Another new recipe

This time from Valerie in Bewdley - note the use of WORCESTER sauce, local product.
I have to admit this sounds deeeelicious

2lbs feather blade of beef, cut into individual steak-sized pieces
1 onion or 10-12 button onions or small shallots
2 cloves of garlic
3 carrots, cut into largish chunks
2 celery sticks, sliced
3-4 lovage leaves (optional)
2 oz button mushrooms
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato purée
2 tablespoons Worcester sauce
½ pint red wine
fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon English mustard
¼ pint of stock, approx
salt and pepper

1. Heat a little oil in the the slow cooker pot until very hot then brown the seasoned meat to seal. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon. Reduce the heat then add a little more oil to the pot and saute the onions, carrots and celery until the onion is translucent. Add the crushed garlic and the mushrooms and cook for another minute or two, taking care not to burn the garlic.
2.Return the meat to the vegetable mix, add the wine and bring it up to a simmer. Leave to bubble for a couple of minutes, then add the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, Worcester sauce, mustard, bay leaves, lovage and thyme. Top up with sufficient stock to barely cover the meat and vegetables.
3. Place the pot on the slow cooker base and cook for 8 hours on low. At the end of the cooking period the liquid should have reduced to a thickish sauce but a little flour and water paste can be added at this stage if a thicker sauce is required.

Keep them coming, please.

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

A recipe from Finland

I've got lots of news of my recent travels around the country and a new pudding recipe, but you will have to wait for those, because I really had to share this recipe with you from one of our fans in Finland!

Tomato and goat's cheese soup
1 red onion (chopped)
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
2 carrots (diced)
1 kg crushed tomatoes
3 vegetable stock cubes
1 litre water
2 teaspoonful grounded black pepper
1 teaspoonful brown (wholecane) sugar
1 pot fresh basil
50-100 millilitre (low-fat) cream
200 g chèvre (goat cheese)
(salt)

Place the cast iron bowl over a medium heat and cook the onions in hot olive oil until soft and slightly brown. Stir in diced carrots and (crushed & minced or squeezed) garlic and cook few minutes more. Dissolve stock cubes into boiling water. Add crushed tomatoes and vegetable stock with chopped basil leaves. Season with pepper and sugar. Place the bowl on the slow cooker heater base and simmer on KEEP WARM for 8-10 hours. Add cream and sliced cheese. Simmer in HIGH for few minutes until cheese is melted.

The portion is just right for the cast iron slow cooker bowl and the soup - it tasted divine!
Many thanks to Ritva for sending this to us.

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Out and About

Out and about yesterday, I saw some interesting views of the English countryside..

An ostrich farm was an intriguing sight and got me thinking that I should be looking at recipes for ostrich meat, especially as we all seem to be reviewing our diets after the Christmas blow outs!  This is such a good option if you are looking to cut down on fat, so keep looking out for ostrich on the menu soon.  If anyone as any suggestions, please get in touch!

A far more traditional sight was that of a guy training sheepdogs.  It's great to see that not everything can be done by a computer and despite all the modern technology evident on the farm these days, some things never change. Woof woof!

Anyway, ramblings aside, we now have a new stockist in Uttoxeter, so if you are in the area, please go and visit Emma's Cookshop. 
Update: this shop no longer stocks Netherton wares, but it is still a lovely shop to visit.

Lovely shop, lovely people and thank you for the cup of tea, very welcome after a trip up the M6!

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Happy New Year

A Happy New Year to you all - have you made your resolutions and who was the first to break one!

Why not resolve to do more home cooking and use the Netherton Foundry slow cooker and tagine to help.  Saves time and money, as well as washing up and, most often a lot healthier than ready meals and takeaways.  So what's not to like? 

In 2012 eating in will be the new eating out, so treat your friends and family to a range of slow cooked meals.

I resolve to create you some delicious new recipes to add to the ones in your recipe books and already on the blog.  Why not send me your recipes and any suggestions that you may have.  Otherwise, tell me the sort of things you like to eat and I will try and create a new recipe for you - I may even name it after you!

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Seasonal recipe - get in the mood for Christmas

In between making mince pies and chocolate truffles, I found time at the weekend to create an entirely new recipe for the slow cooker, using some tasty and seasonal ingredients -  and here it is for you to try:

Game and beetroot casserole
1 tblsp oil
200g smoked streaky bacon
500g diced game - I used a mixture of pigeon, pheasant and venison
4 beetroots, peeled and sliced
12 shallots
1 sprig of rosemary
2 bay leaves
100 ml port
500 ml stock
Salt and black pepper

Place the bowl on the stove top over a medium heat.  Heat the oil and add the chopped bacon.  Fry until beginning to change colour.  Add the diced game and brown on all sides.
Carefully transfer the bowl to the heater base and add all the other ingredients.  Stir well.
Cook on KEEP WARM for 8 hours.
If you want a thicker gravy, mix a flat dessertspoon of cornflour into 50 ml water. Add to the casserole and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Try serving this with some buttered spinach and creamy mashed potatoes

On the air

So exciting - we received a phone call from Vicki Archer at BBC Radio Shropshire on Monday asking if she could come and visit us for a feature on her radio show.  Split second decision, of course we said "Yes!".

On Tuesday lunchtime Vicki arrived with her colleague Adam Green and conducted interviews with all of us, which are being featured all this week on their afternoon show.
Naturally we gave them some slow cooked lunch, Shrophire Hills pork and a seasonal pudding of dried fruit salad in mulled wine.  Listen to the show to hear their reports as restaurant critics!

They also loved our new range of clocks and Adam was thrilled to take one away with him - no excuses for being late now, Adam!

I certainly hope that listeners will now visit our Shropshire stockists to see the Netherton Foundry range for themselves: please go and see Upstairs Downstairs in Oswestry, Rickards in Ludlow, the Bridgnorth Delicatessen in Bridgnorth (and also in Wombourne) Blists Hill Museum and Museum of Iron sites in Coalbrookdale and Cooking Marvellous in Shrewsbury.
If you want a stockist outside the county, check the website or give us a call.

Happy Christmas shopping

Tick tock, tick tock

Tick tock, tick tock, can you hear the countdown to Christmas?  It seems to be drumming in my head as I try and tick of the list of jobs, which gets longer as the days get shorter!!
If you are stuck for unusual and special gift ideas, why not look at our brand new range of clocks - There's one for every style of interior design, but if you can't find what you're looking for, let us know........... perhaps we can create one just for you!

Of course, the Netherton Foundry Slow Cookers should already be at the top of everyone's list for Santa, and there's still time to order yours!

Just off to check on the elves, who are busy packing the parcels.