A surfeit of dates

 It's that time of year, isn't it? When we buy dates, nuts, satsumas and Quality Street, regardless of whether anyone in the house likes them or not.

At least one person in the Netherton household will eat and enjoy at least one of the above, so none of it goes to waste.

That being said, we find ourselves with a surfeit of dates (don't ask!).

Inevitably there has been a sticky toffee pudding, with a generous studding of dates, there have been dates stuffed with marzipan to enjoy with coffee, dates stuffed with ricotta, orange zest and thyme, aubergine with saffron, black cardamom and date butter from Diana Henry's From The Oven To The Table

But then I was reading about treacle tarts - if you slip down that rabbit hole on Google you could be lost for days - and an idea took shape.

Treacle tart with dates and nuts.

Start with a basic shortcrust pastry using 110g plain flour to 55g fat (I used butter) with the zest of an orange and water to bind.

Roll out the pastry and line a greased 8½" cake tin (pictured) for a deep pie or a 10" pie dish

Chill the pie case while you make the filling.

100g dates, chopped and soaked for an hour in the juice of the orange you zested for the pastry (waste not, want not)

50g chopped nuts

45g black treacle

120g golden syrup

40g butter

50g double (heavy) cream

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Set the oven to 170ºC 

Place the treacle, syrup and butter in a saucepan - I am lucky, I get to use one of our copper milkpans and warm over a gentle heat until the butter melts.

Stir in all the other ingredients.

Blind bake the pastry case for 15 minutes, then pour in the treacle mixture nad return the tart to the oven.

bake for a further 30 minutes.

Allow to cool before serving with clotted cream or custard.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2021 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Spicy, sticky pork

Cooked long and slow over a charcoal fire, this pork is absolutely delicious served with a crunchy slaw and a cold cider.

This was cooked in our outdoor hob slow cooker, which combines a charcoal barbeque; ideal for those places where an open fire is not permitted and way, way better than a disposable barbeque, for reasons many and varied, with one of our deep casseroles, so that you can stew, roast and bake on the barbie too. And of course, the casserole is handy indoors too, for those of us who are fair weather barbeque fans.

We have been sent some fabulous BBQ rubs by our friends at Cut to the Smoke and a sunny day seemed like the ideal opportunity to try them out.

1.5 - 2kg pork shoulder

1 heaped dessertspoon espresso and ancho chilli rub

100g marmalade - for sweetness and stickiness

150 ml orange juice

2 large potatoes, cubed (optional)

Mix the marmalade, spice rub and orange juice and rub liberally into the pork.

Leave to marinade for at least an hour.

Place the potatoes, if using in the base of the casserole bowl and sit the pork on top.

Pour over the marinade and put the lid on.

Cook over the outdoor hob for 4 - 5 hours.  

I guess this would work in a Big Green Egg too, but I am no expert, so cannot tell you how long!

Alternatively cook in the oven at 170ºC for about 2 hours.

We accompanied this with a slaw of red and white cabbage, fresh oranges, salted peanuts and red pepper, with an orange and mustard dressing.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2021 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

HERB, by Mark Diacono

 A book review

Whilst I have never been a smoker, I can understand instinctively the reference to the importance of a cigarette paper on page 64, describing the hair's breadth separation between oregano and marjoram.  Reminscences about rollups in bus shelters rarely figure in food writing.  

This is a book, not about bad habits and memories, dried leaves and paper, but about herbs, vibrant, verdant, fresh and yes, dried. It is about their place in the garden, the window box, the back step or the window sill and their role in the kitchen; but it is so much more.  Mark's writing is sublime, this book ranks as a good read whether or not you are a gardener or a cook.  Anything we write about it will pale in comparison, but try we must!

I wrote this review, sitting on a hotel terrace, surrounded by four strategically placed bay trees.  It was earlier this summer in Scotland, so although there was sun, the heat was far from Mediterranean, unlike now, but the waft of lavender and the persistent buzz of the bees echo the opening lines of HERB; "I'm sitting within an incomplete ring of pots, each full of herbs, their flowers alive with pollinators, the sun flashing bright as I scribe".

As a gardener and cook, as well as a writer, Mark is well qualified to take you from plot, or pot, to plate and whilst it may amount to less than a single page, to my mind one of the most useful entries in the book is the section on "Choosing what to grow".  With an ever increasing range of fresh and dried herbs available in the supermarket and farm shop, even in rural Shropshire, the frankly mind numbing selection of plants on specialist websites* and limited growing space at home, advice and guidance on the best options to maximise herbal gratification and minimise horticultural disaaster are more than welcome.

"if you were expecting to see lemon balm: NO"

Once these fundamental decisions have been made, Mark guides the reader through two distinct sets of herb skills; firstly describing garden skills, such as sowing from seed and propagation, through to picking the end result.

And then, logically enough, into the kitchen; there are more ways to chop and store your herbs than you have hitherto considered, I'll wager.

Moving on, the excitement grows - sorry about the pun, with a comprehensive directory of herbs to grow and eat.  More than a simple list, each description paints a picture, effervesces with enthusiasm and quite frankly, is less than helpful in restricting your choice - I want them all.

"Anise hyssop (ours is just coming into flower) looks like the offspring of a one night stand mint had with a nettle". Sadly there is no back story about how mint and nettle got it on, but it was an intriguing enough introduction to make me read on.

By now, you should have your herb patch planned out and you can step into the recipe section. 

Disclaimer: this review is in no way coloured by the appearance of Mark's Netherton pan in some of these recipes, page 155 for example😊

Green is now my favourite colour, leaping out of every shot, as refreshing as a cold beer on a hot summer evening.

Among our favourites, and it is very hard to choose, is the dill, lemon and green bean pilaf.  The description of it being "crazily moreish", is if anything, an understatement.  The only way I can justify my greedy approach to this dish is to convince myself that is is good for me!.

There is so much to love about this book, but the love does not reside solely between the covers.

Mark is "offering HERB at four prices. We want to ensure that those who might benefit most from the book are able to get their hands on it, so you can pay whichever suits you." 

If you have wanted more from your herbs than a parsley garnish, then anything you spend on this book, will be a true investment.

* is "herbporn" a thing?

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2021 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

The Tramshed Project

 There were, still are, many down sides to the pandemic; from the serious to the trivial.

But as with all clouds there have been silver linings.  The upsides may not have outweighed, or come even close to the down sides, but it would be wrong not to celebrate them.

 Deliveroo has just announced an increase in sales of 99%+ over the last year, highlighting the rise in takeaways and eating in necessitated by the closure of pubs, cafes and restaurants during lockdown.

But the whole notion of takeaways got a makeover last year, as innovative and embattled chefs and restaurateurs looked at ways of surviving the crisis.

Sure, Deliveroo kept delivering kebabs, pizza fried chicken, but the new kids on the block were gastro pubs and high end restaurants, offering a range of Dine at Home options to fill the space of eating out in style.

For those of us who live beyond the M25 this has been an even bigger benefit, as we can now get to try “London food” without a bank account emptying train trip.  And by London food, we are not being entirely capital centric, we are talking about a range of top flight restaurants suddenly becoming more accessible.

These offers are never going to replace the restaurant experience, with waiter service, posh glasses, fancy cutlery and most importantly of all, someone else to do the washing up, but they are a welcome addition to the choice of dining experiences and as rural dwellers, we hope they remain a viable option.

At least some of you, I am sure, will have seen our interview with Andrew Clarke, latterly of St Leonards and now working with the team at the Tramshed in London.

If so you will have heard how he is a great pan of his Netherton pans - you can see him proudly photographing his collectionn.

And you might also have noticed us mention the treat that he sent to us.  I hope that the following description tempts you give the Tramshed Project at Home a try too.  This may have been a gift, but we have been back since and paid our way.

Starter

Burrata with blood orange and salsa macha

Burrata is, to my mind, a challenge.  Silky, rich, indulgent, yes, but it can be a bit of a dairy mugging.  The blood arange tamed it considerably, reining in its excess and highlighting its indulgent creaminess.  Salsa macha was a first for us - to be honest, I had to look it up!.  This will not be the last time, however.  A definite winner.

Main

Butternut schnitzel, heritage carrots and cauliflower cream, pink fir potatoes.

The squash has been lightly steamed and then coated in breadcrumbs, oats and seeds to create a vegan take on a classic Schnitzel.  All we had to do was brush it oil and bake in the oven.

It may not sound much, in and of itself, but add in the seasonal greens with butter, (the schnitzel may have been vegan, but we are not), pumpkin miso sauce and a grnish of blood orange, redcurrants, pickeld shallots and capers and woohoo, the whole thing is elevated to a new level.  In our expereince the butternut has newer been bettered!

A side order of heritage carrots was served with cauliflower cream and sprinkled liberally with dukkah and pistachio, with a carb hit of Pink Fir potatoes to complete the meal.

To say that this was generous was an understatement - there was enough for 4 of us, not 2.

Dessert

Salted caramel tart

There may well have been enough of our mains to share, but there was no way this was going anywhere other than down my throat - absolute bliss.

Restaurants have had a hard time of it over the last 15 months and opening up is still presenting them with challenges nad struggles that we mainly do not see.

Please do what you can to support them, so that when all of this is over, they will still be there to feed us.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2021 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Letterellan: a review

 It's the little things that make a difference.

We have just had a short break up in Scotland, staying for a few days beside Loch Tay at newly opened Letterellan Hotel.

I could simply recite the description on the hotel website, detailing the

 charming, loch side location, with beautiful gardens boasting rampant rhodedendrons and flourishing foxgloves and visits from deer and a pine marten; the crisp white bed linen and fluffy white towels and robes; the delicious breakfasts; a selection of Nespresso pods and teas to suit all tastes, alongside Tunnocks teacakes and local shortbread in our room; the welcome drink on arrival and the whisky library.  All splendid and befitting a "boutique" hotel.   

But what set the Letterellan on a higher standard was the attention to detail and the personality of the host.  Jonathan was genuinely warm and welcoming, ensuring we had everything we needed for our stay.  

There was the solicitous enquiry about allergies before bringing us salted almonds with our G&T, the "smoothie of the day" every morning at breakfast, the extra towel when I went swimming in the loch (water temperature 9ºC for those of you who are interested in either wild swimming or my sanity), the can of midge repellent in the room  - Scotland, people! - and the pillow spray to ensure that if the tranquil location, comfy bed, fresh air and complementary tot of Abefeldy whisky were not enough, you were guaranteed a restful night.

There is much to be said about holidays right now and it is as well to remember that a holiday is a privilege, not a right and while we all need a break, we must take responsibility for how we spend that time away from the daily grind.

This was very much a privilege, and it was also a hug treat, greater than the sum of its parts, and whilst only 4 days in total it was a real battery charger.

In contrast the final night of our break was spent less successfully - a coffee machine with no instructions and a choice of flat white or flat white (we both drink black coffee) and a breakfast hamper containing chocolate filled croissants, butter and marmalade 😦, packs of Coco Pops and Rice Crispies and one knife between two of us!.  Putting these, with small cartons of supermarket own brand fruit juice in a wicker basket does not make it a "hamper".  

The contrast could not have been more obvious; a little thought goes a long way.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire © 2021

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Shrove Tuesday treats

A day for indulgence before the abstinence of Lent or simply an excuse to eat more than your fair share of pancakes!

And much as we love topping a classic crepe with lemon and sugar, we like to ring the changes too.

Here we have some fluffy American style pancakes, cooked on a griddle plate and served with blueberries and yogurt to make us feel virtuous and maple syrup to undo the "good work". 😇  These are great for breakfast, ideally on a lazy weekend, but can also be enjoyed cold throughout the day, perhaps with a sliced banana or a smear of apricot jam?

The chestnut crepes are a delicious dessert; impressive but so simple to make.

For the American style pancakes:

Makes about 16 pancakes

120g self raising flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

50g melted butter

120ml buttermilk or milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

25g sugar

For the topping:

200g blueberries

20ml water

Sugar to taste

Start by simmering the blueberries with the water and enough sugar to suit your palate.  Cook until soft, with a slightly syrupy consistency.  Set aside.

Mix the flour, baking powder and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.

Combine the eggs, buttermilk (or milk), melted butter and vanilla extract and pur into the centre of the flour.

Whisk together to form a smooth, thick batter.

Place a lightly greased griddle plate or a frying pan over a medium heat - do not have the heat too high or you will burn the outside of the pancakes, leaving the insides raw and runny.

Drop one tablespoon of batter at a time onto the hot pan, until you have filled all the available space.  When bubbles rise to the surface and the underside is golden, carefully flip each pancake over and cook the other side.

REmove each cooked pancake to a cooling rack and keep covered with a clean tea towel until you have used up all the batter.

Stack the pancakes as high as you dare on a serving plate - we particularly like this one from Sytch Farm Studios  and crown with a waterfall of blueberry compote.  Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or Greek yogurt and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

Chestnut pancakes

To fill four pancakes - make your own favourite recipe or pick up a pack of ready made crepes, we won't tell!

Mix together

100g chestnut purée

2 dessertspoons icing sugar

2 teaspoons cocoa

1 dessertspoon double cream

Add a dash of brandy if you are feeling fancy.

Divide the mixture evenly between the four pancakes and roll them up.

Tuck them neatly into a 2lb loaf tin or equivalent and cover with foil.

Heat in a moderate oven for 15 - 20 minutes.

Serve hot, either as they are or drizzled with melted dark chocolate.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2021 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk