MINI CHERRY TOMATO AND BASIL PESTO GALETTES

Whilst admiring Scott's Strawberry and Champagne Jam on his site I noticed that he is hosting Weekend Herb Blogging. and my canapes made with basil pesto fit the theme superbly and so here is my entry for the above.
We had a 'bit of a do' this last weekend and I made a few canapes. These in particular were very popular. They were easy to make and big on taste.
Making pesto is a doddle - I used basil from my garden and there wasn't a cellophane wrapped package of basil or a jar of pesto in sight.
The book I took this recipe from is my personal favourite - the recipes are all 'do-able', the food styling and photography is amazing. Every photograph, on every page, jumps out at you and says make me.
If you are about to have a 'bit of a do' look out for this book - you'll be glad you did!

CANAPES

Eric Treuille & Victoria Blashford-Snell

ISBN 1405305134 - Page 44

Makes: 20

15g basil leaves, 2 tbsp pine nuts, 1 tbsp olive oil, 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated, 200g puff pastry, 20 cherry tomatoes, each cut into 3 slices, salt, black pepper, 20 basil sprigs to garnish.

You will need a 5cm fluted pastry cutter.



FOR THE PESTO:
Place the basil, pine nuts, oil and Parmesan in a food processor or blender and pulse to a thick paste.

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC(400ºF)Gas 6.
2. Roll out pastry on a floured surface to 2.5mm thick. Stamp out 20 rounds with the pastry cutter. Place the pastry rounds onto a floured baking sheet.
3. Spread ½ tsp pesto onto each pastry round and top with 3 cherry tomato slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Bake until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes.
5. Garnish each galette with ½ tsp pesto and a basil sprig. Serve warm.

Pesto can be made up to 3 days in advance. Put into a container, place a layer of clingfilm on top of the pesto and refrigerate.
Bake galettes up to 1 day in advance.
Reheat in a preheated oven 200ºC(400ºF)Gas 6 for 3 minutes. Garnish and serve warm.

CAN I HAVE ANOTHER ONE PLEASE?

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.

SALMON WITH CRUSHED NEW POTATOES, ROCKET AND LIME PESTO

Another recipe from Woman&Home Feel Good Food Magazine, this time from the Summer 2007 issue.
There are sections on food know-how, celebrity chefs' recipes, outdoor eating, summer detox, starters and soups, fish and seafood, salads and vegetables, meat and poultry plus a section on desserts.
The recipe I chose to cook came under the summer detox section and not only tasted good but looked amazing. The rocket and lime pesto was very light and fresh.
I made this last Friday during the torrential downpours. My son was coming home to visit for the weekend and had an horrendous journey, like thousands of other commuters. He didn't arrive here until 10.30 p.m. This dinner cheered him up and he savoured every mouthful!

Serves: 4 people

750g new potatoes, 1 small red onion, finely chopped, 2 ripe tomatoes, deseeded and diced, 1 small yellow pepper, finely chopped, 3tbsp chopped fresh chervil, 2 tbsp olive oil, 4 thick salmon fillets, weighing about 125g each.

FOR THE PESTO: 50g wild rocket, 50g pine nuts, 1 garlic clove, crushed, juice 1 lime, 6tbsp cold pressed olive oil.

1. Make the pesto by placing all the ingredients in a blender and whizzing to a thick puree. Put in the fridge to chill.
2. Place the potatoes in a large pan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes until tender. Drain and crush gently with the back of a fork. Combine the onion, tomatoes, pepper, chervil and olive oil and divide among four plates.
3. Preheat a large, non-stick frying pan and add the salmon, skin side down. Season and cook over a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Place a salmon fillet on top of the potatoes, drizzle with the pesto and serve.

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.

TOMATO, BASIL AND TALEGGIO TART

A while back, whilst in the newsagents, I was looking at all the foodie magazines and I came across a new quarterly food magazine by the people at Woman&Home.
The first thing I loved was the front cover, a beautiful Mango parfait topped with blueberries. Flicking through the pages the recipes come under evocative headings such as calming foods, de-stressing foods, vitality foods, radiance foods, energising foods, mood foods and relaxing foods.
There are recipes by Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, Nigella Lawson, James Martin and Nigel Slater, Alastair Hendy and others.
A section of the magazine is also devoted to Books for Cooks where a short review is given on current cookery books.
The recipe I have chosen to cook from this magazine is very simple, took a short time to prepare and looked and tasted wonderful.


This recipe will serve 4 people or in our case, it only served the two of us!

You will need:
375g packet ready-rolled puff pastry, 1 bunch basil, leaves only, plus extra to garnish, 300g baby tomatoes on the vine, 250g cubed Taleggio cheese, 1 tablespoon milk.

1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC, fan 200ºC, 425ºF, Gas 7. Place the pastry on a large flat baking sheet and score a rim along the sides of the rectangle, 2.5cm in from the edge.
2. Scatter the basil over the pastry and place the tomatoes on top without removing the vines. Season well with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
3. Scatter over the cheese and brush the outside rim of the pastry with milk. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and risen. Scatter over some more fresh basil before serving.