EVERYDAY FRUIT CAKE/HARVEST FRUIT LOAF

It’s been a bit hectic at work and the home cooking front has slipped a bit at the moment.  I seem to be making endless supplies of brown bread as the B+B business gets into full swing and home dinners and baking are on the back burner.  When I do produce something zinging, I forget to take photos! Doh!  No point telling you about the fantastic roast belly of pork dinner we had on Sunday, now is there?  Scoffed before anyone got a camera out!  Other fantastic meals include plain grilled meat, garden salad and some fantastic new potatoes.  Not top end cuisine, but really good summer food.  Herbs picked between the rain showers are really livening up the ordinary, mint on new potatoes is just fantastic and gone is the butter in favor of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice – lip smacking!

So, I was turning on the oven for garlic bread (the new Kerrygold garlic bread is just sooo yummy, buttery, garlicky mmmm) and OH appeared with a hangdog look and suggested I make “something nice for a cup of tea”.  So here is my

EVERYDAY FRUIT CAKE/HARVEST FRUIT LOAF

I made three 1lb loaf tin cakes out of this, but half the recipe will make a 2lb loaf tin cake or a deep 6 or 7 inch cake. 

Pre heat the oven to 170c/325f or gas 3

1lb/450g self raising flour

8oz/225g butter, stork or suitable spread (it has to say suitable for baking on the container)

8oz/225g of sugar, any type or a mixture will do, I used some brown and some granulated

12oz/375g mixed dried fruit

A few glace cherries if you have them

Teaspoon of mixed spice

4 large eggs

6 tablespoons/90ml milk

I prepared the tins by lining them with greaseproof inserts.  Or grease and flour your tins.

Sieve the flour into a large bowl and add your butter or substitute.  Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. 

Stir in the sugar fruits and spices.  Beat the eggs  with the milk and stir into the dry ingredients. 

If you feel the mixture is too stiff, add more milk.  It should be quit soft and drop off a spoon.

Bake in a preheated oven for 40 to 45 mins for the loaf tin size and for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 for the larger cakes.  It is done when a skewer comes out clean.  Leave in the tin for 10 minutes.  The extra cakes freeze well, but not in our house.  OH did not even wait the ten minutes for it to cool!

Grilled Flatcap Mushrooms

Nothing I cook is very ‘cheffy’ or requires too much time and attention.  I am all for flavor and kicking it up a notch or two.  This recipe delivers on minimum effort/maximum taste and is a quick lunch on those days you want something tasty and not too much trouble.  (That’s every day in my house).  It makes a nice starter too, though some guests have a thing about mushrooms and fall at the first fence when confronted with two large ones!  I love mushrooms and include them in everything I can. 

It is a Paul Flynn recipe from the Tannery Cookery School, by far my favourite place to spend a week.  Paul is one of my food heroes, working with the best of ingredients and just letting them shine.  There is nothing on his course that is outside the abilities of the interested novice, but my goodness, the flavours! 

Paul Flynn’s Grilled Flatcap Mushrooms with Rocket and Parmesan

Serves 4 as a starter or a light lunch

8 medum flatcap or large mushrooms stems removed

2oz/50g butter

2 cloves of garlic crushed

30ml olive oil

splash of balsamic vinegar

Bag of Rocket

100g grated fresh parmesan cheese (NOT the ready grated dust!)

2oz/50g toasted pine nuts (or flaked almonds)

Salt and pepper.

Toast the nuts in a dry pan over a medium heat until they are slightly browned.  Put aside. Pan fry the mushroom and garlic in the olive oil  and butter over a medium heat.  (Not too hot or the garlic will burn – not nice!)

When nearly cooked add a dash of balsamic vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place the cooked mushrooms in a covered bowl for 15 minutes.  The mushrooms with secrete their juices to mingle with the garlic, oil and butter.  This will make your dressing.

Arrange the mushrooms on warm plates.  Place the rocket on top.  Drizzle over the dressing and sprinkle the parmesan and nuts on top. 

Serve with some good bread to mop up the juices.

(Paul recommends a drizzle of truffle oil on the mushrooms while resting in the bowl, but nobody has given me any for Christmas yet)