Goodies to go … sweet

A few selected goodies picked up at the Show … for those who have a sweet tooth, here are a couple of offerings.

Have a look at Flapjackery they had flapjacks that would satisfy even the sweetest tooth! Have a look at the information below. I came away with two completely different versions – one apple crumble flapjack and the other millionaires flapjack. The crumble version was a treat for my husband, who demolished it. The millionaires version I did sample – a little too sweet for me but again the remainder vanished the following day so I think it's a fair to say they are fab.

What did strike me as a great idea – if there's anyone out there who has family starting university in September/October it would make a great “going away” gift – practical too!

My next contribution is a little more healthy. I give you the Good Full stop healthy fruit and nut bar. The bars come in different flavour combinations – have a look at the selection in the photo below and if you're interested then their information is in the following photo.

Me, I came away with two flavours to try Cherry & Maple and Choc & Orange. They had samples of the whole range at the Show – verdict – yes please. For me, perfect to stash in the handbag or briefcase for emergencies.

Tom's recipes!

Recipes for two out of the three dishes demonstrated are mentioned in the programme. The one that I thought was the stand out is not, so now is the time that I say that I don't care if everyone thinks I'm obsessive because I carry a small journal around – I wrote as he spoke, here it is :

Tray bake chicken

Heritage tomatoes

Pinch of dried oregano

1 medium red onion

1 tbsp dried polenta (used as a thickener)

sliced salami

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

one buffalo mozzarella

2 chicken breasts

drizzle of olive oil

black pepper and pinch of salt

fresh oregano for garnish

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

Choose an oven proof casserole approximately 24x24cms square x 6cms deep which should serve 4-6 depending on size of appetite.

I realise there aren't any quantities given but it matters not. Think of this dish as a pizza without a base. It's all about layers :

cut your tomatoes in half or quarters depending

on size and place in the casserole

sprinkle with dried oregano

peel and slice the red onion thinly – layer

on top of the tomatoes

sprinkle dried polenta over the tomatoes and

onion – the polenta serves as a thickener as

the dish cooks

add a layer of sliced salami

add finely sliced garlic

tear and add the mozzarella

slice two chicken breasts at an angle and arrange

on top of the mozzarella

add a drizzle of olive oil, black pepper

and a pinch of salt

Garnish with fresh oregano

Bake for 20 minutes and serve whilst hot

The second recipe was the Pork & feta burger with cucumber and olive salsa. Not for the faint hearted. At the end of the demo – aided by his trusted cameraman who did his best to interfere constantly – it may sound cheesy but it made a change to have fun watching someone who clearly loved what he was doing but didn't take himself too seriously.

Mr. Kerridge has also gone up a notch or two since, having completed the demo and arranged the burger he began to giggle and said “here is the pork burger with a cucumber, feta and olive salsa” - he'd forgotten to include the feta in the burger mix so included it in the salsa. He could have said nothing – other than those on stage, no-one would have known – how refreshing, not that he made a mistake, he said so – hurrah for Tom!

Both this recipe and that of the blackened Cajun redfish are in Mr. Kerridge's book “Tom's Table”

I would definitely go see Tom Kerridge again – he was soooo ordinary and nice in the best possible way.

BBC Good Food Show - Supertheatre

Can't say I was mega excited at the thought of seeing a celebrity chef but, for the sake of £3 for the ticket it seemed churlish not to – you could hardly call it expensive especially compared to the cost of the bottled water! I promise I won't say another word on the subject – for the moment.

Booking ahead and as early as possible will get you the chef you want at a time to suit you. We went on the day the show opened and to the first session at 11.00 a.m. Tom Kerridge was the man and before I go any further I have to say it was the best £3 I've ever spent. A really nice guy, together with his partner in cooking – also lovely – together with the funniest cameraman I've ever seen. It matters not where you sit since there's a big screen above the stage.

The banter was entertaining and when Mr. Kerridge mentioned Paul Hollywood's name there was more than a murmur from the audience. You can imagine what the reaction was like, when a few minutes later he came striding onto the stage and took part in the “question and answer” audience participation element. Much as it pains me to say this, since I am not a Paul Hollywood fan, I have to give credit where it's due – he was great and didn't try to steal Tom's thunder.

There's also BBC Good Food Stage (sponsored by Lakeland) which gives a combination of interviews and demonstrations from lots of celebrities starting at 10.30am and the latest spot begins at 4.30pm. There are no tickets, so free – it's a first come, first served basis.

Timetables of both the Supertheatre and the Food Stage were available and I'd imagine it will be a similar format for the November Show.

Never let it be said that I don't keep you fully informed – the next BBC Good Food Show is 24-27 November at Birmingham NEC.

On Tom's demo menu was

Blackened Cajun redfish

Pork & feta burger and cucumber and olive salsa

Tray bake chicken

Three dishes in 30 minutes or so is not bad going.

Guess what's coming next!

A Grand Day Out … take a tip

… pack a picnic or at the very least a packed lunch. Having just been banging on about wheels I'm not suggesting you trail round lugging a hamper from a certain grocers in Piccadilly!

Why might I make this suggestion I hear you ask – because there are very few places where you can purchase a snack, sandwich, call it what you will. There are other improvements in that there's more seating than previously so you can rest your legs and get your second wind. It's not an attractive look when you have no option but to sit on the floor – I jest not.

Back to the picnic idea. The choices for said snack at the Show were few and far between. We did actually consider signing up for the BBC Good Food Magazine offer – try 5 issues for £5 which gained entry into BBC Good Food Magazine Subscribers' Lounge but you can't sign up without your Bank details and I don't walk around with that information in my handbag. So, with limited choices we chose a crepe from a concession near the picnic areas – sweet or savoury – we opted for the savoury @ £6 per crepe – expensive, although tasty enough. What I didn't realise until it was too late was that the two small bottles of water purchased at the same time – at £2 each – gasp - was from Costco – for those not familiar, a membership based cash and carry which bears the Kirkland name. I can't tell you yet exactly how much they cost per bottle but rest assured I'll be backing up my mouth as soon as possible – if I had to guess probably in the region of 20p per bottle – watch this space.

I wouldn't have minded a concession for food – they must have made an absolute fortune. You'd like to think that whoever organises this gig and for the most part very well – might take another look at the “fast food” options and ensure that people get value for money.

Please don't think me a miser – it's a day out and I'd be the first to pay over the odds for a halfway decent sandwich in decent artisan bread or just more choice.

Old fashioned or not, I'm taking my own food and drink next time even if it means investing in a larger version of my wheels - at least they'll be lighter on the way home (in theory at least) although the more space you have, the more you fill with “can't live without” purchases!

Don't misunderstand me it's a great day out especially if you're interested in all things food related – my mission here is to make sure you get the absolute best out of your day and at least you set out knowing what to expect and if it's better, then yippee!

A Grand Day Out …

… in the words of the indomitable Wallace and Gromit, although it was Birmingham (the NEC to be precise) not the Moon, specifically a pilgrimage to the Good Food Show Summer. I hope you realise what a sacrifice I make on your behalf, for research purposes you understand.

This was my first visit to the Summer version - what was a bonus though, for anyone considering a day out in the future, your ticket entitles you to Gardeners' World Live too if that's your bag.

Which reminds me, speaking of “bag” allow me to pass on the downside to spending the day at a food show – you buy stuff – it matters not that you have a will of iron – wave goodbye to it as you enter the hall. It's as if one becomes devoid of all sense of reason, the practical consequence of which – apart from a huge dent in your credit card – is you have to carry these purchases that you cannot possibly live without.

I speak from experience - the last time it took me two days to recover the feeling in my arms!

I was determined not to suffer for my art the next time and invested in a crate on wheels – so much more acceptable than a shopping trolley – I know I'm no youngster but I cannot yet face the phrase. I think I purchased mine from Lakeland but they are readily available and not expensive – check out your favourite search engine.

A really neat piece of kit – it takes up no space at all and even a klutz like me can release the clips at the sides, flatten down the base and away you go – it's like a “carry on” - the best money I've ever spent and I love the colours. I am happy to report that my arms are fine, thank you for asking.

Check out my secret weapon – actually not so secret since most everyone I saw had the same idea – have a look. Three photos to follow, one showing storage and the other two “wheels up” and the cover.

The other piece of advice – again if it's up your alley – is book your ticket ahead. If you do this you can also book a ticket for the Supertheatre (at different times) during each day of the Show for your favourite celebrity chef. You can probably try and get a ticket on the day but the Show I went to looked very busy and there didn't appear to be too many seats left. More about the Supertheatre experience later.

It's not expensive – tickets cost £3 and there may be last minute availability but if you want to avoid disappointment book ahead. Total cost £19.50 entrance and £3 for the Supertheatre – great value.

If you shop at Waitrose and read their Magazine keep your eyes open for a money off voucher – I got £5 off my tickets and I'd expect that you'll find the same for the November Show.

Plenty of time therefore to buy your wheels!

A splendiferous snack …

… and seasonal

Another childhood memory. We didn't have a huge garden but Mum would usually set peas. We would go and pick them – which was when my addiction to fresh peas began. I was banned from harvesting the crop because I never brought any indoors – I podded and ate as I went. There is truly nothing more delicious.

As a grown up and visiting Mum she'd forget my “passion for peas” - we'd sit at the kitchen table and she'd watch as I took the pod from the colander split it open and eat the contents, placing the empty pod on newspaper ready for the compost – perpetual motion – it took a few minutes before she realised she wasn't likely to finish up with any peas at all!

Moving on to present day I don't try and pretend any more. Thankfully, if you see what I mean, the season isn't a long one so to hell with it, I'll pod and eat peas to my heart's content and I don't care who knows it.

So much so that I purchased my first “hit” last week.

Think about the process – you pod, you release probably about six baby peas by however many pods in a consignment – it's hardly what you'd call over indulgence – how virtuous can you get – you could even stretch a point and call it a work-out!

Ahem – you want the health benefits – don't say I didn't warn you - how healthy can a person be – a shortened list – vitamin K, manganese, dietary fibre, vitamin B1, copper, vitamin C. I could go on but it's a long list.

Here's an idea – if you've children or grandchildren who are anti veggies or anti green buy a bag of peas, wash them and put them in an attractive bowl in the centre of your table, say nothing. As you pass the table, plunder a pod – demolish the contents and leave the empty pod by the bowl – repeat!

Just a little experiment.

A seasonal thought for the day …

… roast your rhubarb

If you're lucky enough to grow rhubarb in your garden then you'll know that this year's crop is beyond good.

I don't grow it but I have a friend who does and last week he gave me over a kilo picked from his garden that morning.

Such a present deserves with respect and because I knew I'd never use that quantity freezing sounded like a plan – I needed to consider how best to treat my present.

Some of you out there may remember the traditional “stewed rhubarb” when it's thrown into a saucepan with sugar and water and cooked within an inch of its life. “Stewed” is such an unpleasant word and evokes for me, nightmare visions like sprouts cooked in October for eating on Christmas Day – I know that's extreme but hey, if you are of a certain age you'll know exactly what I'm saying.

Roast Rhubarb

550g rhubarb

85g demerara sugar

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

Top and tail the rhubarb and wash, wipe with kitchen roll. You can cut the rhubarb how you like either lengthways, as a guide if you have slim stalks you can cut to the length of your index finger - approximately 5-6 cms. If you have thicker stalks then chop into pieces of 3cms – try to make sure they are of a similar size so they cook evenly.

Cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the foil shake and roast for another 5 minutes – you should finish up with tender fruit and syrupy juices. Test with a sharp knife – it should be tender and keep its shape. Cool.

Freeze in the “pour and store” bags – with the usual proviso - always freeze in small portions – you won't waste any precious treasure.

Serve with or without a crumble topping and the home-made no-churn vanilla ice cream mentioned on the blog.

You're ready to rumble – or should I say crumble. I'm so sorry.