(A photo from a trip we took to Boulogne a few years back.)

We can't really afford a holiday this year so we are having a bit of a "Stay-cation."  I hear it's very much in vogue this year . . . lots of people are doing it.  Today we decided to go to France, and so I served something very Continental-esque for our breakfast.

 

Chocolate and Sea-salt Bruchetta with Sea-salt.   So easy to make and they went down a real treat.   You quite simply slice plain bagels in thin slices, spritz with some low fat cooking spray, and then oven toast them until they are golden brown and nicely crisped . . .

 

I actually like mine crisper than Todd does.  He likes his softer than this . . . but if you love crunch, go for it.   You can take them out sooner if you are not fond of crunch . . .



Once toasted you sprinkle them with some lovely dark chocolate that you have grated . . . as little or as much as you want.  It starts to melt right away pretty much, but if it doesn't, then just pop them back in for a few seconds and Bob's your Uncle.



Sprinkle with a few flakes of sea-salt and served up with a nice hot cup of chocolate, served out on the back patio beneath our sun umbrella and we could have been sitting in a street Cafe in Paris . . . well, almost . . . nearly.



Crisp, chocolatey and slightly salty.   These were fab!!   Perfect for dunking in our hot chocolates.  I am thinking that thinly sliced croissants might work well too  . . . as would thin slices of a French boule . . . not quite Cafe Rouge . . . but close enough!

  


*Chocolate and Sea-salt Bagel Bruschetta*

 


Oh boy . . . is it hot.  It seems we are in for this hot sticky weather for a while yet.  Not going to complain . . . not going to complain, but it sure is putting a damper on my baking mojo!  I usually like to bake something scrummy at the weekend, but not wanting to have the oven on for long.




These delightful rock cakes are the perfect thing for that.  They cook in under fifteen minutes, so in a reasonably short time you can have something decent on the table to have with your break time cuppa.  And . . . if you do it early in the morning before the sun really gets up too high in the sky, your kitchen won't get overly heated.   I did these early in the morning while the back of our house, where the kitchen is, was still well shaded.   It was quite cool in the kitchen with the door open.  I barely broke out in a sweat!





Rock cakes are a little bit hard to define . . . they are not quite cookie/biscuit or scone . . . but something in between.  Buttery and short . . . they're also known as Rock Buns and are one of Harry Potter's favourite tea time treats!  



You could split them and spread them with butter, but I am quite happy nibbling on them just as they are.  This recipe here today is stogged full of sweet/tart dried cranberries and chunks of white chocolate, along with tasty little nibble-y bits of preserved stem ginger.  (I just love ginger don't you?)




Altogether they make for a really morishly tasty tea time treat.  Your kids will love these . . . the big ones too.   They also make perfect little cakes to take on a family outing or picnic.  Bring on the ice cold ginger-beer!




Place heaping dessert spoons of the mixture evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.  Using a fork, rough up the edges a bit.   Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the buns are nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the centre of one comes out clean.   Remove from the oven.   Allow to stand on the baking sheet for about five minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.  These will keep well in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days.  They also freeze well.

Sometimes I like to make Todd and I an appetizer for a late supper, instead of a meal.   Then supper feels like a bit of a celebration.  I had made homemade melba toasts yesterday with some stale baguettes and thought it would be a shame not to have something to dip them in, and so I decided to make our favourite Artichoke Dip.



It's not much to look at, but oh baby . . . it's gorgeous and rich and so scrummy to eat!  It's a dish I made often for the dinner parties I catered for when I worked at the manor.



You can add cooked shrimp or chicken to it as well, which makes it even more substantial.  But we like it just as it is . . . filled with lots of artichokes and cheese . . . three kinds . . .



Mozzarella, Cream and Cheddar . . . and garlic and shallots . . . and sour cream . . . mayonnaise and  Dijon mustard . . . and herbs . . .

 

Did I mention how scrummy it is?   I can't overstate this fact.  It's incredibly scrummy.   Everyone will love it.   Seriously.  This is the bomb.



sweet paprika



Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. 

Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard and Worcestershire sauce until well blended.  Stir in the artichoke hearts, garlic, shallot, thyme, oregano and jalapeno pepper if using.   Season to taste and mix well together. Spread into a shallow baking dish.  Sprinkle lightly with paprika and then bake in the heated oven for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown.  Serve hot with your desired dippers.

One of the herbs I grow in my garden is Lemon Verbena.  I just adore it.   I love it so much that I cannot resist brushing my fingers up and down it's stems whenever I walk past it.  The smell is heavenly . . . and quite intoxicating . . . well, at least it is to me.



It lends itself beautifully to making herbal teas . . . When I worked down South, I often brewed pots of Lemon Verbena Tea for my boss on summer afternoons.  It also makes lovely iced tea, or sweet tea . . .



It also lends itself to making beautifully delicious simple desserts . . . such as sorbets and puddings . . . like these delicious Lemon Verbena Custards here today . . .



Steeping the leaves in a mixture of cream, along with some finely grated lemon zest imparts a wonderful flavour to the cream . . . lemony and almost woodsy . . . quite delightful.



Delicious in their own right, but one can't help but partner them with something fruity . . . such as the last of the summer's strawberries, simply mashed with the fingers along with just a touch of caster sugar . . .



A spot of ordinary jam would go well also.  It's up to you.  The custard is soft and unctuously rich . . . oh so simple to make and ready in half an hour or so . . .

Of course you could just have it plain.  That is good also . . .

  

Place the ramekins into the roasting tin.   Divide the cream/egg mixture evenly between them.   Place on the middle shelf of the heated oven.  Add boiling water carefully to the roaster to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the custards are set with a gentle wobble in the middle.

Serve warm with some summer fruits or jam.

Note:  You can substitute the verbena with half a scraped vanilla pod if you wish.  Or for a spicy twist you can infuse the cream with 3-4 bruised cardamom pods, a cinnamon stick, half a fresh nutmeg grated and/or 20 to 3 whole cloves.



The leftover berries were lovely with some gently warmed brioche buns . . . such a lovely breakfast and so very continental too . . . 

Allow to cool somewhat.   Dust generously with sifted icing sugar and serve.  These aren't keepers so eat on the day!  (They get soggy if left longer, although you can refresh them somewhat in a hot oven.)

I wish you could smell my house right now.  It smells just gorgeous . . . like butter and fried onions . . . very scrummy indeed.  I  wanted to share something today which really isn't a recipe so much as it is a memory combined with a technique . . . a combination which is always quite delicious . . .



We had company on Friday evening and I served  Raclette. In other words, I made my guests cook their own dinner, but that was ok.  They did not mind at all.  We always have it with boiled baby new potatoes.  I did cook rather a lot . . . just in case (as you do), and I ended up with quite a bit leftover.



I found myself staring at them in the refrigerator today and thinking to myself . . . what would Nigel do . . . Nigel is the master at taking a few ingredients to hand and creating something wonderfully delicious with them.   In one of his earlier cookbooks (Real Food) I found a recipe where he had used waxy potatoes and slow cooked them, thinly sliced with onions and garlic, in butter until they were golden brown and then he banged some cheese on top.



And then I remembered the fried potatoes my mother used to make.   She didn't make them often, so when she did they were a real treat.   We loved them.  I have fond memories of the sight and smell of my mother standing over the stove and frying us potatoes for supper.



She would melt a large knob of butter in a frying pan and then she would fry slices of cold boiled potatoes in the butter until they were gilded with butter and golden brown, crisp at every edge, with nothing more than some salt and pepper to flavour them . . .



Oh boy, but they were good . . . the edges all crisp and buttery, but the insides still meltingly tender and potato-ee . . . she could never make enough.   We loved them so very much.   And so . . . I decided to make mom's fried potatoes, except I added a chopped onion and some leftover diced pancetta to the pan along with a nice knob of butter . . .  and then  sliced the potatoes in, about 1/4 inch thick and unpeeled (because I am rather lazy you know . . . )   I sprinkled them with sea salt and black pepper and a bit of savory.  I stood there turning them as they browned and thinking about what a labour of love that was for my mother to make those potatoes for us and how very much we enjoyed them . . . with the smell of crisping and buttery onions filling the air . . .

 

And then I pulled a leaf of inspiration from Nigel's book and I tore up some leftover Reblochon cheese from the other night and scattered it over top of the hot potatoes . . . allowing it to melt and ooze into all of the nooks and crannies and crevices . . . not something mom would have done, but I had it, and it wasn't cheap and it needed to be used too . . .



And so we feasted on buttery, cheesy and crispy golden pan fried potatoes, accompanied with gently warmed leftover brisket, buttered rolls and pickled beets.  A meal fit for a King . . . and this Queen.  And we died and went to heaven . . . the scent of which is still tantalizing us, and will probably accompany us throughout the evening on into bed time.

I can think of much worse things . . . can't you?

Bumbleberries . . . they're something I have in abundance this time of year.   My fruit is ripening, but in small amounts . . . a handful of blueberries here, a handful of raspberries there.   The last few strawberries . . . stragglers, etc.



You know what I mean . . . you have lots of berries hanging about, but not enough of any ONE berry to do anything that is distinctly dedicated to just them.   It's Bumbleberry season!



You don't even need to grow your own.  It could be a few blueberries leftover from making pancakes or muffins.   Perhaps a friend dropped off a pint of raspberries.  You didn't use all of the berries you bought for strawberry shortcake.  A little bit here, and a little bit there and you've got Bumbleberries!!



Bumbleberries make the most delicious pie!  A balance of sweet and tart that pleases with every mouthful.  I don't know anyone that doesn't enjoy this lovely pie.  I, myself, am not fond of cooked strawberry pie, but I love them in this pie, full stop.



It's gorgeous served just slightly warm with a bit of  vanilla ice cream scooped and settled on top!!   Okay . . . so that's one mega scoop sitting there, but hey!   In for a penny in for a pound!



And who can blame me?  Really.  I know . . . I'm one weak willed puddy tat.





Place a foil lined pan on the bottom rack of the oven, and then place  the pie on the centre oven rack, over it.   Bake for 30 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5, Turn the pie 180 degrees, and then bake for a further 35 to 40 minutes, until the juices are bubbling thickly and the pastry is done.



If it appears to be browning too quickly, cover with foil during the last 10 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for at least an hour before serving.