The Elms, Suffolk

Breakfast: Bacon Sandwiches Lunch: Scoth Egg & Pickles Dinner: Prosciutto Ham & Melon, Baked Pork Slices in BBQ Sauce, New Potatoes, Garlic Mushroom Bacon Sandwich Breakfast: Thank you Carol for the kinds words about the bacon (we took some as a gift on Friday). Scoth Eggs Lunch: Again a quick lunch when we returned from taking down the summer house that Ingrid is giving to Maggie, now that the work is starting on her new garden plans.. Can't wait to see it develop Dinner: We bought a Honeydew Melon 2 weeks ago (maybe longer) when it was on special offer.  It was not ripe and so we have had it on the side (not in the fridge) and it has ripended nicely Pork in BBQ Sauce Belly slices, brined as usual, sprinkled with seasoning and a little herb, wrapped well in foil and then in the oven for at least 90 minutes at 160c.  Remove from the foil (or just open it) and slather in bbq sauce of your choise, cook open for another hour at least

Breakfast: Bacon Sandwich with the new cure Lunch: Scotch Egg and Pickles Dinner: Burrata amd Tomatoes, Garlic Flatbread, Pizza Dessert: Honey Ice Cream, Meringue & Strawberries Back Bacon Streaky Bacon Sandwich Breakfast: Our new home cure is ready.  Back bacon & Streaky. The cure is made of Salt, a very little sugar, a sprinkle of Italian Salt for Meats (rosemary/fennel/oregano), Prague Powder No. 1, and a good sprinkle of ground black pepper.  It was very good, if not perfect.  I think it will be our 'house' cure Lunch: Shop bought scotch eggs Scoth Eggs Dinner: Burrata & Tomatoes, Garlic Flatbread. Pizza.  We had a lovely visit from our friend Ingrid and had Pizza in the garden.  I took the opportunity of cooking my own pizza in the Monolith and the other 2 were cooked in the Ooni 3 Ooni wins hands down!  The Monolith version was cooked with the stone at 370c and a good draw on the coals to give some top h...

Breakfast: Bacon Sandwiches Lunch: Corned Beef & Branston Dinner: Fish Pie, Green Beans, Peas Fish Pie Fish Pie Breakfast: We opened a pack of supermarket bacon today, and the taste was substantially different to our own cured. The pork has been trimmed and is now curing.  This time it is my own cure, with Prague Powder (that is the magic ingredient in a cure - it is mostly salt, with about 6.25% sodium nitrite).  I am making 3 x 500g slabs, 2 loin and 1 belly.  I will add a full recipe and page of later on In the meantime as a spoiler. This is the belly before and after being trimmed. This belly was 2.9kg.  The cost was £16.10.  From this I have managed to get: A good rack of ribs 2 x 1kg joints of Pork Belly 1 x 500 g of streaky bacon (which will make at least 20 rashers) Vegetarians look away now... Pork Belly 2.9kg Ribs/2 Joints/Bacon Lunch: Corned beef, not to everyone's liking but we have it from time to time.  A fav...

Breakfast: Scrambled Egg & Crispy Bacon on Toast Lunch: Cheese & Onion/Tomato Sandwiches Dinner: Shepherds Pie (which actually turned out to be Moussaka), Fried Cauliflower & Onion, Peas & Leeks Breakfast:  The weather suddenly turned today, we had time enough in the sunshine for breakfast and then we think the last of the larger jobs in the garden Scrambled Egg & Crispy Bacon Moussaka Lunch: A quick sandwich and back to finish the work Dinner: We had planned spatchcock chicken on the BBQ but the weather just did not seem right. So we grabbed what we thought was Shepherds Pie from the freezer, but once it had defrosted realised it was Moussaka. Oh well, should always mark what we put it into the freezer, even the obvious looking The cauliflower was in the bottom drawer of our fridge. The use-by date was the 28th March, 2020 which was Day 5. It was in perfect condition.  We do tend to use common sense with use by / best by / sell-by dates...

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: 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: 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: Home Cured Bacon Sandwiches Lunch: Prawn Salad, Brown Bread & Butter Dinner: Pork in Cream & Mushroom Sauce, Sweet Potato Fries, Cauliflower Cheese, Asparagus Home Cured Fennel & Juniper Bacon Breakfast: This bacon is the Fennel & Juniper blend from the Ross & Ross kit.  We have only tried 2 so far and this is the better of the two Lunch: From our visit to Morrisons, the Prawns were intended to be for classic Prawn Cocktail but switched to lunch Prawn Salad Dinner: This is the same loin we buy from Swiss Farm Butchers. Maggie also makes this dish with breast of chicken. We would not normally have the Cauliflower with this but wanted to use it, and we intend to add it to our next dinner Pork in Cream & Mushroom Sauce

Breakfast : Home cured Bacon Sandwich Lunch :  Brocolli & Stilton Soup Dinner :  Hot Smoked Haddock, Creamed Cabbage Apple & Bacon, Fishcake Brocolli & Stilton Soup   Smoking Haddock Cabbage, Apple & Bacon Breakfast : We bought a Bacon Curing Kit from Ocado ( Ross & Ross ) when it was on offer (£11.50 - with enough kit to make 6 x 500g bacon joints - from which I cut 20 slices). The whole belly (2.2kilos) cost £15.00 from Swiss Farm.  It proved very successful, although I would butcher the belly to get better-formed bacon.   I also intend to try with a loin of pork to make back bacon, try curing salts instead of using a kit, and to try different meats to make Bresaola and other salumi Lunch : Was a use up of the broccoli and stalks from the previous day Dinner: We have been cooking Hot Smoked Salmon for a while now.  We spotted the fresh haddock on offer at Morrisons and decided to try the same pro...