Friday 27 April 2012

A Meander Through A Little Of The Russian and Ukrainian Countryside and some Vegetarian Russian Caviar...




By popular demand-well at least from a couple or so of you...a little taste of the countryside from my trip to Russia and the Ukraine.

What I loved about the countryside, was the contrast of the sight of familiar looking trees and wild flowers together with the less familiar styles of Russian architecture.

 It all seemed so exotic...

Seen here are some wonderfully old windmills-plus a horse!


 
I just had to see these strange windmills a little closer...

But up close, they only seemed even more curious!


 
There were also some glorious old wooden churches,


 
I particularly liked the shape of the roofs on some of these old churches...



 
There was an extremely interesting open air museum situated in the Ukrainian countryside where I took some of these photos. Here they were preserving some delightful thatched old homes.

One of which had a roof which almost looked like a felt hat,


 
Some had more a wattle and daub appearance,




 
Others had a more ‘manicured’ thatched roof...



 
After all the hustle and bustle of the cities it was delightful to see a newly married couple celebrating in the countryside with a simple buggy ride.



 
Now after that we need some sustenance...

Following on with the Russian inspired theme, I offer some Russian Vegetarian Caviar!

Baklazhanaya Ikra
...Russian Vegetarian Aubergine Caviar 

  

 
This is a very simple Russian ‘poor man’’ caviar made from aubergines (Eggplant), totally vegetarian of course...and there are many versions about, but this is mine...

2 aubergines
2 onions-chopped
3 fat cloves of garlic-crushed
4 ripe tomatoes-chopped
A small glass of Vodka
A splash of Extra Virgin British Rapeseed oil
A little lemon juice
Half a tsp sugar
Freshly ground sea salt-Maldon for preference
A very generous grinding of aromatic pepper


Bake the aubergine in a hot oven (200C) for about 50 minutes until soft.
Meanwhile fry the chopped onion and garlic in the rapeseed oil until soft then add the chopped tomato and vodka and burn off the alcohol for 2 minute.
When the aubergines are cool, peel off the skins and lightly mash the pulp.
Turn down the heat, add the sugar, aubergine pulp, salt and pepper and simmer very gently for 30 minutes until the mixture is very soft and unctuous. Add a splash of lemon juice and serve on sliced buttered griddled bread.

I made some fresh sourdough bread to accompany my 'caviar'...


 
This is fabulous as a supper dish-though I wouldn’t say no if it was served up at lunchtime!

The creamy aubergines contrast so well with a tasty slice of buttered bread...

I do hope everybody liked this second Russian interlude. I may have one more post if people are interested...




 
A good evening to everybody...


Sunday 22 April 2012

A Visit to Russia and a Russian Inspired, Mushroom Stroganoff Pizza...


 
A few years ago I was very fortunate indeed, to be able to visit Russia and the Ukraine and was a guest for a lovely time at the British Embassy in Moscow. The stay in the British Embassy was amazing... 

They looked after us so well and it was such a treat and a privilege to stay in their lovely high-up penthouse apartment and each evening to sit outside on the decking with a glass of Russian champagne in hand and take in the sunset and surrounding vistas of the fascinating city of Moscow. 

An early evening view of the city of Moscow from our penthouse apartment at the British Embassy,




The view takes in one of the famous Moscow Seven Sisters, seen here on the left, part of the neo-classical buildings build in the Stalinist era and now, ironically, part of the Radisson Hotel group whose HQ is based in the USA.

And a few minutes later when the sun set, the lights shimmered across the water...


 
The Russian and Ukrainian cultures were so exotic and different from our own.

The local markets were not only full of stalls selling both the familiar and the unfamiliar vegetables and flowers but also selling amber jewellery, painted religious icons, fur hats and Matryoshka dolls...

The buildings in the cities were also amazing...


 
The interiors of the large churches we visited were on the whole, rather dark and gloomy and it was difficult to see around but when you came across a lit area, the views were incredible, with the walls covered in vibrant colours and gold leaf...


 
Each time you turned a corner inside these buildings, there were yet more beautiful views...



 
The sights we visited and saw were fantastic.

The weather, however, was not that good-frequent very heavy rain and even an unexpected mini tornado in the heart of the city of Moscow on one very, very scary occasion. And many thanks indeed to some gallant Russian policemen who saw us hanging onto to some spindly trees for dear life as the tornado suddenly hit and enabled us to take shelter in their local police station whilst the tornado passed by!

Afterwards it was really scary to see the devastation and debris on the path we would have been walking down. Huge billboards, fences and trees had been torn down and were strewn across the very path we would have been walking...

On other days it was much more peaceful...

There were some lovely sights to behold at the end of the day, when miraculously the weather would be calm and there would be a lovely pink sunset.



 
Even off the usual tourist trail there were incredible places to see, though we were usually the only English speaking people to be visiting...



 
You could turn a corner and just literally gasp at what you saw...


 
And just through an open doorway would be another incredible view...


 
Wedding parties would also visit the scenic spots-it was not unheard of for them to visit 12 places on the day of the wedding to get those all important photo opportunities-we saw many such couples...such as this one at The Hermitage in St Petersburg.



 
Just wonderful sights on every corner, but I won’t go on as I would be here all day...


 
Gardening wise I did not get to see many home gardens. Most of the local professional people I met, lived in very tiny city apartments and found the fact that I lived in a house with more than one bedroom and with a garden-albeit small-truly amazing indeed...The more well off i.e. consultant doctors had a second home in the countryside-a Dacha-here they would grow lots of fruit and vegetables which they would bring back to their city home. The Dachas though were far from being opulent, summer homes. Many were very simple and basic, lacking electricity etc and situated right next to main roads but were still considered a ‘luxury’ by Russian standards...

Food wise I had a ‘few’ problems as I do not eat meat...Much of the Russian cuisine revolves around meat for the well-off as it is considered a luxury. Trying to say I did not eat meat was difficult as that could be construed as an insult implying I did not think the host could afford meat... 

Luckily I eat fish, and one of the favourite dishes on offer was ‘fish and chips with champagne’.  The fish although called Salmon, was usually roast Sturgeon and served with fried potatoes coated in herbs and spices and the meal was accompanied with copious amounts of Russian champagne-which, I have to say, was dramatically cheaper than even the imported Pepsi or Coco cola!!!

In the Ukraine, there were many dishes with peppers, cream and paprika. We were advised though, by The British Foreign Office, to avoid dishes including mushrooms when visiting Kiev because of the resulting nuclear fallout from Chernobyl which still affects mushrooms even then, grown in the vicinity.

And as for Russian Vodka...well don’t get me started...I am a complete and utter novice, and even after many, many ‘lessons’ I am still an utter novice...ice, lemon, lime, frozen, partly frozen, shots, mixers etc..
but I did enjoy those lessons...

Back to the food...

Continuing on the Russian theme...

Mushroom Stroganoff Pizza 


 
Many years ago I had the sublime pleasure of enjoying a Mushroom Stroganoff Pizza-not in Russia ironically but whilst visiting Swansea in Wales of all places...

Not your usual pizza I admit. The base was thin and crispy with a tangy tomato sauce overlaid with a scrumptious, creamy, mushroom stroganoff topping. The result was truly delicious....

Since then I have tried and tried to reproduce that fabulous pizza. I offer this version but it is still not quite right...my search will therefore continue...

For the pizza base-and my thanks to my good friend Wobbly Mouse for the original recipe for the base which I have adapted slightly...

Pizza base
275g Flour (I used on this occasion a mixture of Welsh Oak Smoked flour and Spelt flour-both from the Bacheldre Welsh Flour mill)
1/2 sachet easy blend yeast
1 tsp British Extra Virgin British Rapeseed oil
200 ml hand hot water

For the topping
450g Mushrooms-torn into chunks
2 Onions-sliced
3 fat garlic cloves-finely crushed
 1 TBSP finely chopped fresh Thyme
2 tsp Sweet Spanish Paprika
 110g Crème Fraiche-I used Rodda’s Cornish Crème Fraiche
A small glass of Vodka
A small glass of white wine
140g Tomato puree
1 ball of Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella cheese-sliced
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
 A little butter
Little British Extra Virgin British Rapeseed Oil


Sieve the flour into a large bowl, stir in a tsp of salt and the easy blend yeast.
Make a well in the middle, stir in the oil and water with a round bladed knife
Mix to form a soft, slightly sticky dough
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 15 minutes until a smooth, elastic dough is formed.
This will make one large pizza or two 25 smaller thin pizzas.

To form the base, stretch the dough out as thin as possible on a parchment lined tray.  Leave to rise in a warm place for 30/40 minutes.
Whilst the dough is rising, make the filling.

Thickly slice the onion and mushrooms and very gently fry in a little butter and rapeseed oil. Add the chopped garlic and finely chopped fresh thyme. Add the small glasses of vodka and white wine and burn off the alcohol for a couple of minutes.

Add the tsp of paprika and the Crème Fraiche, season with salt and pepper and very gently simmer until all is unctuous, creamily thick, and bubbly...You want the resulting mixture to be quite thick so it does not make the pizza base soggy when added. Once it has cooked, turn off the heat and allow it to cool slightly.

Heat the oven to 210C.

Once the base has risen cover it with the tomato puree. Make sure you spread the tomato right to the edges of the pizza. Add the cooled mushroom topping and spread evenly across the whole pizza. Top with thin slices of the mozzarella cheese.


Place in the top of the hot oven for 25 minutes until all is hot, bubbling and slightly golden-usually about 15 minutes or so.



 
That’s all for this post. I would be happy to post some more on my trip to Russia and the Ukraine and some more Russian inspired recipes if anyone is interested...

Apologies also to those that were expecting a post on wild food and wild garlic. It will be coming, but unfortunately I had a fall this week and severely injured my knee and, consequently, my mobility is somewhat impaired.

Plus it is pouring with rain this weekend-not my favourite weather to go walking in the woods-and considering last year I ended up scrabbling up steep banks of slippery clay slopes and even at one point having to climb a tree and edge out along a branch to return to my garden, I feel somewhat constrained this weekend to stay close to the house!!

Until next time, enjoy your evenings...wherever you may be...


A Moscow evening...


Friday 13 April 2012

Tantalising Tulips and a Tasty Supper Accompanied By Some Delightful Musical Snippets From The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain...



Today has been a mixture of highs and lows...

It was the day my litter of Burmese kittens went to their new homes. Their new owners came very excitedly to collect their new family members and gradually the house became quieter and quieter...

Needing a little cheering up, I listened to a little of my favourite Uke combo groups, the wonderfully quirky, Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain. Now this may not please all of my blog readers...but it pleases me and was what I needed today...

For their first offering may I present this,


 
In-between the new owners arriving and collecting their kittens, I did manage to get out briefly into the garden.

Yesterday, we had some stunning thunder and lightning and incessant rain for a good six hours on and off. As much as we needed the rain, some of the younger plants outside suffered some damage, not helped by an icy frost at dawn today...

But in spite of that, the garden continues to flourish...

The tulips in particular raised their heads in the brief sunshine today,


 
Whilst it was relatively warm in the sunshine, it still remained a little chilly with temperatures around 11C together with a breezy wind.



 
Ducking back inside, I made a quick bread-this time, a Tarragon and Walnut Soda bread with Tarragon fresh from the garden.


Welsh Walnut And Tarragon Soda Bread


 
500g Welsh Oak Smoked Flour
80g of Chopped Walnuts
3 TBSP of finely chopped fresh French Tarragon leaves
400ml plain pouring yogurt
1 tsp Maldon Sea Salt
3 tsp of Cream of Tartar
1 & half tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Preheat the oven to 210C.

In a large bowl add the flour, Bicarb of Soda, Cream of Tartar, salt, chopped walnuts and tarragon leaves and mix well with a large spoon. 

Add the yogurt.

 The mixture is very sticky and I turned it out onto a well floured surface and simply shaped it into a round, flipped it over to shape it again but didn’t knead it at all. Due to its sticky nature I placed it on some baking parchment paper on a tray, dusted it with flour and made the obligatory slashes with a knife and popped it in the oven for 35 minutes. After said time, I had a nice hollow sound upon tapping its bottom and duly let it cool.



 Now a quirky musical break featuring a ‘Traditional English Rock Song’...


 
Hope you all sang along...

Back into the garden and some more tantalising tulips...




 
Even the insects benefited from this brief interlude of sunshine...



 
Yep...feel more music required...

This time another melange from the Ukes...


 
Back inside to prepare the Baked Somerset Camembert...

Baked Somerset Cheese Infused With Rosemary, Thyme, Vermouth And New Season Green Garlic.


 

I’m going to focus on a rather nice local Camembert -like cheese from Somerset rather cleverly called Somerset Camembert.

A mini round of that sublime and perfectly bloomy local Somerset Camembert is first garnished with a small spoonful of finely chopped new season Spring Green Garlic from my garden, then impregnated with sprigs of fresh Rosemary and Thyme also from my garden, and lastly gently bathed with a dash of Vermouth...not from my garden...

The method of cooking is simplicity itself...




 
Place the whole cheese in its wooden box if it came in it or in a small dish and cover with some foil.

Place in a preheated oven at 180C for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and gently remove the foil and the crusty ‘lid’ of the baked cheese...



 
Slice your bread and slather generously with the unctuous melted cheese...



 
The flavour of the herbs, garlic and vermouth will have diffused into the cheese and the aroma and taste is truly, truly magnificent!

Now...

No more flowers now for you all...regretfully...

 
See you all soon...

Monday 9 April 2012

Happy Easter Everybody!


Dancing Daffodils and Hot Cross Bun Chocolates!

I do hope everybody had a good Easter weekend although the weather could have been kinder to us...

The garden though, is slowly beginning to awaken from the long, cold and frankly rather wet Winter slumber...

In-between visitors over the holiday weekend, I have been busy toiling outside digging and weeding and sowing numerous seeds...

Whilst my plants may be reticent to grow, no such luck with the brambles and weeds! The wood that edges the property, continuously sends out tendrils of brambles which advances like scouts from an invading army. 

You ignore them at your peril! Once entrenched, it takes copious efforts to remove them and to stop them gaining a foothold...

The moss is more subtle...stealthily it creeps insidiously over any moist area-which given the frequent rainfall-is most of the garden...

Given all of that, it is wonderful indeed to see the cheery daffodils raising their heads above it all.

 
Like bright yellow sentinels they proudly look around and almost seem to shout with happiness and cheer.



 
This year has seen one of the best displays for many a year in my garden for daffodils. Most years the pesky squirrels have either dug up the bulbs and eaten and killed them or in the Spring chewed off the flower heads leaving just miserable lone green headless stalks...

Not so this year! Last Autumn I planted yet more daffodils which I purchased from a small British producer of miniature bulbs.


I have bought bulbs from them in the past and have to say they are a wonderful and reliable small British company producing top class bulbs.


 
Unfortunately the local squirrel population also thought so and I have lost many to them in the past...

Not so this time...

 Battle commenced last year and let us just say there are 28 less squirrels feasting off my garden...











 
Now before anybody thinks I do battle with anything in my garden, I do love the beneficial insects that visit...

Like the little ladybirds,



 
Another green visitor,

 
I love daffodils as their bobbing heads nod gently in the breeze.

They come now in so many forms from the yellow double



 
To the orange and white double


 
To some almost looking like a fried egg...




 
So, so lovely...

And finally, for those of you that requested, 

Lemon Balm Cheesecake

  

 
For the base:

5 Digestive biscuits
10 Ginger Nut biscuits
75 g butter
1 TBSP Welsh Heather Honey

For the topping:

500g cream cheese/mascarpone cheese
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
25g Lemon Balm (leaves only and very finely chopped)
175g Icing sugar
Sprig of Lemon Balm as the final garnish

Method:

Line a loose bottomed 8inch cake tin with parchment foil and grease with a smear of butter.
Place the Ginger Nut and Digestive biscuits in a plastic bag and whack with a rolling pin until crushed.

Meanwhile put the butter and honey in a large bowl and briefly melt in the microwave for a few seconds. Add the crushed biscuits and mix thoroughly. Press firmly into the base of the lined tin and place in the freezer to set.

Meanwhile in another large bowl gently combine the cream cheese and mascarpone together with the icing sugar, finely chopped Lemon Balm, lemon zest and the lemon juice. Take care with the lemon juice. Sometime the mascarpone and cream cheese can be quite runny-in which case do not add so much/if any lemon juice. Don’t overwork as the mixture will split. 

You may also want to add the icing sugar gradually as the mixture may be too sweet for you if you add it all at once.

In other words you may need to play around with getting the right combination!!

Spoon on top of the chilled base and place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours-preferably overnight.

If you have any mixture left over, it makes a lovely Lemon Fool or Syllabub! 

When ready to serve run a warm cloth around the outside to loosen the mixture and very gently remove from the tin and lined paper.

If you do get any cracks then dust with some extra icing sugar before added the final garnish of a spring of Lemon Balm.

Delicious when served together with a spoonful of Clotted Cream!

And finally, finally,

Those Hot Cross Bun Chocolates-delicious! From Hotel Chocolate-very very yummy indeed...

Happy Easter again everybody!