Two Tone Bean Terrine

I really wanted to love this two tone polka dot terrine, especially as it was inspired by one of my favourite vegetarian cookbooks, but was quite plain tasting. Maybe adding some sun-dried tomato paste would have given it more flavour.

The tomato paste gives the terrine that salmon pink colour. Anyway, this terrine sliced beautifully. It would be good for the buffet table or as a starter to a three course meal.

Did we eat it elegantly at the table with napkins in hand? Of course not, we took some into work and had it for lunch with some cherry tomatoes.

Two Tone French Bean Terrine
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients

230g green beans

230g yellow beans

4 eggs

3 tablespoons of double cream

4 tablespoons of concentrated tomato puree
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Preheat oven to gas mark 4. Top and tail the beans and cook separately in salted water for about 10 minutes. Drain and allow to cool. Line a 1 lb loaf tin with baking parchment paper and arrange the green beans length ways, then top with the yellow beans.
In a mixing bowl, beat in the eggs, add the double cream and tomato paste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over mixture on beans, press down so all submerged. Put loaf tin on a deep tray. Fill tray with water about two inches high and bake in oven for 30 minutes until set.

Allow to cool overnight, before slicing and serving.

Recipe adapted from Catherine Mason's Veg: Simple, stylish and seasonal vegetarian cooking

Plum and almond crumble for my tum tum

I am feeling a little under the weather today, so not much experimental cooking today.

These are some of the plums I picked from Fitzy’s plot yesterday, some of which were transformed into a plum and almond crumble, just what this girl needs to cheer her up on miserable rainy day.

Oops sorry no pictures today, I just wanted to dig in with my spoon and eat.

First ladybird, some weeding and a good harvest

First, I must give little beastie the spotlight. My first ladybird of the year, yipee, it's been worth the wait. Ain't she pretty. I also saw another but she was too hard to capture on camera as she was snugged tight in the cardoon head flower.
We arrived at the plot around 10am and left about 3.oopm. It was a good day at the allotment.
So much fresh produce. Most of it our own: beetroot, green beans, broccoli, Desiree potatoes, onions, carrots and red Marner cabbage; and a bag full of plums from Fitzy. Fitzy permitted to me pick some as long as I made him a plum cake. Good deal I think.

Amongst the marigolds, two types of beetroot: Detroit 2 and Golden.

The magnificent blauhilde climbing beans still growing on and on.

Red Swiss Chard

Some red onions, not very big are they?!

Much of my day was taken up by pulling out the white onions and then weeding and clearing the allium family bed.

These onions are okay, better than those I grew at home. I have left them in the hut to dry now so that I can store them for later use.

Some squash flowers. Tempura - nah I decided to leave them for the bees that are still hovering about.

From the surface this parsnip looked huge, which is what tempted me to pull it out the ground. But when I did, what did I find, a forked parsnip that is no good for anyone but the compost bin. Hopefully the others will be better...I would really like some of my own parsnips for Christmas please.

We took of the perspex from the courgette bed, so that is me there weeding the squash family bed as well as harvesting some baby gem squashes and courgettes, one or two of them had turned into marrows.

D spent most of the time today in the greenhouses harvesting a variety of tomatoes.