A massive thanks!

I participated in Aysgarth Fete yesterday and for the first time in my life I had a chance to sell my cakes, focaccias and preserves to the public. Funds collected during the fete are going towards Aysgarth Village Institute so it was a double pleasure for me - helping to raise the money and seeing people buying my cakes and preserves and actually some coming back for more! What a joy!

A massive thank you to all that bought my gluten free lemon & almond tart, dark chocolate brownie, onion, olives & oregano focaccia, onion, sundried tomatoes & thyme focaccia or preserves. Also another massive thanks to everyone who participated in the fete and made me feel welcomed. For the first time I participated in such a venue and hopefully not the last time. 

THANK YOU!

♥♥♥

Village ladies and me in the middle of cake stand

 

Subjective guide to British cheeses, vol. 2

Today's episode is dedicated to one of my true favourite local cheeses - Yorkshire Blue. I am sure there will be some more delicious cheeses from Yorkshire in this series, even from the same producer.

 

This particular cheese is being produced since 1995 however I think it is worth going back few years to introduce you to the history of Shepherds Purse. Judy Bell, farmer's wife and part time worker at osteopath's clinic came across people with diary products intolerance, especially cheese. This sparked her interest and she starter to research on this condition and this leaded her to discover that some people with lactose intolerance have less allergic reactions to sheep's milk. For years she researched different breeds of sheep and experimented with different recipes, helping on the farm and bringing her children up at the same time.

Finally in 1989 Shepherds Purse was launched and introduced ewe's milk cheese, but since then they successfully introduced many more - business has grown and became full time job, however it is still run by one family. Nowadays this cheese is available in well stocked delis and in many supermarkets.

When first launched Yorkshire Blue was first entirely cow's milk blue cheese produced in Yorkshire in last 30 years. This vegetarian cheese is a mild, soft, creamy and blue veined, with no sharp taste. It has very smooth and soft rind and smooth, pale yellow centre. Each cheese is hand made, turned every week to to ensure the consistent blue veining and creamy smooth texture. Maturing time - about 8 weeks.

Yorkshire Blue is award winning cheese and the list of awards is very impressive, i.e. Gold on World Cheese Awards 2010. 

Region: Yorkshire

Type: blue

Shape: round 

Milk: pasteurised cow's 

Rennet: vegetarian

Price: 15 punds sterling/kg 

Producent: Shepherds Purse,

Leachfield Grange, Newsham,

Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 4DJ

http://www.shepherdspurse.co.uk/

Dales Food & Drink Festival, part 2

There were also other attractions and displays, not the food only. For example there was a dry stone wall sections. This is very typical for this region way of building the walls using natural materials. It stretches back thousands of years, examples of this craft going back years and years are on Orkney (Skara Brae). It is hard physical job, requiring a bit of imagination and nowadays there aren't many people skilled to build proper dry stone wall. I am proud to say that my partner is considered as a good dry stone waller in the area. 

You could also see sheep shearing - man on the photograph has 50 years experience in this!

Beautiful sheep, Swaledale breed as I believe...

...and a display showing different types of wool coming from a different sheep breeds. (more than 30 breeds in United Kingdom that I know about)

And now back to the tasty bits.

There were many exhibitors selling their good quality bread and other bakery goods and also the bread class was provided where you could learn how to make your own bread and knead and shape it under a watchful eye of the specialist.

Alcohols selection - not my cup of tea, but very colourful and pretty!

Frere Quenelle Liqueurs  - something for a liqueur lovers. No concentrates, no additives or colourings. Just fresh fruit, so told me the monk (?). 

Raydale Preserves are the preserves that I buy if I run out of my own homemade. Made in converted barn in Askrigg by one family since 1978. Truly delicious and no gelling agent added. I love it.

I love bruschetta with all my heart. To be honest, this is not Yorkshire thing, but I like the fact that the food area had versatile suppliers, for example there was one very good Italian stand expect this one with these beautiful bruchettas. 

 Swaledale Cheese is one of my favourite and no doubt I will wrote about this in my new series about British cheese, so stay tuned!

Sweets, sweets! It was than many of them that it could make you sick from looking only! A huge selection for those loving fancy sweet stuff.

Look at their enthusiasm! I hope they put as much positive feelings in their good looking fudge.

There obviously must have been a stand offering nice selection of British favourite - biscuits. Ginger nuts, digestives, shortbread - whichever you can think about - it was probably there. Did you know that Brits consume the most of the biscuits in the whole world?

Look at this lovely man - he had very nice selection of fish and meat products; I bought very tasty game terrine (pheasant and venison) and some smoked garlic. I came back next day and was offered discount! This is how customers should be treated. Thank you kindly sir!

Just to finish off  with this fine British cider I salute you all my readers who were patient enough to go through this long photostory. To good health!

Thank you! :)

Dales Food & Drink Festival, part 1

Yorkshire Dales is where I have been living for more than six years and is also a place where I will buy my first house when I win the lottery. I would buy two others elsewhere but first I have to be obscenely rich. Dales are part of the national park, so you can easily find here lots of lovely nature, but also fantastic food. Not only Dales as a matter of fact, but whole Yorkshire is a place of very good quality produce.

I was fortunate to visit local Dales Food and Drink Festival in Leyburn (6-8 May). Three days, twelve thousand visitors, over eighty exhibitors, good food, even better drink, music, entertainment, farming and more.


I hope you will enjoy my photo story.

I am not a big fan of cupcakes, so popular in Britain, however these look adrable and I am not suprised that some people are willing to have then on their wedding day. Beautifully decorated, little pieces of art.

"No denying times is hard, sir! Even harder than the worst pies in London!" (Sweeney Todd). Again something very British and very good. I have tried three different pies and every single one of them was delicious, not like those Helena Bonham - Carter baked in "Sweeney Todd". As a matter of fact these were the best pork pies I ever had.  Farmhouse Direct  make their pies from rare breed called Gloucester Old Spot, crust melts in your mouth and the toppings are very, very interesting and compliment the meaty filling very well - red onion marmalade and Leicester cheese or apple and cider chutney.

Porridge in the morning is so British, isn't it? :) This one was particularly interesting - a mix of oats, quinoa and cinnamon.

Festival of Food and Drink would be nothing without good tea. Beautiful flowering teas and wide selection of accessorize and leaf teas from  The Tea Experience.

Morris dance  form of traditional dance usually accompanied by music. Implements sticks, swords and bells may also be wielded by the dancers. "So this is what you do when you don't have sex anymore" - said my partner. No interest in this whatsoever if you ask me. By the way my partner has the same opinion about playing golf. 

Fantastic cold pressed Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil. No nonsense, chemical free. Plain or with a hint of chilli or basil - very, very tasty. Not only this oil is produced using rapeseed from local farms but the company  actively support low food miles and ensure that their bottles and labels are all produced using British companies. I like it, I buy it.

I mentioned about these cordials made by Country Cordials in my post about the lavender cordial. Wide selection and interesting flavours of cordials that I found on the festival inspired my to experiment more with my homemade cordials. I only bought one bottle - wild nettle flavour, but the decision was hard. What would you say about rhubarb, orange and ginger in one bottle? 

Time for lunch! What you can see on my tray is authentic Indian cuisine by Prett Tejura, who had her theater  of cooking the day before. I like it a lot, she seems to be such a nice person and experienced cook. Love the idea of cookery class (based in Leeds) as well as catering dinner parties! She also sells her homemade pickles and chutneys. Please don't be fooled by my outfit, it was very cold, at the beginning of May it was around 5-8 C!

I am fortunate to have great meat supplier locally in my favourite local deli called Campbells of Leyburn. It is worth mentioning because it is quite impressing that this shop has been run by one family since 1868. Today it is the fifth generation of Campbell family running the business. And the butchers... Lovely lads, who are always wiling to help and advise and those who I make cake for when I need odd ingredients such as beef bones. Kevin in the front cooking burgers.

Kippers, something not everyone like, but very tasty, especially when freshly smoked. This was  Port of Lancashire smokehouse. By the way - I am hoping to build our own this year.

Daleside Brewery was hosting the Yorkshire Dales Real Ale and Cider Festival which included more than 30 different beers and 10 different ciders. It is a shame that we had to drive back home, as we would try more, and more. As huge fans of  Monty Python we could not resist Holy Grail. I absolutely love this word game!

And this is Black Sheep one of my favourite to drink and to cook with produced as well as Holy Grail by Black Sheep Brewery in Masham.

To be continued...

Lavender, lime & lemon cordial

I have spent first May bank holiday weekend on Dales Food & Drink Festival. I really enjoyed myself and I will write about this festival in next few days. One of the food producers who had his products displayed in the food hall was very nice gentleman selling good quality cordials. These did not cost little, but I am ready to pay little producers bit more for good quality food, so price was not an issue. I had problem with the wide selection of very interesting flavours! I quite like the wild nettle cordial so I purchased one bottle and left inspired by other flavour: lavender and lemon. I decided to make my own.

Makes about 800ml

750ml water

250ml caster sugar

peel of 1 lemon (avoid white, bitter part underneath) 

2 level tsp dried lavender (for culinary use) 

juice of 1 lime

Place sugar and water in a pan and bring it to boil. Add the lemon peel and boil for about 3 minutes. Then remove from th heat and add lavender. Covr and leave to infuse for about 30 minutes.

Sieve, remove lavender flowers and lemon peel and discard. Add the lime juice and stir. It should change the colour from dirty purple to bright pink.

Sieve again using a cheese cloth, so any of lime bits or bits of lavender are left behind. Pour into clean bottle and keep refrigerated. Consume within 2 weeks

Thyme & lemon chicken supreme, rhubarb reduction and roasted asparagus

My partner mentioned recently that I did not have a plate full of this popular trio of meat/fish, potatoes/or other starch and veg for a long time on my blog. I have to say this is not something that we eat on everyday basis; however this seems to be very popular in many, many homes (both British and Polish!). 

Therefore when next opportunity came I took some photographs of our dinner of meat, potatoes and veg. It was very nice but I thing the pièce de résistance was the rhubarb reduction. 

I love this veg and I am very fortunate to live in Yorkshire known from its delicious rhubarb. There is even something called the Rhubarb Triangle is a 9-square-mile (23 km²) triangle in West Yorkshire, located between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell famous for producing rhubarb. They use to produce 90% of the world's winter forced rhubarb! Isn’t this impressive? Wakefield is know for its Rhubarb Festival and this is something that I like Brits for – they know how to celebrate small things and don’t need a huge, important reason to party.

We also had Yorkshire asparagus and some British new potatoes. If only the weather was better, I would believe we have the spring in full bloom!

Rhubarb & balsamico reduction

about 150ml 

1 tsp sunflower oil

1 tsp butter

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped  

walnut size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 rhubarb stalks, chopped into 1cm pieces  

1 tbsp dark muscovado sugar  

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I used cheap supermarket vinegar)

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Place the oil and the butter in little pan and fry the shallot over a low heat until soft. Add ginger and fry for another minute. Next add the rhubarb, sugar, vinegar and bring it to boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and turn the heat down. Add some salt and pepper and simmer until it is reduced slightly, about 25 minutes. Be careful – it can catch at the bottom of the pan, so stir it regularly. It can also spit quite a lot. Next sieve it using very fine sieve and return to the pan. You can simmer this for little bit longer, so the flavour and colour will be more concentrated. Serve warm.

We had some leftover reduction with cheese (instead of chutney) next day and it went together really well.

  

Chicken supreme with lemon and thyme  

Serves 2 

2 chicken supreme breasts  

2 tbsp sunflower oil  

2 springs of fresh thyme, leaves picked

2 tsp lemon juice  

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 180 C (fan) and line the baking tray with some kitchen foil. Gently lift the sin off the chicken flesh and rub some lemon juice in it followed by some salt and pepper and thyme leaves. Pres the skin back and season with some salt and pepper.

Place the oil into a frying pan and heat. When hot place the chicken breasts skin side down and fry for few minutes until crispy and browned and turn on the other side. Fry for further 3 minutes.

Place the pan fried chicken breasts onto baking tray and loosely cover with kitchen foil. Place in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes, uncover the foil to allow the skin to brown more. After removing from the oven leave the meat to rest for about 5-8 minutes. This is the moment when you should place your asparagus in the oven. 

Roast asparagus with olive and smoked salt 

Serves 2 

8-10 green asparagus spears, wooden parts removed

1 tbsp olive oil

smoked salt flakes

Line a baking tray with some kitchen foil. Place the asparagus onto the tray and cover the tips only with a piece of foil – they are too gentle for the fierce heat of oven. Drizzle with olive oil and wait until the chicken is ready to be taken out from the oven, or place the asparagus about 3-4 minutes before removing the chicken. It depends how long you want to leave the meat for resting. I think 5 minutes is fine, I cover it with piece of foil to prevent from getting cold and in my opinion asparagus doesn’t need more that 5-8 minutes in the oven.  

In the meantime boil the potatoes – however you like them. I boiled mine in skins and peeled just before the serving also I brushed them with some good quality EV olive oil.

Now! How to put everything together:

Slice the chicken into few slices and arrange on the plate. Add some rhubarb reduction (or smear it like some chefs do), potatoes and asparagus. Sprinkle with little smoked salt just to finish off. Serve immediately.

Fennel & corriander roast leg of pork and how to make gravy

I absolutely love Sunday roast. This was one of those things I fell in love with when I first came to UK. This dinner just seems perfect to me: selection of roast meat, roast potatoes (preferably in goose or duck fat), veg and gravy. Oh yes, and my favourite bit – Yorkshire pudding that I can use to wipe a plate clean.

Today I show you my favourite roast pork. I think those that I found in the pubs so far were slightly too plain, I like it with a hint of spices and herbs. Sometimes I let myself go on a wild side and have some pork crackling as well (wink, wink!). 100% cholesterol, but sooo tasty!

I have to say I am terrified by the amount of gravy granules or other instant gravy that people buy in supermarkets. There is nothing easier than to make tasty, homemade gravy in no time, while the meat is resting. Is this laziness? Is this lack of knowledge? I don’t know, but it made me prepare a photo tutorial, how to make gravy in few easy steps.

Talking about the lack of knowledge I remember once when we went to one of the local pubs and one of the members of the staff who happened to be Polish warned us that under no circumstances we should go for this dark sauce that it is served with the roast meat, because chef makes it using all burn bits of meat and veg leftovers from roasting. [sic!] Do you find this not funny at all? Then you should definitely read the recipe below and then read this paragraph again. 

I hope you will enjoy it, as much as I enjoyed homemade Sunday roast (I will show all the trimming another time…) 

Serves 6-8

about 1.8 leg of pork, boned and rolled

few tbsp olive oil

1 tsp of fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar

1 tsp of coriander seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar

1 tsp of dried thyme

salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 carrots, cut into big chunks (no need to peel, just wash them thoroughly)

2 parsnips, as above

2 pieces of celery, cut into big chunks

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 onions, unpeeled, quartered

bay leaf

Heat the oven to 230 C.

In an ovenproof dish arrange all the veg.

Score the pork skin in about 1cm intervals (unless your butcher did it for you already). Rub in the oil and then all the spices and herbs, as well as salt and pepper. Place the meat on the top pf the veg.

Place in the oven and leave it for about 20-30 minutes until the skin starts to crack. Then turn the heat down to 180 C. If I roast pork with the fat and skin on I roast it for about 20 minutes in hot oven and then turn the heat down and roast it 20 minutes for every 400g of meat. If it has a bone I add extra 20 minutes. Therefore this piece of meat spent 1h 40 minutes in the oven.

Take a look few time and when the veg seem a bit dry or start to burn add little splash of water. (not on the meat)

When ready remove from the oven and set on a chopping board. Remove the string and carefully lift the fat and the skin. Remove the fat and discard, and set the skin on a baking tray. Turn the heat back to 220 C and place it in the oven.

Cover the meat loosely with some tin foil and leave it to rest. Prepare the gravy.

Extras for gravy

2 tbsp plain flour

a good splash of dry sherry, dry white or red wine

about 1l vegetable or chicken stock

salt

freshly ground black pepper

To prepare the gravy first get rid of any excess of fat from a roasting tin. Place it on a hob over a medium heat. Add the four and stir – do not worry if it goes bit clumpy, you will sieve it later. Keep it on the heat and stir for about 1 minute, then add the splash of alcohol (it will evaporate, but you can skip it if you wish to do so, however it gives the gravy an extra flavour) and then warm stock. Stir and let it bubble.

Then using a potato masher press the veg firmly. Try to mash them to get as much flavour as possible out of them. Boil for about 5 minutes.

Next sieve it using a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Season with salt and pepper and let it boil until it thickens to your likeness.  I also add the juices released by the resting meat.

I often add my secret (not anymore, sic!) ingredient – redcurrant or mint jelly (about tsp of it). I did not have it this time, but a pinch of sugar does the trick as well.

In this time meat should be ready for carving and the pork cracking should be nice and crispy. I also prepare veg and potatoes while the meat is roasting. I will write about this another time.     

Where to eat? Tan Hill Inn, Reeth, Swaledale

Nowadays when around 25 pubs is being closed down daily, or traditional pubs are replaced with those commercial ones with cheap  beer, plasma TV and Sky Sport on all day, a traditional pub with real fireplace and where you can smell proper English homemade pies not microwave pizza seems to be something rare. This is such traditional pub and in addition the highest pub in Britain (1732 ft.) so you have to go there one day.

Tan Hill Inn is situated on the popular Pennine Way Long Distance Footpath, at the meeting point of Swaledale, Arkengarthdale and Bowes Moor in the North Yorkshire Dales. To get there you have to drive narrow road and on a nice sunny day with temperature above 0 C in Wensleydale, near Tan Hill you can get a proper snowy winter. It looked nearly as a scene from “Fargo” film and even there was a police car passing by and I found it amusing. 

You can cuddle some pet sheep outside the pub; they behave like dogs and are a part of the family pets including many more, such as dog sleeping soundly opposite the fireplace or cat stretching its back on the bar. It makes this place even more fantastic. 

Pub itself has a lot of character, landlords are very friendly. We suddenly felt really hungry after we had a pint of local beer and obviously the aroma of the homemade food coming from the kitchen was very seductive. Landlady recommended an orgasm – soup, as she stated, made with carrots and orange, but we really fancied some meat. Particularly we loved the sound of a giant Yorkshire pudding with beef and ale stew, creamy mash and peas. It is traditional, typical pub food and this one was cooked very well. Very well indeed, so well that I am ready to go back and have some more. And more.

I will have to go back one day to try some other dishes, but I would recommend it to you not only due to its menu. This is traditional British pub and those I am afraid are declining in this country. It is a superb place to start a walk on the hills, or just have a little break, cup of tea and breathe of fresh air. In case you drunk too much, or bad weather caught you there you can always stay in one of their rooms and in the morning enjoy their breakfast. What more you would wish for?

Tan Hill Inn, Tan Hill

Reeth

Richmond

Swaledale

North Yorkshire Dales

DL11 6ED Tel. (01833) 628 246  

E-mail: tracy@tanhillinn.com, info@tanhillinn.com 

http://www.tanhillinn.com/

Opening and food serving times vary during the year. Prices from £5.95 to £10.50 for a main course, £3.50 for a dessert, children’s menu also available.  

York, one week before Christmas

One of my favourite places in England. Lovely city packed with history, fantastic architectire and great spirit. Enjoy this walk along the old town narrow streets, rivrside and amazing railway museum one week before Christmas. I hope it will give you a little break and a chance to catch your breath in this crazy, busy time before Christmas.