We were feeding the missionaries their supper tonight, and I wanted to bake them something scrummy for their afters. You know how I love to spoil them.



I had a punnet of plums that had arrived in my veggie box the other day and I decided to make a plum cake!



But not just any plum cake. A wholesome plum cake made with whole wheat flour and olive oil.



Moist and deliciously spicey . . . filled with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and ginger . . . not to mention vanilla and almond. Oh my, but this smells some good when it is baking.



But don't take my word for it . . . try some with yourself. We like ours with ice cream, but whipped cream, or creme anglaise or even creme fraiche go very . . . very . . . well.



*Whole Wheat Plum Cake*
Makes one 9 inch round cake

A delicious cake that is wholesome and stogged full of tart plums. It's spicy and moist and very toothsome!

1 pound fresh plums, stoned and cut in half
6 ounces whole wheat flour (1 1/2 cups)
7 ounces sugar (1 cup sugar)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allsmpice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
240ml of olive oil (1 cup)
3 large free range eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch cake dish and lightly dust with flour. Arrange the plums in the dish cut side up.

Whisk the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Beat together the eggs, olive oil, vanilla and almond extract. Spread this mixture over top of the plums, trying to spread it as evenly as you can and covering the plums.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until well risen anda toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cake plate. Dust with icing sugar before serving. Cut into wedges to serve. Goes great with a hot drink. We like it with cold vanilla ice cream. Nom Nom!!



Over in The Cottage today, Oven Fried Chicken.

This is a recipe that is as old as the hills. Necessity being the mother of invention and all. In the old days wash day took up a considerable time and effort on the lady of the household's part.



It could take hours and hours . . . with the water needing boiling in the copper . . . boiling and stirring the clothes . . . beating and rinsing . . . pushing them all through the mangle, etc. There was little time for much else on wash day . . .



Hence Wash Day Dinner . . . and there are probably as many versions of this as there are homes . . . and families.




Basically an oven bake which involved layering vegetables, grains and meats into a casserole dish, covering with a liquid of some sort and then baking until everything is tender and flavourful.



Essentially a hot pot . . . but without the lamb! And a tad bit fancier. It left a wife and mother's hands free to do all that she needed to do on the day without having to worry about tending to supper.



A few crusty rolls and dinner is complete. It may not be that pretty, but what it may be lacking in looks, this simple dish more than makes up for in flavour! (You could add a layer of thinly sliced cabbage too if you wish. Today I added a layer of sliced chard. Scrummy yummy and oh so colourful. You can also scale it up or down according to your need. It's delicious!)



*Wash Day Dinner*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Easy to make, painless and so delicious.

3 medium potatoes, thinly sliced (peel or not as you wish)
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into rings
3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 small handfuls of uncooked rice (or a rice,spelt and barley mix Nom Nom!)
2 mugs of frozen peas
1 pound of good quality pork sausages (you want a nice and spicy one)
1 tin of tomato soup
240ml of boiling water
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp summer savoury

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a deep casserole dish.

Layer the ingredients into the dish in the order given, beginning with potatoes and ending with sausages, and seasoning each layer lightly as you go. Whisk together the tomato soup, water and summer savoury and additional seasoning if desired. Pour this mixture over top of all. Cover and place into the oven. Bake for 2 hours, until all the vegetables are tender. If you like you can remove the lid for the last 15 minutes of cooking time to lightly brown the sausage.

Spoon out onto hot dinner plates to serve.



Over in The Cottage today, some delicious Oatmeal Raisin Cookies!

I had another big beautiful bunch of Chard in my veggie box this week. Some people might think that is shows up altogether too often in their veggie boxes but I, for one, am always happy to see it make an appearance. We just love chard . . both the leaves and the stems.



The stems are gorgeous simply stir fried with a bit of butter and then tossed with some lemon juice, salt and pepper. You can treat the leaves much in the same way as you would spinach and use many of the same flavourings as well . . . basil, garlic, cheese . . .



Chard and cheese are just beautiful together . . . with the richness of cheese and the earthy mineral flavour of the chard . . . they are a fabulous combination.



This week I decided to bake us a scrummy Chard and Cheese Tart, making the most of that beautiful marriage of flavours . . .



I chose to use a sharp farmhouse cheddar and some Parmesan, which together proved to be just perfect with the chard, and then I added a double whammy by infusing the crisp pastry with a touch more cheddar, some thyme leaves and a good grinding of coarse black pepper.



Oh my but this was lovely . . . the crust so buttery and crisp . . . with just a slight hint of herb and cheese . . .



The filling all earthy and rich . . . velvety, and cheesy too. I think I'll have the leftovers for lunch. This was good . . . plain and simple.



*A Scrummy Tart of Chard and Cheese*
Serves 6 or more
Printable Recipe

Chard and cheese are such a beautiful combination, and marry beautifully in this savoury tart with it's crisp cheesy crust and luxuriously rich filling.

For the Pastry:
250g of plain flour (scant 2 1/2 cups)
100g of butter, cold and cut into small dice (6 TBS)
35g of sharp farmhouse cheddar cheese (a generous 1/3 cup)
a tsp of thyme leaves
coarse black pepper
1 large free range egg, beaten
milk

For the filling:
270g of red or rainbow chard (1 pound)
4 thin spring onions
2 large free range eggs
300ml of double cream (1/2 pint, or slightly less than 1 1/4 cup)
50g of sharp cheddar, grated (1/2 cup, 2 ounces)
40g of Pecorino, Spenwood or Parmesan grated (about 1/3 cup)



Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the butter. Rub the butter into the flour, working quickly, with your fingertips. Rub until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the grated cheddar along with the thyme, a pinch of coarse black pepper and the beaten egg. Bring together to form a soft ball, adding a bit of milk if necessary.

Dust the work surface lightly with flour. Roll the pastry out in a rectangle large enough to fill a shallow jelly roll pan, about 12 by 15 inches. If you pan isn't nonstick, butter it first. Press the pastry carefully into the pan, making sure that you get it well into the corners. Trim the edges and then place in the refrigerator to chill for a good half an hour. (I used the trimmings to add a bit of thickness along the edges of the pastry just because I like the edges to be a bit thicker. Just brush with a bit of milk and stick them on.

While the pastry is chilling you can cook your chard. I steamed mine over boiling water until it was soft and tender. I then drained it very well and squeezed as much water out of it as I could with my hands. Roughly chop. Place into a bowl. Trim and thinly slice the spring onions. Toss in with the chard and season it with a touch of salt and black pepper. Set aside.

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

Take your pastry from the refrigerator. Lay a piece of foil or greaseproof paper in the pastry case and weigh down with some baking beans. Bake in the heated oven for 15 minutes until the pastry is firm. Remove the foil and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes until dry to the touch.

Remove from the oven and scatter the chopped chard and onion mixture over the crust Beat together the eggs and cream. Scatter the cheeses over top of the chard in the pastry case and pour the egg and cream mixture over top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is nicely crisped and the filling is set. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note - This recipe is loosely adapted from a recipe by Nigel Slater, which I neglected to declare in my initial posting.    Adaptions include American measurements and my own spin on putting it all together.  (Example - Steaming the chard instead of boiling.   Steaming results in a less damp chard, with less water to wring out.)

Just look at the beautiful Romanesco Cauliflower that arrived in my veggie box yesterday! Isn't that gorgeous! I am ashamed to say that although I have seen these in the shops, I have never actually cooked one before. It looks just like a bunch of little Christmas Trees all stuck together doesn't it??? So pretty!!!



Romanesco Cauliflower is just a Roman type of cauliflower. It's not really anything to be afraid of. You can cook it in the same way as you would any cauliflower or broccoli and it is especially suited to be used as a crudite as it is somewhat more tender than those other two. It's got a milder flavour as well . . . creamy and almost nutty.



I decided to make a Cauliflower Cheese with it for our lunch. It wasn't a huge one, so it was just the perfect size for the two of us and oh-so-fresh. I trimmed it well and cut it in half down the middle before steaming . . . just until the tip of a knife easily slid into it and then I made the most luxurious cheese sauce . . .



Rich and creamy . . . befitting something as royal looking as a Romanesco Cauliflower . . . using two kinds of cheese and um . . . cream.



I napped the tender Romanesco with the delicious rich and creamy sauce and then I crowned it with a buttery crumb and Gran Padano Cheese topping . . .



And then I baked it until it was browned and bubbling . . . those crumbs all crisp and golden on top . . . that sauce gilding it in rich cheesyness . . . oh my but it was some good.



We didn't need anything else . . . just a tasty plate of green and golden scrumminess. Sigh . . .



*Luxury Cauliflower Cheese*
Serves 4 as a side, 2 to 3 as a main
Printable Recipe

Tender choice pieces of cauliflower in a luxuriously rich cheese sauce with a crispy crumbed topping.

1 large cauliflower
1 litre of milk (about 4 cups)
1 large bayleaf, cracked
1 small onion, peeled
2 whole cloves
50g of butter (1/4 cup)
50g of flour (1/4 cup)
4 TBS double cream
sea salt and white pepper to taste
a grating of fresh nutmeg
8 ounces grated strong cheddar cheese (1/2 pound)
2 TBS grated Gran Padano Cheese

For the topping:
2 TBS finely grated Gran Padano cheese
1 TBS butter, melted
a couple handfuls of crackers, finely crushed

Place the milk in a saucepan along with the onion, studded with the cloves and the bayleaf. Bring to the boil and then remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for about 15 minutes.

Trim the cauliflower and break into florets. Place in the top of a steamer, over some boiling water, cover and steam just until the point of a knife inserts easily. Remove from the stove and carefully place into a lightly buttered gratin dish. Set aside, and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook and stir for several minutes until golden and the flour taste has cooked out. Slowly whisk in the hot milk, holding back the onion and cloves. Allow the bay leat to go into the pan too. Cook, stirring constantly over medium low heat until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Cook on low for about 10 minutes, stirring often to help keep it from catching on the bottom. Whisk in the cheeses until they are melted and whisked in completely. Season to taste with some salt, the white pepper and a grating of nutmeg. Pour this over the cauliflower in the gratin dish.

Mix together the melted butter, Gran Padano Cheese and cracker crumbs. Sprinkle this mixture over top of the cheese sauce on the cauliflower. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown and bubbling at the edges, with a lovely crisp crumbed topping. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.



Cooking in The Cottage today, a delicious Black Bean Soup.

Every once in a while I try to do something really healthy for myself. I like to have something to munch on sometimes in the evening when the Toddster and I settle in to watching the telly and it's nice to have a healthy option available.



I love chickpeas! (Or Garbanzo Beans as they are sometimes called in North America) Trouble is they don't always like me! 'Nuff Said!



They become incredibly moreish when they are roasted in the oven until they are all toasty and crunchy! They're also very versatile when done this way as you can always change up or down the herbs, spices and flavourings to your own taste.



Today I did them with traditional Gingerbread flavours and boy oh boy, they are some good!



It's not that easy to photograph roasted chickpeas in a favourable light, and to make them look interesting . . . I've done the best that I could.



Try some today. You'll be glad you did I reckon! ♥☺♥ These would make great nibbles to have with drinks over the holidays instead of peanuts. They're high in fibre and relatively low in fat . . . healthy even!



*Gingerbread Roasted Chickpeas*
Makes about 2 cups
Printable Recipe

Deliciously, moreishly scrummily delish!

1 (420g) tin of chickpeas, drained ( 15 ounce)
2 tsp of salad oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg
1 TBS raw granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 TBS runny honey

Preheat your oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Have ready a baking tray with sides. Put this into the oven while the oven is heating.

Drain your chicken peas really well, giving them a good old rinse under cold water until the water runs clear and then shake them really well to get a lot of the water off. Put them into a bowl. Toss together with the salad oil and all of the spices and the granulated sugar. Mix them up really well. Toss them onto the heated baking tray.

Bake for 15 to 40 minutes giving the baking tray a good shake every ten minutes or so. By the end of that time they should be crunchy and no longer soft in the middle. If not, bake them for a few minutes longer, but watch carefully so that they don't burn.

Remove from the oven, drizzle the honey over top along with the salt and give them a good old shake to coat. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. So good!!

Note: Chili spiced ones are good as well. Just swap the sweet spice here for ground cumin, oregano, ground coriander and some mild chili powder. Keep in the sugar, honey and salt. Scrumdiddlyumptious also!



And over in The Cottage today, you'll find Sesame Chicken. Deliciously simple!

Royal Crown cola (RC cola) has recently been launched in the UK (May 2011) and I was sent some samples to try out which arrived the other day. I don't really drink a lot of fizzy drinks, but I did share a can with Todd and it was a.o.k. I preferred the diet one, but then that is just me. I prefer diet drinks in most soft drinks as they don't seem to be quite as sweet to me.

Royal Crown cola was born out of the efforts of a young pharmacist in Columbus, Georgia; Claude A. Hatcher began creating his own soft drinks and the results of his experiments became the American soft drink RC cola.



Created in 1905, RC cola is one of America’s original colas and is already available across the globe in over 45 countries and is now available in Asda stores nationwide. RC cola is keeping it's retro 50's image as it launches in the UK



RC cola built up its brand name by introducing a series of industry firsts:

• 1950s – First to sell soft drinks nationally in cans and to introduce the 16 ounce bottle

• 1960s – First to introduce a low-calorie diet cola, Diet Rite, and the all aluminium beverage can
• 1980s – First to introduce a caffeine free diet cola, RC 100 and a diet cherry cola Diet Cherry RC
• RC cola is a part of American popular culture:
• Television/Movies –RC was featured in the Jerry Lewis movie, The Nutty Professor and The Green Mile with Tom Hanks.
• Celebrity Endorsements – RC cola enhanced advertising with the use of celebrities such as Bing Crosby, Joan Crawford, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Scott and Hedy Lamarr.

Of course I could not let the opportunity pass without using some of it to create something positively scrummy.



Chocolate Cola Cake. Yeppers. Can anyone really have too much chocolate cake?



I think not! And this Chocolate Cola Cake is especially moist and delicious and comes with a scrummy chocolate sauce, that is not only scrumdiddlyumptious spooned over the cake, but also quite irresistable when spooned over vanilla ice cream. Just sayin is all.



I'd like to be able to say that it is completely non fattening . . . and that it's all a part of a healthy diet . . . but alas . . . tis not. More's the pity . . . In fact . . . you probably don't even want to go there . . .



Coz I could easily eat this every day of the week! Many thanks to the people at RC Cola for sending me some samples. I have my eye on a Ham that is cooked in Cola which I think I will try next, except it will have to be gammon, coz that's what they have over here.



And now??? Let's eat Cake!!



*Chocolate Cola Cake*
serves 8
Printable Recipe

A deliciously moist chocolate cake with a chocolate cola buttercream icing. Serve with a tasty chocolate sauce and some mini marshmallows for an extra special treat.

For the cake:
250g butter (1 cup plus 2 TBS)
250g self raising flour (1 3/4 cup)
300g golden caster sugar (11/2 cup)
3 heaped TBS cocoa powder, sifted
generous pinch of baking soda
200ml of cola drink (slightly more than 3/4 cup)
75ml milk (1/4 cup)
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the buttercream icing:
60g butter, softened (4 1/2 TBS)
200g icing sugar, sifted (1 1/2 cups approx.)
2 to 3 TBS cocoa powder, sifted
2 TBS cola drink

For the sauce:
4 ounces heavy cream (1/2 cup)
3 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
70g caster sugar (1/3 cup)
60g dark brown sugar, firmly packed (1/3 cup)
pinch salt
60g sifted cocoa powder (1/2 cup)

To serve: Mini marshmallows



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a 9 inch loose bottomed round cake pan. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking soda together in a large bowl. Melt the butter and cola together. Add to the dry ingredients along with the milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix gently bur thoroughly. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Beat together all the ingredients together for the icing until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake.

To make the sauce, melt the butter and sugars together until they no longer feel grainy. Whisk in the cream and heat through. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth.

Cut the cake into slices to serve. Sprinkle with some marshmallows and spoon some of the chocolate sauce over top.

RC Cola, available only as ASDA. A 2 litre bottle of RC cola retails at £1.28, while the 6 x 330ml multi-packs retails at £1.87.



Cooking in The Cottage today a delicious Roast Chicken Pie.