Weekly Meny Swap.

Very quick menu plan for today as much to get it on line as my other half has started using it if he needs to start cooking because I am busy with the baby ! I will try and edit it with more details later.

Monday - Potato and chickpea curry (honest I will do this one this week with added spinach I think)

Tuesday - Meatballs and spaghetti


Wensday - Lamb ribs, rice and vegs

Thursday - Pork chops, caramelised apples, cabbage

Friday - Tomato and Eggs

Danish Plait

Daring Baker Challenge for June 2008

This month's recipe was chosen by Kelly of Sass & Veracity, and Ben of What’s Cookin’? and this is how they started our instructions.

Technique: Making and working with yeasted laminated dough
Recipe: “Danish Braid” from Sherry Yard’s The Secrets of Baking

Now you might expect as a gluten free baker I'd be worried about this as yeast doughs are hardly the easiest for us to get right but in fact i did a happy dance.. why? Well for months now i have been planning to try puff pastry and things kept getting in the way and this is basically made the same way.. that's the laminated bit. Basically you make a dough, cover it with butter and then repeatedly fold it on itself. The butter keeps the layers separate giving that flaked effect. According to our hosts, one of whom is a expert puff pastry maker this type of laminated dough is less complicated and a good starting point so all i need to do now is find a flour mix that works !

The recipe we were given makes quite a bit of dough enough for two very large plaits and our instructions were we must make a plait with half the dough and the filling must either be the apple one they suggested or something else made from scratch, as the dough is sweet most filling were sweet too but a few Daring Bakers made savory ones. Many of the fillings used cream cheese which it seems a lot of the group considered normal, I think most of them were American but over here I've never come across one with cream cheese, custard yes but not cheese.

I must admit here I didn't use a full half batch to do a plait mostly because it would be too big for any of my trays also I froze half of it and the first time round I did a rhubarb and strawberry filling. I expected my four year old to turn his nose up at that so used 2/3 for that and 1/3 with and apple and sultana filling. However when he saw them he insisted on having the rhubarb one and had two pieces which just goes to show four year old change what they like with the wind. The second batch made from the frozen dough is proving as we speak and I have made half into a cream cheese and strawberry plait and some chocolate roll things. (Edit - Now cooked and wonderful but I dropped my camera in a canal this morning!! Lucky it's case floats, unluckily enough water got in it is not working right.. currently hoping it will sort itself once it is fully dry)

You can find the original recipe on our hosts blogs Kelly and Ben should you wish a gluten version. For my version I finally got round to moving out of my comfort zone using Dove Farm premixed flour and based on all I've read on other blogs I swapped the flours out for a mix of Quinoa, rice and tapioca flours with xanth and pectin. I could noticably taste the Quinoa in the raw dough but the final result tasted great and normal if you understand that.. I also found the dough was extremely well behaved while rolling out better than any other gluten free dough I've made and in fact from what some others have said better than the gluten version behaved for some of the Daring Bakers so I am quite chuffed about that.

So it all went really well right? Well nearly I did find out one thing though do not get distracted by a phone call to a good friend and let them prove for well over the two hours. My dough got so frothy it sort of slid off the filling and the layers merged. However it tasted and smelt SOO good.

so on to the recipe.


DANISH DOUGH

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups flour ( 1.25 cups quinoa flour, 1cup mixed brown&white rice flour, 1 cup tapioca starch)
1 tsp xanth gum
1 tsp pectin
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup quinoa flour

DOUGH
Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour and gums, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky,( be careful though mine was still somewhat sticky but firmed up wonderfully in the fridge so err on the side of too sticky to start with). Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour, gums and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK
1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.
2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight (this is probably not needed as it is mainly to develop the gluten but I did as I'd run out of time and resumed cooking in the morning). The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

DANISH BRAID
Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

Weekly Menu 23rd to 27th June

This week's menu swap is hosted by Gluten Free Sox Fan and she has chosen oregano as the ingredient. Good choice and something I use a lot dried. I also have a golden version in the garden which grow very well at this time of year so gets cut regularly and used.

Sunday we had a wonderful meal. Pan fried trout fillets with a cream, spring onion and tomato sauce served with new potatoes, griddled asparagus and baby corn with battered scallops on the side. It was quick to cook too, which was good as I had a new episode of Dr Who to catch !!

I also did the current Daring Bakers challenge this weekend but you will all have to wait and find out about that later when we get to the reveal date.. however I can say I will be doing it again possibly even before then!.

Menu for the rest of the week. I think my iron levels may be low again but forgot to ask about getting it checked when I saw the nurse today so will have to go back but I am certainly too washed out even taking into account a young baby and the sleep disturbance that comes with that so I'm going to try and eat lots of dark green vegs, red meat and fruit this week. On a positive note I have started Karate lessons which should help my general fitness.

Monday - Beef steak, baked potatoes and spinach

Tuesday - Chicken Tacos with salad, salsa and sour cream

Wednesday - Omelets with deep fried califlower and broccoli

Thursday - Lamb ribs with mint dressing, new potatoes and vegs

Friday - Potato and chickpea curry

Baking - loaf of bread and hopefully some biscuits or similar snack stuff.

Weekly Menu 9th June to 13th June

This weeks ingredient is eggs another real staple here both for savoury dishes and in baking particularly if I make that Opera Cake again ! One of our staple quick lunches is poached eggs on toast or muffins if we have them, in fact I may well be tempted to do Eggs Benedict for breakfast this coming weekend as we haven't had it in ages.

One of our close friends is however allergic to them thought she can eat baked products such as cakes that have them for some reasons. She is the same one who can't eat tomatoes and she had her baby four weeks early by emergency c-section on Friday at the same time as her father in law's funeral!!. She should be out of hospital soon though the little one is still being monitored so i am hoping to get some baking done to take over when she gets out. Oh and the builders start replacing her kitchen on Wednesday, they had hoped to get it done before the little one was born!!

The Gluten Free Menu swap is being hosted by Asparagus Thin this week and she is doing a very nice sounding menu including a French day with Apple, Artichoke and lentil salad and Chestnut-Onion Tart with roasted root veggies. I was just thinking I fancy a Pue Lentil salad so that probably influences my view :)

Monday - Fish fingers, chips, sweetcorn and peas by special request of the Small.

Tuesday - Spinach and ricotta (or cream cheese) lasarna

Wednesday - Gammon, fried or poached eggs, new potatoes, pineapple and something green

Thursday - Tomato and eggs (a real staple dish one which we have regularly and I have written up properly below)

Friday - Salad platter with boiled eggs, cheese, carrot, cucumber, tomatoes, and any other raw vegs that look nice.

Tomato and Eggs
(I think this is originally from a weight watchers book but we have made it in my family for years as a real simple, filling meal)

serves 3

2 tins of chopped tomatoes
large onion
pepper (optional)
salt and pepper
6 eggs
some cheese

Need to cook in a deep sided frying pan preferably with a lid.

Finely chop the onion and peppers if using, fry off to soften then add tomatoes then cook gently till very thick. Once the sauce is thick break the eggs on top round the edges of the pan so they are evenly spaced. Put the lid on and cook till eggs solidify, then grate over cheese and cook just long enough to melt cheese. Serve 2 eggs per person.

This recipe is easy to extend to 4 or even 5 people by adding more eggs or serve one egg per person but serve with extra veg,

Weekly Menu 2nd - 6th June

Not sure exactly what we are doing this week as things are a bit all over the place. Among other things my mum has been taken into hospital she has what they are pretty sure is a bleed on her elbow and her blood had gone extremely thin.. she is on blood thinners for a medical condition but her blood suddenly got a lot thinner than it should be as yet they don't seem to know why though one doctor suggested it was because she had eaten less broccoli than she is used to ! Because of that a very brief menu this week and I'm afraid nothing much about the ingredient of the week which is cabbage.

Anyway on to the provisional menu

Monday - braised Stake and onions with rice

Tuesday - (should be visiting mum so eating on the run)

Wensday - humus with mince.. trying to recreate a dish from our local Arabic restaurant which wonderful.

Thursday - fish fingers (GF for me) beans, carrots and potatoes

Friday - Tomato and eggs

Light Opera Cake

It's that time again, reveal day for The Daring Bakers. For the second month in a row we have a recipe that was easy to convert to Gluten Free as it uses little flour. However the recipe goes on forever so at first reading is very daunting. In fact because each element can be made in advance it is really very do-able for a special occasion and I'd recommend anyone trying it however skilled they consider themselves.

Opera Cake is normally almond cake with chocolate and coffee favours but in honour of spring we were challenged to make a light flavoured version. The Daring Bakers were well up for this challenge and you can see many wonderful flavour combinations if you check out the blogroll. The other reason for the light colours is that the challenge this month is dedicated to Barbara of winosandfoodies.com. She hosts A Taste of Yellow, which is an event that unites food bloggers everywhere in the fight against cancer, while I didn't participate in it this year I do support the idea. My dad and both grans died of cancer so it is something that has strongly effected my family.

Opera cake is a cake of many parts but each part on it's own is actually quite easy. It is very much a presentation cake and I thought getting the layers nice and flat and professional looking would be hard but apart from the baby waking as I was trying to glaze the cake it turned out to be easier than I expected. One tip I picked up is have the cake cold and heat the knife, this really does help to have a smooth cut rather than the moose squishing downwards. Also it is a cake to take your time over putting together the various chilling stages do make a difference from what other bakers have said.. this is one of the great things about Daring Bakers with so many people making the same thing pretty much everything happens to someone !

We now have a shiny new forum, part of which is open to none members but do considering coming and joining us. It is only one recipe a month and I have certainly learnt a lot about techniques etc I'd never have thought to try. You do have to do the recipe as given unless the hosts give other options but us Alternative Bakers can always adjust for our specific diets and we even have our own section of the forum to discuss how to adapt recipes..

On to the Cake. (the recipe as given to us can be found here)

It comes in several parts
Joconde - Almond based cake using whisked egg whites to give volume (I did a hazel nut one instead)
Syrup - to wet the cake with (flavoured with Frangelico a hazelnut liqueur)
Buttercream - I used a different buttercream than the suggested one which was allowed, mine was by Tish Boyle and Timothy Moriarty and found here. This is a honey buttercream.
Mousse - White chocolate which I flavoured with crushed raspberries
Glaze - White chocolate

I made the various parts over a couple of days to fit in with the baby. I am so glad I now have my mixer it made things much easier and I think I would view the cake very differently if I was still whipping egg whites by hand and so forth.

The joconde came out well however I will adjust the cooking temp next time as it coloured too fast before the base was fully cooked in the middle so one of them ended up going back in upside down for a min or two as the middle still had an uncooked egg feel to them. Because my swiss roll tins were smaller than specified I also did a few spoonfuls in bun cases which didn't rise much but were nice little bites particularly when topped with spare mousse.


The syrup was just a matter of boiling everything up together.

The buttercream went together quite easily. Not sure I liked it enough to use it in quantity but as a thin layer in the cake it worked well and I liked the fact there was only honey and no sugar in it.

Similarly the mousse was easy, melt white choc with some cream then once cool mix with raspberries and whipped cream. This was so good I have it on my list of possible puddings just as is or with some shortbread biscuits. In this combination the white chocolate worked very well. The picture is one of the cupcakes topped with mousse.

The chocolate didn't work so well as a glaze for me. I felt it was the weakest part of the cake , too solid and cloy to go with everything else. I think with the more robust flavours of the traditional version it would work but with these sort of flavours I'd go with a fruit glaze next time.

The assembly went well, as I mentioned before chilling between stages is important to firm thing up.

Next time and I am sure there will be a next time I am tempted to stay with the hazelnut cake but team it with chocolate to make a Nutella Opera Cake!
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Light Opera Cake

For the joconde

(Note: The joconde can be made up to 1 day in advance and kept wrapped at room temperate)

What you’ll need:

•2 12½ x 15½-inch (31 x 39-cm) swiss-roll (jelly-roll) pans (Note: Mine were smaller so I just put some of the mix in bun cases)
•a few tablespoons of melted butter (in addition to what’s called for in the ingredients’ list) and a brush (to grease the pans)
•parchment paper
•a whisk and a paddle attachment for a stand mixer or for a handheld mixer
•two mixing bowls (you can make do with one but it’s preferable to have two)

Ingredients:

6 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tbsp. (30 grams) granulated sugar
2 cups (225 grams) ground hazelnuts(Note: Ground in food processor with a little gluten fre flour to stop it getting to oily)
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
6 large eggs
½ cup (70 grams) all-purpose GF flour mix
3 tbsp. (1½ ounces; 45 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1.Divide the oven into thirds by positioning a rack in the upper third of the oven and the lower third of the oven.

2.Preheat the oven to 425◦F. (220◦C). (I will lower this next time but I have a very efficient fan oven)

3.Line swiss-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter.

4.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the meringue into another bowl and set aside.

5.If you only have one bowl, wash it after removing the egg whites or if you have a second bowl, use that one. Attach the paddle attachment to the stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer again) and beat the hazelnut, icing sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes.

6.Add the flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just combined (be very careful not to overmix here!!!).

7.Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the hazelnut mixture and then fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.

8.Bake the cake layers until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. This could take anywhere from 5 to 9 minutes depending on your oven. Place one swiss-roll pan in the middle of the oven and the second swiss-roll pan in the bottom third of the oven.

9.Put the pans on a heatproof counter and run a sharp knife along the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the pans over, and unmold.

10.Carefully peel away the parchment, then turn the parchment over and use it to cover the cakes. Let the cakes cool to room temperature.

For the syrup

(Note: The syrup can be made up to 1 week in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.)

What you’ll need:

•a small saucepan

Ingredients:

½ cup (125 grams) water
⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
1 to 2 tbsp. of the flavouring of your choice (i.e., vanilla extract, almond extract, cognac, limoncello, coconut cream, honey etc.)

1.Stir all the syrup ingredients together in the saucepan and bring to a boil.

2.Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

For the buttercream

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup honey

1. Place the butter into a medium bowl and cream, using a handheld electric mixer, until completely softened and smooth, set aside.
2. In a 4 1/2-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with wire whisk attachment, beat the yolks on medium speed until pale yellow in color.
3. Spray a heatproof glass measure or ramekin with nonstick cooking spray. Place the honey in a small saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring the honey to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Immediately pour the honey into the empty glass measure or ramekin to stop the cooking. Pour half of the honey onto the yolks, turn the mixer to high, beat for 1 minute. Turn off the mixer, add the remaining honey and beat until the bowl feels cool, for about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl well with a rubber spatula. Add the softened butter and beat until completely smooth. Scrape into a small bowl, cover, and reserve.

For the white chocolate and raspberry mousse

(Note: The mousse can be made ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to use it.)

What you’ll need:

•a small saucepan
•a mixer or handheld mixer

Ingredients:

7 ounces white chocolate
1 cup plus 3 tbsp. heavy cream (35% cream)
small punnet of raspberries

1.Melt the white chocolate and the 3 tbsp. of heavy cream in a small saucepan.
2.Stir to ensure that it’s smooth and that the chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool completely.
3.In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form.
4. Crush raspberries well.
5.Gently fold the whipped cream and raspberries into the cooled chocolate to form a mousse.
6.If it’s too thin, refrigerate it for a bit until it’s spreadable.
7.If you’re not going to use it right away, refrigerate until you’re ready to use.

For the glaze
(Note: It’s best to make the glaze right when you’re ready to finish the cake.)

What you’ll need:

•a small saucepan or double boiler

Ingredients:

14 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup heavy cream (35% cream)

1.Melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream. Whisk the mixture gently until smooth.
2.Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour over the chilled cake. Using a long metal cake spatula, smooth out into an even layer.
3.Place the cake into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.

Assembling the Opéra Cake

(Note: The finished cake should be served slightly chilled. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day).

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

Working with one sheet of cake at a time, cut and trim each sheet so that you have two pieces (from each cake so you’ll have four pieces in total): one 10-inch (25-cm) square and one 10 x 5-inch (25 x 12½-cm) rectangle.

Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.

Spread about three-quarters of the buttercream over this layer.

Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.

Spread the remaining buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).

Prepare the mousse (if you haven’t already) and then spread it on the top of the last layer of the joconde. Refrigerate for at least two to three hours to give the mousse the opportunity to firm up.

Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze.

Serve the cake slightly chilled. This recipe will yield approximately 20 servings.

Gluten Free Menu Swap

"Knowledge is knowing the tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad"

Well this is my first time hosting this very useful and interesting weekly event that Natalie over at Gluten Free Mommy started. I do hope I do it justice and if you want to add your menu to the list this week please email me on the address you can find in my profile or leave a message in the comments.

Every week the host chooses a ingredient to highlight and I was very surprised to find tomato has not yet been picked. We use tomatoes day in, day out be that from a tin, fresh or in the few premade things we buy such as tomato ketchup. I try to use mostly local, seasonal produce but we do buy tomatoes whatever the season, not just tinned ones but fresh to even if they have to be imported.

The tomato is part of the nightshade family which has many other vegetables in it including potatoes, peppers and aubergine (eggplant), most members of this family are poisonous in one way or another so it pays to be careful with them, for instance the fruit of the potato looks very like a small tomato but it would be very unwise to eat it. That said tomatoes are good for you both in terms of the vitamins etc they hold and the fact they add much needed colour particularly in winter. While it may be different in other places here in the UK in the winter if you eat seasonally most meals take on a very beige and green colour pallet so anything that adds to that is welcome. They are claimed to be one of the best sources of lycopene, which has cancer-fighting properties, apparently this is best absorbed in a lightly cooked form rather than raw. If eating raw combining with a little oil such as olive oil helps.

This year we are growing our own tomatoes, currently they are sitting in the house waiting for us to put up the greenhouse at the allotment. I have got four plants from Ryton the home of Garden Organic.. between those I have cherry or as we call them sweetie tomatoes, more normal sizes and I think three different colours including a striped green one. I have been a member of Garden Organic for years and they run a heritage seed library to conserve old types of vegetables, these four tomato plants were grown from seed in that collection. Next year I might even fill in my form in time to get my free seeds ! They give seeds away free because in the European Union we can't sell vegetable seeds unless they are registered which costs a noticeable amount of money so only the big sellers are financially viable, it really is a bit crazy.

Anyway on to the weekly menu.
This week we start with a bank Holiday on Monday and the Small is home from school all week as it is half term. My mum is visiting for a couple of days and she is allergic to maize so I have to remember not to make anything with the Dove farm flour. Then later in the week Small is off to stay on a different set of grandparents canal boat for a day or two.

Monday - Potato and cauliflower soup which we failed to have last week with cheese and sundried tomato scones.

Tuesday - (Out in the morning to do a nature trail thing with Small. )
Salad platter based on one in a book by Raymond Blanc which I have mislaid. Various chopped vegs, boiled eggs, cheese etc. Possibly a tomato salad as I learnt to make it in France using oil, vinegar and black pepper.

Wednesday - (probably on my own most of the day with both kids so something easy, Also our boiler is broken and the man should be round with the new parts that day.) - Pasta with tomato sauce and cheese.

Thursday - Small off to the boat - Thai style chicken curry and rice .. probably no tomatoes in this one !

Friday - Either pizza or tomatoes and eggs.

Baking
I'd like to make tomato and cheese bread again
If I am feeling really adventurous and have the time I will try Tomato tart, The reason it's adventurous is I'd have to make puff pastry from scratch something I've been wanting to do for ages but don't hold your breath it's more of a wish than likely to happen. If it does I will swap it for one of the days meals.

Sea over at Book of Yum is busy redesigning her site so says her menu is mainly things she didn't get round to last week but even so it still sounds yummy.

M-Elle at Cooking and UNcooking is much more organised than me and has ALL her meals for each day planned which sound great. As a Brit the idea of apple sauce for breakfast is unusual what we know as apple sauce is normally eaten with roast pork.

Amanda from Asparagus Thin joins us again with a wonderful selection of dishes from various countries.

Cheryl at gluten free goodness is also growing her own tomatoes and has some great sounding dishes, I may have to try a tomato and caramelized onion soup too if our weather stays as wet as it is today and I shall be looking out for her Spiced black rice pudding recipe.

A little late due to travelling is Ginger from Fresh Ginger. She has thirty tomato plants growing makes my four sound very minor. She is planning some great dishes with a variety of cultures represented.