After a good nights sleep, I was ready for breakfast.

On arriving at the separate breakfast dinning room which is part of the main building I opted to sit outside on long sharing table (I love this option).  There was a selection of fresh juices including melon, orange and pear.  Fresh croissants, pastries, tarts, homemade compote (I had the mandarin which was awesome). Nearly all the food came from the farm.

Giuliano was excellent again explaining some of the more unusual fruits that grow as the Masseria, especially one called loquat or Japanese Plum. Its like an small oval light orange fruit with a couple of seeds. When peeled it has a soft texture like pear and is light in flavour but slightly tart, which really made your mouth water. During our conversation Giuliano explained that the fruit turns black after a few days and they were going to have a go at making a jam from them. There was also home made cheese, and also fresh eggs, the best bit was NO FULL ENGLISH, yippee.

After breakfast I had some free time to relax before the 1st cooking lesson, so took time to wander around part of the farm. Beforehand, Giuliano explained about how the Masseria had been purchased 9 years ago after 45 years of neglect, and pointed out the different areas and their crops. We were stood by a ‘wild area’ which supported the most fragrant thyme, rosemary and wild rocket. We picked some, brushed off the dust and ate some, more bitter than the farmed stuff we get, but just amazing to be able to taste something so fresh and wild.

The abundance of Poppy is purposeful in Organic culture and is used as an insect magnet to draw nasties away from the ‘real’ plants, in this case the special grapes that are being grown to recreate a unique wine.

I walked for nearly and hour, and observed everything from Almond Tree’s to Figs.

At 11:00 o’clock I was met by Giuliano, Angelo and my tutor Anna-Rita for the start of the course, I was the only guest attending as its early in the season so I was in for a real treat as they had prepared a bespoke course just for me.

This morning we were making Orecchiette, a pasta made from Semolina and Warm Salty Water and shaped like a hat, a tomato sauce for the Braciola/Orecchiette , Braciola (Stuffed Veal), A Lemon Tart and Limoncello.

I was shown all the different stage and had my own area where I could observe and practice, there is a real skill in shaping the Orecchiette, book the cooking holiday to find out!

We went into the garden and picked the most amazing lemons fresh of the tree’s for the tart and Limoncello, the skins were quite thick and Giuliano made a simple salad, removing the center and dressing the skin/pith with Olive Oil, it was just unbelievably tasty.

It was early December and I was really depressed. Work was not going as expected although plans were in place to change things for the better. A suggestion and a weeks pass from the Mrs enabled me to book an 8 day cookery course at Masseria Montenapoleone, a restored fortified organic farm in Pezze di Grecco, southern Italy. Flights were arranged online with AlItalia, via Milan on the out trip and Rome on the way back. There were other airlines available that went direct, but my choice was worth it as the leg room on the A320 was first class.

The course was booked via golearnto, and is a combination of practical lessons, and ‘foodie’ trips to local restaurants, producers and markets. On arrival at Bari airport, local to the Masseria, I was greeted by my ‘driver’ Angelo who sped us to the Masseria in about 45 minutes. Angelo manages a local restaurant and filled me in with local history on the way.

OMG, was an amazing place. This is NOT a tourist destination, it has charm, tranquility, and is set in the middle of nowhere, just what I needed. I was met by the local ‘agent’ Maura, who had been in contact via email since the booking, to make sure I was collected at the right time.We went to reception to collect the keys and I was taken to my ‘apartment’ Arancio, and told about breakfast arrangements and given a general tour.

We then sat down by the pool and was served Prosecco, and some local nibbles including the largest capers I have ever seen, olives and a small bread like coiled snake called Taralli. Giuliano is the owner and he joined us for over an hour,  to explain the history of the Masseria, and answer any questions I had about farming, organic systems and agro-tourism in general.

Dinner was set for 8 pm, what an experience. Local cured meats and cheese for the 1st course with home made chutneys, the onion was particular good. Followed by a beautiful home made pasta, with a green pepper and cream sauce, then another plate with shaved fennel, carrot, melon all organic and tasted wonderful. I was sat on a large communial table with an English couple and their 6 month old daughter as we ate and talked about the Masseria food and wine. Giuliano is an amazing host, he joined us for a while and continued to explain his philosophy and about his love for food and wine.

Dessert was a beautiful selection of fruits, grown on the farm, followed by tea and a glass of Grappa that I could not resist.

So off to bed, and looking forward to the 1st day.  Arrividerci for now.

There is much excitement abound at the moment. This time next week I will be on the way to the province of Bari in Apulia staying in the town of Pezze Di Grecco at Masseria Montenapoleone. The reason for this trip is a 8 day cooking course on an organic fortified or walled farm. I hope to post some blogs of my attempts at the end of each day if time allows!

My wife of 25+ years is not a fussy eater, but we both share a view (that we have recently proven on numerous occasions), that buying meat from a decent local supplier is both cheaper, and better.  Having tried a range of protein from beef, lamb to chicken and bacon we are really lucky to have found such an excellent supplier in Casey Fields Farm Shop. A trip this weekend after the boss said she fancied something of a treat and the following was the result!


Côte de bœuf

Côte de bœuf for us is THE best cut of meat from the humble cow. A slice of RIB, bone in weighing about 650 Grams is a serious piece of beef, and cooking it right was going to be a challenge. Looking through various books and the trusty (sometimes) Internet there were various methods and timings. We like our beef rare to medium, cooked on the outside, but pink in the middle, so this is what I did.

Switch on your oven and set to 200 Deg C (Ours is a fan oven so would be 220 on gas/electric).

With some butchers string, tie a loop around the longest part of the joint, then, bring the string back round and put a couple of loops over and under. You can see the starting point on the picture above, when the rib is on the top right, with the two loops towards the bottom left.

Heat your frying pain, and add about 125 Grams of unsalted butter, and a good glug of oil (to prevent the butter burning). I fried the Côte de bœuf for two minutes at a high heat (8 on a NEFF Induction Hob). You can see the result below.

Turn the Côte de bœuf over and fry for another 2 minutes. The meat was about 1 1/2 inches thick, and once the frying stage was completed, I added 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme and the meat then went into the oven for 15 minutes. If you have a double oven, put in a plate and warm to 90 deg, this is used for resting the meat.

After 15 minutes has passed, take out the joint, and put on the warm plate, and into the cooler oven to rest for 10 Minutes. 

Job Done, Côte de bœuf, with a salad garnish.  The result was WoW, not a cheap cut of meat but you don’t need anything to go with it, except maybe some Bearnaise sauce. The meat still pink in the middle, and was really tender due to the resting. When you are told “its the best steak I have ever had”, it made me smile inside 😉

Please go and try to find that local butcher or abattoir and get a real taste of food and at the same time, support the small producers who need that extra bit of help to survive, but bring you the best and usually cheaper produce without the middle man taking an un-necessary cut.

Family and friends that I have shared much time with know I have a couple of addictions (of the food variety!), Sausages and Cheese!

As a child, I would regularly scoff down some cheese and biscuits, usually with a large glass of milk, at ridiculous times of the evening. The taste for sausages developed slightly later in life, if you can get good ones that is, the usual suspects still seem to have horrible casings even though quoted as natural!

Now I am a bit(!) older I have become much more fussy about where I get my favourites. In my own mind, there is only one place to buy sausages, I have been using Gardeners of Ludgershall for over 10 years, its a trip worth taking, they have won over 120 national and international awards for their sausages. For Cheese, Greys of Pangborne offer a quality a range unsurpassed for miles around.

With age I think tastes do develop and get refined, the well known Pickles are OK, but for me, having a go at home made makes things more interesting. 

The heading of this entry is about………………….Chutney!

The word “chutney” is derived from the Sanskrit word caṭnī, meaning to lick. When munching a Gardeners Championship Pork sausage, or Lincoln Poacher cheese from Greys a decent chutney or pickle can make a big difference.

Our well loved organic veg box supplier Riverford promoted a Red Onion and Sultana Chutney kit last week, so I ordered one to have a go.

Chop up loads of red onion, my mandolin did that as quick as a flash (with parental assistance), slowly fry to soften, add some of the sugar and continue, then add the vinegar, garlic spices and cook on a low heat to evaporate most of the moisture.

Mine looked like this after a 1 1/2 hours of slow bubbling, it filled the house with lovely smells. So there you have it, a tasty accompaniment to go with your favourite ham, cheese or sausages.  This made 5 jars which should last a few months (hopefully)!

 If you like good cheese, quality ham or sausages, have a go at making some chutney as it’s really easy and the results are fab.

CRUSTARDES OF FLESSH. XX.VII. XIIII.

One of my lasting childhood memories was the tradition of home baked Chelsea Buns at Easter, so guess its my turn to pass onto the next generation and have a go myself.

Doing some research, it seems in Jane Austin’s time, the Chelsea Bun was a favourite treat and if you were lucky enough to live in London, ‘The Bun House’ was the place to go as they were apparently invented at this fine establishment, with crowds of 1000’s milling outside waiting to purchase some.

Looking for a suitable recipe I turned to The Great British Book of Baking. There are some lovely recipes in this book and particularly one for Chelsea Buns. So where is my Kenwood Chef?

On the cooling rack!

The dough is left to rise once rolled, and layered with the fruit and sugar, after brushing with melted butter to act as a glue. Cut into strips and placed into a suitable baking tray for a second rise and then into the oven for baking.

We’ve just come back from a week in Cyprus, 20 degrees and a quite a lot of sun was just what the doctor ordered. A week’s indulgence in a family orientated all-inclusive holiday was a fantastic experience, re-charging the batteries and vitamin banks on the freshest tomatoes, peppers, Feta cheese, Swordfish and the usual local delights made you feel really good. I’m proud to say I only had 1 full english breakfast during the week.

So back to the UK, and this weeks organic veg box. Being inspired by the fruit trees in Cyprus, and seeing an offer for a “Seville Orange Marmalade” kit I decided to order one, having never made a preserve before and loving the bitter/sweet tang of  this particular variety it was a ‘no brainer’.

The Peel of 1.5kg’s Seville Oranges!

Oranges & 2 Lemons

Almost everything was to hand, except muslin, Google came in and after a few minutes looking at various options, a well known supermarkets baby section provided the desired result, cheaper than a cooking shop and on the shelf!

Following the instructions was dead easy, the smell of Orange filled the house during the 2 hours of simmering needed to soften and cook the peel.

After the simmer

2 Hours of Simmering with all the bits!

Rapid boil to get to a setting point.

Homemade ORGANIC marmalade.

Se rappellent de la France

Winter is the time for wholesome stews, curries and stomach lining food.  A recent food hero of mine is Yotam Ottolenghi, his ability to mix unusual ingredients a get a fantastic outcome is truly inspiring. Originally from Israel, he has teamed up with Palestinian Sami Tamimi and opened several eateries in London, as well as writing some excellent cookery books.

When I think of a stew, its usually Beef with Dumplings, a French Daube (preferable Boar if i can get it), or a Belgian Carbonnade. So this Yotam inspired stew really mixes it up with Butternut Squash, utterly delicious. The recipe is here. I am not keen on chick peas so replaced them with green beans for some added texture.

Butternut Squash Stew

It’s really easy to make, and uses mostly store cupboard ingredients, the interesting thing is the use of Madras Curry Powder to add punch!

Apple & Celeriac Salad