Apple and Spelt Biscuits

Always on the look out for tasty treats for a small but Hungry Boy. I spotted these in the River Cottage Baby and Toddler Cookbook (a fabulous fabulous inspiring book) and had to try them. They're only sweetened with a wee bit of apple juice, so I added a wee bit of cinnamon too to try to bring out the sweetness.

100g Wholemeal Spelt, 100g Plain, rubbed with 75g Btter, brought together with a splash of Apple Juice. Baked at Gas 5 for 12mins.

Definitely on the austere end of subtle but suits my parenting philosophy perfectly!!!!!

Madame Legume.

I have been cheated .

Cheated into thinking Broad Beans are grey, mushy pellets of boredom. Cheated by Kirklees Schools Food Service and their sweaty orange boxes of "lunch".

It was many years later when I realised the glory of the broad bean. It would have to be the most regal of legume that deserves nautres most luxurious, softest, downiest, cosiest bedding in its pod. Who could believe this tender, sweet, green jewel could be related to the grey mush I had previously been duped into eating.

All home grown veg taste like a much better version of the shop bought equivalent, but broad beans straight from the pod are a universe away from any thing else called a broad bean.

And this year is the first time I have had my own harvest of these delightful little queens of the patch.

They have already featured on the table in the form of a warm bean salad (including some home grown mange tout) with crispy bacon and goats cheese..... Yum. Tonight, I'm thinking they will be flash fried in butter with plenty of ground black pepper. Mmmmm.... Salivating already.

Down with Grey Food!!!! Hurray for the Queen Bean!!!

A Small Slice of Paradise.

Well, I can sometimes feel very hopeful about the veg patch at this time of year, but come the rainy 'summer', the gargantuan slugs, high winds, not to mention the rogue local sheep, many crops are scuppered before the end of the season.

However, ever the optimist, I am still feeling hopeful this year.

My broad beans plants, although somewhat underwhelming by normal standards are the strongest and healthiest looking plants I've managed to grow on my tiny, stoney, slice of Yorkshire paradise in the three seasons I've been here.

My curly kale is flourishing and the nasturtiums are beginning to fill their basket nicely (believe it or not I have previously had problems growing nasturtiums for a salad crop..... They're virtually a weed, most people are trying to tame their vast clouds of orange blooms, but not me.) Mr Hungry's potoato sacks are looking plentiful and the pots of herbs are all looking fabulous (we have an incredible little taragon plant that has survived two winters in a broken pot, so we have potted him on this year to award his plucky determination to survive and he's now thriving), any spare inch has a healthy looking radish fighting for space. I have even got some tomato plants growing in the greenhouse, but this may be a step too far for my less than green fingers.

So, with no up coming holidays to look forward to I should be able to turn my attention to the plot's potential, hopeful for a bountiful harvest.

Hungry Boy's First Curry

Yum! Yum! What a lucky Hungry Boy! At the tender age of 8months the Hungry Boy tucks into his first curry. We're trying to get as diverse as possible range of tastes and textures into him before he has a chance to get fussy. All going very well so far.

He has only turned down one thing and that was from a pouch when we were on the road, and when I tasted it it was as bland as could you imagine food being- rubbish. No wonder he turned his nose up at it.

We chucked out the Baby Weaning Books some time ago. No more puree and soft foods, this man wants to use his special tooth power to chomp on Big Person's food!

So I went for a mild Spinach, Chickpea and Sweet Potato curry, flavoured with Garlic, Garam Masala, Cinnamon, Cardamom and smallest bit of Chilli, then finished with Coconut milk..... Sweet and Mild. Served with Cous Cous and wee bit of Naan- pretty good rusky teething material as it turns out (though maybe a bit salty, so not too much!).

Lucky Hungry Boy had his Ready Brek made with leftover Coconut milk the morning after. Super Calorific and Super Yummy!

The On Going Gingerbread Saga

Well, the first attempt was very much like a dense very gingery flapjack. Not bad, but not much like Grasmere Gingerbread.

Attempt two; More like a ginger crumble. Pleasant enough but even less like Sarah Nelson's. Hmm.... Back to the drawing board, Third time lucky..? (My father in Law is helping me to eat the results from these experiments so it's not all bad)

Move over Sarah Nelson- Hungry Lady's Gingerbread

Well, after saying perhaps I should leave the Grasmere Gingerbread experience to the experts I just couldn't help myself and have tried to re create Sarah Nelsons Grasmere Gingerbread.

I found a recipe but couldn't help but alter it along the way. And am already thinking of improvements before it is even out of the oven!

I mixed together 125g Oatmeal, 125g Plain Wholemeal Flour, 2tsps Ground Ginger, 1tsp Bi-carb, 1tsp Cream of Tartar, 125g Muscovado Sugar, 3balls Stem Ginger- finely chopped in a large bowl. Then added 175g melted Butter and 1tbspn Golden Syrup.

Spread out in a lined swiss roll tin, and bake at Gas4/ 180c for 30mins, until golden brown. Mark into pieces whilst still warm and leave to cool in the tin.

In hindsight, i would like to try rubbing the butter into the flour and oatmeal to start with, i feel like i might be able to control the fianl texture better this way. The real G Gingerbread has a crumbley texture, a loose layer on top, which is part of the appeal.

I'll keep you posted!

Bejewelled Biscuit!

I think preserving sugar might be my new favourite fun thing!!! I'm feeling diamond encrusted biscuits, cookies and cakes of all kinds coming on!!!

Again, a pinch from the Good Food website- http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/502630/sugardusted-wedding-cookies-

A perfect little munch alongside a strong black coffee.

Shallot Tarte Tatin

Sweet and tart, Gooey and crispy, Rich and creamy. What more could you ask for from a simple supper dish. Yum yum yum!

I melted about 25g butter, a tablespoon of demerara and a good slog of olive oil in a quiche dish (about 20cm) in the oven, about Gas 5. Then added enough shallots to cover the base of the dish and a few sprigs of thyme (one of the few hardy characters still surviving this harsh northern winter in my garden at the moment!). Then roasted slowly for 50mins, turning occasionally. Add as many chunks of goat cheese as you fancy (this is quite a fatty and rich dish), and plenty of black pepper. Then top with puff pastry ( about half a pack), and tuck down the sides. Turn the oven up to Gas 7 and bake for 25 mins until risen and golden brown. Leave to cool for a couple of minutes before turning out onto a serving plate. Gorgeous with a light salad and green veg.

Treats for my Sweet

Gingerbread hearts for my fabulous Mr Hungry.

I used this recipe from the Good Food Website but used twice as much ginger and added some nutmeg and greatly reduced the cooking time- I cooked them for about 6 minutes.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/147612/spicy-tree-biscuits

Salad Lunch Platter

So, two friends coming for lunch, fab....

Not sure how to feed them both happily so have just made a BIG platter of all my favourite salads.... I thought this was a low risk strategy and that there'd be something for everyone- I hope this is true!

So, we have my Tuna &Cranberry Mix, Carrot and Sesame with White Wine Vinegar and Olive oil, Cold Salmon from last night, Hard Boiled Eggs (everybody eats eggs don't they?), Pickled Cucumber, Lettuce & Rocket with Toasted Flaked Almonds and a Jacket Potato each (I've never met anyone who won't eat a jacket potato!).

Lets see how this goes down....