Truro twinned with .Qo'noS!

~  Menu  ~

Scrambled Egg Tart with …

Roasted Asparagus and Frazzled Prosciutto

White Wine Spritzer

Lindt’s New Caramel Chocky

Coffee

I’d just like to apologise for any tardiness in blogging – we are having a bit of a sad time here as my 87 year old father in law, who moved in with us a year ago tomorrow, seems to be on his way out.  He is sleeping 20 hours a day and eating hardly a thing.  On the plus side however, I have to say he is perfectly cheerful about the situation!  Anyhoo because of his frailty and the doctor’s prognosis we are having some of the family to visit which at least keeps me busy. 

For lunch today I realised I had run out of bread, or at least the stuff I call bread.  I only panicked for a moment before remembering the pastry leftovers (good old pastry scraps) in the fridge and knocked up a scrambled egg tart.  This wasn’t too extravagant as the oven was on anyway. 

There is not too much to say about this tart here's how to roast asparagus, here's about frazzling prosciutto and see here for information on scrambling eggs.

Baking blind is not difficult although I'll run through it, just in case ...

How to Bake Blind

This is how to bake an empty pastry case without the pasty puffing up and filling the space where you were hoping to put something yummy. Baking the pasty case first will go a long way to prevent a soggy bottom!

~   Preheat the oven to 5375ºF/190ºC/170ºC fan/gas 5 give or take a degree or two.  

~   Lightly butter or oil your chosen receptacle.

~   Roll the pastry large enough to fit said receptacle including the sides.

~   Lift the pastry carefully and gently press into the baking container.

~   Chill for a little while if you have time which should result in crisper pastry once cooked.

~   Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork several times.

~   Loosely lay a piece of foil or greaseproof or baking parchment or waxed paper into the pastry case and up the side.

~   Put some raw rice or dried beans or purpose bought baking beans onto the lining; enough to weigh it down.

~   Bake for 20-25 minutes till the edges of the pastry are lightly browned.

~   Remove the foil or paper and the rice or beans and return the pastry to the oven to crisp the base which should take another 5 or 10 minutes.

See here for lots of other ideas for pastry scraps.

Not so pretty once cut but who’s looking apart from you lot?

Truru a'gas dynnergh 

We went to Truro today (in the rain, obviously) and I was surprised to see that the city has been twinned with what appears to be somewhere on .Qo'noS where, as you probably know, they speak Klingon.

On second thoughts it might be Cornish!