The Best Starter In the World

I really don't want to state the bleeding obvious, but this is the best and easiest starter in the world. I have never served it without ooohs and ahhhs emanating from full mouths as they tuck in! I also don't want to to tell you things you already know, but if you have never made this, then you must.

1 whole Camembert (250g)
Crusty white bread
Red Onion Jam

1, Wrap the Camembert in foil and put in a preheated oven on about 175 for 20-25 mins
2, cut the bread
3, take the cheese out of the oven, gently unwrap, cut open the top, serve it in the middle of the table with bread and jar of onion jam and let them tuck in and adore you!

Smoked Mackerel Pate & Beetroot Crostini

This is a regular starter in my house, and I made it for friends a few weeks ago and now they are asking for the recipe. I am a bit embarrassed about how quick and easy it is, but you need to save time for the drinking and eating, whats the point of a dinner party if you are not there to enjoy it?

this is enough for 4 people

• Average size packet of smoked mackerel
• 1 Tbls Fresh chopped parsley
• 1 heap tbls horseradish Sauce
• 4 Tbls Yoghurt
  

• cooked beetroot. approx 4 small ones
  

• home-made crostini (slice baguettes drizzle with oil and bake in oven for 15-20 mins)
  3 per person is a good starter amount
  

1, Pull the skin off the fish and discard, and break the meat into pieces in a bowl
2, use a fork to break up the fish as much as possible
3, add the rest of the ingredients and some fresh ground pepper and mix well
4, taste and check you are happy with the amount of horseradish and texture, if it needs more add more yogurt and horseradish
5, thinly slice beetroot and pop the slices on top of the bread and then top with a generous dollop of pate.
6, serve with some leaves and a drizzle of oil and balsamic vinegar

Every Witch Needs One!

My Cat. In my Aromatherapy Garden.....


In my aromatherapy garden, you will find.... Lavender, basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, lemon balm, chamomile, cypress, jasmine, rose, olive, parsley, marjoram, geranium, dill, lemon verbena, aloe vera, mint, calendula, and borage.

Plus the cat, of course!

Tomato Ketchup

I have always wanted to make my own ketchup, I love ketchup. Actually I usually call it tomato sauce, not sure where this ketchup business has suddenly come from! Is it American?

Anyway, the tomato crop which is growing inside the house seems to have a disease. We have looked through books, the Internet and we just cant find out whats wrong with them. It is extremely disappointing. Mr H thinks he may have got a little overexcited and planted too many plants in the one place. I guess we will never know.

On the plus side, thre are still the tommys growing outside, the hanging baskets of cherry ones are divine, they are like little lumps of sugar, and after picking them your hands smell deliciously tomatoey for hours.

Mr H's mum used to make her own tomato sauce. He grew up with a cupboard under the stairs bursting with home made jams, sauces and chutneys - he has the same vision for our house :) Mama H died quite a long time ago, but she left a legacy of recipes. A red folder full of her family's favourites, all hand written, its lovely. Every Mother should make one of these!

So during every visit to Mr H Senior, I steal another one........

1.5 lb Tomatoes, sliced
1/4lb Onions, finely chopped
1/2 pint vinegar
2 oz Sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
Pinch Cayenne
4 Cloves
Blade of Mace

1, Put all the ingredients into a pan and simmer for 1 hour
2, Remove the mace and cloves
3, Blend, then return to pan and heat through until it has thickened
4, When cold, bottle

There is something special about making preserves with your home-grown ingredients, and this is delicous! Better than anything I have bought in a shop or been eating for years! Unfortunately this amount of ingredients only made 2 jam jars worth, and believe me, this is not going to last very long!

Raspberry Shortcake

As previously described, this is precisely what you can do with those yummy Vanilla Biscuits.

The sauce it just raspberries, 1 tbls icing sugar and a glug of Creme de Cassis

Vanilla Biscuits

These are dead easy, and really nice. You can eat them with a cup of tea or stack with layers of whipped cream and fresh raspberries and drizzle in Honey, preferably Lavender or Heather.

8oz Plain Flour
4oz Butter
2 oz caster sugar
1 Vanilla pod

1, Pre-heat the oven to 175
2, Rub together the butter and flour until it resembles breadcrumbs
3, remove the seeds from the vanilla pod and add to the mixture with the caster sugar
4, Rub again to break up the seeds and make sure they are evenly distributed
5, add 2-3 tbls of water and bring the mixture together into a dough. Pop in the fridge for 15mins
6, roll out the dough and cut out your biscuits and put them on the buttered baking tray
7, sprinkle with extra caster sugar and bake for 10-15 mins
8, Put them on a baking tray to cool, they will be a bit floppy hen you get them out the oven but they will harden on the wire rack

Happy Birthday Cake

Its my best-foody-friends birthday. I was going to make a sophisticated cake until he told me he was going to have a kids themed birthday party with iced gems and Skips crisps. So I had no choice... it had to be a cake not lacking in calories, but definately lacking in sophistication!

I went for a Raspberry and Vanilla cake.

Basically, 2 Victoria Sandwich Sponges, butter cream made with vanilla essence stuffed in between the sponges with plenty of raspberry jam. And then for the topping, Green & Blacks White chocolate melted down with a little cream and poured over the top, who could then resist pouring on hundred and thousands :)

It went down a treat, I was rather proud! :)