Anti-Valentine's Day Strawberry Shortcake

You'll need ...
60g (2oz) butter, softened
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup of plain flour (though I always use self raising, it gives the shortcake a bit of oompf, I've also been known to mix 1/2 and 1/2 white and wholemeal, for health reasons)
1 punnet strawberries
1/2 a cup of strawberry or plum jam (or, as it turns out, 1/3 a cup of cherry fruit paste intended to be eaten with cheese & found, just in time, at the back of the fridge)
2 teaspoons of water

To pull it off you'll need to ...
Pre-heat the oven to moderate (about 180c or so).
Cream the butter & sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add the egg yolks, beating them in well. Slowly work in the flour until it comes together.
Turn out onto the bench and knead very, very lightly to form a nice ball. Press the ball into the baking tray (20cm or 8in) round, square, heart-shaped, it's up to you.
Whack into the oven, for about 15-20 minutes, the shortcake should be pale with just a touch of gold. Remove and allow it to cool just a bit.
Combine jam and water in a pan over heat until melted. Put aside.
Cut up the strawberries, half or quarters, and arrange over the warm shortcake. Then brush (I've been known to pour) over the jam/water to make it glossy.Eat is with loads of lovely, thick cream, or not, that's up to you.

New York ....

.... pictures from Day 1, Sunday August 20 2009.
The old and the new, the financial district, the bit where the Dutch landed, or near it anyway.
My first squirrel spotting, which almost made up for the horribly hot weather.

And then we found this turkey, at least I think it was a turkey, just sitting there, in Battery Park, watching the gawping tourists (like me).

Down town, from the Staten Island Ferry, a free ride mostly used by tourists, at least off peak.

We found the Richmond Bank Ball Park.

We could find nothing to identify this building, just across from the ferry terminal on Richmond Terrace, anybody?

It had a lovely, shady park right next door.

With this statue, dedicated to a public man.

And then we found Trinity Church, on Wall Street.

Where they have apparently kept the choir and have music at services.

It may seem strange to some, that an atheist can like churches so much. I don't think it strange to enjoy beauty and history, it would be strange not to.

I loved that someone, or ones, keep up gardens in the boneyard, which is a joyful, beautiful thing. Nothing like those soulless, ugly lawn cemeteries that abound today. I've no interest at all in visiting any such place.

Adam & Eve and their pet snake, Boris.

That these are allowed to weather away can only be a good thing.

Just over the road, real, busy, noisy life. But you didn't notice it when your back was turned.

A printer's grave.

And just next door, another beautiful building, the Trinity Building.

It can be a struggle to read the gravestones, but really, the weathered beauty is what I found most interesting. The history of individuals being so very fleeting.

Saints or somesuch.

I'd have loved to be allowed underground for a look.

Did someone not die, or decide to be buried with someone else?

The Trinity Building, a window this time, from the graveyard not the street.

Still to come, Day 2 & beyond!

Red Capsicum, Tomato & Goat Cheese Gratin

From the March 2009 edition of Delicious Magazine.
4 large red capsicums, blackened and peeled then sliced into strips
1/3 cup (180ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
2 tbs baby capers
2 tbs fresh thyme leaves
3 tbs finely chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley
190g goat cheese (fetta)
5 ripe tomatoes, sliced 1cm thick
2 cups (140g) cores fresh breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 180c and lightly oil a 20cm gratin dish (I used my pretty yellow one)
Heat 1/2 oil over low heat and cook the onion & garlic until it is pale golden brown. Place in the gratin dish with1/2 the capsicum, 1/2 the herbs and 1/2 the capers and season with salt and pepper.
Crumble over the goat cheese. top with the tomato, overlapping the slices, cover with the remaining capsicum.
Mix the breadcrumbs (I added some grated Parmesan) with remaining capers and herbs and oil. Scatter the crumb mixture over the top.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Pate Brisee ...

... a bit more detail for Lee.
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and softened
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of superfine sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon cold milk
Pop the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl, stir then and the softened butter and rub into the flour mix until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
Mix the egg and COLD milk and slowly add to the flour mix while stirring until it comes together.
Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and bring together to form a ball. Do not over knead.
Flatten the ball and wrap in plastic, pop in the fridge for at least 1 hour before rolling out to fit your pie/tart pan.

Egg&Bacon Pie

A true pie, not some nancy-boy, girls'-blouse quiche*
Get you some puff pastry, frozen or home made I won't judge you
10-12 slices of good bacon
12 eggies + 1 more - a bakers' dozen
salt & pepper
Herbs from the garden - I generally use chives & parsley but whatever you have that goes with eggs will be fine - chop 'em fine

Pre-heat the oven to 215c (419f)
Line your pie dish with baking paper and then pastry (really, it makes it so much easier to get the pie out in the end), remember to keep some for the lid. (I use my lovely Le Creuset’s Terrine because it makes a lovely high log of a pie.)
The original recipe called for you to "gently cook the bacon" but I've never bothered and it always turns out just fine & dandy.
So, line the base of the pastry crust with bacon & carefully break in a layer of eggs. A crank of pepper and a sprinkle of herbs then another layer of bacon and eggs (keep 1 for later) until you've run out. I try to end with a layer of bacon.
Pop on the lid, crimp & tidy the edges and brush over with the last egg. (I also try to use a little leftover pastry for some pretties on top.)
Whack in the oven for about 30 - 40 minutes - after about 10 minutes, turn down the heat to 200c (392f).
Now here's the clever bit, after the 40 minutes, turn off the oven and let the pie cool in there! It's a way of making sure your eggs are fully set.
When totally cold, slice through and marvel at the pretty patterns the egg whites, yolks, bacon & herbs make in each slice.