Plumptious Plums!

I received a present this week of 2kgs of plums – ripe and luscious – surely this can't be right – it only seems like last week since the last harvest!

Not that I'm complaining at all.

Thinking cap on … I think I'll roast them. I like roasting fruits, not like the old fashioned way of fruit, sugar and water and boiled within an inch of its life. Roasting gives you the fruit and sugar balanced so that there's an edge to your cooked fruit and the most mouthwatering intense syrup – a perfect base for a crumble. Hmm … pecans go very well with plums.

Anyway, before we get to grips with the recipes themselves, a thought or three about prepping your plums. Laborious I know, but necessary – a bit like standing with a mountain of ironing and to avoid losing the plot completely any distraction is welcome, for example watching absolute drivel on the television.

Before we get to the television stage, wash your plums and dry on kitchen roll. Kit required – a tea towel, a large bowl, a pair of clear vinyl gloves – the sort used in food prep and a sharp (paring) knife.

Line the bowl with kitchen roll and decant your washed plums - two thirds full will be comfortable – for the 2kgs I filled my bowl twice.

Take your bowl, with plums, your gloves, paring knife and the tea towel - to place on your lap - choose your favourite “guilty pleasure” television programme and sit! Slice a plum in half, follow the natural line in the fruit, right around the stone – twist each half of the plum in opposite directions and then remove the stone. Some will be easier than others to extract – not every fruit ripens at the same time. Discard the stones underneath the kitchen roll.

You'll be surprised how quickly they're ready to roast and no aching back.

Recipes next.

Another missive from my friend M …

… some of you regular readers may remember the piece “Some things are meant to be” which gave feedback in the way of an email received after a class.

Here's M's most recent email with her comments on the latest class ...

… “I will never think of a PPS again as just for Christmas – it's for life!!!! Pizza puffs, Cheese Straws and Cheese and Potato Slice, so versatile, all wolfed down. The jam jar meal I thought was fun, a talking point with guests and great for picnics or a day out so I'm busy saving my jam pots.

Now for the “piece de résistance” Lemon Tiramisu … saw that on the blog and I thought really the Mary Berry one that I do is a real favourite with friends and family, so I will probably stick to that recipe … sorry, Mary (my idol for nearly 50 years) has been thrown out of the window … Marion's Lemon Tiramisu is truly memorable and definitely lip smackingly good!!!! I've told friends that will be their dessert on their next visit … forthcoming attraction so to speak!!!!

For those not in the know, a PPS is a puff pastry sheet!

… and a comment from my friend Shirl the day after the “Summer Salad” … “Fab, fab and fabulous meal last night”.

Hurray for forward planning and a definite thumbs up for the summer (aka creaking table) salad!

Summer Salad - Hints and Tips

Always remove beef and steaks – in this case the sliced fillet tail from the fridge ahead of cooking to allow it to reach room temperature.

**You don't have to use tail fillet of beef. Try smoked chicken fillet instead.

A quick reminder of a really quick way to achieve a “smoked” flavour, poach chicken fillets in chicken stock (I'd use a Knorr jelly stock pot) for 10 minutes or so (depending on the size of the fillets) then allow the fillets to cool in the stock, covered of course. (Homage again the The Ivy The Restaurant and its Recipes by AA Gill)

Take a minute or two to decide on your serving dishes and cutlery. Here's what I mean, the photos below of the mediterranean style bowls, some with lids, make life really easy since you can decant ahead - olives as an example - into serving dishes – cling film and you're ready to serve. You can lay your table with all your dishes with the exception of the hot stuff right at the last minute.

                                         

These forks are perfect for spearing olives not to mention the potatoes – try out a potato as a new dipping partner for Camembert. They are actually dessert forks - £3.25 for six from IKEA – called MARTROP – they measure approximately 14cms long.

Boring I know but life is so much easier with a little forward planning and this way you can enjoy a well deserved glass of something nice, cold and fizzy with your friends!

I can hear you … how much food was leftover? There were leftovers – some of The Stir Fry, antipasto and the salad bits and pieces – was it wasted – a big fat no. Lunch the following day for us and a takeaway for friends too.

Result!

Summer Salad ...

… The hot stuff!

On the day your last minute tasks are :

Roast your baby new potatoes – pre-heat your oven

180fan/200c/Gas 6. The potatoes should be of a similar

and will take 20/25 minutes – set your timer for 10 minutes

and then,

Bake the Camembert – it will take 15 minutes

Roast and bake both the above in foil trays – no washing up!

Whilst they are both working their magic, finish off the Stir Fry

and cook the scallops, prawns and chorizo

The Stir Fry in the wok

Heat the chorizo oil left in the wok, if you feel there may not be sufficient

oil then add a drop of olive oil Seal the thin slices of fillet on

both sides – seconds only – set aside.

Fry the onion, garlic and peppers then add the diced potatoes

until warmed through. Add the chorizo and asparagus and then the fillet.

Season with salt and black pepper and fold in a dessert spoon of mayo

you want a coating, not saturated - you can always add more,

you can't take it away – serve in the wok straight to the table.

The Scallops et al in the frying pan

Heat the chorizo oil until it's quite hot, think of a clock face –

in other words begin at 12 o'clock and place the scallops in a circle

in the pan - when you've place the last scallop begin to turn again. Add

the prawns, toss in the oil with the scallops and finish adding

the cooked chorizo. Serve on a warmed plate and drizzle with

a drop of maple syrup.

It's important that you start your stir fry before your scallops – there are more ingredients albeit they won't need a lot of cooking, this will give you time to heat your chorizo oil to cook your scallops and prawns and then the chorizo.

All you need is your kitchen timer and synchronise the oven and the hob – potatoes and Camembert in the oven and The Stir Fry and the scallops on the hob!

Straight to the table, dive in and enjoy!

Summer Salad - The day before

The day before - Friday

If you've bought your tail fillet ahead and

frozen it, take it out of the freezer and fridge it to defrost

Cook the new potatoes for the Stir Fry – cool, peel

and cube, then bag and fridge

De-seed and slice the peppers, bag and fridge

Roast the Honey Roasted Beetroot then

cool, cover and fridge

On the day – Saturday morning

Slice the tail fillet wafer thin - box, cover and then

fridge until required

Take scallops and prawns from the freezer – 5 medium

scallops per person and 50g frozen prawns per person

- box separately to defrost in the fridge

Snap and trim the asparagus to a similar size, blanch

in cold, iced water – dry, box and fridge

Fry 250g chorizo in a wok for the Stir Fry and set aside – cool, box and fridge

leave the oil in the wok, covered. The chorizo should just begin to

crisp

In a frying pan fry 125g of diced chorizo for the scallops, as above

- set aside – cool, box and fridge

No trouble at all!

Summer Salad … The Stir Fry

This recipe is also perfect if you are expecting guests but don't know what time they are arriving – you want to spend time with them when they do so a dish that enables you to prep ahead, taking minutes to stir fry and serve immediately, has to be the answer.

There are no given amounts – you can expand it as you wish and I've given ideas for alternatives along the way.

Baby New Potatoes

Cook until firm and then peel. When cooled cut into similar sized cubes. An ideal way of using up leftovers too.

Red Onion

One medium as a guide, chopped finely

Baby Sweet Peppers

Available at most supermarkets usually between

200-300g packets - £2.00 per 300g as a guide – I used

approximately half

Garlic

A clove, crushed or 1 tsp of garlic paste

Veggie options

Asparagus tips – snap to remove the “wooden” ends then trim so that they are all of a similar size. Blanch them in boiling water for a minute or two then plunge into a bowl of iced water. Drain the asparagus and wipe off any excess water with kitchen towel. Box and fridge until required.

You could use fresh peas or broad beans, podded and blanched as above. Don't forget to peel the outer skin from the broad beans.

Mange tout, sugar snap peas and baby corn will all work well – treat the same way as the asparagus – make sure they are of a similar size so they cook evenly.

**Tail fillet of beef

The tail fillet is each end of the whole fillet – they are thinner and so

not evenly sized as is the middle portion.

If you are fortunate enough to have a “real” butcher if you ask

nicely he'll have tail fillet which is cheaper than the middle cut.

Chorizo

One loop of chorizo sausage, peeled and then sliced at an angle. You can use

diced chorizo which is probably more convenient since all the

work is done for you which is what I used – 250g.

At this point you are ready to rock and roll so you can walk away and wait until your guests arrive, the whole dish takes about 10 minutes, max.

Seasoning and Dressing

You'll need salt and black pepper and Farrington's Mellow Yellow Mayonnaise to complete the dish.

The perfect addition to my creaking salad table and an added bonus of a stir fry recipe which is good enough to stand alone for a lunch or a supper.

Good value I think!

Summer Salad - Menu

I get a huge amount of pleasure in planning a menu and can recommend sitting with a pad and pen with a glass of something nice and scribbling away.

Here's the result :

For the fish lovers

Scallops with diced chorizo and a drizzle of maple syrup

For the meat lover(s)

The Stir Fry

For Everyone!

Smoked salmon with lemon

Antipasto -

Parma ham, extra mature Salami Milano

and bresaola

Roasted baby new potatoes

Baked Camembert (stapled boxes, not glued)

I used “Le Rustique” – 250g £2 and baked two

Honey roasted beetroot

(the recipe is on the blog)

Sliced beef tomatoes drizzled with Balsamic

vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Shredded lettuce – whatever variety is the

favourite

Quails eggs

Whole black olives

Ciabatta with Balsamic and Olive Oil for dipping

Coleslaw

Salt, black pepper and mayo

This will do nicely!

Summer Salad - The definition of salad …

… “a cold dish of vegetables or herbs ... with a dressing … sometimes including egg, meat, fish etc.” … a diverse or confused mixture.

I'm old enough to remember the nightmare of salad in the 1960s – usually served Saturday or Sunday teatime. A limp lettuce leaf, a slice of cucumber and tomato, a spring onion and a slice of hard boiled egg. Is this description ringing any bells?!

My take on a “salad” is really easy - serve what you know your family and friends love. I'm also stretching a point in that my version includes both hot and cold dishes – as I've said often, rules are meant to be broken. I think it's good to serve a mixture of hot and cold – let's face it the weather isn't exactly summery at the moment in the UK – more like autumn, so I don't think this menu is out of place at all!

This is where it gets tricky however – two fish and shellfish lovers (and meat too), one meat lover and one vegetarian!

My salad is designed to be served all at the same time so no starter or canapé, what I call a “creaking table”.

My mission is to make life as easy as I can for myself – prep ahead, leaving as little as possible to do on the day - which in this case is Saturday – evening.

Are you with me so far?!

Lemon Meringue Fudge – the photo guide

I used lemon extract paste and mini lemon meringues – see below :

Here's the fudge :

There's a residue of tiny lemon crystals in the bottom of the meringue packet – use them to sprinkle over the top of your fudge before it's fridged :

Crush your meringues in a food bag, clipped and then sprinkle away :

Here's the finished fudge :

Freeze in boxes of a size that will suit so you don't waste any – very funny!

Lemon Meringue Fudge

Hmm – not everyone likes plain chocolate so, here's the result of my latest “messing about in the kitchen” - another fudge but made with milk chocolate - probably more appealing to kids because milk chocolate is sweeter – it's purely a matter of personal taste.

Lemon Meringue Fudge

400g milk chocolate broken into small

even sized pieces

25g butter

397 can condensed milk

100 icing sugar

2 tsps of lemon extract or 1 tsp of lemon extract paste

50g lemon meringues, crushed

6 meringue kisses crushed, for decoration

Line a 20cm square tin with baking parchment.

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. In a non-stick saucepan, melt the butter and gently warm the condensed milk. Add the melted chocolate and mix well until smooth. Beat in the icing sugar until blended and smooth. Fold in the crushed meringues.

Put the mixture into the prepared tin, spread evenly into the corners, smooth over the top and decorate with the crushed meringue kisses. Place in the fridge to set for at least an hour. Remove, cut into small squares, then box and fridge or freeze.

The same hints and tips apply as with the plain chocolate fudge :

Milk chocolate bars will be fine since they are in squares of the same size and will met evenly. Check out the cheaper supermarkets for good deals.

Don't forget to use unsalted butter and sift the icing sugar!

As with the plain chocolate fudge, I boxed the fudge and froze for a week – it was as good as it was when made so ideal if you want to make ahead or stash it so it doesn't disappear when you're not looking. Fridge it straight from the freezer – it's really good cold.

Using milk chocolate gives a softer, squidgier consistency. You should get 80 pieces of fudge if you cut 2cm squares.

Don't eat them all at once!

Fudge – for thought

So far for our store cupboard summer treat we've covered the chocolate fudge, the seasonal fresh fruits and the berry coulis. I also mentioned in “Two down, seven to go” the warming/melting of the fudge to use with ice cream – for those who love warm over cold to encourage the melting it's the ultimate indulgence.

If you are a regular follower of the blog you'll know about the no-churn vanilla ice cream recipe I use all the time and the modifications, like adding sticky toffee sauce.

Here's another variation.

Instead of using the berry coulis to drizzle over ice cream, melted fudge and fresh fruits, add the coulis to the basic vanilla ice cream recipe :

1 x 397g tin sweetened condensed milk

1 x 600ml double cream

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Put the condensed milk, cream and vanilla into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk until it is thick and stiff – like pipeable whipped cream. Spoon the mixture in a lidded freezer-proof container and freeze for at least 6-8 hours or until firm.

The only change to the coulis recipe is don't add a splash of water to loosen. Fold the coulis into the ice cream – using the hand mixer blades will give you a ripple effect and then freeze as per the recipe.

Take a scoop of ice cream – vanilla or the ripple version, add melted chocolate fudge, top with fresh strawberries or raspberries – or both - add a final flourish with a drizzle of coulis.

Coulis note – even if you're making a ripple version of the ice cream you could set some aside for extra drizzling.

Serve in a tall glass with a chocolate wafer roll – summer sundae anyone?

The Fudge follow on …

… remember the chocolate fudge

It occurs that it can be the beginning of a great store cupboard/fridge/freezer summer treat. If you need a reminder of the recipe then check out “Two down, seven to go” for chapter and verse and for the hints and tips too.

Moving swiftly on - use seasonal fruits – strawberries or raspberries, to compliment and serve with the melted fudge and make a coulis – whilst the raspberry season isn't as long as the strawberry you can buy frozen if all else fails.

Both fruits are a perfect marriage with chocolate.

Berry Coulis

200g strawberries, hulled and halved

200g raspberries

75g icing sugar, sifted

Heat the fruit in a large pan for 4-5 minutes or until the fruit starts to break down. Add the icing sugar and continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth, add a splash of water if necessary to loosen. Strain the coulis through a sieve and set aside to cool. Chill in the fridge until needed.

If you feel the need to ease your chocolate conscience, using seasonal fresh fruits will do the trick – all you need now is ice cream!

The Whitby Chronicles – Thursday

I jest not – it's still raining. Being of northern stock I like to think I'm used to rain … how wrong can a girl be!

I don't think any of us have changed plans so frequently as we have in the last couple of days – originally our stay was until Saturday, leaving at 10am. Since the forecast isn't looking much better we've changed our dinner reservation at Sarah's from tomorrow evening to tonight and we've decided to head home tomorrow.

We are going to make the most of our last day and have decided to visit Robin Hood's Bay (RHB) and Scarborough.

On arrival at RHB, as is the norm, park at the top and a steep walk down to the bay. Just in case you think I'm being a drama queen about the weather - here's a photo I took at the top – I had thought that the lamp post had been hit by a vehicle - now I think it leans because it's weather beaten by the wind and rain! You can see it's a tad inclement.

RBH is charming, despite the rugged North Sea at its best.

It's very pretty, all sorts of nooks and crannies, like these steps to the Museum of Local History – as you can see, it's always a climb.

Back to the top and we are in need of sustenance so, spotting The Victoria Hotel opposite the car park and advertising a Tea Room we decided to pop in and ask if they welcomed dogs. Absolutely – what would have been a “snug” back in the day at the front of the hotel is now a Tea Room with comfy sofas and chairs. We were all very damp but it made no difference to the hospitality - revived with coffee, cake and scones we set off for Scarborough.

Thank you The Victoria Hotel, Station Road, Robin Hood's Bay, YO22 4RL.

Scarborough was worth the visit although it had to be a drive through – could be on the list for a future longer visit.

Back home to start packing and then a farewell visit to Sarah's this evening – another crème brulée – oh joy!

We still had heaps of stuff on our list, for example, we wanted to take a train ride from Whitby to Pickering but it would have been pointless since it's difficult to see anything through wet windows.

It's a pity about the weather, nevertheless Whitby is still a great place to visit and we've all had the best time.

Holiday Notes :

If you're contemplating a holiday in this neck of the woods – and not already gathered - almost all of the places we've visited have parking at the top of places of interest so you have to walk down very steep hills to the places below and then back up again. You'll need change for pay and display parking too.

Leave your Louboutin heels and Gucci loafers at home – neither are designed for cobbles and steep hills.

If, like me you have hair that has a tendency to frizz in damp weather – good luck – take a large can of hair spray – you'll need it!

Happy Holidays,

Soggy by the sea xx

The Whitby Chronicles – Wednesday

Welcome to wet Wednesday and sadly they got the forecast absolutely right – hatches definitely battened down and I couldn't have chosen a more appropriate idiom.

Not wishing to flout tradition, on holiday as a kid when it rained we wrote our postcards – here's one from Rose to her doggy friends :

“Dear Ella, Bos, Ollie, Wilby and Harry,

I'm having the best time – my favourite outing so far was to the beach and the sea. I don't know what all the fuss is about just because it's raining – I couldn't care less!

I love this holiday stuff – pampered and spoilt.

Here are three of my holiday snaps I thought you'd like :

Interrupting Shirl who was knitting – now tickling my tummy.

Just thought I'd check that all is well – great view of any comings and goings.

My personal favourite – I've had a very busy day.

Wish you were here!

Love Rose xxxxx

It's still raining and tomorrow's forecast isn't looking much better.

The Whitby Chronicles – Cosa Nostra

At first glance quite modern, spacious and pleasant. The menu was nothing out of the ordinary and a couple of us had antipasti – mixed meats, olives with Balsamic and olive oil followed by main courses of fillet steak, lamb and pizza.

We weren't over impressed by the “on the job training” of waiting staff. Not a great first impression.

In fairness there seems to be mixed reviews from one extreme to the other. It wasn't the worst meal ever but it certainly wasn't the best.

It's a great shame. As we know Whitby is famous for its fish and chips but holidaymakers can only take so many portions and need a change of cuisine – a little care and attention to the detail and, more to the point, the food at Cosa Nostra, would make for a lot of happy customers and a successful, profitable restaurant. Definitely a missed and potentially lucrative opportunity.

P.s. I can never finish a whole pizza – a small tip – take it home – roll each triangle from the widest edge, finishing at the point so it looks croissant ish and wrap tightly in foil. Part of lunch next day warmed in a hot oven for a few minutes!

Pps. The forecast looks even worse tomorrow – batten down the hatches!

Cosa Nostra, 161 Church Street, Whitby, YO22 4AS

The Whitby Chronicles – Tuesday

Remember I said that the rain was on its way – they got that right! The forecast is not good for today – I suppose we should count ourselves lucky it has lasted as long as it has! It does say that it will get better later in the day – which is just as well because we've booked a table tonight at an Italian Restaurant opposite Sarah's. Seemed like a good idea – a change is as good as a rest, as they say.

In true bulldog spirit we held our breakfast committee meeting and decided that we'd drive up to Whitby Abbey and visit St Mary's Church next door, having a look at the 199 steps to and from the old town from the top.

Nobody thought about the fact that the higher and more exposed you are to “weather”, the wetter it is – hmm.

Car duly parked – can't remember how much it cost - we made our way to the entrance - £27.20 later and this is with concessions for wrinklies – we declined to pay £4.50 for a guide book. We were handed a walkie talkie gizmo which, it transpired, only made sense if you'd paid £4.50 for the guide book. We walked through the Abbey ruins – which were exactly what you'd expect – ruins - onwards into the Museum, passing a small group of people in a taped off area clutching a metal detector. It would be fair to say it took 15 minutes tops to walk through the Museum. English Heritage must be making a fortune and it was not worth the money. If we'd paid top price - £30+ we'd have been even more unhappy.

What a swiz!

St. Mary's Church was an improvement although the weather wasn't getting any better. Does anyone know what I mean by “mizzle” or “Welsh rain” - it's that fine, very light but extremely wet stuff! Whilst none of us are bothered about getting wet, there's wet and there's sodden.

The Church is definitely worth a visit and we'd definitely return when we can see to read the gravestones. At this point we decided that me, Shirl, John and Rose would walk down the 199 steps into the old town and home and H would collect the car and meet us back at the ranch. Seemed like a good plan.

The descent was great fun and a great view. Thinks – if we'd climbed the steps, called in St. Mary's and looked across at the Abbey ruins we would have saved all that dosh.

Remember the group of people and the taped off area with the detector? By the time H made his way back from whence we came, they'd moved and H had to divert – across a field – to get back to the car park.

We made it home before H did. You can imagine our opinion of English Heritage is not a glowing one.

It sounds ridiculous but the weather has been so miserable and we were slightly damp that we resorted to central heating – a little comfort and warmth goes a long way.

The good news is it has stopped raining and we'll be able to walk to the Italian Restaurant, Cosa Nostra – slightly disconcerting – I had no idea the Mafia cooked – I always thought Cosa Nostra referred to the well known families with dubious connections shall we say!