Sharing Lockdown Day 12

I had an ‘At Home’ day which was meant to a break from the physical demand of grubbing the driveway. However, it turned out to be a challenging day on my computer and fun in the kitchen.

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Pulled Beef Pita Pockets

After roasting and boiling and straining off the the beef bones for stocl, for the first time I picked off the meat and ended up with a pottle full. To that I added a ladle full of the ragout sauce and a cup of sautéed vegetables. i.e. I Sautéed 1/2 onion- diced, 1 clove garlic – crushed, 2 small carrots – diced, 1 stick celery – diced until softened. I added the meat mixture to the vegetables and heated through

Simple Coleslaw

Slice half a cabbage very finely, 1/2 bulb fennel – finely sliced, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup chopped parsley. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss with a simple dressing: Juice of lemon, 4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, salt and pepper. Shake in a jar. Toss a little through your coleslaw and keep the remainder for another salad.

A Good Old Pie

There is nothing like a hit of flaky pastry and even better when it is filled with a delicious beef ragout. I bought a pack of fresh flaky pastry – I did roll it out a little thinner and managed to make 4 pies, two I topped using left over potatoes from our barbecue a couple of nights ago and they taste deliciously smoky, the other two with pastry. I had a little pastry and pulled beef leftover so made a little pastie.!!!

Apple Jelly

Many of you will have an apple tree on your property or maybe your neighbour does. The apple trees at the vineyard are dripping with apples and they quickly lead me to collect bowls full which do look beautiful on the bench and although I make jelly each year from Quince, redcurrant, japonica apples and medlar, I haven’t used apples for many years. I think what puts everyone off making jelly is what my Mother used to do…. where you place the pulp in a bag and hang it precariously on broom sticks so it can drip into a bowl overnight. My redcurrant Jelly is made from a recipe by Elizabeth David where she strips the berries from the stems , adds equal quantity of sugar, and boils together for 10 minutes. Strain pulp through a lined sieve. Bottle the juice in small jars. I also use the pulp for pies and cakes.

So my simple apple jelly is based on Elizabeth Davids minimal method . I peeled about 12-14 apples from cooking apples ( doesn’t matter how many ) slice the flesh off the cores into a large saucepan, add the cores as well . Cover the apples with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or so – or until the apples are fluffy. Line a large sieve or colander with a clean tea towel, sit over a deep bowl . Tip the apples into the sieve and collect the juice in the bowl . Leave for about 30 minutes. Measure the juice and return to your cleaned pot. Add an equal quantity of sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer for about an hour. As the juice starts to colour you need to test to see if it will set. Spoon a little onto a saucer, let it cool then push it with your finger . If a skin forms in wrinkles then your jelly is ready. Wash jars , place in the oven to heat and sterile. Pour your beautiful pink jelly into jars and seal.

By the way: I remove the cores from my apple pulp, add a little sugar and use it for breakfast with Muesli .

I left a jar of jelly on an outside table for our neighbour Alister who arrived to work on his section. He is the sous chef at Minaret Station and the first thing he said was . Imagine this on a shoulder of pork – baked slowly . So don”t think your jelly is just for toast. I use is after panfrying chicken or pork or a steak . Deglaze the pan with a little wine, add 4- 5 tablespoons of jelly and let reduce down to make a delicious sweet sauce.

Baked Beans and Vegetables

2 cans butter beans or another white bean – cannelloni , 4 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion – finely diced, 4 cloves garlic – crushed, 2 carrots – sliced , 2 sticks celery – sliced , 1/2 leek – sliced, 2 courgettes, 2 chillies – sliced , – diced, 1 can chopped tomatoes, 300 mls chicken stock. topping : 3 cups fresh breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1/4 cup melted butter. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Add vegetables and cook through until they start to soften. Add tomatoes, beans and season. Tip into a baking dish and top with a thick layer of breadcrumbs. Bake slowly for 30-40 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

I served my bean dish with the coleslaw I made at lunchtime. I used to make this dish when we lived in Bristol in 1995 with our small children. We had no money and I found I could make this cheaply and have it in the fridge. After a day out in the West Country it just needed heating and like so many other slow baked dishes tasted better the next day.

PS I actually soaked and cooked 1 kilo of dried beans – I ended up with 4 bags that I have in the freezer.

Take Care Everyone – My at Home day turned out to be quite full . I hope you have a project to get into .

XXX Jude