Sepps green tomato chutney

Ingredients
1lb chopped onion
2 floz water
5lb Green tomatoes sliced
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tblsp pickling spice
1 pint malt vinegar
1 lb brown sugar

Method
In a medium saucepan, cook the onions in the water over a moderate heat for 8-10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and drain the onions in a colander.

Transfer them to a perserving pan and add the tomatoes, salt and pickling spice.

Place the pan over moderate heat and slowly bring the mixture to the boil, stirring occasionally and adding just enough vinegar to prevent the chutney from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the chutney is thick.

Stir in the remaining vinegar and sugar.
Cook stirring frequently for 20-25 mintes or until the chutney is thicker again.

Remove from the heat and pour into dry warmed jam jars, seal the jam jars air tight covers, label and store in a cool dry palce. 

Fritz Zwahlens Fondue

Serves five

Ingredients
500g emmental (Grated)
500g Gruyere (Grated)
.5 ltr dry white wine
5 gloves garlic (Finely slice)
Corn flour to thicken (add kirsch to a liquid consistency)

Method

Rub the fondue dish with a piece of halved garlic, and leave it in there! Add the wine nutmeg and cracked black pepper and bring to the boil. Then add the cheese and stir once in a while, when all the cheese is melted thicken with the corn flower and kirsch liquid and bring to the boil. Enjoy with friends.

Great North run

With the great North run being on in the Northeast this weekend i thought it may be a good idea to share this article i found on the good food site.

A good diet filled with the right nutrients is an essential part of any exercise routine, but it's especially important for endurance events like marathons or triathlons. Follow our tips to make sure you bound over that finish line...

The C factor - carbohydrate

'Hitting the wall' or 'bonking' is every distance runner's fear. It might sound like an old wives' tale, but it's a phenomenon that can happen to anyone, no matter how much training you've done. It occurs when the body's carbohydrate fuel tank - the body's preferred energy source during high intensity activity that is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen - gets low and the brain and muscles show signs of fatigue. If you hit the wall during a marathon you'll know about it, every step feels like wading through treacle. You can avoid the dreaded wall by 'carb loading' before and during a run to maximise your energy stores, which means stocking up on lots of carbohydrate-rich pasta, potatoes, and certain fruits and vegetables.

The power of protein

Protein helps to rebuild muscle, so is particularly important after a long run to repair damaged tissue and stimulate the development of new tissue. Good protein foods to eat after a run include milk, cheese and yoghurt, white meats and eggs.

Be prepared

You need a different balance of nutrients at each stage of your training plan. With a few weeks to go, now's the time to try out foods and recipes to make sure they work for you.

A few weeks before

Your nutrition plan needs to kick in at least a few weeks before the big day. Experimenting with foods before and after a run and finding recipes you like is important - the last thing you need during the race is an unhappy stomach. Low GI carbohydrates such as wholegrain rice and pasta are good to introduce into your general diet at this stage as they release energy slowly and will build up your carbohydrate tank. The final week is the time for real carb-loading, so make pasta and porridge your friend. Be wary of gas-inducing carbs, however, such as broccoli, cabbage, beans or too much fruit, or it could make for an uncomfortable run!

Before long runs

A few hours before any long run, eat a meal high in low GI carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low in fat to give your body all the nutrients it needs for the next few hours. Porridge with fruits, a chicken sandwich and fruit or a bagel and peanut butter are good options.

During long runs

It's important to replenish your carbohydrate stores during runs of 90 minutes or more. The body can only store around 2,000 kcals of glycogen and after a few hours of running, your fuel tank warning light will flicker on unless you frequently top up your carb stores. High GI carbohydrate foods are best during a run as they release energy quickly. Choose specially designed sport gels and isotonic drinks, or try bananas, oranges, honey, dried fruit or gummy sweets such as jelly beans. Fuel every 45-60 minutes during a long run, with around 30-60 grams of carbohydrate (120-140 calories) per hour (e.g. a large banana, white bread honey sandwich or energy gels), and don't forget to stay hydrated with plenty of fluids and electrolytes.

After long runsYou have a window of around 30 mins when the body is primed to replenish its carbohydrate stores and soak upmuscle-repairing protein after a run. Chocolate milk is a good mix of protein and carbs, or whizz up a smoothie with lots of fruit. Drink plenty of fluids too to replace water and electrolytes lost through sweat.

An interesting article i found today from the Irish post.

British and Irish beef among most expensive in Europe

BRITISH beef is the most expensive in Europe – and beef from Ireland is hot on its tails.

A new report by the Livestock and Meat Commission shows that beef from Britain has retained its top spot, with the North of Ireland coming in second and beef from the Republic in fourth place.

An increase of 22.4 cent per kilo saw the average price of British beef rise to 480 cent – the biggest jump on the list.

The North’s price came in second, after an 18.5 cent increase put it at 472.8 cent per kilo, with the beef from the Republic coming in at 405 cent, following a 13.3 cent rise in the price per kilo.

France and Italy made up the remainder of the top five – Italy coming in third place and France in fifth.

The prices for January are compared with December figures – with the majority of the 16 countries surveyed seeing a rise in beef prices.

The value of the sterling against the euro is thought to behind the sharp increase in beef prices in Britain and the North of Ireland.

Recipe: Cherry bakewell Cake

Sunday afternoons are what i enjoy most, the Sunday roast gets put in the oven about 3pm and then its time to get out and about with Belle.

This Sundays walk was better than usual as Lillie joined me, this doesnt happen often as she spends most afternoons on Skype or Facetime catching up with her friends.

As we walked and chatted we discovered a new route and decided we would have a bit of a look around, Lillie to her amazement found eight cherry trees and decided she was going to pick some for Zoe, her Mam.

" Dad chuck me up the tree"

" Dad give me a bunk-up"

" Dad grab the branch" this is what i done and the picking began.

After about 30 minutes of having a laugh and generally enjoying the simple things in life,  Lillie had filled her small bag, this was when she decided to call it a day.

On the walk home we talked about the trees we had found and what we could do with the cherries from them.

This got me thinking of an old recipe i had once used with great results so i thought i would share it with you today, please find it below 

Cherry Bakewell cake

For the cake

200g butter, well softened, plus extra for greasing

200g golden caster sugar

100g ground almonds

100g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp almond extract or essence

4 large eggs

For the filling and top

½ a 340g jar morello cherry conserve

175g icing sugar

5-6 tsp water or lemon juice

1 tbsp ready-toasted flaked almonds

Method

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and make sure there’s a shelf ready in the middle. Butter and line the bases of 2 x 20cm round sandwich tins with baking paper.

Using electric beaters, beat together all the cake ingredients with a pinch of salt until smooth, then spoon into the tins and level the tops. Bake for 30 mins or until golden and springy. Don’t open the oven before 25 mins cooking time has passed.

When they’re ready, cool the sponges for a few mins, then tip out of the tins and cool completely on a wire rack. Make sure the top of one of the cakes is facing up as you’ll want a smooth surface for the icing later on.

When cool, put one sponge on a serving plate, then spread with jam. Sandwich the second sponge on top. Sieve the icing sugar into a large bowl. Add the water or lemon juice, then stir until smooth and thick. Spread evenly over the top and let it dribble over the sides. Scatter with the nuts and leave to set for a few mins before cutting.

Home made pizza in the sun

Enjoying a Bbq and a beer in the sun.

Cheers!

The roof garden.

After months of planing and hard work we have produce growing on the roof garden.
6 varieties of lettuce are coming on well. 

Lamb was the order of the day with my commis chefs!

Neil, Michael and Jess have done well, not bad for a first attempt!

Recipe: Rich chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

500g Callebaut chocolate
10 Free range egg yolks
10 Free range egg whites
250g Organic butter
200g sugar

Method

Heat a pan of water and place a bowl on top.

Place the butter and chocolate in the bowl and gently melt, remove from the heat once melted.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale, fold the mix into the chocolate mix, take your time with this , little at a time is best.

In an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until a stiff peak is achieved, fold the egg whites into the warm chocolate mix then chill for 4 hours in the fridge before serving.

Recipe: Summer pudding

Ingredients

A couple of handfuls of mixed summer fruit
Berries, fresh or frozen
Caster sugar
Five medium- cut slices of bread, a few days old with the crusts removed
Vanilla ice cream
Four fresh mint leaves, shredded

Method

First place the berries and some sugar into a pan and bring to the boil.
Remove from the heat, adjust the sugar content if required, add the mint.
Allow to cool in a bowl and drain of the resulting coulis into a seperate bowl.
Rub cooking oil on to the moulds then line with cling film.
Cut each slice of bread in half, resulting in ten pieces.
From two of them cut two discs the same size as the bottom of the moulds.
Place the two discs into the coulis for a few minutes, ensuring they are well saturated, place the discs into the moulds.
Soak the remaining bread, using four per mould, line each mould by using two around the inside of each circumference and then two more standing vertically over the seams of the first two.
Fill each mould with the berries, fold over the bread to cover, then fold over the cling film.
Place the puddings in the fridge and chill over night.
Keep the coulis also for the next day to serve with the puddings
To serve, remove the pudding from the moulds, place on a serving dish and pour over coulis, top with thick whipped cream.

The urban terrace kitchen garden

The urban terrace kitchen garden is finally finished, ready for the summer! 

Recipe: Chocolate tart

For the pastry
250g plain flour
100g diced butter
100g icing sugar
Pinch of salt
Two eggs at room temperature

For the filling
400g good-quality cooking milk chocolate
200ml milk
300ml double cream
Seven eggs
70g caster sugar

For the glaze
300ml water
350g sugar
120g cocoa powder
240ml double cream

Method
To make the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl and add the diced butter. Using the fingertips, lift the butter up with the flour and rub gently with the fingers, letting it fall back into the bowl.

Once the mixture resembles a uniform crumble, add the sugar and salt and mix well. Then add the eggs and mix again, carefully bringing the mixture together to form a smooth ball. Wrap it in cling film and place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C (gas mark 5). Roll out the pastry enough to line an 8in flan dish, trim to fit and prick the base with a fork a few times. To bake blind, cover the pastry on the bottom and sides of the flan with foil and weigh it down with a handful of dried beans or pasta. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove and cool. Turn the oven down to 140°C (gas mark 1).

To make the filling, break up the chocolate and place in a mixing bowl. Put the milk and cream in a saucepan, bring to the boil, pour over the chocolate and mix. Place a small mixing bowl containing the eggs and caster sugar over a pan of simmering water. Whisk while it’s heating until it turns white and thickens. Fold the egg and sugar mixture into the chocolate with a large metal spoon using a cutting action rather than stirring them together.

Pour the mixture into the pastry flan case and bake for 20 minutes (turning the tray after 10 minutes). Allow to cool and then refrigerate until firm.

For the glaze, bring the water and sugar to the boil in a saucepan. Add the cocoa and cream, bring to the boil again and allow to reduce for 10 to 15 minutes, whisking occasionally. Do this until it looks like melted chocolate. Allow to cool a little and pour the glaze over the tart, smooth with a pallet knife and allow to set.

For a final flourish you could use a blow torch to “dust” the top of the glaze – one second should do it, otherwise you’ll melt the tart. When serving, to get a smooth cut, use a knife that has been dipped in hot water and dried.

Recipe, Raspberry creme brulee

Ingredients

3 free-range egg yolks

50g/2oz caster sugar

1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped

300ml/10½fl oz. double cream

150g/5oz raspberries

2 tbsp. Demerara sugar

Method

For the crème brulee, whisk together the egg yolks, caster sugar and vanilla seeds in a bowl until pale and fluffy.

Place the cream into a saucepan and heat until nearly at boiling point. Remove from the heat and whisk into the egg and sugar mixture until smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve.

Place a layer of raspberries into the base of four 125ml/4½fl oz ramekins and pour in the crème brulee mixture. Place the ramekins into a deep-sided baking tray and place into the oven, then pour enough boiling water into the tin to come halfway-up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crème brulee are set. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool before placing into the fridge to chill.

When chilled, sprinkle the tops of each crème brulee with the Demerara sugar. Place under a very hot grill or use a mini blowtorch to melt the sugar until caramelised and golden-brown. Set aside to cool completely before serving.