Tag Archives: food

Blueberry and Cashew Bars

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avocado lime cheesecakeWhen the ‘Hemsley and Hemsley’ book was published we all fell in love with their avocado cheesecake and spiralised veg to replace noodles.  I bought their book based on the avocado and lime cheesecake recipe that appeared on their twitter feed one afternoon. Intensely green, it looked wonderful. My dinner guests agreed and I couldn’t help thinking about all the possible versions you could make using their recipe as a formula. Here is my first attempt, which although rather dark in colour owing to the use of dried blueberries, was astonishingly good. When I make this again I will experiment with fruit for a lighter hue.

Before you start you need a food processor to make this and an oblong loose-based tin measuring approximately 10 x 36cm (use a round one if necessary). You also need to soak the cashew nuts and blueberries overnight. This is a great dessert to make if you are entertaining vegetarian or vegan guests. Brilliant also when soft fruits are not in season.

For the baseblueberry cashew bars

125g nuts (not roasted), pecans and walnuts work well (or use a mixture)

45g desiccated coconut

85g raw cocoa nibs (optional)

185g dried fruit (I used a blend of cranberries, sultanas, cherries & goji berries)

3 tbsp melted coconut oil

 

The topping

225g raw cashew nuts

200g dried blueberries

125ml almond milk

1 tsp Manuka honey or Agave nectar to taste

4 tbsp melted coconut oil

Edible primrose petals or other flowers to garnish

The day before you want to make the bars put the cashew nuts and dried blueberries into a bowl and pour over the almond milk. Cover and leave overnight, mixing a couple of times.

First make the base. Place all the ingredients apart from the oil in the food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add the coconut oil then pulse and tip the mixture into the loose-based pan. Press down evenly with the back of a metal spoon until tightly packed and chill whilst you make the topping. Use the food processor again for the topping. Place all the ingredients into the bowl and blitz until the mixture is smooth. It may look like a lot and be quite gloopy but it will set. Pour the mixture onto the base and chill for at least 2-3 hours before serving. Cut into bars but not too thick this is quite rich!

bb cashew bar 9x6_edited-1

Variations

For the base: Use the recipe as a formula here. You need to keep the ratio of nuts to fruit with the coconut oil. Stick to the amounts by always using 125g nuts to 185g fruit.

For the topping: Keep the ingredients the same ratio but experiment with different fruit. Blend dried and fresh fruit but be careful not to make the mixture too sloppy. Cashews are the best nuts to use for this as they blend down to a creamy texture more easily than others.

 

 

 

Pinch of this

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A new addition to the gluten-free market selling meticulously hand crafted macarons, brownies and cupcakes amid a growing repertoire of baked delights to those seeking a ‘free-from’ diet. 

When Mark got in touch with me in September 2014 he was right at the start of his new business journey. After chatting about his business he asked if he could bring over some samples of his delicious gluten-free baked goods. While we drank tea and tried the delicious stash of goodies I got the lowdown.

cake_trio_pinchofthis18_9

Growing up in West Yorkshire Mark went on to work abroad for many years. In Amsterdam, Mark was made redundant and found that he had a choice to make. Find another job or use his pay-off to follow his dream and start a bakery. He chose the latter and moved back to the UK where he is now based in Surbiton. With a background in microbiology he breezed the food hygiene course and was ready to find his niche. Researching the bakery market this entrepreneur decided to focus on the gluten-free market, which he rightly perceived is a growth area.

macaroons_6x9The first product area to launch was a range of delicately flavoured macarons, brownies and cupcakes. Now produced in 22 different flavours the macarons are a hit. I sampled the pistachio and cardamom, raspberry and expresso with Baileys all of which were sweet and subtly flavoured without being sickly. The raspberry in particular stood out as it was such an intense berry pink. But I always have time for a chocolate and salted caramel which had the perfect balance of salty and sweet. Macarons aside this micro-baker also churns out USA style peanut butter brownies – rich, moist and so mouth-meltingly good. I wish I had taken up his offer to leave the entire tray for my family (doesn’t always pay to be polite but I knew I would end up scoffing the lot). The cupcakes were deliciously soft and tasty too. Another recent addition is the polenta, almond and raspberry cake using locally grown berries.

Free range eggs are sourced from a farm a couple of miles from Mark . Most of the fruit comes from local allotment keeper Derek Hale who runs a vegetable and fruit delivery service to locals. Doves Farm gluten free flour is supplemented with ground almonds, polenta and other free-from options. Whilst local is important to Mark more exotic ingredients like almonds have to come from farther afield.

You can buy these goodies online or at various markets that Mark attends to raise brand awareness. He also sells his products to a couple of local cafes and a deli. For a full list of events and stockists check out the website (listed below). Prices vary depending on whether you buy online or at a market. A box of mixed macarons start at £7 for six, brownies are from £2.25 each. Larger cakes can be ordered online (give at least 5 days notice) and can be delivered depending on distance. Mark is currently experimenting with new lines and recipes, which he hopes to introduce over the next few months. His ethos is that his cakes should be so good that they stand up against any other cake on the market. Gluten-free is not a compromise here.

brownie with fork9x6

 

So far he has met his challenge and his steadily increasing sales are a testimony to this. I am looking forward to seeing him at some of the food fairs this summer and sampling new recipes.

www.pinchofthis.co.uk

07985 441 151

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Wild at Heart Foods

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A small artisan producer of fine quality innovative preserves harnessing nature’s wild harvest with a hint of modernityGinny and Caro

You have to put your money where your mouth is and since launching ‘Eat Surrey’ I always give local food gifts. Since getting to know Wild at Heart my dinner party offerings often feature a pot of their Damson Cheese (A firm sliceable jelly which is sensational with cheese) or perhaps Wild Plum Chutney which stimulates both palate and conversation.

The story behind the brand makes a great dinner party tale too!

Ginny Knox and Caro Wilson are old school-friends whose childhood exploits involved country walks and cooking hedgerow finds together. They maintained their friendship throughout university, marriage and children regularly reminiscing about their foraging adventures. Surviving twenty years in the corporate world they clocked up a wealth of useful experience which has been essential to their current success. By 2010, the buzz of commuting to the city had worn thin and Wild at Heart Foods emerged. Switching court shoes for sturdy boots came naturally and so began a new venture combining wild ingredients and stirring bubbling maslin pans.

Part of their success has been recognition that growth in the number of preserves makers on the market has made this sector congested. Using foraged ingredients makes their offer unique, medlars, ruby red intense damsons, elderberries and crab apples are not always easy to find. It also gives a sustainable edge to their business. Caro, who lives in Kent, has worked hard to forge relationships with farmers who allow them to pick wild fruit and garlic on their land. They also discovered that crab apples, utilised by savvy housewives up until the last war, were being left to rot on trees. Traditionally grown alongside eating and cooking apples to pollinate the orchards they were used traditionally in products like jellies. Even though this variety has a very short shelf life and bruises easily Ginny and Caro use them in their award winning elderflower preserve and many of their other bespoke recipes.

Wild at Heart Cook Book

If starting your own business isn’t stressful enough Ginny and Caro also accepted a commission from Pavilion Books in 2012 to write a cookery book. The Hedgerow Cookbook was published in 2013 after a year of hard work, recipe testing and writing. The result is a stunning, educational and useable cookbook. My copy is marked up with post it notes ready for summer. The book is a timeless classic and this year it’s being rebranded and sold in National Trust Shops. With a five star rating on Amazon, it’s a tribute to Caro and Ginny’s knowledge and creativity.

With sales increasing steadily since they launched a lot of small producers would have buckled under the pressure. But after two years of picking and processing all their own fruit, wild garlic and samphire Ginny and Caro realised in order to survive they needed to delegate. Today they still pick garlic and samphire but outsource as much as they can. Their products are made to their recipes in small batch production on a SALSA approved unit in Kent, which they closely monitor.

chicken and pesto_edited-2Last year Caro and Ginny added Wild Garlic Pesto to their range of chutneys, jellies and jams. Made with the addition of cashew nuts, lemon juice, rapeseed oil and vegetarian hard cheese, it is the only artisan pesto available with a long shelf life. Unsure of how it would sell they took it on the road to farmers markets and food fairs. To their surprise it outsold all their other products. So, for 2015 they have trebled production to meet demand. Forget the harsh commercial pesto sold in supermarkets this is mild, aromatic and teasingly garlicky. Not containing any basil it has a refreshing personality and it’s become an essential in my store-cupboard. Stir it into mashed potatoes or celeriac, use to marinade chicken, toss into just cooked pasta or brush on foccaccia.

Other favourites from their range include Medlar Jelly (try a spoon in a venison stew or beef ragout) (it has a glorious smooth mouth feel) and Elderflower Preserve (delicious spread on layer cakes or with fresh warm scones). I also recommend their Hedgerow mincemeat with elderberries and crab apples for its delicate flavour and appearance.

Expect to pay a slightly higher price for Wild at Heart products which hardly reflects the huge effort that goes in to collecting their raw ingredients making their products so unique. Damson and quince cheese from £4.00, wild plum and other chutney’s from £4.25 and pickled samphire £4.75. Favourites here include wild garlic pesto and elderflower preserve simply because they have short seasonal availability and they are unique. Ginny and Caro harvest the ingredients when in prime condition and delicately preserve them for us to enjoy year round consumption. Look out for them and food festivals and fairs where you can sample their products and have a chat!

wild at heart products

If the call of the wild appeals then look out for these delightful products in farm shops, branches of Cook (limited range of stock) or independent delicatessens. Expect to see more great products from these gifted producers as they have been busy in the kitchen experimenting with new ideas to launch next autumn.

Keep in touch by following their blog and enjoy recipes and updates – details below

www.wildatheartfoods.com Shop online

The Hedgerow Cookbook Pavilion Books 2013 available from Wild at Heart website

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apple, Carrot and Pistachio Cake with Coconut Cream

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Screen Shot 2015-02-05 at 14.43.07

 

I love making oil based cakes as they retain a moist melt in the mouth texture. By incorporating vegetables and fruit you create a denser texture but the oil ensures a lighter finish.I used duck eggs as I had them in the fridge and know that some bakers swear they make better cakes. Use hen’s eggs of course if you don’t have ducks readily available. Using a good quality stone-ground plain wholemeal flour here adds a deeper nutty texture to the sponge plus it just wouldn’t be the same with white. I usually leave the skin on eating apples when I grate them but go ahead and peel them if you prefer. This is the perfect way to use up slightly wrinkly apples from your fruit dish.

carrot apple pistachio

Makes 12 generous slices

Before you start line a 24cm round cake tin with silicone paper. Give the sides a bit of height with paper if the tin is not that deep.

Pre – heat the oven to 180°c / 160 fan° c
carrot apple cake

For the cake

3 ducks eggs, separate the whites and yolks

150g runny honey

125ml rapeseed or sunflower oil

2 sweet red eating apples, cored and grated

150g carrot, peeled and grated

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

225g fine stone-ground plain wholemeal flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

I lemon, zest and juice

75g chopped pistachio nuts

Topping

200g *Philadelphia light cream cheese at room temperature

Honey to taste (I used a teaspoon)

Lemon zest (see above)

25g coconut powder

Place the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and whisk until its stiff enough to form stiff peaks. If you are using a stand mixer transfer the whites to another bowl for later. Add the egg yolks, honey and oil to the bowl and whisk on high until the mixture looks creamy. Using the beater gently fold in the apple and carrot. Mix the spices, flour and raising agents together and fold into the batter with the lemon zest and pistachios. Finally stir in the egg whites. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared baking tin and place in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove when the cake is firm to touch. Remove from the tin after 5 minutes and cool on a rack. Now make the topping. Mix the cream cheese in a bowl and add the honey and lemon zest. Sieve in the coconut powder and chill until required. When the cake is cool remove the silicone paper and top with the cream cheese frosting. Decorate with ground pistachio’s. I also used some dried cornflower petals which you can buy in some specialist food shops or online here.

*I don’t usually specify brands but a lot of own label cream cheeses have stabilisers in them. As soon as you mix them they break down and make the icing runny. Very annoying. Philadelphia is more stable which means you can use the light version and keep the creamy texture. For vegans use coconut cream instead.

Dressing for dinner

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In a bid to fight off middle-aged spread rejecting carbs in favour of salads is part of my strategy. A few months on and I sense I am being punished for a positive lifestyle choice by lazy chefs. People who read this blog will know that we only publish reviews of places we can wholeheartedly recommend with the occasional sprinkle of constructive criticism. We could, if we wanted to, dish out some real corkers but it’s a smallish food community in Surrey and we like to focus on hits not misses.

eliza's salmon salad 9x6

Lots of eateries offer main course salads but it isn’t always a healthy choice as you could take in more calories than a pizza (for example an American hot pizza in Pizza Express is 821Kcal while a warm vegetable and goats cheese salad is even more at 860Kcal). Either way at 35% of your daily calorie allowance before drinks, desserts and coffees are added, not good. It’s better to order a cooked main (grilled chicken, steak or fish) and then ask for the carbohydrate element (usually fries) to be replaced with a salad. If executed well this can be one of the tastiest meals around but all too often 100% effort goes into the protein element and the salad suffers. In fairness a smattering of places do manage to serve a tasty veg packed plate. A higher number sadly just don’t bother at all. Order a steak and you would be astonished if you weren’t asked how you wanted it cooked and given a choice of sauce. Salad, in stark contrast, gets plonked in a bowl and served completely starkers. Where I wonder is the hospitality in that? In addition you (yes chef) have been let off the chore of frying yet more chips. This is an area in your kitchen where you could (like Yottam Ottolenghi and Jamie Oliver) really let your creativity flow (if you could be bothered).

In my dream restaurant the conversation with the waiter would go something like this after I have dropped the salad in place of chips bombshell:

“How would you like your salad served? Today we have a choice of three dressings one of which is a low fat option. We can serve the salad dressing on the side or toss it for you in the kitchen”. Choice here is important some people just like things on the side a point well made in  “When Harry met Sally”.

In the real world my experience has been a combination of:

  • We don’t make dressing here
  • “Here is some balsamic vinegar and olive oil; make it yourself”
  • A jug of red oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes
  • A bowl of olive oil with something very small (not identified) floating in it
  • A small bowl of salad leaves with a mean drizzle of dressing on the top which is impossible to mix in without making a huge mess

Not wanting to seem singular in my discontent I talked salad dressing to a couple of fellow food educators in Surrey to find out what they thought.

David Gilliat is a talented chef and gifted teacher who runs Four Gables Food Academy . I went to a fish course at his cookery school and left feeling inspired and impressed. David told me “When I was training I was taught to dress a salad with something fun and exciting and to never serve a salad naked”. He said that it was not acceptable to just send a bowl of leaves out of the kitchen and expect the recipient to be grateful.

Andrew Maxwell a former chef and now a Managing Director and Principal of the Tante Marie Culinary Academy in Woking told me “We’ve had a good old debate here about salads and I’m with you 100%. There are few things that make me angrier than a bad salad! A salad can be a garnish on a plate or it can be a meal in itself, but the one thing it should not be is an afterthought and these days, it is often is exactly that! No matter how big or small, it should contain a good variety of seasonal leaves, perhaps a few edible flowers, maybe a tiny touch of seasoning and a beautiful dressing – just enough to give the leaves a glistening shine. That is not difficult and is the minimum one should expect”.

I rest my case.

Text and images Shirlee
Text and images Shirlee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spinach, feta and tomato tart in brazil nut pastry

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The nuts demand the use of food processor to make the pastry! This makes a large tart which is great when entertaining a crowd or if you love leftovers.

Ingredients (Pastry)spinach feta tart 6x8

175g fine plain whole-meal flour (stone-ground)

75g raw brazil nuts

125g fridge cold, salted butter, cut into cubes

Smoked sea salt (plain is fine too)

2 free range egg yolks (use the whites in the tart filling)

A little cold water but only if you really need it!

Filling

2 onions finely chopped, sautéed in a spoon of olive oil until soft

*200g cooked spinach, finely chopped (I used defrosted frozen leaf spinach)

300g cottage cheese

200ml semi-skimmed milk

6 large free-range eggs, plus the leftover egg whites from the pastry

2 dessertspoons of freshly chopped chives

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 x 200g pack of  feta cheese, crumbled

200g  of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, sliced

Method

Place the flour and Brazil nuts in the food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter and salt and pulse until you have a breadcrumb consistency. Drop in the egg yolks and pulse for 10 seconds. Leave the dough for a couple of minutes for the moisture to start being absorbed. Pulse again to form a dough. Do this a couple of times more and if you really need to, add a few drops of cold water. The dough should form in the processor bowl and leave the sides clean.

Remove from the bowl, wrap in cling wrap and leave to chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. While this is in the fridge, cook the onions and make the filling. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cottage cheese, milk, eggs, chives and seasoning.

To line the flan tin hit the pastry gently to flatten with a rolling pin before rolling out as thinly as possible to fit a 28 – 30cm loose bottom flan tin. This pastry is very short and tends to crumble but you can press it all together again in the tin to make sure you seal any cracks or holes. Line with foil and baking beans and cook at 180oC/fan 160oC for 20 minutes.

Place the onions in the bottom of the pastry case and top with the crumbled feta cheese. Pour over the filling and top with the sliced tomatoes. Place in the oven for 30 – 35 minutes or until the filling has completely set. Cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Goes well with a green leaf salad tossed in a punchy dressing.

Serves 8   /Spinach and feta tart with tomatoes and brazil nut pastry

  • De-frosted spinach can be quite wet so its a good idea to just squeeze all the moisture out by wrapping it in some sheets of paper towel.

 

Text and images Shirlee

Araceli’s

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Eat Surrey is delighted to announce that Araceli has opened their first restaurant in Woking and of course the food is as good as ever!

16 Commercial Way, Woking GU21 6ET

Authentic Hispanic street food produced by a native Mexican in the heart of Woking

ARICELI

The upside: Soft overfilled burritos, crispy tacos and cheesy nachos

The downside: They close at 9pm and on Sundays and Bank Holidays!

The flipside: This lovely independent has a made a smooth move selling from a van to a proper location in Woking!

Surrey isn’t really known for its street food so when a dedicated food friend told me about this Mexican I knew it deserved a visit. This colourful mobile unit fills one end of this slightly dreary market, like a desert oasis. Outdoor tables are set out with vibrant patterned cloths and the van itself with its large signs and menu boards stands out a mile. The market is being developed and although Ariceli didn’t get a stall in the new market walk she has a better venue in Commercial Way. With a proper kitchen and a squeaky clean venue its better than ever!

ariceli woking

The menu revolves around pulled meats marinated and cooked freshly every day. There are traditional Mexican recipes, for example, chicken with smoky chipotle and tomato. There’s also pork seasoned with orange and spices cooked overnight in a banana leaf plus brisket with traditional spices. Add to this, rice, black beans, guacamole and sour cream and the flavours start to build. Pica de Gallo, which is a mix of finely chopped onion, tomato, fresh coriander and Zaca Zaca (a hot chilli sauce) end the assembly line. Vegetarians don’t miss out here with a mix of caramelised onions, mushrooms, peppers and cheese. How, I pondered, did this Mexican food find its way to Woking?

Araceli spared a few minutes to share her story. After finishing her training as a lawyer in Mexico City she soon realised that this was not the life was not for her. So she followed her love of cooking and started making tacos and burritos, delivering them to offices at lunchtime. Her business thrived but falling in love and marrying a British expat eventually bought her here. Building on the success of her first business she decided to set up shop in Woking.

aricelis_trio

On each of my visits there has been a constant stream of customers, arriving on foot and by bicycle. There is a buzz of acknowledgement that this is a cool place to pick up lunch. Portions are generous and even though I opted for a Naked Burrito (£5.50) with Cochinita Pibil (pulled pork) served minus the soft wrap, the rice, beans and meat made a satisfying healthy lunch. My daughter had a Chicken Burrito (10”, £5 or12”, £5.50) and loved the additions of guacamole, sour cream and the Pica de Gallo giving depth to each mouthful. The wrap is tightly secured with foil keeping it warm while you eat and stopping it falling apart – high risk since they pack to the maximum.

ariceli duo

ariceli menu

All the pulled meats are cooked until they are melt-in-the-mouth which is perfect for the format. We also shared a portion of nachos. These light corn tortillas were sprinkled with cheese and heated then topped with the same sauces used for the burritos. They were moreish – the melted cheese with the crispy chips were hard to resist. My carnivorous teenage son went for the 12″Beef Burrito (£6.00) and polished it off demanding a return visit ASAP. We’d had tacos on a previous visit and can vouch for them too. This is delicious, healthy fast food and a real Woking asset.

With their new venue up and running they are looking to expand the menu for evening dining as they also have a licence! Keep up to date with them on facebook and twitter (links on the website)

www.aracelis.co.uk

 

 

 

Blueberry tart

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This is my version of a recipe given me to by my uncle’s American girlfriend who is a fabulous home cook. At first sight the recipe lacked appeal, but being packed with fruit and highly recommended, I gave it a whirl. It was light, bursting with flavour and really simple to prepare. A few tweaks makes it both vegan and gluten free too. I exchanged half the flour for almonds but feel free to swap it back if you want. The vinegar adds a welcome acidity and binds the crust.

Use a 22cm loose-base flan tin

Crust:blueberry-TART

100g butter (slightly softened)
100g ground almonds
100g plain flour
25g golden castor sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Filling:
500g blueberries
1 tablespoon plain flour
100g castor sugar
3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
Topping:
250g blueberries
Icing sugar to dust

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C fan / gas mark 6

Prepare the crust first. Place the flour, sugar and almonds in a mixing bowl and rub in the butter. Add the vinegar to form a dough. It might be a little crumbly but that’s fine. Press the dough into the base and around the sides of the flan tin. Whizz the filling ingredients together in a blender, pour over the crust and place in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. When you are ready to serve, top with the fresh blueberries and dust with sugar. I served this with a dollop of half-fat crème fraiche and a drizzle of honey.

Download a pdf of the recipe for  blueberry tart

Text and images Shirlee
Recipe and images Shirlee

Eliza’s Tea Room

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elizas Hurst Farm, Chapel Lane, Milford, Surrey GU8 5HU

An established lunch and afternoon tea destination benefitting from a recent facelift and change of management

The Upside: Charming cakes, comforting soups, inspired savouries and freshly baked scones.

The Downside:  Lunches are from 12-2.30 and the tea-room shuts at 4.30pm everyday.

The Flip-side: Lovely company creating unique food and local employment.

Tips: Leave plenty of time to mooch around Secretts Farm Shop too. They have an eclectic stock with some intriguing finds.

When word on the street filtered through that Suke and Tom Wibaut (owners of Butter and Cream) had taken over Eliza’s Tea Room it was welcome news. Situated right next to the entrance of Secretts Farm Shop this venue had been inching its way towards a fresh start for a while. Tired décor and a menu as old as some regulars had contributed to its fading star status.

elizas eggsAt the moment changes here are small but visible to those in the know. Appreciating the loyal following the tea-room still has, firm favourites such filled baked potatoes have, for now, remained. New more contemporary menu items are being slowly added while Tom (a carpenter by trade) has refitted and restyled the serving area. Now there is plenty of room for a shiny new coffee machine and a large display area for gorgeous cakes (£3.00 a slice) and freshly baked scones (Cream teas from £5.45). For the more adventurous diner the specials board features seasonal bakes, tarts and home-made soups. Previously some of the food on offer was bought in so it’s delightful to see many more dishes being prepared on site from fresh produce some of which is local.

elizas 4

Having photographed the new menu for Suke I already had a sneak preview of the changes here. Designer sandwiches with interesting fillings, fresh soups with classy garnishes and great new breakfast menu. A few weeks later I popped in for lunch with my daughter. We sat with our backs to the specials board and ordered off the main menu but were lucky enough after chatting to the chef sample what was on offer . The beetroot, sweet potato and celeriac gratin had a subtle spicy earthy flavour, complimented by the sweetness of the potato which lent itself to the creamy texture . The roasted tomato tart was housed in a perfect short crust case and the rich yellow custard complimented the savoury-sweet tang of the roasted tomatoes (both (£7.95 with salad).

eliza's trio

Having chosen from the main menu my daughter loved her classic tuna filled potato. This is a combo that seems to have beaten off the competition over the years, canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise, lemon juice and a few twists of black pepper in a piping hot oven baked spud. The oven baking of course develops a delicious skin and is a far superior being to those lazily blasted in a microwave. I opted for a new menu item; salad of roasted beetroot and butternut squash served over Secretts leaves and finished with chunks of fresh goats cheese (£8.25). The leaves had been tossed in a light, balsamic and olive oil dressing before serving, lending a refreshing tangy edge to each bite. The beetroot and squash were served warm making each cheese-laden mouthful one to savour.

After a busy morning and tasty lunch we still had room for a scone and a slice of gluten free almond cake all made by Suke’s team at Butter and Cream. The almond cake was moist and nutty and the scone would have got 10/10 from even the most old school Home Economics teacher. There is also a new breakfast menu which really comes in to it’s own on Sundays where you can enjoy cook to order French toast, American pancakes with maple syrup which compliment creamy scrambled eggs and omelettes.

Changes here mark a positive new era in the life of this Tea Room and it’s definitely worth a visit. Put it on your go to list!

Visit their facebook page here

01483 520525

elizas cakes 9x6

Recipe review: Raspberries and blueberries

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Here are 2 summer recipes that M&S asked us to review.  Featuring fresh berries they are both quick and simple to assemble. The salad in particular is exceptionally good and a great way to use up the glut of fat berries in my fruit bed.

 Raspberry, melon and feta salad with mint and lime dressing

M_S raspeberry salad

 

This salad makes the perfect starter for a summer dinner or as a light lunch. Using ready prepared melon saves a huge amount of prep time and by using a mixed pack you get added variety and stunning colours. The beauty of this really lies in its simplicity and it looks beautiful too. A dressing of lime juice and honey coats the fruit and a large bunch of fresh mint adds a refreshing tang. Tossed together with some crumbled feta the saltiness of the cheese gives a savoury kick from a dish that could otherwise be a dessert. Last time I made this I added blueberries and a freshly picked sliced cucumber too which we all loved.

Verdict: A fanstastic summer salad which lends itself to adaptations – try different berries, herbs and cheese.

Download the original recipe for  Raspberry feta salad

 

Blueberry and lemon meringue semi-freddo 

M_S_blueberry

 

Apart from whipping the cream this is a super easy dessert to make – and as you freeze it its perfect to make ahead of time. It’s presented as a semi freddo style dessert which means taking it out of the freezer 30 minutes before eating. I would normally do this just after serving the main course unless you don’t mind a longer break between courses. Although we loved the flavour of this dessert and the half frozen texture of the blueberries it was very rich. I would make this again but probably use half fat creme fraiche mixed with some thick fat free Greek style yoghurt. You could also get away with using less lemon curd as you already have the sweetness of the meringue and doubling up the fruit would also work. Another plus here is format, the original recipe uses a loaf tin but I used a loose bottomed cake tin. You can also use individual dishes providing they are suitable for the freezer.

Verdict: Very rich and calorific but with a few sensible tweaks to the ingredients a great recipe to have in your repertoire.

Download the original recipe for blueberry and lemon meringue semi-freddo

Text and images Shirlee
Text and images Shirlee