Sticky Rhubarb and Ginger Cake

I may have left this post and recipe a little late in the rhubarb season now (not helped by Blogger’s breakdown the last few days), but this cake was so good and rhubarb itself is one of my favourite fruits so I could not let the whole season go by without a rhubarb post. Last year, it was this totally irresistible tart, this year it’s a totally irresistible cake.The cake came from the little book Jamie Oliver released to raise money for Red Nose Day and this recipe caught my eye immediately. Although we are now used to having raspberries, mangoes and strawberries available pretty much all year round as they are imported from abroad, rhubarb remains a fruit available just during its fairly short season – and even then it can be tricky to find. Personally, I love rhubarb. It’s got a gorgeous bright pink colour, it’s tart, its different and above all, it’s delicious!When we’re in Suffolk, the garden has a large rhubarb patch and so I was able to use our very own fruit for this cake. I wanted to make as much use of it as possible and so doubled the given amount in the recipe. I also stirred some through the cake mixture instead of just laying it over the top – and whilst these changes were good, I felt that the cake could still hold even more rhubarb! The cake turned out interesting though – I was not a fan straight out of the oven, but the day after baking it I loved it. Meanwhile, my Mum was the exact opposite – preferring it warm out the oven and not the next day. I’m not sure why this was, but basically if you don’t like this the first day then be patient.The cake contains dark brown sugar and golden syrup, so the sponge is deep and caramelly in flavour. The little specks of ginger dotted throughout add a welcome touch of heat ad change of texture to the cake without being overpowering. The rhubarb syrup saved from cooking the rhubarb is divine but worth pouring all over the cake to stock it full of flavour. All in all, a very interesting, tasty and perfect spring time bake. You can find the recipe (with the original amount of rhubarb) here.

Aldeburgh Food Festival

Almost a month ago now, at the end of September, I was lucky enough to go with my Mum to the Aldeburgh Food Festival in Suffolk. Whilst called the Aldeburgh festival, the main show is in the lovely Snape Maltings. The Aldeburgh Food Festival is massive, as the whole of the county gets involved in mini events across the weekend festival. The festival celebrates all the fantastic food and foodie businesses in Suffolk so they were all there showing their yummy produce (I love tasters!) There were also big marquees with a few celeb chefs showing off the local produce in some recipes. Here are my pictures from the day I went – enjoy!
^ Food writer and critic Matthew Fort (left) did a great show with celebrity chef Tom Parker-Bowles. They are good friends and were fun to watch – especially as they had not planned what to cook but gone around all the stalls before hand to gather inspiration and ingredients.
^ Ah, the beauty of front row seats! Restaurateur Mark Hix (left) and friend Marcus Verbene, head chef at the Browns Hotel in Mayfair also did a show but it was not as entertaining. They did however make some interesting game dishes, with lots of ingredients I've never used before. ^ Winner of the Suffolk Raised Pie competition, judged by Matthew Forte. Beauty!
^ High House Farm apple juice – this stuff is nectar! Wonderfully fresh and sharp tasting – mmm!

^ I hadn’t heard of this company before but I did buy a bottle of this: it had a strong kick from both piles of ginger and the chilli addition – it was a great combination.


^ I want this van. Its a mobile chocolate business, Choc Star, and above is their amazing menu. I repeat, I want this van.



^ Failing that, I would happily LIVE in this above van, the Creperie, perhaps purely for the bunting… :)

^ This Chilli con carne van was pretty cool too!

^ Alder Tree is an ice cream company in Suffolk and their ice creams are gorgeous! I have tried the Toffee Apple which has scrumptious pieces of toffee swirled in, and the Tayberry, which is a berry like a cross between loganberries and raspberries, and totally sublime.

I had a lovely day the festival, and enjoyed seeing all the brilliant business ideas and fun companies the people ran. I was very envious of some of their lives (and vans..)! The festival also proved to me how much I want to do something foodie when I grow up. Hope you enjoyed!

Blackberry & Apple Turnovers

Here in the UK, it’s that time of year where we experience the shift between the sunny days of summer and the rapidly cooling days of autumn. For me, the difference is most noticeable with the gathering of new stationery and uniform: and the inevitable return to school. But food wise, the change is also quietly happening. Instead of feasting on fresh strawberries, I enjoy blackberries. Instead of juicy nectarines and peaches, there are big, crunchy apples. Instead of cooling ice-creams and frozen mousse, I turn on the oven, bake and use pastry...

Blackberry and apple turnovers. Just delicious. They don’t claim to be fancy, they don’t take up your time and patience to make or sit proudly in Michelin-starred restaurants. They’re just there, quietly, humbly, for when you get in from a walk, or as a reward when you’ve finished homework. Going back to school is never going to be a hugely joyful occasion, but the addition of a juicy turnover will be guaranteed to make it that little bit better.

Other than the simplicity of them, another reason I enjoyed these turnovers so much was because of the ingredients. I made these whilst in our cottage in Suffolk, where the abundance of fresh fruit was great. We have a huge apple tree in the garden there, so the apples were all our own. And the lanes all around us were edged thickly with the thick wild brambles full of big blackberries. Baking is all the more fun when the ingredients are your own and free!

There is no recipe needed, really, as you just need puff pastry and glorious fresh fruit. Once the pasty is rolled, use an extra large cookie cutter (I just cut round a small bowl) to get large circles of the pastry. Pile your fruit of choice on one half of the pastry, and carefully fold the other half over the top, trying to avoid sharp chopped-apple corners! Crimp the edges together really well – otherwise they’ll all split open, as some of mine did, and you’ll lose all the lovely juices. Then just bake for about 10-15minutes until the pastry is golden brown and puffed. Its best to eat on the day they are made or the pastry goes a bit soggy – but I doubt this will be much of a hardship!
Till next time, :) XX