugar in with the peaches as their tartness works really well with the sweet sugar-crusted pastry.

Ingredients

Filling :

10              firm ripe peaches, cut into thick wedges

300 gm      caster sugar

1 tbsp        lemon juice

For brushing:   eggwash

For dusting:     white sugar

To serve:          thick cream

           maple syrup (optional)

   

Crème fraîche pastry :

525 gm (3½ cups)    plain flour

260 gm                     chilled unsalted butter, coarsely chopped

 70 gm                      caster sugar

150 gm                     crème fraîche (or sour cream)

Finely grated rind     of ½ lemon

2 tbsp                        almond meal

Method :

 Process the flour, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add crème fraîche, lemon rind, and 1 tbsp chilled water and pulse until dough comes together. Form one-third of pastry into a disc, form remaining pastry into another disc, wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled (30 minutes).

 Preheat the oven to 180C. Roll out the larger piece of pastry to a 32cm-diameter round, then line a pie tin with a 22cm-diameter base and a 28cm-diameter top. Roll out the remaining pastry to a 29cm-diameter round, cut a small hole in centre and transfer to a tray. Refrigerate both pieces of pastry to rest (30 minutes). Blind bake base until golden around the edges (10-15 minutes), remove paper and weights and continue to bake, gently pressing pastry occasionally with a clean cloth to prevent rising, until light golden (5-10 minutes), then scatter with almond meal.

 Meanwhile, combine the peaches, sugar, lemon juice and reserved vanilla bean in a bowl and stand to macerate (20 minutes). Strain the juice from peaches into a small saucepan, bring to the boil over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to a thick syrup (5-10 minutes). 

 Transfer the peach mixture to the pie dish. Brush the edges with eggwash, top with the remaining pastry, press gently to seal, then trim the edges. Brush with eggwash, scatter generously with sugar and bake until golden (25-35 minutes). 

Serve warm or at room temperature with thick cream, the peach syrup and maple syrup.

Julian's Yorkshire puddings

The best Yorkshire puddings I've ever tasted.

Best consumed with roast chicken and gravy sitting under the apple tree in Juj and Kit's back garden on a beautiful sunny London summer evening.
Yum.

Yorkshire Puddings

Heavy deep muffin tin
4 big eggs
340ml milk
250g flour

Beat eggs and milk and a pinch of salt until frothy.
Leave for 10 mins until not frothy.
Add flour and beat really really well.
Put in jug in fridge while meat cooks.
Fill muffin tray with half cm sunflower oil
Get tray smoking hot in max oven
Pour cold batter in hot oil and bake for 20-30 mins.

My theory (the theory which is mine) is that the big temperature
difference between the batter and the oil makes them doughy in the
middle and crispy on the outside.

Graham's Tom Ka Kai recipe (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)

This recipe has lots of ingredients but is very quick and easy to make - just a little chopping required.  It's really important to get the balance of sweet, salty, hot and sour right - so make sure you test it before you serve it up.

Graham's Tom Kai Kai

Prep Time: 8 minutes      Cook Time: 10 minutes                  Serves : 2 as a main, 4 as a starter

Ingredients:

6 cups good-quality chicken stock

1-2 chicken breasts, sliced

1 lemongrass stalk, OR 3 Tbsp. frozen prepared lemongrass

4 thai lime leaves (optional)

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 thumb-size piece ginger, grated (or pickled ginger)

a few small pieces of sweet ginger (optional)

3-4 cloves garlic

1-3 fresh red chilies, chopped (to taste), OR substitute 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. dried chilli

1/2 to 1 can coconut milk

2 Tbsp. lime juice

2+ Tbsp. fish sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp. palm sugar (or brown sugar)

handful fresh coriander leaves

handful fresh basil leaves

3 spring (green) onions, sliced

other vegetables, like sliced red/yellow peppers, zucchini etc

1 cup cooked rice

Preparation:

Slice and mince the lower portion of the lemongrass stalk. Retain the upper stalk for the soup pot.

Place chicken stock in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.

Add chicken and mushrooms. Also add the prepared lemongrass (including upper stalk pieces), plus kaffir lime leaves and fresh chilli. Boil 5-8 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.

Turn heat down to medium. Add the galangal or ginger, 1/2 can coconut milk, the fish sauce, and extra vegetables (if using). Stir well. Simmer gently 1-2 minutes.

Turn heat down to minimum. Add lime juice and stir.

Do a taste test. Look for a balance between spicy, sour, salty, and sweet flavours. Start with salty, adding more fish sauce if not salty or flavourful enough (1 Tbsp. at a time). If too sour, add the sugar plus a little more if you need it. If too spicy, or if you'd like it creamier, add more coconut milk. If not spicy enough, add more chilli.

Stir in the cooked rice.

Ladle soup into serving bowls. Sprinkle with a little fresh coriander, basil, and spring onion.

cupcakes and figs