Mamma mia... Mothering Sunday

It's that time of year again, and my thoughts are turning to daffodils, lighter evenings, desperately wishing of putting the thermals away and of course, Mothering Sunday.

Finding the perfect gift or something for my Mother is interminably difficult - for a while I could rely on a card and making her steak & potatoes dauphinoise. This year as I've got Church Parade I'll be sending flowers (don't worry, she doesn't read this) and making sure to call her after my charges have been dispatched back to their mothers.

Of course, if you're being traditional then it should be a simnel cake - here's my recipe that I will make at Easter too.

There are some beautiful Mother's Day gift selections out there - Not on the High Street do a lovely selection (as they do with everything, they are generally my first stop for presents). If I were a mother, then there I could have definitely worked you up a list.

However, if you've got to Wednesday without a gift then it's likely you're not going to want to chance online shopping. As always the Supermarkets are rising to the challenge and Asda kindly sent me some of their Mother's Day gifts to show you.

The heart shaped crumpets are a lovely touch, perfect if you're planning a surprise breakfast in bed (although not one with cold tea as my sister and I did before we were allowed to use the kettle!) Similarly the toast stamp looks like lots of fun.

There's very few mothers who would turn down some chocolates, and the shoes are perfectly dinky, with the chocolate slab enormous - and so pretty!

Last year after mother's day I picked up some MUM cookie cutters in the sale (every thrifty) and I think the perfect Mother's Day gift would be some MUM sugar biscuits, that you could decorate with icing and maybe her favourite colour sprinkles or sweets.

Using my recipe for my Christmas cookies, I'll be cutting them out using these cutters, and decorating them with glace icing. Now of course I just have to work out how to get them to my Mum.

Christmas #3: Mince pies

I love mince pies. I really do, I have a tendency to pick the pastry off of shop bought ones. Not in a snobby way, I just don't really like pastry that's not got butter in it. 

So, mince pies. At the Asda event we got to have a good play at pastry making. I would like to point out to the snotty Mrs Carter who threw my first attempts at pastry in the bin, that I just made pastry at Leiths. And no one judged me. So there! 

We used Extra Special mincemeat which comes in two varieties - Brandy & Port, and Whiskey and Orange. I've made mincemeat in the past, but honestly - sometimes it's just quicker and easier to open a jar. The Extra Special mincemeat certainly smelled homemade. For homemade read alcoholic, which is exactly how I like my mincemeat. Oh and without nuts and peel. Not that I'm fussy.

Mince pies

Rich, sweet shortcrust pastry

170g plain flour
Pinch of salt
100g unsalted butter
2 tbsps caster sugar
1 egg yolk 
2 tbsps iced cold water

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl
Cube the butter and rub into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. If you have hot hands like me, work quickly!
Add the sugar and mix
Add the water to the egg yolk and add to the flour mixture
Use your hands to mix to a firm dough

Pantry note: If you're hot handed like me, you could easily do this in a food processor and do it yourself from the rolling out section.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C
Split your pastry into 2 - one should be about 2/3 of your mix for the bases, and the other third is for your pretty stars

Roll out the larger portion to about 3mm thickness
Cut out 12 circles using a large fluted cutter
Put each circle into a section on a jam tart tray

Roll out the smaller portion to the same(ish) thickness
Cut out 12 stars and put them on a baking sheet

Chill both trays for about half an hour

Remove the pie bases and fill with a teaspoon of mincemeat - don't be tempted (ahem) to overfill as when the mincemeat bubbles up it will make the pastry stick to the sheet. Nothing to see here, move along please *innocent eyes*

Put the stars on top of each mince pie and bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown
Remove from the tray and cool on a wire rack
When you're ready to serve, dust with icing sugar

Pantry note: I've frozen my mince pies as I knew we wouldn't eat them - we have liebkuchen and blondies to eat up at the moment. I froze them in a single layer the same day I made them, and will defrost and warm through in the oven

Christmas post the first: Stir up Sunday

The last Sunday before Advent is Stir up Sunday. The traditional day to make your Christmas Pudding. This year (for the first time ever, possibly) I was ahead of the game and on Tuesday, instead of Guides found myself once again at Leith's with some friends, stirring up a pudding.

There are lots of traditions around Stir up Sunday - my favourite is that each member of the family should give the pudding a stir and make a wish for the year ahead as they do so.  On telling this to our group at Leith's we made sure everyone made their wish!

Other traditions include:

• Stirring the pudding from East to West, to remember the journey of the three Wise men on their way to visit the baby Jesus. I'm a bad Guider - I would so need a compass to be able to do that!
• A pudding should be made with 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and his 12 disciples
• Traditionally there should be a thimble (for luck) a ring (for marriage) and a coin (for good fortune) hidden in the pudding. What turns up in your portion is your fortune for the year to come. Heaven only knows what Food Hygiene would make of that!
• Early Christmas puddings did contain meat (as did early mincemeat) The puddings we recognise today was introduced by Prince Albert to Queen Victoria.

A Christmas pudding is made as it were, in three stages:

1. Making the pudding mixture and putting it in the pudding basin
2. Steaming the pudding
3. Storing it - for up to 2 years to mature in flavour

We had a taste test of three puddings at Leith's, one was a newly made and steamed pudding, another 6 months old and the third 18 months old. Many of us liked the newer pudding, I wasn't too keen on the 6 months old pudding, but the one that was 18 months old tasted as if it had been steeped in a beautiful bourbon (Knob creek is my bottle of choice. Are you reading this Louise?)

Anyway, so... onto the recipe - the one we used is the one that Asda have used for their Extra Special puddings 

• Makes one pudding for a two pint pudding basin

85g raisins

55 currants

100g sultanas

40g chopped mixed peel (I would usually leave this out and substitute glace cherries)

110g mixed dried apricots and figs, chopped

145ml brown ale

1 tablespoon run

Grated zest & juice of half an orange

Grated zest & juice of half a lemon

55g prunes - soaked overnight in cold tea, then drained and chopped 

1/2 dessert apple - grated

Soak all the fruit (except the prunes) overnight in the beer, rum, orange juice and lemon juice. In the morning add the drained, chopped prunes

Grate the apple into this mixture

110g softened butter

170g soft, dark brown sugar

1 tblsp treacle (dip your spoon in boiling water to make adding this easier)

1.5 eggs (nope, me neither)

55g self raising flour, sifted

1/2 tsp ground mixed spice (I normally call this cake spice I think)

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch ground ginger

Pinch salt

110g breadcrumbs

30g toasted hazelnuts, toasted (again, I would usually substitute more glace cherries for this)

Beat together the butter and sugar, when light add the orange and lemon zest and the treacle

Whisk the eggs together and gradually add them to the mixture, beating well after each addition. It's a fairly stable mixture so I didn't add flour with each bit of egg

Fold in the flour, spices, salt and breadcrumbs

Stir in the nuts and dried fruit mixture, plus any of the soaking liquor

Spoon the mixture into a greased 2 pint pudding basin

Cover with two layers of pleated greaseproof paper, and one piece of pleated kitchen foil

Tie up with string (no knots required. Yes, I was sad)

When ready to cook, steam for 10-12 hours. Put a large saucepan (I would need to use my stockpot) on to boil and put an upside down saucer on the bottom. Using the string handle, lower the pudding into the boiling water. The water needs to come at least half the way up the basin. 

Cover the pan, and leave, topping up the water as necessary (use water from the kettle to top up)

Leave the pudding to cool, and re-cover it. You can now store it for up to 2 years, in a cool dark place.

When you're ready to serve, steam for 2-3 hours and serve with custard. Other toppings are available, but I'm afraid they're wrong. 

And there you have it - Christmas pudding, a la Leith's and Asda. We had such fun - and there's another two posts to come - one of which is an activity plan! I'm giving in to Christmas - let the festivities commence! 

A huge thank you to Asda and Leith's for hosting our event this week, I had so much fun, and really enjoyed not just making the puddings, but also meeting some new people, catching up with friends and having my first mug (or two) of mulled wine. 

Simple Summer Essentials: the round up

As you've probably (hopefully) noticed, my posts recently have all been themed around Simple Summer Essentials. Oddly - and conveniently - coinciding with the only extended period of sunshine we've had this summer, as both that and the series come to an end I thought I'd do a quick round up post for you. With a bit of a difference.

I've mentioned that Asda provided me with the fresh produce for these posts (all additional ingredients were purchased myself) and they're offering one reader of the Pantry a chance to win £50 worth of Asda vouchers. To do this you need to complete the Rafflecopter widget below, telling me which of all these recipes would be your chosen Simple Summer Essential.

Deeply dippy about asparagus

Beetroot and feta salad

Herb oils: two ways to infuse

Tomato and mozzarella salad

How do you solve a problem like overripe fruit?

Patriotic Pavlova

Peach Melba

Frozen Grapes

How to enter:

• Complete the Rafflecopter form below to confirm your entries made by commenting on the blog, tweets or Facebook
• The competition is set to run until 10th September
• Check the Rules below *Guider hat on* I will check to make sure that you've done what I've asked
• The winner will be announced via the Rafflecopter widget

How does Rafflecopter work? (short video link)

 

• Can you not see the Widget? Press F5 to refresh your page
• Complete the form, or I can't see any entries you make

Good Luck and fingers crossed!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules:

• This competition is only open to UK Mainland residents
• You need to be 18 or over to enter
• Read all the instructions above - they are part of these terms and conditions
• I will check all entries, I am a Guider please don't try and pull a fast one. If you cheat I will disqualify all your entries
• This is being hosted on behalf of Asda who are responsible for sending out the prize - to do this you will need to confirm your contact details
• The decision about who wins is final. No discussion will be entered into
• There is no cash alternative to the prize
• As mentioned above, the prize is offered in good faith but equal or similar value substitutions may be made by Asda if items are unavailable.
• Winners are picked by Rafflecopter, who use random.org to generate that information
• If you don't claim your prize within 7 days another winner will be chosen.

Simple summer essentials part 3: The colour purple - Beetroot and feta salad

Baby beetroot and feta salad

What am I up to now? Part three? I think so, if you don't count Meal Planning Monday as part one. Or maybe I should. Which would make this Part four. Oh, who knows. I've got pavlova, poached eggs and steamed asparagus and raspberry cordial or vodka/ gin (still undecided) yet to come.

So far in the Simple Summer Essentials we've had:

Watercress, basil and parsley oil: two ways

Mozarella and tomato salad: (also) two ways

And now Baby beetroot and feta salad. Which I can't take credit for thinking up, because it's everywhere. And when I suddenly though - oooh I know, that's what I'll do, I realised I'd remembered it from Jules' recent post. Dammit. I did think about doing something different, but the baby beetroot with mint and raspberry were so sweet and were calling, calling I tell you(!) out to be made into salad. No, really they were.

It's less of a recipe in my case, and more of (as this week is themed) a Simple Summer essential. Where the recipe lies in this case is in the dressing. Jules' dressing looks lovely, but if we're doing Pantry summer essentials then a simple French dressing has to be included. Mine was once based on a Delia recipe, possibly from How to Cook, but that was a long time ago. Years have passed since I've opened the book, much less looked at the ingredients, but that said, hers was the inspiration.

French dressing (used here on beetroot, feta, tomatoes, pea shoots and some cucumber)

1 garlic clove, crushed (or squished on a bread board using the flat of your knife and some salt)
Pinch salt
Black pepper
Sprinkle mustard powder (maybe half a teaspoon or so? And I often substitute this with made up mustard if I've run out of powder)
Good olive oil, maybe about 4 tablespoons
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (I love this more than is probably healthy)
1 tablespoon white wine/ cider vinegar

Add your crushed garlic, salt, pepper and mustard powder to a clean, empty jam jar and haphardly beat it together with a fork
Add the oil and vinegars, put the lid on the jar and shake like billy-oh until everything mixes together
Add to salads and store in the fridge

Herb oils: two ways to infuse

I seem to be all about 'doing the double' this week, unlike our amazing athletes it's all about the food, no medals here. Sad times. Although I am entering this as part of Karen at Lavender and Loveage's Herbs on Saturday linkup

Now I have to confess (despite using the word twice in my last post) I don't really 'do' drizzle. To me it makes me feel like I'm trying too hard, like I'm pretending to be a restaurant chef when we all know I'm a home cook in slippers and a Cath Kidston pinny. Not just that obviously, I'm not some kind of slipper & pinny wearing pervert!

However, flavoured oils to me come under the heading of preserves. And we all know how excited the Pantry gets about the prospect of preserving. Too excited.

The first flavoured oils I made were chilli oils as a Christmas present for my dad. Simply add dried chillies to an unflavoured oil (groundnut works well) Decant into a sterilised bottle, seal and keep in a dark cupboard. The flavour will get stronger and stronger the longer it's kept as the chillies continue to infuse, so that's best kept for lovers of that chilli kick.

However today is all about the herbs. In my bundle of goodies from Asda was a bag of watercress. And as luck would have it I had some parsley and basil in a jug on my worktop.

Pantry tip: store cut herbs as you would cut flowers (but maybe in a jug not your best crystal vase) topping up the water regularly and they'll stay fresh far longer.

I should just note that salad leaves like rocket grow like weeds in the tiniest window box or pot, and even when carelessly neglected will grow beautifully. You can reseed your pot intermittently so that over the course of the summer you have a cheap, quick and instant source of salad.

Pantry tip 2: yesterday I mentioned when to spend your money on mozzarella and when to save it. Olive oil is similar, to cook with use a plain and simple olive oil (or even an unflavoured oil like groundnut) but if you're using it raw as it were go all out with the extra virgin. Don't go mad but you want one that tastes fresh and vibrant as it is. Although you're infusing herbs into it, the flavour of the oil will continue to shine through.

Watercress & herb oil - the quick and easy one

Fill a 1 pint jug with your herbs. I used watercress, parsley and basil. Blitz these in a food processor, until really finely chopped.

Measure half a pint of good quality olive oil and pour that into your food processor with the motor running slowly.

Taste, season if necessary and use over salads, grilled meats or you could add toasted pine nuts and finely grated Parmesan for a quick and easy take on pesto. You probably won't want salt if you're taking this on to pesto as the salt from the cheese will be enough.

If you decant this into a sterilised jar and ensure that you cover it with a layer of extra olive oil it will keep in the fridge for a week or so.

What's nice about this is how the really peppery kick of the watercress comes through, contrasting with the softer flavours of the basil and parsley.

Watercress and herb oil: take two - cold infusion

Now for the preserving. This means that the oil will keep for much longer, and the flavour is intensified. It is strained through muslin as you would for a jelly so the pieces of herbs are discarded.

You start the same way with a pint of herbs, which you bring to yhe boil in a pan of water, straining almost immediately it comes to the boil and refresing under cold water.

Then blitz this, adding half a pint of good olive oil.

Strain this mixture through a seive letting the oil drip through slowly into a bowl. Resist the urge to push the oils through as that will make your end result cloudy.

You can bottle at this stage, using sterilised bottles, or you can strain again, lining your seive with muslin (or a clean, old pillowcase) and then bottle.

This will keep in the fridge a little longer than the easier option and is a wonderful addition to salads (especially yesterday's mozzarella and tomato salad) It also makes a lovely present as the verdant green oil is so beautiful and a fantastic alternative home-made gift for someone who perhaps doesn't like marmalade, jam, sloe gin, or elderberry cordial.

You say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to: Tomato & mozzarella salad

 

But let's not call the whole thing off.

 

I said this week was going to be dedicated to simple summer essentials, and was keen from the outset to include my favourite summer salad: tomato and mozzarella.

 

But first, some background (or waffle - you decide and feel free to skip this paragraph). Growing up, salad for us, like many working class families, included the ubiquitous iceberg lettuce, watery tomatoes (although cherry were always my favourite) and cucumber. A summer staple, served with leftover roast meat or ham for packed lunches. The amazing thing about being a market shopper is the fact that you had to buy seasonal produce. Now it seems odd that those of us on lower incomes were embracing through necessity something which is now seen as a desirable indicator of one's ethical status and an appropriate choice to make. But enough preaching, you get the picture; salad = boring. And I have to admit it took me a long time to move away from the familiarity of that prescriptive recipe as it were. I remember a flatmate at uni adding dressing and mango to a chicken salad and thinking it wonderfully decadent. Adding croutons and thousand island dressing (yes, I know, kill me now) was my next step, and then - once again spurred on by Mr Oliver - I started to experiment. Watery tomatoes were replaced with home grown (actually that is a lie I distinctly remember my grandma growing tomatoes in her greenhouse and indulgently letting us eat them straight from the plants). Peppers were added and dressings experimented with. Over time I discovered first rocket, and then watercress preferring to grow my own in window boxes and plant pots than use the bagged, extortionate supermarket versions.

Today salad is once again a summer staple, it's largely diet friendly and means I get an extra serving of my five a day.

The produce Asda sent me was calling out to be made into a salad and my tummy was calling out for that to be my favourite. I'm including two ways of making this, not because I'm showing off, but because if you're left with some overripe tomatoes then slow roasting them first works best.

Now just before I get any further I want to address (possibly reiterate) the mozzarella equation:

• If you're eating mozzarella raw, such as in this salad - buy the best you can afford. The taste does make a difference. Please don't remortgage your house though, stay within reason.
• If you're cooking with mozzarella buy economy/ basics branded. In blind taste tests when the cheese has been cooked people categorically can't tell the difference.

 

Mozzarella and tomato salad (fresh tomatoes)
 

 

If you store your tomatoes in the fridge, get them out at least an hour before making this as it means you can taste the flavour of the fruit as opposed to just the cold.

 

Around 1 large or 2 medium (really, use your judgement) tomatoes per person

 

Mozzarella - usually balls are around 250g and I allow half a ball per person
Fresh basil or if you've had a glut of herbs you needed to preserve, a drizzle of basil oil. See tomorrow's post for details.

 

Slice the mozzarella and tomatoes about the thickness of a £1 coin
(I can't believe I just typed that, slice them how you want!) if you've not got a super sharp knife use a serrated one as it makes slicing tomatoes easier.

 

Scatter over fresh basil leaves, salt, pepper and a little olive oil. Or just salt, pepper and your herb oil

 If I'm being fancy I arrange them on a plate, alternating the tomato and cheese. If, on the other hand I'm making lunch for me I whack it all in a bowl and scoff greedily sat in as much sunshine as either the office, training room, front step or balcony can muster!

 Mozarella and tomato salad - take two: using overripe tomatoes

 

 

Halve all your ripe tomatoes and place them on a baking tray cut side up. Sprinkle with salt & pepper (and if you've got some fresh thyme lying around add that)
Drizzle over olive oil
Cook in a preheated oven - 200 degrees C ish for about 45 minutes, until the skins are just starting to blacken and the tops are wrinkly

Serve with your mozzarella, save the olive oil-y juices though and use that as a dressing with some basil

 

 

The roasted tomatoes will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Bring up to room temperature before using them though

So there you have it, my salad history and mozzarella and tomato salad two ways. What more could you want?

An Extra Special Easter

See the pretty picture, I am teaching myself how to do fancier things on the computer. Today this included downloading Picasa and using it to make a collage. Get me! 

The pictures are of a lovely evening last week I spent as a guest of Leith's and Asda for the launch of the summer's Extra Special collection. I was astounded to see that it included samphire, which as the grandaughter/ neice of fishmongers I felt terrible admitting I had never tried. I really liked it, salty and cooked briefly so it retained a bite it was the perfect foil to a lightly boiled egg and some asparagus. A terrific starter, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed making with some other foodie bloggers. 

We also made soda bread which was lighter than I usually make, the difference being butter, half and half white and brown flour and some sugar. So definitely a few changes to try there. 

However, my all out favourite dish of the evening has to be the strawberry tarts, incredibly light ready-made pastry tart cases, smothered in a lightly sweetened, beaten vanilla cream and topped with strawberries and a warmed jam glaze. I had the luck to take a couple of extras home and they were as fabulous with a cup of tea as they were as a dessert. 

It was a lovely evening, with terrific company, so thank you Asda, Leith's and all the other ladies who attended. 

Asda have very kindly offered a hamper of goodies for one of my followers. All contents are Asda Extra Special and approved by the chefs at Leiths.

Extra Special all butter pastry cases

Extra Special artisan flat breads

Extra Special plain chocolate

Extra Special mini meringues

Extra Special strawberry conserve

Extra Special Spanish orange blossom honey

Extra Special Italian pesto alla Genovese

Extra Special Aceto Balsamico di Modena

Extra Special all Butter parmesan and garlic mini twists

Extra Special garlic dipping oil

Extra Special apricot crumbles

Extra Special Italian conchiglioni

Extra Special spiced plum and ginger marinade

Extra Special stem ginger chocolate biscuits

Extra Special Belgian milk chocolate and pecan popcorn clusters

Extra Special black pepper ciabatta croutons

ES Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

ES Chianti Classico Reserva

*Asda reserve the right to change items in the hamper to ones of a similar value

How to enter:

• Complete the Rafflecopter form below to confirm your entries made by commenting on the blog, tweets or Facebook
• The competition is set to run until 27th April
• Check the Rules below *Guider hat on* I will check to make sure that you've done what I've asked
• The winner will be announced via the Rafflecopter widget

How does Rafflecopter work? (short video link)

• Can you not see the Widget? Press F5 to refresh your page
• Complete the form, or I can't see any entries you make
• Make sure you leave a blog comment, and follow Penelope's Pantry as they are the Mandatory ways to enter

Good Luck and fingers crossed!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules:

• This competition is only open to UK Mainland residents
• You need to be 18 or over to enter
• Read all the instructions above - they are part of these terms and conditions
• I will check all entries, I am a Guider please don't try and pull a fast one. If you cheat I will disqualify all your entries
• This is being hosted on behalf of Asda who are responsible for sending out the prize - to do this you will need to confirm your contact details
• The decision about who wins is final. No discussion will be entered into
• There is no cash alternative to the prize
• As mentioned above, the prize is offered in good faith but equal or similar value substitutions may be made by Asda if items are unavailable.
• Winners are picked by Rafflecopter, who use random.org to generate that information
• If you don't claim your prize within 7 days another winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The flowers of spring: what's coming up on the blog

I do love M's parents, they came for dinner the other week and brought me primroses. Hurrah for flowers.

I know the last few weeks on the blog have been a bit dull, much as I don't pay too much attention to my stats, the numbers have been steadily dropping, so I thought I'd just do a bit of signposting so you know I haven't completely given up and hibernated.

This week I'm off for a cookery evening at Leiths and following that, there will be a giveaway of a hamper of Asda Extra Special goodies just for readers of the blog. I'm going to tie that into some subsription options now that Google Reader is no more for those of you not on Blogspot blogs.

I've promised myself that I'm going to get some scones made today, using our Division Commissioner's infamous recipe. And not just because the cream will go off otherwise.

Continuing the Guiding feel, I've got a couple of picture posts of the Guides and Brownies using some Baker Ross craft packs for Mothering Sunday and Easter. Lots of fun was had by all (I was just sad they haven't left any for me!)

Also, I've got another Activity plan for your units - homemade (no-cook) sweets suitable for Brownies to make with supervision and assistance, and for older Guides to lead younger Guides in. Ideal presents for any opportunity that arises (we made them at Brownies for Mothering Sunday).

And lastly, I completely failed to blog my birthday cake which was yummy, so I'm adapting the recipe slightly to make it a Simnel cake. Ideally that would have been made already but as I have no need to prove my suitability as a wife - unless anyone's asking? I'm shucking the bonds of patriarchy (or something like that) and making it when I have some time this week or next.

So that's what's coming up over the coming weeks. Stay tuned...