Your dessert choices

You don't have to put yourself under undue pressure – your main aim is to make it easy on yourself and to deliver a delectable dessert.

You've already got one choice - “The Rhubarb and the rest” gives you rhubarb and ice cream – but not as you know it.

If you prefer the strawberry route, you have two choices of ice cream – both no-churn – to go with the Strawberry Summer Pudding and syrup - “Speaking of seasonal fresh fruit”posted on 14th July 2019 gives you strawberry ice cream – the best ever I may say! If you fancy something a little different then check out “Strawberries and ice cream and Strawberry Miso Ripple posted, with photos on 21st July 2019.

I hope this birthday lunch menu with its recipes and hints and tips has given you inspiration for your own summer celebrations and you can create your own “creaking table”. As for me and my over-catering condition I'd prefer to call it generosity of spirit – and table! What's the worst that can happen – I have enough food leftover for lunches and suppers for the following couple of days – I can't lose.

Happy summer!

P.s. Whilst I'm on the subject of “summer pudding” I'm already thinking ahead. It won't be long before we're into Autumn and beyond (I'm sorry but you'll thank me for the ideas). Let me ask you a question – do you ever end up with a panettone you don't really like? Check out Cherry and Chocolate Panettone Pudding and The Pudding cont'd – complete with photos 16th December 2016. You'll be glad you did.

Finally, in my defence, I bought a chocolate panettone yesterday – here's a photo to prove it!

The rhubarb and the rest!

Roasting rhubarb is the best way of cooking this delicious fruit – it holds its shape, not disintegrating into an unrecognisable mush! It deserves so much more. In addition this recipe is the easiest ever.

Roasted Rhubarb

Serves 4

550g rhubarb

85g golden caster sugar

Pre-heat your oven 200c/180fan/Gas 6.

Rinse the rhubarb and shake off excess water. Trim the ends and cut the rhubarb into little pieces. Put the rhubarb in a shallow dish or baking sheet with sides, tip the sugar over, toss it then shuffle the rhubarb so it remains in a single layer.

Cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the foil – the sugar should have dissolved so give everything a shake and roast for another 5 minutes or until tender and the juices are syrupy. Test with a sharp knife, the rhubarb should feel tender, not mushy and kept its shape.

The rhubarb freezes extremely well – my usual note of caution – freeze in smaller amounts, less waste!

At this stage you have a choice of dessert options and added components too.

If you're a fan of rhubarb have a look at “Speaking of the rhubarb harvest” 26th May 2018 for link on the blog – it gives a series of rhubarb recipes and photos too – you might like the no-churn ice cream, “Ritzy Rhubarb Ripple”. You'd actually do yourself two favours – roasting the rhubarb and making the ice cream gives you a complete dessert in the freezer which you can make whenever you have time.

Your dessert choices up next.

Birthday lunch puds – what's next

Assembling your pudding - you'll need :

1 litre (1&¾pt) basin.

A plain sided cutter slightly larger than the base of the basin.

Cling film and a drop of vegetable oil

Wipe the inside of the basin with a drop of vegetable oil. Place the cling in the basin and line ensuring that you have enough so that it overlaps the basin.

Cut out a circle of cake for the base and place it in the basin. Line the rest of the basin – I overlap each piece of cake – but it's whatever you'd prefer.

Using a slotted spoon fill the cake lined basin with the strawberry compote – set aside the compote syrup, box and fridge. Top the pudding with slices of cake and cover completely. Fold the cling film over the pudding to seal.

Place a slightly smaller plate or saucer on top of the basin and weigh down with a tin (the heaviest in your pantry/store cupboard). Fridge it for 12-24 hours.

To serve, remove the tin and plate, unwrap the cling film, cover the bowl with a large plate. Invert the pudding onto the plate and remove the cling film.

Serve the compote syrup in a jug on the side, ready to drizzle over the pudding. Add whatever takes your fancy - cream, ice cream or custard.

Coming up … the rhubarb and the rest!

The birthday lunch – the puds

The old ones are the best and seasonal even better. I decided to showcase both - a traditional summer pudding using strawberries – two ticks! Three if you count the fact that you make it 12-24 hours ahead so another “make ahead” tick. It also looks spectacular when it's turned out.

I'm not sure why – I think I have OCOCD – obsessive compulsive over catering disorder - I have to serve two puds – so I've decided it will be roasted rhubarb too – more ticks, make ahead and freeze too.

Strawberry and rhubarb are another marriage made in heaven, so whatever combination the guests desire.

Back to the Strawberry Summer Pudding, I know I've mentioned it before on the blog but it's worth repeating - it uses fresh fruits in season and uses Madeira cake and not the traditional bread. For those out there who have been kind enough to follow the blog since the beginning, you'll know already of my aversion to dishes like rice pudding, sago and semolina – wet bread joins that list!

Strawberry Summer Pudding

Make double the quantity of strawberry compote

1kg ripe strawberries, hulled

8 tbsp caster sugar

4 tbsp lemon juice

Cut the strawberries in half – or quarters if large – place in a large saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and then simmer. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for 8/10 minutes until dark in colour and syrupy. Let the compote cool.

Madeira cake – I use an inexpensive shop bought cake (265g) – sliced lengthways into quarter inch/5mm slices and neatened. Here's where it's difficult to predict whether you'd need one cake or two – cake size varies depending which supermarket you use. I'd err on the side of caution and opt for two. For the size of basin stated, it takes approximately 10 slices of cake.

Assembly up next.

The seafood dish, morphed!

You can make this dish into whatever you wish – instead of a starter or sides with other dishes, it makes a great lunch dish or a supper by adding ingredients of your choice. Raid your fridge for spring onions, sweet baby peppers and asparagus tips. All you need to remember is make sure they are of a similar size and I'd blanch the asparagus tips for 30 seconds for even stir frying. Use any veggies in season that you love!

My personal favourites - diced water chestnuts, baby corn, diced mushrooms, the world is definitely your lobster.

This is a perfect example of the marriage of treasure chest (aka freezer) and pantry/store cupboard ingredients.

I added another element and served the seafood on a bed of noodles for supper – here it is :

The noodles served in a dish with a deep bowl - exactly right - layer your scallops, king prawns and sauce on the top, duvet day supper anyone?

Verdict - “that was my kind of supper – fab!”

Just in case you thought I'd forgotten, or didn't serve any, it's the birthday lunch puds next!

The seafood fotos

Here's the dish I used for the starter

it measures 18.5 x 11.5cms - 7”x 4½” in old money!

The black bean sauce – a definite addition

to your pantry or store cupboard

The scallops in clock face formation!

The scallops, turned and sealed one side

The scallops and king prawns in the sauce

ready to serve

How good was it? I was asked for the recipe, which I had never committed to print, until now so I think it was a hit!

For the fish lovers … or strictly speaking seafood lovers!

I know that my salad menu is a long one – what can I say, I love what I call a creaking table!

I said at the beginning that we had two fish lovers. I want to make sure that I don't finish up meeting myself coming back when the guests arrive but by the same token want to serve food that everyone will enjoy.

The recipe/dish that follows I've served before and it went well then, so time for another appearance. If you're interested in dishes that can be prepped and served in minutes then I think you'll like this.

Scallops and king prawns in black bean sauce

Serves 2 as a starter

7 scallops per person (from frozen –

frozen scallops are usually smaller than fresh)

7 cooked king prawns (from frozen)

drop of rapeseed oil

salt and black pepper

Waitrose Cooks' Ingredients

black bean sauce

This is a dish that you pull from your freezer – the scallops and the king prawns and from your pantry/store cupboard - the black bean sauce.

As a guide I sourced the king prawns (200g) and the black bean sauce (220g) from Waitrose - £4.80 and £2.49 respectively. The scallops came from Marks and Spencer (300g) £9.00. Prices will vary.

You need to remember to take the scallops and king prawns out of the freezer the night before and fridge them. Make sure you drain any liquid and pat dry with kitchen roll before cooking.

I always use the clock face method when cooking scallops – heating the rapeseed oil until hot and beginning at 12 o'clock and forming an outer circle in your pan, sealing and seasoning with salt and black pepper. When you return to where you began turn each scallop again to seal on the other side. Add the king prawns, season and then toss together for 2 minutes to warm the prawns through. Add 100ml of the black bean sauce tossing to cover thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Some helpful photos on their way.

More beetroot … this time roasted

Here's the second of my favourite beetroot recipes. I said in “Back to reality – a birthday lunch” that I love to serve both hot and cold dishes. This beetroot selection is delicious either way and I use both as sides as part of a lunch or al fresco food especially at this time of year. They are great with burgers too!

Honey Roasted Beetroot

Balsamic vinegar – 2 tsp

Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Clear honey – 2 tbsp

Cooked beetroot – 500g

Salt and black pepper

Chopped fresh thyme – 2tsp or a sprinkle

of dried if you can't get fresh

Choose beets of a similar size and preferably as small as possible and roast in foil – 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for an hour and then test with a paring knife, leave to cool and then peel. If your beets are larger then you may need another 15 minutes, then test again.

Pre-heat your oven to 200fan/220c/Gas7.

Mix together the thyme, vinegar, olive oil and honey in a bowl until well combined.

Cut the beetroot in half and place into the bowl with the honey mixture and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Place the beetroot into a deep roasting tray and roast in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the beetroot is sticky and glazed.

Don't forget – you can use plan b mentioned at the end of “Beautiful beetroot” if you run out of time!

Beautiful beetroot!

I get that cooking fresh beetroot is a bit of a faff. I roast mine, it's cleaner and you don't have to stand around watching it boil on your hob. All you need to remember is to set your timer. The other benefit with roasting beetroot is that you can, once again, cook it ahead of whenever you need it.

Choose beets of a similar size - preferably as small as possible and roast in foil – 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for an hour and then test with a paring knife, leave to cool and then peel. If your beets are larger then you may need another 15 minutes, then test again.

Take full advantage of what's in season, which is why beetroot is front of stage on this menu and not just a usual salad suspect.

I'm including two of my favourite beetroot side recipes, adaptable for so many dishes both hot and cold, here goes :

Bazzin' beetroot relish

300g of cooked beetroot

peeled and cut into small cubes

1 sharp eating apple, peeled, cored and cut

into small cubes

1 medium onion, finely chopped

75g soft dark brown sugar

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and black pepper

Don't forget to use gloves when prepping your beetroot!

Mix well and place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan – 16cms in diameter. Simmer on a low heat, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool. Box up and fridge until ready to use.

This recipe is one of my favourites and I use it all the time – anywhere you want a relish or a side it fits the bill - from baked salmon or honey glazed gammon to plain and simple with bread and cheese.

If you don't have the time, there's a plan b - use the organic vac packs of beetroot you can get in the supermarket – good too when it's out of season - I try and choose beetroot that is approximately the same size – a 300g vac pack gives you 8 small to medium beetroots, which I will then cut in half.

More beetroot ...

Hot potatoes – a plan and the prep.

My “to do” list :

Boil the potatoes and cool, ready to slice when I'm not in a hurry. I made this my first job in the morning the day before the lunch. I softened the onion too. They had plenty of time to cool whilst I was doing other stuff. Later the same day I assembled the tartiflette and baked it for 45 minutes, cooled, covered and fridged it. It needs a further 15 minutes cooking time, uncovered, on the day. Big tick!

I mentioned too that I wouldn't be including the bacon in the recipe. I'll be serving bacon bits on the side – this way you cater for vegetarians too.

It matters not how much bacon you bake - you can use any leftover bits, as I did, for a Spanish omelette on another day. As a matter of principle in my kitchen I always make more than I think I need – why – because I'm automatically creating ingredients for lunches or suppers and half the work.

Back to the bits … line a baking sheet with rashers of bacon and bake on 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for 15 minutes, turn the bacon and repeat. Set aside to cool – it will be crispy, snap into tiny bits box and fridge. Another tick.

If there's one thing I love it's making the best use of my oven and saving myself time and stress into the bargain. You can bake your tart on the day and add your tartiflette too, you just need to set your timer for 25 minutes when the tart goes into the oven then add the tartiflette, uncovered for the remaining 15 minutes of tart cooking time. Don't worry that there's a slight difference in oven temperature, leave it at 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for the tart, they'll be perfectly crispy! The tartiflette shouldn't be served piping hot but warm to compliment the tart.

P.s. I'd be keeping my fingers crossed for leftovers – tartiflette is even better the following day warmed, creating even more crispy edges. Happy days.

More recipes from the menu – hot potatoes!

It's not compulsory to have hot or warm dishes - it's personal choice. If however you've never mixed hot with cold in a salad sense give it a go I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The next recipe is the Tartiflette. I've already mentioned that it's a French dish - classically it uses Reblochon cheese. Reblochon is expensive but worth the treat so why not indulge - however it's quite difficult to source, especially if you live “in the sticks” like I do. If you need ideas for alternatives any cheese that melts easily will do the trick – two of my favourites are gruyere and taleggio – you could even use a ripe camembert.

Here's the traditional Tartiflette recipe which includes bacon – dry cured if at all possible :

Tartiflette

1.5kg/3lb 5oz all purpose potatoes, e.g. Desirée, peeled

and cut to a similar size

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 thick dry cured smoked streaky bacon rashers, finely chopped

50g/2oz butter

1 garlic clove or roasted garlic

250g/9oz Reblochon cheese, rind trimmed and removed

Pre-heat oven 160fan/180c/Gas 4.

Boil the potatoes until cooked, cool, then slice.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the onion and bacon until softened. Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the inside of an ovenproof dish – or a foil version if more convenient – my dish measures 23x23x8cms – 9x9x3¼” . If you're using roasted garlic, spread it around the inside.

Place some of the potato slices in the bottom and season with salt and black pepper then layer with the onion and bacon, repeat until all the potato slices have been used, seasoning between each layer.

Chop the cheese and scatter over the potatoes and cover with foil. Bake in the oven for 1 hour, remove the foil for the remaining 15 minutes to enable the tartiflette to crisp around the edges.

The beauty of this dish is that it can be prepared ahead. If you're a lover of garlic then don't be afraid to increase the garlic to 2 tsps of roasted or 2 cloves when you're cooking the onions and bacon – rules are made to be broken.

Hot potatoes, a plan and the prep to follow!

A plan, the prep and a photo or three!

The plan is to make the pastry case in the middle of the week when I have time and then wrap and freeze. I can promise you that this pastry recipe is the easiest you'll make and is very kind – by that I mean that you have to work very hard indeed to make a mess of it!

I'll weigh out the cheeses, they can all go into the same bag and then fridge, ready to add the remainder of the filling. The onions can be softened, boxed and fridged, ready to use.

On the morning of the lunch combine the filling ingredients, take your pastry case from the freezer, add the filling, cover and fridge until you're ready to bake. To serve your tart warm you need to bake it for 40 minutes and allow for resting, so you need to work backwards from when you're expecting your guests to arrive. If all else fails set your kitchen timer, just in case you get sidetracked!

Here's the pastry case 

Here it is again, wrapped ready to freeze

Hey presto – the freshly baked tart!

More recipes from the menu to follow.

The cracking Three Cheese Tart!

I don't normally “blow my own trumpet” but on this occasion I will – if you're a cheese lover it'll be right up your alley!

Here's the recipe :

Three Cheese Tart

The pastry case

8oz/225g Wholemeal Flour

4oz/110g unsalted butter – sliced, cubed or grated

Pinch of baking powder

Ice cold water to bind

The filling

2 medium onions, chopped

knob of butter, drop of rapeseed oil

12oz/350g grated cheese, 4oz/110g each mature

cheddar, Red Leicester and Gruyere

1 egg, beaten to bind

Black pepper

ice cold water to bind

Grease and line a 9”/22cm dish or spring clip tin. Cling film to wrap.

For the pastry case, use a food processor if you have one, pop in the flour, baking powder and butter and blitz until breadcrumbs. Add a drop of ice cold water and pulse until the pastry comes together - do not over do it. Tip the pastry out onto a sheet of cling film, using the film gather the pastry together into a ball and fridge for 30 mins.

Soften the chopped onions in the butter and rapeseed oil.

Add the cheese, onions, black pepper and beaten egg, set aside and fridge until you are ready to roll!

Roll out your pastry and fridge again until you are ready to bake.

Pre-heat your oven to 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

When you are ready to bake put the chilled filling into the chilled pastry and bake for 35/40 minutes until golden.

Leave the tart to cool, ideally serve it warm. If you cut into the tart when straight out of the oven the cheese filling will ooze – you need to leave it to settle.

This tart is excellent warmed the next day – if you're fortunate enough to have any leftovers!

Coming next a plan and the prep.

Back to reality – a birthday lunch

We're back home and to reality too. It's our friend's birthday and we're hosting a Sunday Lunch to celebrate.

The lunch is salad – boring, I hear you say – absolutely not is my reply.

I love to serve a combination of both hot and cold dishes. The hot dishes are such that they can be made ahead, at least in part and then pulled together easily on the day.

I love potatoes with salad and I don't mean potato salad, I mean hot potatoes. There are two potato dishes I have in mind – Dauphinoise or Tartiflette – both, as you may have guessed, are French and both delicious. Oodles of flavour – tick! Not had Tartiflette for ages – the downside is it contains bacon, so not suitable for the veggie, the upside – smoked bacon bits in a bowl on the side so no-one is short changed. Another tick!

I also love cheese, in any form, and even though I say so myself, make a cracking (meaning excellent!) Three Cheese Tart – my own recipe.

The attraction of both these hot dishes is I can prep and part cook ahead.

There are the usual “salad” suspects – have a look at my menu :

Sunday Lunch for Shirl

Cubed Halloumi Fries

Tartiflette

with smoked bacon pieces on the side

Sweet baby peppers and asparagus

Three Cheese Tart

Beetroot – relish or honey roasted or baby beets

Sliced Ciabatta with Balsamic Vinegar and Extra Virgin

Olive Oil to dip with black olives on the side

Smashed Avocado

Tomatoes

Green Stuff

Large salad bowl with lettuce, cucumber and whole

spring onions – easy for the onion avoider!

Mixed meat antipasti

For the fish lovers

Smoked salmon

Scallops and king prawns stir fried in

black bean sauce

The cracking Three Cheese Tart recipe up next.

Hive Beach Café … and finally

We didn't go for lunch but went twice for breakfast. Our gang chose the Chesil Smokeries kippers, the Hive Beach (English) Breakfast and the Vegan Field Mushrooms with melted vegan cheese on toasted sourdough – verdict – yum!

Honestly a week wasn't long enough. There are so many coastal paths to walk – we could have stayed in Hive Beach alone for a week.

A word to the wise … the beaches vary and get mixed reviews. Alot have large pebbles which are difficult to negotiate both for humans and dogs alike.

There are other “branches” :

The Club House

West Bexington

Watch House Café,

West Bay, Bridport

Check out their website – www.hivebeachcafe.co.uk

for comprehensive information

Just before I finish I should mention another gem – Felicity's Farm Shop – the perfect stop off on the way back from Hive Beach to Lyme Regis on the A35 at Morcombelake, DT6 6DJ. An Aladdin's Cave of fantastic local produce – the fruit and vegetables are as fresh as you can get, the bread too and the icing on the cake – this is a rare thing – the best flat white I've ever had in a paper cup! I'm sure you won't be surprised to know that we called in more than once and this is the view you can enjoy sat outside drinking your coffee!

not too shabby!

Www.felicitysfarmshop.co.uk

Hive Beach Café

If you like a relaxed, chill-out kinda thing, this is the place for you.

A small amount of planning is required, they don't take bookings so if you're not an early bird be prepared to queue.

Opening hours are – Sunday and Monday 9.30 – 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday 9.30 – 8pm.

They open for breakfast – 9.30 – 11am. They re-open for lunch – 12 – 3pm, Late lunch/dinner – 4 – 7pm.

They do exactly what they say, everything is sourced – or caught – locally. I realise you have to like fish, but if you're not that keen you can have poached eggs on toast for breakfast!

I have to say the best poached eggs I've had in years. No moulds or fancy kit, they'd been poached au naturel – the colour of the yolk was stunning and the flavour positively wonderful. I'd go back for the eggs alone. If however you're partial to smoked salmon, try the Smoked Salmon Benedict – outstanding and generous in every way.

I didn't want to let the side down and so couldn't leave without popping in to the shop. I had to buy Rose their home-made dog biscuits (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). H's treat was a mixed carrier of the Hive Beach lager, beer and cider. My treat – no prizes – a copy of the Hive Beach Cookery Book.

you'd have been

disappointed had I not treated myself

It's been a while since I've been enthusiastic about trying out recipes – there are a few so hang on to your hats!