Available from my kitchen this week:


Granary Loaf (800g)      £2.00

Granary Loaf

 

Wholemeal Loaf (800g) £1.80

Wholemel Loaf

White Loaf (800g)        £1.80

White Loaf
 

Sour Dough Loaf (800g) £2.00

Sour Dough
 

Triple Chocolate Brownies (tray 20 x 30cm)  £12.00
Cuts into 15 or 20 brownies depending on the size of brownie required.

Triple Chocolate Brownies

Orders can be placed via email, jenny@rockhavencottage.com or via my mobile, 07979 233975 by 12pm Friday lunchtime.  All will be delivered to addresses in Deddington, Hempton and Clifton on Saturday morning.  Delivery to Deddington is free, but for Hempton and Clifton there is a minimum order charge of £3.50.

A simple and filling supper based around a tin of salmon.  Leave the skin on the potatoes; it saves a job and you retain more nutrients, just give them a scrub.  If you don't want to be bothered with preparing potatoes you could always substitute them with a couple of handfuls of dried pasta.


Grilled Potato and Salmon
(serves 2, cost £2.63 for 2 servings) 

300g potatoes, skin on, sliced
1 leek, cleaned and chopped
1 tab oil
2 tomatoes, chopped
50g frozen peas
100g tinned salmon
100g crème fraiche
50g cheddar cheese, grated

Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 10 minutes until just tender, but not breaking up, tip the peas in with the potatoes for the last 2-3 minutes.  Whilst the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the leek until soft.  Drain the peas and potatoes well and put into a mixing bowl with the leeks and chopped tomatoes.  Preheat the grill to high.

Drain the salmon and flake into chunks, gently toss with the potatoes, peas, leek and tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon into a shallow flameproof dish.

Dollop the crème fraiche on top, roughly spread then scatter with cheese.  Grill until bubbling and golden.

Grilled Potato and Salmon Bake

Minestrone Soup

This soup (adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe) is a meal in itself, just add a chunk of good bread and it'll keep you going through this cold, damp weather!

Minestrone Soup
Serves 2 - £2.06 for 2 servings

1 onion
300g mix of carrots and butternut squash
1 tab olive oil
1 vegetable stock cube
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 400g tin borlotti beans
100g dried pasta
100g frozen spinach
100g mixture of frozen peas and sweetcorn

You can use any combination of fresh and frozen vegetables, just throw in whatever needs using up. 

Peel and chop the onion, carrots and squash.  Cut into 1 cm dice and put into a large pan with the oil and cook for about 10 minutes on a medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Crumble in the stock cube and add the tomatoes, beans and their juice and approx. 700ml boiling water.  Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes.  Break up the pasta and add with the spinach, peas and sweetcorn for the last 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Like thousands of other teenagers, our eldest daughters (twins) have been at university since September; it's been a huge learning curve for all of us.  They not only survived freshers' week but positively thrived, their two younger sisters have realised that coming out of their rooms and talking to us now and again really isn't that bad, we're quite nice when you get to know us (and no, that table really doesn't lay itself!). 

We're amazed by their stamina - how can they be preparing to go out just as we're sitting down for a coffee in front of the 10 o'clock news, knowing that I will probably have fallen asleep by the time the weather comes on!  Yet we know they are also working hard, having both recently turned in two first class assignments. 

So with students in mind another interest lies in producing good food both cheaply and quickly.  I'm amazed at how many of their friends buy their lunches from sandwich shops because they can't be bothered to make lunch.  Quite often it's just a matter of cooking a bit extra the night before and sticking it in the fridge for the next day.