Our local shops are filled with these lovely flat peaches at the moment. I am not sure what they are called, but I have heard them called donut peaches too. They're so sweet and delicious . . . and well, flat. They look like regular peaches that have been squashed. They ripen beautifully on the countertop and I just can't get enough of them. They've been selling them locally for £1 a punnet and I find myself buying 2 punnets each time. So fresh and sweet and juicy.



You are probably wondering what the heck these peaches have to do with fish and salad. Well, nothing really. I was just saying how much I am enjoying them is all . . . I love summer food. Fresh and light and filled with delicious summery flavours.



Like this delicious Gazpacho Salad. Fresh cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, red onions and garlic in a tangy sherry vinegar and olive oil dressing, tossed together with home baked croutons . . . oh so scrummy, and quite healthy too. You don't need any special bread do this with. I just used a hunk of baguette we had leftover from when the missionaries were over for their tea the other day.



I simply pan fried a couple of chunky cod fillets to go along with it and we were set to go. A delicious tasty and light supper, put together in no time at all. With a couple of flat peaches for dessert we were both very happy. ☺ (Well Todd was looking for some potato or some such . . . I think I'll have to heat him up some soup or something to make of for it later on.) Me?? I'll probably have another lucious peach or two or three. ♥



*Crispy Cod with a Gazpacho Salad*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A deliciously fresh salad filled with lovely flavours served up with some cod, pan fried until crisp and golden brown on the outsides.

85g of rustic bread, torn into chunks
(about 1/4 of a baguette, about 2 cups)
4 TBS olive oil
4 large tomatoes, cut into chunks
1/2 English cucumber, cut into chunks
1 yellow sweet pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 TBS sherry vinegar
2 garlic, cloves, peeled and crushed
salt and black pepper
4 skinless boneless chunky cod fillets
2 TBS plain flour

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.

Toss the bread cunks with 1 TBS of the olive oil and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Mix together the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, and onion with 2 TBs of the oil, the vinegar and the garlic. Season well with salt and black pepper. Set aside.

Dust the cod fillets with some salt, pepper and a bit of flour, patting it on and shaking off any excess.

Heat the remaining TBS of olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan. Add the cod fillets and cook for 4 minutes, flip over and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the fish is crispy and golden and cooked through.

Toss the croutons with the vegetable mixture. Divide between 4 plates and then top each with a crispy cod fillet. Serve immediately.

One of the things I love most about summer is all the fresh fruit that is available . . . right now in the shops we have tons of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, currants (both black and red) early plums, nectarines and lovely apricots!

Just right for eating out of hand, or sandwiched between sponge cakes with cream. I especially love raspberries and strawberries in cakes.



Stone fruits such as peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots are beautiful when lightly poached. I found a recipe in the Summer 2011 issue of BBC Easy Cook magazine for some vanilla poached apricots and they looked so delicious I just had to try them out.



The recipe called for a bottle of dry rose wine. Now, I know nothing much about wines. I'll admit it right now. We don't drink alcohol. I do have a few bottles in my larder that I use for cooking though . . . and oftimes when the grocery shops offer those two can eat for a tenner deals, I always pick up the bottle of wine with the deal. Coz . . . like I said I like to use it in cooking.



I used a bottle of Prosecco for this today. It was rose in colour so I thought it would go very well. I think also, from watching Giada, that Prosecco is an Italian Dessert wine?? (Am I right??) In any case that is what I used and they turned out fabulous.



Nice and tender with a beautifully flavoured syrup. Todd enjoyed his warm with a nice scoop of vanilla icecream on top.

I think simple fruit desserts are the best desserts of all!



*Poached Vanilla Apricots*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Delicously tender apricots in a sweet vanilla syrup. Serve warm or cold with vanilla ice cream for a real treat.

750ml bottle of dry rose wine (6 cups)
175g of caster sugar (2/3 cup)
1 vanilla pod, split open lengthwise with a sharp knife and then cut into 4 (leave seeds intact)
700g of ripe apricots (about 12)


Pour the wine into a pan along with the sugar and the vanilla pieces. Stir over low heat until the sugar melts. Add the apricots. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat just until the apricots have softened, about 15 to 20 minutes for whole fruit, and 10 to 15 minutes for halved fruit.

Lift the apricots out of the wine mixture with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat and boil for 8 to 10 minutes until syrupy. Pour over the apricots and leave to cool. Serve warm or cold with vanilla ice cream if you wish.

One of my favourite cooking magazines has to be Jamie. I can't wait for it to hit the shelves each month. I really need to subscribe! (I tell myself that every month, and then I forget!) If I don't there will come a month soon that it will be sold out at the newsagents and I won't be able to get my hands on that issue.



I always, always, always end up cooking at least a third of the recipes in the magazine, if not more. That's the truth. His food is fresh, innovative and delicious and there's not an awful lot of faff involved either. Anyone can cook it.

The latest issue is the Barbeque issue/June/July 2011 and it's filled with some lovely stuff.



As soon as I bought it I earmarked several recipes to try. This was one of them. The picture in the magazine looked so fresh and delicious.



I was not disappointed. I always have a bottle of Limoncello in the larder. (Doesn't everyone?) You can easily make your own so it needn't be expensive. Giada has a recipe here. I love fresh raspberries. I love lemons. Combining the two with a creamy limecello spiked syllubub is genius, pure genius!



Just be careful not to overwhip your cream though, or you'll end up having to throw it away. It's really, really important that you only whip it until it is light and frothy. Lemons react with cream and thicken it pronto, so you do NOT want it whipped even until you get soft mounds . . . just light and frothy. Trust me. It will work.

This dessert was light. It was delicious. It was easy. I was quick. In one word . . . Perfect!




*Lemon, Limoncello & Rasberry Syllabub*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Creamy, delicious and refreshingly light (texture that is!). Perfect dessert for after the Barbeque.

70g of caster sugar (a scant 1/3 cup)
the juice of two lemons
100ml of limoncello, plus extra to serve (optional) (1/3 cup)
350ml of double cream (1 1/2 cups)
400g of fresh raspberries (about 3/4 pound)

Place the caster sugar, lemon juice and limoncello into a saucepan. Gently heat over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar completely. Taste and adjust amount of sugar as necessary, if you would like it to be a bit sweeter. Set aside to cool.

Whip the cream just until it is light and billowy. You don't want it to form even soft peaks as it will thicken greatly when you add the lemon syrup. Pour the cooled lemon syrup into the cream, folding it in gently as you go. It will thicken remarkably. You may or may not need it all. You want a softly whipped consistency.

Mash the raspberries lightly with a fork. Gently stir them through the cream to cause a ripple, without over stirring. (You don't want your cream mixture turn pink.

Spoon into shallow glasses and chill until you are ready to serve. If you want you can serve these with an additional splash of limoncello on top. I didn't do this as I had extra lemon syrup and I just drizzled a bit of that on top. Delicious!!

We've sure been enjoying our garden so far this summer. We've dug up half of our early potatoes now . . . and this week we've been harvesting sweet English Peas!



I just love fresh peas. They are so sweet, raw or lightly cooked. Delicious with a butter and chive sauce . . . or some dill.



Great blanched and tossed into salads! So colourful and they add a beautiful flavour and texture. Try them with some baby spinach leaves and pesto for a quick and easy salad.



You can use the pods and peas to make a delicious early summer pea soup that is to die for! There is an excellent recipe for that here.



Today I decided to bake Todd a delicious tart with them. I used basil from our garden to make a tasty fresh Pesto, spread over puff pastry . . . and then I combined some more pesto with some of our new potatoes ( boiled and chunked), some lightly blanched peas, and some grated strong cheddar cheese.



Oh my, but it turned out very pretty to look at, and moreishly tasty too!!



We sat down and feasted on this with a lovely garden salad on the side. I just love summer, don't you? (The black currents are ripe now and I am going to be using some of them soon!!)

We've had some lovely salad weather these past few days, albeit not as horribly warm and humid as the South East has had. I'm not complaining . . . I hate hot and humid together. I don't find that pleasant at all.



I will take sunny and warm over that any day of the week!!



Today for our lunch I made us a delicious salad, using Baby Gem Lettuce from our garden . . . with some fresh yellow and red cherry tomatoes and a fantastic hot bacon and mustard dressing.



Add to that some creamy sliced ripe avocado and a few chives and we had a fabulous salad that was tasty, colourful and quite filling!



Of course the Toddster wasn't overly happy about the idea of having salad for lunch. Meh! You can please em all!
It didn't stop him from scarfing it all down though.



The bacony mustardy dressing was delicious sopped up with some crusty bread. The tomatoes get a bit squidgy too, but still firm. Don't overheat them . . . you don't want them to cook, just release a bit of their juices. Oh so scrummy!!



Quick, healthy, colourful and very, very tasty!



*Avocado and Baby Gem Salad with a Warm Pancetta and Mustard Dressing*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Quick to make and very summery! We had this with some crusty bread. Perfect!

4 TBS olive oil
8 rashers of good quality back bacon, cut into small cubes, or the equivalent
in Pancetta lardons
16 cherry tomatoes, halved (I used a mix of yellow and red)
2 TBS red wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
2 ripe avocados, halved, stoned and sliced
1 TBS coarsely chopped chives
2 baby gem lettuces, washed, dried and leaves separated
4 TBS toasted pinenuts

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon or lardons and cook, stirring occasionally until crisp. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil and mustards. Allow to simmer for several minutes. Arrange the lettuce and sliced avocado on a large platter. Stir the pinenuts and chives into the warm bacon and tomato dressing and pour over top of the salad. Serve immediately!

I have been making this delicious salad for years. I am sure I must make it at least two or three times a week during the summertime, it's that popular with us!



I first tasted it at my sister's inlaws at their cottage on the banks of Lake Erie back in the 1970's. I had never ever had sour cream before, and my sister's mother in law made it only with cucumbers.



Oh, my . . . it was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted! I remember we had it along with fried bologna sandwiches, eaten out on their deck overlooking the water.

A simple supper, yes, but that simple supper goes down in my memories as being one of the most favourite suppers I have ever had! Just goes to show you that I am a woman of simple tastes!



The tomato and dill are my own additions. It just seemed natural to me that these things would go together spectacularly, and you know what???

I was right. Enjoy!



*Tomato and Cucumber Salad*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Cool, and refreshing on a hot day. We love this.

2 English cucumbers, peeled, halved and sliced into moons
1 small red onion, slivered
salt
2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges

For the dressing:
200ml of sour cream (3/4 cup)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp dillweed
freshly ground black pepper

Place the cucumber into a bowl. Sprinkle it with some salt and slosh it around a bit, so that the salt is well distributed. Put onion into a bowl and sprinkle it with some salt, slosh it around too. Let sit for about 15 minutes, then drain well, discarding any liquid and squeezing the onions. Stir them together in a bowl and add the sliced tomatoes. COmbine the sour cream, sugar, dillweed and vinegar along with a nice grinding of black pepper. Stir this into the vegetables and serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

 

We took ourselves into Chester today to have a walk around. We had been going to go for a drive into Wales . . . but it was Ladie's Day at the Race Course, and only a food would subject themselves to trying to drive through the middle of Chester in a car on race day . . . seriously. The traffic is insane.



So we went into town on the bus instead. We walked up and down the rows. There's a lot of neat shops there. We poked around and explored. We went to the market cafe and had lunch. (fish and chips with mushy peas, yum!) We watched all the ladies walking up and down the cobbled streets in their race day finery, high heels and fascinators. It was amazing.



And then we found a little Green Grocer's and they had fresh English Strawberries sitting outside, £1 a punnet. Oh, they smelled so good. Fresh English Strawberries, warm from the sunshine, so delicious. I couldn't resist and picked up a few punnets, of course . . . as well as a tasty looking cauliflower for 98p and a hunk of broccoli for Mitzie. (She's on a diet and it's supposed to be good for fat free treats.)



June traditionally means two things in the UK. Wimbledon and fresh strawberries. I know you are probably tired of hearing me say this . . . but we have got the best berries here. (I know, I am just a tad biased, but it's true!)



So anyways, after we came home, I decided to make us dessert for supper. (You should try it sometime.) We had had a big lunch and so we didn't really want much for our tea. When in doubt . . . have dessert instead! I thought some nice strawberry shortcakes would go down a real treat.



It was my first time making them this year. And . . . they were fabulous. Oh so tasty and delicious. We didn't miss supper at all. We just sat here watching a film on the telly and enjoying these beautiful berries.



It won't be the last time I make Strawberry Shortcake this summer, but the first one of the season is always kinda special, if you know what I mean.



*Strawberry Shortcake*
Makes 6 servings
Printable Recipe

Nothing but old fashioned, simple, late springtime goodness. Delicious!

For the cakes:
8.5 ounces plain flour (2 cups)
1 TBS caster sugar
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 ounces of chilled butter, cut into bits
250ml of milk (1 cup)

You will also need:
3 punnets of ripe strawberries (about 6 cups)
5 TBS caster sugar, divided
500ml of double cream (2 cups)

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark6. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Butter the parchment. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Drop in the butter and rub it into the flour mixture with yoru fingertip until the mixture resembles rough meal. Stir in the milk with a fork. You should have a soft droppable dough. Drop by six equal portions onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space in between each. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Remove from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cakes are baking, wash and hull your berries. Slice into a bowl and stir together with 3 TBS of the sugar. Set aide to macerate.

Whip the cream and remaining 2 TBS of sugar together until soft peaks form.

Slice the cooled cakes in half. Place the bottom halves of the cakes into dessert bowls. Top with some of the berries and then a spoonful of cream. Place the top halves of the biscuits on top and then top with more berries and cream. Serve immediately.