Big and small checking out the newly frozen lake

“Let me in”

Creamy black bean soup

There is nothing better than hot soup after being out and about in these chilly climes. I love soup and have been making lots of different ones recently. This one may not look particularly pretty, but what it lacks in good looks, it makes up for in taste. Rustle up some herby garlic bread and you’ve got yourself a hearty, winter-warming meal. This recipe is based on one by Claus Meyer, but tweaked a little by yours truly.

Ingredients
300g organic black beans, soaked overnight
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs rosemary
4 dessertspoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil
vegetable stock, preferably organic
4 dessertspoons apple cider
1 dessertspoon caramelised vinegar (optional)
sea salt and black pepper
flat-leaf parsley for garnish
cream, for drizzling (optional)

Directions
Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Leave them to drip in a colander.

Chop the onion and garlic. Remove the rosemary needles from the stalk and chop. Fry the onion, garlic, beans, and rosemary gently in some rapeseed oil for a couple of minutes. Add enough stock to reach 5cm above the top of the beans. Bring the soup to the boil, cover and leave to simmer gently for about 45 minutes.

Remove from the heat, take out a few spoonfuls of the beans and set aside. Pour the soup into a blender and blitz it until smooth. Add the vinegars and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Rinse, dry and finely chop the parsley. Serve the soup, adding some of the reserved beans, a drizzle of cream and rapeseed oil and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Serve with some homemade herby, garlic bread or other bread of your choice.

First sign of spring – very cheering :)

Young Halley (5) letting off some steam in the park

Crab apples – jewels of the winter garden

Fairy lights add a little magic to the dark winter months – I love them

Seasonal Coleslaw

This recipe is for a ‘Roasted Sesame Winter Slaw’ that I found on this lovely blog My New Roots. I’ve pretty much followed the recipe except for using some different type of cabbage, because that’s what I happened to have in my fridge. This Coleslaw is great eaten on its own or with any kind of meat, if you are a meat-eater. Who said January had to be boring?

My Coleslaw is featured here on my treasured Bunbury Board – a gift from good friends Eddie and Tremayne in Ireland. Each board is hand-made from a tree sourced from sustainable Irish woodland and individually stamped with a code. By entering the code into the Bunbury Board website you can discover the story of the tree from which the board was made as well as see a picture of it. Very cool.

Makes a lot
Ingredients
3 cups each shredded red cabbage and sweetheart cabbage – any cabbage would work though
2 cups shredded carrots
2 scallions
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ cup sesame seeds

Tahini Cream Dressing with Orange
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon runny honey (or agave, maple syrup)
1/3 cup tahini
½ cup water
season to taste with salt & pepper
zest of 1 organic orange

Directions
1. Wash and shred the cabbage as finely as possible and place in a large bowl.
2. Shred the carrots, finely slice the scallions and chop the parsley.
3. Add to the cabbage.
4. Whisk the dressing ingredients together. Add water to thin to desired consistency.
5. Roast the sesame seeds on a dry pan until they begin to pop. Remove from the heat immediately. Sprinkle over the salad ingredients.
6. Toss everything together in the bowl and serve. Pour the dressing over only after the salad has been plated – this way you get some bites with lots of dressing and some without for the best balance. Garnish with extra sesame seeds.

Our resident bunnies love to munch on the vegetable trimmings

Anyway, I digress. You may have noticed that I have a bit of a soft spot for kale – this is neither the first nor the last time it features on my blog. Kale is super healthy and makes a great alternative to lettuce. I think it’s great for making salads more hearty in the cold months of the year. This recipe is another from good ol’ Claus Meyer and goes well with most meat or simply as a meal in itself.

Salad
200g kale
5 ripe (but firm) pears
100g mild and creamy blue cheese
60g walnuts, roughly chopped
lemon juice
cider vinegar
sugar
sea salt
cold-pressed rapeseed oil

Dressing
50ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil
3 dessertspoons cider vinegar
1 dessertspoon honey
1 clove garlic, chopped
sea salt
black pepper

Place the kale leaves in cold water to freshen and crispen them up. Heat the oven to 180° C (350° F). Wash the pears, cut into quarters and remove the cores. Slice three of the pears into long, thin pieces and set aside. Cut the remaining two pears into ‘boats’ and toss them in a little cider vinegar, sugar, salt and oil. Spread them on a lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until they are soft and golden. Leave the pears to cool.

To make the dressing, blend the ingredients in a bowl.

Slice the kale thinly and cut the blue cheese into small cubes. Toss the kale with the dressing, blue cheese and both the raw and the cooked pears. Season with salt and pepper. Add a little sugar should you think the salad needs to be sweetened slightly. Sprinkle the walnuts over the top and serve.

This leads me to this particular recipe. I dug it out recently as we, for the first time ever, got a crop of blackcurrants from our “garden”. We have had two blackcurrant bushes growing here for about 7 years now and every year, despite our intentions to put netting over them, the berries all get eaten by the birds before we do so. Not this year though, we actually stopped procrastinating and bought the said netting. So when we ended up with a nice hefty portion of berries, I remembered I had this recipe tucked away. I got it from my Mum, but I think it’s originally from Leith’s. I can really recommend it – it’s easy to make and really yummy! (I made mine for Maria ;)

450g blackcurrants (works well with frozen berries too)
170g sugar
4 tablespoons Crème de Cassis
1 teaspoon chopped mint (that came from my garden too – sorry, Maria)
325g mascarpone
440ml Greek yoghurt
icing sugar to taste
340g Amaretti biscuits (Danish readers, you can also use ‘makroner’)
30g flaked almonds, toasted

Wash the berries and remove any stalks. Put them in a saucepan with the sugar. Heat slowly until the sugar has dissolved. Then simmer until the fruit is soft. Remove from the heat, add the Crème de Cassis and the mint. Leave to cool completely.

Mix the mascarpone and Greek yoghurt together until smooth. Sweeten to taste with the icing sugar.

Break the Amaretti biscuits into pieces.

Layer the blackcurrant mixture and Amaretti biscuits in a large glass bowl or in individual glasses. Top with the mascarpone and yoghurt mixture. (You’ll see I included layers of the cream in my trifle pictured above, but that was only because I had extra cream that day.) Sprinkle the toasted almonds over the top.

The Salad
700g summer-ripe tomatoes
150g redcurrants
1/2 handful lovage leaves (løvstikkeblade)
1/2 handful parsley
1 small red onion
cane sugar
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

The Dressing
4 dessertspoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil
2 dessertspoons cider or balsamic vinegar
crispy bread slices*

Rinse the tomatoes, redcurrants and herbs under running cold water. Cut the tomatoes into pieces. Fold the lovage and cut into slices. Pick the parsley into small florets. Peel the onion, slice thinly and separate into rings.

Place the tomato, redcurrants, onion and herbs into a large bowl and toss with some sugar, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle the oil and vinegar over the top and garnish with the crispy bread slices*.

Eat at room temperature .

* To make the crispy bread, thinly slice some bread (preferably at least a day old), spread on a baking tray and brush on both sides with oil. Toast in the oven at 130° C/260° F  until golden brown (20 minutes or so).

The experience of staying here is nothing but magical – everything, and I mean everything, is perfect. It has just the right balance of comfort, style, homeliness, good service and, not least, great food! During our stay we opted for the Almanac menu, which is based on the best ingredients of the season, either from local, specially selected producers or from the Inn’s own abundant garden. I hope the pictures below give a little taste of what this is all about.

Himself, enjoying the afternoon coffee

One of the many treats served with the afternoon coffee – dreamy caramel, topped with lightly whipped cream and cocoa nibs


Blooms on the chives in the ever-expanding herb garden

The dining room which looks out onto the luscious grounds and Helnæs Bay

And not just any tonic…

A fun appetiser, nick-named ‘lollipops’ – this one is a piece of cucumber, pickled in beetroot and topped with crispy crackling

Our stay coincided with asparagus season at its best – this dish was a mix of white and green asparagus from local Torup Bakkegård (farm) with poached Quail eggs and an asparagus froth


Last shot before daylight diminished – breaded turbot with broad beans, bacon, spring onion and a ‘snow’ of dairy cream

Breakfast wasn’t bad either ;)

175g plain flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
175g butter at room temperature
175g caster sugar
3 large eggs
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the lemon curd
75g caster sugar
Grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
2 large eggs
50g unsalted butter

For the icing
50g sifted icing sugar
Zest of 1 large lemon
2-3 teaspoons lemon juice

Grease and line the bases of two (18cm) sandwich tins, greasing the paper too. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3/170° C/325° F.

Measure all the cake ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat until you have a smooth, creamy consistency. Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins and bake them on the centre shelf of the oven for about 35 minutes or until the centre feels spongy.

While the cakes are baking, make the lemon curd. Place the sugar and grated lemon rind in a heat-proof bowl, whisk the lemon juice together with the eggs, then pour this over the sugar. Add the butter, cut into little pieces, and place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until thickened – about 20 minutes.

When the cakes are cooked, remove them from the oven and after about 30 seconds turn them out onto a wire rack. When they are absolutely cold carefully cut each one horizontally into two, using a sharp serrated knife. Then spread the curd thickly to sandwich the layers together.

To make the icing, begin by removing the zest from the lemon – it’s best to use a zester to get long, curly strips. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually stir in the lemon juice until you have a soft, runny consistency. Allow the icing to stand for 5 minutes before spreading it on top of the cake with a knife. Then scatter the lemon zest over the top and leave it for half an hour for the icing to firm before serving.

My little helper joined me for this baking project. As always, she was very excited about this and it was a nice Sunday afternoon activity to do together – it has to be said though, it wasn’t without its power struggles. Then again, nothing new there :)

For the Streusel
1/2 cup (115g) butter, melted (plus a little extra for greasing the baking tray)
3/4 cup (160g) light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon (2g) sea salt
1 1/4 cup (160g) all-purpose flour

For the Squares
1 lb (450g) rhubarb, cut into 1 cm pieces
1 1/2 tablespoon (15g) light brown Sugar
1 1/3 cup (200g) all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon (3g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3g) sea salt
3/4 cup (170g) butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup (140g) icing sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 teaspoon (3ml) pure vanilla extract or seeds from 1 vanilla pod

Icing sugar for dusting the top

Preheat oven to 170° C/350° F. Line a medium sized baking tray or dish with greaseproof paper, leaving an overhang on the sides. Butter and flour the lined pan/dish, tapping out excess flour.

The Streusel: Whisk together butter, brown sugar, and salt. Add flour and mix together using a fork or your fingers to create large crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

The Cake: In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, brown sugar, and 1/3 cup (50g) of flour. Sift or whisk together remaining flour, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.

In a mixer, beat butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour mix until just incorporated.

Spread batter in prepared pan, top with rhubarb mix then top with streusel topping.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in pan, then remove from pan using the overhanging parchment tabs.

Cut into squares and dust with icing sugar. Serve with crème fraiche, whipped cream or ice cream.

The Compote: As mentioned above, I made a compote with the remaining rhubarb. It is nice to serve a small amount of this along with the squares and cream. To make the compote, I simply cut the rhubarb into bite-sized pieces and placed them in a saucepan with a splash of water, a splash of ginger wine (only because I had it – you could use more water), a good sprinkling of sugar and the empty pod from the cake recipe. Bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes or until the rhubarb is soft. Leave to cool.

Lebanese Lemon Chicken

Serves 4-6

4-6 chicken fillets (or your preferred parts of chicken)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 heaped tablespoons flour
Cold-pressed rapeseed oil, or your oil of choice for frying
1 large fennel bulb, roughly chopped, herby tops reserved for garnish
1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and chopped into cubes
2 preserved lemons
1 small bunch of fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
150g bulgur, preferably wholegrain
1 glass white wine
565ml chicken stock
1 small tub of sour cream/creme fraiche

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.

Bash all the spices together with the salt in a pestle and mortar, until you have a fine powder. Mix with the flour. Rub the flavoured flour all over the chicken, reserving any leftover flour.

Heat 5 tablespoons of oil in a large casserole type pan and brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Once they are golden brown, remove to a plate and turn down the heat. Add the vegetables, lemon and rosemary to the pan and fry for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the leftover flour and the bulgur, and stir well. Add the wine and allow to cook down. Pour in the chicken stock until it reaches the same level as the bulgur and vegetables. Place a layer of greased baking parchment over the grain and veg mix. (See this handy guide for making a parchment lid – if your casserole is round. Alternatively trace your lid to get the right shape.) Place the chicken pieces on top of the parchment.

Cover the casserole and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Serve straight away with a dollop of creme fraiche and garnished with the chopped fennel top.

This recipe is based on a recipe from Jamie Oliver’s ‘Jamie’s Kitchen’

Preserved Lemons

9 organic/unwaxed lemons
3 teaspoons coarse sea salt
2 bayleaves
1 cinnamon stick
4 black peppercorns
Boiled water, cooled

Preheat the oven to 120°C/250°F/gas 1.

Place a clean preserving jar, large enough for 3 lemons, and lid in the oven for 15 minutes to sterilise. Cut and juice 6 of the lemons. Cut a cross in the remaining 3 lemons – almost to the base, but ensure the quarters stay together. Rub a generous teaspoon of salt into the inside of each of the 3 lemons. Pack the lemons into the jar and add the lemon juice and spices. (If you have more lemons and space in your jar, add the extras ones, salting them like the others.) Top the jar with the boiled, cooled water. Seal the jar, place in the fridge and leave for 4 weeks before using, shaking the jar gently occasionally. The lemons can keep for a couple of years this way.

As Shrove Tuesday is soon upon us, and my very first blog post featured pancakes, I thought it appropriate to come with a new pancake recipe. These little darlings are scrumptious. The recipe, which I found in this great book called Good to the Grain, is a little unusual but definitely works. I was a little skeptical about the honey butter as I’m a bit of a die-hard maple syrup fan, but I must say this honey butter was a-mazing (and naughty). Enjoy!

Makes approx 12 pancakes

Dry Mix:
1 cup (225 ml) buckwheat flour
1 cup (225 ml) plain flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

Wet mix:
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cups (280 ml) whole milk
1 egg
2 medium pears, ripe but firm

Honey Butter:
120 g butter
1/2 cup (110 ml) honey

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, adding at the end any grainy bits that wouldn’t go through the sieve. Whisk the melted butter, milk and egg until thoroughly combined. Peel and grate the pears, using the side of the grater with the big holes. Add the grated pear and any pear juice to the milk mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones. The batter is best if used immediately. However, you can leave it overnight in the fridge, but you will probably have to thin it a little with some milk.

To make the honey butter melt the butter and honey together in a small saucepan and cook until boiling, emulsified and slightly thickened – takes about 2-3 minutes. Pour the honey butter into a jug and leave it in a warm place near the stove.

Heat a good non-stick frying pan and rub generously with butter. Dollop 1/4 cup (large spoonful) mounds of batter onto the pan, 2-3 at a time. Once bubbles have started to form on the top side of the pancakes, flip them over and cook until the bottom is golden brown. Wipe the pan before buttering and griddling the next batch. Make sure the pan doesn’t get too hot or your pancakes will cook too fast on the outside.

Serve the pancakes fresh and hot, drizzled with the honey butter.