Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Tart: Recipe

In market towns they have plentiful supplies of purple sprouting broccoli, white sprouting broccoli is worth looking out for too (Nigel Slater has written a helpful article in the Guardian). My greengrocer sells purple sprouting broccoli in a small bundle and it is ridiculously expensive, I had to take a deep breath before handing over my money.

The recipe for this tart is from April 2013 Delicious Magazine, fortunately it only needs a few broccoli spears.  The original recipe uses Wensleydale Cheese and also double cream but I've adapted the recipe, I had a slab of Cheddar cheese and a pot of creme fraiche in the fridge and they worked perfectly.

Adapted recipe.

You will need: 26cm loose based flan tin

few spears of purple sprouting broccoli
2 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, finely diced
3 large eggs and 2 yolks, beaten
250ml creme fraiche
150g Cheddar cheese, grated
35g cream cheese

For the pastry:
300g plain flour
145g butter, chilled and cubed
approx 4 tbsp iced water

1. Whiz the flour and butter in a food processor until the consistency of fine breadcrumbs. Add 4 tablespoons of iced water and whiz again until the pastry starts to come together.  Tip out onto a board and form into a ball of dough.  Shape into a round, and cover with cling wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Remove from the fridge and allow to stand for a while, otherwise it will be difficult to roll out the pastry.
2. Preheat the oven to 190ºC.  Roll out the pastry and line the tart tin with pastry, I always use this method from Delia's site How To Bake a Pastry Case.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 180ºC.
4. Blanch the broccoli spears in salted boiling water for 2 minutes, drain and refresh in ice-cold water.    Drain really well again.
5. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the shallots for 10 minutes to soften.
6. Whisk the eggs, yolks, cream, Cheddar and cream cheese in a jug, season.
7. Spread the shallots on the base of the pastry case.  Pour over the egg mixture.  Arrange the broccoli florets over the egg mixture.  Bake for approximately 20 minutes until just set.
8. Remove from the oven and cool.  Best eaten whilst warm.

Sticky Clementine Steamed Puddings

I'm definitely not trying to tease anyone who is on a New Year diet but steamed pudding, especially at this time of the year, is difficult to beat. The recipe was on the front cover of Delicious Magazine and I thought they looked just too good to resist.

These little puddings have a wonderful hit of ginger and cinnamon, surprisingly this isn't a heavy pudding, but light and sticky. They need turning out of the basins whilst they are still warm otherwise they will stay in the basins for ever. Once they are out of the metal basins they can be reheated perfectly in the microwave.

The pudding is served with a sticky clementine infused syrup and cold cream - delicious.

Slightly adapted.

Serves: 6

You will need: 6 x 175ml dariole or pudding basins, greased and base-lined with parchment discs.

Soft light brown sugar to sprinkle, 2 clementines(1 sliced into rounds and 1 squeezed), 125g self-raising flour, 90g golden caster sugar, 65g fresh white breadcrumbs, 1 heaped tsp baking powder, 90g shredded suet, 4 tbsp orange marmalade, 2½ tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 large free-range egg, 4 tbsp golden syrup, 3-4 tbsp milk. Cream to serve.

For the Syrup

You will need: Juice of 2 clementines strained, 75g golden caster sugar, 2 tbsp golden syrup.

1. Sprinkle the base of each basin with a little soft brown sugar, then put a clementine round(no need to peel) in the base of each pudding basin.
2. Mix together the flour and golden caster sugar with a small pinch of salt, the breadcrumbs, baking powder and suet. In a small bowl whisk the marmalade with the clementine juice, spices, egg and then the golden syrup, stir the wet mixture into the flour mixture. Add just enough milk to bring it together into a soft dropping consistency.
3. Fill each basin two-thirds full. Cut out 6 squares of non-stick baking foil and make a pleat in each one, place over the top of the basin and tuck firmly around the edges.
4. Place the puddings into a steamer and steam for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.
5. For the syrup: Put the clementine juice, sugar and golden syrup in a small saucepan over a medium heat and allow the sugar to melt. Increasing the heat and bring to a boil until the syrup thickens.
6. Remove the puddings, cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Drizzle the syrup over and allow to soak into the puddings.

MUSHROOM QUICHE

Delicious Magazine is a great source of reliable recipes, they devote a section to 'veggie matters', which is where this quiche recipe came from.

If you are off on a picnic anytime soon, this is the perfect quiche to take with you!

The recipe title should be 'with parsley pastry', but I feared I would possibly end up with green pastry! Maybe, I just wasn't feeling very lucky the day I made the quiche and so decided to play it safe using the usual shortcrust pastry.

I always use Delia's foolproof method for baking the pastry 'blind' and to date it has never let me down, also it gives a wonderful crisp pastry without all the messing about with parchment paper and baking beans.

Quiche can take forever to make, but I now make mine in stages, it seems to be less painful this way.

. Make the pastry and rest in the fridge.
. Later remove pastry from the fridge, roll out, line the tin and prick the pastry with a fork.
. Pop lined tin in the freezer overnight.
. Remove pastry case and prepare to Delia's instructions.
. Whilst the pastry case is cooking, deal with the filling ingredients.

Well, it works for me anyway!!


Equipment: 35cm x 10cm x 3cm deep fluted tart tin with loose base.

You will need: 30g unsalted butter, 1 finely chopped red onion, 200g sliced button mushrooms, 1 tsp lemon juice, 4 tbs chopped fresh flatleaf parsley, 3tbs snipped fresh chives, 2 large free-range eggs lightly beaten, 170ml whipping cream.

For the pastry: 155g plain flour, 3tbs very finely chopped fresh flatleaf parsley (if you are making the parsley pastry), 90g cold unsalted butter chopped, 1 large free-range egg yolk and you may need a couple of teaspoons of iced water.

1. To make the pastry, sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a large bowl. Mix the parsley through. Lightly rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre. Add the egg yolk to the well and mix, using a knife, until a rough dough forms, adding a little iced water if needed. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.
2.Roll out the pastry on a sheet of baking paper until large enough to fit the base and sides of the tin. Line the tin and trim the edges. Chill for 20 minutes.
3.Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/Gas5. Bake the pastry shell using Delia's method. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/fan160°C/Gas4.
4. Make the mushroom filling. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the onion and saute over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes until soft. Stir in the lemon juice and herbs. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and cream together and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
5. Spread the mushroom mixture into the pastry shell and pour the egg mixture over the top. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the filling has set.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SUNFLOWER AND HONEY FLOWERPOT BREAD

Children will love this flowerpot bread I've made to celebrate this week. Making bread with little ones, is a great rainy day activity, (obviously, you will need to use the traditional method). It has to be said, using a bread machine couldn't be classed as 'fun'.

The bread is a mixture of white and malted brown bread flower, sweetened with honey and decorated with sunflower seeds (I wouldn't use the sunflower seeds as decoration for very small children but use something like oat flakes).

I made Feta, Tomato and Rosemary Flowerpot bread last time and you can see the recipe here.

There is a problem using flowerpots for bread making, and that is, the cooked bread can stick to them, making removal of the bread difficult. Last time I lined the pots with parchment which made the bread easy to remove. Unfortunately, the parchment paper stops the bread from crisping.

This time round, I decided to put discs of parchment paper in the base of the pots and greased the inside really well with butter. When cooked, if you tip the pots upside down, the bread is well and truly stuck - so, a palette knife carefully put between the bread and pot, just about manages to remove the bread in one piece!

I've now decided to do some research on the net about using flower pots, and it seems that you need to season them first to stop the bread sticking. If you click here you can see how it's done.

I halved the quantities stated in the recipe, which came from Delicious Magazine, and made enough dough to fill six flowerpots. The dough was made in the bread maker, less liquid is needed if you use this method.

There is nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked bread and these little flowerpots had a wonderful crisp top, soft within and scented with honey.

GOAT'S CHEESE PUFF PASTRY SLICE

To be more precise the recipe title should read - Chorizo and goat's cheese puff pastry slice with broccoli, mushroom and tomato - phew!

I couldn't get any chorizo from the butchers, and because I'm a very fussy meat eater, I replaced the chorizo with Dolcelatte cheese.

The recipe oven settings and timings are suspect. I tried the settings as suggested, even though I doubted them, and they were just too slow. The recipe settings are 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4 - by all means try this - but I think you will have to turn your oven up.

The September issue of Delicious Magazine is full of wonderful recipes and this is one of Paul Merrett's, who is a professional chef. He took on an allotment, created some dishes using his produce and has written a book - Using the Plot:Tales of an Allotment Chef.

The slice was delicious.

Serves: 4

You will need:

500g good-quality puff pastry, 4 fresh chorizo sausages (I used some cubes of dolcelatte cheese), 100g (16) small broccoli florets, 8 thickly sliced button mushrooms, 120g (4 slices) goat's cheese log (skinned and broken into small pieces), 8 halved cherry tomatoes, 4 tablespoons grated Cheddar.

1. Roll out the puff pastry to a 30cm x 30cm square about 5mm thick. Cut this square of pastry into 4 smaller squares and crimp the edges with your fingers. Using a fork, prick the pastry bases. Place them on baking paper on a baking sheet, then pop them in the fridge to rest for about 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan180°C/Gas 6.
3. If you are using the chorizo sausages, skin them and break them up into bite-size chunks. Blanch the broccoli in boiling water for 30 seconds, then refresh under the cold tap.
4. Arrange the chorizo(if using), broccoli, mushrooms, goat's cheese and tomatoes on the pastry bases. Make sure that each base is evenly covered. I brushed the vegetables with olive oil, then sprinkle over the grated cheese and the Dolcelatte cheese, if using.
5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown around the edges. Serve warm.

Note: I crimped the edges of the pastry but somehow it uncrimped itself!

STRAWBERRY JAM

When I made the mini Victoria sponge cakes, posted below, I didn't get the chance to make the strawberry jam, Delicious Magazine made for the filling - but now I have triumphed and made two wonderful pots of fresh tasting strawberry jam.

Jam making can consist of two or three simple ingredients, but somehow they manage to terrorise me. I'm just not at ease when it comes to making preserves, even though I've read up on the subject.

When I look at my two jars of bright red strawberry jam, I must confess, I can't help feeling pleased with myself.

Unfortunately the strawberries didn't come from my garden, for the simple reason I have to share them with the squirrel. I've put netting over the plants this year, did this stop him - no! Now he just puts his teeth into them because he can't steal them, I think I would rather he stole them than left me staring at strawberries with teeth marks in them.

A slightly adapted recipe from Delicious Magazine August 2007

STRAWBERRY JAM

Makes approximately 2 x 1 lb jars

450g strawberries, hulled
500g preserving sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Freeze 2 saucers.
2. Put the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice into a greased preserving pan over a medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat. Put a spoonful onto a chilled saucer and push your finger through it - if it wrinkles, it's ready, if not, boil for another 2 minutes and repeat.
3. Stir in a small piece of butter.
4. Let stand for 15 minutes.
5. Spoon into sterilised jars. Cover jam with waxed discs. Moisten one side of transparent cover, place on jar damp side uppermost, secure over rim of jar with a rubber band.

MINI VICTORIA SPONGE CAKES

You've probably guessed by now that I love cooking from Delicious Magazine and here is yet another recipe that caught my eye. This recipe comes from the August 2007 issue.
I've used fresh strawberries and West Country double cream as the filling.
Delicious Magazine gave the recipe for strawberry jam to be used with the cream as the filling, and I will post the jam recipe very soon.
Baking cakes and desserts is probably my most favourite part of cooking and I seem to fall in love with anything and everything 'mini' in the baking and desserts department!

Serves 8

For the cakes:
170g butter, softened, 170g caster sugar, 3 medium eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 170g self-raising flour.

For the filling:
284ml carton whipping cream, a large punnet of strawberries, icing sugar for dusting.

You will need 4 x 8-9cm straight-sided individual Yorkshire pudding tins or 8 round plain cutters, sat on a lined tray. The tins will need to be greased and base lined.

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/fan 160ºC/gas 4.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla, then gradually beat into the creamed mixture, adding a little of the flour. Sift over the remaining flour and gently fold in until just combined.
3. Divide evenly between the holes or rings, smoothing the surface. Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool.
4. Lightly whip the cream to soft peaks. Spread onto 4 sponge bases, top with quartered strawberries and sandwich with the remaining sponge discs. Dust each with icing sugar to serve. Each cake serves 2.

INDIVIDUAL SUMMER PUDDINGS

This recipe is from the August 2007 copy of Delicious Magazine and they have called this issue Healthy Summer Eating.
Summer pudding comes in all shapes and sizes and we are flooded with different recipes. This particular recipe has creme de cassis added to the fruit! I love individual puddings and so this recipe won hands down when it came to making something quick, light and tasty.
Instead of lining the basin all the way round with bread, the base is lined with a round of bread and the rest of the bread is broken up and added to the fruit mixture. What a brilliant idea from the people at Delicious Magazine.
My own tip is to first line the basins with clingfilm, this will ensure the puddings turn out of the tins instead of having to stand there with your fingers crossed and hoping!

Makes: 4

Start the day before, as they need to chill overnight in the fridge.

250g raspberries, 125g blackcurrants, 125g redcurrants, 100g caster sugar, 6 slices white bread, crusts removed, 2 tablespoons creme de cassis, plus extra to serve.

1. Put the fruit and sugar in a pan over a medium heat. Gently simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the juices have begun to run from the fruit. Don't overcook the fruit. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
2. Using a 6cm plain cutter, cut out 4 rounds from 2 slices of the bread (keep the trimmings). Dip both sides into the fruit, so the juices soak the bread, then use to line the base of 4 x 150ml individual pudding basins.
3. Tear the remaining bread into pieces and stir into the fruit mixture, along with the creme de cassis. Spoon into each mould and cover with clingfilm. Place on a baking tray and weigh each one down. Chill overnight.
4. The next day, turn out onto serving plates. Drizzle with extra creme de cassis to serve.

If you don't have any fresh fruit, a bag of frozen summer fruits can be used instead.

FETA, TOMATO AND ROSEMARY FLOWERPOT BREADS

There is something wonderful about making your own bread and that 'thing' is talked about with passion in books dedicated to the art of breadmaking. Whatever that 'thing' is, it is individual to you, be it the kneading, watching the bread prove, the aroma from the bread cooking or a magnificent loaf of bread when it comes out of the oven.
Bread never fails to please, especially if it has been made by your goodself.

Andrew at SpittoonExtra is hosting the challenge Waiter there's something in my ............bread and this recipe is taken from the April 2007 Delicious Magazine.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/Gas 7.

1. Take a 240g tub SunBlush tomatoes, drain, reserving 1 tbs oil and 8 tomatoes. Chop the rest.
2. Make the dough by sifting 500g strong white bread flour and 1 tsp salt into a large bowl. Stir in a 7g sachet of fast action yeast. Make a well in the centre and gradually mix in 250ml warm water, the reserved 1 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary and the chopped tomatoes. Knead, then knead in 150g crumbled feta.
3. Shape into 8 balls and place into 7cm terracotta pots that have been oiled and floured, or cut out 9 inch squares of parchment and line the flowerpots. Prove for 30 minutes. Top with more feta and a reserved tomato, and push in a small, wet rosemary sprig. Bake for 25 minutes.

The advantage of using the parchment is twofold, firstly it makes removal of the bread from the pots easy and also the tomato doesn't slide off the dough onto the baking tray because the parchment stops this!!

These were very easy to make and tasted wonderful.

For further reading on bread I would recommend - Baking with Passion by Baker & Spice.

MINI SIMNEL CAKES

Over the years I have always made a large Simnel cake, but this year I was tempted by the pretty mini Simnel cakes in the April 2007 issue of Delicious magazine.

Julia over at A Slice of Cherry Pie is hosting an Easter Cake Bake and these little cakes seemed perfect, with the pretty little flowers as decoration, especially as we are now surrounded by spring flowers.

175g butter, softened, 175g caster sugar, 3 medium eggs, 225g plain flour sifted, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp mixed spice, 350g luxury mixed dried fruit, 100g chopped walnuts or almonds, grated zest and juice of 1 orange, 100g natural almond paste, cubed.
For the decoration: icing sugar to dust, 325g natural almond paste, yellow and green food paste colour.

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan140°C/gas 3 and grease a 12 x 125ml muffin tin or mould. Beat the butter, sugar, eggs and flour until smooth. Add the baking powder, spice, fruit and nuts, orange zest and juice, mix well. Divide between the 12 muffins and push in the almond paste pieces. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and firm. Cool for 20 minutes, then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.
2. Thinly roll out 250g almond paste. Press out 12 rounds with a 7cm plain cutter. Press on each cake and crimp the edges. Colour any remaining almond paste to make flowers and leaves.

Next time I make these I will alter them slightly by omitting the nuts and also only using 50g of cubed marzipan and not the 100g as in the recipe, this is because I found the ratio of marzipan to cake was too much.
These cakes are delicious and I will definitely make them again.