Tapenade

Tapenade

250g/10ozs. black olives - stone them yourselves for extra flavour - tedious yes, but worth the effort
50g/2 ozs. anchovy fillets
1 tablsp. capers
2 cloves garlic, crushed
15g/1/2 oz. basil, chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
200ml/12 tablsp. extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor, whiz together the olives, the anchovies and the capers.
Add garlic, basil, lemon zest and juice, then the oil.
Season with pepper.


(NOTE: the tapenade will keep for up to one month in the fridge and can be served on crostinis)

Preserved Lemons

2 lemons, scrubbed and cut lengthways into 8
75g coarse sea salt
125ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
125ml extra-virgin olive oil

In a bowl, toss lemon wedges, salt and juice. Mix well. Transfer to a 500ml glass container with a non-metal mid. ( a Kilner jar is the business)
Close container and leave at room temp. for a week, shaking daily to distribute the salt and juices evenly.

To store: Add olive oil to cover and store in fridge for up to 6 months.

Quarante Quatre '44'

Fragrant and fruity, served as a digestif or with white wine, as a aperitif,'Quarante Quatre'is one of my local recipés which, once tasted, is frequently requested!
And the good news is that, at 47 days to go to Christmas (!!!) you can make it now and serve to guests at your festive table or offer it as an original Christmas gift.

You will need:

1 litre of Calvados/clear eau-de-vie or Vokda
1 orange
44 sugar lumps
44 cloves or
44 coffee grains (I use both!)

and 44 days of patience!

Pour the Calvados into a large Kilner jar with 44 sugar lumps and 44 coffee grains or ...... if you’ve opted for cloves....
Stick the 44 cloves into an orange and add to jar.
Wait at least 44 days before tasting.
Quarante quatre will, however, keep for centuries in the Kilner jar but once it's all gone you may like to try a vingt-deux...
Add some white wine to the Kilner jar, leaving the orange in the jar, and leave for, yes, you've guesses it - 22 days!!
Santé...

Into The West

The Wild West (of Ireland) - a beautiful and enchanting place!

Three Legged Tom

OK OK... any of you who've been to La Blonderie will know how I feel about cats! I'm more of a dog person and that says it all, but, our Tom, I feel, is worth a mention. He's a survivor. A charmer who's been known to charm his way into the holiday apartment and B+B on many an occasion with his sorry limp (lost a leg in a trap)on his quest for food and affection.
Before the mid-term break we lost Tom....His quest for food got the better of him as he jumped into the back of a refrigerated van, parked outside the house here, much to the surprise of the owner of the same as she opened the van outside a school about 10 kms away! A confused and frightened Tom jumped out and hobbled off into the sunset! Many posters and spottings later Tom arrived home - it took him about a week but he's here now - Tom the three-legged traveller!

Paella

O.K .....not exactly french.... but very good and very handy for entertaining....It's a one course meal - no starters - perhaps a few fancy nibbles....I reckon the Paella is to the Spanish what the Risotto is to the Italians...
A Spanish friend of mine explained that Paella is based on leftovers - i.e we had chicken one day, prawns the next, mussels after that and so on.....and let's throw the whole lot together with a bit of rice and Bob's you uncle....Once you get the hang of it, you can experiment with all kinds of leftovers..
Anyway, Geraldine, this one's for you....

Paella
Ingredients .....for 6 people
6 chicken thighs
2 lemons, cut in half
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 shallots, chopped
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped or a tin (in winter)
2 bay leaves, broken in half
good pinch saffron or Paella spice mix
700g/1½lbs Valencia or paella rice
splash white wine
1½-2l/2½-3½pt hot vegetable or chicken stock
1 packet mixed seafood, defrosted
1 chorizo, sliced
225g/8oz mussels – cleaned, debearded and cooked in a dash of white wine until open (discard closed ones) ......oh yeah and ...... keep the wine and add to stock....
225g/8oz prawns – heads and tails on....
large bunch parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
Method
1. Seal and lightly colour the chicken pieces with the lemon halves in olive oil.
2. Remove from the pan and add the chopped garlic, shallots and tomatoes. Fry for a few minutes, adding the bay leaves, saffron, rice, wine and chorizo.
3. Return the chicken and lemon to the pan and pour in enough hot stock to cover the mixture. Partially cover the pan with a lid and bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Continue to add the stock a ladle at a time, allowing each to be absorbed before adding the next.
5. The rice should be almost cooked after 10-12 minutes. Check to make sure the chicken is cooked through before adding the seafood. Cook for about 3 minutes, adding more stock if necessary.
6. To finish, stir in the prawns, the cooked mussels (shells and all – ‘nothing like scooping out the rice from the shell) chopped parsley, season.....reheat thoroughly (for the added shellfish) and serve from the pan. You may ....i.e you have to use your fingers – it’s all part of the fun .....just don’t forget the fingerwipes!

Bon appétit!

P.S Serve with a nicely chilled Rosé wine

The Green Goose

In an effort to get the girls away from MSN, the TV and their mobile phones - I asked them to express themselves creatively with a couple of tins of paint.....and gave them carte blanche for the chicken house!!!!
Completely underestimating the effect of a tin of green paint on our Nicloas (de goose), off went Ellen and Kate with great plans for a makeover job...
Yes, you've guessed what happened next....Nicolas, on seeing the shiny green acrylic, went ape, thought all his heavens had come together and niw sprots a green beak......and the chicken house - which they decided would be a disco (!!???) for the lively chicks, has been called 'The Green Goose'...