The chaos that is the summer holidays is upon me. As usual I find myself being cook, driver, entertainments manager and all round major-domo. On the whole I relish this and particularly enjoy having my children at home (most of the time….) but efficiency which is not my foremost characteristic always needs cranking up. Unexpected and sometimes many mouths to feed is a frequent situation and it is at these times that I fall back on much used, reliable recipes. Ones I can do without any panic and which I know will go down a storm. Here then is a collection of such recipes that I will be turning to again and again. Need a quick cake – no problem, my ginger one always goes down well. Need a contribution for a picnic, easy – no-one ever turns down this focaccia and something for lunch, well look no further…..
This Ginger Cake (July 2013) is super easy, you probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboard and is so good it never hangs around for long.
I don’t think there is a picnic that I haven’t taken this Focaccia (May 2014) to. It also goes down well cut into little squares and served with drinks before lunch or dinner. Really easy and you can make the dough the night before and leave in the fridge ready to finish off in the morning if that suits. Once the wild garlic is over I often just sprinkle with crunchy sea salt or make use another herb to make the sauce.
Whilst I adore a good old green salad (January 2014) and eat one several times a week, there are times when you need something a little more substantial and with a bit more going on. My Christmas salad (December 2013) gets endless outings and is the number one choice to go in soft white bap with pulled pork. The Roasted Vegetables with Pomegranate Molasses (July 2014) dressing is another go-to and often gets wheeled out with barbecues.
Puddings too feature a lot in my summer menus, all that fabulous fruit and also the time to spend around the table with just one more course…. Maybe a Pannacotta with Blackcurrants or any other fresh berry sauce (July 2014) and how about a Lemon and Lime ice cream (May 2014). Oh and don’t forget that Elderflower and Apple Jelly I posted last month, the last word in easy and delicious.
So, enjoy the holidays and I hope you try some of the recipes here, just trawl through the summer months of previous years and you will find the recipes that keep me sane.