Unhealthy pastimes!

Tony and I have discovered our love of breadmaking, pie making and ice cream making.......not the best combination for trying to maintain a waistline - and I don’t mean a small waistline just any waistline! :)

Photos above of Tony’s last pie that I’ve already blogged about - since then he’s also done a tropical coconut pie using his lovely homemade pastry incorporating blanched ground almonds - it was another spectacular effort (photo below).

Today, I made my first batch of coconut ice cream in my brand new ice cream machine (a gift from Tony) - having never owned an ice cream machine I was pretty excited but am absolutely amazed at how simple it really is to make something so utterly bad for you!

On a slightly healthier note, I did also make some fresh pesto using the excess of basil we have in our “kitchen garden”, and substituted all pine nuts for half pine nuts and half walnuts because we do still have some walnuts left over from the harvest in France - it’s delicious and made even more delightful by using my lovely new food processor - also a gift from Tony.

Pesto

1/4 cup toasted pinenuts (not essential but I think this adds a little extra richness - you can dry “toast” them in a non stick frying pan - you don’t need to add anything - there’s enough oil in the nuts - shake for a few minutes until lightly browned then cool)

1/4 cup walnuts (toasted or not but you can add them to the pan with the pine nuts)

5 cups basil (packed)

1 cup olive oil

8-10 cloves garlic

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

salt & pepper (about 1tsp of each)

Put the nuts in the food processor with the garlic until they’re all broken down, add the basil and salt and pepper then drizzle the olive oil in slowly - add the parmesan and incorporate until you’ve got a nice “sauce like” consistency - use immediately or refrigerate or freeze with a layer of olive oil over the top to keep out the air.

Suggestions for serving,

Toss pasta or potatoes in it

Spread over french bread in place of garlic butter for a twist on garlic bread

Use as a chicken or shrimp marinade

Experiment as you see fit!

Our garden is going well - we now have basil, rosemary, scotch bonnet peppers, tomatoes, aubergine (plants - still no fruits!), okra, peppers, bok choy and a variety of greens (mustard greens, arugula, mesculin lettuce).  But as healthy as all that sounds, with the amount of experimenting we’re doing (and of course the eating that comes as a result of experimenting) we really are going to have to increase the exercise regime if we’re to survive the experience!

I’ve also just discovered an awesome way to make healthy burgers or meatballs, using extra lean ground beef and aubergine.  This makes the meat stretch further and adds back some juiciness that will be missing from the lack of fat - you also don’t need eggs or breadcrumbs.  Cook the aubergine in a microwave or oven until it’s cooked (collapsed) - this takes about 6-8 minutes in a microwave for a decent sized aubergine - probably 30-40 minutes in the oven.  Chop off the top before cooking to avoid any explosions then once it’s cooled a bit - peel it reserving all the flesh - chop finely and add to your extra lean ground beef with some garlic, onions, hot peppers if you like some spice, and some parsley - make it into burgers or meatballs and cook as normal - they’re a bit more delicate on the bbq but will cook just fine and will remain tender and juicy.

Bon apetit!

Our jungle experience in Honduras

It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog so I can only apologise to those friends and family members we don’t get to see often - I’ve realised my blogging was far easier when I wasn’t required to spend a minimum of 7.5 hours each day in a cubicle! :)

I also have to apologise as the blog of late has been less about pretend farming and more a diary of our adventures away from the farm - growing as much as we can in our limited concrete jungle that is our home in Cayman and enjoying the experience of spending the winter away from the much colder temperatures of the “sunny Dordogne” that we’ve become so fond of (I’m not sure the blog will be as “sunny” if and when we have to spend our winters in France!).

And on the subject of adventures, I can report that Tony and I have safely returned from a long weekend in Honduras (www.lascascadaslodge.com) - the first time either of us have been there and we’ve both returned with great memories of a wonderful time spent in relative luxury in a little corner of the jungle.

The property is Las Cascadas (found at www.lascascadaslodge.com), a property of 100 acres with 4 waterfalls, and a couple of beautiful cabins nestled amongst lush greenery, although only an hour by plane from Cayman, seriously a world away.  The photo above is of our “living room” area in our private cabin - the “Bejucco cabin” on the property, which boasts a stone bath, an outdoor shower and a canopy bed with a view of one of the waterfalls (photos below).

Whilst there, we made the most of our time without feeling as though we were always on the go (we both read a couple of books during our 4 day stay - an absolute treat) and went horseriding and also enjoyed a ziplining canopy tour which involves swinging through the jungle and across rivers (photos below).

This was a spectacular weekend away from our cubicles and although we’re both still so grateful for the opportunity to have cubicles to be gainfully employed in during these trying times, we also thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to sit back and soak up the atmosphere of the jungle whilst being waited on hand and foot by an excellent staff who really were on hand to ensure we wanted for nothing from pina coladas made from fresh pineapples grown locally to local food specialities such as smoked pork, huevos rancheros and phenomenal chicken curry nicely spiced with the chefs local blend of scotch bonnet with carrots and goodness knows what else (photo of our first lunch served by the waterfall on day one of our trip - this is where we also had breakfast served daily).

So we’re back to our cubicles staying thankful for everything and still hankering after the day when we might return to our more rural existence in France to explore all that has to offer.

Tony is still keen on becoming a world class pastry chef and I couldn’t sign off without including  details of his latest pie (photos to follow) - made for a dinner party shortly before we left for Honduras - the most delicious lemon pie known to man and I do believe our guests left with the knowledge they’d been fortunate enough to sample a delicacy made by a world class pastry chef!

We’ll be back with more garden tales - although I’m sad to say all our “sexing” of the aubergines hasn’t made a difference and we’re still waiting for our first aubergine.....soon come as they say in the Caribbean!

Good bye January - Hello tomatoes on the vine!

Dad has been and gone (photo above of Dad with Tony’s bike - no, he wasn’t allowed to ride it!) and the time just seems to be flying - it seems like only yesterday we were planting tomato seeds and celebrating Christmas and just this evening, we enjoyed our first tomato of the season, fresh off the vine!  Reminiscent of our summer in France.  That said, having half a dozen tomato plants in pots isn’t quite the same as having a few dozen in the ground - not something we took for granted but something we do miss.

We are enjoying life out here though, and, much as we miss life in France, we do realise how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to be gainfully employed especially in the Caribbean (and especially in the winter!) which as I’m sure everyone will agree, is really no bad thing!

Between our jobs and our garden in pots, we’re keeping ourselves fairly busy - in addition, Tony has just bought himself a cookery book by a famous french pastry chef and has now decided that he’s going to be a world class pastry chef - although excited (and I have to say the creations I’ve already tried are quite spectacular), I am concerned that I’m going to have to join the gym in order to keep my job as chief taster and still fit into my work clothes!  The latest creation was a lemon pie - the pastry was divine - ingredients included ground blanched almonds and vanilla essence amongst other things - this phenomenal pastry shell was then filled with a lemon cream that can only be described as buttery lemon velvet - I’d share the recipe but it did take almost all day and so I think we’ll keep that one to ourselves and simply commit to making it for anyone and everyone who visits with us either in France or Cayman - a special dessert by a world class pastry chef (when he’s not pretending to be a farmer).

I will however share a Blue Cheese souffle recipe that I just tried on the weekend - the first souffle I’ve ever made and my only regret is that I didn’t take a photo to accompany the recipe - that said, you do have to be quick - I’ve discovered when serving souffle you really want your guests to already be seated at the table - if they’re not there is a danger of the souffle deflating quite substantially by the time everyone is seated!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the ramekins

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup scalded milk

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of paprika

4 large egg yolks, at room temperature

3 ounces Roquefort cheese, chopped/crumbled

5 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Butter the inside of 6 individual serving size ramekins OR an 8-cup souffle dish, and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.  Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the paprika, and nutmeg.  Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, until smooth and thick.

Off the heat, while still hot, whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time.  Stir in the Roquefort and the 1/4 cup of Parmesan and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat until they form firm, glossy peaks.

Whisk one quarter of the egg whites into the cheese sauce to lighten and then fold in the rest.  Pour into the souffle dish, then smooth the top.

Place in the middle of the oven.  Turn down to 375 degrees.  Bake for 25 minutes if using individual ramekins or 35 minutes if using a larger dish, until puffed and brown - DON’T PEEK!

Serve immediately.....BON APETIT!

Extending the ‘veggie patch’

Condo living can be a little limiting compared with living in rural France when you want to grow vegetables and so in order to give us more “ground” and provide more room for the lettuce and other vegetables whilst abiding by the strata laws, Tony decided to design and build a couple of planters - tasteful yet functional.  Interestingly, the planter costs $50 in material to construct and $80 in soil to fill - one can understand why not everybody chooses to grown their own vegetables here - it’s like investing in real estate!!

The photos above and below are of the very first planter already filled with little lettuces that we planted from a mixed bag of heirloom lettuce seeds - the lettuce and arugula we’ve already enjoyed grew really well so we got a little carried away and now have close to 100 growing in pots so we will either be on a lettuce cleanse or more likely gifting lettuces to friends and family in the not too distant future!

The tomatoes are doing well and we hope to have our first batch sometime next week.  The aubergines not so well - they keep producing these beautiful purple flowers but they aren’t getting pollinated - not many bees in the area (not a problem we had in France!).  We have discovered that aubergines don’t need another plant in order to produce fruit - they can self pollinate having male and female parts to their flowers.  So, armed with this new knowledge, we are now pollinating the plants (essentially taking a Q-tip and touching both male and female parts of the flower in order to encourage the ‘self pollination’) on a daily basis and hope to see the (aubergine) fruits of our labour before long!  Photo of one of the aubergine flowers below.

Dad arrived in Cayman safely on Friday night and will be visiting with us for the next 2 weeks - splitting his time between me and my sister = photos to follow of the fun and frolics we plan to partake in over the next couple of weeks!

Wishing everyone health, happiness and lots of good food in 2012!

As we woke up this morning to welcome the year 2012 (where did the time go??), it was a lovely opportunity to reflect on the good, the bad and everything in between of years past and think about how new resolutions can be made to shape the year(s) to come to maximise the good, minimise the bad and enjoy everything in between as much as possible.

That said, I’m not such a believer in resolutions but do believe in actively pursuing goals whether the goal might be to enhance the positive impact I may have on those around me (friends, family members and foes alike) by striving to be kinder, more patient, more tolerant and less judgmental, or far more immediately measurable goals (for example I have a couple of professional qualification exams later in the year so do of course have the goal of passing those!).

And so I’m simply thankful to have made it through another year with Tony by my side and friends and family members (both near and far) around me - the time does seem to be flying by so we’re trying to make the most of our moments and always remain thankful for all the times we have enjoyed, are still enjoying and perhaps have yet to enjoy!

It was with the enjoyment of good food in mind that I bought Tony the bread/pizza stone for Christmas and the photo below is of the first pizza we made on the stone - Tony made the dough and I made a sun dried tomato, aubergine, red onion, black olive, basil & feta topping - a spectacular joint effort if I may say so!  Since then, Tony has made lots of bread - loaves, rolls you name it and it’s all been absolutely delicious - photos of some of the bread to follow.

I had thought I might try and start the new year with a few less carbs on my plate in order to shift the few extra pounds that I’ve been carrying - and as if it’s not bad enough that Tony’s taken up bread making, a very good friend bought us a basket of truffle infused goodies (as well as some whole truffles), olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and butter - how ridiculously decadent and how excited I was to start playing with my truffle basket......so, I decided that I might make some fresh pasta using the truffle infused olive oil in place of the regular olive oil and pictured below is the result....

The green pasta was made with the truffle oil and some cilantro that had been blanched and then juiced just to add colour - sadly it doesn’t tend to impart much flavour but the colour is lovely.  The orange one was also made with truffle oil and with carrots that had been juiced and then boiled down before adding to the pasta dough.  With Tony’s help (it would be very handy to have a 3rd hand when it comes to rolling out the pasta and thankfully Tony was happy to be my ‘3rd hand’ in exchange for being the official tester!) I made it into linguine.

In addition to the linguine pictured above, I also made ravioli stuffed with locally stewed beef - it’s tradition in Cayman to eat beef at Christmas and as a result there’s a lot of slaughtering of cows done at this time of year - I was lucky enough to have a friend who had a friend who was slaughtering so managed to pick up 10lbs of good quality, grass fed local beef which I then stewed with thyme, stock, red wine, scotch bonnet peppers, carrots and celery before shredding it and stuffing it into the ravioli packets as pictured below.

So - I’m thankful for the good food I’ve already enjoyed so early on into this New Year and thankful for Tony who never seems to mind my experimenting on him and simply thankful for a happy and healthy start to another New Year.  I don’t intend to make any rigid resolutions that I can’t stick to but I do intend to attempt to remain thankful every minute of every day throughout the coming year and hope that if I can always be thankful, regardless of the wider impact, this will certainly have a positive impact on my life as I venture into the New Year.

I’ve included a photo (above) of me and Tony with our good chums Al & Sarah who also have a place not far from us in France but who happened to be out here to spend Christmas with some other chums - you’ll see from the smiles on our faces and the blue sea around us that it was very easy to be thankful on that particular afternoon - let’s hope that when the weather’s not so fair we can still find that silver lining in the clouds....

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy (soon to be) New Year!

As evidenced from the photo above, Tony and I started our Christmas day on the beach with some good friends and lots of champagne!

We then came home for a siesta before heading out to a lovely restaurant, Pappagallos, for dinner with some other good friends (photo above).  It was a spectacular day and the only thing missing was our close family but we did manage to catch up with almost everyone via telephone or skype which was wonderful.

We continued our celebrations on Boxing Day with an open house party in the morning followed by an afternoon of boating with good friends and more champagne (photo above on the boat).

So as I woke up today I couldn’t be anything but extremely grateful for the extra bank holiday (Christmas day observance) so that we can ease ourselves back to normality before heading back to work tomorrow without it being too much of a shock to the system!

Our garden (in pots) is continuing to thrive and this morning I was thrilled to see our first tomato on one of the vines (photo above).  We’re not having much luck so far with our aubergines which keep producing these lovely purple flowers but they have yet to turn into fruit - we’re working on that!

We’ve also enjoyed many salads from our mixed heirloom lettuces and arugula plants (pictured above) and we’re also quite excited to note our lime tree is full of fruit just waiting to ripen (pictured below) - given that the supermarkets are charging just under $1 per lime this is good news indeed!

The weather has been spectacular and we are both so grateful for the opportunity we had to return to Cayman and I think our day of boating yesterday may have almost made up for Tony being separated from his tractor for the time being!  

The photo below is of the sun going down as we made our way home by boat last night - a very fitting end to a marvelous couple of days spent with good friends, enjoying good food and of course some very fine wines!

Enjoying the bounty of the land....in Cayman!

Above is a photo of our breakfast this morning - fresh local eggs, scrambled with fresh basil from our garden on toast (sadly made from bread probably imported from the states - shame on us!) - accompanied by local papaya with a squeeze of fresh local lime juice.  Absolutely stunningly delicious and certainly how every day should begin!

Having realised it's already been 2 months since our return to Cayman and therefore 2 months since my last blog - there is of course much to report.

Tony and I have settled straight back into our routines where at times it does feel as if it's always time to go to bed or go to work!!  That said, in light of the trials and tribulations being experienced by many the world over, we are of course both grateful for jobs to go to and the ability to stay warm for the winter!

One of our first priorities when we returned was to replant the garden we were so sad to leave in France and so although we don't have any land, we do have a patio that can take a number of pots - and so we set about planting basil, rosemary, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, aubergines, lettuce and arugula (rocket for those of you on the other side of the pond!).

So far we've harvested much basil, rosemary, lettuce and arugula but we're still waiting for the tomatoes and aubergines and cucumbers which are flowering so we hope it won't be long before we're enjoying those too.

We've become regulars at the local farmers market that has grown in size since we left in May and enjoy eating locally wherever possible.

I shall aim to blog a little more regularly despite having a little less time on my hands since our "summer retirement" ended and hope to get back into the kitchen and negate the need for purchasing bread brought in from another country!

In the meantime, we just wanted to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas.

With love,

The "city farmers"! x