This Page

has moved to a new address:

http://farmersgirlkitchen.co.uk

Sorry for the inconvenience…

Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration Service
----------------------------------------------------- Blogger Template Style Name: Snapshot: Madder Designer: Dave Shea URL: mezzoblue.com / brightcreative.com Date: 27 Feb 2004 ------------------------------------------------------ */ /* -- basic html elements -- */ body {padding: 0; margin: 0; font: 75% Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: #474B4E; background: #fff; text-align: center;} a {color: #DD6599; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;} a:visited {color: #D6A0B6;} a:hover {text-decoration: underline; color: #FD0570;} h1 {margin: 0; color: #7B8186; font-size: 1.5em; text-transform: lowercase;} h1 a {color: #7B8186;} h2, #comments h4 {font-size: 1em; margin: 2em 0 0 0; color: #7B8186; background: transparent url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/bg-header1.gif) bottom right no-repeat; padding-bottom: 2px;} @media all { h3 { font-size: 1em; margin: 2em 0 0 0; background: transparent url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/bg-header1.gif) bottom right no-repeat; padding-bottom: 2px; } } @media handheld { h3 { background:none; } } h4, h5 {font-size: 0.9em; text-transform: lowercase; letter-spacing: 2px;} h5 {color: #7B8186;} h6 {font-size: 0.8em; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 2px;} p {margin: 0 0 1em 0;} img, form {border: 0; margin: 0;} /* -- layout -- */ @media all { #content { width: 700px; margin: 0 auto; text-align: left; background: #fff url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/bg-body.gif) 0 0 repeat-y;} } #header { background: #D8DADC url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/bg-headerdiv.gif) 0 0 repeat-y; } #header div { background: transparent url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/header-01.gif) bottom left no-repeat; } #main { line-height: 1.4; float: left; padding: 10px 12px; border-top: solid 1px #fff; width: 428px; /* Tantek hack - http://www.tantek.com/CSS/Examples/boxmodelhack.html */ voice-family: "\"}\""; voice-family: inherit; width: 404px; } } @media handheld { #content { width: 90%; } #header { background: #D8DADC; } #header div { background: none; } #main { float: none; width: 100%; } } /* IE5 hack */ #main {} @media all { #sidebar { margin-left: 428px; border-top: solid 1px #fff; padding: 4px 0 0 7px; background: #fff url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/bg-sidebar.gif) 1px 0 no-repeat; } #footer { clear: both; background: #E9EAEB url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/bg-footer.gif) bottom left no-repeat; border-top: solid 1px #fff; } } @media handheld { #sidebar { margin: 0 0 0 0; background: #fff; } #footer { background: #E9EAEB; } } /* -- header style -- */ #header h1 {padding: 12px 0 92px 4px; width: 557px; line-height: 1;} /* -- content area style -- */ #main {line-height: 1.4;} h3.post-title {font-size: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0;} h3.post-title a {color: #C4663B;} .post {clear: both; margin-bottom: 4em;} .post-footer em {color: #B4BABE; font-style: normal; float: left;} .post-footer .comment-link {float: right;} #main img {border: solid 1px #E3E4E4; padding: 2px; background: #fff;} .deleted-comment {font-style:italic;color:gray;} /* -- sidebar style -- */ @media all { #sidebar #description { border: solid 1px #F3B89D; padding: 10px 17px; color: #C4663B; background: #FFD1BC url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/bg-profile.gif); font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 0.9; margin: 0 0 0 -6px; } } @media handheld { #sidebar #description { background: #FFD1BC; } } #sidebar h2 {font-size: 1.3em; margin: 1.3em 0 0.5em 0;} #sidebar dl {margin: 0 0 10px 0;} #sidebar ul {list-style: none; margin: 0; padding: 0;} #sidebar li {padding-bottom: 5px; line-height: 0.9;} #profile-container {color: #7B8186;} #profile-container img {border: solid 1px #7C78B5; padding: 4px 4px 8px 4px; margin: 0 10px 1em 0; float: left;} .archive-list {margin-bottom: 2em;} #powered-by {margin: 10px auto 20px auto;} /* -- sidebar style -- */ #footer p {margin: 0; padding: 12px 8px; font-size: 0.9em;} #footer hr {display: none;} /* Feeds ----------------------------------------------- */ #blogfeeds { } #postfeeds { }

Wednesday, 1 May 2013

Credit Crunch Munch - May 2013

I am guest hosting the May Credit Crunch Munch, from Fuss Free Flavours & Fab Food 4 All
Credit Crunch Munch is all about saving some money, whilst still enjoying great food.Money saving topics could be:-
  • Dishes using cheaper ingredients – cheap cuts of meat or vegetarian
  • Meals using leftovers
  • Meals using up the ends of packets
  • Substitutions of cheaper ingredients
  • Packed lunches
  • Meals that use less energy to cook
  • Pressure cooking
  • Slow cooking
  • Faster cooking – less oven time for example
  • Batch cooking for the freezer
  • Sustainable foods
  • Food you have grown yourself
  • Meals from reduced food in the supermarket
The list is endless!

To take part!

To take part, simply blog about any money saving idea that is vaguely food related, I am especially keen to hear about substitutions for when you run out of something this monthThere are a few rules
  • Please link to this page and the Credit Crunch Munch pages on Fuss Free Flavours and Fab Food for All
  • Please link to the current host (ME!) Farmersgirl Kitchen
  • Please use the Credit Crunch Munch Badge
  • Tweet using #creditcrunchmunch
  • Closing date – last day of the month
  • By entering you are agreeing to this site using your image in the round up, and us pinning entry to Pinterest.
  • Remember to respect others’ copyright.

Prize
I have one copy of the DVD 'Two Greedy Italians- Still Hungry', which I reviewed last month, as a prize for one lucky entrant who will be chosen at random once the Linky closes. In Episode 3 ' The Alps and Arrangiarsi, Antonio and Gennaro go foraging for ingredients and live off their wits and the land so I felt it was really quite appropriate for Credit Crunch Munch!

As hosts and guest host, Fuss Free Flavours, Fab Food 4 All and Farmersgirl Kitchen entries will be excluded from the prize draw.

Feel free to

  • Send to as many other events as you like, let’s help everyone save money!
Tell me about your money saving ideas on the linky below! I am also making this a blog hop, so feel free to grab the code and add to your post too. Let’s spread the money saving meme!We’ll be looking for guest hosts later in the year, so please mail helen at fussfreeflavours dot com if you are interested.

THERE SEEM TO BE A FEW ISSUES WITH THE LINKY. IF YOU CAN'T GET IT TO LINK, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT WITH A LINK TO YOUR RECIPE. THANK YOU.

Labels: , , , ,

posted by Janice @ 09:00 2 Comments

Sunday, 3 March 2013

Dish of the Month - March 2013


It's time to launch another month of Dish of the Month a blog event to celebrate the recipes of Nigel Slater. If you tweet your recipe @realnigelslater he might even reply to you some of last month's entrants found out.  Check it out in the February Dish of the Month round up. Some of us are cooking our way month by month through The kitchen diaries II, however you can make any dish from any of Nigel's books or use the on line recipes. The full rules are shown at the bottom of the post.

My Dish of the Month for is from March 16th in the Kitchen Diaries II. it's an adaptation of Nigel's Pork shoulder with ginger and anise.  I didn't have a pork shoulder, but I did have two huge and delicious Saddleback Pork Chops provided to me for review by Farmison it's a really simple slow cooked recipe packed with flavour.

All the gorgeous meat I got from the two Saddleback Pork Chops
I managed to make the two chops stretch to feed three of us and the flavours of the ginger and anise were outstanding,  I would definitely make this again.  If you use the pork shoulder, the recipe is designed to provide leftovers for some further dishes which is great idea.

This month I am delighted to say that one entrant will win a 2.8L Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl and a Medium Silicone Spatula from the lovely people at OXO Good Grips.  Products from OXO Good Grips are of  the highest standards of design and manufacture, a delight to own and use.  The winner will be chosen by Random Number Generator when the Linky closes on 28th March. The prize draw is for UK residents only but anyone can join in and share their recipe on the Dish of the Month Linky.




If you would like to take part, then please:
  • Make a Dish of the Month from ANY recipe by Nigel Slater
  • Link to Farmersgirl Kitchen or A Little Bit of Heaven on a Plate
  •  Use the Dish of the Month logo in your post
  • If you use twitter, tweet your post with @serialcrafter or @Heavenona_plate and #DishoftheMonth and we will re-tweet it to our followers. 
Rules:
  • If you own The kitchen diaries II please do not publish the recipes on your blog without permission, they are copyright.
  • If you are using recipes from the BBC Food website, please link to the recipe on BBC Food rather than publishing the recipe.  Likewise recipes on the Guardian Lifestyle website.
  • One entry per blog.
  • Recipes must be added to the linky by the 28th of each month.


The round up for Dish of the Month is now live over at A little bit of Heaven on a Plate
 Add your Dish of the Month to the linky below:

Labels: , , , , , ,

posted by Janice @ 15:00 5 Comments

Thursday, 25 October 2012

Vintage Cakes: Review and Giveaway


Polenta Cake on my Great Grandmother's vintage china


Vintage Cakes 

Tremendously good cakes for sharing and giving



It doesn’t take much to encourage me to make cakes.  Currently, the market is flooded with baking books, some written by professional bakers and others by well known ‘professional’ home bakers like Mary Berry.  And then there is a whole shelf of baking books written by Great British Bake Off finalists like Jo Wheatley, Edd Kimber and Ruth Clemens.  I already have a lot of baking books but I wasn't going pass on the chance to review another book about cakes.

Jane Brocket, the author of Vintage Cakes, is also the successful author of 'The Gentle Art of Domesticity' and 'Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer'.  Both books include recipes for favourite family treats and old fashioned cakes. 

Starting out

The book starts with some 'essential' chapters. Essential ingredients; this provides a comprehensive guide to the most common ingredients used in baking.  This is followed by an equally comprehensive chapter about Essential equipment.  This isn’t a huge list of expensive kit, it’s a useful checklist with a caveat that you can ‘use what you have’ and adapt! In Essential techniques the author covers everything from oven temperature, through sifting, and testing for doneness.  These are a real boon for new or inexperienced bakers and even experienced bakers can learn from the information in these three chapters.

 The Recipes

The chapters are organised by the type of cake, I think this is really useful as most bakers have a purpose in mind when they want to bake.  There is an index at the back if you are looking for something in particular.

cake-tin cakes includes Marmalade Cake, Sticky Date Cake, Parkin, Gingerbread, Plum Streusel
everyday cakes  includes Victoria Sandwich, Welsh Cakes, Sour Cherry Muffins, Genoa Cake, Swedish Tosca Cake
little cakes includes Lamingtons, Fat Rascals, Eccles Cakes, Maids of Honour, Orange Teacakes
posh cakes includes Lemon Chiffon Cake, Sacher Torte, Coconut Cake, Marble Bundt Cake, Black Forest Gateau
fancies and frivolities includes Fondant Fancies, French Madeleines and English Madeleines, Sponge Kisses
celebration cakes includes Simnel cake, Jewelled Christmas Cake, Buche de Noel, Stollen, Red Velvet Cake
*This represents only a selection of the recipes, there are many more.*

Who is Vintage Cakes for?

This is a book for home bakers who want recipes that have been perfected over time.  All the recipes can all be made with basic baking skills, so it is ideal for someone who is new to baking or for someone who has a little experience and wants to make a range of homely comforting bakes.

Pros

The introductory chapters are well written and full of useful information.
Each recipe starts with a short descriptive paragraph including information about the history of the cake
The recipes are well organised and clearly written with excellent photographs
There are cook’s tips throughout the book and each recipe has information about how to store the cake and how long it is likely to keep.
There are enough ‘different’ recipes to keep an experienced baker interested.

Cons

Experienced bakers are likely to have recipes for about two thirds of the recipes in the book

If you baked your way through every recipe in this book, you would cover wide range of techniques and have a repertoire of cakes that would make your Granny proud!  Even with 40 years of experience of baking, I found recipes I would like to bake and some I would like to revisit.


Polenta Cake


Makes 1 medium – large cake (serves 8-10)

For the cake
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons (unwaxed or well washed)
Juice of ½ a lemon
225g soft butter, plus extra for greasing
225g caster sugar
3 eggs
200g ground almonds
110g polenta
1 level teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt

You will need
A 23cm springform tin or round loose-bottomed cake tin, greased with butter and base lined with baking parchment.


Preheat the oven to 160C (gas mark 3)


Start by zesting the 3 lemons, and squeezing one to obtain half its juice.  Set aside until needed.


Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  With a wooden spoon or an electric whisk, cream them together until they are pale and fluffy.  Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.

Add the ground almonds, polenta, baking powder, salt and lemon juice and zest.  With a large metal spoon or flexible spatula, mix well until all the ingredients are combined.  Spoon into the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of the spoon or spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until the cake is golden brown and pulling away from the sides of the tin and a metal skewer or sharp knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning out of the tin.  Serve with creamy yogurt or mascarpone, and a glass of something nice and chilled.  Polenta cake is also delicious with a light tea such as Darjeeling.

STORAGE: Polenta cake keeps well for up to 3 days if wrapped in aluminium foil and stored in an airtight tin in a cool place.

 What a fantastic cake, it's moist, with a lemony tang and a lovely grainy texture from the almonds and polenta.  I have no doubt I will make this cake again.  I didn't want to make a big cake, so halved the ingredients and made it in a small pie tin, it behaved beautifully.  I sliced it up and froze most of it, so it will be interesting to see what it is like when it thaws.  It would make a great dessert cake, served warm with cream or ice cream.

*GIVEAWAY*

I have one copy of Vintage Cakes by Jane Brocket to giveaway. To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment on this post telling me which cake evokes warm and comforting memories of your childhood.  So I am able to contact you, should you win, can you please also leave contact details e.g. farmersgirlkitchen at gmail dot com OR your Twitter name e.g. @serialcrafter
The giveaway will close at 7pm on Saturday 3rd November 2012.
This giveaway is open to those with a UK residence address only.
The winner will be chosen by Random Number Generator and the blog owner's decision will be final.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored giveaway, Vintage Cakes and the giveaway copy was supplied by Jacqui Small LLP an Imprint of Arum Press

And the Winner is...LynB 

Congratulations!



 I'm entering the Polenta Cake for the October Random Recipe Challenge.  Dom at Belleau Kitchen challenged us to put our hands in the cupboard and pull out something we hadn't used, then look through some cookbooks till we found one which had a recipe for that ingredient and to make it.

My ingredient was Polenta,  I bought the pack in the summer, but have never got around to making anything with it.  I took a pile of cookbooks including those I had been sent for review and, hey presto, Polenta Cake!

Vintage Cakes is published by Jacui Small LLP
RRP - £25
Popular online book store: £13.50

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

posted by Janice @ 18:38 26 Comments

Sunday, 9 September 2012

Look what I won!

I was delighted to hear that I had won a prize on Karen's blog, Lavender and Lovage.  The prize came from Sarah Raven, there was the 'Seeds' tin, some packets of All Year Edible Flower seeds, the plant labels you can see at the front and a pair of herb scissors with multiple blades.  There was also a sowing and planting guide to help make sure the seeds are successful.  You are going to have to wait until next summer to see my seeds sown and hopefully some pretty flowers.

Many thanks to Karen for hosting the giveaway and to Sarah for the prize.

Labels: , ,

posted by Janice @ 20:29 7 Comments