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Photograph: Tessa Traeger

Photograph: Tessa Traeger

Recipe: Goose egg lemon curd

Lottie Storey March 14, 2021

In general, weather conditions allowing, geese lay from about the middle of February until mid-May. What a joy it is to find that first egg, pure white in colour, just like goose feathers.

It’s a sign that spring is arriving. One goose egg is equivalent to three chicken eggs, but the proportion of yolk to white is higher, adding richness when used in baking. Lemon curd made with goose eggs is in a class of its own. The neon-yellow shines through the jar. Try to find the freshest possible eggs – your local farmers’ market is probably the best bet.

Goose egg lemon curd

MAKES 4 X 225G JARS
finely grated zest and juice of 8 large unwaxed lemons
400g granulated sugar
200g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2 goose eggs, lightly beaten

1 Put the grated lemon zest and juice, sugar and unsalted butter into a heatproof bowl and place it over a pan of simmering water, ensuring that the base of the bowl does not come into contact with the water.
2 Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has
melted. The mixture should be nice and warm, but not hot or the eggs will curdle.
3 Strain the beaten eggs through a sieve into the bowl.
4 Using a balloon whisk, whisk the curd gently for about 15 mins, until it thickens to a custard-like consistency and feels heavy on the whisk.
5 Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool, stirring occasionally. Pour the curd into sterilised jars and seal.
6 Store in the fridge and use within 28 days.


From Fern Verrow: A Year Of Recipes From A Farm And Its Kitchen by Jane Scotter and Harry Astley. Photographs by Tessa Traeger (Quadrille)

This recipe was originally published in The Simple Things Issue 45, which you can order from our online store. Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe


From our March issue…

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Mar 24, 2021
March | a final thought
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Mar 24, 2021
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Mar 16, 2021
Job Vacancy | Lighthouse Keeper
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Mar 13, 2021
A fish and chip shop tour of Britain
Mar 13, 2021
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More spring recipes…

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In Eating Tags issue 45, march, eggs, easter, lemon curd, preserving, jam, recipe
Comment
Recipes: Lia Leendertz Photography: Kirstie Young

Recipes: Lia Leendertz
Photography: Kirstie Young

Recipe: Wholemeal hot cross buns with whipped honey lemon butter

Lottie Storey April 10, 2020

The addition of wholemeal flour makes these Easter classics wholesome and nutty, while the lemony butter adds decadence to homely hot cross buns

Makes 12 buns
250g strong white flour
200g strong wholemeal flour
1 tsp salt
3 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp easy bake yeast
50g golden caster sugar
110g currants
50g candied peel
50g butter, room temperature
150ml hand-hot milk
75ml hand-hot water
1 egg, beaten

for the crosses
75g plain flour
5 tbsp water
for the glaze
3 tbsp apricot jam

1 Sieve the flours, salt, mixed spice and cinnamon into a bowl and add the yeast, sugar, currants and peel.
2 Give it a quick stir, then make a well in the centre and drop in the butter, followed by the warmed milk and water, and the egg. Mix well with a wooden spoon and then go in with your hands and knead, adding a little more milk if the mix feels too dry.
3 Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a warm place to rise for around two hours, or until it has doubled in size.
4 Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it briefly again, then divide
it into 12 pieces. Roll each into a bun shape in your hands and place onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment, leaving space for each to rise. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for a further 45 mins or so, until doubled again.
5 Heat the oven to 220C/Fan 200/425F while you make the crosses. Mix the flour and the water to a thick paste, spoon into a piping bag and pipe on the crosses. Bake for around 15 mins.
6 Meanwhile, heat the apricot jam in a small pan and then sieve it to remove pieces of fruit. Remove the buns from the oven, place on a wire cooling rack, and paint immediately with the glaze. Allow to cool a little before eating, or cool completely and split and toast.

 

Whipped honey lemon butter

Smother your hot cross buns with this for a true taste of Ostara

110g butter
4 tbsp honey
zest of 1 lemon

1 Chop the butter into cubes and drop it into a bowl of lukewarm water, then leave it for at least five mins, until really soft. Drain off the water and tip the butter, honey and zest into a large bowl.
2 Use a wooden spoon to beat until all is combined and the butter is creamy. Use straight away or put into a ramekin and chill.

This recipe was first published in our March 2016 issue. Our new April issue is on sale now both in shops and via our website and has lots of ideas on how to do Easter weekend well.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe


From April issue…

Featured
Picnic Pie Catherine Frawley.JPG
Apr 18, 2020
Recipe | a picnic pie for the garden
Apr 18, 2020
Apr 18, 2020
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Apr 15, 2020
Make | a hand-me-down recipe book
Apr 15, 2020
Apr 15, 2020
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Apr 7, 2020
Romantic introverts | the newt
Apr 7, 2020
Apr 7, 2020

More Easter recipes…

Featured
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Apr 10, 2023
Eggshell tea lights
Apr 10, 2023
Apr 10, 2023
Apr 17, 2022
Recipe: Chocolate truffles
Apr 17, 2022
Apr 17, 2022
Apr 2, 2021
Recipe: Hot Cross Bun Cakes
Apr 2, 2021
Apr 2, 2021



 

In Eating Tags issue 45, easter, march, seed to stove, hot cross buns, baking
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Dulcie, February 2015's star of Dogs in Blankets

Dulcie, February 2015's star of Dogs in Blankets

Choosing a dog

Lottie Storey February 23, 2017

They can eat into your time and money and test your patience, but loving your dog keeps you happy. If you're thinking about getting a dog, have a read through our list of things to consider first.

1. Can you put in the time?

Dogs bring with them many benefits, but you need to be able to put in the time to really get the most from your pet. Dogs can get distressed if left alone for too long, and require regular walks, but aside from this they need plenty of play time.

If you can't commit to daily interaction with your dog, perhaps consider less demanding pets such as fish, hamsters or guinea pigs.

2. Can you afford the cost?

Make sure you can afford the costs associated with keeping dogs. Not just food, leads, collars and toys, but also veterinary fees and pet insurance. It can be an expensive hobby.

3. Is your home dog-friendly?

A small flat without outdoor space may not be quite right for larger dogs, but you can usually get around most issues with a bit of clever thinking. Access to parks and large open spaces could be the answer to your dog's needs, but do consider the size of your home and how happy pets will be living there.

Also think about proximity to neighbours, who could become annoyed if your dog howls for you when you're at work.

4. Do you go on holiday frequently?

If you do, consider a dog that can travel with you, or that will be happy boarding at kennels in your absence or staying with friends. The best thing about a pet is the bond you have with your animal, so make sure your lifestyle doesn't impact on this relationship.

5. Do you suffer from allergies?

Double check which breeds are most likely to trigger allergies or asthma in anyone living in your house. Spend some time with friends and their dogs to see whether you react badly to fur or dander.

6. Have you thought about the commitment required?

Owning a dog is a lifetime commitment. Although you can't be sure what might be around the corner, it's important to enter into dog ownership giving it the full thought required, taking into consideration how your life might change in the future.

 

Crufts 2017 takes place from 9–12 March at The NEC Birmingham and you can watch it on Channel 4 and More 4. 

More info at crufts.org.uk

 

More dog posts:

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Jul 7, 2019
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Learn something new: Dog agility
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Mar 8, 2017
  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well

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View the sampler here

In Escaping, Wellbeing Tags pets, wellbeing, issue 45, march, dogs, the simple things
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Image: Katharine Davies

Image: Katharine Davies

We read to know we are not alone

Lottie Storey April 17, 2016

Turn to page 38 of April's The Simple Things for an interview with Nic and Juliette Bottomley of Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights.

  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well

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View the sampler here

 

In Magazine Tags back cover, issue 45, april
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Staple foods: 2. Sugar

Lottie Storey April 16, 2016

Quite literally the icing on the cake, sugar, in all its varied forms, is a tempting treat

Words: LAURA ROWE Illustrations: VICKI TURNER

For something with little flavour and no vitamins, minerals or proteins, it’s a wonder that sugar plays such an important part in our daily diets. But thanks to its effectiveness as a sweetener, flavour enhancer and energy source, and its relative cheapness, it’s hard to imagine living without it. Spooned into coffee, sprinkled on fruit or whipped into fluffy meringues, there are so many ways we consume it.

While historically we turned to honey, our main source of sugar now comes from sugar cane, which was originally grown in the East before commercial agriculture began in the tropics, fuelling a burgeoning slave trade.

Sugar cane and sugar beet compete as our top sources of sugar. Cane can be served at various stages of refinement, while beet can only produce refined white sugar.

The cane is filled with a sweet pulp – the liquid is extracted and refined in stages, finally producing white sugar. Sugar beet, a relative of beetroot, which can be grown in more temperate climates, is our second biggest source of the stuff.

Wherever its origins, though, highly refined sugar has become the new bad boy of the food world, with nutritionists in their masses calling for avoidance and substitution. It’s in part thanks to the rise in consumption of processed foods and fizzy soft drinks, packed with hidden sugars (such as corn syrup) and artificial sweeteners, that many are now turning to alternatives. But if you can’t resist a spoonful or two of the white stuff (and who of us can?), then make sure you look out for the Fairtrade symbol to ensure your sugar has been grown and harvested in an ethical way.


Extracted from Taste: The Infographic Book of Food by Laura Rowe, illustrated by Vicki Turner (Aurum Press)

 

Read more:

From the April issue

Taste infographics

Recipe: Rhubarb and rosewater tart

 

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

In Eating Tags taste infographics, april, issue 45, sugar, taste
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Photograph: Getty Images

Photograph: Getty Images

Wellbeing: Finding everyday silence

Lottie Storey March 20, 2016

Taking time for quiet doesn’t mean taking a vow of silence or sitting alone on a mountain (though those can work, too). Here are some tips for peaceful living...

l In conversation, don’t just prepare what you’re going to say next. Pay attention to the other person and speak into the spaces. Don’t be afraid of pauses in conversation.

l During moments of waiting, don’t immediately reach for your phone or book. Take a few minutes just to observe what’s going on around you.

l Allocate areas in your home for space, where little is displayed. A blank wall painted in a calming colour; a shelf with just one item on it. This helps promote a sense of quiet calm. 

l Enjoy quiet time together. Instead of turning on the TV or music, spend some time with your family reading, or doing the crossword, a jigsaw or another quiet activity.


Turn to page 96 of March’s The Simple Things to read Loma-Ann Marks’ feature on how to seek out peace in a busy, loud world.

 

Read more:

From the March issue

Why being alone can be good for you

More Wellbeing posts

 

  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

In Wellbeing Tags wellbeing, issue 45, march, silence, quiet, calm
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Home style: The alarm clock and other morning rituals

Lottie Storey March 18, 2016

The alarm clock is hard to love. It’s what startles you from the deepest of sleeps and jangles you into the day. It’s persistent and bossy, and won’t be silenced until you pay it attention. And the most annoying thing of all is that it does all of this for your own benefit, like a finger-wagging head mistress.

In an ideal world, of course, we would be woken naturally by the gentle caress of dawn and the soft rays of sunlight streaming through muslin curtains. But the reality is that it is more usual to be jumpstarted into the new day by the insistent clamour coming from the bedside table. 

Turn to page 108 of March's The Simple Things to read the rest of Clare Gogerty's alarm clock potted history, plus her selection of the three best alarm clock buys.

And while we're moaning about mornings, here are our top picks for making early hours more bearable. 

Linen pyjamas | The Simple Things Shop

Dressing gown | Verry Kerry

Blanket | The Simple Things Shop

Felted wool slippers | Toast 

 

Read more:

From the March issue

Style posts

Homes and interiors

 

  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

 

 

In Nest Tags issue 45, march, home, style, mornings
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Home remedy: Sleep peacefully pouch

Lottie Storey March 16, 2016

If you toss and turn, are kept awake by tomorrow’s to-do list or are troubled by bad dreams, this aromatic herb pouch will help encourage a lovely, floaty, restful sleep. 

Things you’ll need
3 tsp chamomile flowers
3 tsp peppermint
3 tsp sage
3 tsp valerian
3 tsp thyme
small piece of cotton fabric piece of string
..not a single sheep!

1 Place the ingredients in the centre of your piece of fabric and fold the corners in, so the herbs sit like the stuffing inside a cushion. Secure with string and place inside your pillowcase or next to it.

2 This is the last in our series of traditional Alpine remedies. To discover more, get a copy of Vinegar Socks by Karin Berndl & Nici Hofer (Hardie Grant) 
 

Read more:

From the March issue

Alpine remedies

Mint chocolate face pack recipe

 

  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

 

 

 

In Making Tags issue 45, home remedies, vinegar socks, sleep, march
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Recipe: Almond, honey and cinnamon fig rolls

Lottie Storey March 14, 2016

The tip for steaming the still-warm rolls in an airtight container after baking comes from pastry chef Stella Parks’ Brave Tart blog (bravetart.com), and it keeps them wonderfully soft

Almond, honey and cinnamon fig rolls

Makes about 24 rolls
For the pastry
125g butter, softened
75g light muscovado sugar
1 egg yolk
seeds of 1⁄2 vanilla pod
75g plain white flour, plus extra for dusting
75g wholemeal flour
50g ground almonds
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

For the filling
220g soft dried figs, any hard stalks removed
1⁄2 small eating apple, skin on, grated
1 heaped tbsp honey
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
2 tsp orange juice
pinch of ground cinnamon pinch of salt

1 To make the pastry, cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl, or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until pale. Beat in the egg yolk. Add the vanilla, flours, ground almonds, cinnamon and salt and gently mix to form a soft ball of dough. Flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill for 15 mins.

2 In a food processor, blitz the figs, apple, honey, orange zest and juice, cinnamon and salt to form a sticky paste.

3 Preheat the oven to 170C/Fan 150C/335F. Line two baking trays with baking parchment. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge, place between two pieces of cling film and roll out to a large rectangle about 3mm thick. The dough will be quite fragile and sticky.

4 Cut the dough lengthways into three long strips. Spoon or pipe a third of the fig mixture down the centre of one strip and use a palette knife to help you gently fold one side on top, followed by the other, to create a long, enclosed tube. Press the edges of the pastry together to seal, then repeat with the remaining two strips.

5 Use a sharp knife to cut each length of pastry into 5cm-wide rolls, then place each one, seam-side down, onto the prepared trays.

6 Bake for 20 mins or until lightly golden and slightly puffed. Then carefully transfer to a plastic container with a lid to cool completely. This steaming gives them their characteristic cake-like texture. The rolls will keep in an airtight container for 3–4 days.

Recipes from Homemade Memories by Kate Doran. Photography by Helen Cathcart (Orion Books) 

 

Read more:

From the March issue

Biscuit recipes

Cake recipes

 

  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

 

 

 

In Eating Tags issue 45, march, biscuits, homemade, recipe, baking
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The best things in life aren't things

Lottie Storey March 13, 2016

Image: Katharine Davies

In Magazine Tags issue 45, march, back cover
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Recipe: Chicken Balmoral Pie

Lottie Storey March 9, 2016

A pie is a great crowd pleaser and this won ‘Best chicken pie’ in the British Pie Awards 2015

400g puff pastry
75ml oil
25g butter
2 x 150g chicken fillets, boneless and skinless
50g finely chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, crushed
50g sliced white button mushrooms
25g smoked bacon, finely chopped
150ml white wine
25g plain flour for dusting
300ml fresh double cream
Chopped fresh parsley
100g thinly sliced haggis (optional)
1 medium egg
7-inch foil dish
Salt and white pepper


1 Preheat your oven to 180C/Fan 160/350F. Lightly dust the countertop with the flour and roll out the pastry to 3mm thick, cut to size, lay in a pie dish and rest in the fridge for 30 mins. Leave enough pastry spare for the lid and trimmings.
2 Warm oil in a frying pan, then add butter. Put the chicken fillets into pan and cook 8 mins on each side, then lay on a tray to cool.
3 Add chopped onion and garlic for approx 4 mins before adding the mushrooms and smoked bacon. Cook for a further 4 mins. 
4 Add the white wine and reduce by half, then add double cream and reduce until the sauce thickens for 5 mins. Stir in parsley then leave to cool.
5 When chicken and sauce are cool, remove pastry from
fridge and place 2 tbsp of sauce on the base of pastry. Slice the chicken fillets and arrange slices of chicken on base of pie.
6 Add 2 more tbsp of sauce and sprinkle over a small handful of chopped parsley, then arrange haggis, if using, on top.
7 Egg-wash the bottom of the pastry lid and place on top of the pie to seal it in place. Use the trimmings to decorate the top.
8 Egg-wash the pie and leave in fridge to rest for 15 mins. Make three small holes on top to let steam escape. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden brown.

Pie made by Boghall Butchers in Scotland. The British Pie Awards takes place today, 9 March 2015 in British Pie Week (7-13 March). britishpieawards.co.uk

 

Read more:

From the March issue

Fish pie recipe

Chicken recipes

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The current issue of The Simple Things is out now - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

In Eating Tags issue 45, march, british pie awards, pie, chicken, pastry
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Photography: Laura Pashby

Photography: Laura Pashby

Escape: A house lost in time

Lottie Storey March 3, 2016

Escaping for a peaceful weekend at a house lost in time makes spring all the more exciting. This Welsh cottage inspired Laura Pashby to explore its old charm and the wilds of the surrounding countryside.

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Our new series comes from online UK travel guide This is Your Kingdom, whose handpicked contributors explore favourite places, special finds and great goings on.

You can read about one we love each month in The Simple Things - turn to page 66 of the March issue for more of this Welsh cottage adventure - and plenty of others at thisisyourkingdom.co.uk.

Laura Pashby is a contributor to thisisyourkingdom.co.uk. She blogs at circleofpinetrees.com and shares daily stories on Instagram as @circleofpines. 

 

 

Read more:

From the March issue

Escape posts

Spring posts


Plenty more in the March issue of The Simple Things, out now - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

In Escape Tags issue 45, march, this is your kingdom, wales, beach
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Recipe: LOUISE GORROD Photography: EMMA GUTTERIDGE

Recipe: LOUISE GORROD Photography: EMMA GUTTERIDGE

Recipe: Lemon, hazelnut and rhubarb cake

Lottie Storey March 1, 2016

This crowd-pleaser of a cake is delicious served with cream for dessert and (if there’s any left!) with an afternoon cuppa the next day


Lemon, hazelnut and rhubarb cake

Serves 8–10

115g hazelnuts
225g white spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
260g unsalted butter, really soft
4 large free-range eggs
130g honey (or golden caster sugar) 
130g maple syrup
finely grated zest of 1 large unwaxed lemon

For the filling and topping
250g caster sugar
1 bunch of pink rhubarb (approx 400g)
350ml double cream
2-3 tbsp honey
fresh flowers to decorate (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Grease and flour two 20cm loose-bottomed sandwich tins.

2 Start by toasting the hazelnuts in the oven for 5-7 minutes; check after 5 minutes as they can burn easily. Once they are starting to change colour and release their lovely nutty aroma, remove them from the oven and leave to cool for a minute or two before rubbing off most of the skins. Whizz the nuts in a food processor into a fine meal.

3 To make the cake, sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and beat in all the other ingredients using an electric hand mixer. Be careful not to over mix – you want a light cake. Scrape the mixture into your tins and level the tops with the back of a spoon or a palette knife. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cakes are golden and risen and a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes before carefully taking them out of their tins and placing on a cooling rack to cool completely. If making ahead of time, the sponges can be double-wrapped in foil and frozen. Be sure to defrost thoroughly before filling.

4 To make the rhubarb topping, mix the caster sugar with 250ml of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, cut the rhubarb into batons of approx 4cm. Add the batons to the boiling sugar syrup, then immediately remove the pan from the heat. Leave the rhubarb batons in the syrup as it cools. Use a slotted spoon to remove the batons from the syrup. Reserve approx half for the top of the cake and purée the remainder with a hand-held blender, adding a splash of water to loosen. Chill the poached and puréed rhubarb until you’re ready to assemble the cake. If making ahead of time, the rhubarb can sit covered in the fridge for 24 hours.

5 When you are ready to fill and assemble your cake, prepare the honey cream filling by lightly whipping the cream until very soft peaks form. Drizzle in the honey and whisk again until incorporated.

6 If your cakes are very peaked, you may wish to trim the tops for a nice flat surface to decorate. Carefully place one cake on your cake plate, spoon over two thirds of the honey cream, marbling through 1-2 tbsp of the rhubarb purée, and place the second cake on top. Spread the remaining third of honey cream on the top of the second cake, then top with the poached rhubarb and a few seasonal flowers, if you wish.

For the full Easter Gathering menu and projects - Fish pie with crunchy salmon and leek topping, Lemon, hazelnut and rhubarb cake, Felt bunny ears, Dip-dyed place-names - turn to page 24 of the March issue of The Simple Things.

 

Read more:

From the March issue

Gathering recipes

Cake recipes

Plenty more delicious recipes in the March issue of The Simple Things, out now - buy, download or subscribe


In Eating, Gathering Tags issue 45, march, easter, gathering, cake, cake recipe
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Illustration: Joe Snow

Illustration: Joe Snow

Natural recipe: Mint chocolate face pack

Lottie Storey February 29, 2016

This deeply cleansing face mask is a chocolate lover’s dream. It smells divine, too – almost good enough to eat...

MAKES: almost 250ml

KEEPS: up to six months in a jar 

INGREDIENTS:
11⁄2 tbsp raw cocoa powder
1 tbsp white kaolin powder
10g dried peppermint leaves
40–60ml coconut oil

METHOD
1 Mix the dry ingredients together. 
2 Gradually add the oil until you have a thick paste.
3 Apply to cleansed skin and then leave on for 15–20 mins.
4 Wash off well and moisturise.

Found in The Domestic Alchemist: 501 Herbal Recipes for Home, Health and Happiness by Pip Waller (Leaping Hare Press). Recipe courtesy of Teri Evans.

 

Read more:

From the March issue

Miscellany posts

Natural remedies

 

Plenty more delicious recipes in the March issue of The Simple Things, out now - buy, download or subscribe

In Miscellany, Making Tags issue 45, march, home remedies, face pack, natural skincare, chocolate, the domestic alchemist
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Share: March cover reveal

Lottie Storey February 24, 2016

If you like your spring weekends bright and breezy, fresh and clean, full of fun and flowers, then you’re in the right place. First, let’s start the day right with eggs – fresh, baked or chocolate? We’ll peg out the laundry, pop on a pair of loafers or some cool trainers and take the dog for a walk, stopping to admire the blossom as we explore the neighbourhood. There’ll be time for tea, with something from the biscuit tin, and to find a quiet spot with the crossword before a long family lunch and Easter games. Share the moment with us, share The Simple Things

The March issue of The Simple Things is out today - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

In Magazine Tags issue 45, march, cover reveal
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Photography: Kirstie Young

Photography: Kirstie Young

Recipe: Eggs en cocotte with sorrel

Lottie Storey February 24, 2016

Eggs are a symbol of new life and, eaten with handfuls of bright green sorrel, bring a little colour and sustenance to early spring days

Sharp and lemony sorrel is plentiful now, and it is wonderful in egg dishes. Try it in Lia Leendertz's Eggs en cocotte recipe.

Serves 2
butter, for greasing
75g crème fraîche
4 sorrel leaves, washed and finely sliced across
2 large eggs
salt and pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160/350F.
2 Lightly butter four ramekins, then put a spoonful of crème fraîche in the bottom of each, with a pinch of salt and pepper and the sorrel, making a ‘nest’ to hold the egg.
3 Crack an egg into each ramekin, then place another spoonful of crème fraîche in, and add another sprinkling of salt and pepper.
4 Place the ramekins into a deep baking dish and pour in enough boiling water to come about half way up their sides. Bake for about 15 mins. 
5 Serve with toasted soldiers for dipping.

 

Read more:

From the March issue

Seed to Stove recipes

More egg posts

 

Plenty more delicious recipes in the March issue of The Simple Things, out now - buy, download or subscribe

In Eating Tags eggs, egg, recipe, seed to stove, issue 45, march
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Illustrations: VICKI TURNER

Illustrations: VICKI TURNER

Staple foods: 1. Eggs

Lottie Storey February 24, 2016

Baked, boiled, poached, fried or scrambled, this healthy favourite is an everyday treasure, as sure as eggs is eggs

Words: LAURA ROWE 

The humble hen’s egg is one of the most readily available, cheap and endlessly versatile food stuffs around, but did you know that it is also one of the most ancient? Us humans have been eating all things ovoid since the Neolithic period, chomping our way through varieties of fowl egg from chickens, geese, quail, pheasant, plovers and guinea fowl, to ostriches, emu, pelican, pigeon and gull (the latter is without a fishy taste, apparently, contrary to rumour).

It’s little wonder, really. The egg is nature’s perfectly packaged hand-held, bite- size snack. It’s packed with vitamins (A, B, D and E) minerals (iodine, phosphorous, selenium, zinc and iron) and it’s a ‘complete’ protein, meaning that it has all of the essential amino acids that our bodies need. Eggs are also a cook’s friend – delicious in sweet or savoury dishes, whole or separated, on their own or as a component ingredient to bind, set, leaven, thicken, enrich, emulsify, glaze or clarify.

They can be boiled (older eggs are best here, as they are easier to peel), scrambled with butter (slow and low), poached (whisk the water to create a vortex before you crack in a fresh egg) or fried (butter and oil are good but bacon fat is better). They can also be baked (see page 43), or ‘shirred’, as the Americans call it, with cream and topped with cheese and breadcrumbs.

Whatever you do to them, they are best approached at room temperature, particularly in baking. You can check just how fresh they are, too, by placing them carefully in a glass of water. If they sink to the bottom they are good to go, while a floater can be discarded, that is unless you’re in China. Thousand-year-eggs are a delicacy here. Preserved in a combination of salt, lime and ashes, the egg is left for 45 to 100 days, whereupon the white turns yellow, firm and raw, presumably eaten with noses firmly pinched thanks to the strong smell of ammonia.

That’s far from the most unusual way to eat eggs, though. Head to South East Asia, specifically the Philippines or Vietnam, and you might stumble across a balut – a boiled, fertilised 17-20 day-old duck egg.

 

Read more:

From the March issue

Taste infographics

Recipe: Goose egg lemon curd

 

Plenty more delicious recipes in the March issue of The Simple Things, out now - buy, download or subscribe

 

Extract from Taste: The Infographic Book of Food by Laura Rowe, illustrations by Vicki Turner by Aurum Press, £20. Buy your copy here.

In Think, Eating Tags issue 45, march, egg, eggs, infographic, taste infographics
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Win! A week exploring Sweden's West Coast (ended 15 April 2016)

Lottie Storey February 17, 2016

This month’s winner will travel along West Sweden’s sublime Bohuslän coast, courtesy of Inntravel

The Bohuslän coastline in West Sweden is an eye-pleasing confection of bright-blue sea and more than 8,000 granite islands, many of them dotted with traditional red wooden fishermen’s cottages. Inland, cocoa-coloured cliffs shelter mysterious Bronze Age rock carvings, while the ports of Fjällbacka and Fiskebäckskil are ideal jumping points for a number of exciting island-hopping adventures.

We have teamed up with Inntravel to offer one lucky reader and a companion the chance to explore this sublime coast by car, with opportunities to visit remote islands by boat, savour possibly the best seafood in Europe, enjoy memorable views, and learn about the region’s rich sea-faring past. You will stay in two atmospheric waterfront hotels, and in the city of Gothenburg.

You start with three nights in the pretty coastal town of Fjällbacka, from where you can discover the craggily beautiful Koster Islands on foot or by bike, or explore the Kosterhavet Marine National Park by sea kayak. Leaving Fjällbacka, you drive south to reach the bustling harbour of Fiskebäckskil for the next three nights. Here, you have time to relax on golden sands, perhaps, or to embark upon a seafood safari with local fishermen, before dining on succulent seafood at a waterfront restaurant. Your final two nights are spent in vibrant Gothenburg, where your 24-hour City Card entitles you to free use of local transport and entry into many museums. Discover the city’s thriving café culture, its historic treasures and its growing gastronomic reputation.


HOW TO ENTER

The prize is for two people and includes flights, car hire, eight nights B&B, six dinners and a 24-hour City Card in Gothenburg. Departures from 1 June to 30 September.

Enter now!

 

Closing date 15 April 2016. For full T&Cs, see icebergpress.co.uk/comprules

 

Read more:

From the March issue

More competitions!

Sign up to our fortnightly newsletter for more competitions and offers

 

Read more in the March issue of The Simple Things, out 24 February.

Meanwhile, get hold of the February issue - buy, download or subscribe. 

In Competition Tags competition, issue 45, march, inntravel, sweden
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The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

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