Soda Bread

Ingredients
400g flour (I used a mixture of Quinoa (no more than 50g), spelt, rye and wholemeal flours)
2 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 generous tablespoon molasses
25g olive oil or melted butter
450ml buttermilk (or milk with lemon juice added to it)

Preheat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7.

Sieve the flour, sugar, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and mix well.  Mix the molasses, olive oil and buttermilk together.  Stir the liquid through the dry ingredients quickly and evenly.  Scape it into a floured 20cm tin.

Bake the loaf for 20 minutes with oiled foil covering the top.  Then turn the oven down to 200C/gas mark 6, remove foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until the bread is cooked.

Super with a hearty winter soup or a bowl of lentils. 

Anish Kapoor, Turning the World Upside Down, Kensington Gardens

Kapoor’s stainless steel sculptures are situated within the beautiful landscapes and stunning setting of the Kensington Gardens.   The park is showcasing a series of Anishs' major recent works never before shown together in London.

This must-see exhibition runs till 13 March 2011, reflecting the different colours, elements and moods of the people and their surroundings across the seasons.

 

Fabulous, fun and free - for children too.

Darwin Centre cocoon, Natural History Museum

Take two children to the superb new interactive section of the Natural History Museum, and what do they want to do - play on their hand-held computers!  The museum did a fabulous talk with a resident entomologist about stick insects.  We had the rare opportunity of petting some live ones, although some of our group passed on it!

The magnificent cocoon structure protects and houses the Museum's most valuable specimen collections.  Designed by internationally renowned C F Møller Architects of Denmark, construction took 28 months and was finished in September 2008.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/darwin-centre-visitors/cocoon/index.html

Chocolate & Chilli Fudge

Ingredients 

• 550g unrefined caster sugar
• 550ml double cream 
• 75g liquid glucose
• 150g melted dark cooking chocolate 
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder

Put the sugar, double cream and liquid glucose in a deep pan.  Slowly heat together, stirring continually, until the sugar melts then fast boil until the thermometer reaches 118^oC.  Turn off the heat and add the chocolate and chilli powder, mix really well and pour into a 22cm square non-stick tin quickly.

Leave the fudge overnight to set then turn out and cut into squares.  Delicious!

Brussel Sprout & Gorgonzola Tart

Ingredients

• 300g brussel sprouts, cut in half or broccoli
• 4 eggs
• 200ml crème fraiche or double cream
• handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 25cm tart case, baked blind
• 150g crumbled Gorgonzola or Stilton

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

Steam the brussel sprouts until just cooked, leave in the colander to dry.

Mix together the egg and cream, add the chopped parsley and season.  Spread the cooled broccoli over the base of the tart case.  Add the Gorgonzola to the tart, packing it into the gaps and making sure the tart is nice and full.  Pour over just enough of the egg mixture to reach the rim of the case.  Bake for 20 minutes, until just set.

Remove and leave to cool slightly before serving.  Serves four.

Dan Lepard's Mulled Wine Plum Jellies

 

Ingredients:

• 500g dark plum flesh, skin on, stones cut out, chopped 
• 250ml red wine
• 500g granulated sugar, plus extra
• ½ tsp each ground cinnamon and nutmeg
• Pinch ground cloves (optional)
• 50ml of lemon juice, about 1 small lemon
• 125ml liquid pectin

Line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with nonstick baking paper.

Put the plums and wine in a blender and purée until smooth but with flecks of peel visible. Tip into a saucepan with the sugar, spices and lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Skim off any froth that comes to the top, and then boil for approx 25 minutes, stirring often with until it hits 105C.

Remove from the heat, stir in the pectin, return to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until it reaches 106C. Pour into the tin and leave to cool for three to four hours.

Cut the jelly into cubes, roll in sugar and place on a baking tray lined with nonstick paper. Turn the oven to its lowest setting (40-50oC), leave the door ajar and dry them out for an hour and a half to two hours (alternatively, the jellies will dry if left at room temperature for a few days).

Remove, roll carefully in extra sugar and leave to cool.

Enjoy with cheese after dinner or with dark chocolate!

Harpenden!



Taken from the top of the best sledging hill in Harpenden