Plums, Ginger and Cuba

Some days are wet, windy and downright miserable, and when the weather is blowy and cold outside, I need something to warm the insides and create a haven of warmth and comfort within my kitchen.

I've been listening to http://youtu.be/oNxNjd7wADo  - Cuban Allstars - Verdadero

since I've returned from Sunny Cuba - and this music helps the dancing around the kitchen and the creative juices to flow. The products of the fridge and the cupboard produced a punnet of dark plums and 2 bottles of stem ginger - and a cupboard full of various nuts, including a bucket of walnuts awaiting shelling.

 

Plum & Ginger Crumble

1 punnet of Black Amber Plums

3 balls Preserved Stem ginger, and a little of the syrup

6-8  tablespoons water

2oz soft brown sugar

Crumble

4 oz white spelt flour

Pinch of salt

2oz rolled oats

2 oz butter

1 oz toasted pecans or walnuts

2 oz demerera sugar

PRE HEAT OVEN TO 180c/Gas mark 4

METHOD

1. Wash and quarter plums and place in small saucepan with water.

2. Sliced and dice stem ginger and add to saucepan with the syrup.

3. Put pan on a medium heat and bring to a simmer and turn down.

4. When plums have cooked and softened a little, add sugar to taste.

5. Put into crumble dish(s) – I used small cups (from Grandma's cupboard) as I like quite deep crumble and fruit.

6. In a separate bowl sift in flour and add salt.

7. Cube butter and rub into the flour until it resembles crumbs.

8. Add oats, toasted nuts and sugar.

9. Put this crumble on top of the plum mixture and place in oven for 25-30 minutes until the crumble is cooked and plum juice is bubbling up the side.

You don’t need it to be perfect but rather bubbling and sticky and caramelised at the edges.

http://youtu.be/nVK5Hko0KWU - La Familia Valera Miraanda

http://youtu.be/E_zQZWZfsbI - Cuba Libra album

Serve with good homemade preserved ginger ice cream, or cream. Custard doesn’t really cut it with this dish – the contrast of cold against hot works exceptionally well.

Samhain Blessings and Pumpkin Solace sans Marmite

There is something about Samhain and the Autumn that brings me to yearning for warming comforting food - especially when the day begins with mist and fog, and the cloud never lifts. A blazing fire in the garden with Bay leaf trimmings, Rosemary and pine brings those cleansing and farseeing feelings and energies to all who inhale that scented smoke. What better to follow an invigorating fire that kickstarts the new year of incoming energies, than a heartwarming Pumpkin soup with a little kick.

A beautiful pumpkin and so many ideas and ways to go with this wondeful fruit for the autumn season. I look forward to my squash season and will order a box of various squash for the season. I had 2 pumpkins and several other varieties. My favourite are the crown prince squash which have the orange flesh and an incredible sweetness when roasted.

Normally I would make a heavy meaty textured soup with marmite and green tomato chutney, chilli and sage and thyme. This time I was looking for a flavour and texture that resonated with my energies in this moment - so very different to last year, much higher and more delicate to be reflected in what foods, textures anf flavours I use to nourish myself ( and any who wish to partake.)

I have been cooking with a Lebanese 7 spice mix - Nutmeg, Ginger, Allspice, Fenugreek, Cloves, Cinnamon & Black Pepper. I have been using it with meatballs, or for some spicy potatoes.

So first things first - for a robust flavour, in as much as Pumpkin has flavour, always roast the pumpkin.

PUMPKIN SOUP

1 medium pumpkin

1 small acorn squash

2 tablespoons Lebanese 7 spice mix

Marigold Bouillon made up into 1.5 litres stock

Pomegranate molasses

Olive oil or sunflower oil

Lime Juice

Salt

2 shallots, or 1 small red onion

1. Chop pumpkin half and scoop out pumpkin seeds and stringy goop. Save the seeds to dry out and toast with tamari and sunflower seeds.

2. I don't skin the pumpkin until its cooked because it is way easier then to do so. Put pieces of pumpkin and squash in large pan - I have a large enamel pan that always feels right for this kind of roasting. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil or any vegetable oil and the spices and toss the pumkin until coated - use your hands. Add a sprinkling of rock salt.

3. Roast at 190C or Gas Mark 5 for about 30 minutes until the pumpkin is slightly charred around the edges. Remove and leave to cool for a few moments.

4. Slice a couple of shallots, or finely slice a red onion - it rather depends on what you intuit to be the right colour for the dish- each person is different.

6. Add a knob of butter to a large pan - I have my Granny's soup pan I always use - and a couple of glugs of olive oil. Add the onion and cook slowly until it is translucent.

7. Take the pumpkin and squash flesh off the skin, and add to the pan -and put the lid on and allow to sweat for a 5-10 minutes. If it seems to catch add a little more butter or oil.

8.  Take the lid off and stir around and then add the vegetable stock - I use marigold bouillon for convenience.

9.  Turn up the heat and allow to simmer for about 35 minutes - and when the liquid has reduced and the soup is thickening take off the heat and liquidize. I use my liquidizer and a jug- the simplest way for me.

10. Return to the pan and taste and season as needed. Add a a couple of teaspoons pomegranate molasses and a couple of squeezes of lime juice. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes and then add some creme fraiche.

11. I served with Apple and Guinness Soda bread.



The Music for this little excursion into texture was a new album courtesy of my brother - http://youtu.be/ZgRnLM9Vi24

http://youtu.be/Se9yBvqQHxk



The following day I was moved to add the remainder of the Red Cabbage with apple and juniper berries to the soup, adding a whole new level - perhaps the background music inititated that move - Quivver remix of Led Zep - Babe I'm gonna Leave

Samhain - Chocolate Clementine Cake

I Allow my soul's vision and strength to come into my being.

The track below was my musical inspiration for this beautiful cake/dessert

Fearless - Indra Cooking creative music

Reading through my journal, I came across a list of affirmations I wrote a few years just before my Samhain ritual. Blessings and energies I wanted to welcome into my life, along with a list of all aspects, beliefs and habits I wished to release. All to be released through fire and to welcome in the new energies through the beautiful scented smoke of Bay leaves, and applewood from the fire in the garden.

Coming to 2011 Samhain I came across a recipe originally from Nigella Lawson before it went through the alchemical, magical process of creation, manifestation and energetic process that resulted in this cake.

Clementines



Thinner skinned than oranges, sweeter and juicier, were calling from the fruit bowl - destined for a superior goal than squeezed for juice, wishing for chocolate - always a good theme for Samhain.

Chocolate - always my cupboards have a store of chocolate - bought by the box wholesale - ready for use. Strong dark Green & Black's 85% Cocoa solids chocolate. Rich, intense, beautifully scented. An abundance of free range eggs beg to be used. Reading through the recipe as is often the way, I discover that the cake ingredient tin does not hold ready ground almonds, fresh from the supermarket, but the pantry does hold a jar of toasted flaked almonds from a previous foray into florentines. So I toasted my almonds a wee while more, and ground them in the, Goddess sent, food processor. Almonds will never grind as fine as those you buy, but the rougher texture enhances the cake, and allows this ingredient to shine within the cake.

CHOCOLATE CLEMENTINE CAKE

4-5 clementines (weight between 375 -400g) - I had 440g.

6 eggs

1 heaped teaspoon GF baking powder (leave it out if you wish, I did)

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (don't leave this out)

220g Ground almonds

250g caster sugar (You can used granulated if necessary )

50g Cocoa powder (Green & Blacks unsweetened)

Pre-heat oven to 190 C, or 180 C for a fan assisted oven.

METHOD

1. Put whole clementines into a pan and cover with water, and bring to the boil, and simmer for 1 hour until the fruits are soft and squishy. Do not peel them, skin and all is boiled.

Leave to cool and then process to a pulp in the food processor. Set aside.

2.  Butter 20cm springform tin and line with greaseproof or baking parchment.

3. Place sugar and eggs into bowl and mix. Do not whisk until soft and fluffy because this is a fudgy cake, not a souffle cake. You can use a whisk if you wish but not for longer than 2 minutes. Add rest of ingredients, adding clementine pulp last. Mix thoroughly with each addition.

4.  Pour into the lined tin and bake for 35-45 minutes in the oven. You may need to cover the top with a round of greaseproof to prevent the top burning. When you check the cake, it will come out slightly sticky, and that's perfectly fine.

5. Allow to cool in tin and then remove outer ring, leaving to fully cook on cake rack, on base, until cold. Then you can remove it and put onto to a cake stand or plate.

As you can see it's a bit rough and ready in appearance, but it is soft, moist and absolutely delicious. I will serve it with a little heated orange liquer and honey syrup, and a mix of lowfat creme fraiche and cream. The clementines were almost marmalade like in their texture and the toasted ground almonds added another level to this cake. A resounding success to be remade for Samhain and no doubt tweaked once more.

The decorating and serving process was enhanced by this beautiful track I'm listening to at the moment - Indra - The Other World. I have no idea how to get hold of this music, and I wish I did, so if you have any ideas let me know.

http://youtu.be/gxLEWPIKnjk