Chicken Waldorf Salad

One of my favourite scenes from the peerless 'Fawlty Towers' involves an irascible American man, ordering Waldorf Salad.  A baffled Basil Fawlty disappears to the kitchen and re-emerges, declaring that Waldorf Salad is off because they are 'out of waldorfs'.  As well as being very funny, it says a great deal about British food in the 70s!  We are much more comfortable with such exotica now!  As the American angrily barks, the recipe is 'celery, apples, walnuts, grapes - in mayonnaise' and this is pretty much what you do.  I like to cut the richness of the mayo (good old Hellman's) by mixing it with equal quantities of 0% fat Greek Yoghurt and lemon juice to taste - about 2 tablespoons each of mayo and yoghurt and the juice of half a lemon for two people should do it.  I roast chicken breasts for about 20 minutes until cooked but still juicy - season well and drizzle with olive oil before roasting, cool, then cut into chunks and fold through the mayo sauce along with a diced apple, quite finely chopped celery sticks (2), a handful of red grapes, halved, and about 50g of roughly-chopped walnuts, toasted in a dry frying pan.  Pile onto a bed of Batavia lettuce leaves and serve with crusty ciabatta. 

Apple and Cranberry Bread Pudding

We had some hot cross buns lurking around the kitchen (makes them sound like under-cover hostiles!) so I used them in a bread-and-butter pud, but without the butter, so not too naughty.  (we had all that chocolate cake and caramel flapjacks lying about for those purposes).  Anyway, I peeled and chopped a couple of Bramley apples which were lightly cooked with a couple of tablespoons of sugar, and then mixed with a handful of sultanas and dried cranberries (craisins) which had been soaked in Calvados.  This mix was then placed in the bottom of a Pyrex dish, then topped with 3 chopped hot cross buns.  A custard of 3 eggs, 3/4 pint of milk and 2 tablespoons sugar, along with a teaspoon of vanilla essence, was poured over.  Scatter with a few more dried cranberries, cover with foil, and bake in a bain marie at 175C for 45 minutes.  Serve warm with cream if liked, or I had some custard that I poured over - gilding the lily, I know.  Frugal and delicious after a roast leg of pork.

Apple and Rhubarb Crumble

It has been snowing here in Oxford, so a crumble and custard is definitely called for!  I discovered this lovely recipe from Tom Parker-Bowles, and it is a winning combo.  I added a spoonful of flour to the fruit, as the rhubarb makes a lot of sauce, which the flour thickened nicely.  I used Calvados, which is apple brandy, after all, and just a tablespoon of it over the fruit has filled the flat with the most incredible smell as it cooks.  Perfect.

Apple and Calvados Crostata

Crostata or galette - whatever you want to call them, they are my favourite way of making a fruit pie or tart.  No fiddly lining of flan or pie tins, no baking blind, and an uneven finish is positively encouraged to ensure a fashionably 'rustic' look.  I've made others on here before - peach and blueberry, fig and raspberry - this one makes use of some fabulous Bramley cooking apples from Riverford.  I cooked 4 of them to a fluffy puree with sugar to taste, and chopped another one in for a bit of texture.  To this, I added a big handful of raisins that had been soaked in a good splosh (technical term, there) of Calvados, to emphasise the appliness.  When cool, this mixture was piled into the centre of a rough round of sweet shortcrust (200g flour, 100g butter, a tablespoon of sugar and an egg yolk).  A sprinkling of ground almonds on the bottom soaks up any extra liquid from the apples.  Fold the edges of the pastry up to form a rough border, brush with the left-over egg white and sprinkle with demerara sugar and more ground almonds.  Bake on a sheet of parchment at around 180C for about 40 minutes until golden and cooked through.  Lovely served warm with a little custard or cream, to which a further splosh of Calvados has been added.

Apple and Lemon Tart

I am doing another charity cake sale at work, and I thought I'd celebrate the British apple this time, so I had to make my Apple and Lemon tart.  I don't know why I haven't put it on here before - it is so delicious and simple and doesn't require the pastry to be blind-baked.  You line a 10" loose-bottomed flan case (metal) with some good sweet shortcrust - bought is fine, but I just knocked some up in the processor with 200g plain flour 100g butter and a tablespoon of icing sugar, bound with an egg yolk and water.  Now, peel and grate two large Cox's apples (British please!) and add to the juice and zest of two lemons, 2 eggs, 4 tablespoons caster sugar and 120ml of double cream.  Mix well, pour into the pie crust and bake at 170C for 40 minutes.  It is like a Tarte au Citron but with the freshness and texture of apple .  It is very nice indeed!  One tip: it looks a bit like a quiche, so a heavy drenching with icing sugar just before serving helps.

Apple Tart 'Facon Maman'

One of my least favourite jobs in cooking is the baking 'blind' of tart shells.  I never have enough patience and end up with mis-shapen, shrunken tarts (insert punchline here).  However, Raymond Blanc's method is dead simple, with the apples being baked in the raw shell, after being glazed with butter, sugar and Calvados.  About 10 minutes before the tart is done, a simple custard of an egg, cream and a little sugar is poured in.  What a lovely, fresh apple, flavour you get in the end, with a nicely crisp crust.  The BBC has a recipe - do try it.

Ina Garten's Apple and Cranberry Cake

Well folks, did you miss me?  I have been on holiday for 2 and a half weeks in lovely Devon and Cornwall, and then back at work for a week, where I was too tired to cook anything other than old favourites.  But, I'm back in the culinary saddle, enjoying the wonderful weather and the abundance of produce that turned up in our re-instated Riverford delivery - this week brought marrows, celery, bok choy, tomatoes, cabbages, onions, carrots, muscat grapes, leeks, little gem squashes, watercress........so much inspiration!  Whilst we were away, the digital TV revolution hit Oxfordshire, and I finally have freeview and a multitude of different channels.  However, despite all this wealth of telly, I seem to be stuck on channel 49, the Food Network, where - joy of joys - they broadcast Ina Garten, the 'Barefoot Contessa'.  I have long enjoyed her recipes through the blogs of American foodies, and to be able to see her and watch her cooking is wonderful.  So, expect more from her on these pages.  First up is this opportunity to use the glut of fabulous apples this Autumn, and also to clear out a bag of frozen cranberries before winter sets in.  This is dead simple, and almost the texture of a clafoutis with a little cakiness thrown in.  It is a heavily-blogged recipe, so I have linked to the recipe on Epicurious.  This would work with loads of other fruit combos - apple and blackberry, naturally, but pear and blueberry would be nice too.

Parsnip, Leek and Apple Cakes

Now, these were so much nicer than they sounded!  They are, essentially, bubble and squeak but made with mashed parsnips instead of potato, and leeks instead of cabbage, with a little grated apple to sharpen and freshen things.  I adapted a recipe that came in Riverford's handy little recipe folder this week.  To serve 2 generously, simply peel and chop 2 good-sized (and in our case, frankly whiskery) parsnips and steam until tender.  At the same time, finely slice a washed leek, including as much of its green top you consider to be edible.  Saute in a tablespoon of oil and a knob of butter.  I will leave you to decide how big a knob is, using your own benchmark.  When softened, but not browned, add a small grated apple and cook for another minute or so.  Add to the cooked parsnips in a bowl and mash well with a fork, along with a tablespoon of grated parmesan and lots of pepper and salt to taste.  I added a little chopped red chilli too, 'cos parsnip loves chilli.  If it is a bit sloppy add a teaspoon or 2 of flour to bind it all.  Allow to cool, then shape into 4 patties, dust in flour and saute in a little butter until browned nicely.  Serve with poached eggs, and we also baked a couple of field mushrooms and some cherry tomatoes.  Cheap as chips - well, cheap as parsnips.

Apple and Ginger Shortcake Slices

I had a nice surprise at work the other day when the lovely Ady left a jar of 'Ginger Preserve' on my desk, hinting to a colleague that, should I want to make a sweet treat that he could share in, he wouldn't say no - so how could I say no?!  The ginger preserve is, effectively, chunks of preserved ginger set in lemony jam.  Very nice - so, I mixed several tablespoonfuls with a couple of grated eating apples and layered this with a shortcake mix I found online - US measures, I'm afraid.  A stick of butter (about 100g), melted.  I egg, beaten.  1/2 cup caster sugar, 1and 1/2 cups of plain flour with a teaspoon and a half of baking powder.  Mix these together, and press a little over half over the base of a parchment-lined 20cm square baking tin.  Spread the apple ginger mix over.  Now, mix the remaining shortcake mix with two tablespoons of chopped nuts.  Sprinkle this in clumps over the top, then bake at 170C (fan) for 30-35 minutes.  Allow to cool in the tin, then cut into 16 squares.  Yummy!  Hope you like it, Ady.  The rest of the jam will be mixed with rhubarb for a steamed pud on Sunday with custard.

Red Cabbage, Beetroot and Apple Braise

From time to time, we ladies need a bit of a boost in the old iron department.  When I feel like this, it isn't meat I crave, but beetroot.  A quick Google reveals that beetroot is high in iron (as well as potassium, so good for the blood pressure, and folate, were I, by some miracle, trying to conceive).  It is also very rich in beneficial anti-oxidants.  So, it figures that accompanying it with red cabbage AND red onions will be a very healthy thing indeed.  All I did here was peel and shred the bunch of raw beets (the kitchen does look like a scene from 'CSI'), shred the red cabbage and a couple of red onions, sliced some celery, chopped a few cox apples, and then layered them in the big Le Creuset casserole, sprinking 200g of brown sugar (in total) and some salt between each layer.  Pour over 300mls red wine, or cider if preferred, 100mls of red or cider wine vinegar, and lots of black pepper.  Add a cinnamon stick and a piece of star anise, cover, bring to the boil and then simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour on a low heat.  Turn everything over in the pan from time-to-time.  This does shrink down quite a bit, but still loads here, just right to eat with grilled bangers, maybe, or some smoked mackerel.  Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for a few days and it freezes well too.  Might just save some for Xmas and the duck.......

Dorset Apple Traybake

A friend mentioned last week that she had made Dorset Apple Cake, and I thought it would be a great candidate for our lunchboxes this week.  There are as many recipes for this as there are cooks in Dorset and the debate rages as to whether there should be spices and dried fruit in or not.  I decided to retain the purity of the apple and a good buttery sponge, so followed a recipe on BBC Good Food, albeit it with some tweaks - I know, I just can't help myself.  So I used this recipe, but grated the zest of the lemon in too, I replaced the caster sugar with some soft brown sugar to give a wee bit of depth of flavour, and I also used eating apples (British Cox and Gala) instead of Bramleys as I thought they would keep their shape better.  Lovely simple recipe that took about 10 minutes to whip up in the KitchenAid.  The smell in the flat as it baked was fantastic too!

Raymond Blanc's Tarte Tatin

photo by Jean Cazals

Oh, rarely has a dish been so badly abused than the Tarte Tatin.  Common mistakes are: too little caramelisation and too few apples, with a pale, flabby puff pastry layer.  The apples should be halved and packed, upright, into the buttery caramel base, and the pastry should be cooked until crisp and flaky, to provide contrasting textures.  I was privileged, many years ago, to watch a live cookery demonstration by the demi-God, Raymond Blanc.  From what I can remember, dragged out of  memories obscured by sheer lust and awe, he produced a Tatin of utter brilliance (I also remember him tasting olive oil by pouring it onto his palm and licking it off - I didn't recover from that for several weeks).  So, I have followed his recipe every Autumn for our annual treat, probably for the last 20 years or more.  The recipe works, so I shall simply point you to it to follow too, along with a picture from his cookbook that shows what perfection should look like.

Apple Tart with Amaretti Biscuits

Surely the simplest apple tart ever?  Based on a recipe from Riverford Organic's cookbook, it is a doddle.  Line a round or square tart tin with parchment paper.  Take 100g of plain flour, 40g of hard Amaretti biscuits, 70g of melted butter and 50g of caster sugar.  Whizz it all together in a food processor until it is sandy and moist.  Tip this mix into the tin and press down well into a compact an even layer.  Now top with sliced apples - the recipe stated Bramleys but I had English Cox's, so used them instead - and make a pretty pattern if you can be bothered.  Melt a tablespoon of butter and brush over the apples, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of caster sugar mixed with half a teaspoon of cinnamon.  Bake in a hottish oven, around 190 degrees, for half an hour or so.  The base crisps up deliciously in the oven.  Serve with custard, cream, or ice cream.  Or all three?  Only kidding!

Smoked Sardine Salad with Beetroot and Apples and a Honey Mustard Dressing

Marks and Sparks are currenty selling smoked Cornish sardines, so we had them tonight in a lovely salad just bursting with goodness from our wonderful Riverford delivery - the freshest lettuce, mellow cucumber, sweet earthy beetroot, freshly boiled and still warm. Added to the mix were some finely sliced spring onions and a crisp Discovery apple. This was all tossed together with a honey and mustard dressing - a classic vinaigrette of 1 part cider vinegar to 3 parts light olive oil, a dash of honey and mustard and some salt and pepper. Just lovely for a beautiful late Summer evening.

Blueberry Apple Cake

I love 'pound cake' recipes, with equal quantities by weight of butter, sugar, flour and eggs - infinitely variable, much easier to make than a victoria or genoese sponge, and lasts longer. Just get the butter nice and soft and mix it all up, then flavour as you like. The only difference with this cake was that you rub the butter into the flour and sugar first, then remove some of the'crumble' to add to the top later. Mix in the wet ingredients - here, eggs, lemon juice and zest, grated apple and some blueberries, and then pour into a baking tin, lined with parchment. Top with the reserved crumble, into which you've added a spoonful of demerara or Bajan granulated sugar and some cinnamon, spoon over the top and bake. Lovely!

English Apple Cake [#158]

Nigel's by now familiar 'pound cake' recipe, made with equal quantities of butter, sugar and SR flour - in this case, 130g of each, 2 eggs, then topped with chunks of apple tossed in lemon and cinnamon, and then this is further topped with some white breadcrumbs mixed with demerara sugar. A lovely appley, spicy, crisp pudding is the result, served with a blob of softly whipped cream. I told you it had been a good 'Nigel' night - with the duck earlier, this made for a marvellous and indulgent meal to celebrate our wedding anniversary which has just passed (23 years - blimey!) and my birthday next week (23 years - blimey!). ;0) No official online presence for this recipe, which is such a shame - as we head into the English apple season, every household should make this at least once - so easy, delicious and heartwarming - go get the book!

Blackberry and Apple Pie [#155]

Oddly, Nigel has this in the November section of the Diaries, when surely the blackberries are finished? No matter, we made it today, with the first of the English Bramleys, sharp and juicy, cooked to a puree first and then united with the berries. For the pastry (which went under AND over the filling), I went back to Nigel's wonderful Apple Shortcake recipe that we had in March, I think. Rich, buttery and very short, it makes for a wonderful tart - I'm sure there is a joke in there somewhere. A pudding like this calls for custard, naturally! Well, I am suffering dreadfully with a cold - feed a cold and starve a fever, they do say.

Bramley Apple Shortcake

Can't find an online recipe for this, so I'm afraid you'll have to consult a copy of the book in a bookstore or - better still - buy it so you can cook all of Nigel's lovely recipes! This is basically a VERY buttery, tender shortcake crust, top and bottom, stuffed full of cooked Bramley and Royal Gala apples. Simple and unfussy, with no cinnamon, lemon or dried fruit, and all the better for it, in my opinion! This rounded off a very indulgent meal of little bread croutes topped with warm Morecambe Bay shrimps, then a classic roast Duck a L'Orange made with Seville oranges, washed down by a lovely slightly sweet Vouvray. We are greedy pigs, but there you go.