Epiphany

Kitchen fairies is a (currently) imaginary catering empire.  Its name is somewhat cornily a pun on the reclaimed colloquial use of fairy (and if you don't get it I'm not explaining), and on the concept of "wouldn't it be nice if the kitchen fairies had left us something tasty for dinner".   As such, I, as kitchen fairy in chief, have written it using the term "victim" to identify any diners.  This term was meant in a light hearted, tongue in cheek fashion, to indicate that sometimes the diners would be "inflicted" with my experimental concoctions.  

Recently, I have found that this is insulting both to me, and to my diners.  I am, from today, changing the voice for kitchen fairies posts.  I am privileged to cook, on occassion, for people who I love and care about; and they, in their turn are happy, and grateful, to receive my culinary offerings. 

Praise is sometimes offered, criticism is welcome - but there is not a power struggle, there is no victimisation.

Thanks for listening.

Savoury tarte tatin

Half a pack of puff pastry in the fridge, veg from veg box - going away tomorrow, so not that much else... savoury tarte tatin.

olive oil
butter
1 onion
handful green beans
3 carrots
3 largish new potatoes
cumin
chili
rosemary
garlic
apple juice
cider vinegar
pine nuts - toasted
puff pastry

salad - lettuce, tomato, cucumber, olive oil, balsamic vinegar - toss

Heat oven to 180, cook in oven proof frying pan

1.  soften chopped onion in olive oil and butter
2.  Add peeled and chopped carrot, green beans and potatoes.
3.  Chuck in chopped rosemary, season ... then add what you fancy - I had some cumin seeds and some chili, so chucked those in.
4.  When veg are starting to vaguely soften add a glug of cider vinegar and about a glass of apple juice.
5.  Simmer until they are just about soft, add water if the pan goes too dry.
6.  Roll out pastry and plonk on top, tucking edges in in a rustic fashion.  Pierce with a fork to let out steam.
7.  Bake in oven for about 25-30 minutes - turn out and sprinkle toasted pine nuts on top.
8.  Serve, with salad, and chilled wine for adoring praise from gathered victims - well just the one today - but it was so nice we ate enough for 4.

Wimbledon final nectarines and cream cheese on toast

The best Wimbledon final in years, and a sunny day with Prosecco in hand ... me and my victim were getting a little peckish - well we had:-

Wholemeal toast
Spread with cream cheese
Top with sliced nectarine
Grind on black pepper
Pile on shredded lettuce

You can keep your strawberries and cream!  A successful, what have we got? invention.

Mackerel salad "nicoise" and carrot and grapefruit salad

Veg box and some smoked mackerel in the fridge ... and a little bit of sun - so - SALAD.

New potatoes
Green beans
Lettuce
pea shoots
Tomatoes
Red pepper
1/2 cucumber
Handful black olives
Smoked mackerel
3 large carrots
3 spring onions
Mustard seeds
1 grapefruit
1 clove garlic, crushed
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
English mustard

1.  Boil potatoes and steam green beans.
2.  Mix dressing - garlic, tiny teaspoon mustard, olive oil, juice of half a grapefruit, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar - season and taste.
3.  Drain potatoes and beans and chuck on dressing while still warm.
4.  Mix in other chopped salad vegetables - cucumber, lettuce, pea shoots, red pepper, tomatoes and olives.
5.  Flake on smoked mackerel and toss.

Carrot salad

1.  Peel and grate carrots, add chopped spring onions.
2.  Add 2 tbsp onion seeds and juice of half a grapefruit and a big pinch of salt.

Scoff, with lovely victim, and a nice glass of wine.  Summer is here.  We were particularly impressed with the grapefruit in the carrot salad.  Enough left for 2 packed lunches, so that was a bonus too.