DUNSTER AGRICULTURAL SHOW

I recently attended the Dunster Agricultural Show in the village of Dunster, Somerset. The annual show is held in the beautiful grounds of the Dunster Castle on Exmoor.

The TV screen advertising the Demo

As you know, I like to buy my meat from local sources and the butcher I use, Gerald David and Family, had set up a Food Hall at the show which included a large butchery counter and butchery talks, demonstrations etc.  I was invited, as a regular customer, to give a cookery demonstration.

Preparing the Vegetables

 I chose to make Spicy Beef Stuffed Red Peppers. A recipe I have featured here previously. Unlike the TV chefs, there is no opportunity for editing etc so the dish has to be prepared and cooked in a restricted environment within thirty minutes!






 It was great fun demonstrating this dish and I was really pleased with the finished result.





The Demo in Progress!









Plating up the Finished Dish

All this goes to prove that one is never too old to try out new skills!

ENTERTAINING OUR VISITORS

We have enjoyed sharing some meals with our friends from Germany.  The large lasagne I made recently and popped into the freezer came in handy. I cooked this and served it with a mixed green salad and garlic bread.  It was very tasty.  I rounded off the meal with sticky toffee puddings which I prepared the evening before.  They benefit from sitting overnight in the sticky caramel sauce. I put them in the fridge, covered lightly with foil.  Whilst we were eating our main course of lasagne I put the covered sticky toffee puddings into the oven to heat through.  They were perfect by the time we were ready for them. These were served with pouring cream. They are certainly a must for those with a sweet tooth!

On Sunday our friends joined us for Sunday lunch.  I roasted a rolled loin of pork and served it with apple sauce (made from our own Bramley apples), chipolata sausages, sage & onion stuffing balls, roast potatoes, roasted parsnips, broccolli, carrots and leeks in cheese sauce.  This meal was well received and they said that it was like a Christmas Dinner! I served a large lemon meringue pie for dessert.  I used four lemons and four large free range eggs to make this. I cooked it in a large springform cake tin.

As life was hectic with the visitors I failed to take more photos!

SPICY BEEF STUFFED RED PEPPERS

SPICY BEEF STUFFED PEPPERS
　
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: Under 40 minutes


Ingredients




375g/12oz lean beef mince

3 large red peppers

15ml/1tbsp olive oil

½ small onion, peeled and finely chopped

The Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 celery stick, finely chopped

250g/9oz jar antipasti prepared roasted vegetables, roughly chopped (peppers or sundried tomatoes)

2 tablespoons tomato puree

Generous pinch Italian spices or oregano and chilli to taste

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

50g/2oz grated Cheddar cheese

Fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish

　

　

Method:

Preheat the oven to Gas mark 6, 200°C, 400°F.
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and membrane. Place on a baking tray, drizzle with the oil and roast for 15-20 minutes.

Dry frying the ingredients

Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick frying pan and dry fry the minced beef with the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes, until the mince is brown, breaking up any lumps with the back of a spoon.

Drain any excess meat juices from the pan. Add the roasted vegetables, tomato puree, celery, spices and herbs and seasoning.

Remove the peppers from the oven, add the filling, cover with foil and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.

Sprinkle over the cheese and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Garnish with the thyme leaves before serving.

(Ingredients easily adjusted for fewer portions)

Serve garnished with thyme

A delicious lunch or supper dish

FRIENDS FROM GERMANY

We have four very close friends visiting us from Germany and I am preparing a meal for their arrival. As I am unsure of their time of arrival I am preparing ahead a braised steak casserole and will serve this with parsley dumplings, Charlotte potatoes, red cabbage, carrots and beans. For dessert I have made a Velvet Chocolate Torte and a Raspberry Flan. By cooking the casserole the day before it will not take too long to reheat thoroughly when they arrive and will benefit from standing overnight in the fridge (it must be completely cooled before being refrigerated). Whilst it is reheating I can cook the dumplings and vegetables.

My garden has suffered from the lack of rain this year and although I have watered it using the water in our water butt it has not provided us with such a good crop as usual.  However, the carrots, parsley, beans and potatoes will be freshly gathered for the meal.  I do not grow red cabbage so have bought an organic one.  This, too, can be prepared ahead and heated in the oven along with the casserole.

I know that this menu will be appreciated as our friends enjoy this type of food.

As I guessed, this meal was well received and enjoyed by all.

VELVET CHOCOLATE TORTE

 

VELVET CHOCOLATE TORTE

 INGREDIENTS

12 Hobnob biscuits

50g/2oz butter, melted

2 egg whites

85g/3oz caster sugar

250g/9oz plain chocolate (I use Bourneville)

284ml carton double cream

2 tablespoons brandy

 METHOD

1.   In a large strong plastic bag, crush the biscuits to crumbs with a rolling pin.  Stir into the melted butter until evenly mixed.  Reserve two tablespoons of the crumbs, then press the rest over the base of a 20cm/8” loose-bottomed cake tin and smooth down with the back of a large metal spoon.  Chill the base while you make the filling.

2.   In a mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisk the egg whites and the sugar for about 5 minutes until it forms a stiff meringue that stands in peaks.

3.   Break the chocolate and melt in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Whip the cream until it just holds its shape.

4.   Fold the chocolate into the meringue, followed by the cream and the brandy. Pour into the tin and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the reserved crumbs and chill for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, so it is softly set.

5.   Just before serving, remove the torte from the tin and slide on to a plate.

6.   Cut into wedges with a warm knife and serve with cream.



Ready to Serve - Delicious!



FATLESS SPONGE CAKE

This is a useful recipe to have in your repertoire as it can be adapted in many ways to make Gateaux, sponge sandwich, sponge flans, individual flans etc. 

Fatless Sponge Cake

Ingredients

4 free range eggs, separated

4 tablespoons/60 ml cold water

7 oz/200g caster sugar

6 oz/ 175g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

• Grease and line a baking tin with baking parchment
• Place the egg whites and cold water in a bowl and whisk until the whites are stiff (but not dry)
• Add the sugar and continue whisking for a further minute
• Add the egg yolks and fold in gently
• Finally, add the flour and baking powder and fold in gently (try not to break up the air bubbles too much)

• 

  Mixture in flan tins ready to cook

  Pour into the prepared tin/tins and bake at 160 C or Gas 3 for 45 minutes (depends on tin size and whether you use a cake tin or two sandwich tins)
• Press your finger tips lightly in the centre to test if it is cooked – if done, it should not leave a depression but should spring back where you have touched it.
  I use this recipe to make two sponge flans which can be filled with fruit and topped with jelly made with arrowroot.  Quick Jel is a quick and easy alternative.

The cooked flans cooling
(baking parchment in centre)



A favourite filling is double cream and Greek Yogurt whisked together with some raspberries folded in. Top with fresh raspberries (or defrosted frozen ones which have been sprinkled with icing sugar). Finish it off with a jelly coating as above.  Delicious.  This makes a nice dessert or teat-time treat. I also have a tin with six individual flan rings; these look lovely with fresh fruit salad topped with jel.

The cream and yogurt filling with
a few raspberries folded in

 






Top with fresh raspberries


  

Cover the raspberries with Jel

If making a sponge or gateau, cut into two or three layers horizontally and sandwich together with jam or soft fruits and whipped cream, or chocolate ganache. You may wish to put some chocolate ganache on the top as well.
The possibilities are endless.



KAISERSCHMARRN



The Mixture



On a recent visit to the Austrian Tyrol we enjoyed one of the country's national dishes - Kaiser Schmarrn.  This dish was first created for the Emperor of Austria.  Kaiser means Emperor and Schmarrn means jumble/trifle.  This dish is often enjoyed as a snack in the many mountain top restaurants or is served in cafes and hotels as a dessert.

This is my simple version of the traditional dish and tastes authentic.

Take:

1 cup of plain flour
A good pinch of salt
1 cup of milk
1 cup of eggs - I use three free range eggs

Place these ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk together using a hand held electric whisk.

Setting the mixture
in the skillet

Heat a large frying pan or a deep skillet with a knob of butter (TIP: I always add a very small amount of cooking oil to prevent the butter burning).
When the pan is hot, pour in the mixture and let it set.  Occasionally, drag the mixture to the side and let the remaining mixture run into the gap.

The mixture turned to cook the base

  When it is more or less set, use a slice to turn it over to brown the other side.  Don't worry if it breaks, you will be cutting it in the next stage.

Cutting the set mixture into strips

When set, use the slice to cut it into strips in the pan then cut the other way to make small cubes.

Cut into pieces to toss and caramelize

Add knobs of butter to the pieces and toss around, sprinkle on a little caster sugar to help the butter to caramelize on the pieces.  Keep tossing, adding a little more butter, if necessary.
You will see when it is ready when all the pieces are nicely browned and some are slightly crunchy.






Serve on a plate and dust with dredged icing sugar or caster sugar.
The traditional Austrian way to serve Kaiserschmarrn is with a small pot of apple or plum puree served on the side to dip the pieces in before eating.
Delicious.



Serve with plum or apple puree.  Enjoy!


Variation:
Serve sprinkled with caster sugar and lemon wedges to squeeze over - this is my English version!

Optional ingredient:
A few drops of vanilla essence added to the mixture gives it the authentic Austrian flavour. If preferred, a sprinkling of vanilla sugar can be added with the butter instead.