Salad of Beetroot & Goats Milk Cheese

Salad of beetroot and

goats milk cheese


The vegetable of the moment on the allotment is beetroot, though closely followed by the courgette which could do with a bit more sun.   I usually grow Burpees Golden beetroot and a pink and white striped Chioggia which always do well right through summer into autumn.  They grow away with little attention, taste great and look good on the plate.  Pronto is a good purple variety which isn't prone to bolting and, when young, also provides a useable leaf for salads. 

Beetroot can be eaten raw, grated into salads, but that's a little too worthy for me.  When cooked it has a wonderfully earthy, yet sweet flavour which, if handled sensitively, should bear no resemblance to those jars of pickled supermarket beetroot.  The texture of beetroot is dense so it needs to either be boiled for 30 minutes to 1 hour (depending on size) or wrapped in foil and baked in a medium oven for at least 1 hour.  Simply wash off any soil, leave 2-3cm of leaf top and the tails on to stop the colour bleeding out before cooking.  They are cooked when the skin comes away with a little finger pressure.  When cooked, skin them, cut into quarters, or more, and dress with your chosen acidic liquid whist still warm.  Sometimes you can buy wood-roasted beetroot to save you time.

Yes, I know, everyone has a recipe for a salad of beetroot and goats milk cheese, so what's so special about this one.  Well, apart from the variety of beetroot and the particular cheese - perfect partners are an easy to buy Crottin, some Ticklemore or an Innes log - it's down to that acid liquor.  Rather than reach for the wine vinegar bottle I've found that the subtle qualities of Verjus provide that essential acid note whilst bringing out the natural sweetness of the beetroot beautifully. 

Verjus (green juice) has been used in cooking since Medieval times and is the result of pressing unripe grapes, or other sour fruits, and fermenting the juice.  Its virtue is that it's milder than vinegar or wine and doesn't fight with whatever wine is being drunk with the dish you're eating.  Aubert & Mascoli, who sell French and Italian wines, have a delicious additive-free Périgord Verjus.  It's good in marinades, for de-glazing or even added to a glass of warm water for a cleansing morning drink.  You can buy it in London from their shop in Dean Street, Soho or most Saturdays at Arch 55 Stanworth Street SE1.  They also deliver anywhere within mainland UK.  Aubert & Mascoli have an impressive pedigree and all their French and Italian wines are either natural, organic, biodynamic or grown sustainably.  Or try your local wine shop for a bottle of Verjus.

Beetroot is, apparently, a "super food".  Whether it is or not, this recipe makes a delicious lunch.

Salad of beetroot and goats milk cheese

(Serves 4)

8 small or 6 medium sized beetroots

2 tablespoons of verjus (or white wine vinegar)

2 Crottins or similar (the goats milk cheeses Ticklemore and Innes work particularly well)

3-4 handfuls of rocket or a mix of leaves (a few baby beet leaves in the mix is good)

2-3 handfuls of of shelled walnuts

Dressing:

1 tablespoon of verjus (or white wine vinegar)

A twist of salt and pepper

1 tablespoon of runny honey

4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

Wash the beetroot and trim the tops to 2-3 cms.  Either wrap in foil and bake in the oven at 200C for about 1 hour, or boil for 30-45 minutes.  Allow to cool until you are just able to handle them and skin the beets.  Cut into quarters (or smaller) and toss in the verjus.  Leave to cool (they keep well in the fridge, covered, for several days).  If refrigerating, bring them back to room temperature.  Pile onto serving plates with the rocket, roughly torn goats milk cheese and the walnuts.  For the dressing, mix the salt, pepper and honey into the verjus, add the olive oil and mix to an emulsion.  Pour a little dressing over each plate of salad and serve.

Aubert & Mascoli

67 Dean Street, London W1D 4QH

and at Arch 55 Stanworth Street, Bermondsey SE1 until 3.00pm every Saturday exept the first in the month

http://www.aubertandmascoli.com/

http://www.maltbystreet.com/

Barrafina - great tapas in Soho

Barrafina in Soho, London

It's always good to see the owners tucking in with gusto when you visit a restaurant.  As were Sam and Eddie Hart at their tapas bar, Barrafina, recently.  OK they were hosting a journalist but there was no evidence of special treatment other than they seemed to be working their way through the whole menu. That says a lot for the Harts' confidence in the food and their chefs.  I have to say, having eaten at Barrafina a number of times of late, it's not misplaced.

That's not to say they do everything right.  For me, the bread used for the Pan con Tomate is neither correct nor light enough, and you can pay quite a premium for some of the 'Specials'.  Although portion sizes of these dishes are more raciones than tapas.  A dish of Middlewhite Pork Leg with barely wilted baby spinach leaves on a recent visit was £14.80 and, tender Ryeland Lamb Shoulder with sweet fresh peas was £16.80.  They were undeniably delicious but neither cut of meat is expensive to buy.  That said, the ingredients are good, and the chefs cook up a storm right at the mid-section of the bar.  There isn't a bad seat in the house. 

Most of the tapas average around £6.50.  Gorgeous individual Classic Tortillas are cooked to order and served up with just the right amount of ooziness.  Ham croquetas deliver the essential crispy outside to yielding inner and the super-fresh fish is proudly displayed on ice.  Recently, chipirones were particularly tasty and razor clams were beautifully flavoured with a zesty gremolata.  Wines are good value, Finca Manzanos at £4.00 a glass and Cuatro Rayas 2009 at £4.80 for instance, though you can drink more adventurously and expensively, and there are sherries of course.  A 12.5% discretionary service charge is added to the bill.  I've never spent more than £30 a head here.

The Hart brothers were influenced by visits to Spain with their Mallorcan mother and cut their teeth on their restaurat Fino in Fitrovia.  I have to say I wasn't a fan but the influence of their visits to Barcelona's Cal Pep tapas bar is clear at Barrafina and, for me, the Harts have produced something even better than this Barcelona institution.  I think I know what the best tapas bars have in common.  Obviously the quality of the food and drink and good staff are the core.  The regular presence of the owner(s) matters a lot and chefs cooking right in front of the customer adds to the pleasure (on both sides I think).  The ratio of chefs to waiting staff seems to be a factor.  In London, at both Barrafina and my other favourite, Josẽ  in SE1, the chefs outnumber the waiters, and in both the food is top notch. 

Barrafina has the buzzy atmosphere you expect in the heart of London's Soho.  Staff are welcoming and clearly happy to be there.  You're likely to have to wait in line, but it's worth it.  It's a beautiful bar, well located, and I'm confident you will have as good a time there as I do. 

Barrafina

54 Frith Street

London  W1D 4SL

Tel: 020 7813 8016

http://www.barrafina.co.uk/ 

Bread pudding the Spanish way at Josẽ

Every country which values bread as a staple food has its own recipe for using up leftover crusts.  This week at José in Bermondsey I ate my first Torrijas, a traditional Spanish sweet bread pudding. It's enjoyed particularly in Madrid during Holy Week, though its origins may be Arabic, and I can't imagine how I managed to miss it.  There is more than one version, some using milk-soaked bread, and some prepared with sugared wine.  Recipes are based around a thick slice of bread soaked in the liquid, dipped in egg, fried in olive oil and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.  At Josẽ, sweetened red wine is used.

On my way to his tapas bar this week I fell into step with José and learned he is aiming for an October opening of his new restaurant, Pizarro on the site of Bermondsey Kitchen.  At 194 Bermondsey Street it is only a stone's throw from Josẽ so he can give his attention to both. There will be an open kitchen, a more extensive menu, and a Cava Bar.  As I'm writing this, José has just popped up on Rick Stein's excellent "Spain" TV series, lending his expertise on the Extramadura region.  Now; back to London.

In England there are a number of dishes which make use of leftover bread, mainly desserts, like the simple Bread Pudding, or for a richer version Bread and Butter Pudding.  Then there's Summer Pudding made with a mixture of fresh berries, or a crisp, buttery Apple Charlotte or Brown Betty.  These are recipes appreciated by the thrifty cook, and are rhapsodised over by anyone who remembers them from childhood.  

The French have similar feelings for their Tendresse aux Pommes and Pain Perdu.  In Egypt they have Om Ali, a mixture of bread (sometimes pancakes or pastry), milk, raisins and almonds.  There is a middle-eastern dish of bread, caramel, honey and rosewater called Eish es Serni, and in India Shahi Tukra, bread is fried in ghee and soaked in a sugar syrup infused with saffron and rosewater and added to cream and almonds.  In Italy they prefer to use leftover bread in a savoury dish such as Panzanella (bread and tomato salad) or in a Pancotto bread and vegetable soup.  In southern Italy dried breadcrumbs are used as a topping for pasta dishes in the same way as parmesan is used in the north. 

The Spanish too have their Sopa de Ajo (garlic and bread soup) and Migas (literally "crumbs"), but they also have Torrijas and right now I'm very taken with it.  Sitting close to the kitchen in Josẽ, I noticed a chef cutting, what turned out to be, Torrijas into 'soldiers', finishing them with a trickle of dark syrup and a sprig of mint.  Noticing my interest, a taster was passed over the counter (it's that sort of place).  It was soft and luscious inside, with a cinnamon perfumed outer crunch.  Adult comfort food just made for sharing and a perfect way to finish tapas with a glass of sherry or a cortado.  I don't usually go out to eat and wish for stale bread, but I will now!

All this writing about bread puddings has inspired me to try some of them out.  Expect another recipe soon.  Right now I have some home-made raspberry ice cream to check out.

Josẽ
104 Bermondsey Street
London SE1 3UB

Tel: 020 7403 4902 (no reservations)

http://www.josepizarro.com/

Kitty Travers' ices at School of Artisan Food

School of Artisan Food

When did you last taste a really good ice cream?  I mean a real ice-cream with a depth and length of flavour that stays with you long after the last spoonful.  For me it was last Sunday on the Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire.  We're not talking about faux ice cream which delivers nothing but a comforting slick of cool slipperyness on the tongue, and fills you with regret afterwards.  That will be the one made with palm oil, or worse.  These mass manufacturers' tricks are even more ubiquitous than you might think.

I'm lucky enough to have access to real ice-cream most weeks.  It is so good that I was intrigued to learn what made it so special.  Kitty Travers parks her La Grotta Ices Piaggio van on Maltby Street in the London Borough of Bermondsey most Saturdays.  She offers the best ice creams I've ever tasted - 4 or 5 flavours by the cone, tub or take-home carton.  It was Kitty's flavour combinations which caught my attention - consider marmalade with chocolate sauce; strawberry and orange blossom; peach leaf and opal plum; tarrragon and nectarine.  It's impossible to pass on by.  All are made with top-quality ingredients, and it really shows.

When I heard Kitty was running a course at The School of Artisan Food I seized my chance to learn how to make real ice cream with depth.  I was also hoping to learn how to combine flavours which, to most of us, would not seem obvious matches but which I knew, from my weekly indulgence, really worked.  From a one-day course I thought I was probably expecting too much but it was surprisingly detailed.  In a class of 14, by partnering up, we managed to produce more than 10 ice-creams, from Cornstarch through Milk and Vanillas to Fruit Ices and Sorbets, a Parfait and a non-dairy Granita.  

Given my interest in flavours I was thrilled to make a Blackcurrant and Leaf recipe with my partner for the day, Ian.  We learnt the techniques for infusing and the importance of "ageing" before churning to dramatically improve the result of a milk/cream based ice cream.  We even learnt how to make "Instant" ice cream by utiising the chemical reaction between ice and salt to give an (almost) instantaneous freeze.  The vibrant colour and taste of the "Sunshine Sorbet" had to be experienced to be believed.  Fellow students ranged from a dairy farmer looking to diversify, and a British/Italian baker planning to rediscover his family's ice cream-making roots, to enthusiastic home cooks and lucky recipients of courses as birthday gifts. 

Despite the pace, there was time to check out how the rest of of the class were progressing with the other recipes.  The atmosphere was focused yet fun and we certainly learned a lot in just a few hours.  Kitty's style is relaxed and engaging and she's full of stories of her peripatetic life.  Anyone interested in artisan food will enjoy this course, and if you share Kitty's passion for ice cream you'll get an awful lot out of it.

The base for The School of Artisan Food is the beautiful former fire stables on the extensive Welbeck Estate near Worksop in North Nottinghamshire.  The founding principles of this not-for-profit centre of excellence are based on a belief that communities are forged around food.  Learning where it comes from and how to make it well is vital to our culture.  Knowledge has been passed down from one generation to the next but the skills can be, and are being, lost.  That's why this school is so important.  This is the second course I've taken at The School of Artisan Food.  The administration, the facilities and the teaching have been excellent and the ethos inspirational.  

So, let's ditch the mediocre, and often downright mendacious, in favour of real food - let's get churning!  I'm including this link as it tells you much more about Kitty than I can.  Richard Johnson gives a good insight into her influences and motivations http://britishstreetfood.co.uk/category/lagrotta/

http://lagrottaices.tumblr.com/

http://www.schoolofartisanfood.org/

If you crave salted caramel ice cream, and I sometimes do, try the Real France stall at Borough Market. 

Yorkshire Curd Tart - Take 1

Yorkshire Curd Tart - Take 1

I'm on a quest to find the perfect Yorkshire Curd Tart recipe.  You know what it's like, you move away from your childhood home and you start to miss some things you used to take for granted.  At the moment, for me, that's Yorkshire Curd Tart.  Occasionally I manage to get to York.  When I do I always, but always, buy some from Betty's bakery (along with a Fat Rascal).  They're pretty good, though the one I crave was baked across the border in County Durham.  As with many English dishes, there was a certain amount of border-creep with the "Yorkshire" Curd Tart.  

Like many ill-documented recipes, its origins are disputed.  The story which resonates with me is that it started as a means of using up waste curd from the cheese-making process when most smallholders would keep a cow and produce a few small cheeses. 

First there's the pastry.  It should be a fine shortcrust - a plain edge, not crinkled (though my tin is crinkled-edged), and not too deep.  The fruit, I think, should be currants, but make sure they are good quality seed-free ones.  Rosewater is sometimes mentioned and in a recipe from 1741 even "butter washed in rosewater".  The 'curd' must be real curd cheese - definitely not cottage cheese.  I suppose people keep suggesting cottage cheese because it's easy to get hold of, but don't bother, it just doesn't work.  It used to be possible to get curds direct from your local dairy.  Being in London, I got my curd cheese from Bill Oglethorpe of Kappacasein down in Bermondsey (in exchange for a tub of my allotment raspberries).  The good news is that as more dairy farms are now diversifying, curds are becoming more available.  All that is needed is for people to start asking for them, either at the farm gate or from artisan cheese makers like Bill.

The quest for the definitive recipe continues but in the meantime, here's Take 1.  Influenced by Jane Grigson's recipe in her book English Food, it's not a bad attempt, but it's not the authentic Yorkshire Curd Tart I remember.  The texture of the filling seemed a bit spongey and the amount of currants too generous.  Clearly I have more work to do.  If you think you've got the recipe, I'd love to hear from you. 

Yorkshire Curd Tart (Take 1)

(22cm shallow tart tin with a removable base) 

Sweet Shortcrust pastry:
110g (4oz) soft butter
55g (2oz) icing sugar

2 tablespoons beaten egg

170g (6oz) soft plain flour
pinch  of salt

Filling:
100g soft butter

50g caster sugar

200g curd cheese

100g currants

1 level tablespoon breadcrumbs

Pinch of salt

Grated nutmeg

Grated rind of half a lemon

2 well-beaten eggs, less 2 tablespoons used in the pastry.

For the pastry, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, then gradually add the flour and salt, mixing to a smooth paste.  (This makes a very fragile, buttery pastry which is best if handled as little as possible).  Cover and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour. 

Butter the tart tin lightly and press pieces of the pastry into the tin to form a thin layer (you will need only half the amount of pastry you've made, so wrap the remainder and freeze it for your next tart).  Push a rolling pin over the top of the tart tin to leave a clean edge.  Prick the base repeatedly with a fork and place in the fridge for another 15-30 minutes (this helps to reduce shrinkage in baking).   

Heat the oven to 190C.  Bake the pastry case blind for 10 minutes.  Remove the baking beans and return the tin to the oven for a further 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 170C. 

Cream butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.  Mix in the curds, currants, breadcrumbs, salt and nutmeg, then the eggs.  Pour mixture into the tart caseand bake for 30 minutes.  Cool to room temperature before serving.

UPDATE: Go here for Take 2 on the Yorkshire curd tart

www.maltbystreet.com

Towpath Cafe time

Towpath Café

You may think I've been a hermit of late, so few have been my reviews of places to eat.  Maybe I'm too picky, but I'm not a professional restaurant reviewer these days.  I don't want to waste my time, or yours, so I only write about places I rate highly.  I appreciate an exquisite sauce and a starched napkin as much as anyone but what I want most of the time is carefully-sourced ingredients, cooked with passion and served-up with a genuine wish to give pleasure.  I expect a decent, but not pricey, glass of wine.  A relaxing, friendly atmosphere and knowledgeable staff need to be in the mix too.  The opportunity to eat outside on a sunny day is a nice extra, and sitting by a stretch of water is almost over-egging the perfection pudding.  So, after several weeks of some disappointments which have sent me scurrying back to old favourites, I offer you "Towpath Café" by the Regent's Canal. 

London's Regent's Canal runs from the junction with the Grand Union Canal at Paddington in the west to the river Thames in the east at Limehouse.  It passes right through London Zoo in Regent's Park and snakes onwards through Camden, Islington, Bethnal Green and Mile End.  Towpath Café is between Whitmore Bridge and Kingsland Road Bridge (N1 5SB) and its steel shutters are thrown open from breakfast till dusk.  Opened in April 2010 by Italian/American author and food writer Lori de Mori, it's definitely now on my favourites list.  The food, prepared in a tiny lock-up kitchen, is seasonal and very simple.  Yesterday Dave was cooking up morcilla, red peppers and broad beans on toasted sourdough; a steak sandwich with caramelised onions; a creamy, olive oil slicked brandade and soft boiled egg served with sourdough toast; runner beans and Berkswell cheese salad.  Each was carefully prepared and packed with flavour.  Laura's treacle tart was as light and chewy as it ought to be (yet so often isn't).  Her olive oil cakes are a must, and there's home-made ice-cream too. 

A generous main course and dessert, a glass of chianti and a good espresso came in at around £15 and it's great value.  This is the food I want for a relaxed weekday lunch.  Most of the seating is outside, so a sunny day helps, but there is a small under cover area too.  Outside, chilled-out diners co-exist amicably with locals, walkers, dogs, cyclists and joggers, and with boats and wildfowl coming and going too you have a constantly changing scene.  Towpath takes its responsibilities seriously in this residential area of Dalston/Hackney.  There is no take-away, so no litter, and staff help cultivate the small local communal garden alongside. 

If you're having trouble finding the Cafe, look out for their recent acquisition, "Juiliette" a lovingly restored "little ship".  Now all we need is for summer to return to a, presently, soggy London to unwind down on the Towpath.

Towpath Café

42 De Beauvoir Crescent, London N1 5SB

(Regent's Canal, between Whitmore Bridge and Kingsland Road Bridge)

Tues-Fri 08.00 to dusk

Sat 09.00 to dusk

Sun 10.00 to dusk

No bookings and no loos. 

http://towpathcafe.wordpress.com/

Fat lemons and flat nectarines - Food Find

This time of year it's difficult to know which fruits to buy, such is the choice and abundance.  We are reaching that time with UK grown fruits when the berries are past their peak, the cherry crop is slowing, and the plums are merely showing promise.  However, Continental-grown peaches and nectarines are filling the gap nicely.  I bought fantastic juicy small, flat nectarines at Tony Booth's arch today, along with grapefruit-sized Italian lemons.  The skins of these lemons (with pith attached) make the best candied peel.

Maltby Street

Cherry Frangipane Tart

Cherry Frangipane Tart

The Kent-grown cherries are tasting fantastic this year, despite the fact weather conditions have been challenging, and damaging to the crop - basically not enough rain followed by far too much.  The delicious yellow and red Rainier variety available at the moment are slightly firmer and less fleshy than the black ones and are perfect for eating just as they are.  Having bought a kilo of Rainier's and one of black cherries from the Dallaway's stall on Borough Market on Saturday, I wandered up to Bermondsey to do the rest of my shopping.

I was full of thoughts of turning some of the black cherries into the perfect cherry frangipane tart as I paused for a reviving espresso at Monmouth's roastery before stocking up on my staples of bread, cheeses and prosciutto.  The Bermondsey Trail certainly seems a lot busier of late but it's a far more relaxing way to shop than fighting your way around Borough Market.  Finishing up at Gergovie Wines bar on Maltby Street, I enoyed a glass of Gamay from the Auvergne and shared a plate of perfect baked ham and a dish of silky caponata.  And then I spotted Kit's cherry tart.  I was determined to resist.  Then my neighour ordered a slice, eating it in that quiet way that tells you something is good, waiting until the last bite to declare it so.  I was undone.  I had to have it.  The pastry was a wafer-thin layer of finest shortcrust.  The almond frangipane was soft and yielding and another ounce of sugar would have tipped it over into too-sweet.  It could have been a bit more generous on the cherries, but it was amazingly good.   

I left feeling not quite so confident about my own plans, but here's my recipe.  It's not as good as Kit's but if you can't get over to Maltby Street, you might enjoy this.  You'll see from the photograph that I used a slightly smaller and deeper tart tin, but a 22cm shallow one is best for this.

Cherry Frangipane Tart
(22cm shallow tart tin)

Sweet Shortcrust pastry:
110g (4oz) soft butter
55g (2oz) icing sugar
2 tablespoons beaten egg
170g (6oz) soft plain flour
pinch  of salt

Frangipane:
125g softened butter
125g ground almonds
125g caster sugar
2 eggs plus egg leftover from the pastry making

250g stoned cherries

For the pastry, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, then gradually add the flour and salt, mixing to a smooth paste.  Cover and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.  (This makes a very fragile, buttery pastry which is best if handled as little as possible).

Lightly butter a 22cm shallow loose-bottomed tart tin.  Press pieces of the pastry into the tin to form a thin layer - you will probably have more pastry than you need, the important thing is to apply it thinly.  Push a rolling pin over the top of the tart tin to leave a clean edge.  Prick the base with a fork and place in the fridge for another 30 minutes (this helps to reduce shrinkage in baking).  Heat the oven to 190C and bake the pastry blind for 15 minutes.  Remove the baking beans and if the base is not cooked, return the tin to the oven for 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven.

Beat the very soft butter and mix in the ground almonds and caser sugar.  Gradually mix in the eggs well.  Add the stoned cherries to the tart and spread the frangipane cream over them.  Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.  Cool, remove from the tin and serve the tart at room temperature, perhaps with a dollop of creme fraiche.

Violet Cakes back on the Bermondsey Trail - Food Find

After an absence due to lack of staff, Claire Ptak has returned to the Bermondsey Trail with her delicious 'Violet Cakes' on the first Saturday of each month.  She can now be found at Arch 55 Stanworth Street, sharing with The Borough Cheese Company, Fern Verrow, Aubert & Mascoli wines and Coleman Coffee.  I recommend the seasonal fruit polenta cakes.
Update Dec 2011 - Changes to locations - check with Violet Cakes as to where and when
Violet Cakes
Shop: 47 Wilton Way, London E8 3ED
@ Broadway Market, London E8 (every Saturday) & 55 Stanworth Steet, London SE1 (first Saturday in the month)
http://www.violetcakes.com/
http://www.maltbystreet.com/

Kaffeine - Food Find

Kaffeine is one of my best independent coffee shop finds in London.  Skilled baristas deliver excellent shots of Square Mile coffee with a Synesso Syncra machine.  Whilst I favour their Piccolos, Kaffeine doesn't confine itself to producing espressos and filters, but offers alternatives of Teapigs teas, cascara (a 'tea' brewed from the normally wasted dried outer layer of the coffee cherry), hot chocolate, and Chegworth juices.  They serve salads, sandwiches and cakes that are more than the 'OK' offerings of many coffee shops.  Antipodean owned, it's a welcome find in 'Fitzrovia', and now open on Sundays.

Kaffeine
66 Great Titchfield Street
London W1