Glanbrydan’s Weblog

sunrise this morning

Well it had to happen, we came home with a box of food today. It wasn’t a disaster and we did sell quite a few things but we will be eating a steak and kidney pudding for lunch tomorrow. T-W-O was quite pleased about this but not so sure about the butternut squash pasties we have left over – the old carnivore that he is. (no not dinosaur!).

We are not down about it just amazed at the lack of people in town today. We think they all had more sense as the wind was cutting and they could probably be found in their houses in front of nice warm fires. Many of the more regular visitors were absent and so were some of the stall holders. We did sell all our new ‘large’ quiches, all the pork pies, quite a few pasties and most of the big pies as well as bags of dried liver and a few jars of honey which we have added to our table for the last two markets.

We are considering selling the dried liver on line and are looking at how we can successfully package it up but keep the post costs down. We really need an electronic shop front but we don’t want to set up a web site just for the liver as it would be extra expense and then there is the question of how to take money for it.  Ebay is an option I am going to explore and then customers can pay by paypal but as a seller paypal is expensive for smaller transactions.

I really can say that when I see those telly chefs and they have everything prepared in little bowls I used to think I’d never cook like that. Now that we do the pasty and pie business I really believe it’s the only way to cook. How often have you thought ‘oh yes’ I’ve got everything I need to make that’ and then find yourself substituting ingredients half way through, somehow at a critical moment when popping off to the shops just isn’t possible.

I don’t always weigh everything out but I do assemble the ingredients on the side before I begin. We also pre-chop veg and put  into plastic boxes in the fridge until needed and it’s the same with the meat.

So my message for all those last minute chefs is do the prep work.

I’m not cooking these tonight, we are having Pork chops which T-W-O has to organise but I must be honest and say I fancy something else. Not sure if it’s garlic prawns that I really want for my dinner , but  the Chinese new year did bring to mind this wonderful, simple dish. If you cook it the smell is so enticing – maybe tomorrow for dinner then.

Serve the prawns with crusty bread for a starter or over boiled rice for a main meal. This makes a nice meal for 2 or light starter for 4.

If it’s a main meal you may like to prepare a stir fry veg pack as well before you cook the prawns but keep the soy sauce off. You can also prepare your own veg by chopping up thin sticks of carrots, peppers, add mangetout and beansprouts then stir fry in a little olive oil. As this is so quick make sure any rice or bread are ready as well and heat the plates.

Take about 225g (8oz) of frozen cooked prawns and defrost them thoroughly or if you have them fresh prawns. I like king prawns with the shells off. It gets all too fidley otherwise.

2 crushed cloves of garlic. Skin removed, then crushed and finely chopped

a sprinkle of chilli flakes

50 g (2 ounces) of butter

If you like the taste grate a little fresh ginger root (I mean just a few grates down the thumb of fresh ginger with the skin off).

Place a frying pan on a medium heat and put in the butter. Keep an eye on the pan as once the butter has melted you add the prawns (the butter can burn very easily) and the garlic. Swish them around for a couple of minutes and sprinkle on the chili. If you are chili averse them just a few flakes but certainly I would go for max half a teaspoon if you are chili conversant and then adjust it the next time you make it. Pop the ginger in as well.

Stir it all around the pan and cook for a few minutes. Then it’s ready to serve.

If you have this over rice then share out the prawns on a bed of rice and share (yes I mean share) the butter out, pouring it over the prawns and rice so it drips through the rice. This gives the rice flavour as well.

Having dashed to town to catch the post, drop in the dry cleaning, buy a birthday card or two and go to the bank we ventured into the cafe treating ourselves to steaming cups of fresh coffee. I ordered T-W-O a black Americano and myself a  latte, we  chatted about another small shop that had shut it’s doors for good. 

The shops can make it through the summer but Winter here hits them hard and with less cash crossing their counters we see the special offers, then the sale signs and then that’s it the dream is finished for them. This last shop ‘Dots’ has moved to internet only and I can see that the overheads must be minute working from home in comparison to renting premises. We fear for several other shops in the town but we will keep their names to ourselves in the hope that we are wrong.

Whilst sipping our hot coffees we realised it was nearly five o’clock and we needed to get home to walk Vickie and feed the brood as well as close the door on the hen run to keep them safe for the night. On the way home I became caught up on a phone call with a friend from the office so by the time I’d done T-W-O had disappeared. Seeing his wellingtons had also gone I realised he was off to the hens so I went to see Vickie dog. She was so pleased to see me she was dancing round in circles, dashing backwards and forwards, eventually she calmed down enough to get a lead on her so we slipped away up the hill.

For those of you who visit us regularly you will know we have two hounds. Bertie dog is currently at the University vets in Bristol undergoing  investigative tests to try and work out what illness he has. They were certain he had Cushings disease but he has had one positive test and one negative test. Apparently it’s hard to be conclusive so they need to put him through more discomfort. Poor Bertie is very brave but the vets is the last place he would volunteer to go.

Vickie and I wandered up the lane. Looking to our right I viewed Black Mountain, the top peak has small lines of white running down it rather like a comb with many broken teeth, backed by the failing sunlight it truly is black. Hanging in the wintry blue sky around us were clouds fit to be painted into a watercolour landscape. When we reached our turning point I looked down into the valley where Llandeilo lays, the evening truley closing in now the town could be depicted by it’s street lights, a myriad of yellow studs to my eyes, the false star (the international space station) hanging high in the sky above us. No moon I notice tonight.

Having chatted with a neighbour I quickened my pace home as I thought I may be missed. Vickie who took it to mean we would be running home tugged at the lead eager to pick up the pace as she loves to do. Poor Vickie was soon being tugged back into a more reasonable fast walk, but somewhere in her mind you believe she is happily running with the pack on a hunting mission of sorts – well her dinner is in a bowl ready for her return. I opened the door to explain where I had been only to realise we hadn’t been missed at all. T-W-O working away on his laptop had lost all sense of time.

We are both very tired but all went well at the new farmers market. In a village hall in a small village not a million miles from Brecon we set up on trestle tables placed around the hall and in two central islands.

We were placed between our Brecon market neighbours who do wonderful meat and poultry and a gentleman who paints scenic watercolours of the area. Oposite us was a lady with cheese and we noted friendly faces manning stalls around the room. The stall holders are a fascinating bunch, we watched two ladies at work spinning wool, the watercolour man had huge local knowledge talking to people who admired his pictures about where they had been painted.

We had sold out by 1.00pm having taken a smaller amount of products to a new venue – the idea of pasties for tea all week having spent all weekend with them (nice as they are -honest) made us cautious but the wonderful Powys people bought us out. We did well with the dried liver and added jars of honey to our table.

The new venue is officially a success.

M is for mince and veg partner pie

We have worked hard today to get ready for our trip to Llangynidr farmers market tomorrow. The kitchen is full of the smells of beef, lamb, chicken and all the herbs and spices we use to flavour them. The labour bit is done and now it’s just rounds of cooking.

The new food mixer worked well reassuring us we made the right choice and poor T-W-O has worked very hard today. He did all my prep work for me: meat and veg. He has lifted, moved, opened things for me as well as making, rolling and cutting all the pastry.

Another addition to the kitchen has been an alphabet of cutters so the pasty types are now identified with a letter; L = lamb, B = beef and so on. We are pleased with the results. I also have two differen sized heart shaped cutters ready for valentines day when we are at Brecon market so we will have a day with everything covered in hearts.

To overcome the wrist problem I have been using my left hand which has now made me back aches on my left side. I don’t think a little flour will hurt my cast but I have been very careful to keep it away from the food and water. I am amazed at how adaptable we are to situations – there are still some things that defeat me such as eating fish with bones on, chasing salad around the plate and I haven’t tried cutting meat.

Luckily for us since my little slip up we have eaten out twice with last night at E & Ps house. They did a very nice pasta dish and salad, healthy too. Followed by a slightly less healthy pudding,  but you do have to have a balanced diet.

Meet the cast

On Monday I was very efficient making a batch of leek and potato soup before it was time to start work. I devoured one bowl full for lunch and froze the rest. Now I cannot cook very well for a week or two I will be glad of the frozen goodies.

The soup is a staple food in this house as it’s so easy to prepare as well as being good for you. I also made a chickpea and choritzo stew which I heated up for my lunch today, the rest is now deposited in the freezer as well. I have discovered eating all food with a cast on your wrist is fraught with danger for the carpet.

Leek and potato soup for about 4 people as a starter or 2 as a meal

a large onion, peeled and sliced

about an ounce of butter

5 leeks trimmed of the outer leaves, topped and sliced

4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced

4 teaspoons of veg stock powder  – like Swiss bouillon

750ml water

a good pinch pepper

Heat the butter in a big saucepan until melted and add the slicedonion. Cook them gently for about 10 minutes and add the leeks. Give it all a good stir, cook gently for another 10 minutes. Add in the potatoes, cook for a couple of minutes then pour in the water. Add the stock powder and pepper then stir it all again.

Turn up the heat and bring to the boil, put the lid on the pan and turn down the heat, cook gently for about 25 minutes. The potatoes should be cooked through. Taste and if it doesn’t have enough flavour stir in a spoon more of the stock powder and a bit more pepper.

You now need to whizz this in  batches, using the food processor or blender, until smooth. Reheat it when you want to eat it. If it’s a bit thick you can add a bit of milk, water or cream – depending on how healthy you feel.

It will keep in the fridge for a few days or you can freeze it.  I do half and half so we don’t have to eat the same thing for 2 days in a row.

I am now practising left handed typingafter slipping on the ice yesterday while out walking the dogs. I managed to do something to my hand and the docs stuck it in plaster yesterday evening. I have never had a cast on before and have discovered it makes everything take twice as long.

I am still working at my PC but it’s very frustrating as not all the correct keys get pressed all the time and I cannot use a mouse. The hospital took the usual age to get to the front of the queue but once seen were really helpful. The plaster is a natty purple as you get a choice of colour these days with a rigid cast. I am not able to drive and am finding things like doing up buttons almost impossible. My next exploit is to get the fire alight so I should cover your ears as there may be choice words from this neck of the woods. I should have asked T-W-O to do it but he was rushing round this morning working hard.

A quiet corner of Yorkshire

We are the proud owners of a new food mixer. Our first purchase of a ‘proffesional’ kitchen appliance, it has a big bowl in stainless steel and a big motor (or so I’m told). It should half the pastry production time.

 Talking of which we are taking on an additional market this Sunday at Llangynidr (yes I know, I can’t pronounce it either). It is advertised as being near Crickhowell and sadly being a Sunday the cook shop there will be closed which is probably fortuitous as we have to earn the money to pay for our mixer yet.

We haven’t visited this market so we will be in for a complete surprise, it has been recommended to us by several people and being from 11.00am to 2.00pm we thought we’de risk it. I will make short measures just in case we get left with lots of pasties.

The weekend seemed to fly away, I’m not sure I could tell you what I did (except clean the ovens on Sunday morning,) until 2.00pm yesterday afternoon when we went to dinner at a friends house. We enjoyed a wonderful spread of food inspired by the Southern states of America.

May I make your mouth water with the menu?

Corn and Crab Chowder

Southern fried chicken accompanied byAmerican biscuits coated in a cream sauce

Baked cheese cake topped with almonds

Cheeses and biscuits.

We were also indulged with naughty but very nice cocktails , wine and a good afternoon of conversation.

I rolled home! Today I tiptoed on the scales and peeked at a new all time high. We have, needless to say been very good with a return to a dry house, soup for lunch and home made pasta for tea.

The pastry looked and was flaky.

Having carefully followed St. Delia I was able to produce a steak and pie with a puff pastry top. The remains of the pastry were cut into strips, dusted with mustard powder and grated cheese then baked to make cheese straws. The pie tasted beefy and the ale flavour lay in the gravy.

The answer to the pastry seems to be not playing too much with the initial dough (more like a soggy brick) and then carefully folding and rolling. I think it can be improved upon by adding a little water to the bottom of the oven to help the pockets of air fill with steam and burst open.

So for the pastry try  http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/quick-and-easy-flaky-pastry,1109,RC.html 

For the filling I used

450 g stewing beef cut into 1 cm cubes (roughly half inch)

2 onions, peeled and sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed or chopped finely

2 good beef stock cubes

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

4oz or 125 g mushrooms, peeled if required, washed and sliced.

an ounce of flour or 25 g

1.5 teaspoons mixed herbs

a very good pinch of salt

a very good pinch of black pepper

400ml of good ale

5 ts tomarto puree

olive oil

Use a big pan to gently fry the onions and garlic

While this is cooking put the flour, half the herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper in a flat dish. Drop the beef cubes in and turn over until the flour is coating the beef.

Turn up the pan heat and add the beef turning frequently so the flour doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan.

Add the beer and stir well, then add everything else and stir well again. Taste it and if you think the taste is too thin add another stock cube and another pinch of salt and pepper.  You have a choice now. Leave it on the top of the cooker and cook gently for a couple of hours or pop in a casseole dish and cook on about 100 degrees (Gas 1/1.5)  in the bottom of the oven overnight. This makes a good dinner on it’s own but you can add the pastry top and make it a beef and ale pie

To make the pie put the oven to 220 degrees (blooming hot). Put the pie contents into an ovenproof pie dish and roll out the pastry to about half a cm/quarter inch thick.

Lay over the pie and use a sharp knife to cut the top to fit the pie case. Cook for about half an hour – make sure the top doesn’t burn.