Ingredient

• 1 1/2 kg of beetroot (about a bunch of 5 small-medium sized vegetables)
• 2 tsps cider vinegar
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsps sugar
• juice of half a small lemon

Method:

1. Take your beetroot (I got mine straight from the front garden) and wash them well in cold water to remove any mud/compost/bits etc.   Take your time and be thorough.
2. Cut off some of the green leaf, however do not top and tail the beetroots or the colour will bleed out in the water.  Also if from the garden cut away some of the straggly root, otherwise leave in tact.
3. Place the washed beetroots into a pressure cooker and add enough water to almost cover the vegetables.
4. Bring to pressure and then cook on the lowest light for 15 minutes.
5. To de-pressurise carefully (it will be heavy!) place the pressure cooker in a large bowl of cold water.  The pressure cooker pressure indicator should drop (well it does on mine), and you should be able to safely get the lid off.
6. Don’t be tempted to use the fast de-pressurise function as this can lead to purple water shooting out the vent!
7. Using a slotted spoon remove the cooked beetroots from the pressure cooker and place in shallow dish.
8. Put down plenty of newspaper for rubbish, and wearing rubber washing up gloves gently slough off the beetroot skins and leaf tops.  This should be really easy now.  Don’t try this with bare hands it is not manly – it is daft and dangerous as the vegetables will be very hot!
9. Now using an egg slicer slice the beetroot into a glass dish.
10. Add the seasoning and other flavourings.  It is a good idea to do this whilst the beetroot are still warm because they will more readily absorb the flavours.
11. Allow to cool and then keep in the fridge for a day or so.  Beetroots cooked in this manner go so well with a nice piece of salmon or some cold meat

Bakewell Tart is a classic British teatime treat.  I love the delicious retro nature of this dessert.   If you have bad memories of plastic versions of this dessert I would ask you to forget the ‘fake’ bought Bakewell Tarts, and give this home made version a go.

Ingredients for pastry base:

• 180g of plain flour
• 30g ground almonds
• 60g icing sugar
• 100g of margarine or butter
• 1 small egg
• pinch of salt (optional)

Ingredients for almond top:

• 6-8 tbps of best quality raspberry jam
• 3 eggs
• 100g ground almonds
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g soft margarine or butter

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6 or about 200 oC for 20 minutes.
2. In a bowl make the pastry by cutting the fat into small pieces and then use the rubbing in method to combine it with the flour.
3. Add the almonds, sugar, and pinch of salt if using (I have no idea what the salt does but Mother of Marge says it ‘helps’ the pastry!)
4. Mix in the whole egg and then place the bowl in the fridge to chill.
5. Have a cup of coffee and a sit down for 20 minutes
6. Now carefully roll out the pastry.  Remember unlike bread dough you don’t want to handle the pastry too much.  Mother of Marge says this makes the pastry tough – which we don’t want, do we?  Be sure to flour the surface and your rolling pin…. or go to no.7
7. *ahem* if (like me) you find rolling out this pastry too difficult because being sweet it keeps sticking to the rolling pin then do what I do – cheat!   Take your shallow baking dish and after greasing and lightly sprinkling with flour (to prevent sticking), bung the pastry ball in and press it into place.  It works and makes things so much easier.
8. Place the rolled out or pressed pastry dish into the fridge again for further chilling out.
9. Now for the almond top – melt the fat in a microwave safe dish for 20 seconds and leave it to rest.
10. Beat the eggs and sugar well using a whisk, and then bit by bit add the melted fat.  Now you want to whisk it like the clappers!  I suggest you use an electric whisk (on a low setting) unless you want to work your biceps!
11. Take the pastry dish out of the fridge and spread over the jam.  I have said to use 6-8 tbps and here you can use your own judgement. I like lots of jam so I would use 8 tbsp.
12. Now pour on the almond top and bung in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes of so.  You can check to see how the Bakewell Tart is doing after 25 minutes and if need be lightly cover with tin foil to prevent burning.
13. You can serve Bakewell Tart warm or cold, and especially with a nice cup of tea … well you did have coffee earlier

Delicious slice of Bakewell Tart about to be scoffed!

Please bear with me.   I am hopeful this problem will be fixed soon and I will be able to post more interesting content that annoying messages like this.

The best bit has been the ‘graduation’ of the windowsill garden. I found that all the plants kept out growing their plant pots and after speaking to Retired Father, decided to plant them out in the garden. Naturally I have some new plants on the windowsill (tomato and soya); I think it would be bereft without any.

Thanks.

- but fear not!  This doesn’t mean I won’t post any new pics at all – here are some cute pics from the Marge Land computer archives

fluffy brown bunneh

kitten with beady eyes

a very posh duck