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Fresh Cherry Crumble Cake

We were lured by the huge crates of English cherries at St Albans Market over the weekend. By the time we arrived home, the children had eaten a whole bag of cherries between themselves – in the back of the car – and yes, there were cherry juice stains everywhere. The second bag I had earmarked for a cherry crumble cake, made to a recipe my mum had given me over the phone a few days earlier. This is an easy cake that you can either make in a rectangular tin – I’d go for a 12″ x 9″ traybake tin, or as we did, a deep round tin. It depends whether you are in the mood for a rectangular cake or a round cake. We were in the mood for a round cake. Get the kids to crack the eggs into a bowl, measure out the ingredients or make the crumble mix while you get on with stoning the cherries – mine (8 & 5) can manage the crumble mix on their own. It’s a bit messy, but messy baking is fun. If you can’t find cherries, lots of other stone fruits work in this recipe – plums or apricots chopped in half with the stones removed. You can also make this with blueberries. I love the mess that cherries make. Almost as much as the mess the children make.

Fresh cherries

I used some cardamom Spice Drops to flavour my cake in addition to a little vanilla but this flavour is entirely optional. My friend, Gouri, gave me a couple of bottles of Spice Drops to try – you can buy them on Ocado in the UK. Spice Drops are an interesting little invention – they are concentrated extracts of the natural spice and they come in lots of flavours – including cardamom, cinnamon, lemongrass, peppermint, rose and many more – you can see the full range here.

fresh cherry crumble cake

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Fresh Cherry Crumble Cake

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An easy cake made with fresh English cherries and a crumble topping. I used some cardamom spice drops do give an extra dimension of flavour. You can also crush some fresh cardamom pods instead or leave the cardamom out and just use vanilla extract.

Ingredients

  • 400g fresh cherries, pitted (or other stone fruit)
  • For the crumble topping
  • 50g/ 1/3 cup plain/all-purpose flour
  • 50g/ ½ stick unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 30g/ ¼ cup icing/confectioners’ sugar
  • For the cake batter
  • 180g/1.5 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 130g/1 cup caster sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 drops cardamom Spice Drops (see notes) or the seeds of 6 green cardamom pods, crushed
  • 200g/1.5 cups self-raising or all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to fan 160C/180C/gas 4. Using a little butter, grease and line a 20cm round cake tin, about 5cm deep or a rectangular traybake tin 12" by 9"
  2. Remove the stalks from the cherries, carefully slice each cherry in half and remove the stone. Keep the cherries to one side.
  3. Make the crumble topping by sifting the flour into a large bowl. Add the butter and icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour and sugar to make a crumb-like mixture, then set it to one side while you make the cake batter.
  4. Whisk the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy (around five minutes using a stand mixer or a whisk), add the eggs in, one by one, and continue to mix well. Add the vanilla extract and cardamom drops or crushed cardamom pods, if using. Mix together well again.
  5. Sift in the flour and baking power and using a spoon, carefully stir the mixture until all the flour is incorporated.
  6. Pour the cake batter into your lined baking tin and flatten with the back of a spoon.
  7. Scatter the halved cherries onto the batter and press down gently.
  8. Scatter the prepared crumble mixture over the top of the cherries.
  9. Bake for 55-60 minutes until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
  10. Leave the crumble cake in the tin to cool and then remove and place onto a wire rack until you are ready to serve.
  11. Before serving, dust with a little extra icing/confectioners’ sugar.
  12. The cake will keep well in a tin for up to two days.

Courses Dessert

All you need once the cake is baked is a nice cup of tea and you’re all set for the afternoon.

Crumble Cake

If you have a go at baking this cake (and I hope you do) don’t forget to let me know.

Tag me on instagram @renbehan or on Twitter @RenBehan or on Facebook Ren BehanFood so I can see how it turned out.

I’m linking my bake up to Simple and in Season July and August.

Other fruity bakes that you may like to try:

Crumble Cake

Happy Baking!

Crumble Cake

What’s your favourite fruit-inspired bake?

Review: At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen by Amy Chaplin

At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen

At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen: Celebrating the Art of Eating Well
By Amy Chaplin
UK Edition: Jacqui Small LLP, June 2015, Currently £17.00 on Amazon
US Edition: Roost Books October 2014

Genre – Healthy Eating (Vegan/Vegetarian)

You might have noticed that there is a health food trend happening at the moment and as a result, there’s a plethora of healthy eating and ‘whole food’ books to choose from. At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen is an award-winning vegan and vegetarian book, written by Amy Chaplin and it’s certainly a book that stands out to me.

Amy was former executive chef of Angelia Kitchen, a renowned vegan restaurant in New York, and now works as a private chef, teacher and recipe developer. Through her book, she offers readers a very well-considered, sensible and achievable approach to eating well without compromising on flavour or satisfaction.

Structure

The structure  of the book differs slightly from the standard order, in that it doesn’t jump straight into the recipes. Instead, it has a lengthy opening section (Part 1) devoted to ‘the pantry’ – with advice on how to stock your pantry. I restocked mine within a day of owning this book and had a big de-clutter, to include more of what Amy suggests which are whole grains (buckwheat, millet, rolled oats, brown rice, wholegrain noodles and pastas etc.), beans and pulses (legumes), nuts and seeds, superfoods (flax seeds, goji berries etc.), oils, vinegars, seasonings, condiments and spices.

Amy also sets out her go-to ‘fresh’ pantry vegetables (she sees her fridge as an extension of her pantry) as well as other staples in her fridge, such as fermented vegetables, goat’s cheese and nut butters. There are also some great suggestions for whole foods to store in the freezer, such as berries, sprouted bread and sweetcorn.

To follow, there are notes on baking ingredients, including almond flour and wholegrain spelt flour and some ideas for natural sweeteners.

All in all, I love how part one of Amy’s book is set out; the sections are succinct and uncomplicated and you can really start to define (and take control!) of your pantry and the different ‘whole food’ ingredients within it.

Amy moves onto a section on ‘cooking from the pantry’ and again, this is broken down into grains, beans, nuts and seeds, and roasting vegetables with ideas for a week of meals.

From page 85 onward, she moves onto ‘pantry recipes’ – you could try a simple red lentil soup, wholewheat fettuccine with kale, caramelized onions and marinated goat’s cheese (my favourite recipe of the whole book and featured here tomorrow), vanilla chai pudding or pink kraut (a mixture of green cabbage and red cabbage that turns pink!)

At Home in the Whole Food KItchen

Part Two then expands on the basic concepts already introduced and Amy sets out her recipes, including the more traditional chapters:

  • Breakfast
  • Soups
  • Salads
  • Snacks, nibbles and drinks
  • Whole meals
  • Desserts (tarts & sweet treats for every occasion)

Blackberry cornmeal muffins are the perfect make-ahead treat for breakfast or brunch guests, the Peach chia breakfast shake is simple and can also be transformed into a peach-flavoured chia pudding. The soups are both nourishing and cleansing, whilst the salads take inspiration from a whole array of seasonal vegetables, from shaved courgette (zucchini) with purslane and a pine nut lemon dressing, to roasted winter vegetables or a shaved beetroot salad with blood orange and crushed hazelnuts.

The herbed spelt berry salad with peas and feta is both unusual and inspiring and would work equally well as a delicious ‘al fresco’ supper with friends as it would a lunch box for work or packed away for a picnic.

More substantial dishes include a coconut curry, a butternut squash lasagne (with wholewheat lasagne) and a spicy chickpea stew. By this point in the book we’re really eating well!

Following this, there’s a three-part recipe for coconut vanilla pod ice cream with roasted plums and maple coconut crunch which captured my attention (I made the roasted plums part and used peaches instead) and there’s a divine chocolate hazelnut layer cake for special occasions, too, which I can’t wait to make.

Why I like it

This book is really about feeding yourself with good food. It’s not about dieting or deprivation, and so for me, the recipes for desserts and puddings come as a welcome treat. There’s a big section devoted to making tarts, where you can mix and match the pastry and fillings, which is fun.

Amy is clearly an accomplished chef, and, as the title promises, I am left with the impression that this is the way Amy cooks at home. I don’t think that there are any recipes in this book that a home cook couldn’t tackle or try out for themselves.

This is a beautiful book, with bright and breezy photography by Johnny Miller, that offers a simple and straightforward, organised approach to a healthier lifestyle, without taking the ‘healthy eating’ approach to any extremes.

Click here for a handpicked recipe from the book…

Wholewheat Fettuccine with kale, caramelized onions and marinated goat’s cheese

Wholewheat Fettuccine

Photo Credit: Johnny Miller, reproduced with permission from UK publisher, Jacqi Small. 

At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen: Celebrating the Art of Eating Well
By Amy Chaplin
UK Edition: Jacqui Small LLP, June 2015, Currently £17.00 on Amazon (non-affiliate link)
US Edition: Roost Books October 2014

Disclosure:

I received a copy of this book from Jacqui Small for review, which I offered as a giveaway prize in June’s Simple and in Season (won by C. Ammar). However, I found it to be such a beautiful and practical book, that I promptly jumped on Amazon to buy my own copy. Therefore this review is based on my own purchase.

Other posts and books you might like:

Amy’s blog, you can follow her on Instagram @AmyChaplin and Twitter too @_AmyChaplin

Amy’s Whole Food Cooking Column for the Food Network

Review: A Change of Appetite by Diana Henry [Read more here]

Recipe: Orange and Pomegranate Cake by Diana Henry [Find the recipe here] 

Roasted Summer Vegetables with British Goat’s Cheese #TasteOfSummer

Roasted Summer Vegetables

Roasted Summer Vegetables with British Goat’s Cheese

Most of the time we associate roasted vegetables with autumn or winter, in that root vegetables roast so well and sweeten up in the process. But I find that certain summer vegetables get on very well with a drizzle of cold-pressed rapeseed oil in a roasting tin before going into a hot oven. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been roasting plenty of British asparagus during the asparagus season – now sadly pretty much at an end. I actually used salad potatoes in this recipe, which I wouldn’t normally roast, but after par-boiling them for a few minutes I decided to throw them into the tin, too, along with some mini peppers. The salad potatoes actually roasted beautifully and became lovely and fluffy on the inside and a little bit crisp on the outside. Any waxy or new potato variety would work well, too. Another ‘first’ this summer was tasting a salad with roasted grapes and walnuts. I also love roasted summer courgettes or carrots with a sprinkle of caraway seeds. Roasted summer vegetables can be eaten warm just as they are, or, as in this recipe, with the addition of some British goat’s cheese. You can also serve the roasted vegetables cold, mixed with a little cream cheese as a filling for roasted sweet potatoes.

#tasteofsummer

All of these ideas speak to me of summer and so I thought this recipe would make the perfect addition to the Waitrose #TasteOf Summer campaign, currently ongoing.

Over the next few weeks, up until 26th August 2015, Waitrose are asking you to tell them your favourite #TasteOfSummer and to share your creations on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the chance to win one of their three summer food experiences –

  • You could win a pair of tickets to an exclusive barbecue event with Heston Blumenthal, at his pub, The Crown Inn, located in Bray, Berkshire. Winners must be available to attend the event on Saturday 25 July.
  • Or, you could win a ticket to their ‘Cocktails & Party Bites’ evening course at the Waitrose Finchley Road Cookery School in London on Thursday 13 August.
  • Or, you could win a complete summer party menu as chosen by the Waitrose Entertaining and Waitrose Cellar specialists – so all you’d need to do then is invite your friends over and crack open the bubbles!

Every week, Waitrose are also showcasing the most popular summer flavours across their social media channels.

To enter, you just have to share your favourite summer food or drink on Facebook (find the Facebook page here) Twitter (follow @Waitrose) or Instagram @Waitrose using the #TasteOfSummer hashtag.

Roasted Summer Vegetables
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So, whether you’re enjoying an ice cream at the seaside, or perhaps some freshly caught fish and chips, a barbecue in the garden, a simple summer salad, scones, strawberries and clotted cream whilst watching the tennis or even a slice freshly baked cake topped with fruit at the summer fair – there are lots of chances to win a great summer food experience.

Linking up to July and August’s Simple and in Season, too!

Simple in Season

Disclosure: I have been commissioned to create this recipe by Waitrose to help promote their Taste of Summer Campaign and received some vouchers in consideration. 

The Ultimate Summer Party + Six new summer salads from Jamie Oliver HQ #summersalads

Summer Salads Jamie Oliver HQ

Summer Salads on JamieOliver.com 

It’s not every day that you get to take a look behind the scenes of a set-up that you hugely respect and admire. So this week’s invitation from the team behind JamieOliver.com (the official website for Jamie’s recipes, books and TV shows) to an evening of #summersalads at Jamie Oliver HQ was really quite a special treat. If you haven’t explored the JamieOliver.com site recently, you’ll find, as I regularly do, that it’s a great source of recipe ideas for any occasion. The editorial team work very closely with Jamie and the food team to constantly find new ways to inspire. Fresh, seasonal produce is always at the forefront of recipe development and, as with all things Jamie Oliver-led, there’s a big emphasis on the dishes being achievable, simple to make and super tasty.

The food team have recently moved to a new home – a fantastic new space in London, full of light, food props and a mezzanine area perfect for holding very important meetings (and parties!)

Jamie Oliver HQ

For the #summersalads party, Peter, Jamie’s gardener was there to talk us through some of the produce from Jamie’s garden – much of it inspiring the summer salads that we tasted. Pete told me that whatever Jamie and the family don’t eat is sent straight to Fifteen to create their daily specials.

Summer Crudites

On arrival, we were welcomed with a huge array of fresh crudités, including rainbow carrots, chicory leaves, radishes, artisan bread, the smoothest and most wonderful hummus any of us had ever tasted and a fresh and lovely pea, mint and feta dip (you can find a similar recipe here).

The team had also mixed up some batches of summer cocktail recipes, which have also very recently been featured on Drinks Tube. I can personally endorse the Negroni cocktail and attest that it packed quite a punch!

Jamie and Pete

Pete Wrapson @peterwrapson, my take away box and Jamie @JamieOliver

Jamie also stopped by to have a chat with us all. He told us that he was incredibly excited about the food team’s new home and that it is quite a challenge to find space for his growing teams!

Edible Flowers

Beautiful edible flowers by @greensofdevon

Summer Cocktails

Now that the sunshine seems here to stay, for the ultimate summer party, why not invite your friends over and chose a few of these fantastic recipes to make at home?

Cocktails

Summer Fruit Punch – [Get the recipe here] – non-alcoholic with no added sugar (above)

Summer Cup – [Get the recipe here] – a pitcher of vodka, vermouth, ginger ale, cucumber and fresh fruit inspired by the tennis season

Negroni – [Get the recipe here] – a batch-made Italian cocktail with gin and bitters (strong!!)

Flavoured Water – simply made with fresh fruit, use any fruit that you have (try strawberries, slices of orange and fresh mint)

Summer Salads

Six New Summer Salads (as featured on JamieOliver.com)

Prawn and Papaya Salad

Click on the title of the salad for the recipe…

Prawn and Papaya Salad (GF,DF) – my favourite of the evening by far. If you can’t find papaya, use white cabbage. I think ‘spiralized’ courgette would be lovely, too.

Cracking Cobb Salad – made with roast chicken, pancetta, boiled eggs and a blue cheese dressing

Tasty tabbouleh salad (V, VG, DF) – Middle-Eastern inspired, bursting with colour and flavour, with bulgar wheat, pistachio and pomegranate

Cypriot-style potato salad (DF, V, VG, GF) – with waxy new potatoes, olives, capers and fresh coriander

Superfood salad (GF, V) – with quinoa and roasted sweet potato – this one was a revelation and it is very easy to throw together for a crowd

Waldorf Salad (V) with roasted grapes and walnuts (delicious!) and  a light yoghurt dressing

GF = Gluten Free DF = Dairy Free V = Vegetarian VG = Vegan

Cypriot Potato Salad

To Finish

The food team presented a classic Eton Mess on a huge board with little mini-meringues, bowls of fresh fruit, including strawberries, raspberries and blueberries and a big bowl of vanilla-spiked whipped cream and Greek yoghurt so that everyone could help themselves. I’ll definitely be making this for the summer and you could also take all of these ingredients separately to a picnic.

Eton Mess

So there you have it – hopefully this will inspire you to host a summer salads party of your own!

Thank You

With special thanks to the JamieOliver.com team, especially Abby, Merlin and Subi

  • @jamieoliver.com
  • @jamieoliver

The tables were decorated with some stunning flowers from London-based Augustus Bloom @augustus_bloom

Follow some of our photos of the evening as shared on Instagram or search the hashtag #summersalads

  • @clerkenwekkboyec1
  • @mondomulia
  • @issycroker
  • @charlottehuco
  • @mind_body_bowl
  • @renbehan
  • @allthingsmeaty
  • @upallhoursphotos
  • @heartdrive
  • @rawveganblonde
  • @mummyicancook – a special shout of to Shu Han Lee who has been an online friend and follower of my blog and who is writing her own book with Penguin!

Disclosure: I was a guest of the JamieOliver.com food & editorial teams. All opinions are my own and the decision to write about the evening for my own blog was my own. I am also a freelance contributor to the ‘News and Features’ section of the JamieOliver.com site. 

Instagram Jamie Oliver

 Photo taken by JamieOliver.com

Similar posts on RenBehan.com:

Jamie’s Comfort Food Launch

Truffle Cheddar Evening at Fifteen

A Pheasant Masterclass with Gennaro Contaldo

A summer pop up for bloggers above Fifteen 

Simple and in Season June – 30 Summer Recipes

Are you ready for the summer? Having seen the entries for June’s Simple and in Season recipe link up I certainly am!

I’m going to jump straight into the round up and also announce that the winner of a copy of At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen was…Choclette over at Tin and Thyme for her Rose Syrup and Garden Weeds Pesto entries – inspired!

Here are 30 simple summer recipes for you to try…

Summer Recipes

Eat Your Greens

I’m starting with a round up of all the super healthy green entries (shown above)

Kate at Veggie Desserts set the bar high with her Sweet Potato, Kale and Wild Garlic Salad [Get the recipe here] 

The Gluten Free Alchemist joined in with her Gluten Free Spinach and Cheese Ravioli [Get the recipe here]

Helen at Fuss Free Flavours made an Easy Asparagus Risotto in her Redmond cooker [Get the recipe here]

Alida at My Little Italian Kitchen made Asparagus and Parma Ham with Balsamic Vinegar [Get the recipe here]

Helen at Family Friends Food made a Creamy Courgette Puff Pastry Tart [Get the recipe here]

Simple and in Season

Seasonal Summer Salads

Julie at Life & Chai sent across a beautiful Tabbouleh with a Twist [Get the recipe here]

Elizabeth at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary created a Vegan Teff Salad with Sprouted Beans, Pea Shoots and Wild Garlic [Get the recipe here] – Teff is a grain, who knew?!

The Gluten Free Alchemist also sent in a Summer Salad Picnic Jar [Get the recipe here] 

Kate at Veggie Desserts also made Sumac Roasted Peppers with Kasha Buckwheat Salad  [Get the recipe here]

Jane at Onions and Paper made a Haloumi and Broad Beans with Cous Cous Salad [Get the recipe here]

Simple and in Season

Snacks and Sides

Katie at Feeding Boys and a Firefighter made a Fresh and Punchy Beetroot Burger Relish [Get the recipe here]

Choclette at Tin and Thyme made a Fat Hen and Chickweed Garden Pesto – and won the cookbook prize! [Get the recipe here] 

Tortilla for Tea made a Spanish-inspired Pisto (Ratatouille)  [Get the recipe here]

Ema at De Tout Coeur Limousin made a Smoky Charred Aubergine, Pepper & Tequila Salsa [Get the recipe here]

Simple Summer Recipes

Summer Sweets & Puddings

Now it’s time for some seasonal desserts!

The Gluten Free Alchemist made Balsamic Roasted Strawberries & Cream Ice Cream, with Rhubarb-Strawberry Sauce and Hazelnut Biscuits [Get the recipe here]

Camilla at Fab Food 4 All made a Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam [Get the recipe here]

Kate at Veggie Desserts made Carrot Cake Protein Balls [Get the recipe here]

Chardonnay & Samphire made Chocolate Cherry Flapjacks [Get the recipe here]

Janice at Farmers Girl Kitchen made a Strawberry Pavlova [Get the recipe here]

Made with Pink made a fresh Strawberry Pie [Get the recipe here]

Whilst Jibber Jabber UK made a superb looking Triple Layer Victoria Sponge Strawberry and Cream Cake [Get the recipe here]

Mardi at Eat Live Travel Write made a Rhubarb Clafoutis [Get the recipe here]

Linzi at Lancashire Food made an Apricot Upside Down Cake [Get the recipe here]

Ema at De Tout Coeur Limousin made a Rhubarb and Elderflower Compote [Get the recipe here]

Choclette at Tin and Thyme made a beautifully simple Rose Syrup [Get the recipe here]

The Gluten Free Alchemist made another seasonal delight, this time a Rhubarb-Strawberry Meringue Pie with a (GF) Lime, Pistachio & Cardamom Pastry [Get the recipe here]

Sarah at Maison Cupcake made a stunning Easy Chocolate Blackberry Charlotte Dessert Cake [Get the recipe here]

Ceri at Natural Kitchen Adventures made a virtuous Apricot Mousse [Get the recipe here]

Alida at My Little Italian Kitchen made a Strawberries and Cream Semifreddo [Get the recipe here] 

And Mother Mands made an Elderflower Syrup to round things off [Get the recipe here]

Thank You and have a Happy Summer!

Thank you to everyone who entered! Don’t forget – July and August is a bumper round – find the link up here. 

Simple and in Season – July & August – Join In!

Welcome to Simple and in Season July & August! The summer holidays are upon us and I thought it would be nice to have an extra long link up with a round up at the end of August.

Simple in Season

The June recipes are here – full of wonderfully light, summery salads, sides and summer puddings for any occasion. The round up will follow shortly.

Don’t forget to link to this page in your post and use the hashtag #SimpleandinSeason on Twitter and on Instagram and I’ll re-tweet any that I see!

GUIDELINES

Simple and in Season is a monthly food blogging event where you are invited to link up any of your seasonal recipe posts – anywhere in the world! Join a thriving community of home cooks who love to share their seasonal creations. Bookmark recipes for later use if the produce used isn’t in season where you are.

Each month, there will be a round up of all the entries and they are also promoted on our community Simple and in Season Pinterest board.

  • All you have to do is come up with a dish using any seasonal produce you like (savoury or sweet) post it on your blog, add a link to this post mentioning Simple and in Season and linking to www.renbehan.com and then manually add the link to your post in the box on each month’s launch page (click the badge on my Blog sidebar to find the current host)
  • A round up post featuring all the recipes entered will be posted at the beginning of each new month.
  • You can take inspiration from anywhere – adapt a recipe from your favourite cookbook, try something from a magazine, make up your own creation or share a family favourite. The usual rules apply when using someone else’s recipe, please either get permission from the author to post it or adapt it in some way stating how/why you’ve changed it.
  • Include any seasonal produce you fancy including fruit, veg, herbs, meat or fish.
  • Link as many recipes as you like. You can link posts entered into other blog events or carnivals as long as it involves a seasonal food item (and fits in with their rules).
  • The linky-up is open to anyone, anywhere, and although it will be nice to feature as much British produce as possible, it will be interesting to see what’s in season elsewhere.
  • By entering your link, you are giving me permission to add your photograph to the round-up. I will link back directly to your post when I include you.
  • If you have questions or problems, email me or leave me a comment in the comment box at the bottom of the post.
  • If you are on Twitter or Instagram, tweet your link/photo adding the hashtag #simpleandinseason or add me @RenBehan and I will re-tweet it.

LINK UP HERE


Happy Summer Cooking!

 

 

A Polish-Inspired Beetroot Salad with Apples, Radish and Dill

Polish Beetroot Summer Salad

A Polish-inspired beetroot summer salad with apples, radish and dill

I was interested to read this week about the four distinct waves of Polish migration to the UK. I tend to only think of my parents’ generation, resettling to the UK after the Second World War and of course, of the most recent wave. In fact, there have been Poles in Britain since around 1830, following the November Uprising of 1830-1831, with a second wave happening between 1880 and 1920.

Both my mother and father’s family settled in England during the third wave, shortly after the war. My father left Poland at the tender age of sixteen, having first undertaken a forced and perilous journey of approximately 1700 miles from Poland to northern Russia. Aged eighteen, my father and his twin joined the Polish Army in Exile formed by General Anders. They formed in Buzuluk, and travelled via Tashkent, Bukhara and Moynaq. They were then part of a brigade that went to Suez and Durban in South Africa, before arriving in Scotland. Once in Scotland, they trained with a Polish tank brigade, later taking part in the Battle of Falaise, going on to liberate the towns of Ypres, Ghent and Passchendaele, amongst many others. After the war, they were kept on as peacekeeping troops.

Polish collage

Family history book, my father in the Polish army, Polish folk art.

It wasn’t until many years after the war my father formed a business with his brothers, who had all fortunately survived the war, and they employed my grandmother, my mother and her brother, who had also resettled in England from Poland during the war. My dad later married my mother and they had five children, of which I am the youngest. The family business employed many fellow Poles and their families creating new industry in Manchester for a period spanning three decades. Their contribution to society, like that of many migrant Poles, was not insignificant.

Polish radish

By the time I was born, my grandmother had her own house and a small garden here in England. I remember her garden being full of all the things that she used to grow in Poland. In fact, most Poles had a little allotment patch either at the front or at the back of their house. I remember playing in her garden and seeing plenty of beetroot, runner beans, cabbages, carrots, potatoes, radishes and lots and lots of dill. Babcia kept chickens, too, so there were always plenty of eggs. She never quite came out of war mentality, so there were lots of jars of pickles and preserves. Cooking Polish food would make her feel closer to home; it was the only cuisine she knew. Taught by my grandmother, my mother also cooked Polish food for our family and so I knew little else. As a baby my mama tells me I was weaned on beetroot soup and that I loved it.

Migration means many things to many different people. I personally am always fascinated by stories of resettlement and relocation. They are rarely clear-cut and often there is also an element of history involved, too. I know that my parents were always incredibly grateful for the Polish community church hall, where we would often spend time marking significant occasions in Polish history, or folk dancing or fundraising with the Polish Scouts. It still exists to this day, now welcoming new Poles, arriving with predicaments of their own.

These days, of course, communities are often formed online, too. With strong links to the migrant communities around the world, Lebara, a UK-based telecoms group, are bringing together a collection of stories and articles, examining migration and offering a place for people to share collective memories; a community platform, of sorts, aimed at bringing together rather than dividing. It’s an initiative that I’m keen to support, particularly in light of my own family history and my keenness to promote positivity and inclusivity towards those who find themselves far away from home.

As well as thinking about my story and that of my parents’ migration all those years ago, I’m sharing today a recipe inspired by my grandmother’s garden, which by this time of year would be brimming with summer salad ingredients, ready to provide a colourful addition to our family table. The recipe should shortly be featured on the Lebara Community Site, too.

Polish Beetroot Summer Salad

There are plenty of other interesting articles and recipes being added to the Lebara Community Hub all the time – pop over and have a read here.

I’m also linking this recipe up to Simple and in Season June, Extra Veg June 2015, hosted by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours and Meat Free Mondays hosted by Jac at Tinned Tomatoes.

For more Polish recipes, see www.renbehan.com/mypolishkitchen 

Polish Beetroot Summer Salad

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With many thanks to Lebara UK for commissioning this recipe and for creating the migrant community hub. 

Simple and in Season June – Join In!

I can’t believe we’re in June already. It’s going to be a busy month for us as our little boy turns one. Where has the year gone?! We’ll be celebrating with lots of birthday cake – in fact, I’ve already spotted the Nutella cake I want to make over on this pretty site called Call Me Cupcake. Whilst browsing Linda’s site I also found a great recipe for an Easy Rhubarb Cake – which I’ll be making with a stash of garden rhubarb from my neighbour.

simple and in season june

I’d like to say a really big thank you to Elizabeth at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary up in the beautiful Shetland Isles for hosting May’s Simple and in Season – a bumper crop of seasonal treats as I’m sure you will agree. Thank you to everyone who took part. All your entries are featured in Elizabeth’s Spring Collection round up here and have also been added to our group Simple and in Season Pinterest board. 

June, I am sure, will be an equally exciting month. I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve been making using produce that’s seasonal to you – you can link up below.

Don’t forget to link to this page in your post and use the hashtag #SimpleandinSeason on Twitter and on Instagram and I’ll re-tweet any that I see!

GUIDELINES

Simple and in Season is a monthly food blogging event where you are invited to link up any of your seasonal recipe posts – anywhere in the world! Join a thriving community of home cooks who love to share their seasonal creations. Bookmark recipes for later use if the produce used isn’t in season where you are.

Each month, there will be a round up of all the entries and they are also promoted on our community Simple and in Season Pinterest board.

  • All you have to do is come up with a dish using any seasonal produce you like (savoury or sweet) post it on your blog, add a link to this post mentioning Simple and in Season and linking to www.renbehan.com and then manually add the link to your post in the box on each month’s launch page (click the badge on my Blog sidebar to find the current host)
  • A round up post featuring all the recipes entered will be posted at the beginning of each new month.
  • You can take inspiration from anywhere – adapt a recipe from your favourite cookbook, try something from a magazine, make up your own creation or share a family favourite. The usual rules apply when using someone else’s recipe, please either get permission from the author to post it or adapt it in some way stating how/why you’ve changed it.
  • Include any seasonal produce you fancy including fruit, veg, herbs, meat or fish.
  • Link as many recipes as you like. You can link posts entered into other blog events or carnivals as long as it involves a seasonal food item (and fits in with their rules).
  • The linky-up is open to anyone, anywhere, and although it will be nice to feature as much British produce as possible, it will be interesting to see what’s in season elsewhere.
  • By entering your link, you are giving me permission to add your photograph to the round-up. I will link back directly to your post when I include you.
  • If you have questions or problems, email me or leave me a comment in the comment box at the bottom of the post.
  • If you are on Twitter or Instagram, tweet your link/photo adding the hashtag #simpleandinseason or add me @RenBehan and I will re-tweet it.

LINK UP HERE



This month, I’ll be choosing a winner who will receive a copy of At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen by Amy Chaplin – published by Jacqui Small.

At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen

 

Don’t forget there are a couple of other events you can join in with –

The No Waste Food Challenge by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary

The Extra Veg Challenge

The Credit Crunch Munch challenge this month hosted by Jen’s Food

Meat Free Mondays a weekly link up hosted by Tinned Tomatoes

Check out the Food Blog Diary for more ideas,too.

Happy cooking!

The Days of Poland Festival, London and notes on Polish food and culture

Polish doughnuts
Pączki – Polish Doughnuts by The Polish Bakery, London

Last Saturday 9th May 2015, we made our way into London to spend the afternoon at the second annual Days of Poland festival – the biggest Polish festival in the UK. The festival, organised by 2 Sisters PR founded by Ewelina Krzysztofik, aims to ‘promote Polish culture among people living in Britain’ and the afternoon couldn’t have been nicer.

This year the festival was sponsored by Lebara Mobile, who had quite a big presence at the event – it was a shame their branding colours were not white and red to match the Polish flag! Still, plenty of flags, tents and the big stage caught the attention of many of us passing by over London Bridge. Just as we were crossing the bridge to get to Potters Fields Park, the grey clouds cleared and the sun came out and as we got closer to the festival entrance we could already smell the Bigos and hear the Polish folk music luring in the crowds.

If you’ve never experienced Polish hospitality or culture before, then this festival (mark it in your calendar for next year) is a wonderful opportunity to ‘party like a Pole!’ You don’t have to be Polish to attend, although clearly there were a lot of Polish people, the atmosphere was very friendly and there’s plenty to get stuck in to.

Days of Poland_1

The festival site itself is a beautifully kept area of greenery, right by City Hall and facing The Tower of London. The organisers were lucky that the sun came out, as I think it would have been a very different experience otherwise. As it happens, the weather was fine and the crowds came out in force.

On the main stage, there was an opportunity to watch and to sing along to traditional Polish folk songs and dancing. Much of this was familiar to me – I’ve danced many a Polish folk dance dressed in traditional costume, mainly as a child during my time at our Polish school in Manchester.

I’ve also eaten many, many pierogi and plates of bigos, so I was incredibly happy to see so much Polish food on offer at the festival, served as ‘street food’ and being eaten on picnic blankets and benches around Potters Fields Park. Polish food is true comfort food at its best!

Days of Poland_2

As a second-generation Pole, born to Polish post-war émigré parents, I was brought up to respect and love Polish culture. I generally speak Polish when I’m back at home and it’s wonderful to be able to speak the language when travelling to Poland.

Polish food and culture provides me with an instant dose of nostalgia, whether for my Mama’s own Pierogi or for my days on stage wearing red dancing boots, pretty skirts and hand-embroidered folkloric costumes. By the end of the stage performances at the Days of Poland Festival, I was even tempted to join one of my local dance groups!

Days of Poland

There are lots of Polish dance groups/ensembles up and down the country – the last time I saw them performing was for the Polish Dance Spectacular in Manchester in February when over 350 performers took part in the 9th Polish Folklore festival in the UK. Dances from many regions of Poland were showcased, such as from Kaszuby, Opoczno, Beskidy, Kraków, Podhale, Biłgoraj and Łowicz. Some of these dance groups have been going for over 50 years having been established in the UK after the war. Many original members have now passed their dancing shoes onto younger generations, who continue to take part in dance festivals and events around the world.

At the Days of Poland Festival, there were performances members by Karolinka, Orlęta and Mazury.  I even spotted some of my friends from Manchester-based group Polonez in the crowd, who on this occasion were enjoying the sunshine and a Polish beer.

I also loved some of the folkloric pieces on offer, sourced directly from Poland – pretty mugs and cups, handmade jewelry, even Polish folk costumes and dresses.

Days of Poland

My own children and husband also enjoyed the festival and were very keen to join in with the celebrations – even speaking a few unprompted words of Polish. We’re very much looking forward to a family trip to Krakow later on in the summer and the Days of Poland festival was the prefect prelude.

It was also lovely to bump into friends Monika and Ewa for a Polish beer – Nazdrowie!

Days of Poland

There was lots to entertain the children, such as face painting and crafts and they loved the Polish ‘hot dogs’ – grilled Polish sausages or Kiełbasa, as well as some sweet crepes, or Naleśniki for pudding.

We were super hungry so opted for a Polish ‘meal deal’ which consisted of a mixed selection of Hunter’s Stew (Bigos) meatballs (Kotlety Mielone), filled dumplings (Pierogi) and stuffed cabbage leaves (Gołąbki), all washed down with plenty of Polish beer. I can appreciate that lots of work goes into making Polish food such as Pierogi, as they are all made individually by hand, so I thought £7 was a steal for a very generously filled plate of traditional Polish food and a bottle of water thrown in, too. Of course, lots of people were asking “where’s the Wódka?!” There wasn’t too much vodka about, mainly Polish beer and a drinks tent with Pimms. Perhaps there was more vodka at the after-party?!

Polish Food

The Poles have every reason to be proud of their cultural heritage and it was lovely to see so much of it on display at the Days of Poland festival. I’ve started to see much more Polish street-food on offer generally within food markets in London and I hope that we see more Polish food and folk dancing at other UK events over the summer.

The afternoon genuinely made me feel very proud to be Polish and it was so nice to see Polish traditions being kept by adults and children alike.

Days of Poland

I also enjoyed chatting with some of the people at The Polish Bakery in London, the chaps from The Polish Deli, who I had met before at The Real Food Festival, as well as with some of the best Polish folk dancers who were all very happy to pose for photos in their beautiful costumes.

All in all, I thought this was a fabulous family day out and I’m looking forward to next year’s event already.

Days of Poland

The Days of Poland Festival was free to enter and for the last two years has taken place during the month of May in Potters Fields Park by London Bridge.

For more information follow the Days of Poland Twitter page or Facebook page.

Would you like to try some Polish recipes? Here are a few of my favourites –

Mizeria or Chilled Cucumber Salad 

My Mama’s Bigos (Hunter’s Stew)

Kopytka with Wild Mushrooms or Polish Gnocchi

Sweet Pierogi with Blueberries and Whipped Cream 

Polish Food
Images and recipes by Ren Behan

Polish food in the UK

Did you know that one in ten people in the UK now eat Polish food?! This is possibly as a result of more Polish produce being available within our supermarkets. It is considered to be one of the fastest growing ethnic food trends.

Read my top picks for Where to Find Great Polish Food in London for U.S. website Food 52 here.

Here are three of my favourite places to eat Polish food in London – I’d love to see them involved in next year’s festival.

Baltic, 74 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8HA – amazing Amber-studded  bar, house made vodka and cocktails (photos above)

Ognisko, 55 Prince’s Gate, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2PN – the ground floor or the Polish Hearth Club, the restaurant is now owned by Baltic owner Jan Woronieki.

Daquise, 20 Thurloe street, South Kensington London SW7 2LT – an institution! Try the Pierogi which are pan-fried and served at your table.

Baltic Restaurant, Blackfriars, London
Baltic Restaurant, Blackfriars, London

Polish Culture

There are plenty of Polish events held at POSK – 238-246 King Street, Hammersmith, London W6 0RF.

Look out for Polish film nights at Ognisko Restaurant – as mentioned above.

My Polish Cook Book

You can pre-order my first book on Modern Polish Food called Wild Honey and Rye here.

 

Review: Tabure – Turkish Kitchen and Bar in St Albans

Tabure Ren Behan

This week saw the opening of a new restaurant in the heart of St Albans called Tabure Kitchen and Bar – introducing us to the delights of Turkish or Anatolian food, with a fresh and contemporary spin. I was invited to a pre-launch evening, and popped back in a few days later during their debut lunch service for a taste of Turkish cuisine. On both occasions, the food was perfectly matched with a warm welcome and a stunning interior – equally enchanting by day and by night.

Billed as “Turkish home cooking enjoyed with friends and family around the table,” the food at Tabure is based around the heritage recipes of owner Hulya, who has set about this new venture with her husband Mark. The menu is inspired by some of the dishes that Hulya most craves from her hometown on the Aegean coast in Turkey.

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Recipe: Easter Chocolate Cake

Easter Chocolate Cake

There’s no other time of year when you can indulge in quite as much chocolate as Easter! If you’ve managed to give it up for lent, well done, you’ve got a great deal more will power than me. This is an Easter Chocolate Cake that I love making for my family and it makes the perfect Easter Sunday centrepiece. You can decorate your cake any way you like – mini eggs make the perfect topping and I’ve used some of Heston’s edible hay from the inside of one of his golden eggs, but you could get a similar effect with some shredded wheat or with edible rice paper. The main thing is to bake it, cover it in chocolate frosting and enjoy it this Easter!

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Two-Minute Power Blender Hollandaise (with asparagus)

Asparagus

It’s almost British asparagus season and so I’ve been looking forward to all the ways that I’m going to be enjoying our native grown asparagus as we roll into spring. I’ve also been experimenting with my new blender to make sauces as well as healthy green smoothies.

With a tiny bit of practice and plenty of tasting along the way, I’ve perfected a two-minute power blender hollandaise sauce, made with fresh egg yolks, butter and lemon juice. Fresh asparagus really needs nothing more, simply snap the spears, blanch in boiling water for two to three minutes and make the sauce. Then pour over and enjoy. You don’t even need a knife and fork – simply smother in sauce, pick up the spears and eat!

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Homemade Banoffee Eclairs

Banoffee Eclairs

Spring is here! This is a recipe from John Lewis COOK Edition…

A short while ago in the food world, a prediction was made that éclairs would be the new cupcake and there are now all sorts of weird and wonderful flavours to try in the trendiest bakeries. I’m sure we’ve all had one from our local bakery – traditionally, an éclair is made from choux dough or pastry, filled with cream and topped with chocolate or fondant icing.

In this post, Love & Olive Oil set their readers a challenge to bake éclairs and they came up with some stunning entries. And I’ll never forget reading this wonderful post by David Lebovitz on Éclairs in Paris – or l’éclair – not to be missed.

The éclair originated in France in the 19th century and, as I’ve discovered this week, they can be made at home, with relative ease. I say that, because there are a couple of steps to follow when making the choux and you do have to pipe, but since the choux is later split and filled and topped with chocolate, they don’t actually have to be perfect.

If you can make éclairs then you can make profiteroles (or cream puffs) and vice versa, so they are a good thing to add to your repertoire. Plus, anyone you serve them to will be incredibly impressed!

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Recipe: Spring Green Smoothie, New York and Goal Setting

Hello Spring Smoothie

Hello Spring Green Smoothie…

Spring has finally sprung here in the UK and I am so glad, not least because for the past five weeks, we’ve all been feeling really under the weather. Hence the lengthy blog silence, which I’m really sorry about. February started well. After lots of planning and packing, we spent a week in New York over half term with all three children, braving the chilliest weather there – literally arriving on the coldest day on record. I might have punctuated my trip with lots of visits to the Magnolia Bakery. We came back, extremely elated having had such a brilliant week, but somewhat exhausted…hence this spring green smoothie recipe.

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Clearspring Gluten Free Brown Rice Noodles with Spinach and Tomato

ClearSpring Gluten Free Noodles

It’s always nice to find ways of making our favourite recipes a little healthier and this is especially true of pasta. This month, I’ve experimented with courgette or zucchini noodles, sometimes called ‘zoodles’ and also with a new type of 100% organic Clearspring gluten free brown rice noodles – recipe below. Usually, these type of noodles are used in Asian cooking, perhaps to make a noodle salad or a Pad Thai, though the packet did say you could use them as a gluten free alternative to pasta – which is what I did. In the ‘Pasta Please’ link up that I was hosting for Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes, we also had some fresh pasta with kale, mint and pesto, eggplant (aubergine) meatballs, fresh spinach pasta and some baked salmon with spinach and basil pesto pasta. So, all very virtuous!

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26 Seasonal Recipes – Simple and in Season December Round Up

26 Seasonal Recipes

Where did January go?!

Simple and in Season December was a feast for all the senses – beautiful colours, aromas (I’m sure) and even some interesting textures! This selection is perfect for bookmarking for next year and perhaps you’ll spot a few ideas for the cold, dark evenings of January in the UK or the brighter climes of other parts of the world.

If you are looking for the current round of Simple and in Season January, it’s being hosted by the lovely Sarah of Maison Cupcake here. The link up follows Sarah’s Cavolo nero and banana smoothie.

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Healthy Pasta Dishes | Guest Blog Event: Pasta Please January 2015

Penne with Prawns

It’s January, which means we’ll all be bombarded with great ideas for eating healthily, dieting and losing weight. Personally, I’ve set myself the task of completing my second Whole 30 Challenge, which means no pasta for me. But I do have a handy food processor, so I’m going to experiment with courgette noodles, instead. That being said, the most weight I ever lost was after my first baby and that was by joining my local Slimming World group and there were plenty of healthy pasta dishes that I could enjoy with that one. So, if I do fall off the Paleo wagon, I’ll be signing back up to my local group! I’m also looking forward to using my Froothie Optimum 9400 for lots of healthy soup recipes and I’ll be joining in with #Jumpstart2015

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2014 Round Up, Huffington Post Blogs and a Happy New 2015!

Polish Kopytka

Today is the last day of 2014. The year has been filled with much joy and countless blessings; a new baby boy, lots of ‘behind the scenes’ work at home towards a house project next year and plenty of freelance work to keep me busy in between naptimes.

Looking back at my first post of 2014 (featuring a tasty recipe for Polish Apple Pancakes) I’m flabbergasted that most of what I set out to do this year did actually happen! I resolved to “banish my inner-critic” and have done a pretty good job of that, though it’s still a work in progress. I intended to “be more selective of what I spend my time on” and I’ve definitely had to to that with a newborn. I did also “bring back Simple and in Season” – a monthly blog event here on RenBehan.com that has continued to bring together a lovely sense of community to my blog. And lastly, I have enjoyed “taking inspiration from my Polish heritage and from the food of my childhood,” by way of plenty of Comfort Food-related posts for my JamieOliver.com column including my ultimate comfort food recipe for Polish Kopytka (photo above).

I also finished the year on a high by helping to promote Poland through a campaign called Polska. Spring Into for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with an article published on the Huffington Post called 5 Reasons to Fall in Love with Polish Food – over 19K likes on that one so thank you!

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Comfort Food Book Launch and Christmas features for JamieOliver.com

Jamie's Celebration Cake

It’s rare for me to venture out these days, juggling three children is proving to be, hmmn, quite a challenge. However, I did manage to jump on a train and head into the big smoke for a night out in London, getting home just before my carriage turned into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight! The event that lured me into town Jamie Oliver’s Comfort Food book launch at his cookery school, Recipease in Notting Hill.

As you may imagine, this was a party and a half, with a lavish display of Comfort Food-style celebration cakes, as well as a selection of savoury recipes from the book, including Irresistible Pork Buns, Polish Kiełbasa (there’s a recipe for how to make your own at home in the book), Beef and Barley Buns, Massaman Curry and hand-made Ravioli. There was also craft beer, wine and bespoke cocktails on tap. And if that wasn’t enough, we were also offered cured meats from Cobbled Lane Cured and following the success of the Truffle Cheddar experiment, we were treated to more Westcombe Dairy cheese.

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Simple and in Season – December

How is it December already?! Seriously, I don’t know where the time goes. I’ve just been reading through the round up for November’s Simple and in Season, hosted beautifully by Katie over at Feeding Boys and a Firefighter. Thank you Katie. 34 stunning seasonal recipes – honestly, it’s like a cook book! Soups, starters, sharing plates, winter salads, cakes, crumbles, home made liqueurs…I can’t wait for December’s entries now. The link up is below. I’ll be rounding up as early in January as I can.

Froothie Optimum 9400

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40 Seasonal Recipes (October’s Simple and in Season Round Up)

October was a great month for Simple and in Season, with over 40 seasonal recipes and pumpkins aplenty!

This month, Katie at Feeding Boys and a Firefighter is hosting, with plenty of entries already flooding in.

In the meantime, here are Octobers recipes.

Seasonal Recipes October

Above

  1. Sausage and Sweet Potato Skillet Supper by Feeding Boys and a Firefighter
  2. Pumpkin, Ginger and Orange Traybake by Feeding Boys and a Firefighter
  3. Iranian-style Sweet and Sour Olives by My Custard Pie
  4. Roasted Beetroot and Butterbean Soup  by Nutritious Deliciousness
  5. Pumpkin Spice Latte with Pumpkin Seed Milk by Veggie Desserts
  6. Creamy Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup by Tinned Tomatoes
  7. Chocolate and Pear Quesadillas by Food to Glow
  8. Chunky Guacamole by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary

Seasonal Recipes October

Above

  1. Rhubarb, Blueberry and Honey No Churn Ice Cream by The Gluten Free Alchemist
  2. Roasted Cauliflower Salad by The Taste Space
  3. Spiced Pumpkin Blondies by How to Cook Good Food
  4. Roasted Squash, Red Onion and Goats Cheese Pave Bread Rolls Franglais Kitchen
  5. Apple Fritters by My Little Italian Kitchen
  6. White Chocolate, Beetroot and Cardamom Mousse by Bangers & Mash
  7. Patty Pan, Purple Carrot, Pine Nut and Cheese Savoury Muffins by The Gluten Free Alchemist
  8. Welly Boot Crumble (Apple, Blackberry & Walnut) by Family Friends Food

Seasonal Recipes 3

Above

  1. Parsnip Soup with Pears. Ginger and Coconut by Food Family Friends
  2. Simple and Sweet Spiced Apple and Yoghurt Cake by The Teal Tadjine
  3. Roasted Butternut Squash, Apple and Pecan Bundt Cake by The More than Occasional Baker
  4. Guernsey Gâche Melée by Tales from The Kitchen Shed
  5. Risotto-Stuffed Vegetables by RenBehan.com
  6. Halloween Chocolate Apples by Fab Food 4 All
  7. Pear and Stilton Toast by Food Friends Family
  8. Kale, Brown Rice and Red Quinoa Salad by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary

Seasonal Recipes 4

Above

  1. Halloween Spider Pumpkin Mini Pies by My Little Italian Kitchen
  2. Squash Walnut and Goats Cheese Pizza by Chocolate Log Blog
  3. Greek Potato and Courgette Bake  (Boureki) by We Don’t Eat Anything With a Face
  4. Butternut Squash, Black Garlic and Blue Cheese Bake by Kavey Eats
  5. Rustic Courgette Bake by Lancashire Food
  6. Vegetable-Stuffed Baked Squash by Eat Live Travel Write
  7. Vegetable Chilli Stuffed Marrow by Searching for Spice
  8. Healthier Trick or Treats for Halloween by The School of Balance

Seasonal Recipes

Above

  1. Nigel Slater’s Chocolate Beet Cake by The Lass in the Apron
  2. Barley Veggie Rainbow Salad by Eat Well Feel Good
  3. Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables by Fab Food 4 All
  4. Bavarian Apple Tart by Fenton Eats
  5. Poblanos with Puy Lentils, Vegetables and Cheese by The Gluten Free Alchemist
  6. Italian Style Roast Pork by The School of Balance
  7. Halloween Pumpkin Cookies by How to Cook Good Food
  8. Easy Winter Vegetable Soup by RenBehan.com

So that’s the round up for October. Thank you for all these wonderful entries. They’ll all been pinned onto my Simple and in Season board which has over 36,000 followers! So keep pinning :-))
Follow Ren Behan Food’s board Simple and in Season on Pinterest.

Simple and in Season Badge

10 Amazing Chocolate Cakes – Chocolate Week 2014

It’s Chocolate Week 2014, which is a good thing, as I’m in the mood for chocolate. So to mark the occasion, here are five of my favourite show-stopping chocolate cakes. Click on the arrows to scroll through the slider.

Easy-Rolo-Cake

Easy-Rolo-Cake

A triple layer chocolate and caramel cake - pure indulgence in every slice!

Easy-Rolo-Cake
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

A four-layered chocolate cake with salted caramel buttercream - the essential show-stopping cake!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake
Affinities Chocolate Cake (Vegan)

Affinities Chocolate Cake (Vegan)

A tempting vegan chocolate cake from the Rococo Chocolate Cook Book

Affinities Chocolate Cake (Vegan)
Chocolate Brownie Cake

Chocolate Brownie Cake

A delicious chocolate brownie-inspired cake topped with almonds

Chocolate Brownie Cake
White Chocolate Malteser Cake

White Chocolate Malteser Cake

White chocolate fan? Try this luscious white choclate Malteser cake - why not bookmark it or practice it before Christmas?

White Chocolate Malteser Cake

 

Hungry for more?

I’ve selected some more of my favourites from around the web –

  1. A classic Chocolate Guinness Cake (firefighter approved!) by Katie at Feeding Boys and a Firefighter
  2. A sumptuous Rich Chocolate Loaf Cake by Helen at The Crazy Kitchen
  3. This simply stunning Chocolate Courgette Cake by Elizabeth at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
  4. Sarah’s decadent Strawberry Chocolate Cake with Rose Tea Ganache over on Maison Cupcake
  5. And for a Gluten Free and less cakey treat try Nazima’s Gluten Free Chocolate and Chestnut Torte from Franglais Kitchen

Five Chocolate Cakes

Any of these inspiring you to bake with chocolate this week for Chocolate Week 2014? Let me know if they do!

Simple and in Season October Now Open!

We’re running slightly late this month with our community blog event Simple and in Season, but in case you have any seasonal recipe you’ve blogged and would like to link up, you can find the linky for October below. A round up will also be posted at the beginning of November.

I have a new Simple and in Season Page with guidelines here – pop over and have a read if you are joining us for the first time.

We also have a growing Simple and in Season Pinterest Community Board. Let me know if you’d like an invite to pin! It has over 10,000 followers so it’s a great way to get your posts seen.

Thank you also to my recent hosts –

September’s Simple and in Season Round Up by Nazima at Franglais Kitchen can be found here – 24 Simple and Seasonal Recipes to see you into fall.

It’s officially autumn/fall in the UK. It’s raining today and it’s very blowy. It’s the perfect day for a risotto with roasted seasonal vegetables. Pop over and have a read of my feature on JamieOliver.com on how to cook a basic risotto here amd get stirring!

Simple Risotto - Ren's Blog JO WM-3

 ADD YOUR OCTOBER POSTS HERE.




If it’s cold where you are, I hope you are managing to stay toasty and warm!

St Albans and Harpenden Food and Drink Festival 2014 Highlights

Our seventh annual St Albans and Harpenden Food and Drink Festival, organised by the St Albans City and District Council, came to a close this week, ending with an awards ceremony held at the lovely Lakeside Restaurant in St Michael’s Manor Hotel. The Festival brought together and showcased some of our very best restaurants, cafés, bars, local producers, pubs, takeaways and family-friendly venues – and also welcomed some of the district’s newcomers into the vibrant and ever-growing food and drink-filled local landscape. The Festival event calendar was packed, with events ranging from delicious wine and beer tastings, a paella afternoon in a Harpenden pub, and charity events galore thanks to a Mayoral Tasting Evening supported by many local chefs, and a very relaxed Macmillan Tea Party.

St Albans Food and Drink Festival 2014
The St Albans and Harpenden Food & Drink Festival 2014 Finale

Sunday saw many of our local foodie businesses, as part of the twelve day-long Festival, take over St Peter’s Street for the Festival Finale, offering hungry crowds a taste of some of the very good things on offer around the City. The sun was shining and the centre of St Albans packed with families.

Some of my favourites from the day included lobster rolls from newcomer Phil Thompson at Thompson@Darcy’s, the ‘St Albans Burger’ by The Snug Bar, and pulled pork rolls courtesy of Kashu Street Food. Cupcakes and sweet treats a plenty were on show, too, from local favourites including Heaven is a Cupcake, The Bakehouse and more. I loved the focal point of the live kitchen, with food demonstrations taking place throughout the day, and the fully seated ‘pop-up’ in the city centre enthusiastically hosted by local restaurateur Andrei Lussmann and his team from Lussmanns Fish and Grill – find out more about the Best Local Restaurant category winner in my piece, here.  Neighbouring Harpenden, too, enjoyed its share of the spotlight, with a very entertaining and lively ‘street food’ festival the Sunday before, with their own Godfrey’s Fish and Chips taking home the Best Takeaway award for 2014.

Here’s a full list of the Food Festival 2014 Awards Winners with links to their websites so you can explore them for yourselves. Hopefully they will inspire you to visit here soon!

St Albans and Harpenden Food and Drink Festival Award Winners 2014

Best Bar 

Best Independent Food/Drink Shop

Best Café 

Best Newcomer

Best Local Producer

Best Local Restaurant

Best Pub

Best Takeaway

Most Family Friendly Venue

Coming Up!

Festival brochure in hand, I enjoyed visiting some of my favourite places to eat within St Albans and there are also plenty of new places to explore, which I’ll be writing about very soon in my new series Lunch@ – watch this space!

St_Albans
Above Burger at Relish, Hot Dog at The Snug, Tea at The Beech House

The beautiful Roman city of St Albans is always worth a visit, but if you’re looking for a specific reason, I’d highly recommend a visit to our growing Christmas Markets, held for their second year in the grounds of the Cathedral and Abbey of St Albans, from 27th November to 21st December. I’ll be there with my rum hot chocolate in hand!