Grow it, cook it - enjoy it!

Freshly picked, freshly cooked - fantastic!

One of my happiest childhood memories was being sent out into the garden with a pan to pick the vegetables for dinner. I loved the idea of my kids doing the same and now give over whatever space I can in the garden to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs. I can remember years ago asking the kids what we should grow and they said peas and chips!!!

It really doesn't matter what sized garden you have, or just the space for a few tubs, you can grow fresh veggies or fruit easily. Over the years I've grown potatoes in bin liners, brocolli in large plant pots and salad leaves in window boxes - where there's a will, there's a way!

Spring has sprung and the veggie plot is ready for planting - cleared, dug over, well tilled and the soil is lovely and crumbly as it has been conditioned during the past two years with potatoes. Well, chips aside, this year we've got a busy planting schedule.


This years vegetable plot will contain:

Broad beans
Purple sprouting broccoli
Calabrese
Peas
Sprouts
Carrots
Beetroot
Red onions
Garlic
Leeks
Raddish
Beetroot
Lettuce

Tubs and grow bags :

French beans
Courgettes
Peppers
Tomatoes
Herbs

Fruit

Raspberries
Gooseberries
Redcurrants
Blackcurrants
Rhubarb

Pampered Chef Spring Roadshow 2012

Terrified!  Why, when I've done almost 600 Cooking Shows during the past 8 years, was doing a demo infront of 150 of my peers different? Well, that's just it isn't it?  All 150 of them know what I should be doing so I have to do it well - no, just good isn't good enought for me, nothing less than brilliant would do!

Introduction, recipe and wrap-up in 30 minutes - ok that's do-able; pushing it - but do-able!  Recipe choice, hmmm a tricky one;  no cooking facilities and ingredients need to survive in a cooler bag for most of the day and still look presenatable (thank goodness it's not likely to be eaten after that amount of time out of the fridge!)

In a flash of culinary inspiration - no-cook pizza sprang to mind!  Easy... cook base in advance - chop, assemble and grate it's done (that is meant to be grate - as in cheese) but, even if I say so myself, it was a  great success!!!! 

A good old Pampered Chef favourite fitted the bill - chilled fresh croissant dough forms a crust and bakes to perfection with Athenian style toppings adding a cool twist to this tasty appetizer - perfect!

Cool Athenian Wedges

• 1 packet (240 g) chilled fresh ready to bake dough for six croissants
• 1 packet (200 g) full fat soft cheese, softened
• 1½ tsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp green or Italian basil pesto
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 4 sundried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
• 4 tbsp chopped green pepper
• 50 g/1 ¾ oz pitted black olives, sliced
• 25 g/1 oz fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley or basil leaves, minced

1.      Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Unroll croissant dough and divide into triangles. Arrange triangles in a circle on Medium Round Stone with narrow ends toward centre. Using lightly floured Baker’s Roller, roll dough to form 30 cm/12-in circle; press to seal perforations. Bake 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely.

2.      In Classic Batter Bowl, combine soft cheese, mayonnaise, pesto and garlic pressed with Garlic Press; mix well.  Spread soft cheese mixture evenly over top of crust. Finely chop sundried tomatoes using Utility Knife. Chop green pepper using Food Chopper. Slice black olives with Egg Slicer Plus.

3.       Sprinkle tomatoes, green pepper and olives over soft cheese mixture. Grate cheese over top using Fine Microplane Grater. Mince parsley using Manual Food Processor or Crinkle Cutter. Sprinkle over top. Cut into wedges using Pizza Cutter; serve using Mini-ServingSpatula.

Serves 4 as a meal
Serves 8 as an appetizer
Serves 20 as a canape

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