February 2009: Pork braised in apple and thyme

Served with rapeseed oil roasted potato wedges - Serves two
Everything in this recipe was sourced from within Kent - mostly within a few miles from our doorstep all except a sprinkle of salt & pepper

Ingredients
One pork tender loin trimmed and sliced into discs
Small bottle of local apple juice (240ml)
Medium onion sliced into rings
Couple of carrots
Kentish rapeseed oil (with all the benefits of olive oil but with a buttery taste and local)
Couple of sprigs of thyme
Two medium potatoes
Flour - 1 tablespoon

Soften onions in a good drizzle of oil then add the pork on a moderate heat and stir until the meat has coloured. Stir in the in the flour followed by the apple juice. Reduce heat to low, add the carrot batons & thyme then leave to braise while you get on with the potatoes.

Slice the potatoes into wedges leaving the skin on, toss in enough rapeseed oil to coat, season with crushed salt and roast in a hot oven for about 30 mins until fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside.
When the carrots are cooked and the pork is tender, season with a little salt & pepper and serve, enjoy!

Christmas 2008 issue: Chocolate Roulade

Chocolate Roulade  

A classic Christmas and dinner party dessert - I have given the quantities in ounces as it is the easiest way to   remember   this one. Also it makes a good wheat free pudding.

• Preheat oven to 180   C and line a swiss-roll tin (or even roasting tray will do) with baking parchment.
• Separate egg yolks from whites & whisk whites till stiff with an electric whisk.
• In another bowl whisk the yolks and sugar till pale and then whisk in the melted chocolate. With a metal spoon fold in one spoonful of the whites to start with then the rest - being light handed although ensuring no lumps of egg white   are left in the mixture.
• Pour & scrape into the tin and bake for 25 mins.
• Allow to cool and cover & chill until required (can be frozen at this stage.
• Make the filling by simply   beating all the ingredients together and adding the liqueur of   your choice to taste.
• To assemble: lay a piece of parchment on the work top. Loosen the cooked roulade around the edge of the tin and tip it out onto the parchment. Spread on the filling reserving some for decorating. You could sprinkle over a punnet of raspberries at this stage if you wish. Roll the roulade up confidently using the parchment underneath - don't worry if it cracks as you can cover this over when you decorate. To decorate cover with the rest of the filling and chocolate shards. Enjoy!

Recipe supplied by Maddie at Mama Feelgoods

From Holiday 08 issue:

Summer Berry Meringues

We get asked all the time how to make these in our shop as many people seem to find meringues the Achilles heel of their baking repertoire - the answer is simply patience - mix for long enough and don't be tempted to get them out of the oven until they are cool.

Makes approx 10 individual or one large meringue

Ingredients

• Large free range egg whites - x8 (make sure to get in no yolk whatsoever) - whisk till stiff
• Caster sugar 500g
• Summer fruits
• Fresh cream
• Fruit coulis

While whisking,  add a spoonful of sugar at a time and continue to whisk until the mix holds stiff peaks and is glossy.

Spoon onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment - about 2 tablespoons of meringue at a time, leaving enough space in between. Don't try this without parchment as they will  just stick.

Bake at 150 oC for 45 minutes, turn the oven off and leave to cool in oven. If you are making a large Pavlova, bake for an hour and a half.

Pile on whipped cream, Kentish strawberries & raspberries and drizzle with a fruit coulis.

Enjoy!

N.B. Recipes from past issues will be available soon

Contact details:

Chalkpit Rural Shopping
Chalkpit Farm
School Lane
Bekesbourne
Canterbury
CT4 5EU

01227 830830