Last of the Summer Dine

Is it just me or does it feel like it is already getting darker in the evenings? With the kids heading back to school next week we are clinging on to the last few summer days and getting the most from our ice cream maker and picnic baskets before dusting off the slow cooker.

This week-end will also see the start of the preview of our Autumn / Winter new products for our 'early bird hosts' which also means that we say goodbye to some of our seasonal products to make way for the new ones.

Thai Dressing with Kaffir Lime for example will be taking a sabbatical so enjoy it while you can! I've taken some inspiration from our consultant Hazel Kerr's recipe for salmon en croute (a winning recipe no less from our recent consultant awards) which combines cream cheese with our Secret Wild Garlic Spices with salmon - which I switched to smoked trout - and wrapped in pastry - which I converted to simple open tarts. This dish was crying out to be paired with a simple watercress and rocket salad drizzled with Thai Dressing.  Here you can see Hazel's original version - great for a centrepiece - and my twisted version for a starter, lunch or picnic dish, find the recipe here.

Our Mango Mojito Dessert Sauce however will be sticking around to give some much needed sunshine flavours through the winter.  I've also experimented with a recipe for Mango & Rum Ice Cream from our Scottish leader Lisa Riddoch by turning into a dairy free sherbet. You will need an ice cream maker for the sherbet, find the recipe here

Hazel Kerr's Secret Salmon en Croute

Lisa Riddoch's Mango Mojito & Rum Ice Cream

Dairy Free Mango Colada Sherbet

Secret Smoked Trout Tarts with Thai Dressing

So enjoy the last of the summer sunshine and the last of the summer dining - for now anyway!

Enjoy

Clare

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Party Passion

I've not posted for a while which is indicative of  lack of time in the kitchen recently - the school holidays have taken hold plus our imminent product launch to our lovely consultants this week-end has meant time spent on other secret activities in our kitchen.

We did have time to run a recipe challenge for our consultants recently (find the winning recipe in our new edition Menu out in September) and as I was flipping through our recipe archive I found a consultant recipe for 'Chocaberry Passion' and with a house full of hungry kids today it was the perfect recipe to try.

Plus in August we have a fabulous host promotion featuring Chocaberry Cheese Ball Mix with Hibiscus and Rose Nectar so I thought I would combine the two. As you should know by now, we have a real passion for flavour and passion fruit coupled with our floral Hibiscus and Rose Nectar is a sublime combination. We also have a passion for our tasting parties - yes, I have come to terms with calling them 'parties' after all its food, its with friends and above all, its fun! So this month we have extra rewards for our hosts and customers too to thank them for their party passion too.

Chocaberry Cheese Ball Mix is a mainstay on our menu - as well as producing superb cheese cakes and you must try our semi-freddo recipe, here is another to add to the list. Chocaberry Passion has been used to fill simple pastry cases and topped with crystalised rose petals which have been sitting in my cupboard for far longer than I care to remember,

 

 

 

A simple drizzle of Hibiscus & Rose Nectar adds a perfect finishing touch to these perfect morsels................................

 

 

 

Similarly, you can go all out and with added fresh berries soused in Hibiscus & Rose Nectar to make a delectable dessert when out to impress.

Finally, I plan on mixing all the leftovers together with the soft fruits, passion fruit pulp and Hibiscus & Rose Nectar and either whizzing up as a super deluxe smoothie or putting it through my ice cream maker; either way nothing goes to waste and I'm feeling rather smug at creating several recipes from one. Although, mixing a few ingredients together is hardly 'cooking' but let that be our little secret!


Enjoy!

Clare
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