Honey Nut Fruit Salad

My work station this morning.

I recently watched Gennaro Contaldo prepare beef carpaccio sat down in the sun on YouTube, and I thought to myself "What a weird way to prepare food." I'm used to the fast-paced, high pressure way of preparing food in a professional kitchen, and sitting down just doesn't enter your mind. 

We are going through an interesting time at work right now - none of the new apprentices are lasting because they are not used to the speed at which we work. However, it made me realise that I rarely savour the preparation of all the fresh and vibrant ingredients that come through our door. I questioned myself on whether I am in love with the food or with the work, so I did this ... 

As it turns out, I love both. 

The fruit: Strawberries, Raspberries, Orange and Physalis. 

The Flatbread: Wheat topped with Golden and Brown Linseed, Millet, Hemp seed and Poppy seed (as I am at home relaxing in my Crocs, I bought these from Tesco).

The dressing: Orange Blossom Honey and Toasted Almonds. 

Top with some fresh cream, orange and lime zest and pour a glass of white wine in the sun! 

Enjoy.  

Cheeky Rhubarb Crumble

A small adaption - Rhubarb and Strawberry (Raymond Blanc)

I have recently had a small break from my blog (after only a month of filling it ... I'm a rubbish blogger!) because we have become prematurely busy at work this year. I'm not complaining - the more I have to cook for strangers, the better. 

However, my style is already changing and I'm looking forward to sharing my new culinary experiences with you. 

In the past month I have realised the importance of people liking how your food tastes as apposed to how it looks. My head chef creates the tastiest plates of food you will ever eat, and when it's on the plate it looks classical and wholesome. Nobody can complain and everybody will enjoy it. That is what my summer is going to be about. 

So let's begin! 

This is a Rhubarb Crumble ... It is very unlike a traditional English crumble as the rhubarb hasn't steamed underneath a thick, stodgy layer of crumble for ages and it is not heavy. 

To make the crumble disks, get your mother's crumble recipe (but then add orange zest and fresh vanilla seeds) and fill round cookie cutters 1cm thick with the mixture on a baking tray. Whack it in a hot oven for about 10 minutes. Keep checking it.

To make the rhubarb "filling", top and tail your fresh rhubarb and clean the petioles thoroughly under cold running water. Cut them into inch-long dices and throw them into a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add a cup or so of sugar (granulated is fine, it all dissolves in the end) and then add a dash of Vermouth Bianco. Cover with a lid and allow to sweat until the rhubarb is tender throughout (we're not making a compote, so don't over-cook the rhubarb). After the rhubarb is cooked there will be a lot of excess water in the pan. Remove the lid and allow to evaporate until you get a nice, syrupy liquid. Keep tasting it - if you think it needs more Vermouth, add more Vermouth.

Stir in some fresh coriander (this is optional, but I think it's fantastic) and serve in a bowl with a crumble disk on top. The crumble disk is likely to break in the process, but who cares? It will taste just as delicious.