Asparagus, Rosemary and Roasted Garlic soup (and a book review too)

Soups, who doesn't like them? There is such a great variety of recipes and techniques, that you can always find a favourite among them. New Covent Garden Food Co is passionate about soup, and no wonder, their cartons of soup fly off the shelves.

I received the book "A soup for every day" as a gift, and was thrilled to have this addition to my cook books. The layout of the book is a bit like a diary: it truly is a recipe per day.
Soups vary from quite simple traditional soups like Roasted tomato with basil puree, Courgette and tarragon to more sophisticated Cream of celeriac and truffle, or Barolo and blackberry.


I looked through the selection of recipes for May, and loved the sound of the Asparagus, Rosemary and Roasted garlic soup.

With the kind persmission from New Covent Garden Food Co, I am going to post the recipe of this gorgeous soup.
My only words of warning: don't eat it if you go on a date (it is verrry garlicky, though absolutely delicious).

Ingredients:

Serves 4
1 large glass jar
3 heads of garlic
570ml extra virgin olive oil
3 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 medium onion, sliced finely
450g fresh asparagus, cut into 5cm pieces
1 tbsp plain flour
850ml vegetable stock
150ml single cream

To garnish:
2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley
1 lemon, zest of, grated

I will add my own comments at the end of the recipe, as I have slightly changed the quantities of some ingredients.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
2. Sterilise a large glass jar by putting a clean jar in theoven for 10 min, take it out of the oven and allow to cool.
3. To roast the garlic, remove any excess papery skin from the garlic heads, then place onto a small baking tin with 3tbsp of olive oil. Roast for 15-20 mins until soft. Remove from the oven, then allow to cool, trim off the top 1cm, then pack the garlic and sprigs of rosemary into the sterilised jar and completely cover the garlic with the remaining olive oil. Seal the jar and leave overnight.

4. For the soup: heat 4 tbsp of the infused garlic and rosemary oil from the jar in a saucepan, add the onion, then cover and cook gently for 5 mins. peel and finely chop 4 cloves of the infused garlic, add to the saucepan, and then cook gently for the further 5 mins, without browning.

5. Add the asparagus and cook gently for 2 mins. Stir in the flour, then cook gently for a further 2 mins. Gradually add the stock, stirring all the time. Cover, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the asparagus is tender.

6. Blend until very smooth, then pass through a fine sieve to remove any stringy fibres. Reheat gently, add the cream, then season to taste. Serve garnished with chopped parsley and lemon  zest.
This soup is delicous served chilled.

I very rarely follow the recipe very closely, and I did adjust some quantities.
I didn't use as much olive oil as stated in the list of ingredients.
Instead of 3 heads of garlic, I used two big ones, and that was plenty. I also added one medium potato to the soup as well as a few basil leaves, and garnished the soup with the coriander and a dollop of yogurt rather than parsley with lemon.
The flavours of the soup are very robust, you first get a very pronounced taste of garlic, then the rosemary comes along.
As I used new season asparagus, it was tender enough, without hard bits, so I didn't pass the soup through the sieve, and we didn't notice any stringy bits.

This soup is gorgeous, and I will be making it again.
Also you are left with some garlic infused olive oil in the jar, that you can use to marinade chicken or add to the roast potatoes or any other vegetables.


Now going back to the book, I love the idea of soups for every day of the year, though that does present an issue with some recipes being very similar.
The comments on Amazon tend to criticise a not very well planned Index at the end of the book, and I have to agree, it is not perfect (for example, I would not put Plum tomato and basil soup under P, but with the rest of the tomato recipes, or perhaps put it in the Index twice under both P and Tomato).
But that would be a nit-picking. On the whole, this is a remarkable book for any soup lovers.You will get lots of inspiration and ideas.


I am entering this soup in the Herbs on Saturday Challenge. Herbs used for the recipe are: rosemary, basil and coriander.

Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom: Elf games DVD (review)

You don't have to be a young child to appreciate the magic world of Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom. What I love about it is that it is not catering to the tastes of girls only, like many other fairy stories do, with their uber-cute girlie characters and sweet plots that set your teeth on edge. Little Kingdom is quirky, fun, amusing, slightly ironic and has oodles of appeal for both girls and boys. Ben and Holly are created by people behind the phenomenon that is world known as cheeky Peppa Pig.

Eddie is a big fan of Peppa Pig, and we also enjoy watching Ben and Holly together (mostly Eddie watching and pointing to the screen, me sitting next to him with a laptop and commenting "Isn't it fun?"). But at times I move my laptop to the side and watch and giggle with Eddie, especially when Nanny Plum makes her entrance.

We were sent a preview copy of a new Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom: Elf Games DVD (retailed at £8.99).

The new Elf Games DVD is out on 14 May 2012.

It has ten episodes:

1. Elf Games

2. Cows

3. The Toy Robot

4. Dinner Party

5. Big bad Barry

6. King Thistle's Birthday

7. The Wand Factory

8. Daisy and Poppy's Pet

9. The Elf Rocket

10.Picnic on the Moon

 The Elf Games is quite topical, with the approaching Olympics, and sends a right message: "You can't magic the trophy, you have to win it", says little wise Ben. Both Ben and Holly are keen to take part in the Elf Games, but while Ben is training and working hard, Holly is disappointed that magic is a No-No when it comes to the Elf Games.

If you've seen Ben and Holly before, you know what to expect: bright colours, stylised animation, lots of jokes and entertaining stories. As always, Holly wants to make the world more exciting by using her magic wand, while a pragmatic little elf Ben wants to fix all problems by using his elf skills.

We have already seen some of the episodes, and I don't know how many new episodes are on the newly released DVD.
We love Picnic on the Moon. Nanny Plum is up to mischief again with her magic basket, and turns the sea of Tranquility into the sea of Jelly to the delight of the aliens.

We have enjoyed watching the new DVD and suggest you sprinkle some fairy dust in your home too.

 

                                                                                        

Little Swimmer giveaway NOW CLOSED

Last year we spent a week in Cornwall. As it was August, I was hoping we'd still have a chance to dip in the sea. Alas, the weather was more of the coat & scarf on variety. I suppose, a typical British summer, to some extent. I bought this cute little swimming costume for my son Eddie, but it never left the suitcase, and still has all the tags attached to it.
As in one year Eddie has grown up considerably, this outfit won't be good for him, we'll have to buy a new one (wishful thinking on my part, that this year we'll grab some sun by the sea).
This product has been specifically designed and manufactured from a material which provides UVA + UVB protection. It comes in size 1-1 and a half years (80-86cm).
It was sold as a swimming suit for boys, but I don't see why a girl who is not into pink cannot wear it.

I'd be delighted to offer this swimwear to a little boy who might put it on and enjoy a bit of sunshine on the beach, or wear it in the swimming pool.
To be entered in the draw please follow two simple steps:
1. Answer the question by leaving a comment below this post
+
2. Leave a comment on any other post.
Only people who will do both steps will be entered in the draw. I love reading comments, so please indulge me, you can choose any older post to leave a comment.

You do not have to follow my blog to be entered in the draw. If you decide to follow my blog, I will be thrilled, of course.
Please leave me some means of getting in touch with you if you win: your Twitter name, or forum name (if you come from any of the comping forums), if you use a Blogger, make sure there is an email address in your profile. I ask about it every time I do a giveaway, and still quite a few people don't leave any means of contact. Please make sure you do!

And the question is (pick any): who is the little swimmer in your life you'd like this swimming suit for? Will you be taking him on holidays abroad or in the UK? or will he be wearing it in the swimming pool?

Good luck, everyone!

I will pick a winner from all the entries after 7 June 2012.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you all for taking part! I loved reading your comments. But there could be only one winner.
All names went in the Raffleking, and the winning comment is made by minxy81. Well done! I'll get in touch with you.

WINNER - MINXY81

Awaken my TASTEbuds (review)

Having read a review of the Coriander & Rose Petal salt from www.tastespice.co.uk on Madhouse Family Reviews Blog, I was intrigued and eager to give it a try.
Before I continue, I would like to mention that if you enjoy reading reviews, then I cannot recommend Madhouse Family Reviews highly enough.

I love flavoured salts, and haven't seen any with the rose petals before.
Off I went browsing on the Taste Gourmet Spice Company website. And I couldn't stop at buying just the salt I was looking for. Too many temptations. So I decided to limit myself to buying three new products. My online basket was filled with the coriander and rose petal salt, saffron and orange oil and vanilla sugar.

Vanilla sugar is not a rare product, you can get it from the most major supermarkets, but it was on offer, so I couldn't resist. It is also quite easy to make your own if you ever fancy doing a batch, it keeps well. I remember young Jamie Oliver enthusing about the pleasures of whizzing your own batch of vanilla sugar. How does Taste vanilla sugar compare to let's say Waitrose vanilla sugar? It is less grainy and is finer in texture, has a very strong perfumey vanilla scent.
I used it for making sweet blini and bigger size pancakes.

Here the vanilla sugar was added to the batter and also sprinkled on the chopped banana (which in the photo below is hidden under the cream, just the way my husband likes it).

Blini were sweet enough to enjoy without any added toppings like honey or maple syrup.
Vanilla sugar is lovely in fruit salads. Or just grab a juicy strawberry and dip it in the aromatic vanilla sugar, what a feast!

I absolutely loved the Coriander & Rose petal sea salt. By now I tried it in a variety of dishes, and it works beautifully with many ingredients. Simple roast potatoes get transformed by this salt into something from the Arabian Nights.
My first dish was the pan-fried duck fillet, which was generously sprinkled with the salt. The rose petals made the duck more aromatic, but it wasn't overpowering. If anything, I would have liked a slightly higher ratio of the rose petals to the coriander. The duck was very tasty. I served it with the Tenderstem broccoli, which was steamed and mixed with the Saffron and orange oil.

That's another dish where I used the Saffron and orange oil (on a different occasion): roast butternut squash and sweet potatoes. And this oil is just meant for adding to the roast baby carrots.

I often pick rose petals from the garden and dry them to add to the black tea, but this year I am going to do my own version of the Coriander and rose petal sea salt.

The nutmeggiest rice pudding (Tideford Organics Classic rice pudding review)

I have seen Tideford Organics rice pudding on the supermarket shelves before but bought it for the first time today, when our usual Rachel's Organic rice pudding wasn't avialable, and I didn't fancy any of the supermarket own varieties.

Eddie is the main consumer of rice puddings in the house, and I usually have a spoon or two if anything is left after he finished eating.
I was curious to see if he would realise the difference and whether he would agree to eat a new pudding.

He immediately spotted the difference and was a bit unsure if he liked it better than his usual rice pudding.

But after a few spoons he decided he actually liked it a lot and quickly finished it (I didn't do the mucky "after the meals" photo).
I also tried a couple of spoons. It s very creamy (in fact it is made with the organic double cream), has more bite in comparison to the other brands and has the most pronounced taste of nutmeg.
If someone served it to me in a ceramic dish, I would have never thought it wasn't a homemade rice pudding.
Fair to say, it doesn't have the crust of the homemade rice pudding, but the taste is absolutely authentic, the texture is very creamy and all the classic flavours are well balanced.
There are no additives and preservatives.

As an artist, I also want to add that I love their packaging designs. The little ink and watercolour paintings are lovely. I think they would look great on some promotional merchandise like the tea towels and aprons.

Things that make you go "Vroom" (Brio Classic Racing Car review)

Boys and their toys. Big or small, old or young, they just love cars. Well, some girls love them too.
At 21 months, Eddie is full of zest for life and loves exploring new things. Cars are one of his passions.
He can make a very good Vroom-Vroom or Nee-Nah of the fire engine.

Just look at this sleek black little vehicle! It has a great Zoom-factor, catch it if you can. If you have the wooden floors, it would zoom across the room in a second.

You can buy this Brio Classic Wooden Car is from the online nursery shop Hello Baby

If you are looking for the baby and nursery products to buy for your little ones or as a gift, Hello Baby has a wide selection of Baby Toys, nursery furniture, baby travel and baby safety products.

There is an eternal appeal in the old-fashioned wooden toys. They are tactile, fun, educational and imaginative. Tot's hands can easily grasp this toy to push around. 

   
"By pushing this toy around, your child will learn to coordinate their movements and to explore the world around them. The product is easy to grip for small hands and can be even used by children who cannot yet stand."

This wooden classic car is very sturdy and almost indestructible.

 Brio toys would make a perfect gift for any young child, and they come in attractive boxes too.
And if you are fed up of the easily broken plastic rubbish, then this wooden classic car might be just the toy you need for your tot.
It has a perfect design, looks stylish and modern, and is available in several colours. We received a black car for the review, but I am thinking of getting another one in a different colour so that we could do the car races together.

P.S. This Brio car was sent to us for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are mine (and Eddie's).

What Causes Autism-Zidlow Marx

Wake up and smell the Clipper tea! (review)

I am not properly awake in the morning until I had my first cup of tea.
Tea is my energy booster and my drink of choice. My kitchen can probably compete with the local tea shop, as there are boxes of tea everywhere. I have my favourites that have to be always available, but I also love to explore the new tastes and flavours.
I was delighted to receive an email from Clipper that I was chosen to be one of their Clipper Sippers of the month.
Fairtrade Everyday tea is the tea of the month.
"A refreshingly brisk, full-flavoured blend with a coppery golden colour, sourced from the finest Fairtrade estates in East Africa, India and Sri Lanka."

I am more of the flavoured teas' girl (I cannot function without my Earl Grey tea).

When we have a plumber or a builder in the house, and I offer them a cup of tea, they usually look with horror at my collection of teas and ask for a "normal" tea. I keep a box or two of "normal" tea for such occasions but don't usually drink it myself.

Now I don't have to compromise. Everyday Tea ticks off all the boxes. You can have it as strong or as light as you like, with milk or without.

I tried it plain, with honey, with milk, with a slice of lemon and a spoonful of sugar. The last option is my favourite.

Everyday tea is very refreshing and it works very well with the acidity of the lemon.

The colour is beautiful dark golden.

If you like the idea of tasting  new teas, you could also become a Clipper Sipper.
To become a Clipper Sipper, apply online.


Yippee, I'm one of the Clipper Sippers.
Having donned my gown and slippers,
Enjoying my first morning cup,
Everday tea and Twitter wake me up.
Everyday tea is a child of democracy -
Honest, refreshing, without hypocrisy.
Suitable both for the Queen and the plumber,
Infused with tranquility like the smile of Dalai Lama.
Be you a Duchess or a builder with biceps,
Come and join the Clipper Sippers.

What a Souper Prize!

I love cooking challenges and competitions, and was thrilled to discover that New Covent Garden Soup is running a monthly competition to create a Soup of the Month. I love New Covent Garden, they always come up with new ideas.

The Mediterranean theme appealed to me, my mind was buzzing with ideas: what should I create? which ingredients shall I choose?
Being married to an Italian, I learnt to cook a lot of Italian dishes. Before our kids were born, we used to travel quite a lot, and I have visited many Italian cities and places of interest.

Tuscany is known all over the world for its breathtaking landscapes and fantastic food. Soups are very popular in Tuscany. They are full of robust flavours and are a feast for eyes with their colourful ingredients.
Tuscany has been my inspiration for the Mediterranean soup of the month competition. I have played with different ingredients and ratios, adding one thing, or removing another. Farro seemed to be an obvious choice. It has been a mainstay of Tuscany for centuries. It has been known in Italy since the Roman times. It is also known as the Grain of the Legions and used to be the standard ration of the Roman Legions. I am a big fan of the movie Gladiator, and loved the idea of cooking a dish with the ingredients used by the Roman legionaries.

I was thrilled to find out that my Tuscan-inspired recipe was chosen to be the Soup of the Month for May. If you see an excited woman running along the soup isle in the supermarket in Witney, that will be me.
I just have to be patient. My soup will appear on the shelves any day soon.

I am originally from Russia, and the Russians love their soups. Some of my early childhood memories are of my family cooking, like my Dad's soup - he used to add a beaten egg to the stock, so that it would be floating around in ribbons, or my Mum's borscht with its robust flavours and fab colours.
My great grandma was a cook in the baron's house in the days before the revolution (like Mrs Patmore in the Downton Abbey, but on a less grand scale; I wrote about her before, see here) and later worked in the restaurant.
She is long gone, but I imagine she would have loved the idea of her great granddaughter winning a cooking competition. And my Dad, he would have been so proud too. He didn't cook much, but for some reason the two simple dishes that he cooked for us when Mum was away (fried potatoes and the soup with the egg), outshone for us, kids, all Mum's spectacular cooking.

I consider myself to be a creative person, and cooking is one of the things that I enjoy.

And if I could win, so could you: go on, enter you recipe for the new challenge! The current challenge is to create a Hallowe'en soup.

Swimming days: from overcoming fears to the pure joy!

As a kid, I never learnt to swim. I still swim like an axe, i.e. I'd go down to the bottom of the pool if I didn't use swimming aids.
Yes, I confess, I am much less competent than my son Sasha. He loves swimming. His Dad takes him to the swimming pool once a week, and I am trying to convince myself that it is a good time to teach Eddie the joys of swimming too.
I always felt bad about my lack of swimming skills.
Sasha is also lucky that they have a swimming pool at school, and he has a class every Tuesday. Just today he arrived home all tired and happy, with his hair still damp from the class.
But he wasn't always a happy swimmer. To start with, he was quite terrified of the big expanse of water.
I think the first times we were trying to go to the pool was when we stayed with my husband's Nonna in Viareggio.
Sasha would hold onto my neck for his life, and didn't want to let me go.

At first, we just sat by the pool, watching the other happy swimmers of all ages.
Slowly, he would allow his Dad to carry him around the pool, again holding onto his neck.

Here he is, my very reluctant child, looking wistfully at the pool.

His father was very patient, swimming with Sasha, helping him to overcome the fears. I would join in, using the swimming pool floating aids, to the merriment of the Italian kids who all swam without any. I didn't care. I was very proud of myself, when I managed to get from one side of the pool to the other. I'm sure we provided the locals with much amusement.
By the end of that stay, Sasha was getting used to the pool, and would enjoy our jumping sessions.

The next time we visited Viareggio, Sasha was a much happier swimmer. School classes helped a lot. He gained confidence, and did not need any help to get in the water.
Here he is, swimming on his own.

This is one of my most cherished photos: my beautiful boy, having fun in the pool and smiling with so much pride at his achievement.

Sasha is a confident swimmer now, and I am very proud of my boy. Having autism, he is not able to do many things, but he excels at swimming.

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Families all over Britain will be hitting the water this summer with the British Gas Free Swims programme. (If you haven’t already, claim your free swim now.)

This post is my entry for the BritMums Joy of Swimming Competition, sponsored by British Gas