Forgot to write about dinner two days ago.
First we had some Caponata made with red and yellow peppers,tomatoes and sliced onions.
Then we had the last game bird still in the freezer,a Mallard duck,very small ,just enough for two.I pot roasted it in some red wine and onions some
celery and a few baton carrots.plus some streaky bacon over the breast to stop it drying out too quickly.
This was in the oven for just under the hour plus some new potatoes previously par boiled and then smashed and the resulting potatoes roasted in some goose fat.They were really delicious,and i had never done them like that before Some lightly cooked spinach was all we needed .
Then I stewed some plums with Star Anise and a little sugar and white wine and served them with some Greek Yoghurt to which I added some dark soft brown sugar,it tasted of caramel.
In all, a good evening meal!

What's in my fridge today?

When I looked in there,I found half a piece of Celeriac and half a large leek plus some Mangtout peas which definitely needed eating up.
Peeled the celeriac and some potatoes and put them to boil then sliced the leek finely,and added some to the potatoes and celeriac before I mashed the whole lot up.
Briefly stir fried the Mangtout , plus the remaining sliced leeks, then browned some Hazelnuts in a little oil and grated some orange rind.
Mixted that together plus a splash if fantastic Orange Balsamic Vinegar over the top,and I expect you've guessed.... Some chilli flakes!
Now I will take a picture of it ....

Today's wonderful smoothie

Is a mix of the following.....
One banana half an orange,quarter of a cucumber plus a stick of celery.to that I added some left over stewed plums and of course ,some water to thin it down.
Result? Rather insipid looking colour, but the taste is fresh and interesting,the stick blender was struggling a bit with the cucumber and celery, but I had chopped them beforehand into little pieces.

Very healthy drink!

Just made a delicious smoothy with a banana, pineapple and a kiwi plus some fresh coriander,blotzed with my stick blender, which you must realise I use all the tome! Mixed with a glass of water, I have enough for at least 3 drinks. I have made it taste far nicer by adding some finely grated fresh ginger to it.
Over the weekend I had friends here,and gave them seafood risotto, with prawns, brown shrimps and crayfish tails. Then for pudding ,we had a sorbet of mango and pineapple on a slice of pineapple and some strawberry sauce poured over it. I hate the word coulis ,I just sieved some strawberries having blitzed them with my stick blender and added sugar to taste .plus a little lemon juice.

What is cooking today

Here are the scones I have made since I found some slightly sour cream in the back of the fridge they taste good and the sourness has disappeared completely. Iwill also make a goulash as I have some pork pieces and loads of red and yrllow peppers,and of course, the sour cream will be a part of the dish! I use the sweet smoked paprika from LA CHINATA,which is so tasty.
Have taken a picture of the scones. Hope I can make them appear!

Questions answered

I have had some readers of this blog ask me the following questions...
How do I beat batter?
That sounds a bit like a tongue twister!
I have a bowl with a handle, which is so useful,the weak hand supports the handle of the bowl ,which is resting on a damp cloth to stop it slipping.then I can beat away, either using an electric hand whisk, or a balloon whisk,which is VERY TIRING.
getting the batter from the bowl to a tin is mostly messy, you must try and keep the bowl steady,while you scrape out the mix. Chocolate brownies are the messiest!
NOW ANOTHER QUESTION

How do I make ice cream?
I usually use my stick blender,with the mixture (not too much at a time, or it will go all over everything) Or else I use my Magimix,with the usual blade attachment,and freeze it for an hour until it starts to crystallise ,when I remove it from the container,and give it another beating,and then freeze again.
A very good ice cream can be made with the same amounts of double.cream and Greek yoghurt, you beat the cream till it holds it's shape, then fold in the yoghurt,and add your chosen flavour
Lemon curd, a thick fruit purée ,or anything you think would taste delicious..
it dosen't need beating at all, and freezes beautifully, but do remember to take it from the freezer a good hour before you want to eat it!
Another method is to make a cooked meringue,which when cool is folded into some lightly whipped double cream,and again flavouring added at the end. this method also has the added advantage of not needing beating
MORE QUESTIONS PLEASE!