A safari dinner and a hangover!

Not quite what we did!

Have to admit today I am not feeling great…. a tad hungover still at midday, even though my wonderful husband made me scrambled eggs for breakfast and I slept until 11. I tend to do this once a year and this must be this year’s event! Somehow convinced myself and those around me that I would be attending Zumba this morning – loud music and shaking my booty would not have been ‘just what the doctor ordered’ this morning!

Anyway the reason for my poor appearance today was a ‘Safari Dinner’ – what a fantastic concept! Organised by my Headmaster’s wife, we ventured around the school and town, visiting classrooms and kitchens to eat each course with a different group of people. At the end of each course everyone received envelopes which told them where they were off to next – ingenious and exciting! We started in a classroom at school where Parma Ham and Melon & Chips/Dip were provided with copious amounts of wine. Then onto one of the boys’ houses down the road where we were treated to Roast Beef and all the trimmings main course by a very talented Housemaster, served with copious amounts of wine. We hotfooted it back to school to serve our course, pudding, in my lab! It was quite a challenge to give that space the right ambience – but SummerPudding Trifle triumphed again (see previous post ‘How to impress your mother-in-law #2 – July). We also served kir royale made with my homemade creme de cassis or madiera. Lastly, we all converged upon the library, where we were treated to a massive selection of cheeses with copious amounts of port.

Have to say that the best moments were passing other groups in town and discussing what we’d had and where we were going….. and the copious amounts of wine obviously! I truly deserve this hangover!

How to impress your mother-in-law #2

Following the triumph of the Hummingbird Bakery’s Carrot cake, where I definitely won many brownie points… I knew I had to go one better! So after picking my bodyweight in blackcurrants from our garden, I decided to make this fantastic trifle from Nigel Slater’s ‘Kitchen Diaries’ (July 24th entry – also the date when I made it!).

I also had the last of our strawberries and blueberries to hand so I turned it into what I have called my ‘Summer Pudding Trifle’, but the credit has to go to Nigel for his ingenious way of topping the fruit using a combination of mascarpone custard (no cook), whipped cream and beaten egg whites. It seems like a large layer when you look at the trifle, but the flavours are in complete balance when eating and it is so light that you almost don’t consider the calories!

I should also say that I made this, the night before so that I could sleep well in the knowledge that once more I would be the best daughter-in-law (there is competition!) All my husband’s family thought this trifle was absolutely gorgeous, my brother-in-law had seconds larger than his firsts…. it is now added to my armoury of recipes which will be repeated again and again! It is a true summer stalwhart, combining two of my summer dessert favourites…..

Summer Pudding Trifle – adpated from ‘Nigel’s delightful trifle’ (Kitchen Diaries – Nigel Slater)

Fed 7 adults and 4 children (with seconds for some!) It’s a biggun’!

Layered up and ready to go!

2 madeira cakes (about 700g in total)
2 large eggs – separated
4 tblspns caster sugar
500g mascarpone cheese
4 drops vanilla extract
500ml whipping cream
sprig of blackcurrants to decorate

For the summer pudding layer – this could be altered to suit you but this is what I used:
blackcurrants – 750g
strawberries and bluberries to make up 200g
water – 8 tblspns
caster sugar – 4 tblspns

• Clean up all the fruit ready to cook (remove stalks) and put them in a saucepan with the sugar and water. Simmer for 7-10 mins on a low to moderate heat. Once there is lots of juice, remove from the heat
• Break the cake into small pieces and press into the bottom of your bowl. Spoon the fruit and their juices over the cake and leave to cool – the sponge should soak up the juices
• For the custard – mix the egg yolk and sugar well, then stir in the mascarpone and vanilla – see below

Marscapone custard - no cook - great temptation to scoff it all rather than putting it in the trifle!

• Then whip the cream until it is thick enough to lie in soft folds (not stiff peaks), then fold it lightly into the custard
• In a separate bowl, whisk up the eg whites until almost stiff and fold this into the mixture
• Top the cooled fruit with this gorgeous mixture, making sure that all fruit is covered.
• Decorate and refrigerate for at least an hour – mine was refrigerated for about 16 hours and was delicious!

Crowning glory - some blackcurrants and blackcurrant leaves from the garden

Sundae strawberries! Named and made by Abbie…

Look what was waiting for us on Sunday morning!

I knew that we had to do something special with our handfuls of strawberries and so I constructed this layered dessert ably assisted by Abbie, who also came up with the name ‘Sundae Strawberries’!

Sundae Strawberries – makes 3 martini or wine glass portions

10-15 strawberries (depending on size)
1/2 lemon
Icing sugar (4-5 tsp in total)
2 tblspn thick double cream
2 tblspn natural yoghurt
6 sponge fingers
Lemon curd

• In a bowl, combine 2/3 of you strawberries (sliced) with the juice of half a lemon and 2 heaped tsp of the icing sugar – stir and leave to one side for later
• In another bowl, stir together the yoghurt and double cream with the other 2 tsp icing sugar
• Break the sponge fingers into halves, spread thickly with lemon curd and place 4 of the halves at the bottom of each of your glasses
• Then layer up as shown in the photos below, finishing with the remainder of the strawberries (sliced) and some curls of lemon zest
• Refrigerate for the morning (at least 2-3 hours) and eat for lunch!

Spreading the lemon curd on the fingers....

Starting to layer, sponge fingers first.....

.... then strawberries....

.... letting the lemon berry syrup soak into the sponge...

All done! One 'Sundae Strawberries' ready for the fridge

Demolished in a matter of moments!

Mmmm Sunday lunch and a lemoniscious trifle from Nigel Slater ….

Roast chicken, new potatoes, kale, carrots and yummy homemade gravy today. Did my chicken the Jamie way – boiling a lemon for 5 mins, stabbing it and shoving it in the chicken with some salt, pepper, garlic and herbs before roasting – keeps it really moist.

Abbie and I got up early this morning and made the lemon trifle – another wonderful dish from Nigel Slater’s ‘Kitchen Diaries’. It was a really easy trifle, couldn’t believe I could make something that resembled a custard from just double cream, sugar and lemon juice – no egg and therefore no curdling!!

After our main meal, which Abbie polished off in record time…. she asked to get down… I was surprised as Abbie usually loves her puddings! The following conversation then took place…
Me: Don’t you want pudding?
Abbie: Mmmm…. no I don’t think so…………… what’s for pudding?
Me: Lemon trifle…. it’s in the fridge….
Abbie: Maybe I’ll just go and have a look……. (goes to the fridge) …… Hmmmm…. Mummy…. I think I will just have a bit of pudding!

As you can see from the photos, Abbie was very reluctant to lose possession of said trifle! I adapted Nigel Slater’s recipe only slightly, replacing crystallized violets with white chocolate chips as I had them in the cupboard. It was enjoyed so much that we will be making it again when my mother-in-law comes for lunch next Sunday!

Link to the recipe: http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/533841

very protective of the trifle!

can you see Abbie's hand creeping in to get her portion??

a happy girl....