Hedgehog (Hedghog) Mushroom and Onion Tart

It might be July but the mushrooms are back and gathered a lot of Hedgehog (Hedghog) fungus this weekend , so easy to recognise due to its spiney underside, its has a fantastic firm texture and a peppery taste . For a summer treat and trying to use up the mound of onions from the vegebox made a version of the traditional french onion tart to
be served with some warm green beans with vinagrette

Hedgehog (Hedghog) Mushroom and Onion Tart

3oog shortcrust pastry ( Mix 200g of plain flour with 100g of butter til crumbed then slowly add 10ml of water leave to rest in fridge )
5 large onions
two large handfuls of chopped mushrooms ( in this case Hedgehog Mushroom )
2 tbsp of butter

1. Sweat onions in a pan of butter , and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper.
2. Chop mushrooms in this case gathered wild this weekend Hedgohog Mushrooms but any kind of mushroom would be fine .
3. Line a 30cm diameter tart tray and layer in the onion and mushrooms.
4. Bake at 180deg C for 35 minutes.
5. Leave to cool and serve with salad.

Gathering it this weekend very fun using my new mushroom knife

I have cooked with this fungus before when it first appeared last year in October …. recipe available here

Plum Frangipane Tart

Neither I nor the weekend host have very sweet teeth, but since my “sorry I have been so grumpy brownies” went down so well with the promise of dinner out by the canal while the sun lasts , thought I would attempt a little more baking to make my first ever frangipane tart.

There were some plums to use up and some suspiciously old looking ground almonds hanging around in the weekend guests cupboard decided to make my first ever frangipane tart. Would have been much easier if I hadn’t discovered the weekend host had hardboiled the remaining eggs .Pastry I can handle no problem but I was a bit worried about the frangipane ,and I was using a cast iron pan instead of a tart tin , queen of improvisation me , however is rose beautifully could maybe have done with a few more plums but thats was we call in the project management trade – learning

Fab with ice cream and I may have to try this frangipan lark with a few more fruit before the summers end which by the look of the darkening clouds is about 5 minutes away

Plum Frangipane Tart

300g of Short Crust pastry ( made using 200g of flour to 100g of butter add approx 30ml water)
10 smallish plums

Frangipane
100g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp Brandy
75g of ground almonds
4tsp tbsp plain flour

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/
2. Roll out the pastry and line a rectangular tart tin ( actually weekend guest didn’t have one so used a cast iron pan that can go in the oven , prick the base lightly with a fork. Cover and chill.
3. Make the frangipane beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy , then beat in the eggs
4. Stir in the brandy, almonds and flour.
5. Spread the frangipane evenly over the base of the pastry case.
6. Remove the stones from the plum and cut into quarters. Gently push the plum quarters into the frangipane.
7. . Place the tart in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the pastry is beginning to brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/gas 4 and continue to bake for 35 minutes.
8. . Remove the tart from the oven and leave to cool slightly.
9. If had any icing sugar would have dusted it but none lurking around

Pass the Parsley – Sauce Soup and Stews .

With a massive bunch of parsley  a new take on a sunday lunch classic from my childhood Ham with Parsley Sauce this was always served with broad beans and new potatoes ( which luckily we had a profusion of this week in the vegebox) When I was little it was always my job to make roux sauce as the base for parlsey sauce ( for roux sauce think maccroini cheese sauce without the cheese). I think they suited my intense concentration as a child .

The update was to have salmon instead of ham cos there always seems to be some in both of our freezers and hey its all pink.The parsley sauce was an excellent accompaniment for a happy evening mealIts raining a lot at the moment and I have been playing little wifey for a few days , which mostly involves monitoring what goes into my weekend hosts packed lunches. I roasted a whole chicken the other night , some nice juicy chicken for sandwiches and with the leftovers I made soup what could have been a bit of a wintry experience was boosted by the addition of tonne of chopped parsley . I had managed to get hold of a big bunch of parsley reduced its a much underused herb these days when coriander is all the rage .

Salmon with Broad Beans in Parsley Sauce

1. Make a basic roux sauce – Melt a tablespoon of butter in a pan , remove from the heat slowly add approx 5 tbsp of plain flour , return to a gently heat and stirring a lot, slowly add approx 1 pint of milk . You really have to add it slowly and keep stirring or you will get lumps
2. Add loads of finely chopped parlsey salt and pepper .
3. Served to accompany a hunk of baked salmon and some new potatoes.

Rabbit Stew

Rabbit with Spring Vegetable s

Fresh parsley is an excellent addition to a light stew shown here .This was a jointed wild rabbit in Yorkshire a few months ago its been in the freezer . Cobbled this recipe togethr from a few suggestions around flickr and the internet and a need to use up some carrots and potatoes . Once the rabbit pieces had been browned in a large cast iron pot added onions carrots , torn parma ham & garlic in half a bottle of white wine .Cooked in the oven at 180deg for one hour , chunks of potato added for the last 15 minutes. Sirred in creme fraiche ( nicer than cream methinks- good suggestion from TWG ) Scattered with chopped parsley from the garden Eaten with our fingers

Leftover Chicken Soup

Leftover roast chicken with chicken stock ( from the bones) onions, carrots, fennel, garlic salt . All simmered together in the morning then left in the post during the Day . Warmed through post work add freshly chopped parsley. Feel Nourished

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Courgette Tart and Banana Muffins

After a busy weekend last weekend we put up shelving , when to a concert saw a movie , bought a suit ( how I hate shopping) and even managed a romantic meal out together

Decided to take it easy this weekend while the regular weekend guest lives it up in Ibiza , gone but not forgotten his surprise gift of a lemon reamer and the unsurprising accompanying sexual innuendo have kept him close to heart.

Managed a quality walk through meadows , amongst all the butterflies and flowers having a little sing to myself , and getting the tiniest bit burnt. After two months solid of rain I forgot what the sun was like

Toward the end of the walk I came across some very nice looking field mushrooms which quickly converted into this tart with a few slices of courgettes courtesy of the vege box as a late lunch early dinner.

This was made with wild mushrooms works really well with old mushrooms that are going past their best too cos they are kinda hidden under the courgette

Courgette and Wild Mushroom Tart

Mushrooms , 100g Ready Made Puff Pastry , Courgette , crumbly goats cheese thyme, a dash of white wine , salt and pepper

1. Roll out 100g of ready made puff pastry back at 220deg for 10 minutes
2. Meanwhile finely chopped mushrooms mixed with thyme, a little goats cheese and garlic and a dash of white wine and lightly cook in a pan til soft . R
3. emove pastry from the oven and prick down the middle section .
4. Layer over the mushroom mixture and cover with thinly sliced courgette .
5. Season over with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil .
6. Continue to bake for 20 minutes.

One of my very bad habits that I indulged on Saturday night is a huge stack books from the library , but I like to snuggle down in bed and read well into the early hours ,wild I know , so not a lot of sleep and I therefore confess to a late start on Sunday . I did manage to bake the required breakfast Banana, Carrot and Walnut muffins using up bananas swiped from a work conference last week. Ate the muffins with a large mug of tea as the light streamed through the windows on and my newly flowering geranium while I worked my way through the pounds of weekend newspapers . Bliss

Banana and Walnut Muffins

2 cups plain flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 2 overripe bananas. 2 cups of grated carrot ( finely packed) 1 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled 2 eggs 1/2 cup walnuts , 3 tsp cinammon

1. Preheat the oven to 190deg C
2. Mix together all the dry ingredients
3. Add the butter , mix in bananas , eggs and carrot .
4. Fill 12 muffin cases three quarters full
5. Bake for 20 minutes

Eat warm

 

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