Recipe: Tea smoked trout with horseradish and yogurt sauce

Just in time for the start of the trout fishing season, and with a nice garnish of seasonal watercress, we asked Yeo Valley for their favourite February recipe.  

Ingredients

10 tea bags
175g demerara sugar
175g long grain rice
4 trout fillets
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Foil

For the Horseradish & Yogurt Sauce:
100g Yeo Valley Natural Yogurt
1 tbsp of hot horseradish
Juice of a lemon
Small sprig of dill

Method

Cut the tea bags open, shake out the tea into a bowl and discard the bags. Add the sugar and rice and mix together.

Line a deep, heavy roasting tin with silver foil.

Spread the tea mixture over the base.

Cover with either a cooling rack or another layer of foil. Place the roasting tray on top of the stove and heat up.

Once the mixture is smoking slightly place the trout on the rack or on top of the foil, skin side down. Drizzle the trout with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Cover the roasting tin tightly with foil or a tightly covered lid, and leave to smoke on the stove over a moderate heat for 15-20 mins.

Mix all ingredients for the sauce together, season to taste, then spoon over the smoked trout and serve with fresh watercress.

Thanks to Yeo Valley for the recipe.

Moments that matter

Taking time out to admire the view - Eysturoy, Faroe Islands. “After an energetic jaunt up the steep clifftop path from the tiny village of Gjógv, views opened up over the aquamarine Atlantic all around. As I collapsed to the grass to gather my breath, a lone seagull hove into view and squawked its airy hello.”

Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people.

Soppy by Philippa Rice

True love not twee love brought to life in Soppy by Philippa Rice

Artist, illustrator and crocheter Philippa Rice has turned her life into a comic that celebrates the sweet, everyday world she shares with her illustrator boyfriend, Luke Pearson.

In a palette of red, white and black, the cartoon duo (both with raven dark hair and rosy red cheeks) do the washing up, head to the shops, snuggle on the sofa and squabble about who should answer the door. There are no grand sweep-you-off-your-feet gestures here, just small, heartwarming moments: “If I got zombied would you shoot me? No. I’d let you bite me.”

Now that sounds like true love. 

Have a look through our gallery of pictures from Soppy by Philippa Rice (Square Peg, £10.99). 

www.philippajrice.com

Compiled by Lottie Storey

Learn a new skill with The Simple Things: make your own desert boots

Join other readers of The Simple Things for a special one-day shoemaking workshop with Green Shoes at its studio in Devon

The classic desert boot is ideal for beginners to tackle. Choose from a wide selection of leathers or vegan material and learn how to cut, stitch, shape and attach to the traditional crepe rubber sole. You’ll take home a pair of boots that are made-to-measure in the colour of your choice.

Green Shoes has been handmaking shoes since 1981 and uses the same low-tech methods as the original makers of this classic field boot. All their footwear can be resoled, ensuring they last for years.

The day starts with coffee and instruction. An experienced shoe-maker is on hand to help at all stages. The morning is about cutting and stitching. After lunch at a local cafe, you’ll learn how to shape them on a traditional last and they’ll be ready to wear home at the end of the day.

The course takes place on Saturday 21 March at the Green Shoes workshop in Moretonhampstead, Devon and costs £280 to include all materials, instruction, lunch and a pair of boots to take home.

How to book

There are just five places available for readers on the course. Travel to and from Green Shoes workshop is not included. To book, call 01647 440735 or email info@greenshoes.co.uk

Anyone for Kitchen Table Tennis?

If you are in London on Wednesday 25 February, join us for a game of table tennis at the The Old China Hand, Tysoe Street, Clerkenwell EC1, a ping pong ball’s throw from The Simple Things Office.

We’ve reserved a table from 6-9pm, the bar, which has a fine selection of English ales, will be open and you can order traditional pizzas, delivered from the ristorante across the road - RSVP by dropping us a line to thesimplethings@icebergpress.co.uk. 

We aren’t very good so if you are you’ll be obliged to teach us a few moves!
 

Wellbeing: Why alone can be good for you

Choosing to spend time by yourself can boost everything from self-awareness to happiness.

Alone but not lonely: Zoe McDonald explores the merits of solitary alignment on page 78 of February’s The Simple Things. “The deep focus you need to build and hone an idea comes from the ‘slow mind’. Time alone is crucial to allow ourselves space”, she says.

Not used to being on your own? Have a read through these suggestions from David Waters’ How to Spend Time Alone class. 
 

SOLITUDE FOR BEGINNERS

Ease yourself in. Try going for a walk by yourself and gradually be in your own company for longer and longer periods before embarking on a long stint such as a weekend alone.

Be prepared for anything. When you first start to connect to who you really are, you may be surprised by what you find.

Find ‘flow’ activities for your alone time such as reading, exercise, craftmaking or making music. l Don’t panic if at first you find spending time alone feels disorientating or even frightening. Take a step back and do a little less alone time until you feel comfortable again.

Alone time gives you the chance to discover what lies behind your public self – your authentic or true self. Be patient and let this emerge.

Intrigued? We’d also recommend a read of How to be Alone by Sara Maitland, published by the wonderful School of Life.

The Simple Things - Buy, download or subscribe now.

Think: The Folio Society

Beautiful words deserve beautiful paper, beautiful type, and beautiful covers, don't you agree?

Those of us who prefer vinyl to MP3, a wristwatch to a glimpse at a phone screen, or Polaroids to .jpg files know what pleasure there is to be had in the holding of a weighty, textured tome rather than a sleek device. Happily, this is the ethos of The Folio Society (as well as The Simple Things), which has been publishing the most charmingly crafted editions of fiction and non-fiction since 1947. 

With research to show that readers absorb less on Kindles than on paper, bookworms are becoming increasingly attached to paper and print. The Folio Society respects this with an attention to detail rarely found in publishing nowadays. The books they select for publication are timeless – books to be enjoyed and appreciated now and in the future. Because each book is considered as an individual object of value in its own right, there is a variety to The Folio Society aesthetic. The only uniformity is in the quality of every single book.

Illustrations are carefully commissioned, complementing each book to perfection. Emerging talents (including Jonathan Burton, Jillian Tamaki, Sam Weber, and Anna and Elena Balbusso) sit alongside seasoned masters (such as Quentin Blake, Paula Rego, John Vernon Lord and Tom Phillips) to produce new works of art. Wood engravings, paintings, collages, pen and ink, digital ... variety is at the heart of Folio’s remarkable catalogue of commissioned artwork. 

Marrying form and content, every book is a labour of love, a true work of art in its own right. Each comes in a unique slipcase, reinforcing the publisher’s raison d’etre  - these books are made to treasure, to enjoy, to pass down.

The Folio Society places huge value on the craftsmanship of bookbinders, printers, traditional letterpress and marbling experts, investing in these unique skills to create their unique volumes. 

Take a look at these beautiful films for a glimpse into how the books are made.

www.foliosociety.com

Words by Lottie Storey

Turn to page 71 of February's The Simple Things for our selection of romantic books - perfect Valentine's Day gifts. Buy, download or subscribe now.

Shop and save 10% at BigGreenSmile! Enter code SIMPLETHINGS10

Save 10% with this code – SIMPLETHINGS10

Shop now: www.biggreensmile.com

Recipe: Homemade Jaffa cakes

How do you transform a Jaffa Cake into a thoughtful gift? Make it yourself. And make it French. 

This recipe brings together soft cookies and marmalade, topped with crispy chocolate. Wherever you rock up with a tin of these, you’re sure to be well received. 

Makes about 20
170g orange marmalade 
Pinch of agar* powder
3 large free-range eggs 
75g caster sugar
75g plain flour
1 tsp sunflower oil 
200g/7oz dark chocolate

1 In a saucepan, mix the marmalade with 4 tsp of water, bring to a boil, sprinkle with the agar and mix vigorously. Let the marmalade simmer for 2 mins.

2 Put a tsp marmalade into each cup of a 20-cup mini muffin pan and let it cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for an hour. 

3 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Separate the eggs and, with an electric mixer, whisk the whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.

4 Sprinkle the sugar over the egg whites and whisk for another minute. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking all the time, and then beat in the flour. Finally, add the oil and mix gently.

5 Pour the batter onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Spread it to an even thickness to cover the baking sheet. Bake for about 10 mins and then let cool.

6 With a cookie cutter, cut circles about 5cm in diameter, wasting as little as possible. Set the cut-out circles on the same lined baking skeet and bake for about 5 mins to dry the cookies.

7 Spread each cookie with a little of the refrigerated marmalade mixture and
then arrange on a baking sheet and freeze for an hour.

8 Melt the chocolate in a bain marie (a heatproof bowl set just above a pan
of boiling water).

9 Remove the cookies from the freezer and, using a soft spatula, coat each one with a thin layer of melted chocolate. The difference in temperature will cause the chocolate to solidify almost instantly into a crisp layer.

10 Transfer the cookies to a rack as soon as they’re finished to let the chocolate harden completely before eating. The cookies keep for up to five days in an airtight tin.

*Agar is a kind of vegetarian gelatin, available in the baking section at big supermarkets.

Recipe taken from Better Made at Home by Estérelle Payany. Photography: Guillaume Czerw (Black Dog & Leventhal, £12.99).

More recipes!

Got a taste for shop-bought treats made by hand? Us too. Follow our Pinterest board for recipes for classics such as jammie dodgers, hobnobs, custard creams, fondant fancies, and even the chocolate teacake.

Follow The Simple Things's board Homemade treats on Pinterest.

Compiled by Lottie Storey

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Moments that matter

Wandering through the souks of Marrakesh, I savoured unfamiliar sounds and scents. Crossing a quiet courtyard, my eye was caught by a shaft of light, illuminating a tranquil figure set in the shadows, ladling bowls of aromatic soup. Exchanging smiles and a little money, I was welcomed to this oasis, frequented by Moroccan artisans. Space was made at the wooden bench and we ate.

Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people.

Recipe: Poached pears with chocolate sauce

Are we done with New Year diet resolutions? Might be after this  -  syrupy fruit and drizzled chocolate heaven

Poached pears with chocolate sauce

125g sugar 
1 vanilla pod, split 
2 pears, ripe but firm, peeled and cored (leave stalks on) 
60g dark chocolate, broken into chunks 
1 tbsp unsalted butter 
20g almonds, coarsely chopped

1 In a medium saucepan, bring 1 litre water to a boil with the sugar and split vanilla pod. 
2 Add pears and lower the heat. Simmer for 20-25 mins until fruit is soft. 
3 In a small pan over a low heat, melt the chocolate and butter. Stir until smooth, but do not let it boil. 
4 Drain the pears and plate them. Pour over the chocolate sauce and sprinkle with chopped almonds.

This recipe is part of an intimate, easy-does-it menu for two, page 25 of February’s The Simple Things. Other recipes include Mushroom and parmesan filo pouches, Fish en papillote, Pilaf, and Kir Royale.

February's The Simple Things is out now - buy, download or subscribe now.

Passion: February cover reveal

February needn’t leave you cold... There’s plenty to warm the heart, be it a long, hot soak, a new pair of shoes, or a waft of sexy scent. An easy menu for two serves up romance. Others find passion in a love of baking, of hats, or of beautifully bottled spirits. Doughnuts light your fire? How about a posh jaffa cake? It’s time to cosy up with wonderful winter reads – to find lasting fulfilment. Love from The Simple Things. 

February's The Simple Things is out today - buy, download or subscribe now.

Offer: The Edible Garden Show and Good Life Live

Join The Simple Things at The Edible Garden Show and Good Life Live this March!

Good Life Live, a newly launched lifestyle show, takes place alongside its sister, The Edible Garden Show, 20-22 March 2015.

From pro plot holders to windowsill wonder growers The Edible Garden Show will provide all the inspiration, innovation and information for you to #getreadytogrow this season. Good Life Live is packed full of experts talks, foraging information, bee keeping, preserving, chicken keeping and animal husbandry. With celebrity chefs, Rachel Green and Mark Lloyd in the CookIt! theatre there’s plenty to provide inspiration when digging for your dinner plate. Going beyond your plot, Good Life Live covers outdoor living, small holdings, travel, health & wellbeing and more.

Find out more.

Ticket offer for readers of The Simple Things

Get 2 tickets for £25 by using code: TST225 - that’s a 37% discount on door prices! 

To book your tickets, which give access to both Good Life Live and The Edible Garden Show, please call the ticket hotline on 0871 230 3451 or visit www.theediblegardenshow.co.uk.

Recipe: Griddled Courgettes with Turmeric & Pickled Chilli

Ever thought you’d wake up craving courgettes? Well, this recipe might just make you do that. It’s a fabulous side for roast lamb, pan-fried hake or daal and rice.

Griddled Courgettes with Turmeric & Pickled Chilli

Prep: 10 mins
Cooking: 20 mins

Feeds: 2-4 people

2-3 large courgettes
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
A gloss of olive oil
1 red chilli
75ml cider vinegar
2 tsp honey
2 tsp ground turmeric
Natural yogurt, to serve (optional)

Trim off the woody top end of your courgette. Using a large knife, thinly slice lengthwise into long 1/2cm-thick panels (or, if you prefer, just slice into rounds).

Dust a little salt and pepper over the sliced courgettes. Gloss with a little bit of oil, but don’t saturate them.

Thinly slice your chilli into rounds. Warm the vinegar and honey in a little pan, just till the honey’s dissolved. Swirl in your chillies. Take off the heat. Let them steep while you cook your courgettes. 

Get a large frying or griddle pan smoking hot. Carefully arrange your courgette slices in a single layer. Cook till nicely charred on each side. You’ll probably have to cook them in batches. 

Once cooked, set on a cutting board and dust each layer with the ground turmeric. Repeat till all of your courgettes are used up.

Artfully arrange your turmeric-dusted courgettes on a platter or individual plates. Sprinkle a little sea salt and pepper over. Add a little gloss of oil, if needed and some drizzles of natural yogurt, too, if you fancy.

Dot the pickled chillies over the top. Save the pickling vinegar to make a salad dressing for big leafy green salad to serve alongside – simply shake the vinegar in a jam jar with an equal amount of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Recipe: Abel & Cole 
Try a weekly box of organic, seasonal veg delivered to your door. 

 
ABEL & COLE OFFER

Order this week and get:

A FREE cookbook with your first delivery, and your 4th seasonal box FREE with a FREE bottle of organic Prosecco.

Visit Abel & Cole and enter the code TST14 at checkout.

Pottering in the potting shed: Keep plants toasty and warm this winter

In her Pottering in the potting shed series, our garden editor Cinead McTernan, shares ideas for things to do in your plot. This month, keep plants warm from the winter frost.

"Most of us saw a snowflake or two earlier this month, and if not, there was definitely a chill in the air as a cold band swept the country. Freezing temperatures make us reach for an extra pair of socks to keep us warm and the same thoughts can apply to outdoor plants too.  Even plants that are languishing in the relative protection of a greenhouse. While a layer of horticultural fleece will work wonders for any tender plants in beds and borders, you’ll need to add a bit of warmth to a greenhouse or potting shed too, to ensure that any seedlings you have started off or tender plants you’re overwintering will make it through extremely cold weather. Introducing a bit of heat before another frost will be enough to ward off any damage. 

"There are great products on offer in a range of styles to suit all budgets. If you’re lucky enough to have electricity in your greenhouse or potting shed, the skies really the limit! Mains powered eco and fan heaters can cope with a large-sized greenhouse (from 8x8m) and can be controlled by a thermostat, which helps maintain the right temperature. Expect to pay from £75 to £200 depending on your requirements. Alternatively, you can use gas or paraffin heaters, which are cheaper to buy with prices starting from £20, are economical to run and ideal for smaller spaces (under 6x8m)."

"I’ve got a Mini Greenhouse Paraffin heater which is more than enough for my 6x6m potting shed. Four litres of paraffin will set you back about £7 to £8 and will keep burning for 7 days. Helpfully, you can adjust the flame to help regulate the temperature. For the first time this year I can embrace the beauty of a frost-covered garden rather than worry about my overwintering herbs, perennials and early-sown seeds!"

Words: Cinead McTernan

More from Cinead's Pottering in the potting shed series

Chef’s brights: DIY oven gloves and apron

Colourful kitchen kit you can create at home and wear proudly while you cook.

It’s a tough one to call: is it more gratifying to whip up something new on your sewing machine or in the kitchen? Well, no need to choose, because we’ve cracked the dilemma with these crafty projects: you can create something in the kitchen while modelling the new apron and oven gloves you’ve made for yourself.

These two colourful sewing projects by Chloë Owens are a reminder that even the most useful of items will benefit from a dash of pattern and fun. Don’t be put off by the number of steps – they both use straightforward sewing (and a bit of sticking), rather than anything too challenging.

Turn to page 106 for the project instructions and download the project templates.

Projects by Chloë Owens. Taken from the book All Sewn Up (Cico Books, £14.99). 

The joy of a long hot soak

This month in our series on what makes a house a home, we relish the indulgence of wallowing in a warm, scented and foaming bath.

Shut the bathroom door, run the hot tap, light the candles and, in an instant, your utilitarian bathroom becomes a place of self indulgence. No other room has such a dual personality, switching from morning wash house to evening mini-spa with the simple addition of a few tea lights and a bottle of Matey. 

The power of a long hot soak is undeniable: it can help de-kink any annoying mental and physical niggles that have built up during the day, and it offers a space to think away from the commotion going on in the rest of the house. 
The most successful baths are a sensory overload – stroke and coddle your five senses and an hour or so of bliss will be yours. 

Turn to page 116 of February's The Simple Things for five tips on choosing and running the perfect bath. 

And have a listen to our favourite tub soakin’ tunes in our Spotify playlist.

​

Words and playlist: Clare Gogerty

How to combat a common cold

Made it this far without succumbing? There are ways to keep the lurgy at bay – find out how to combat a common cold.

Wash your hands: cold viruses can live on indoor surfaces for up to seven days. Nice.

Don’t touch your nose or eyes: this lowers your chance of getting infected.

Blitz surfaces against germs: regularly wipe keyboards, door handles, light switches and phones.

Test your metal: evidence suggests zinc can reduce the length and severity of a cold if taken as symptoms start. 

Flower up: trials found those who took echinacea regularly were 30% less likely to get a cold.