Monday 7 March 2011

Pre -Spring Blues

Feeling down, no inspiration. The lack of inspiration. How I hate it. Just waiting for spring to arrive. First time this morning when we didn't have to turn the lights on when the kids got out of bed. So it must be coming soon then.
The buds are breaking on the trees as well, the sun was shining, a beautiful aroma of crispy frost hanging over our garden as I fired up the Beast, blowing dirty exhaust fumes over the pipling daffs and crocuses on the front lawn.

Whilst roaring up the A2 I pondered the week to come and wondered when we'd get the newsletter from our vegetable suppliers to inform us that Jersey Royals are on their way. What better to go with those small, firm, buttery, minted globes of loveliness than some milk-fed baby lamb cutlets (Baaaaah!)

Surely the thought of all these new ingredients coming into season should fill me up with love and passion for what I do. Still got no inspiration though.

My favourites coming up: asparagus from late April / early May, wild garlic for our shoelace pasta with white truffle, and freshly poached and picked brown crab from our favourite supplier, Colchester Oyster Fisheries.

But it's Shrove Tuesday tomorrow, Pancake Day or Mardi Gras in proper hot countries where the party starts and finishes at dawn, everyone wears bikinis, even the lady boys, and cold beer is drunk like water.

Best recipe for pancakes:
200g plain flour, 1/2 pint of milk, 2 eggs, zest of lemon, 25g melted butter. Whisk it all up and whack them in a proven pan one by one. The thinner the better, however you can't beat my Mum's 3 inch pancakes just served with lemon and caster sugar. That's a traditional one, but try my Banoffe pancake instead.

Boil an unopened tin of condensed milk in a big pan of water for 4 hours. Leave to cool and open. What's inside is a caramelised brown jelly. Slice some banana, lay the slices on the pancake with a couple of spoonfulls of your cooked condensed milk. Roll and eat. Delicious.

Some of the best recipes are the easiest!

Just thinking about them has cheered me up. I'm full of it again.

Ciao,

The Lionheart