I'm not quite tearing my hair out yet although in a moment of slightly dazed confusion i did try and put the kettle in the fridge and the milk bottle in the bin, you see I'm 3/4 of the way through the first day of whats set to be a manic week.
With birthday cakes, scones, sausage rolls, chocolate brownies, jam and more cakes ( entries to the local town show) all to be baked before Tuesday dinner time, Ive got my work cut out.
Anyone with any sense would have had a bit of a cooking siesta the Saturday and Sunday prior to a frantic week, perhaps gone out for a nice dinner over the weekend, relaxed with a simple supper of wine, cheese and some crackers but no, not me. I'm really not happy unless I'm making the most of my time, i feel guilty for sitting down and writing this blog, I'm not sure where this insecurity stems from, it makes me stressed and erratic and leaves poor R wondering what to do about his border line crazy wife.
The best antidote to this strange compulsiveness is cooking, its relaxing yet keeps me on my toes and makes me feel busy at times when i think i ought to be, it stops me depressingly dwelling on trivial matters and allows me to focus my mind to more positive things .
This weekend i made:
Veg patch risotto ( withs some left over goats cheese )
Basil Scented Shortbread's
Thai Red Curry with home made naan breads
Prune and Rosemary Bread
Houmuus
Simon Hopkinsons Piedmontese Peppers
Yotam Ottolenghi's Spicy Carrot Salad
Peach and Raspberry Puff Pastry Tart
This list pretty much engulfed my weekend with a bit of work and some food shopping squeezed in round the sides. You might think I'm crazy or you might think Ive got too much time on my hands but id rather be busy doing something that not only gives me pleasure but something that pleases other people too.
There is nothing i relish in more than people whoever they are , R , my family, friends or even strangers enjoying my dishes, its a like a warm lingering hug from your nearest and dearest, complete satisfaction that even if just for a split second in their day you have made them happy, they may completely forget the experience within minutes but for me the feeling of contentment lasts a little longer.
I apologise now for the fact i am only leaving you with one recipe ( for now anyway ), right now i need to get my baking beauty sleep for at 5am i must embark in an mixing, sifting, kneading and rolling frieze, hopefully all will be reveled in my next post.
Peach and Raspberry Puff Pastry Tart
This little unexpected wonder crept in at last minute on the Sunday night, not content with basil shortbreads, raspberries and Greek yogurt for the second night running i rummaged around in drawers of my fridge and located some left over puff pastry. As always I'm old before my time and have always thrown caution to the wind where ready made pastry's considered but after succumbing to its layers of soft billowing dough that are beyond no means dry and difficult to work with i am more than happy to use this as a quick and reliant replacement. The perfectly soft and gently spongy peaches were eagerly waiting to be sliced and released from their stone and the raspberries made an appearance due to the fact that yes they are at their pinnacle of their season but i love how the rosy soft colours of the peach and the dreamy soft reds of the raspberry almost amalgamate as one, reminding me of a romantic sunset - a perfect end to a perfect weekend.
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk and one egg, beaten to glaze
50g Castor sugar
25g plain flour
300ml milk
1 lemon, juiced
3- 4 ripe peaches, sliced
Handful of fresh raspberries
About half a packet of ready to roll puff pastry
Handful of toasted almonds
Put the egg, egg yolk and flour into a bowl and whisk until well combined
Heat the milk in a pan until almost boiling ,take off the heat , then slowly whisk in the egg mixture with the lemon juice
Return the mixture to the heat and slowly bring to the boil , stirring all the time, cook for a couple of minutes then take off the heat and transfer to a bowl, sit a piece of cling film over the surface of the custard to prevent it from forming a skin
On a lightly floured surface roll the pastry out into a rectangle, trimming the borders where necessary and plaice on a lightly oiled baking sheet
With a knife gently score a border on the inside of the rectangle leaving a 2cm border all the way around the edge, prick the base of the rectangle with a fork and place in the fridge for 20 minutes
Pre heat the oven to 180 fan and brush the border with the beaten egg and bake for twenty minutes or until the pastry is cooked, you made need no push the inner rectangle down then leave until cold.
Once cold spoon the custard out evenly over the inner rectangle then decorate how you wish with the peach slices, raspberries and the almonds.
No comments:
Post a Comment