It is rumoured that there are over 900,000 poppy seeds contained in a pound of poppy seeds . . . I've never actually counted them, nor am I likely to, so I'll just have to take the rumour monger's word for it.



What I do know for sure is that I love poppy seeds in baked goods. Always have done, probably always will. (although to be sure they aren't necessarily ideal to serve in dinner party foods . . . a poppy seed caught in the tooth can be quite disconcerting to your dinner time partners!)



When I was a much younger (ahem) woman I was lucky enough to live in the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains of Alberta for a time . . . while there I used to ubdulge myself in these lovely sweet pastries that were sold in most of the bakeshops . . . filled with a sweet and scrummy poppy seed filling . . . no doubt a tasty treat come down from the traditions of Eastern European settlers that filled the Canadian West . . .



Oh my . . . but they were soooo delicious . . . I could never quite get enough of them . . . the pastry all buttery and the filling so sweet and yet crunchy at the same time, with a distinct almond flavour and a lucious glaze gilding all of that goodness.



They were so good that some 30 years later I am still thinking about them . . . or is that just the power of a rose coloured food memory clouding my culinary vision . . . I am not sure.

I only know for sure, that I do have a special fondness for Poppy Seeds that goes way back.



They make quite a lovely showing in these delicious breakfast or teatime muffins . . . the muffins all buttery and sweetly moist . . . and at the same time tangy with lemon, both in flavour and the scent . . and then with those pretty blue seeds scattered throughout . . . a feast for all the senses . . . and lets not forget that lemon sugar crunch topping!

These go down a right treat with your morning cuppa!



*Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins*
Makes one dozen
Printable Recipe

Light and sweetly tangy and filled with lots of poppyseed crunch, and a scrummy lemon sugar topping!!

3 tsp finely grated lemon zest
220g caster sugar (1 cup)
335g of self raising flour (2 1/4 cup)
2 TBS poppy seeds
80ml of fresh lemon juice (1/3 cup)
250ml of milk (1 cup)
60g of butter, melted (1/3 cup)
2 large free range eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a 12 cup muffin cup pan really well. Set aside.

Place the sugar and lemon zest into a large bowl. Rub the two together with your fingertips really well. (This smells great!) Remove 3 TBS of the mixture and set aside. Sift the flour into the remainder. Stir in the poppy seeds. Whisk together the lemon juice, milk, beaten eggs and melted butter. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the liquid all at once. Stir together only to combine. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups, dividing it equally.

Sprinkle the tops of each with the reserved lemon sugar.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for ten minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

"You can't grow hairs on a duck egg,
Hairs only grow on an ape,
And it's only the hairs on a goosegog,
That stop it from being a grape."
~author unknown




Both fruity and floral, the scent of simmering gooseberries is one of my favourite summer scents. They do closely resemble green grapes except that they are covered in funny little hairs, and don't come in clusters. One would almost expect them to feel all prickly when you touch them, but they don't . . .



The gooseberry season is very short, only lasting from 3 to 4 weeks, so it is best to grab them while you can. We have a lovely u-pick place not far from us, and so we pick lots, cleaning them and putting them up in the freezer in freezer bags to bring out in the coming winter months and remind us of these warm and sunny summer days when the cold winds are blowing . . . I open freeze them on baking trays and then I can just pour out as many as I need without having to thaw out the lot.



I like to top and tail my gooseberries before eating them, although it's not really necessary. It's very easy to do with a pair of kitchen scissors. (I do this before freezing them) Rinse well in running water to remove any dust or debris. Then lightly pat them dry with some paper kitchen toweling.



Eaten raw . . . they are hard and sour, but when cooked ( add some sugar, or honey and a splash of elderflower cordial) they have a wonderfully muscat flavour. Simply stewed, they make delightful fruit fool and they are also wonderful spooned over cold vanilla ice cream.

But my most favourite way to eat them of all is this . . .



*Gooseberry Crumble*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is an excellent summer pudding. Who doesn't like crumble? This is a wonderfully delicious way to showcase these lovely berries that are only available to eat fresh for a few weeks durin gthe summer months. Elderflower helps to bring out and enhance their rich wine-like flavour.



2 pounds of gooseberries (4 to 5 cups)
4 to 6 TBS of caster sugar (depending on how tart or sweet you like your gooseberries)
3 TBS elderflower cordial
Crumble Topping:
175g plain flour
85g butter
50g rolled oats
55g brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Top and tail your gooseberries and place them into a shallow ovenproof glass baking dish. Sprinkle the caster sugar evenly over top and drizzle with the cordial.

Place the flour in a food processor, add the butter, cut into cubes, and then blitz until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the oats, brown sugar and cinnamon and pulse a couple of times until mixed together well. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over top of the berries.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and cooked and the crumble topping is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit before serving.

Serve warm, on it's own or with lashings of custard, pouring cream or a tasty dollop of creme fraiche.

For the past several years I have been looking at pork belly and wondering what it would taste like. It's one of the lesser expensive cuts that you can buy, and I had wondered was it any good? Would we like it? Would it cook away to nothing?

A pretty nondescript piece of meat, it looks like a big slab of bacon, unsmoked completely and with a thick layer of skin and fat covering the top of it, not to mention another layer of fat normally running through the centre of it . . .



I kept hearing such wonderful things about it, and so yesterday I finally caved in and bought a hunk.



The lovely thick layer of skin and fat on this particular cut of meat really helps to keep it moist as it cooks. The alchemy that occurs means that the pork skin slowly crisps to a wonderfully crisp layer of crackling whilst the fat in the layers, melts and dissolves, basting the meat constantly, giving you a moist and succulent roast underneath.



If you've been holding off from buying this particular cut of meat, hold off no longer. This truly is a hidden gem, and you'll find yourself wondering why on earth you waited so long!

And all for a mere £2.63. Who knew?



*Slow Roasted Pork Belly*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

If you love succulent, rich meat with magnificently crunchy crackling, this tasty dish is for you. Cheap, easy and yet moreishly delicious! This will grab you by the socks!

1 kg piece of pork belly, with skin still on
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large onions, peeled and sliced



Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F. Lay the onions on the base of a fairly heavy baking dish. (You want one with an edge) Take your piece of pork and using a Stanley knife, score some deep heavy cuts all along the rind at 1/2 inch intervals, if it has not already been done for you by the butcher. Cut down through the skin and into the fat, but not all the way to the meat. Rub the skin with a little bit of olive oil and some sea salt, massaging it into the cracks. Season the pork flesh with a bit of salt and pepper. Place the pork on top of the onions, flesh side down and skin side up. The onions will act as sort of a trivet and keep the porl from touching the hot dish. Pour a bit of water into the pan, just enough to cover the bottom of it by about 1/4 inch. Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, checking it every so often to see that the pan hasn't gone dry, and adding more water periodically. Don't let the water touch the crackling or the meat. At the end of that time you should have a succulent moist piece of meat and delightfylly crisp and crunchy crackling. If the crackling isn't as crisp as you would like, turn the oven up to about 200*C/400*F and roast for a further 15 to 20 minutes to crisp it up a bit further. Don't worry, the water in the bottom of the pan will help to keep the pork from drying out.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Slice the crackling off the top and break into bits of crunchy delight and slice the meat with a sharp knife.

You can drain all the fat from the pan and serve with the juices and caramelized onions if you wish, but I just made a tasty pot of apple pear sauce to serve with mine.



*Apple Pear Sauce*
Makes about 3 cups
Printable Recipe

This sauce is so easy to make and goes so very well with pork chops and roast pork. It's also tasty in it's own right simply served warm with some vanilla ice cream, or with pancakes for breakfast!

4 cooking apples, peeled and chopped
3 pears, peeled and chopped
1 TBS lemon juice
4 ounces pressed apple juice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until all the fruit is soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and whip with a fork until the mixture is mashed but with some texture still remaining. Serve warm.

I had a rather lazy culinary day the other day . . .



The kind of day where I just couldn't get my act together, and make up my mind what I wanted to cook for our supper. I spent a while looking through my cookbooks, but nothing was tempting me at all. I wanted something quick and easy, but at the same time filling, and let's not forget . . . tasty!!



I hadn't gone grocery shopping yet, and in all honesty fresh ingredients were rather low on the ground.



I had potatoes and eggs, some onions and a few red peppers. I had picked up a nice tin of chunky corned beef the last time I was in Marks and Spencers.



In the end I decided to make us a nice Corned Beef Hash for our supper. It went down a real treat with my meat and potatoes loving husband, and, in all honesty, I rather enjoyed it myself!!!



*Baked Corned Beef Hash*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Store cupboard favourite. Quick, easy, cheap and cheerful! Perfect for those nights when you are lacking in inspiration and ingredients. You can serve this topped with either a poached or fried egg if you wish. Delicious!

4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 TBS vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 large tin of corned beef, chopped
1 to 2 TBS creamed horseradish
142 ml of double cream (a scant 1/2 cup)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
chopped fresh flat leaf parsley to garnish

Boil the potatoes in a pot of lightly salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain well and allow to dry slightly before proceeding.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Tip in the dried potatoes. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes until they start to turn golden brown. Stir through the corned beef. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk the cream and horseradish together. Fold into the hash.

Preheat the oven to 200*C/ 400*F/ gas mark 6. Tip the hash into a lightly buttered casserole dish, leaving it a bit craggy. Place into the oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbling and beginning to brown.

Note - If desired you can top the hash with some grated strong cheddar cheese and pop it under the grill to toast.

Once again, another attempt to pare down our fresh resources here at Oak Cottage. What better way to use up blueberries, than to bake a deliciously moist sour cream cake!!





Oh, I do hope that blueberries are available now up in Chester . . . they weren't when we last lived there some almost seven years ago now . . .



I was so very excited when I found them in the local shops down here in Kent. Blueberries were one of the things I had most missed over here when I first arrived. A local gal from Eastern Canada, I had never had to live without blueberries in my life!!!



I had taken them oh so very much for granted once upon a time. It took moving over here for me to realize just what a treasure they truly are.



But even if they are something that you can get all of the time . . . baked in a delicious cake such as this, they are a treasure anyways . . .




Moist . . . delicious . . . with just the merest hint of lemon in it's delicious buttercream frosting. This is a winning cake all the way around. Your family will thank you, and then . . . ask for more!!




*Sour Cream Blueberry Cake*
Serves 8 to 10
Printable Recipe

A deliciously moist sour cream cake stogged full of blueberries and covered in a tasty lemon scented buttercream icing.

for the cake:
175g soft butter
175g caster sugar
3 large free range eggs
225g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla essence
4 TBS dairy sour cream
225g blueberries, fresh or frozen

For the Icing:
3 ounces softened butter
6 ounces icing sugar, sifted
1 TBS sour cream
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp lemon essence

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter and baseline a loose bottomed 9 inch round cake tin.

Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk for 1 to 2 minutes, until light in colour and well mixed. Beat in the sour cram and then fold in the blueberries.

Spread into the prepared tin, leveling off the top. Bake for 50 minutes, until risen and the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then take out of the tin, peel off the paper and finish cooling on a wire rack.

To make the icing place all the ingredients into a bowl and beat well with an electric whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Spread over the top of the cooled cake. Delicious!

I'm not sure why it is . . . but it's terribly difficult to get a great picture of chocolate anything . . . well, it is for me anyways!



I have seen really delish looking chocolate photos out there, but I don't know how people do it . . . this is a skill that remains a mystery to me. I'd love to know their secrets!



I wanted to bake a special treat for our friend Doreen before we go away and so I thought I would make her some chocolate muffins. They would be something that she could pop into her freezer and then just take one out when she wanted to . . . so she doesn't miss me too much.



She is like me . . . she loves chocolate. Then again . . . not very many women don't love chocolate do they? I know there are the odd few . . . but typically this is very rare.



Back to the muffins. Fudgy, dark, chocolatey . . . and stogged full of white chocolate bits.
Yummo!!



*Double Chocolate Muffins*
Makes 12 muffins
Printable Recipe

Fudgy chocolate muffins, stogged full of white chocolate bits. What's not to like??

125g of unsalted butter, melted (1/2 cup)
100g bar of plain chocolate, chopped (I used one bar of Lindt dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, about 3 1/2 ounces)
225g of plain flour (2 14 cups)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch salt
40g cocoa powder (not chocolate drink mix, 1/3 cup)
175g of golden caster sugar ( scant cup)
200g white chocolate chopped (7 ounces)
1 medium freerange egg
200ml of milk (7 fluid ounces)
150g tub of natural yoghurt (2/3 cup)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. LIne a 12 hole muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.

Place the chocolate and butter into a bowl. Set over simmering water and melt. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Once melted, whisk together and set aside to cool while you do the rest of the recipe.

Whisk together the flour, soda, salt, cocoa powder and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the choclate bits. Beat together the milk, egg, yogurt and vanilla. Pour both the egg mixture and the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture. Mix up quickly, without over mixing. Spoon into the muffin cases.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove from the pans and allow to cool on a wire rack. Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days. These freeze well also. To thaw out, pop into the microwave on high for about 10 seconds.

Well we finally got some sunshine today and it's beginning to feel a bit like summer should feel! Yayy!!! I took advantage of the sunshine and whipped up a really quick little dessert for the Toddster and I to enjoy . . .



I'm almost embarassed to call it a recipe . . . they are such a doddle to put together . . .



But it's also nice to know that if you keep some pre-baked tartlet dessert pastry cases in the cupboard . . . along with some double cream in the fridge and some lemon curd . . .



not to mention sweet summer berries . . .



then you can make an impressive dessert lickety split!!
Almost instantaneously actually.
But don't tell anyone . . . let them think you slaved all day to create these tasty little delights!!



It's only a little lie . . . I think you could also fold the lemon curd into thick Greek yogurt if you were wanting to watch the calories a bit more and it would be every bit as scrummy.



*Simple Summer Berry and Lemon Tartlets*
Makes 4
Printable Recipe

These are so simple and so tasty. People will think you slaved away for hours to make them. Little do they know . . . you cheated!

1 small punnet of blueberries (about 1 cup)
1 small punnet of raspberries (about 1 cup)
4 individual medium sweet pastry cases (about 3 inches in diameter)
225ml of double cream
3 dessert spoons of lemon curd

Whip the cream until it just begins to mound. Gently swirl the lemon curd throughout. I like to leave streaks of lemon curd. Divide it equally between the four pastry cases. Top with the berries and serve immediately.

Turn the music on and then sit back in your chair . . . I'm going to take you back to a time here in the UK, back in the early 60's.

It's Friday night, you've had a hard week at work and you are going out for a night on the town. You've got your mini skirt on, your hair is all puffed and fluffed . . . Mary Quant is adorning your eyes, and you and your mates stop at the Chippie on the corner for a bite to eat before you hit the clubs in town.



The chips are hand cut and chunky . . . the fish is piping hot and crisply battered, and it's all served up in a newspaper cone, with a big splash of malt vinegar and lotsa salt. Nothing on earth tastes any better . . . the night is young, and it's all a go go go! Friday night, cute lads, Mini Skirts . . . letting your hair down, pop music and the best fish and chips in town. What more could anybody want!

I was only a little girl in the 1960's, so I am only drawing on my overactive imagination for this . . . and reruns of Heartbeat . . . but this is the feeling I always get when I visit my absolute favourite fish & chip shop in Chester.



It's called Blackstocks and you will find it on Northgate Street right here in Chester, just down from the town hall . . . and I am not exaggerating when I say that they are the best! They are a relatively new place, having only opened up about 2 months ago. Todd and I have been there at least half a dozen times since . . . and we have honestly NEVER been disappointed.



Their byword is . . .

Crispy . . . NOT soggy.
Fresh . . . NOT frozen.
Today's . . . NOT yesterdays.

They claim to be passionate about their food and it shows.



There's a very 60's feel to the place . . . from the clean and modern lines of the tables and chairs . . . to the music that is always playing in the background. Nothing jars . . . it's clean . . . it's simple . . . the music gets your toes tapping . . . the staff are very welcoming, polite and cheerful . . . but most important of all . . . the food is delicious and good value for money spent.



They say they have traveled the length and the breadth of the country looking and tasting the best and the worst that the UK has to offer in the way of Fish & Chips, and it's clear that they have taken all that they have learnt, and put it into operation in this fabulous shop. The fish is beautifully cooked . . . and fresh, the batter always crisp and never soggy. The chips are quality . . . hand cut, twice fried, golden brown and always crisp, not greasy. I'd hazard to say that they've never been frozen either!



Todd and I always get a nice piece of Haddock or Cod for each of us . . . and then a portion of chips to share. The fish comes with a nice piece of lemon for squeezing, and there is salt and malt vinegar on the tables so you can add as much or as little as you like. (I like that . . . only "I" know how much salt and vinegar I want . . . and I like to add it myself.)



None of it is ever grease laden . . . or soggy, always perfectly done. That is because their oil is never old . . . their fish is said to have been swimming in the sea just hours before. The batter is so crisp you can hear it rustle and crackle when you break your fork into it . . .



And just look at the succulence of that beautiful fish . . . so moist and perfectly done. Never dry . . . a beautiful combination of crisp batter and tender, flaky, and beautifully flavoured fresh fish. What's more . . . it is cooked right as you order it . . . it hasn't been sitting around under a heat lamp for ages.

Oh, this is fish and chips heaven for sure. This is why we keep going back . . .

We have never been disappointed.



Oh . . . they have other things on the menu as well . . . beautiful looking Steak Pies, handmade by a local baker . . . "Pure"Chicken nuggets, Premium Award Winning Locally sourced and made Sausages (mostly meat and not filler), Luxury Fish Cakes which are said to be at least 50% Cod, proper mushy peas, gravy and buttered bread. Good value for money spent. All anyone could want for the perfect fish dinner.



You can eat in . . . or take away. We always eat in . . . the atmosphere is so nice and we see it all as being a part of the whole fish & chips experience. It's just perfect to us.

You may be tempted to think that I have been paid to say all of this . . . or that at the very least have had free fish and chips. Not so . . . I quite simply like to give accolades where accolades are due. When I see something being done so very right . . . I just have to share.

Blackstocks Fish & Chips, 33 Northgate Street, Chester, UK . Open seven days a week.

Go on . . . treat yourself today. I'm going to!

Oh heck . . . if you live in America, you won't be able to unless you travel over here . . . however can I do this to you . . . leave you all wanting and drooling away . . .

Just because I'm not mean . . . I can't give you their recipe because it is a secret recipe . . . but I can give you mine. I can't promise you that it's as good as theirs is . . . only that it's a pretty darned good second place runner.




*Beer Battered Fish*
serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is the best battered fish you could ever want to eat. Light and crisp and the fish is beautifully flakey inside. Make sure your oil is hot before you start frying the fish. Also make sure your fish is well coated with flour before you dip it into the batter. If you follow these two rules you will be rewarded with delicious crisp battered fish, perfectly moist on the inside.

4 cod or haddock fish fillets
(I like the thick ones myself)
6 ounces flour
1 tsp baking soda
8 ounces of beer
the juice of half a lemon
salt to taste
Flour for dredging the fish in
Oil for frying
To serve:
Malt Vinegar, Lemon Slices, tartar sauce

Place about an inch and a half of sunflower oil into a deep skillet. Heat over medium high heat until hot. A cube of bread should brown in the hot oil in about 10 seconds. While the oil is heating get the fish ready.

Place the flour, soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the beer and lemon juice to make a thick batter. Set aside.

Season your fish pieces with a bit of salt and then dredge completely in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip into the batter and then carefully tease it into the hot oil. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes perside, until nicely browned and crispy. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon to drain on some kitchen paper. Serve immediately with some chips if desired, and salt and vinegar. Lemon Slices and tartar sauce are optional!