Recipes for Soups

I thought I would add some good, wholesome and warming soups to the collection. We have been asked for a few different recipes so here they are!

Thai Style chicken Soup (serves 4)
This is a very good soup for those on diets, or those who would like a filling but light meal. It is a thin soup, but powerful in flavour and nicely warming. Add more or less chillies to your taste)
1 tsp oil
1 or 2 red chillies, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed or ½ tsp garlic puree
1 large leek, finely sliced
6 oz button mushrooms, sliced
1 pint chicken stock
14 floz coconut milk
1 lb chicken, skinless and boneless, cut into bite-size pieces. We use breast and thighs.
2 tblsp thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 lemon grass stalk- bash the bottom half to crush it and let the flavour out.
1 inch fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp sugar
4 Kaffir lime leaves (optional)
3 tblsp chopped coriander

Heat the oil in a large pan, and cook the chillies and garlic for about 2 minutes, keep stirring it so it doesn’t burn. Add the leek and the mushrooms and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Stir in the stock and coconut milk and bring slowly to the boil over a medium heat. Add the chicken, fish sauce, lemon grass, ginger, sugar and lime leaves if using. Lower the heat and and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and tender.
Remove the lemon grass stalks and add the coriander.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
You can add spring onions, peas and noodles to this if you would like. All can go in about 3 minutes before you take the lemon grass out.

Green Herb Gumbo (serves 6-8)
We have had mixed responses to this one, but mostly good comments! There appears to be a lot of ingredients, but don’t be put off. You can put in any mixture of green vegetables, and it will still taste good. The herbs and spices give it a deep generous flavour that is warming and comforting.

12oz smoked or green gammon, or ham hock meat, diced into bitesize pieces
2 tblsp oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed or 2 tsp garlic puree
1 tsp dried oregano,
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cloves
2 celery sticks
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
½ medium green cabbage shredded.
3 ½ pints ham or chicken stock
7oz spring greens or Kale
7 oz Chinese mustard cabbage, shredded
7 oz spinach
1 bunch watercress, shredded
6 spring onions, shredded
1 oz parsley, chopped
½ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp nutmeg
salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to serve

In a large pan heat the oil, and add the gammon, onion, garlic, thyme and oregano. If there is any fat on the gammon let it sizzle away, if you have the rind, put it in in one piece to remove when the fat has rendered away. Cook for about 5 mins, stirring and then add bay, cloves, celery and pepper, stir that around for 2 mins, until the cloves become good and fragrant, then add the cabbage and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 mins, add everything else and cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Season it all and taste.

This can be made vegetarian, by removing ham, using veg stock and putting in beans, pulses or chick peas.
If you can’t get ham hock or gammon, try German Bratwurst sausages or mortadella. Bacon or belly pork could be used too.

Cullen Skink, or Smoked Haddock and Potato soup (serves 6)
A traditional Scottish soup, Cullen meaning seatown or port, Skink meaning stock or broth. This makes a lovely change to usual soups, is rich and creamy, with enough subtlety to be used for a dinner party.

12oz Finnan Haddock- or un-dyed smoked haddock
1 onion, chopped
1 leek chopped
1 ½ pints fish or veg stock, or even water
1 ¼ lb potatoes
1 pint milk
1 ½ oz butter
salt and black pepper

Place the fish in pan and cover with the milk. Poach gently for about 15 minutes, or until the fish is easy to flake and opaque. When cooked, remove carefully from the heat. Let cool a little, strain AND KEEP the milk, and then flake the fish only throwing away the skin and any stray bones.
In a soup pan, sweat off the onion and leek in the butter. Stir frequently, and don’t colour the veg. They need to be softened and translucent. Add potatoes and stock and reserved milk. Cook for about 20 minutes until potatoes are soft and can be crushed against the side of the pan with the back of your spoon.
Zap the whole thing, and then add the flaked fish. You then have potato soup with flakes of haddock. Taste and add pepper and a little salt if necessary. Add cream to make it richer, although remember you and your guest will be eating a bowl of it, not just a spoonful.
Finish it with parsley or chopped chives when serving.

To make a bit of a change use half of the potatoes within the soup, and dice the rest and cook separately. Add these in with the haddock to create texture.

Matrimonial Cake and Apple and Cranberry Slices

Well, we had a lovely letter from Mrs Barner. I am so glad some people still do things the old fashioned way, and a a hand written letter cheered us all up. So, thank you Mrs Barner for your comments- a book may well be in the offing- and her are the recipes requested, I hope you have as much success with them as the others.

Matrimonial Cake
This is so called because apparently in marriage you take the rough with the smooth, although some people have commented there seems a lot more rough than smooth!
THE SMOOTH
8 oz(225g) stoned and chopped dates
1oz(25g) Demarara sugar
4floz(125ml)water
THE ROUGH
4oz(125g)porridge oats
3oz(75g) plain or wholewheat flour
2oz(50g)Demarara sugar
3oz(75g) butter, chilled

Place all the smooth ingredients into a thick bottomed pan and heat gently on a stove. It will gradually form a paste, stir occasionally to prevent the sugar burning onto the bottom of the pan, and when it looks thick, dark brown and sludgy leave it to cool. It gets REALLY hot- it's like jam - so don't be tempted to taste it just yet!
Place all the rough ingredients in a mixer and rub in the butter to form a crumble mixture.
Grease a 7inch/18cm tin and put in half the rough mixture. Pour in the smooth mixture, and spread it all over. Top with the other half of the rough and pat down gently.
Bake it at 180C, 350F or Gas 4 for 15-20 minutes until slightly brown, as always, if it smells done, it probably is!
Leave to cool and cut into squares. It is really lovely warm with a spoon of clotted cream or ice cream.

For some variation we do the same mix with apricots instead of dates, you just need some more water during the initial stage, and a little ginger in the crumble mix, and/or stem ginger through the apricots.

Apple and Cranberry Squares

A lovely recipe, good for windfall apples and a Christmassy treat.

BASE
8oz(225g) plain flour
3oz(75g) granulated sugar
6oz(175g) butter
FILLING
2-3apples, either cooking or dessert
4 dessert spoons cranberry sauce
TOPPING
4oz(115g) plain four
41/2oz(130g) granulated sugar
3oz(85g) butter, chilled

In a mixer combine all the base ingrediants. This mix is a basic shortbread, so don't over mix, stop when it is all together and soft. press this into a greased tin about 7x11 inches/ 18x28cm. Cook this for about 15-20 minutes (180C/350F/Gas4) until set and just turning golden. It will still feel soft. You can make this ahead of time and leave to cool.
Peel and core an apple and slice it onto the base, keep adding apples until your base is covered. Slightly overlap the slices. Spoon the cranberry sauce gently over the apples and smooth so it covers them. We keep it half apple half sauce, but you can add more of either to your taste.
To make the topping put all the ingredients in a mixer and rub in the butter, Make a basic crumble mix. If yu would like add some mixed spice, or ginger and nutmeg to this mixture for a kick. Sprinkle tiopping over the base and press down gently.
Cook at the same temperature for another 20 minutes. Leave to cool and cut into squares.
This is a cream of ice creampudding if served warm, or an afternoon treat with a good cup tea.

These are easy enough to make with children- my 7 year old niece loves making crumble mixtures, and they are quick enough for almost instant gratification! Both slices are tough enough, and will keep long enough for homemade hampers to give as Christmas presents. Not long now!

Recipes By Request

I am a bad blogger. Haven't done this for ages, and I am sorry. We have had a busy summer so far, and have been trying out new things such as gluten free and dairy free(not in the same cake for methinks that would be impossibe if you wanted it to taste of anything!) cakes, caribbean soup, full of plantain and yam and scotch bonnets.
We have been official groupies of Shakehands eric and joined them at the BeerFest at which we gave away cake to a very confused but pleased audience, and they joined us on bank holiday sunday to play a few tunes and sing from their newly released album "A weekend in another country"
So, all busy and I spoke to Quentin- he of RNLI fame, and Mrs Quentin and was asked for some cake recipes- Hummingbird cake and Lemon and Banana.
so here goes;

Banana and Lemon cake- this does taste bizarrely like Juicy fruit chewing gum to my mind!

250g plain flour
1¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
115g butter
200g sugar
115g soft light brown sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp grated lemon rind
3 medium mashed bananas- use up overripe ones
1 tsp vanilla essence
50 ml milk
75g chopped walnuts

ICING115g butter – room temp
475g icing sugar
¼ tsp grated lemon rind
3-5 tbs fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F)Gas 4
Cream butter eggs and sugar, beat in eggs one at a time with a little of the flour to stop it curdling and beat or whisk until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon rind. In another bowl mash the bananas and add milk and vanilla essence and mix. Add all the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and then stir in the banana mixture. Fold in the nuts.
Line 2 x23cm cake tins, or one larger one, and fill with cake mixture.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until it bounces back to the touch, or an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Leave to cool a little in the tin and then turn out onto a rack.

For the icing, cream the butter until smooth, add the icing sugar and rind and then add the lemon juice until the icing is a good spread-able consistency.
Sandwich the cakes together and fill and then top with icing. Decorate with walnuts or lemon rind that has been shredded and blanched in boiling water.

NB if you don’t eat nuts, don’t add them! They do add a good texture, but will not alter the cake if they are not added.






Hummingbird cake
300g caster sugar
3 eggs
300ml sunflower oil
270g peeled banana, mashed
1tsp ground cinnamon
300g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp vanilla extract
100g tinned pineapple chopped finely
100g shelled pecan nuts or walnuts

Preheat oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3

Place the sugar, eggs, oil, banana and cinnamon in a bowl and beatuntil well mixed. Don’t panic if it looks like it’s split!
Add everything else and stir until evenly dispersed and mixed in.
Pour into 3 x 20cm cake tins, or one large one , that are lined with greaseproof or silicon paper, and cook for about 20-25 minutes. It will smell heavenly and bounce back on touch. Leave to cool for a bit before turning our to cool completely.
When cold, make up some carrot cake icing and either layer the three cakes or split the one large cake in to 2 or three and sandwich together with icing and top the cake. Decorate with pecans and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

NB Cinnamon has a very strong taste so use lightly. If you have guests with heart problems, cinnamon can have an adverse effect and make the heart rate quicken or palpitate.

Both these cakes are really moist and will last for a few days in an air tight container. They will get mouldy quickly if it is very warm and humid, but to be honest they will very probably be eaten before they go off!
If you have a friendly market stall holder ask for overripe bananas from them, as they usually will give away or reduce old battered bananas, but they are the best for making these cakes.

If music be the food......

Gemma and I got into a big discussion the other day. Usually I rant on, the girls loose interest after the first "and ANOTHER thing" that I squawk and I end up talking to my soup, but this was different. I asked Gemma what her soup tasted like. The uninformed tend to say things like glue, paint, water or "it's nice, I think" and I have to explain glue, paint and water are more texture than taste. I haven't eaten much glue, or paint in my life, but I know what they mean and it is texture.
Gemma has heard that rant before, so looked puzzled and then said hesitatingly "Tomatoes?" As it was tomato soup she was right, but no cigar. I taught Jodie a scale that I have always used, and was hoping that Gemma would pick it up. Jodie and I wave our hands around- High would be lime, white chocolate. Low would be bitter dark chocolate, rich stew. There are a lot of grades inbetween, and it doesn't always work simply. Certain soups- parsnip and apple for example, should be sweet, and deep at the same time. It is high and low, but the true flavour should be somewhere in the middle- a balance where one thing does not outweigh the other.
There is also a front to back scale. A beginning, middle and end. Mandy, when made to try things, always refers to this. She says things like "There is a lot of beginning, and end, but nothing in the middle." This usually refers to seasoning. Again the balance- Red pepper, chilli and lime soup is a good one for this. The flavour should begin with pepper, then the chilli should make an appearence, finishing with the lime but the pepper should remain all the way through.
Gemma waches with bemusment as Jodie and I wave furiously at each other saying "It's too much up there, add milk to bring it down a bit" She can taste the differences, but cannot vocalise them. Gary was the same until we discovered he had synaesthesia. That is he described flavours in terms of colour. Mushrooms were a dark brown, oak rather than mahogany. Stew was purple. This worked for Gary, and I learnt to describe the mixing of flavours, but I used to find it frustrating as I couldn't explain the subtle shades and blends that salt or sugar would add. When I looked at Gemma I realised I would have to find another way to describe flavours.
I tried various things. Blank looks all round. I would have to think harder. Then I remembered Gemma's boyfriend. He does beatboxing. He is very good, and thus Gemma listens to lots of music, while he tries to make all the sounds using his mouth. Gemma understands that he learns to make one beat, then learns another, and adds to it, to create the tune. "Ha!" says I turning to Gemma triumphantly "it's a band!" Again a blank look but I knew I was on the right track. Her soup was all guitar. No base line, no high hats. We fixed it, various conversations sprang up regarding stew being Wagner, Chowder being trance and rissotto was verging on drum and base.
Conversley Nico Muhly is a composer and has just joined the Chicago Symphony orchestra. When he writes he makes Veal stock, he says you have to go and skim it every 15 minutes, and the more you add the deeper the flavour. This is how he sees his music. He skims bits away, and adds different sounds to make the full ensemble. I love the fact that there is a composer who takes his inspiration from food, and we can take our inspiration from music. Every piece of music has a beginning, a middle and an end. From the solo tune, that relies on volume and strength to make it powerful to the large orchestral works where the smallest ting of a triangle will make a world of difference.
I wonder what the next person I teach will respond to. I am running our of metaphors but I am so happy that with Gemma, it was music.

New year, new paint work

Thank you to all the people that came to visit on Christmas day. Although the ice lay thick on the roads and paths you bravely took your lives into your own hands and came to see us. Who was it that said you should do something everyday that scares you? I thought that as I slid sideways in my car down to the cafe and spun gently to a stop by the bollards.
Jodie had never worked a Christmas, but I think she enjoyed it. Helped by the people who left a bottle of champagne for us, and all the customers who bought us lovely presents. Everyone is in a good mood, either because they are filled with the joy of the season or they are so relieved that they can get a coffee, speak to people other than their inlaws, their parents and siblings and they can view other families with the same issues and realise they are not alone.
We now turn our thoughts to 2010. There is a blue moon ( where a full moon occurs twice in one month) on new years eve, portending a glorious year of change and unexpected events- if you believe in that sort of thing.
Our glorious change will be our decorations in January. We will be closed for 2 weeks from 18th while we have things tiled and painted. I wont call it a refurb as we have been somewhat short changed on this, but tiles and paint are good and the cafe should look a little fresher, which is all I am able to ask. It has taken a year and half to get to this stage, and a lot of arguing and broken dreams, but we are here.
We are hoping it will go like this; Kitchen will be tiled floor to ceiling, toilets will be tiled floor to ceiling, and toilets etc will be replaced where needed. The cafe will be painted- the struts and window frames, under the counter and bar and the metal poles. We are going for coffee and cream type colours- a bit urban chic for the country I know, but it is bright and bland enough for us- the main thing is the view which will not change (I hope).
Jodie and I will be looking at the menus. I think the salads we put on last year have been a good option. Although winter has been a bit wasteful- so we may start two menus. We are also looking at putting on more stews etc for the specials board. We will continue to create new soups and cakes. We are also trialing gluten free and sugar free stuff, and try and get some of it to taste of something!
I hope you all have a good new years eve, and I trust that 2010 will be a glorious, happy and healthy year for us all.