It’s Officially Salad Season

To give you an idea of what’s in store for today (and allow you to scroll accordingly), I’m starting off here with my long promised Salad Bonanza, followed by the latest instalment of our Pump Street at Home series with a flapjack recipe and a lesson in tempering chocolate and finally leaving you with a life saving one pot wonder meal of Harissa Chicken and Rice. 

A Salad Bonanza

As we inch towards the Summer months, I thought it might be helpful to consolidate my favourite salad recipes and ideas here into groups to use as a reference point while planning your menus and gatherings.  

The building feasts pages are stuffed with seasonal salad options and suggestions for alternative dressings, toppings and accessories that can be mixed and matched depending on your mood.  Today I thought it would be helpful to gently remind you of my favourites and categorise them for inspiration and to easily dip in and out of the ones that can be used to complete your meals.  

Here are my pointers to set you off in the right salad direction…….

This is just a comprehensive selection of ideas……there are even more on the site so feel free to keep perusing! I would love to know if this recipe list / grouping helps or is it just overwhelming? Please do drop me a line with your thoughts so that I can make sure I keep delivering content in the way that works for you. This exercise has also highlighted my deep love of gem hearts and fennel and illustrated exactly what is missing here including a good chicken salad and an old school potato salad. Watch this space…….

Those Pump Street Bakery Flapjacks (& a Tempering Tutorial)

Jo and I are back with another instalment in our Pump Street at Home series where we share some of the Bakery’s secrets and ways to use Pump Street Chocolate in your kitchens.  This week Jo and I made flapjacks, the unsung heroes of the Bakery cabinet.  Perfect for just about any time of day and the ideal picnic pal and lunchbox treat and made with pantry staples we hope these deliciously simple to make treats will be a regular in your kitchens too.  

In the bakery they dip on end of their squares of chewy caramelised oat-y goodness into tempered chocolate.  For the home kitchen version we simply drizzled ours freestyle on top.  While the chocolate is optional(ish), we took the opportunity to also share a little tempering tutorial for all your dipping (think strawberries) and cracking (think chocolate bark) success, ensuring shiny and well set coatings every time.  Here’s to a whole new season of sweet fun.

And Because I Love a One Pot Wonder

A while back I shared a recipe for Chicken on a Bed of Spelt that I make on repeat.  Meals that cook all together in one pan are a personal lifesaver and I feel duty bound to intermittently share my variations on this particular theme with you.  This Harissa Chicken and Rice is one of these – a dish that works on the same principle of the grain cooking under the chicken but with a little extra razzmatazz. It’s a winner for any season and every short of time cook who thrives on sharing meals with others.  

That’s all for now (and quite honestly I think thats enough recipe links for one session…..).  I’ll be back in a couple of weeks with a few drinks and treats to have on hand for when the doorbell rings.  Until then, happy cooking.  It’s a joy to be here with you xx