Blog posts - A Wee Pinch of Sugar

Damn Delicious Scotch Beef

July 28, 2014 By Rachel Leave a Comment

Scotch beef is renowned for it’s quality the world over and here at home we’re fortunate to have such fantastic farmers producing top quality beef, lamb and pork. Provenance is everything, with consumers demanding to know more about how and where the meat on their plate is produced. Key in all of this is knowing your butcher and he’ll be more than happy to discuss where his meat is farmed. But, there’s also another increasingly popular way to source good quality Scotch beef. What about knowing your farmer.

With the increase and popularity of line shopping, there are now some exceptionally good Scottish farmers selling their meat direct to the customer. Damn Delicious , a family owned farm in Biggar, Lananrkshire has been selling direct since 2007 and recently, they sent me some of their outstanding Aberdeen Angus Scotch beef and pork.

Damn Delicious take great pride in using unique and natural farming methods to ensure their meat is of the finest quality. All year round, the Aberdeen Angus beef herd live and roam outside on the farm. Grazing on fresh grass and clover in Summer, then when Winter arrives they feed on fresh kale with silage or hay. Farmer Michael Shannon believes that it’s this, along with maturing the beef on the bone for one month, that creates the most incredible flavoured meat, and ensures maximum taste and tenderness.

Beef is something I really enjoy cooking and I have to say that over the years there’s been a number of occasions that I’ve been disappointed with meat that lacked flavour and tenderness. Happily the comments from the carniverous Gillon family’s taste test of Damn Delicious meat were fantastic and it’s a butcher I’ll be more than happy to buy from in the future.

I stuck with a couple of family favourites for the casserole steak and the mince but decided to cook the steak using a recipe from a Quality Meat Scotland recipe booklet that arrived along with the meat. When cooked, the beef was incredibly tender and the flavour was outstanding, much stronger and flavoursome than other beef I’ve used. Here’s the recipes for the dishes I cooked. All serve 4.

Scotch Beef Steak with fennel and rosemary. Ingredients: 4 Scotch beef steaks (sirloin, rib-eye, rump or fillet) I used 2 rib-eye and 2 sirloin. 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, freshly ground pepper, 2 tsp crushed fennel seeds, 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary.

These rib eye and sirloin steak lived up to the name, Damn Delicious.

Method: Rub the steaks with pepper, fennel, rosemary and olive oil and leave to marinate overnight if possible, but 15 minutes will do. When ready to cook, the steaks can either be cooked on the BBQ or grill/griddle. Cook to your liking, (see suggestions) allow to rest and cut into thick slices to serve. Suggested timings from the QMS recipe booklet are :- Rare 2 1/2 minutes each side, Medium 4 minutes each side, Well done 6 minutes each side. These timings are approximate and based on a 1″ thick sirloin steak pan fried.

The Gillon boys are prefer beef rare and this didn't disappoint

The Gillon boys prefer rare beef and this didn’t disappoint

I served with roasted tomatoes, griddled courgettes, oven bake garlic mushrooms and a green salad.

Italian Beef Casserole. Ingredients . 1 -2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil, 450g diced casserole steak, 1 small pack of pancetta cubes, 1 onion finely chopped, 2 cloves garlic crushed, 2tbsp tomato puree, 400g can chopped tomatoes, approximately 250ml red wine, 2 tbsp mixed chopped fresh herbs, rosemary, and thyme work well. 1 bay leaf, half tsp dried basil, ‘a wee pinch of sugar’, salt and freshly ground black pepper, I red pepper chopped,1 chopped courgette (optional) .

To finish: Rind of half a lemon grated, 2 garlic cloves crushed, 1 red chilli chopped and 3 anchovies. Finely chop to a paste like consistency.

To serve: 400g Tagliatelle and freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method: Pre heat the oven to 150C/Fan 130C, Gas 2. Use a flameproof casseole, heat the oil over a medium heat, add the beef and brown on all sides. Don’t overcrowd the pan otherwise the meat will steam. As the meat browns, remove and set aside. Add the pancetta, brown for 1-2 minutes, add the onion and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes and then add the garlic. Cook for about 1 minute, return the beef to the pan and mix well. Add the tomato puree, stirring to coat the meat and cook for a further minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, red wine, herbs and a ‘ wee pinch of sugar‘. Slowly bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, put the lid on and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and add the chopped red pepper and courgette if using and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Stir the anchovy mix through and mix well. Serve on a bed of tagliatelle and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Italian Beef Casserole

Serve on a bed of tagliatelle and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

The final recipe with steak mince is one of my favourites, Spaghetti Bolognese. I’ve been making this dish for more than 30 years and over that time, the recipe has undergone many changes. Suggestions from an Italian relative and friends has meant new ingredients were added, or some were taken out, but after all those years the recipe is now in ‘tablets of stone’. Washed down with a nice glass of red wine, it’s just the perfect comfort food dinner at any time of the year.

Spaghetti Bolognese: Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil, 1 onion chopped, 2-3 garlic cloves crushed, 1 small packet of pancetta cubes, 450g Aberdeen Angus steak mince, 1 tbsp plain flour (optional) large heaped tbsp tomato puree, 400 can of chopped tomatoes, 1 large carrot finely diced, 1 celery finely chopped, 1 tsp dried Italian herbs, approx 250ml red wine, a ‘wee pinch of sugar’, salt and freshly ground black pepper. To Serve: 400g spaghetti and freshly ground Parmesan cheese.

Method: Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the pancetta, cook for 2-3 minutes. Increase the heat, add the steak mince and continue cooking until well browned. Reduce the heat, sprinkle the flour ( if using ) over the meat and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato puree,through the meat and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the tinned tomatoes, carrot, celery, herbs, red wine, sugar, seasoning , stir and bring gently to the boil. Simmer for at least 1 hour, adding more wine or if preferred water, until the mince is tender. Serve with spaghetti and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Serve with spaghetti and finish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Next week I’ll be posting the recipe for the Damn Delicious Pork chops. Meantime, if you are interested in finding out more about Damn Delicious meat and their farming methods check out their website. Their new farm shop opens this week and will also be well stocked with top quality Scotch beef, lamb and pork.

Damn Delicious are rightly proud of their unique farming methods.

Further recipes for quality Scotch beef, pork and lamb can be found at QMS .

Are you entering this year’s World Jampionships

July 24, 2014 By Rachel Leave a Comment

The soft fruit season is well underway and as well as feasting on some great quality and flavoured fruit, it’s also time for jam making. Strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants are at their very best and with the fantastic Summer weather, growers have been enjoying bumper crops of fruit. Pick your own farms have been extremely busy and many pickers do so with one thing in mind, making jam. Craigie’s Farm Deli and Cafe, just outside Edinburgh is one of the PYO enjoying a great year and they’re also running jam making classes for adults and children.

Go along and learn from the experts. Craigie’s have their own jam kitchen and make over 40 varieties of jams and chutneys.

The team at the World Jampionships are gearing up for another successful competition and the search is on for this year’s world champion jam makers. The Jam Team is looking for the best homemade jam and jellies, made using traditional methods. With eight different category’s and whether an artisan jam maker or an absolute beginner, there’s one for you. There’s still plenty of time to get involved and full details of the different sections and details of where to drop off your jam can be found on the Jampionship website. The winners will be announced on September 6th at this years Dundee Flower and Food Festival.

Details of how to enter the 2014 World Jampionships can be found on the Jampionship website

I’ve made jam a few times and even though I can produce a reasonably decent pot of jam, I still class myself as very much a novice. But then, my very good friends, Iain and Kate at Perthshire Preserves are award winning jam and chutney makers, and recently I met up with them to have a behind the scenes look at their jam kitchen. They’ve both been making jam since childhood so in my book that makes them experts.

Kate and Iain haven’t decided what to enter at this year’s World Jampionships , but last year their blackcurrant jam and a favourite of mine, hot banana chutney both won gold medals. The day I visited Kate was making blackcurrant jam with Deanston Malt and she took me through the process of how she makes her award winning jams. Whatever jams they enter will be in the ‘Artisan’ category as all Perthshire Preserve jams and chutneys are made using small batch and traditional methods. In an average week, they make around 600 – 700 jars. No large scale commercial methods, as much local and Scottish produce as they can lay their hands on, no additives or preservatives and made with passion in their own kitchen.

All Perthshire Preserves are made using small batch and traditional methods.

There’s no fancy complicated machinery, the jars are filled and sealed by hand.

Kate and Iain hand make 600-700 jars of their award winning products every week. Their range includes, jams, preserves, marmalades, chutneys and seasonal products like pesto.

What surprised me watching Kate and Iain was that they make jam in exactly the same way you would do at home. Jam pan and equipment just like my own, but in their case, a much less frazzled operation. After years of experience, they’re quite intuitive about the process, while still using traditional methods. Checking for temperature, the saucer in the freezer to check if the jam has set and the jars sterilised in the oven. It was all very relaxed and they just made it look very easy.

So how did it all start for Kate and Iain. At the age of 8, Kate learned her jam making skills from her mum and Iain is self taught. With impressive backgrounds in the hospitality industry, and a lifetime of making jam, they established Perthshire Preserves in 2010. Since then the business has steadily grown and there’s now over 30 varieties of jams, marmalades and chutneys in the range. I asked who was the best jam maker and no modesty was shown as both claimed the title. Having seen them both in action and tasted most of their products I’ll stick with saying that they make a great jam making team.

The end product. The blackcurrant preserve with Deanston Malt is made exclusively for the local distillery.

I had a great day at Perthshire Preserves and Iain and Kate did inspire me to think about entering the 2014 World Jampionships. The closing date for entries is 15th August and with so much wonderful soft fruit available, you might also consider entering some of your own jammy creations.

Craigies Farm

July 15, 2014 By Rachel Leave a Comment

With the school holidays well underway, keeping the kids amused and entertained for several weeks can become a frustrating and exhausting challenge for any parent. I know when my two were younger, keeping up the momentum of interesting daily activities that would help them burn off some energy was sometimes difficult.

Earlier this year I was invited along to Craigie’s Farm Deli and Cafe on the outskirts of Edinburgh and if my two were still young, this is a place I would be heading for during school breaks. Situated in beautiful countryside between South Queensferry and Edinburgh, owners John and Kirsteen Sinclair have transformed the family’s former 260 acre dairy farm into a family friendly arable farm complete with cafe, deli and butchery. It’s a place that really has something for everyone with lot’s of outdoor space and activities that will be sure to keep the kids happy and entertained. Although an arable farm, there are some animals, pigs, lambs and chickens, all close at hand for the kids to visit. The day I visited there was a litter of newborn piglets, and the chickens were doing what chickens love, free ranging, pecking and scratching around the farm. Outside the cafe you’ll find a play area and a classic tractor and a selection of tractor tyres that seem to be a great attraction for kids.

As well as the animals, the main part of the farm at Craigie’s is given over to growing fruit and vegetables with the big seasonal activity of the moment being ‘Pick you Own‘. At this time of year there’s a plentiful range of fruit, including strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries and blackcurrants. This is an excellent way to get kids involved, learning about, growing food, local produce and where their food comes from. It’s also worth checking Craigie’s website for regular updates as new fruit ripens for picking. And if you’re stuck for ideas for using the fruit, then you might want to sign up to the jam making classes that are organised throughout July. Choose from a masterclass for adults and a kids fun class.

Craigie’s Farm, situated in beautiful countryside.

Around the farm, a number of trails and paths have been developed and kids can put their investigative skills to good use on the ‘Nature Detective Trail’. And for parents whose nature skills are a bit on the rusty side, there’s plenty of clues to help on the interpretation boards. For kids aged 5-9 with an interest in food, farming and getting outside there’s a Farm Club on the last Sunday of every month. The club is affiliated with the Royal Highland Education Trust, (RHET), and is sure to provide a good understanding of issues such as farming and food production.

Once you’ve exhausted the kids outside, you can move inside to the cafe and enjoy some some of the outstanding freshly cooked food. There’s a super tasty menu offering a great selection, from breakfast to lunch and afternoon tea, including some gluten free options. The ‘Laird’s Breakfast‘, daily hot specials made using seasonal ingredients from the farm and the onsite butcher. You’ll also find a variety of salads, quiche, frittata and cold cuts, just some of the delicious food on offer. The cafe, like the rest of Craigie’s is exceptionally child friendly with smaller portions available for kids. As a special treat, you won’t want to leave without trying some of the wonderful homebaking, all made on the premises by Craigie’s in house baker. During my visit I was lucky enough to spend some time in the bakery and watch while the most delicious rhubarb crumble cake was being baked. We’re talking real homemade cakes here, all handmade daily, using fruit and jams from the farm. Definitely worth burning some calories outside to enjoy a treat with a relaxing cup of coffee.

You’ll find all the cakes are homemade at Craigie’s. Freshly made every day by the in house baker.

With large part of the farm given over to growing fruit and vegetables, it was no surprise to learn that Craigie’s have a jam making kitchen where they produce their own brand of products. Under the watchful eye of owner John’s mother Anne, they produce over 40 varieties of jams, and chutney’s in the onsite jam kitchen. It was great to see the kitchen and again, like the baking, everything is done in the traditional way, just as you would make jam at home.

Craigie’s make a range of over 40 jams, chutney’s and vinegars in the farms jam kitchen

Any visit would not be complete without a visit to the deli and butchery counter which stocks an impressive array of Scottish and local produce. During my visit I was able to meet some of the suppliers and had the chance to taste their products. Scottish cheese specialist, Tanny Gill shared his knowledge on a range of Scottish cheeses, including ‘Paddy’s Milestone‘ from Ayrshire’s Dunlop Dairy, along with ‘Jezebel ‘ and ‘Fearn Abbey Ewe’s’ Brie’ from Highland Fine cheese. Scottish wine was also on offer and it was extremely interesting to speak to Perthshire wine producer Cairn O’Mohr and taste a selection of their wines all of which had distinctive Scottish flavours and links with the area’s soft fruit industry. Their berry flavoured wines and cider made from soft fruit and apples grown in and around Perthshire were incredibly refreshing and delicious. Scottish Rapeseed oil is a real favourite of mine for cooking with and it was great to find more about Supernature Cold Pressed Rapeseed oil from nearby Carrington Barns Farm in Midlothian. Owner Lynn had brought a range of the oils for tasting and in addition to the original rapeseed oil, there was a selection of the company’s infused oils such as garlic, basil and corriander. These are superb oils, healthy delicious and great for cooking with.

Scottish cheese specialist, Tanny Gill with just some of the cheeses on sale at Craigie’s Deli

The deli at Craigie’s is packed with Scottish produce, a real testimony to John and Kirsteen’s commitment to supporting local and seasonal producers. The butchery counter has a fantastic selection of local meat and poultry and the skilled butcher is on hand with advice on different cuts and to answer any questions.

Craigie’s Farm, Cafe and Deli is open 7 days a week from 9am until 5pm. The kids will love it and there’s a guarantee that parents will too.

My thanks to John and Kirsteen Sinclair and Anna at Scene & Herd PR for the invitation to Craigie’s Farm.

Zing Organics

July 9, 2014 By Rachel Leave a Comment

When Kirsty Morrison, founder of Zing Organics sent me a range of her gourmet ‘aromachefery’ nectars and seasonings, it was a real pleasure to experiment and cook with them. Kirsty a Scottish artisan perfumer and Chandler, developed a natural range of aromatherapy based products after she became sensitive to a number of products and ingredients when pregnant.

Our stories are similar. Kirsty learned about natural aromas and flavour from her grandfather who was a market gardener and at a young age was making perfume from petals. My introduction to fragrance was much the same, as a child I would collect rosé petals and add to small bottles of water to make my own rosewater. Fast forward a number of years and my interest in aromatics continued and to further my knowledge, while my boys were young, I trained in aromatherapy. That gave me a much deeper understanding of the therapeutic benefits of aromatic and medicinal plants, and I’ve been fascinated by them ever since. They became a big part of our lives and with their wide range of health giving benefits, aromatics, herbs and spices are an integral part of my cooking.

As you would expect from this high quality artisan range, Zing Organics aromatic salts and sugars, contain only natural ingredients which Kirsty infuses with food grade organic essential oils. She has created a superb product that’s simply bursting with natural flavour along with the most delicious heavenly aromas.

The gourmet salt is available in a range of delicious flavours, including lemon, thyme, wild spruce, basil, Spanish thyme and Rosemary. Just sublime for enhancing a wide range of meat, fish, chicken and vegetable dishes.

The sugars are all Fair Trade and like the salts are packed with intensely concentrated flavour. Lavender, cardamom, bourbon geranium, bergamot and ylang ylang, flavours that add another dimension to cakes, biscuits deserts, ice creams and drinks.

All Zing Organic products are beautifully packaged in recyclable or compostable material

Kirsty sent me the Thyme, lemon and black pepper sea salts to try and here’s some of the dishes they were added to. The lemon sea is so versatile, it’s uplifting and fresh citrus flavour is a perfect addition to chicken and fish. The spicy, herbaceous flavours of the Spanish thyme salt is wonderful with potatoes, chicken and meats. Black pepper sea salt, with its sharp, spicy and penetrating flavour is an ideal partner to mix with the lemon salt and will add deep flavour to most savoury dishes.

A small sprinkling of both the lemon and thyme salts was ideal for the chicken and pork one pot dish.

A small sprinkling of both the lemon and thyme salts was ideal for this chicken and pork one pot dish.

The thyme salt was a great partner for the tiny roast potatoes

Lemon sea salt was perfect on this guacamole

Lemon sea salt, perfect partner for this guacamole

The lemon seas salt was also a wonderful addition to this smoke haddock and poached egg.

The lemon sea salt was also a wonderful addition to this smoked haddock and poached egg.

A tiny sprinkle of lemon sea salt and a sprinkle of the thyme salt really enhanced the flavour of this halibut with giant couscous and summer vegetables.

A tiny sprinkle of lemon sea salt and a sprinkle of the black pepper salt really enhanced the flavour of this halibut, served with giant couscous and summer vegetables.

I’ll be writing about what I did with the sugars in a second post about Zing Organics, but meantime, you can view the full range of gourmet salts and sugars, along with the range of candles and room fragrances on the website. www. zingorganics.co.uk

Gold medal for Barwheys cheese at 2014 Royal Highland Show.

July 3, 2014 By Rachel Leave a Comment

Earlier this year, I wrote about my visit to Ayrshire’s award winning, Barwheys Dairy and my Cheesemaking day with owner, Tricia Bey and her team. It was a fantastic experience and really broadened my knowledge on a subject I knew very little about.

Success for the team and the award winning cheddar has continued with another gold award at this years Royal Highland Show. Barwheys cheddar is a delicious cheese and if you haven’t tasted it then I recommend you check the website for a local stockist.

Another gold for Barwheys Cheddar. Pic: Claire Jessiman at Foodiequine

Here’s a reminder of my visit to the dairy and my Cheesemaking experience.

As a cheese lover, I was delighted to be invited to Barwheys Dairy in Ayrshire to learn how the award winning Barwheys cheddar is made. Each week, owner and cheese maker, Tricia Bey along with her small team make no more than 45 truckles of the hard Ayrshire cheese, using milk from the Dairy’s own special herd of pedigree Ayrshire cows. Occasionally,a smoked version (smoked at a local smokery) is available, and in 2012 the first truckles of delightfully named ‘Barwheys Beastie’ a 24 month old matured cheddar, were released for sale.

Tricia with her award winning Barwheys Cheddar

Tricia’s skills in cheesemaking were quickly recognised and within two years of production starting Barwheys Cheddar was an award winning cheese with Golds at the 2012 at the Royal Highland Show and the Prestigious British Cheese Awards. Success continued in 2013 with another Gold and the award for Best Speciality Cheese Made in Scotland at the Royal Highland Show.

Unlike many commercial brands of cheddar, Barwheys Cheddar is truly a handmade cheese and it was a fascinating experience to be a part of the cheese making process at every stage. Cheese making is a craft with many factors affecting the the process and throughout the day I was enthralled watching Tricia work. It was clear that despite the scientific elements involved, such as temperatures and acidity, Tricia’s experienced hands and intuition played an enormous part in bringing the milk to the stage that would go on to make this high quality cheese.

Like all cheese making the process starts with milk and at Barwheys, the milk is delivered directly into the dairy from Tricia’s herd of Ayrshire cows. Milk from the Ayrshire cattle breed is known for it’s superior creamy rich quality, making it ideal for cheese making, resulting in the long complex flavour and creamy texture of Barwheys cheddar. Of course, there are natural fluctuations in the volume of milk available from the herd and Summer milk differs in quality to Winter milk. During the Summer months the cows graze outside on the lush grass in the countryside around the dairy and in Winter that changes as they are housed and fed indoors.

From the Barwheys herd, straight to the dairy

Barwheys Cheddar is an unpasteurised cheese and with the milk delivered, Tricia got straight to work, heating the milk and adding the starter culture, to start the production of lactic acid in the milk. The acid is needed to create the conditions required for the addition of the rennet enzyme at the next stage. Although I had a very basic understanding of cheesemaking I had little idea of how important the acidity would prove to be in final cheese.

Rewinding from the start of the cheesmaking process, my first task of the day was to help bandage the cheese that had been made two days earlier. These had been in the cheese press and it was time for the next stage, bandaging in traditional cotton cheesecloth. After a quick but informative lesson from No 2 Cheesemaker Alison, and under her watchful eye,I managed to successfully bandaged a few of the large truckles. From there, the cheeses are transferred to the store where they are looked after by colleague Angus during the ripening process. The truckles mature on wooden shelves for between 12 and 18 months, before being sent out to hotels, restaurants , specialist cheese shops and delicatessens throughout the country.

Cheery Glasgow Cheesemonger, George Mewes, helps bandage the cheese.

Cheery Glasgow Cheesemonger, George Mewes, helps bandage the cheese.
With the starter process well underway, Tricia moved onto the next stage of adding the rennet to the warm milk. Even with my basic knowledge of cheese making, this is a fascinating stage of the process to watch as the rennet acts on the milk to form the curds. As well as being responsible for the coagulation of the curds during the early stages, the enzyme in the rennet also has a direct effect on the changes in the texture of the curd and the flavour, both during the manufacture and storage of the cheese. The change from milk to curds starts to happen quite quickly and it was during that stage of watching and listening to Tricia that her intuitive skills as a Cheesemaker were so apparent.

Despite the use of a thermometer and an acidity meter, I could instinctively see that I was watching a true craftswoman at work. Yes, the science was important but so was the experience of the Cheesemaker, hands on, the touching and watching the milk and curds during the process. The rate and action of the rennet is controlled by rate of the acidity and the temperatures achieved during these early stages. Acidity will also contribute to the flavour of the finished cheese. I could see that this was not a definitive process. The recipe was the same, the milk was from the same herd, Tricia was making cheese in the way she always did, but the acidity levels were developing slowly that day.

There could have been numerous explanations for this, possibly even the presence of a stranger in the room. I knew from my own breadmaking experience different environmental factors, even the weather, can have an influence on the alchemy of proving and making bread. Cheese making was proving that it could be just as tricky.

Regardless of how fast or slow the curds progress, the processes involved in making the cheese follows a set order. Once the curd had set, it was onto the next stage of ‘Cutting’. The cutting at Barwheys Dairy is really the only mechanical part of the process and two very sharp cheese blades make short work of the task. The cutting separates the whey from the curds and this is followed by ‘Scalding and Stirring’. Every stage is important to the process and temperature and acidity levels are continually monitored as this will determine the final moisture content of the cheese. Scalding involves gently heating the curds and whey until the final temperature is reached and while this can affect the acid level, with the finished cheese in mind, it also allows the Cheesemaker to control the acid development.

No 2 cheesemaker Alison and colleague Angus prepare the milled curds for the next stage

Discussions between Tricia and Alison about the acidity levels, relentless checking of the curds, and their highly skilled experience of previous cheese making sessions, led to the next stage, ‘Whey Off’, separating the curds and whey. The nutritious whey is not wasted. It goes full circle and is returned to the farm as feed for the cows.

The next stage, is known as ‘ Cheddaring’, the curd is piled into blocks on each side of the vat and cut into blocks. For the next few hours the the curd is turned and piled and this really was hands on and quite a strenuous task, but it made the term ‘handmade’ all the more real. It was interesting watching the changes in the curd texture as it changed to become more homogenous. This was alchemy at it’s very best, but I was in no doubt that Tricia’s expert hands had ensured the curds safe progression to this point.

The continual turning and piling of the curds continued and as the texture changed and the correct acidity level was finally achieved. The large mats of curd had reached a rubbery consistency, almost like dough and the next stage was in sight. I should add, that at that point, I pledged to never eat a piece of Barwheys Cheddar without saluting the incredible skill and effort of Tricia and her team as they produce this fantastic handmade cheese.

With the texture and the acidity level correct, the next stage of ‘Milling and Salting’ the cheddared curds began. The mats of curd were milled to the required size, salt was added and mixed through, again a task that is done by hand. The final stage had arrived and the salted curd was packed into large lined moulds to be pressed and shaped.

Cheddaring and salting the milled curds before moulding and pressing

We were back at where we started, although the compressed curds would remain in the press for a day or so to form the cheese. Once removed, like the start of my day, the bandaging would take place and batch 129/13 will spend the next 12 months in the store maturing. The batch will be ready to go out for sale next Christmas, and I’m hoping it will be in a nearby cheesemongers. Please watch out for it and if you’re fortunate enough to taste my batch, please let me know what you think. Meanwhile, if you’re planning a cheeseboard, then I recommend a nice piece of mature Barwheys Cheddar.

For further information and details on stockists of Barwheys Cheddar see www.Barwheysdairy.co.uk

Easy Chicken Traybake

July 1, 2014 By Rachel Leave a Comment

No matter how much I love cooking, there are days when I want something that’s quick and easy to cook, especially during summer when the weather is nice and I want to be in the garden. For some, this means a barbecue but for me this is where one pot dishes are great. A few ingredients, blended together with little effort, and at the end of the day, you have a delicious meal on the table.

In summer, I tend to favourite dishes that can be marinated for several hours, cooked reasonably quickly and then served with salad and bread. This chicken tray bake is an ideal dish and it’s so easy to vary the ingredients with summer vegetables, herbs and spices. The recipe was borne out of what I had in the fridge together with herbs and salad from the garden. Leaving the chicken to marinate for several hours allows the flavours to develop and penetrate the flesh of the chicken.

This easy chicken traybake makes a great one pot meal, especially at weekends.

Easy chicken tray bake with flavours of the Mediterranean

This makes a great one pot meal, especially during busy weekends, when often we don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen. You will need:- Marinade, 4 tbsp rapeseed oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, handful of chopped herbs, ( I used rosemary, marjoram, parsley & bay leaf, salt & pepper. Additional ingredients :- 8 chicken thighs, 500g new potatoes, sprig of rosemary, small punnet of cherry tomatoes, 110g/4oz chorizo sausage. (I used venison chorizo from Great Glen Game). Extra chopped herbs for garnishing.

Mix together the marinade ingredients, place in a large plastic bag along with the chicken thighs and set aside to marinate in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours. When ready to cook, Pre heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6. Place the chicken, the marinade ingredients and new potatoes in a large roasting tin, add a sprig of rosemary and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, add the tomatoes and chorizo and continue cooking for another 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked.

This is one of this dishes that is ideal for serving straight from the oven for everyone to help themselves. Scatter with some freshly chopped herbs, serve a green salad and crusty bread.

Tips

The ingredients for this dish are easy to vary, depending on the seasons and what you have available. Courgettes and aubergines will work well, as will squash or sweet potatoes. You can also use a different marinade or change the herbs for spices such as cumin, coriander and chilli.

Nose to Tail – Braised Beef Cheeks with Orange Gremolata

June 26, 2014 By Rachel Leave a Comment

Beef cheek, or ox cheek as it is commonly referred to, is a cut I’ve previously overlooked, not because of lack of appeal but mainly as it’s not one I see regularly on butchery counters, or at my local farmers market. After all, it’s not like buying steak as each cow only yields two cheeks. Now that I’ve started cooking my way through Christopher Totter’s , The Whole Cow book, I’ve discovered that’s it’s not difficult to source these lesser cuts once you start talking to your butchers.

“Also known as ox cheeks, these are well worth seeking out for their rich, meaty flavour and tender gelatinous texture”

Not a dish to be hurried but a great meal for a busy weekend as most of the work is done in the oven

Nose to Tail – Braised Beef Cheeks with Orange Gremolata

Author: Christopher Trotter

Ingredients

Serves 4
salt and pepper
1 kg/2 1/4 lb beef cheeks
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
6 shallots peeled
3 carrots, sliced thinly at an angle
500ml/18 fl oz/2 cups beef stock
1 bay leaf
2-3 sprigs of thyme
Orange Gremolata
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
grated zest of 1 orange

Instructions

Pre hear the ven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Season the beef cheeks. Heat the olive oil in a hot ovenproof casserole and brown the cheeks all over. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the butter and brown the shallots and carrots. Reduce the heat and return the meat to the pan, pour in the stock and bring to a simmer.
Add the herbs and cover with a cartouche – a disc of greaseproof papercut to snuggly fit the pan, which really keeps the moisture in slow cooked dishes. Cover with a lid and braise in the oven for 3 1/2 – 4 hours. Check the liquid doesn’t reduce too much and top up if necessary. When cooked, the meat should be tender enough to cut with a spoon. Remove from the oven and leave the meat to rest in the liquid for at least 30 minutes – or overnight.
To make the gremolata, mix together the parsley, garlic and orange zest.
Using a slotted spoon, left out the meat and the vegetables. Strain the liquid into another pan and simmer to reduce a little. Taste and check the seasoning. Return the meat and vegetables to the sauce and reheat. Slice the beef cheeks and serve with the shallots, carrots and a little of the sauce. Sprinkle a spoonful of gremolata over the cheeks before serving.

With a cooking time of 3 1/2 – 4 hours, this is not a dish to be hurried, and you will be rewarded with a rich, unctuous and comforting dish. Christopher’s recipe is served with orange gremolata, which I felt added a really citrussy and refreshing kick to the dish. The three beef cheeks fed six and I served with new potatoes and broccoli.

The orange gremolata added a refreshing flavour to the finished dish.

This was a real winner in our house and it’s a great dish for a busy weekend. Cook the day before and follow the tip (see below) to wrap in cling film and chill overnight, before serving next day. It’s a recipe I will certainly be cooking again and having grown to love cheaper cuts such as shin of beef in recent years, I’m looking forward to experimenting with beef cheeks in the near future.

A handy tip from Geoffrey Smeddle, chef and owner of the Peat Inn near St Andrews. Allow the cheeks to cool and then roll tightly in cling film and leave in the fridge to firm up. This will give a neat, even shape for slicing.

My thanks to the very talented chef and author Christopher Trotter for allowing me to reprint the recipe from The Whole Cow.

The Whole Cow by Christopher Trotter is priced at £25. ISBN 978-1-86205-989-4

Hummus

June 18, 2014 By Rachel Leave a Comment

One of my favourite snacks is the ever popular hummus. Look in the chill section of any supermarket and you’ll find a wide selection of different flavours, but it is so easy to make your own and will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

It’s ideal in lunch boxes, especially the school packed lunch. A small tub of hummus with some veg is an ideal way to get the kids eating some extra healthy vegetables.

Hummus also makes a nice vegetarian starter with vegetables and pitta bread or on one big platter with the accompaniments for everyone to share. Add some extra small dishes such as olives, sundries tomatoes and its a perfect starter to a meal rather than a snack. I like a dollop of hummus alongside some chicken or lamb and it also works well in pittas for a homemade kebab.

This is my basic recipe but you can adapt to suit your own taste by increasing or reducing the amount of lemon juice and yoghurt. adding other ingredients such as herbs and spices spices, olives or sundried tomatoes, make for a nice change of flavours. The 400g can of chickpeas makes a reasonable amount and once you’ve made the basic recipe, it’s easy to divide and add other ingredients.

1 400g can of chickpeas

3 desert spoons of Tahini

2 large garlic cloves

2 – 3 desert spoons of natural yoghurt

3 – 4 tbsp of rapeseed or for an extra kick use the Chilli infused oil. Olive oil is the traditional oil used in hummus, use if preferred.

Juice of 1 lemon

Seasoning.

Place all the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, yoghurt, oil and half of the lemon juice and seasoning in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Taste and adjust the seasoning and if needed add the remaining lemon juice.

My Hotter Moment

June 18, 2014 By Rachel Leave a Comment

‘Secret ingredients that make comfortable shoes‘, a ‘Comfort Concept‘, that got my attention in an invitation from ‘Hotter‘ to the launch of the new Summer collection at their Glasgow store. Next to food, which is normally what you’ll find me writing about, I’m quite partial to shoes. Not any old shoes you understand, usually flattish, comfortable, stylish shoes, the kind you don’t really want to take off. And believe me after many years of buying flat shoes, I feel well qualified to tell you that flat doesn’t always mean comfort, and blending comfort and style can sometimes be tricky. Not so at Hotter, they’ve been making stylish, comfy shoes for over five decades and their shoes have a ‘little secret’, ‘The Comfort Concept’

At Hotter Shoes, the ‘Comfort Concept’ is not just a marketing slogan, it’s a blend of secret ingredients, injected into every pair of shoes, that creates the perfect Hotter fit. Flex grooves in the sole allow for flexibility, pyramid technology for heavenly comfort on the ball of the foot, and supersoft all round padding is what you’ll find in a Hotter shoe, along with ‘wiggle’ room for toes

Hotter’s little secret….The Comfort Concept

Super Soft
Lightweight
Cushioning
Flexible
Breathable
Fittings to Suit You

And then, the promise of the ‘Hotter Moment‘, the pleasure you feel when you slip into a pair of Hotter shoes. Yes, that really does happen and it’s not the least bit embarrassing!

Another passion at Hotter Shoes is to create beautiful shoes, footwear that’s fashionable, versatile and feminine with lots of detail. I was certainly impressed by the kaleidoscope of colours and prints across the collections, and with a wide range of styles, it meant there was a shoe for every occasion. Although I didn’t chose the prettiest pair of shoes in new colourful summer range, my choice, a pair of ‘Scarlett’ sandals, was perfect for my feet and my up an coming holiday to USA.

My 'Scarlett' sandals, described as 'designed to fit anatomically'

My ‘Scarlett’ sandals, described as anatomically designed to fit.

I chose the Violet Nubuck but Scarlett also comes in ‘Dark Aqua, Khaki and Black and in two fittings, standard and extra wide.

Fast forward a few weeks and me and my sandals were on a road test in Georgia and in particular the North Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains. Did my ‘Hotter Moment‘ continue? Let’s face it, uncomfortable shoes can be a nightmare but on holidays there’s no time for aching feet.

C’mon boy, these sandals were made for walking

The answer is an overwhelming yes. These super comfortable, action woman sandals went fishing, dog walking, played ‘horseshoe’, lay on the deck, shopped and generally strolled around North Georgia.

Ready for action, even when resting

Back home in Scotland my ‘Scarletts’ have been a little less active but we’re still marching around the countryside on dogs walks and taking everyday life in our stride. Definitely at the top of my top comfy shoe list. The Summer has a bit to go yet and I’m sure my sandals will see some more action in the weeks to come.

Hotter also gave me this beautiful luxurious Umbrella and I’m sure it will see plenty of action with the Scottish weather.

The beautiful ‘Coniston’ umbrella is available in three colours

Thanks to Hotter for providing the pair of Scarlett sandals for road testing. Check out the Hotter website to see the videos from the launch of the Summer collection at their Glasgow Store, with a few words from me on my Sandals.

One last word…..thanks to Jess the dog for being my partner on the ‘Hotter’ road test.

Greek Salad, the perfect summer lunch

June 15, 2014 By Rachel Leave a Comment

Greek salad is one of my favourite salads and with Scottish Clyde Valley tomatoes now on sale, it’s the perfect time to make big bowlful to eat with some crusty bread.

These super sweet tomatoes from Clyde Valley tomatoes are perfect for Greek salad

During the Summer months I try to keep block of Feta cheese in the fridge and along with other simple ingredients you can very quickly pull the salad together. My recipe is simple, no strong dressing as the flavour of the Feta, tomatoes, olives,onion and herbs speak for themselves, although I do use good quality olive oil.

Greek Salad

4 large tomatoes or approximately 20 cherry tomatoes.
Half a cucumber
1 red onion
Black olives ..I use a small pack with about 20 olives.
Block of Feta Cheese
Herbs….fresh…Oregano is good but sometimes I use basil, dill or parsley.

Dressing.
50 ml Olive oil,
15 ml Red wine vinegar
Freshly Ground black pepper and sea salt flakes.

Chop the tomatoes and cucumber into bite size chunks, slice the red onion thinly, add the olives and crumble over the Feta Cheese.
Combine the dressing ingredients and mix through the salad. Scatter the herbs on top, drizzle with some more olive oil and season to taste.

Greek salad, quick and easy to make for a Summer lunch

Accompanied by crusty bread, the salad will serve four as a starter or 2 for a main.

Serve with crusty bread and maybe a nice glass of chilled white wine.