Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is dedicated to two of Britian’s most famous authors, who’s birthdays are remembered this week J. K. Rowling OBE and Beatrix Potter. Seeing that Britain’s Summer has finally arrived, this week’s recipes are ideal for summer barbeques and lazy lunches in the sun, they are; – Waldorf Salad,Lemon Chicken Salad & Oven Roasted Aromatic Ribs with a Bourbon & Orange Glaze.
J. K. Rowling OBE, FRSL (born 31 July 1965), is a British novelist, best known as the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series. The Potter books have gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, sold more than 400 million copies to become the best-selling book series in history and been the basis for a popular series of films, in which Rowling had overall approval on the scripts as well as maintaining creative control by serving as a producer on the final instalment. Rowling conceived the idea for the series on a train trip from Manchester to London in 1990.
Rowling has led a “rags to riches” life story, in which she progressed from living on social security to multi-millionaire status within five years. As of March 2011, when its latest world billionaires list was published, Forbes estimated Rowling’s net worth to be US$1 billion. The 2008 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling’s fortune at £560 million ($798 million), ranking her as the twelfth richest woman in the United Kingdom. Forbes ranked Rowling as the forty-eighth most powerful celebrity of 2007, and Time magazine named her as a runner-up for its 2007 Person of the Year, noting the social, moral, and political inspiration she has given her fans. In October 2010, J. K. Rowling was named ‘Most Influential Woman in Britain’ by leading magazine editors. She has become a notable philanthropist, supporting such charities as Comic Relief, One Parent Families, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain, and Lumos (formerly the Children’s High Level Group). On 12 April 2012, Rowling announced that her new adult novel The Casual Vacancy would be published in the UK by Little, Brown and Company on 27 September 2012.
Beatrix Potter (28 July 1866 – 22 December 1943) was an English author, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist best known for her imaginative children’s books featuring animals such as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit which celebrated the British landscape and country life.
Born into a privileged Unitarian family, Potter, along with her younger brother, Walter Bertram (1872–1918), grew up with few friends outside her large extended family. Her parents were artistic, interested in nature and enjoyed the countryside. As children, Beatrix and Bertram had numerous small animals as pets which they observed closely and drew endlessly. Summer holidays were spent in Scotland and in the English Lake District where Beatrix developed a love of the natural world which was the subject of her painting from an early age.
She was educated by private governesses until she was eighteen. Her study of languages, literature, science and history was broad and she was an eager student. Her artistic talents were recognized early. Although she was provided with private art lessons, Potter preferred to develop her own style, particularly favouring watercolour. Along with her drawings of her animals, real and imagined, she illustrated insects, fossils, archaeological artefacts, and fungi. In the 1890s her mycological illustrations and research on the reproduction of fungi spores generated interest from the scientific establishment. Following some success illustrating cards and booklets, Potter wrote and illustrated The Tale of Peter Rabbit publishing it first privately in 1901, and a year later as a small, three-colour illustrated book with Frederick Warne & Co. She became unofficially engaged to her editor Norman Warne in 1905 despite the disapproval of her parents, but he died suddenly a month later, of leukemia.
With the proceeds from the books and a legacy from an aunt, Potter bought Hill Top Farm in Near Sawrey, a tiny village in the English Lake District near Ambleside in 1905. Over the next several decades, she purchased additional farms to preserve the unique hill country landscape. In 1913, at the age of 47, she married William Heelis, a respected local solicitor from Hawkshead. Potter was also a prize-winning breeder of Herdwick sheep and a prosperous farmer keenly interested in land preservation. She continued to write, illustrate and design spin-off merchandise based on her children’s books for Warne until the duties of land management and diminishing eyesight made it difficult to continue. Potter published over twenty-three books; the best known are those written between 1902 and 1922. She died on 22 December 1943 at her home in Near Sawrey at age 77, leaving almost all her property to the National Trust. She is credited with preserving much of the land that now comprises the Lake District National Park. Potter’s books continue to sell throughout the world, in multiple languages. Her stories have been retold in song, film, ballet and animation.
The full version of this article can be found at www.garfysplaceinfo.blog.co.uk
My first recipe is Waldorf Salad Courtesy of Slimming World.
Serves: 4, Prep time: 20 – 25 mins
For the dressing
10 tbsp x Extra Light Mayonnaise
2 tsp x White Wine Vinegar
1 tsp x Dijon Mustard
A pinch of Artificial Sweetener
For the salad
1 x Medium-sized Celeriac
Juice of 1 lemon
2 x Apples, cored
2 x Ripe Pears, cored
4 x Celery Sticks, finely sliced
2 x Little Gem Lettuces, leaves separated
25g x Chopped Walnuts
To make the dressing, place the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard and sweetener in a bowl and blend to combine. Season to taste and set aside until needed.
For the salad, peel the celeriac and cut into manageable chunks. Using a mandolin, slice the celeriac pieces into thin strips. Place them immediately into a large bowl with some of the lemon juice and just enough water to cover. Prepare the apples and pears in exactly the same way.
Drain the celeriac, apples and pears and toss them in the dressing along with the celery. Season. Line a large serving bowl with the lettuce leaves and top with the salad. Scatter with the walnuts and serve.
My next recipe is Lemon Chicken Salad recipe by Lisa Harris Courtesy of www.uktv.co.uk/food
Serves: 2 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 12 mins
2 x Chicken Breasts, cut into strips
1 tbsp x Olive Oil
1 x Lemon, zest and juice
4 x Sprigs thyme, leaves removed from stalks
1/2 tsp x Dried red chilli flakes
70g x Rocket, or Mixed Salad Leaves
A Handful of Basil, torn into shreds
2 x Sprigs of Mint, chopped
1/2 x Red Onion, thinly sliced
A Handful of Black Olive, chopped in half lengthways
Put the chicken breast strips, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, thyme and chilli flakes into a sealable food bag. Season with salt and pepper. Seal the bag and shake to cover the chicken breast with all the flavour. If you have time you can leave the chicken to marinade in the fridge for 30 minutes at this point.
Heat a frying pan and tip the contents of the bag into the pan. Fry chicken for 8-10 minutes until cooked through. Meanwhile, spread rocket, basil and mint onto two plates and sprinkle with sliced onion. Add the olives to the chicken, and stir through to warm. After 1 minute, spoon the chicken onto the salad. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the pan and warm through, stirring all the time to create a lemony sauce. Drizzle over the leaves to finish and serve with crusty bread or new potatoes.
My final recipe is Oven Roasted Aromatic Ribs with a Bourbon & Orange Glaze recipe by David Broom Courtesy ofwww.bbcgoodfood.com
Serves 4
3 x 500g Packs of Pork Ribs (about 16 ribs in total)
A Herby Green Salad, to serve
For The Glaze
140g x Orange Marmalade, preferably shredless or fine shred
2 tbsp x Dark Muscovado Sugar
150ml x Bourbon
100ml x Fresh Orange Juice
5cm x Piece of Fresh Root Ginger, peeled and coarsely grated
5 tbsp x Tomato Ketchup
2 tbsp x White Wine Vinegar
Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5/fan 170C. Put the pork ribs in a large roasting tin and pour over cold water until they are barely covered. Carefully place in the oven and cook for 1 hour. This tenderises the meat and removes much of the fat, but it makes the ribs look grey and unappetising at this stage. Don’t worry – they’ll be dark and glossy once they are roasted.
Meanwhile, mix together all the ingredients for the glaze in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the marmalade has dissolved. Turn up the heat and allow the mixture to bubble until it has reduced by about one quarter.
Remove the ribs from the oven and increase the temperature to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C. Tip the ribs and liquid into a colander in the sink and give the colander a good shake to remove any excess liquid. Return the ribs to the roasting tin, pour over the glaze and turn them until they’re evenly coated. Roast in the oven for 50 minutes until the ribs are covered in a sticky glaze, turning and basting at least twice. Serve hot, with a herby green salad.
It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends. – J K Rowling
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Hope you enjoy!!….. ChefGarfy =D
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