The Elms, Suffolk

Breakfast:  Museli & Cereal Lunch: Burrata & Scotch Egg Dinner: Shepherds Pie, Cabbage, Peas, Carrots Dessert: Rhubarb & Stem Ginger Ice Cream Lunch: The last of the Burrata & Scotch Egg. We are planning our next luncheon meat. It will be a terrine of some description Dinner: Shepherds Pie from a couple of weeks ago, freezes really well. We usually make enough to feed 4 from 600g of mince. Rhubarb & Stem Ginger Ice Cream Dessert: This ice cream works really well, a very slight bite of spice from the ginger  Shepherds Pie

Breakfast: Boiled Egg, Toast Lunch: Burrata and Tomato Dinner: Pan Fried Skate Wings, Bubble & Squeak, Baked Brocolli Skate Wings Breakfast: Maggie always marks my egg for boiling, 4 minutes to the second into boiling water.  Hers is boiled until hard.  Think she got a little carried away with the mark today Boiled Egg Lunch: Burrata with a little oil and salt, and tomatoes Burrata Dinner: Thanks to Georgina & Ron in Dennington for telling us about their fishmonger delivering to the door.  He also sells in Earl Soham outside the Victoria from 17:00 every Tuesday.  We tested the water this week with Skate and some cod fillets.  Price was about what we expected, perfectly fresh and he seems to have a good selection Pan fried skate is simplicity itself. Maggie prefers simple melted butter, but I like Buerre Noisette (Brown Butter) with capers. Pan Fried Skate Mash or Buttery New Potatoes also works well with this

Breakfast: Scrambled Egg on Toast / Bacon Sandwich Lunch: Scotch Egg, Hummus, Bean Salad Dinner: Lambs Liver, Bacon, Onions, Cabbage & Mash Breakfast: I had planned Smoked Salmon & Scrambled Egg, but forgot to get the Salmon from the freezer Lambs Liver, Bacon & Onion Scrambled Egg Lunch: We are will into this batch of scotch egg, and using up some other things from the fridge Scotch Egg Dinner: I wonder how many people will say "YUK! Liver".  We love it, the weather has turned a little chilly so something hearty.  We prefer Lambs Liver for this dish, and would never use Pigs.  A little tip, if you think that liver is just too 'livery' then trim it, and soak it in milk for a few hours.  Toss the liver in seasoned flour, fry quickly and serve just a little pink and it will turn out very tender. The other benefit of Lambs Liver is the cost.  It is £1.25 for 500g. Which would serve 3 people with ease

Breakfast: Home Made Malted Granary Bread, Bacon Lunch:  Steak Sandwich, Mustard Dinner: Roast Chicken, Roast Potatoes, Cauliflower Cheese Dessert: Rhubarb Crumble Breakfast: The weather turns tomorrow, so making the most of breakfast outside, with freshly baked bread Lunch: Steak left over from dinner, makes for good snadwiches with English mustard Rhubarb Crumble Dinner: Perhaps this will be the last roast of the season? Dessert: Rhubarb from a local roadside stall.  Sweet and sharp! Roast Chicken

Breakfast: Muesli & Cornflakes Lunch: Tortilla Soup Dinner: Tomato & Home Made Burrata Bruschetta / Cheeseburger on Toasted Brioche Bun, Sweet Potato Fries Lunch: There was sufficient soup for today as well - See the recipe and give it a try Home Made Burrata Dinner: Home Made Burrata. More success than last time, although the mozzarella still did not set as well as I would like.  Taste and texture of both were good though.  Bruschetta or Crostini, only a subtle difference really - Bruschetta the bread is rubbed with garlic. Cheeseburgers are sometimes all that is needed. Brioche seems best, but the buns must be toasted! Cheeseburger We had a good long day in the garden, most of the big jobs we planned are done. So thinking of starting some more! We enjoyed the evening with the fire pit and a bottle of our 'house' red.  Toro Loco Tempranillo from Aldi.  Great value and great taste This is a review from the Guardian: Toro Loco Tempran...

Breakfast: Sausage Sandwich, Bacon Sandwich Lunch: Pork Tortilla Soup Dinner: Lamb Chops/Steak, Baked Potato, Sweet Corn Tortilla soup Preparing Soup Lunch: We never see this soup in the UK. It is such a good soup, Winter or Summer. Usually made with Chicken but leftover pork worked well. See here for the recipe , it may seem lengthy but worth the try. Full of options to add. We usually make stock from chicken and freeze it if not using immediately, but works well with stock packs Maggie would certainly have this soup at any opportunity, and I will always order it if I see it on a menu. One of our favourite choices on the menu at Armadillo Willy's Dinner: Lamb Chop/Steak - on the Monolith - seared and served rare, and a simple baked potato Lamb & Steak

Breakfast: Bacon Baguette Lunch: Scotch Eggs and Pickles Dinner: Pizza & Garlic Bread Dessert: Raspberry Ripple Parfait/Rhubard & Stem Ginger Ice Cream Pizza Breakfast:  One of the new batches of home-cured bacon from Ross & Ross. This one is labelled Sweet Cure. A tad too sweet for me but the look and aroma was really good Lunch: A new batch of Scotch Eggs for this week. Scotch Egg & Pickles They make for an easy and quick lunch whilst work carries on and gardening of course for Maggie. It looks amazing by the way, she has not stopped working on it Dinner: First outing for our Ooni Pizza oven this year.  Ooni Pizza Oven The dough is really simple to make, it freezes well and then just defrost a few dough balls, stretch, top and cook.  We prefer really thin and crispy (Pizza Romana).  The oven cooks a pizza in about 60 seconds and takes about 10 minutes to get to heat.  The garlic bread was the last baguette from yesterd...

Breakfast: Boiled Egg & Toast Soldiers Lunch: Home made Baguette, Cheese, Pate, Peppers Dinner: Pork, Green Pepper & Onion Quesadilla, Guacamole, Pico de Gallo Baguettes Baguette Breakfast: Another egg cup and cosy from Maggie's collection Boiled Egg Lunch: Trying a few different French Bread Recipes.  This one turned out ok and is the easiest recipe I am going to try.  This was cooked in the fan oven on full and it worked out well.  The dough was prepared in the Bread Machine and then hand-shaped.  The next try with this recipe will be to cook it in the Monolith Grill where higher temperatures can be reached.  Crust and Crumb The crust is good and crispy and the crumb nicely formed Dinner: Quesadilla is a variation of the Nachos we cooked recently.  Cook pork (or chicken etc) in slices, and Fajita spices and oil. Add peppers and onions, toast tortillas in a pan on both sides.  Add the cooked meat, peppers and onio...

Breakfast: Home Made Malted Bread, Bacon Lunch: Chop Chop Chicken, Bacon & Blue Cheese Salad Dinner:  BBQ Brined and Seared Pork Chops, Cauliflower Hash Dessert: Raspberry Ripple Parfait (Ice Cream) Raspberry Ripple Parfait & Meringues Breakfast: The homemade bread was a little bit of an experiment, the water for the bread was replaced with the whey from the cheese-making a few days ago. It did work but next time I think I will try 50/50 water and whey Home Made Whey Bread Lunch: Chicken Kiev leftover from yesterday, the last of the bacon and gorgonzola made into a vinaigrette and chopped salad Chop Chop Chicken Bacon & Blue Cheese Salad Dinner: We had another delivery of charcoal for the bbq today, that should be enough for the summer.  We only use 'restaurant-grade' lumpwood. That means generally the chunks are larger, and the moisture content is very low. See previous posts about brining the pork chops, make such a difference BBQ Pork C...

Breakfast: Egg & Bacon Sandwiches Lunch: Gorgonzola, Salami, Piadina & Fruit Dinner: Chicken Kiev, Saute Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas Breakfast: Definitely not a fan of Chipotle Bacon Lunch: A glorious sunny day again. Piadina now used up so looking at making our own in the next few days Chicken Kiev Cheese & Salami Dinner: Chicken Breasts from Swiss Farm. These are so large that I cut the fillets from them and they are still too large. These are excellent value at £4.99 per kg. Kiev is another simple and underrated dish.  Mash garlic with butter, parsley and tarragon (if you have some), pepper and a little lemon juice.  Roll it into a small finger and chill.   Butterfly the chicken and roll the chilled garlic butter into the centre, tucking the edges in.  Dust in seasoned flour, dip in beaten egg, roll in breadcrumbs (it is best to repeat the egg and breadcrumbs but not essential) Deep fry or shallow fry for 2 to 3 minutes each sid...

Breakfast: Cornflakes & Muesli Lunch: Pate & Coleslaw with Cranberries Dinner: Pork Sausages, Bubble & Squeak Lunch: Coleslaw this time made with the addition of dried and chopped cranberries Pate & Coleslaw Dinner: We often have 'cold meats and bubble' on a Monday, using up the leftover vegetables from Sunday lunch, but as we distributed some of our Sunday lunch to neighbours we only had vegetables left, so sausages worked well. Bubble & Squeak For our international readers, Bubble & Squeak is a traditional British dish of potato, cabbage and other leftover vegetables fried until there is a good crisp coating.  There is no set recipe and everyone has a preference for ingredients, texture and accompaniments I think that Bubble and Squeak may be one of the reasons for my early interest in food, my father used to make it on a Monday for us as children, but would never let us into the kitchen whilst he was cooking it, saying there was a se...

Breakfast: Bacon Sandwiches, Homemade bread Lunch: Cheese, Celery & Grapes Dinner: Roast Belly of Pork, Roast Potatoes, Yorkshire Pudding, Roasted Vegetables Breakfast: This is the last pack from the Ross & Ross kit (Sweet Chipotle) and our least favourite.  I have never enjoyed sweet cured bacon and see no need for spice with bacon.  The next batches are dry curing now Lunch: A selection of Gorgonzola Dolce (DOP) from Lidl, Mature Gouda, Cheddar and the last of our Stracciatella.  Cheese, Celery & Grape  The grapes arrived 2 weeks ago in the veggie box from the Bedfield and Monk Soham volunteers, very sweet and still very fresh Roast Belly of Pork Dinner: Maggie and I are negotiating about when the last Roast Dinner for the summer will be, mainly because root vegetables are not good in the spring and summer.  I will lose the negotiation as I know it is amongst her absolute favourites

Breakfast: Cereal & Muesli Lunch: Home Made Stracciatella (Italian Cream Cheese), Salami & Piadina Dinner: Date Night Chinese (Aromatic Duck, Pancake Rolls, and Stir Fry) Lunch: I have been trying to find time to make Burrata for the first time this week and today was the earliest opportunity I had However whist the curds and whey separated ok the Mozzarella which is the casing for the cream cheese just would not set. The Straciatella turned out perfectly and so we served it with Piadina and Salami Dinner: We had a trip out this evening for Click & Collect Groceries. So a Date Night Chinese seemed the perfect solution Curds being strained   Piadina Straciatella & Salami   Date Night Chinese

Breakfast: Bacon Sandwiches Lunch: Ham & Cheese Dinner: Rack of Lamb (Maggie), Sirloin Steak (Steve), Saute Potatoes, Baked Fennel with Cheese, Garlic Mushrooms Breakfast: That was the last of the Old English Home Cured Bacon. I have Smokey and Sweet curing now and ready in a few days. Lunch: Another working lunch whilst we gather the fallen branches in the woods.  I say we but I mean Maggie Rack of Lamb Dinner: A quick rub of garlic and herbs, and a little oil and salt, Same for the Sirloin Steak (NY Strip) and on the bbq to be quickly seared. Searing on the BBQ Potatoes sauteed in a little butter, Fennel bulbs sliced and blanched quickly then baked with a sprinkling of cheddar and parmesan Fennel with Cheese

Breakfast: Boiled Egg & Toast Soldiers Lunch: Ham, Piadina & Pickles Dinner: Cheeseburger, Sweet Potato Fries, Sweetcorn Breakfast: Another of Maggies little egg cup holders Boiled Egg Lunch: Piadina is an Italian flatbread. Traditionally from the Romagna are of Italy. It can be served with Prosciutto, Salad, Italian Sausage & Rocket and a little Cheese, and our favourite Squacquerone di Romagna (a stracciatella cheese - which we have never found outside of Italy) with Rocket Ham & Piadino Cheeseburger Cheeseburger in Brioche Bun Dinner: We have tried making our own burgers, but never been successful.  We can make kofta, meatballs but never hamburger.  So we have shopped around and found our favourites are Gourment Burger from Waitrose  or Aldi Aberdeen Angus quarter pounder

Breakfast: Cornflakes & Muesli Lunch: Ham & Mustard Sandwiches Dinner: Baked Ham, Cheese Omelette, Cauliflower Hash Brown, Waldorf Coleslaw Lunch: We are now on the final portions of our Baked Ham, it might look as if we have lost a little interest but if you use too small a joint of ham when baking it gets very dry.  We have managed to give several portions to friends and neighbours Aperitivo in the Sunshine Dinner: Cheese Omelette - I stir mine whilst it is setting in the pan, then as soon as it is set under a hot grill which makes it rise substantially, fold into three and serve Cheese Omelette The Cauliflower Hash Browns are made by Strong Roots  from Waitrose or Ocado Waldorf Coleslaw, Waldorf Coleslaw so quick to make, White Cabbage shredded with a speedy peeler, Grated Carrot, Red Onion, Diced Apple, Pecan Nuts, a splash of Cider Vinegar and a tablespoon of Mayonnaise

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs on Toast Lunch: Prawn Cocktail & Brown Bread & Butter Dinner: Sheperd's Pie, Runner Beans, Petit Pois & Spring Onions in White Wine Breakfast: A little trick that works great with scrambled eggs. Peel a clove of garlic and stab it with a fork, use this to beat the eggs. Discard the garlic before cooking. It leaves a delicate aroma and taste that you would not recognise as garlic Lunch: Prawn cocktail with Sauce Marie Rose Prawn Cocktail (mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco, lemon juice), baby gem lettuce, cucumber, celery and spring onion. Simple and classic Dinner: Sheperd's Pie, Runner Beans. Satisfying and easy. This will serve at least 4 people. The petit pois can also have cream and lettuce added which would make this into a vegetarian  Petits Pois à la Française (add bacon to make it traditional) Sheperd's Pie