Get Cooking! (Anne Marie)

Few hours down the allotment picking fruit and fighting off brambles, which seem to grow with ease in a drought! Came back to eldest made alphabet soup made with carrots, pepper and tomatoes from the lottie and chickpeas.

So glad my livelihood is not dependent on my produce as its been a tough year for fruit, and potato crop yield is low. At least 90% of plums had worms in.

Expect higher prices for UK crops I suspect in the Autumn. Everything is ripening early this year too.

Can't decide on jam or crumble this afternoon.

Having a sort out in a cupboard at my dad's and came across a Christmas cake wrapped in foil. It must have been in there for at least 12 years!

I didn't eat any but tbh it would probably have been ok, maybe a little dry.

Have you found anything old in your cupboard and did you eat it?!

Today is Yorkshire Day so thought I would share one of my favourite dishes.

Controversial with regards to recipe and tips to make the perfect one.

I love toad in the hole too and it's easy to use vegetarian sausages and plant based milk.

My tips for Yorkshire Puddings

👉Preheated hot tray with fat/oil in at 200C.
👉Rest mix preferably in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Recipe:
1 mug plain four
1 mug of milk (any type including dried)
3 eggs
Season batter with salt and pepper

Method:
Mix milk and eggs into flour until smooth and beat lots of air into it with a whisk.

Rest and then pour into 12 muffin tins or make a toad in the hole like below, cook the sausages for 20 minutes before adding the batter.

Cook for 25 minutes, don't open the oven door during cooking.

For toad in the hole
Cook sausages in a little oil for 20 minutes, add batter and cook for 25 minutes.

Love Indian food, I could create at least three different workshops covering my favourite dishes, I've added a vegetarian workshop for the Autumn.

Something in common with many dishes is that they all start with onions, so by the end of the session, you will be a dab hand at veg prep!

I'm already taking bookings for 2027 so if you're the organised type looking at Christmas gifts while relaxing on holiday, this is the time to lock in a date. Especially if looking at group private lesson.

It's been a busy morning at the allotment, so many weeds, though!

Cucumbers doing well and late blackcurrant variety and some plums ready to pick.

Lottie neighbour kindly gave me some yellow peppers, fallen bramley apples and carrots 🥰


your own

Sometimes you just need a little inspiration to jazz up meal times.

Spent a lovely morning yesterday teaching, working with roasted veg, fish and various flavours to make a range of meals.

Lots of creativity creating pizzas today, suspect most parents will be presented with an empty bag! 😂

Fun afternoon teaching pasta tagliatelle, ravioli, and pizza!

Just love cucumber, having a good growing year!

2 easy recipes: one simply cut in half longways, seeds scooped out and sliced. Add a little salt, lime juice and basil and mix together in a bowl.

...the other dish is basically pickled in rice vinegar with a splash of cooled boiled water a teaspoon of salt and sugar, lime rind and juice.

This will keep for a while in the fridge but it's so moreish you will eat within a few days!

If you want the cucumber crunchie scoop out the seeds with a spoon and use a cucumber from the fridge.

You can use any spices or herbs for variation.

Various bits and bobs leftover from yesterday's cooking lessons so made a chicken korma and bolognese mix with pork mince.

I'm teaching pasta on Tuesday afternoon so I'll make sure we make an extra batch to go with bolognese mix.

Leftover korma will have courgette and brocolli added to the base mix for an easy wang it pan dinner after a full day at Warwick School on Wednesday.

Anyone else batch cooking today?