"That looks yummy" my three year old niece, Anneka, proclaimed as she sat on my lap as I tried to check my email. She was looking at this photo which I have used as a screen saver. I loved the colours and the way the light was falling on the juice as it dribbled into the Mascarpone cheese. I was rather taken aback she thought it looked good.
Last week I wrote about toast and I am still thinking about it. Toast is a simple wholesome food which has to be dressed. It can be dressed up or down depending on how you feel and what kind of occasion you are serving it at. Rather like a simple dress that can look great as a day dress but add some twinkly ear rings, style your hair and put on some lip stick and the same dress can rise to a different more glamorous occasion.
In this recipe I used a Walnut loaf by the brilliant baker Emmanuel Hadjiandreou who I had the pleasure of working with last year at the School of Artisan Food on the Welbeck Estate, Nottinghamshire.
His book 'How to make bread' is my 'go to' recipe book for gorgeous bread. The walnut loaf is made using Dove Farm's Malthouse bread flour which has a malty flavour and the walnuts add a nutty texture.
As this is the season for plums, I coated the crisp, warm toast with the creamy Mascarpone and topped it with dark plums cooked in honey and flavoured with cinnamon. I loved them and judging by Anneka's reaction I think children might like them too.
Baked cinnamon plums with Mascarpone on walnut toast
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 8 dark skinned plums
- 1-2 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 150g Mascarpone cheese
- 8 slices of walnut bread, brioche or good quality bread
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Cut the plums in half and remove their stones. Place the plum halves skin side down in the indentations of a bun tin. A baking tray would also do. Dribble the plum halves with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon. Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes or until the plums are soft and purple juice is oozing from their skins. Toast slices of bread and smear generously with a layer of Mascarpone cheese. Top with the cinnamon plums and dribble with any remaining plum juice.
Avocado, lime and chilli on toast
This is a version of a recipe from Tonia George's book Toast. It is simple, tasty and nutritious and a great lunch dish. It is slightly different from the usual guacamole and you can add more Tabasco if you feel like you want some more heat on your tongue.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 avocados
- juice one lime
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- a few dashes of Tabasco sauce
- 4 slices of granary toast
Method
Halve the avocados, remove the stones and scrape the flesh from the skin. Place the avocado flesh into a bowl, add the lime juice and chopped coriander and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and add a few drops of Tabasco sauce to add a little heat to the mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste. Lightly toast bread until it just turns golden brown and spread with the avocado, lime and chilli mix.
