I wouldn’t, to be honest. But those you could make into a fine sauce for ice cream, if you are that way inclined.
Gooseberry fool is one of those very simple things that need no messing about with, imo. Best in its purest form.
I’ve probably still got a second, smaller harvest to get from the bushes, so I will, because I love it too.
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Hurrah! And enjoy it/them.
Guanciale is ready! Not quite dry enough to eat as is, but a quick visit to the frying pan should sort that.
Made some “whatevers in the fridge” pasta with it. Was… Ok. Bacon could have used a bit longer in the pan to crisp up properly, but shouty children said faster.
Gonna try it with egg and toast tomorrow when I’m home alone. Pretty sure it’s gonna be great.
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Love a bit of alcohol infusion. Never tried gooseberries! I don’t really have any access to them at the mo. But my blackberry whiskey and rosehip vodka are definitely a hit!
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Rosehip vodka sounds amazing, I love rosehip syrup. I make sloe gin every year, then take those sloes and soak them again in sherry for shlerry, and finally, take the twice-soaked sloes and put them in cider (in the British sense, alcoholic) for slider. It tastes amazing and is practically hallucinogenic by that point 
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Not out cooking, but my wife is 40 tomorrow so my parents organised a delivery from the cheese shop in the middle of Cardiff
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For lunch today I invented a new salad:
One avocado, cut in quarters lengthwise and each quarter cut lengthwise into four pieces
Meat from one boiled turkey thigh, cut into strips
One inch of Anaheim chili pepper, cut into strips
Half a dozen leaves of red leaf lettuce, cut into strips
Dressed with olive oil, red wine vinegar, black pepper, California chili, and cumin
C and I were both pretty happy with the results. We plan to have it again.
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The grocery stores are unreliable anymore, so today was fresh tofu day:
Lumpy yet delicious. Not like any of you need a new quarantine hobby, but you could find worse ways to entertain small children for an afternoon.
Pro tip: If you can find a supply of black soybeans - Tankuro’s a fine variety for you gardening types - it makes a glorious purple tofu.
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I can’t remember when we were discussing it, but we just had a mutton chilli garlic curry. It was fantastic, I can’t remember when we last had mutton (if at all), it was just strong flavoured lamb.
We’ve just ordered our second delivery from Graig Farm in Carmarthenshire (I think they deliver across the UK). It’s very pricey but it’s organic and reasonably local. I’d like to try to eat less meat so when we do have it it’s good to know it’s been looked after.
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Tried to make Nadiya’s “Pancake Tray Bake”.
Had to double the recipe since I don’t have a 9x7 but do have a 9x14… I like the result, but it’s not really as good as a pancake if you want pancakes. But a solid snack/dessert bake. Glad I made it, results are quite pleasing, but probably won’t make it again.
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Made all the breakfast for Father’s day! Pancakes were pushing the limits (of stomach) but hey why not?
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I slipped a few slices of garlic and green ginger under the skin of a chicken, rubbed it over with light olive oil, and seasoned it with salt and freshly ground pepper. Then I built a low wood fire in my patio heater and roasted (or perhaps barbecued?) the chicken with an eggplant cut into halves and smeared with olive oil.
It took about an hour and a half to reach an internal temperature of 65 C.
Even the breast was moist and flavourful.
Blanched some green beans and then sautéed them in butter and garlic; the result was a meal that looks as though it could have done with a sauce, but which in fact was quite delicious.
In general I think that chicken breast is not worth eating. But done like this it is something else again.
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My usual is cumquat rum. But I’m not going to have a crop of cumquats this year, owing to the drought we had. I managed to save the trees, but not their fruit. Here is a previous year’s.
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Going for a nutritious dinner of crisp sandwich, with a side of crisps washed down with a beer tonight. ALL the carbs!!
However, last night I was trying out deep frying a couple of rump steaks. Turned out really well, better than I expected.
I suppose when I think about it, it’s actually a good way to cook them. A quick dry heat, at a high temperature evenly applied across the whole steak. Got them nicely medium in just a couple of minutes - with no smoke alarm being set off by a smoking pan
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This morning I made my first attempt at making croissants. It took four and a half hours, but I think the results are satisfactory.
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Looking for a new neighbour to test food on?
(If it weren’t so perishing hot there…)
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I tested those on my Middle Brother and his wife, who live across the street. But there were a couple of rolls left over at the end. The dress rehearsal is in aid of brunch in three weeks, at which my strong nephew will be introducing his girlfriend to the Family.
As for the perishing heat, it’s not too bad at the moment. My snobbish grandmother used to say that there is nothing to match a perfect English summer’s day, but in fact those are a lot like perfect Australian winters’ days, except much rarer. Today reached a maximum of about 19 C, but it was under 7 C at the pre-dawn hour at which I rose to start making croissants.
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Those are really rather impressive. Viennoiserie is bloody tricky.
And all in a good cause ;- )
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I used Zahra Couisina’s “easy” croissant recipe.
As for the cause, my Strong Nephew suffered a serious brain injury in a car crash when he was ten, and although he is handsome, good-natured, and gainfully employed he is not a conventionally ideal romantic prospect, and we’re very pleased that he has got a girlfriend. I don’t want her to be scared off by meeting the Family all at once.
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