Heroes Rush in When Fools Crumble

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is dedicated to two memorable days for totally different reasons; April Fool’s Day, and National Armed Forces Day in Burma. So this week’s recipes are fit for heroes and fools alike. They are Cardamom Plum Fool, Beef Wellington, Mushroom Wellington, Beef & Red Wine Stew, Wake Up Callcocktail and the herb of the week is Lemon Verbena.

April Fool’s Day is celebrated in the Western world on the 1st of April of every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, 1st April is not a legal holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day which tolerates practical jokes and general foolishness. The day is marked by the commission of good humoured or funny jokes, hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, family members, teachers, neighbours, work associates, etc.

Traditionally, in some countries such as New Zealand, the UK, Australia, and South Africa, the jokes only last until noon, and someone who plays a trick after noon is called an "April Fool". It is for this reason that newspapers in the U.K. that run a front page April fool only do so on the first (morning) edition. Elsewhere, such as in France, Ireland, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Russia, The Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, Canada, and the U.S., the jokes last all day. The earliest recorded association between 1st April and foolishness can be found in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (1392). Many writers suggest that the restoration of the 1st of January as New Year's Day in the 16th century was responsible for the creation of the holiday, but this theory does not explain earlier references.

In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (1392), the "Nun's Priest's Tale" is set Syn March bigan thritty dayes and two. Chaucer probably meant 32 days after March, i.e. 2nd of May, the anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia, which took place in 1381. However, readers apparently misunderstood this line to mean "32nd of March," i.e. 1st April. In Chaucer's tale, the vain cock Chauntecleer is tricked by a fox.
In 1509, a French poet referred to a poisson d’avril (April fool, literally "April fish"), a possible reference to the holiday. In 1539, Flemish poet Eduard de Dene wrote of a nobleman who sent his servants on foolish errands on the 1st of April. In 1686, John Aubrey referred to the holiday as "Fooles holy day", the first British reference. On 1st April, 1698, several people were tricked into going to the Tower of London to "see the Lions washed". The name "April Fools" echoes that of the Feast of Fools, a Medieval holiday held on the 28th December.

In the Middle Ages, New Year's Day was celebrated on the 25th of March in most European towns. In some areas of France, New Year's was a week-long holiday ending on the 1st of April. So it is possible that April Fools originated because those who celebrated on the 1st of January made fun of those who celebrated on other dates. The use of the 1st of January as New Year's Day was common in France by the mid-sixteenth century, and this date was adopted officially in 1564 by the Edict of Roussillon.

In the eighteenth century the festival was often posited as going back to the time of Noah. According to an English newspaper article published in 1789, the day had its origin when Noah sent his dove off too early, before the waters had receded; he did this on the first day of the Hebrew month that corresponds with April.

The Burmese Armed Forces Day, in Myanmar Tatmadaw Nay, is celebrated on March 27 in commemoration of the start of Burmese army's resistance to Japanese occupation in 1945. However, countries all over the world have different days when they celebrate their own Armed Forces Day, here in the UK we celebrate our day on 25th June.
The day is an annual opportunity for those nations to show their support for the men and women who make up their Armed Forces community ranging from currently serving troops to service families, and from veterans to cadets. Across the world people get involved in community held events along with businesses to show their support.

My first recipe is Cardamom Plum Fool courtesy of Good Food Channel Website

Serves 6, Prep time is 15 mins, Cook time is 25 mins.

1kg x Plums, stoned and chopped 
125g x Caster Sugar
3 x Cardamom Pods, husks discarded and seeds crushed 
Juice of 2 Lemons
150g x Ready-Made Custard
500g x Greek Yoghurt
Mint leaves, to garnish 
Amaretti Biscuits

Simmer the plums with the sugar, cardamom and lemon juice for about 15 minutes. Leave to cool. Drain the plums (reserving the syrup) then puree the plums until smooth. Re-heat the syrup and reduce by half. Stir the reduced syrup into the plum puree. Mix the puree with the custard and yoghurt, folding together well. Spoon into dessert bowls, cover and chill until required. Garnish with mint leaves. Serve with amaretti biscuits.

My next recipe is Beef Wellington Recipe by Gordon Ramsey, courtesy of BBC Good Food Website

Serves 4, 10mins to prepare, takes 1hr and 30mins plus chilling time to cook.

500g x Button Mushrooms , stalks removed and finely chopped
Olive Oil
1 x Sprig Thyme, leaves stripped off
600g x Beef Fillet, choose a centre cut piece
1 tbsp x English Mustard
500g x Pre-made All-Butter Puff Pastry
3 x Parma Ham Slices
1 x Egg Yolk, beaten

HERB CRÊPES
50g x Plain Flour
½ x egg
125ml x Milk
1 tbsp x Mixed Herbs, such as chervil, chives and tarragon, chopped
½ tbsp x Melted Butter

To make the crêpes, whizz the flour, egg and milk with a pinch of salt in a blender or processor until smooth. Pour into a jug and stir in the herbs and some seasoning. Leave to rest.

Fry the mushrooms in a little oil until they give up all their moisture and it has evaporated, leaving you with a thick paste. Add the thyme leaves and some seasoning and keep cooking for a few minutes. Cool.

Stir the melted butter into the crêpe batter, heat a 15cm crêpe pan and oil it lightly. Pour in enough batter to make a thin layer on the base of the pan, cook until the top surface sets and then turn over and cook briefly. Remove and repeat with the rest of the batter. This will make a couple more than you need so choose the thinnest ones for the recipe.

Sear the beef all over in a little oil in a very hot pan. Brush with the mustard, season and allow to cool. Lay a large sheet of clingfilm on a kitchen surface and put two crêpes down on it, overlapping a little. Lay over the Parma ham. Spread the mushroom mixture over the ham and put the beef in the centre. Roll the clingfilm up, taking the crêpe with it, to wrap the beef completely into a nice neat log. Chill for 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 4. Roll out the pastry, remove the clingfilm and wrap the beef in the pastry like a parcel, with the ends tucked under. Trim to keep it nice and neat. Brush with egg, score with shallow lines across the top and chill for 20 minutes. Cook for 20 minutes. The best way to test if the meat is done to your liking is to neatly and carefully stick a skewer into the beef, count to three and then test it against your inner wrist. If it is cold the beef will be raw, if it is warm then the beef will be rare and if it's hot, it'll be cooked through. Leave to rest for 20 minutes before carving.

An Alternative to this carnivore’s delight, try this recipe for any vegetarian diners:-

Mushroom Wellington, recipe by Barney Desmazery, courtesy of BBC Good Food website.

Serves 4, prep time 30mins, takes 50mins to cook.

4 x Large Field Mushrooms
4 tbsp x Olive Oil
1 x Garlic Clove , chopped
Approx. 400g x Spinach Leaves
A dusting of flour
1 tbsp x Thyme Leaves (no stalkes)
500g x Read-made All-Butter Puff Pastry
140g x Stilton, sliced
1 x Egg, beaten

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Remove the stalks from the mushrooms. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and sizzle the mushrooms for 3-4 mins on each side until golden and cooked through - add a drop more oil if needed. Lift the mushrooms out onto kitchen paper to drain. Place the same pan back on the heat with the rest of the oil. Fry the garlic for a moment, add the spinach to the pan, then cook for 2-3 mins over a high heat until completely wilted. Season with salt and pepper, then tip the spinach into a large sieve to drain thoroughly.
On a lightly floured surface scattered with the thyme leaves, roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Using a saucer and a larger-size plate, cut out 4 circles about 5cm wider than the mushrooms (for the bottoms) and 4 circles about 10cm wider (for the tops), re-rolling the trimmings if you need to. Place the 4 smaller circles on a baking tray and top each with a quarter of the spinach, making sure the pile of spinach isn't wider than the mushrooms. Top the spinach with a slice of cheese, then a mushroom, smooth-side up, and top the mushroom with another slice of cheese. Brush the border to each circle with egg, then gently stretch the larger circle over the mushroom, trying not to trap any air, then press the edges together with a fork. Trim the edges with a knife if you want, then brush each generously with egg. Bake for 40 mins until golden, then leave to cool for a few mins before serving.

Herb of the week – Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citrodora) 
Lemon Verbena is a deciduous perennial shrub, which is killed to the ground with hard frost, though it springs anew from the roots where the ground has not frozen; in mild, frost-free gardens, such as in the west of Ireland, it may attain heights of 25 feet (7.6 meters). It grows to a height of 3 to 7 metres and exudes a powerful lemony scent. It prefers full sun, a lot of water, and a light loam soil. It is sensitive to cold, losing leaves at temperatures below 0°C although the wood is hardy to -10°C. Lemon Verbena, if covered with some straw, cut down and kept free from very moist conditions, will also withstand up to a -15°C frost and will make new leaves in spring. The light green leaves are lancet-shaped, and its tiny flowers bloom lavender or white in late summer.

Lemon verbena leaves are used to add a lemony flavour to fish and poultry dishes, vegetable marinades, salad dressings, jams, puddings, and beverages. It also is used to make herbal teas and can be used to make a sorbet. In addition, it has anti-Candida albicans activity. In European Union, Verbena essential oils (Lippia citriodora Kunth.) and derivatives other than absolute are prohibited when used as a fragrance ingredient (Commission Directive 2009/164/EU of 22 December 2009).

Very little scientific research examines the lemon verbena herb as a medicinal plant, though it has a long history of use in folk medicine for treating a variety of ailments. One of its most popular uses is masking the flavour of bitter or less-palatable herbs in medicinal teas. Lemon verbena tea, however, has its own claim to fame. Herbalists and natural healers often prescribe the lemony beverage for treating digestive upsets, nerves, depression, headache and fever. In addition, it is one of the most effective natural remedies for colic and indigestion. The tea may also benefit sufferers of colds, bronchitis, congestion, cramps, sore or tired muscles, and nausea.

The intense citrus taste and aroma of lemon verbena contribute to its popularity as a culinary herb. The plant’s fresh and dried leaves are commonly used to flavour rice dishes, teas and beverages, fruit salads, custards, steamed puddings, cold soups, gelatine, jams and jellies, cakes, liqueurs and homemade ice cream. Lemon verbena is sometimes used in place of mint or lemon balm, though it takes only half the recommended amount because of the herb’s strength. Lemon verbena tea makes a refreshing drink after eating a heavy dinner.

My next recipe is Beef & Red Wine Stew, this is my variation on a recipe which first appeared in Slimming World Magazine.

Serves 4, takes 20mins to prepare & approx. 2.1/2hrs to cook.

900g x Irish Beef Fillet – chopped into chunks
2 x Garlic Cloves – peeled and crushed
6 x Small Sweet Shallots – peeled and halved
2 x Celery Stalks – chopped into 1” pieces
6 x Carrots – peeled and chopped roughly
400ml x Beef Stock 
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
175ml x Red Wine
Fry Light 
5 tbsp x Beef Gravy Granules
2 x Bay Leaf
2 tbsp x Flour
2 tsp x Paprika

First of all, season your flour with a salt, black pepper and 1 tsp of paprika, then coat your beef chunks with it ensuring that all the beef is covered. Preheat your oven to gas mark 3. Spray a large frying pan with fry light and place over a medium heat. Add the beef and stir fry until browned on all sides. Next add the vegetables, wine, stock, paprika and gravy granules. Season well and add the bay leaves. Bring to the boil, transfer to a lidded casserole dish and cover. Cook in the oven for 1.1/2-2hrs or until the beef is tender. Serve with potatoes.

My final recipe is a cocktail especially for the start of British Summer Time (BST) Which starts on 27th March this year.Wake Up Call. Recipe by Andy Pearson, courtesy of BBC’s Something For The Weekend website.

35ml x Gin
1 tbsp x Orange Liqueur
25ml x Grapefruit Juice
1 x Pink Grapefruit, peel cut into a spiral

Pour the gin, orange liqueur and grapefuit juice into a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake hard to combine. Strain into a tall glass full of ice and garnish with a spiral of pink grapefruit peel

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!..... ChefGarfy =D

http://chefgarfy.blogspot.com/
http://chefgarfy.blog.co.uk/
www.chefgarfy.com
www.ukfba.co.uk/profile/chefgarfy

A St.Patrick's Day Menu to Make Irish Eyes Smile

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is dedicated to St. Patrick’s Day celebrated every year on 17th March. So this week’s recipes all have an Irish theme. They are Beef and Oyster Stew with Roast Garlic Crushed Potatoes, Ulster Fry and Steamed Fried Eggs, Baby Guinness Chocolate Pudding, Soda Farls and Black Velvet. The herb of the week is Catnip – Yes, you read correctly, Catnip… Intrigued? Read on.

Saint Patrick's Day (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig) is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It is named after Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of Ireland. It originated as a Catholic holiday and became an official feast day in the early 17th century. It has gradually become more of a secular celebration of Irish culture. It is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora, especially in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and Montserrat, among others.

Little is known of Patrick's early life, though it is known that he was born in Roman Britain in the 4th century, into a wealthy Romano-British family. His father and grandfather were deacons in the Church. At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. It is believed he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is unknown. According to his Confession, he was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest. In 432, he again said that he was called back to Ireland, though as a bishop, to Christianise the Irish from their native polytheism. Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. After nearly thirty years of evangelism, he died on 17 March 461, and according to tradition, was buried at Downpatrick. Although there were other more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the principal champion of Irish Christianity and is held in esteem in the Irish Church.

Saint Patrick's feast day, as a kind of national day, was already being celebrated by the Irish in Europe in the ninth and tenth centuries. In later times he became more and more widely known as the patron of Ireland. Saint Patrick's feast day was finally placed on the universal liturgical calendar in the Catholic Church due to the influence of Waterford-born Franciscan scholar Luke Wadding in the early 1600s. Saint Patrick's Day thus became a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics in Ireland. The church calendar avoids the observance of saints' feasts during certain solemnities, moving the saint's day to a time outside those periods. Saint Patrick's Day is occasionally affected by this requirement, when 17 March falls during Holy Week. This happened in 1940, when Saint Patrick's Day was observed on 3 April in order to avoid it coinciding with Palm Sunday, and again in 2008, where it was officially observed on 14 March (15 March being used for St. Joseph, which had to be moved from March 19), although the secular celebration still took place on 17 March. Saint Patrick's Day will not fall within Holy Week again until 2160. (In other countries, St. Patrick's feast day is also March 17, but liturgical celebration is omitted when impeded by Sunday or by Holy Week.)

In 1903, Saint Patrick's Day became an official public holiday in Ireland. This was thanks to the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act 1903, an act of the United Kingdom Parliament introduced by Irish MP James O'Mara. O'Mara later introduced the law that required that pubs and bars be closed on 17 March after drinking got out of hand, a provision that was repealed in the 1970s. The first Saint Patrick's Day parade held in the Irish Free State was held in Dublin in 1931 and was reviewed by the then Minister of Defence Desmond Fitzgerald. Although secular celebrations now exist, the holiday remains a religious observance in Ireland, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland.
In the mid-1990s the Irish government began a campaign to use Saint Patrick's Day to showcase Ireland and its culture. The government set up a group called St. Patrick's Festival, with the aim to:
— Offer a national festival that ranks amongst all of the greatest celebrations in the world and promote excitement throughout Ireland via innovation, creativity, grassroots involvement, and marketing activity.
— Provide the opportunity and motivation for people of Irish descent, (and those who sometimes wish they were Irish) to attend and join in the imaginative and expressive celebrations.
— Project, internationally, an accurate image of Ireland as a creative, professional and sophisticated country with wide appeal, as we approach the new millennium.
The first Saint Patrick's Festival was held on 17 March 1996. In 1997, it became a three-day event, and by 2000 it was a four-day event. By 2006, the festival was five days long; more than 675,000 people attended the 2009 parade. Overall 2009's five day festival saw close to 1 million visitors, who took part in festivities that included concerts, outdoor theatre performances, and fireworks.

The topic of the 2004 St. Patrick's Symposium was "Talking Irish," during which the nature of Irish identity, economic success, and the future were discussed. Since 1996, there has been a greater emphasis on celebrating and projecting a fluid and inclusive notion of "Irishness" rather than an identity based around traditional religious or ethnic allegiance. The week around Saint Patrick's Day usually involves Irish language speakers using more Irish during seachtain na Gaeilge ("Irish Week").

As well as Dublin, many other cities, towns, and villages in Ireland hold their own parades and festivals, including Cork, Belfast, Derry, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick, and Waterford. The biggest celebrations outside Dublin are in Downpatrick, County Down, where Saint Patrick is rumoured to be buried. In 2004, according to Down District Council, the week-long St. Patrick's Festival had more than 2,000 participants and 82 floats, bands, and performers and was watched by more than 30,000 people. The shortest St Patrick's Day parade in the world takes place in Dripsey, Cork. The parade lasts just 100 yards and travels between the village's two pubs. Christian leaders in Ireland have expressed concern about the secularisation of St Patrick's Day. In The Word magazine's March 2007 issue, Fr. Vincent Twomey wrote, "It is time to reclaim St Patrick's Day as a church festival." He questioned the need for "mindless alcohol-fuelled revelry" and concluded that "it is time to bring the piety and the fun together."

My first recipe is Beef and Oyster Stew with Roast Garlic Crushed Potatoes, recipe by Rachel Allen, courtesy of GoodFood Channel website.

Serves 4, takes 20mins to prepare & takes 2 hrs 30 min to cook

For the Stew
2 tbsp x Plain Flour
700g x Lean Stewing Beef, chopped into 1” cubes
2 tbsp x Sunflower Oil
1-2 x Onion, finely chopped
225g x Mushrooms, chopped
425ml x Irish Stout
1 tbsp x Worcestershire Sauce
12 x Oysters, shelled, juices strained and reserved

For the Roast Garlic Crushed Potatoes
1 x Large Head of Garlic, left whole
2 tbsp x Olive Oil
1 kg x Small Floury Potatoes, such as desiree, skin on
1 tbsp x Butter
1 x Rosemary Sprig

For the cabbage and kale
1 tbsp x Butter
450g x Savoy Cabbage and Kale, roughly chopped

For the stew
Season the flour with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the beef in the flour. Heat the sunflower oil in a large, heavy-based pan and sear the beef, in small batches, for 2-3 minutes at a time, or until browned all over. Remove the beef from the pan. Fry the onions and mushrooms in the same pan, for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Return the beef to the pan, then pour over the stout, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and reserved oyster juices and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Mix well, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes over a low heat, or until the beef is tender. Remove from the hob and add the oysters to the pan and cover (the residual heat will cook the oysters through gradually, or you may prefer to simmer the oysters over a low heat for 2-3 minutes). Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 6.

For the roast garlic potatoes
Place the whole head of garlic in a small oven-proof dish, drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and add the sprig of rosemary. Cover with aluminium foil and roast for about 45 minutes, or until the garlic has completely softened. Set aside to cool, then gently separate the cloves and squeeze the softened garlic out into a bowl with your fingers. Discard the skins.
Place the potatoes into a large pan of cold water with a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then cook for about 10 minutes. Drain off two-thirds of the water, then return the pan to a medium-low heat and cook for a further 8-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the pan. Add the roasted garlic to the potatoes and, using the back of a fork, lightly mash the potatoes and garlic together. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the cabbage and kale
Heat the butter in a pan until foaming, then add the vegetables along with a splash of water. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon the stew into shallow bowls with the crushed potatoes and buttered cabbage and kale served alongside.

My next recipe is Ulster Fry and Steamed Fried Eggs, recipe by Paul Rankin, courtesy of GoodFood Channel website.
Serves 4, takes 20mins to prepare, & takes 25mins to cook

For the potato bread
750g x Cooked Floury Potatoes, still hot
60g x Plain Flour
A Few Pinches of Salt
30-60g x Unsalted Butter, melted

For the Ulster fry
2 x Rashers of Streaky Bacon
2 tbsp x Vegetable Oil
4 x Rashers of Back Bacon
2-4 x Ripe Tomatoes, halved
2 x Irish Soda Farls, halved then quartered see recipe below
1 tsp x Unsalted Butter
4-8 x Eggs
2 tbsp x Water

For the potato bread
Mash the potatoes until very smooth. While still hot, sprinkle over the flour and salt. Mix well. Add the melted butter and knead briefly – not too much or it will become tough. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a circle about 1cm thick. Cut into quarters, and cook on a hot griddle until the underside is golden brown. This will take about 3 minutes. Turn over them over and cook out the other side for about 2 minutes. (These potato breads are best eaten fresh, but will keep quite well and can be reheated the next day.)

For the Ulster fry
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Fry the streaky bacon in a large frying pan with the oil. When almost cooked add the back bacon and the tomato halves, seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook until the streaky rashers are crisp, the back bacon cooked but not dried out, and the tomatoes just beginning to soften. Transfer them all to the warm oven, reserving the fat in the pan. Dip the soda bread and potato farls in the fat left in the frying pan to soak up a little fat, then drain away the excess and wipe the pan dry.
Dry-fry the pieces of bread gently in the frying pan until they are starting to crisp up. Remove and keep warm in the oven. To fry the eggs, heat the butter in a non-stick frying pan until it is sizzling. Crack the eggs carefully into the pan, add in the water and a little salt and cover the pan. Cook slowly for about 2 minutes, or until they are cooked to your taste. Serve on warm plates, dividing the bacon, fried bread, tomatoes and eggs between them.

Herb of the week – Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Catnip is a perennial herb found growing wild throughout North America and Europe where it is thought to have originated. It is easily cultivated in any garden soil. A member of the mint family, Catnip has square, erect and branched stems and grows 2 to 3 feet high. The leaves are heart-shaped, toothed, opposite and covered with fine downy hairs especially on the under sides giving the whole plant a greyish green appearance. The small tubular, two-lipped flowers grow in dense whorls atop each stem and are white to lavender with reddish to purple spots. Catnip blooms from June to September. The entire plant has a minty fragrance. Gather the above ground parts of Catnip just after blooms open.

Young leaves are edible raw. They have an aromatic mint-like flavour eaten in salads. As the name (cat-nip) suggests, cats love to nip at it, although watching them it might better be called (cat-roll) for they seem to roll, rub, and totally crush the plant into the ground. They discover that the more they crush it the more oil it releases. Plant constituents include Nepetalic acid, Alpha- & beta- Citral, Nepetalactone, Limonene, Geraniol, Dipentene, Citronella, Nerol, a terpene, Acetic acid, Butyric acid, Valeric acid and Tannin. The leaves and flowering tops are strongly antispasmodic, antitussive, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, slightly emmenagogue, refrigerant, sedative, slightly stimulant, stomachic and tonic. Catnip has a long history of use in alternative medicine, being employed especially in treating disorders of the digestive system and, as it stimulates sweating, it is useful in reducing fevers. The fresh juice is used as an emmenagogue (to promote menstruation). Mild catnip tea is used to relieve colic in babies, restlessness and nervousness, and is very useful as a mild calmative for children. Stronger tea relieves fevers due to colds and flu as well as calming the stomach and preventing nausea and diarrhoea. The fresh young shoots are good in spring salads and rubbed into meat for flavour. Applied externally or added to bath it is good for skin irritations. Catnip oil is great for aroma therapy. A strong infusion can be used to repel fleas from carpets or the fur of animals. An extract from the leaves (called Nepetalactone) has herbicidal and insect repellent properties.

It was once believed that smoking the leaves would produce a mild hallucinogenic effect. Although this use has since been dispelled, it may work in some individuals. It was also believed to deter the (evil-eye) from children given to fits, this because of its ability to calm an extremely agitated child and diminish nightmares.

My next recipe is Baby Guinness Chocolate Pudding, recipe by Clodagh McKenna, courtesy of GoodFood Channel website.
Serves 6, Prep time 20mins, plus 2 hrs chilling, takes 5mins to cook

260g x Dark Chocolate
2 tbsp x Guinness
4 x Eggs, separated
30g x Light Muscovado Sugar
1 tbsp x Vanilla Extract
200ml x Double Cream, whipped

Melt together the chocolate and Guinness in a bowl over set over a pan of simmering water. While they are melting, whisk the egg whites until they are stiff. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in the chocolate and Guinness mixture until smooth. Gently fold in the egg whites. Pour in to 6 clear small glasses and leave in the fridge to set for about 2 hours, or even better overnight. Just before serving, spoon a 'head' of whipped cream on top of the mousse.

My next recipe is Soda Farls, recipe by Caroline Workman, courtesy of GoodFood Channel website.
Makes 8 farls, takes 10mins to prepare, and takes 15mins to cook

450g x Plain Flour
1 1/2 tsp x Bicarbonate of Soda
3 tsp x Cream of Tartar
20ml x Vegetable Oil, or Nut Oil
284ml x Buttermilk, preferably organic

Sieve all the dry ingredients 3-4 times into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre, gradually add the buttermilk and oil and bring the dough together. The dough will be quite soft, but the more buttermilk you incorporate, the better the bread tastes. Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and give it a short, gentle kneading until you have a nice round shape. Divide the dough into 2 and knead both halves to form round balls. Roll these out fairly thickly to about 25cm in diameter and cut into quarters.
Preheat the griddle or pan. To check the temperature, dust with flour. Once it starts to colour, brush off and turn the heat down. Your griddle is now ready. Place the farls onto the griddle and once you have a good colour on one side (2-3 minutes) flip over and cook for 5-10 minutes. The farls will rise into puffy pillows. Test by pressing the middle, if they are still squidgy, flip over and continue cooking to bake out the centre of raw dough. Cool on racks covered with a damp tea towel to keep soft, or uncovered if you prefer a dryer crust.
To serve; farls are delicious with butter and homemade jams, or with savoury foods such as smoked salmon, bacon or fried eel - the hot fish melts the butter and the textures work very well together.
Chef’s Tip: The secret to this recipe, given to me by Robert Ditty, Northern Ireland's best known baker, is in the sifting of the dry ingredients - the more you sift, the more fluffy the texture. Not everyone uses oil or fat in their recipe. (Older bakers used shortening.) Mr Ditty finds that it brings together all the ingredients, improving the 'crumb' and preventing a closer, stodgier texture than you would achieve without it. These breads turn into completely different products when preservatives or additives are used to prolong their shelf life, which is why you must travel to Northern Ireland, or make your own to experience the real thing.

My last recipe is a cocktail-ish Black Velvet, from www.greatcocktails.co.uk
A Black Velvet is made using a stout beer more often than not Guinness and a sparkling white wine, often champagne. The origin of this cocktail comes from Brooks Club in London. In 1861, as people mourned the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's Prince Consort, this fine cocktail was served.

This serves 1

Guinness
Champagne

Half fill a champagne glass with Guinness and gently pour the champagne over the back of a spoon so the liquid runs down the sides, this avoids mixing the two liquids.
Another variation is a Poor Man’s Black Velvet, this is made by replacing the champagne with apple cider or perry. Add the cider or perry as the bottom layer and then add the Guinness as the top layer.

                                        Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig agus dea-shláinte

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!..... ChefGarfy =D

http://chefgarfy.blogspot.com/
http://chefgarfy.blog.co.uk/
www.chefgarfy.com
www.ukfba.co.uk/profile/chefgarfy

A Valentine's Menu to Warm Your Lovers heart, or to Get You Out of the Dog House

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is dedicated to the St. Valentine’s Day. 

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. The Valentines honoured on February 14 are Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni. Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. His relics are at the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome, and at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland. Valentine of Terni became bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) about AD 197 and is said to have been martyred during the persecution under Emperor Aurelian. He is also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than Valentine of Rome. His relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni (Basilica di San Valentino). The Catholic Encyclopaedia also speaks of a third saint named Valentine who was mentioned in early martyrologies under date of February 14. He was martyred in Africa with a number of companions, but nothing more is known about him. No romantic elements are present in the original early medieval biographies of either of these martyrs. By the time a Saint Valentine became linked to romance in the 14th century, distinctions between Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni were utterly lost. In the 1969 revision of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints, the feastday of Saint Valentine on February 14 was removed from the General Roman Calendar and relegated to particular (local or even national) calendars for the following reason: "Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14."

It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards. While sending cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts is traditional in the UK, Valentine's Day has various regional customs. In Norfolk, a character called 'Jack' Valentine knocks on the rear door of houses leaving sweets and presents for children. Although he was leaving treats, many children were scared of this mystical person. In Wales, many people celebrate Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St Dwynwen's Day) on January 25 instead of (or as well as) Valentine's Day. The day commemorates St Dwynwen, the patron saint of Welsh lovers. In France, a traditionally Catholic country, Valentine's Day is known simply as "Saint Valentin", and is celebrated in much the same way as other western countries. In Spain Valentine's Day is known as "San Valentín" and is celebrated the same way as in the UK, although in Catalonia it is largely superseded by similar festivities of rose and/or book giving on La Diada de Sant Jordi (Saint George's Day). In Portugal it is more commonly referred to as "Dia dos Namorados" (Lover's Day /Day of those that are in love with each other).

In Denmark and Norway, Valentine's Day (14 Feb) is known as Valentinsdag. It is not celebrated to a large extent, but is largely imported from American culture, and some people take time to eat a romantic dinner with their partner, to send a card to a secret love or give a red rose to their loved one. The flower industry in particular is still working on promoting the holiday. In Sweden it is called Alla hjärtans dag ("All Hearts' Day") and was launched in the 1960s by the flower industry's commercial interests, and due to the influence of American culture. It is not an official holiday, but its celebration is recognized and sales of cosmetics and flowers for this holiday are only exceeded by those for Mother's Day.

So this week, my recipes are a romantic menu for two, they are Crab & citrus salad with Chardonnay Dressing,Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken, Strawberry and Champagne Jellies, Good Morning to You My Love and Aphrodite's Love Potion. The herb of the week is Lovage.

My first recipe is Crab & citrus salad with Chardonnay Dressing, recipe by James Martin courtesy of GoodFood Magazine February 2010.

This recipe serves 2, takes 20mins to prepare no time to cook.

140g x White Crabmeat
1 x Orange, peeled, segmented and juices kept
1 tsp x Chives, chopped
1 tsp x Dill, chopped
2 tsp x Mayonnaise
1 x Grapefruit, peeled and segmented
A Good Handful of Mixed Baby Salad Leaves
A Few Slices of Soda Bread or Toasted Sourdough, to serve

FOR THE DRESSING
2 tbsp x Chardonnay vinegar (or use regular white wine vinegar)
1 tsp x Dijon mustard
1 tsp x Sugar
5 tbsp x Olive Oil

Make the dressing by whisking together the vinegar, mustard and sugar in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil to the mixture, whisking until it has all been incorporated, then set aside. Put the crab in a bowl with a little of the reserved orange juice and toss together before adding the herbs, mayonnaise and some seasoning, then gently mixing. Toss the orange and grapefruit segments with the salad leaves and pile a little onto 2 plates. Add a slice or 2 of bread and the crab mix, then drizzle the leaves with some salad dressing.

My next recipe is a cocktail for you to make, for you and your loved one for Valentine’s Day. Aphrodite's Love Potion, recipe courtesy of www.drinksmixer.com.

This recipe serves 1, takes mins to prepare.

150ml x Pineapple Juice
45ml x Brandy
A Dash or two of Angostura Bitters

Pour into a highball glass and stir. Garnish with a cherry and an orange slice.

Herb of the week – Lovage (Levisticum officinale) 
Lovage is an erect herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1.8–2.5 m tall, with a basal rosette of leaves and stems with further leaves, the flowers being produced in umbels at the top of the stems. The stems and leaves are shiny glabrous green to yellow-green. The larger basal leaves are up to 70 cm long, tripinnate, with broad triangular to rhomboidal, acutely pointed leaflets with a few marginal teeth; the stem leaves are smaller, and less divided with few leaflets. The flowers are yellow to greenish-yellow, 2–3 mm diameter, produced in globose umbels up to 10–15 cm diameter; flowering is in late spring. The fruit is a dry two-parted schizocarp 4–7 mm long, mature in autumn. The exact native range is disputed; some sources cite it as native to much of Europe and southwest Asia, others from only the eastern Mediterranean region in southeast Europe and southwest Asia, and yet others only to southwest Asia in Iran and Afghanistan, citing European populations as naturalised.

It has been long cultivated in Europe, the leaves being used as a herb, the roots as a vegetable, and the seeds as a spice, especially in southern European cuisine. The leaves can be used in salads, or to make soup, and the roots can be eaten as a vegetable or grated for use in salads. Lovage tea can be applied to wounds as an antiseptic, or drunk to stimulate digestion. The seeds can be used as a spice, similar to fennel seeds. In the UK, lovage cordial was traditionally mixed with brandy in the ratio of 2:1 as a winter drink. Lovage is second only to capers in its quercetin content. The roots, which contain a heavy, volatile oil, are used as a mild aquaretic. Lovage root contains furanocoumarins which can lead to photosensitivity.

Lovage has been used through history for many ailments, but today it is mostly prescribed for stomach problems, kidney problems, and headaches. Chewing on the dried root supposedly keeps one alert. It appears that Lovage does contain diuretic properties (mostly in the root), and has been observed to work well as an anti-flatulence agent and for colic in children. Make a Tea for any of the above problems, and see how it works. Externally, Lovage has been used in bath water to relieve skin irritations. Put a handful in a mesh bag under the tap when running the bath water. The fresh juice from the leaves and stems squeezed into the eye is also said to cure pinkeye.

My next recipe is Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken, recipe by Kate Belcher courtesy of Delicious Magazine website.

This recipe serves 2, takes 10mins to prepare and takes approx.20-25 mins to cook.

100g x Crumbly Goat’s Cheese
240g x Sun-Blush Tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped (reserve 1 tablespoon of the oil) 
A Few Fresh Thyme Sprigs, leaves picked
2 x Large Chicken Breasts with Skin on
125g x Spaghetti

Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan200°C/gas 7. In a bowl, mix together the cheese, half of the sun-blush tomatoes and half the thyme. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Cut a slit in the side of the chicken breasts to make a pocket. Stuff each generously with the cheese mixture, put into a small roasting tin and season. Drizzle over the reserved oil, scatter with more fresh thyme and dot around the remaining sun-blush tomatoes. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through and golden. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions. Drain and return to the pan. Lift the chicken and any spilt filling onto serving plates. Stir the roasted tomatoes and pan juices into the spaghetti and toss together. Serve with the chicken.

My non-alcoholic cocktail is for those who prefer a lighter tipple, Good Morning to You My Love, recipe courtesy ofwww.drinksmixer.com.

This recipe serves 1, takes mins to prepare.

1/2 x Orange
1/2 x Lime
1/2 x Apple
A Splash of Orange Juice
A Splash of Apple Juice
A Splash of Cream

Mix all ingredients in mixer with ice. Serve in a small bowl garnished with strawberries or grapes and a straw.

My final recipe to complete the Valentine’s menu is Strawberry and Champagne Jellies, original recipe courtesy of Slimming World Magazine July 2010.

This recipe serves 4 people, and is ready in approx 4hr15mins, including chill time.

284ml x Low Calorie Strawberry-flavoured Sparkling Water
11g x Sachet Gelatine
6 tbsp x Runny Honey
1 tbsp x Lemon Juice
3 tbsp x Artificial Sweetener
284ml x Pink Champagne (or sparkling Rose Wine)
12 x Strawberries – hulled and halved ((or quartered, dependant on the size) for aesthetics)

Pour the strawberry-flavoured sparkling water into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatine evenly over the top and leave to absorb for 5mins. Place over a very gentle heat and swirl the pan continuously until the gelatine has dissolved, then immediately remove from the heat.
Add the lemon juice, artificial sweetener and wine to the gelatine mixture. Gently stir and wait for any fizz to subside. Divide the strawberry segments between four dessert bowls or glasses. Pour over the wine mixture and place in the fridge to set for 4hrs, or overnight if time permits. Remove from the fridge and serve with a spoonful of Cornish Vanilla ice cream or fromage frais.

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!..... ChefGarfy =D

www.chefgarfy.com
http://chefgarfy.blog.co.uk/
http://chefgarfy.blogspot.com/