Summer delights
Jan 4th, 2009 by Dani
Another day of actual summer weather and it feels like paradise. Perfect accompaniments to a summer’s day, fresh bread and salad. The bread is a pumpkin and grain loaf inspired by Confessions of a French Baker. Lovely topped with nothing more than avocado. It would be delicious with soup. Even my pumpkin hating boys enjoyed it.
For dinner, in addition to pan fried skate and lime mouselline sauce, a salad, entirely from our garden. Dressed only with a splash of balsamic vinegar (yes I know, the vinegar was not from our garden). It was a mixture of rocket, oakleaf lettue, cos lettuse, chives, parsley, oregano, nasturtiun leave and flowers, spring onions, celery, nellie kellie tomatoes, snow peas and of course, a peach. Satisfying on many levels.
I fear I am somewhat sparse with recipes of late, particularly thermomix recipes. My aoplogies, I’ve not been doing much of that type of cooking of late. Too mnay other projects on the go. Hopefully now the festive madness has passed, I will begin to have more to offer. In the mentime, I will leave you with the recipe I adpated for the bread.
Pumpkin Grain Bread
adpated from Confessions of a French Baker, Peter Mayle with Gerard Auzet
I made the dough and kneaded for 8 minute in the thermomix
makes 2 medium sized loaves
200g pumpkin, cut into small cubes
black pepper
500g bread flour
30g mixed grains
10g salt
7g dried yeast
300g luke warm water
- toss pumpkin and pepper together
- combine all dry ingredients, add water and form a dough
- knead pumpkin in when dough is formed, knead for 8 – 10 minutes
- 1st rise in oiled bowl 45 minutes
- Divide into 2 portions and shape into smooth ball. Cover, prove for 20 minutes
- Knock back, fold it several times on itself. Shape into loaves. Cover, prove 30 minutes
- Brush with water, slash with blade, bake at 230 degrees, for 10 – 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 200 degrees and bake for another 10 – 15 minutes.
- Cool on wire rack
The loaf sounds great, and the salad sublime. Love nasturtiums in salads. That is summer. Who wants to cook?
Thermomixers last blog post..Menu for Hope – win 2 tickets to a Cooking Class – Prize Code AP18
Absolutely T’Mixer. Avoiding cooking on a hot day is a good thing. Particularly when one has been canning like crazy!