How to self cater an afternoon tea wedding (part 2)

When you are planning a wedding and you're reading wedding magazines and blogs, you find yourself saying this phrase a lot 'it won't be like that at my wedding.' For me it was whenever brides said they didn't get to eat much at that their weddings. I've always been a huge fan of wedding canapes and was determined we would be able to enjoy them. It was simple. We would have our photos done in the morning. Then we'd arrive at the reception with everyone else and we'd be able to relax and enjoy the food we had work a hard on. However, it rained. It rained hard. One of my bridesmaids told me 'every raindrop is a drop of good luck.' I must be the luckiest girl in the word because it hadn't rained like that for a long time. So I missed out on the canapes but I'm told they were fantastic.

The canapes were the only thing that we changed pretty much on a monthly basis and in the end it came down to cost. We had to chose canapes that suited all diets, that were delicious, that were easy to make but most of all didn't cost a fortune. Unfortunately the other person that missed the canapes was our lovely photographer David McNeil. There was a window of sunshine and we were having our photos taken outside so he didn't manage to get any shots of the canapes. But he did get some of the production.

Canape number 1: Halzephron herb dip with Bryher crudites

This is a great canape for vegetarians. We hired shot glasses and made up a mayonnaise based herb dip. You can buy halzephron herb dip sachets here. We bought squeezy bottles and squirted the dip inside each one. Then cut a selection of five crudite we bought off the Hillside Farm vegetable stall the day before. We chose mini carrots, french beans, mange tout, pepper and courgette. We then decorated with a nasturtium petal. We would have also decorated with a borage flower but they didn't flower in time. My mum assures me, a month on, she has a very impressive borage bush. I loved these canapes. I thought they looked summery and light and fitted in with our colourful flowers and our love of growing vegetables. I also liked them because they were a combination of Cornwall and Scilly...just like us.

Canape number 2: Tomato, basil and buffalo mozzarella squewers

This was something else that didn't quite go to plan. We had chosen this because of the spectacular tomatoes you can get from the stall on Bryher. Our family eats them like sweets. Unfortunately they weren't quite ready the week of the wedding so Zoe at Bryher Stores ordered us some in and they were delicious. We bought those small buffalo mozzarella balls, sliced them up with halved tomatoes and basil and served on a squewer.

Canape Number 3: Cheese and Pistachio Shortbreads

Both the above canapes had to be done on the day and were probably the most expensive due to the mozzarella and the hiring of the glasses so I needed canapes that had lower cost ingredients. My sister made these for us the Christmas before we got engaged and I loved them. They are insanely cheap and easy to make and can be made the day before. (The dough can be made in advance and chilled.) She was meant to make 140 and ended up making 700. There still didn't seem to be many left!

The recipe is a Delia Smith one.

1oz unsalted shelled pistachios

1 and a half oz strong white flour sifted

1 and a half oz unsalted butter

1 and a half oz grated parmesan

a pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

Chop the pistachios in a mini chopper. Then mix them with all the other ingredients in a medium bowl. Rub until it starts to form a dough and bring it together into a ball. Transfer to a board and knead lightly and then roll into a sausage shape about 7 inches long and wrap in cling film and chill in the freezer for half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 170'c. Slice the log into discs about half an inch wide and spread over a baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes until they start to go golden around the edges. When they are cooked, put on a cooling rack and store in an airtight tin.

Canape Number 4: Sausages with honey and mustard

These were chosen simply because I love them and could eat hundreds. I ended up buying the sausages from Marks and Spencers because I decided making them with cooked sausages was easier and quicker. They were just marinated in honey and wholegrain mustard the day and then cooked in the oven until hot and sticky.

Canapes Number 5: Sausage Rolls

Before I realised I needed to pay for things like napkins and glasses and welcome drinks... I wanted to hire china spoons and have a teaspoon of Bryher crab on each spoon with a small squirt of lemon mayonaisse. My mum rarely interfered but she did put her foot down here and said she thought we should have sausage rolls. After a brief moment of bridezilla snobbery I realised 1) I love sausgae rolls 2) My mum makes the best sausage rolls in the world 3) Everyone loves sausage rolls. 4) They are easy 5) They are a cheap canape.

She has not yet shared the recipe so I have no idea how they are made except I know it is flakey pastry and uses meat from sausages and not sausage meat. I know she made them the week before and they were individually frozen. They were then cooked from frozen.

Money saving tips: I bought some plain trays from a Habitat sale and Ikea for the canapes to be served on and some herbs to decorate them. Luckily my sister liked the trays and wanted them for her wedding so I bought half and she bought half and we shared them. We were very lucky to have her wedding so close by because it meant we could share vases, decorations etc. It's another benefit of having no fixed colour scheme...people will happily donate their decorations. A lot of the ingredients I bought in advance (honey, mustard, mayonnaise etc) so I wasn't saddled with a huge bill in June.

What I shouldn't have done:

Looking back I probably should have had four canapes and they should have all been cold. Even though it was raining and a bit chilly it was a summer wedding and cold canapes would have been fine. Even though I didn't get to eat them I did see some and they looked wonderful. They were economical, simple, tasty and easy to eat.

** None of these canapes could have been done without my fabulous sisters and brother in laws, my wonderful cousin and the Team Bramble girls. They did the chopping, slicing, cooking and marinating. And they acted as if they were loving every minute even though they were probably cursing me under their breath. Thank you all! (I will do another blog about having the right helpers.)

Coming soon....The afternoon tea.

Boxing Day.....

I've started to get a vegetable box again. I'd forgotten what it's like to have a whole box of goodies delivered straight to you. Deliciously wonky sweet potatoes, a dusty turnip, earthy potatoes in a paper bag, two emerald leeks and two golden parsnips.

We've already eaten polenta and black pepper sweet potato wedges this week. Had a stir fry with crispy leeks and am planning on some duck fat chips. But I was a bit stumped about what to do with the parsnips.

This is a great starter recipe for vegetarians or to have as a canape. I served them with some Halzephron Red Onion Marmalade....

Parnsip Puffs with Red Onion Marmalade....

2oz/50g strong white bread flour

1 cup cold water

2oz/50g butter

2 eggs

1 medium parsnip (top and tailed) grated

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

a few drops of Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 200'c. Sieve the flour and put to one side. In a saucepan put the water, Worcestershire sauce and chopped up butter. Bring to the boil. Take off the heat and add the flour. Beat with a flat wooden spoon. In a different bowl beat the eggs. Add a little at a time and continue to beat until you've added all the egg. Stir in the mustard.

Line a baking tray and drop a tsp of the mix on the baking paper.

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until brown and crispy.

Cornwall Food Festival 2010 Preview

A month today I'll have a purse full of money, an empty cupboard and a blog ready to be written as it's just a month to go until the Cornwall Food and Drink Festival 2010.

My favourite chef Chris Eden from The Driftwood at Portscatho will be cooking there. (Mental note: must book birthday meal there). Again I could go on and on about how much I love the place...but you can read it again here.

And the lovely Ben Tunnicliffe formerly of The Abbey in Penzance now of The Scarlet Hotel at Mawgan Porth. Two years ago he did an amazing beetroot and blue cheese salad. It was incredible.

Exhibitors include some of my favourites Roddas, Roskillys, Healeys Cider Farm, Deli Farm Charcuterie and the Cornish Sea Salt Company.

I'll also be visiting The Cheese Shop stall to stop up on some non cows milk cheeses to keep me going. While the other half enjoys indulging in as much brie as he likes!

Crispy Cornish Brie with Sweet Chilli Sauce (serves 2).....

1 small Cornish brie (about 125g/5oz)

1 egg

1 handful of breadcrumbs

3 tbsp plain flour

1 pint of vegetable/groundnut oil

4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (I must blog the recipe for this one...)

Pour the oil into a heavy based based and heat for a minute of two. Cut the brie into six triangles. On 3 plates put the beaten egg, flour and breadcrumbs.

Roll each chunk in the egg, then the flour, then the egg again, then the breadcrumbs. Test the oil is hot enough by putting a small chunk of bread in. If it fiercely sizzles it's ready. Carefully put the brie pieces in two at a time until golden brown. When all six after cooked split between two plates and serve with the sweet chilli sauce.

Twisted traditions....

At the moment I feel like I am growing up and it scares the hell out of me. The new house, a pension, everyone coming to ours for Christmas (even the word 'ours' sounds grown up). But aside from the fear, the commitment phobia and the smaller bank balance the fun parts are starting to come through as well. Like Christmas traditions. The excitement of remembering something you did last year and recreating it.

Back on Scilly in Taylor Towers we have all kinds of festive traditions. A family photograph....

(This was actually a summer one...any ideas why I refused to wear trousers??!!)

A reindeer decoration on the tree with the back legs spray painted green, sweet and sticky honey roast ham studded with cloves on Christmas eve, shivering in Bryher Church at the island carol service, fights over who makes the bread sauce, mum's annual bingo, dad's annual fight about why he has to play bingo...these are the memories that makes Christmas.

And for two years it's broken my heart not to be a part of it. Last year I sat on the sofa, head in hands, and sobbed that I wasn't with my family. But we created another Christmas tradition, me and the other half, a tradition of never being apart at Christmas.

We also wore festive pjs and drank hot chocolate while watching films. We made a mountain of brownies and spent hours boiling Christmas fudge which we wrapped in sparkling boxes for our friends.

And this year the Taylor family and the other half's family are coming together to spend a Christmas in Cornwall. Hopefully this gaspingly crisp cold weather will stick around so we can go for walks at Trelissick and watch Boxing Day swimmers.

But it won't all be new. All of my mum's best recipes will be coming out of her handwritten cook book. The flour dusted pages will be dusted off and the pages glued together will be prized apart. (The sweet and sour sprouts didn't make the final cut...sorry mum).

Cheese and pickle twists are a favourite with all of us. Hot, crumbly pastry with melted cheese and sweet spicy chutney. They are a brilliant was of using up extra pastry, cheese and half used jars of chutney. (If you're dairy intolerant my little sister uses manchego and says they are just as good.)

Cheese and Pickle Twists

Leftover puff pastry
Leftover cheddar
Mango Chutney (I use Geeta's because it's by far the best)
Egg to glaze it with

I haven't given exact amounts because it depends on what you have leftover. Chop the lump of pastry in half and on a floured surface roll out each piece thinly until it is about the thickness of a 1p coin.

Spread a thick layer of mango chutney on one layer. It's worth trying to get nice big lumps of mango in there. Then grate thinly some cheddar cheese over the chutney. Place the other layer of pastry over the top like you would a sandwich. Then roll your rolling pin lightly over the top to fix the two layers together. Cut the pastry into one inch vertical strips.

Then hold each strip at both ends and twist around. Don't worry about little bits of cheese falling out. Place of a lined baking tray and glaze with some beaten egg. Pop in the oven for around 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Some of the mango chutney will spill out and my go dark brown and sticky but they still taste yummy. Eat while warm. You can eat them on your own or with hot soup.

Easy does it....

It's your friend's wedding day. What three things are on your mind? 1) What will the bride be wearing? 2) "OMG I haven't wrapped the present yet, where are my shoes??, what do you mean have I ironed your shirt!!" 3) What are the canapes going to be like?

The third can make or break a wedding and I suppose the same stands for a Christmas party. I love canapes. Little bites of loveliness. I've already started stocking my freezer because no one wants a host faffing about in the kitchen, 'glowing' because of having to open the oven every thirty seconds. I want canapes that are quick and easy but guests go home remembering.

This week I'll be making crab cakes to sit in the freezer (once I've been to the farmer's market tomorrow to stock up on crab.) I'll also be freezing blinis and stocking up on everything I need for last minute dips.

But these are my favourites... my former housemate used to make them and they are beautiful. (Sorry about the fuzziness of the picture. I need a new camera so badly...family please note!)

Sausages with mint and honey.......


(Makes 50 this sounds a lot but, I promise you, they won't last!)

1 pkt 5o mini sausages
200g honey
1 handful fresh mint or 2 and a half tsps dried mint

Preheat the oven to 200'c. Mix the honey with the sausages and place in a baking tray. Pop them in the oven for 20 minutes until they are plump. Take out of the oven and leave on the sideboard to cool for 15 mins. Add the finely sliced mint and mix through. Spear with a cocktail stick and eat!

The devils wore parma....

I've never been good with secrets. But I've got one and it's a goody. I wish I could share it with you but it's one of those secrets that you've got to keep to yourself because if it goes wrong it's worse if you've told people. But as soon as I am given the thumbs up you will be the first to know...and I will go on and on about it and you'll wish I never told you.

We've just finished a lemony roast chicken and I am stuffed! While I made the gravy I added my usual teaspoon of marmite and I wondered if anyone else does this? My friend's mum used to use it instead of gravy browning and it made it so much richer and strangely meatier....maybe you add something even stranger?



During the next few weeks you'll be getting a lot of two types of recipes; canapes and sweets. I love them both and strangely enough I only make them at Christmas. Perhaps because I make a year's worth in one month and can't be bothered for the rest of the year. This one is the most basic and easy and great before a roast dinner. I love the salty crispy bacon cuddling the squidgy sweet prune. So easy and always appreciated! I've never tried soaking them in brandy before Nigella style....they were delicious...and powerful!

Boozy Devils on Horseback....(serves 4)

8 dried prunes

2 tbsp brandy

4 slices streaky bacon

In a tub pop the prunes and the brandy then place them in the fridge and forget about them for the rest of the day. When you're ready wrap them in bacon and hold in place with a cocktail stick. Nestle them in between the roast chicken tray and the roast potato tray for about 15 minutes!