A few days ago, over dinner, we were discussing food (as you do) and Noreen happened to comment that I am a good cook. The word “imaginative” was also used. Well, I’m not so sure.

I’m certainly an competent and adequate cook. I can provide a good range of simple main courses (roasts to steak to curry) without having to think about it; as witness the recipes etc. posted here over the years. Similarly I can do some basic starters (including home-made terrine), and simple tarts and pies; plus some outliers such as parmesan biscuits, cantuccini and chutney. I can do variations on all this without the need for a recipe – except for the occasional inspiration and if I (unusually) decide to do anything like cake which needs precision.

However I have no formal training; just what I’ve picked up from my mother, odd friends, Noreen and the occasional cookery book. There are many things which I’m sure I don’t do “the right way”; and there are many things I don’t/won’t do. I don’t do fancy, pretty, cake and patisserie, nor anything “tricky” like soufflé. Yes, I probably could do all these, but they’re things we’re happy to keep for eating out occasions – why go out to eat what you can do easily and as well at home? My method is basically quick, easy and wholesome; and preferably low sugar and salt. In many ways what the French would term “cuisine grand-mère”.

Even as an undergraduate I was an adequate cook. In student residences each of our kitchens had a Baby Belling, so of course I heard lots of myths about what you couldn’t do with one: you can’t do jacket potatoes, or pastry or bread in a Baby Belling. I was confident enough to disprove every one of those myths. Obviously I’ve improved over the ensuing 60-ish years.

However, I am definitely not competent to even consider going on “Masterchef” or “Bake Off”. Nor would I want to. I dislike cooking under pressure; I couldn’t turn out intricate, fancy food at the drop of a hat; I likely don’t do things the approved way; and I hate the pretentiousness of it all.

Even leaving the pressure aside, I wouldn’t want to have to cook for large numbers, nor in a restaurant. I couldn’t turn out the same dish, 27 times every evening, and ensure they’re all exactly the same. That’s not the way I work; variety is built in to my method.

I proved most of this to myself on Sunday evening when we had Salmon en Croûte with sugar-snap peas and tartare sauce; followed by Apricot Frangipane, Peach and Blackberry Tart with cream. OK, so having found a brand we like the Tartare Sauce came from a jar, the puff-pastry was (good, Jus-Rol) commercially produced, likewise the cream.

Starting a 6.30 the salmon and the tarts were in the oven before 7 and we were eating by 7.30. And that included sitting twiddling my thumbs for 15 minutes while Noreen fed the cats. This is what I did …

Salmon en Croûte
I knew we had a (500g) block of puff pastry in the fridge which needed to be used. Some weeks back the supermarket were selling packs of 2 salmon tail fillets at “3 for £10”, so we bought 6 packs, used 2 and put the other 4 in the freezer. One pack was defrosting now. I knew that wrapping the salmon would need no more than half the pastry. And so it was: half the pastry rolled out, wrapped round the two salmon fillets, which were stacked head to tail, and sealed. About 30 minutes in the oven (pre-heated to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7). Sugar-snap peas take 5 minutes in the steamer. No need for potatoes as there’s plenty of carbs in the pastry. And served with a bottle of Crémant de Bourgogne.

Tarts
So how to use the other half of the pastry? I knew we had about ¼ jar of (commercial) apricot compote in the fridge. Thinking this would be too runny just to make “jam tarts” I figured that I could mix it with a roughly equal amount of ground almonds to make a frangipane-like paste. The pastry made 3 (9-10cm) tart cases in a Yorkshire pudding tin. Two of these were filled with the apricot mix. I added half a peach, some freshly-picked blackberries, a sprinkle of flaked almonds, and a tiny sprinkle of sugar to each. (The third tart case was filled with plain blackberries.) Again 20-30 minutes in the oven – in fact they came out at the same time as the salmon, so were still nicely warm when eaten. Served with double cream and a tot of Amaretto. Here’s one, literally just out of the oven …

Noreen’s comment was “I’ve eaten much, much worse in good restaurants”. And for once I was forced to agree: it was simple, quick, and used what was available; and it worked magnificently well. It wasn’t prettily presented, but it was good.

Yes, it could have been improved. I used too much pastry on the salmon. The salmon would have benefited from another veg or two to add some variety. The “frangipane” could have done with a little lift: Noreen suggested a shot of apricot or cherry brandy, I was thinking maybe some almond essence. I shall undoubtedly do both again.

So OK, I concede: maybe I am a good, everyday, cook; with the imagination to do variations. As Noreen often comments: compared with my mariner great-great-grandfather (c.1820-1905) we are living like the gentry. It’s one good thing lockdown has done: we’re actually eating better than we were before (and not putting on weight!). It’s something we can take pleasure in to get us through all the current mess.

This is number 3 in the “rusticated tart” recipe series; see Rusticated Fruit Tart and Rusticated Veggie Tart.

It is worth using your pastry offcuts, especially if you’re doing a big bake and have a number of offcuts.

Although re-rolling the pastry doesn’t do it many favours, it doesn’t matter too much for these free-form, informal, snacks. I’m assuming puff pastry, but shortcrust would work too; obviously you’d not want to re-roll filo pastry sheets.

I guarantee these will not hang around for long – hence no pictures!

Here are two options:

Mini Fruit Turnovers
They make a nice little amuse bouche with your morning coffee.

1. Re-roll the pasty and cut into rough 5cm squares.
2. In the middle of each square put a slice of fruit (or a strawberry, or 2-3 raspberries; you get the idea).
3. Egg-wash the pastry and fold the edges over.
4. More egg glaze and sprinkle with a couple of pinches of sugar.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden.

Simple Cheese Palmiers
These make a yummy snack at any time!

1. Re-roll the pastry to make a rough oblong about 10 wide.
2. Sprinkle liberally with grated cheese, and if you wish a good grind of black pepper or some chopped herbs.
3. Fold both long edges to the middle and then fold the two halves together.
4. Cut into 5-10mm slices and lay flat on a baking sheet.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese is running and the pastry browning.

Enjoy!

So following on from yesterday’s recipe for Rusticated Fruit Tart, here’s how I did a veggie version. It’s quite like the fruit tart, but obviously not sweetened.

Serves: 4 as a main course or 6-8 as a starter
Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

• 500g packet of puff pastry
• A good quantity of “summer” vegetables (see below)
• 2-3 handfuls of grated hard cheese (cheddar or a cheddar/parmesan mix)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1 egg, beaten (or some milk)

For the veg I used 2 yellow peppers, 8-10 cherry tomatoes, a fennel, 3 large mushrooms, small red onion, 2 cloves of garlic. You could also use chopped fresh herbs (thyme would be good), aubergine, courgette, celery, leeks. Of course, if you want a non-veggie version you could always add some chopped bacon.

Go easy with the cheese but don’t be mean. While you want enough for good flavour, too much cheese will make the tart too greasy.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220℃/200℃ fan/gas mark 7.
2. Prepare a baking sheet and cover with baking parchment.
3. Prepare the veg much as you would for doing roast vegetables (just cut a bit smaller). Cut into pieces to roughly match the cherry tomatoes or 2cm pieces. Roughly chop the garlic (and any herbs). Put in a food bag with black pepper to taste and the olive oil. Shake up to get the veg coated in oil.
4. Roll out the pastry to form a rough circle the size of the baking sheet (or slightly bigger; it doesn’t have to be precise) and transfer to the baking sheet.
5. If the pastry has come out square-ish, snip off the corners to make something rounder, otherwise you end up with too many thick folds of pastry. Keep the pastry offcuts!
6. Paint the pastry liberally with the egg.
7. Sprinkle about 2/3 of the grated cheese in the centre of the pastry leaving a 3-4cm border around the edge.
8. Pile the veg on the cheese. If you think you have too much veg, you haven’t as it will cook down.
9. Fold the edges of the pastry up and over the veg to form a tart. Try to get some veg inside the fold so it isn’t just pastry!
10. Brush the edge of the tart with the egg. And if there’s any egg left over sprinkle it over the veg.
11. Top with the remaining cheese.
12. Bake for about 30 minutes until the pastry is crisp & golden, the veg cooked and the cheese browning.
13. Serve either hot or cold with a good white wine.

Here’s one I made earlier, fresh from the oven.

Tomorrow, what to do with those pastry offcuts.

An easy to make free-form fruit tart. The advantage here is that you don’t need a flan/quiche tin nor does the fruit have to be arranged in pretty patterns (though you could if you wish).

You can use almost any fruit. Gooseberries work well, as should any other berries. Rhubarb is also good; cut it into 1-2cm pieces. Stone fruit work well too, as would apples or pears. Citrus probably not so good, although YMMV.

I use puff pastry (and I can’t be bothered to make it) but you could use shortcrust or even filo pastry.

Serves: 6-8 as a sweet course
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 500g packet of puff pastry
• 600-750g fruit (more is better as it cooks down)
• 2-3 tbsp ground almonds
• 6 tbsp caster sugar (or a bit more depending how sweet you want the fruit)
• 1 egg, beaten (or an equivalent amount of milk)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220℃/200℃ fan/gas mark 7.
2. Prepare a baking sheet and cover with baking parchment.
3. Mix the ground almonds with an equal amount of sugar and set aside.
4. Mix the beaten egg (or milk) with 2 tbsp sugar and set aside.
5. Prepare the fruit. Top and tail any berries. Remove stones. Cut fruit into pieces (they don’t have to be pretty).
6. Roll out the pastry to form a rough circle the size of the baking sheet (or slightly bigger; it doesn’t have to be precise) and transfer to the baking sheet.
7. If the pastry has come out square-ish, snip off the corners to make something rounder, otherwise you end up with too many thick folds of pastry. Keep the pastry offcuts!
8. Paint the pastry liberally with the egg/sugar mix.
9. Sprinkle the ground almond mix in the centre of the pastry leaving a 3-4cm border around the edge.
10. Pile the fruit on the almond mix – again it doesn’t have to look pretty – and sprinkle with another 1-2 tbsp sugar (to taste).
11. Fold the edges of the pastry up and over the fruit to form a tart.
12. Brush the edge of the tart with the egg mix and sprinkle over a little extra sugar.
13. Bake for about 30 minutes until the pastry is crisp & golden and the fruit softened.
14. Serve either hot or cold with cream or ice-cream.

Here’s a (red) gooseberry tart I made earlier, still on the baking sheet and guarded by four mini rustic apple turnovers (more about that later!).

Tomorrow I’ll tell you how I made a yummy veggie version of this tart. And the day after that what to do with those pastry offcuts.