Fig Loaf

While away my fig tree produced 2.2 kilos of usable fruit. Having not found anything other than tartlets to use them up, I recalibrated my bread recipe in order to use up the figs (it actually turns out more like cake rather than bread).

Ingredients

180g Butter, softened
1 Egg , beaten
360g Fresh Figs, cut lengthways
180g Golden Caster Sugar
360g Self-raising Flour
1 tbsp Ground Cinnamon

Method
1. Heat the oven to 180C/350F.
2. Take a 1.5kg loaf tin and line the base and sides of with baking paper (1 piece for long sides and base and 2 smaller pieces for the ends).
3. In a bowl, merge the butter and egg and then stir in the figs.

4. Add in the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Hand mix until there is no dry flour.

5. Spoon into the loaf tin and evenly spread to fill tin.

6. Bake for 60 minutes (earlier if already risen and golden brown).
7. Remove from oven but leave in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Serve thickly sliced and buttered.

updated header pic

New header picture is of landscape across Purbeck looking into Swanage.

Prawn and Tomato Masala

What to do when you have 500 grams of King prawns and not many other ingredients? Firstly, a la Floyd, one glass of 1991 Chateau Saint-Christophe. I know… See what else needs using up and go random.

Prawn and Tomatoes Masala

Ingredients
500 grams King prawns (defrost fully before using)
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 can (1lb) chopped tomatoes
100 grams chopped creamed coconut
100 grams natural yoghurt
100 ml water
2 tbs Garam Masala
1tbs oil

Method
1. Heat oil in a wok and fry onion on a high heat.
2. When the onion starts to sweat add the prawns.
3. After 1 to 2 minutes add coconut and stir.
4. Add Garam Masala and stir until all mixed.
5. Add tomatoes and water, when it bubbles turn heat down to a simmer. Leave simmering for 5 minutes
6. Then add yoghurt, stir through and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve with naan bread or rice and garnish with fresh herb (I used ginger mint).

Grilled Coconut

A couple of Saturdays ago, my daughter won 3 coconuts at our village fete on the Coconut Shy stall. Although she doesn’t actually like it (she is a good thrower so is likely to get some returm for her money), the rest of the family are quite partial. But not 3!

When it came to eating the third I tried to do something a little different with the flesh and looking at various recipes, came across one for roasted coconut on Yummy Supper.

So here is a recipe to use up that coconut flesh you have left over…

Grilled Coconut

Ingredients
1 coconut (brown, hard shell variety)

Method
1. Drain water and drink it.
2. Smash through shell and pull away flesh.
3. Wash flesh and cut flesh into 1 to 2 cm pieces.
4. Place coconut on a baking.
5. Heat grill to 190C (Medium-Hot) and cook coconut for about 15 minutes or until most pieces have started to brown.
6. Allow to cool and serve with a cool drink.

Sunset

Sunset over the back of the house.

Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkin Recipes
Having a spare pumpkin after Halloween, I used it to make soup and bread..

Pumpkin Soup

Having a spare pumpkin after Halloween, I used it to make soup using the recipe below and saved some of the pumpkin to make bread. The bread recipe can be found here.

Ingredients
6 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2kg pumpkin flesh, chopped into small chunks
1.5l vegetable stock
100ml pot single cream

Method
1. In a large pan, heat the olive oil and gently cook the onions until soft and golden (do not allow to brown).
2. Add all the pumpkin and carry on cooking for about 10 minutes. Stir often, to ensure all the flesh starts to soften up.
3. Pour the stock into the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for another 10 minutes (until the flesh is very soft).
4. Take off the heat and puree using a blender.
5. Stir in cream.
This makes the basis for the soup it can now be flavoured to taste.

Pumpkin Bread

Having a spare pumpkin after Halloween, I used it to make soup and bread. This is the bread recipe, the soup recipe can be found here.

Ingredients
180g Butter, softened
1 Large Egg , beaten
300g Pumpkin, grated
60g Caster Sugar
120g Light Brown Sugar
360g Self-raising Flour
1 tbsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tbsp Demerara Sugar

Method
1. Heat the oven to 180C/350F.
2. Butter a 1.5kg loaf tin and if non-stick also and line the base and two long sides of with baking paper.
3. In a bowl, merge the butter and egg and then stir in the pumpkin.
4. Add in the sugar (except demerara), flour and ginger. Mix well.
5. Pour into the loaf tin and sprinkle the demerara on top.
6. Bake for 60 minutes, until risen and golden brown.
7. Remove from oven but leave in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Serve thickly sliced and buttered.

London panorama looking over Buckingham Palace

London overlooking Buckingham Palace. Photo taken from Portland House, November 2010

London panorama looking North from London Eye

London panoramic photo taken from the London Eye in November 2010. The view covers the Thames from NW round to E.