Review of Restaurant La Forastera, on La Gomera

If you're in La Gomera, make sure you don't walk past this place.

I've just returned from a little sunshine holiday in La Gomera, the smallest of the Canary Islands. As you'd probably expect from such a tiny island in the middle of nowhere, the food on the whole was quite simple and rustic- nothing too fancy. We had a few dodgy meals (unidentified, mysterious cuts of meat, including a rather dubious pork chop that certainly was not a pork chop), and a few good ones too. Tapas style lunches were the way to eat out, with dishes like croquettes and Padron peppers being a speciality and always a hit.

However, I just had to dedicate a blog post to our best discovery, a restaurant called La Forastera, in the town of San Sebastian. We'd done a bit of research on trip advisor (classic tourists), and seen some really good reviews for this place, so we decided to go for lunch; and what a lovely lunch it was too!

We started off by ordering a bottle of white wine from La Gomera, which we enjoyed at one of the tables outside in the street, where we could people watch to our hearts content. The sun was out as we perused the menu, before shortly deciding on sharing one of each of the four tapas of the day, which included beef carpaccio, courgette and roquefort bake, bruschetta with prosciutto, and Galician octopus. We waited in anticipation, whilst discussing the merits of drinking at lunch time.... (it is rare for us to talk about anything other than food or drink as a family, worryingly so!)

After a short wait, our tapas arrived, each dish presented beautifully, garnished with delicious mixed seeds and balsamic dressing. The courgette and roquefort bake was surely a vegetarian's dream and a dieters nightmare; an almost fondue-like, cheesy, gooey delight- perfect for dunking a chunk of bread into. The Galician octopus was melt in the mouth, perfectly spiced and totally satisfying, served traditionally on sliced potatoes. The beef carpaccio was my personal favourite- I'm a sucker for rare beef. A little different from perhaps a standard beef carpaccio, this one had a lovely light mustard vinaigrette drizzled over the wafer thin beef, with lots of hidden surprises around the plate in the form of nuts and seeds, a red cabbage and beetroot slaw, topped with shavings of delicious local La Gomera cheese. The bruschetta was crunchy toasted garlic bread, topped with prosciutto...nothing not to like there really! Each of these dishes (pictured below) was 5 euros- you'd be lucky to get a bread basket or a few olives in London for that price! It really was good value.

Vegetarian dream- courgette and roquefort

Beautifully tender, spiced Galician octopus

Personal favourite- beef carpaccio presented beautifully

Prosciutto garlic bread- pure fatty indulgence!

After our tapas success we felt obliged to try more of the menu, so next up was the Quiche de la mama; a spinach, bacon and emmental quiche, flavoured with nutmeg, and a bacalao pastry which the menu informed us, was inspired by the owners trip to Lisbon. We shared these two dishes between us- both were delicious, though a bit heavier, so we were then ready to move on to our sweet course.
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Quiche de la Mama

Bacalao (salt cod) pastry

We had a bit of a laugh about the menu as one of the deserts was translated rather ambiguously as 'chocolate coulant....cocoa purity'. Whilst not entirely sure what that meant, we were certain it sounded right up our street, so went ahead with ordering that and a Torta de Santiago (Santiago tart) with seasonal fruit. The Chocolate coulant, cocoa purity turned out to be a melting middle chocolate fondant, covered in chocolate sauce, which of course was heaven! The Santiago tart was a bit of a mystery to us- the base was a traditional almond-y cake, but it was topped with a mystery fruit (which we think was pear), glazed with a very light, fragrant, possibly herbal glaze.Whatever it was, we polished off the lot, and it was a lovely end to a lovely meal.

'Chocolate coulant...Cocoa purity' as described on the menu

Torta Santiago topped with seasonal fruit

The whole bill came to around 60 euros (for 4 people, with all that food and 2 bottles of wine), which was the best value meal of the year, let alone the holiday! The thing I really loved about this place, was how much it shone through that the chef (who is also the owner too I believe) cared about each plate. Every single dish we had was made fresh, and real attention to detail had been taken to make sure each plate looked beautiful. With the competition in the local area not being huge, I think it was really nice that there was really no need for them to be this good, and yet they still went that extra mile to create a really special meal for each and every diner, which was also incredible value.

If you can't already tell, we left as big 'La Forastera' fans- there's really nothing better than having a great meal, and at the end of it being so pleasantly surprised by the bill. This was by far the best meal of the holiday, and I recommend everyone who visits La Gomera to go and find this place and have a great value, quality lunch or dinner!

La Forastera doesn't have a website, but here is a link to it on Trip Advisor: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g187470-d7177811-Reviews-La_Forastera-San_Sebastian_de_la_Gomera_La_Gomera_Canary_Islands.html 

Easter Parade at Borough Market

The team at Borough market commissioned me to write a blog post on Easter & Spring time in the market, which of course was such a joy to do. See the original article on the Borough market blog here: http://blog.boroughmarket.org.uk/?p=9252 

What a warm welcome the Gated Garden provides at the entrance of the market

Spring has sprung, the grass has ris and Easter is just around the corner. Thank goodness we’ve seen the back of dreary old January and February and can now look forward to brighter weather and longer days; and what better way to celebrate the first glimpses of Spring (and being able to step out of your front door without ten layers and an umbrella in tow) than a leisurely stroll around Borough Market, which is just bursting with vibrant colours and incredible produce at the moment.

Spring time in the market

The vivid green of fresh spring shoots is just a treat for the eyes

‘tis the season for lots and lots of daffodils

Fragrant Cherry Blossom brightening up everyone’s day outside Southwark Cathedral

Spring is a time of freshness and colour and nowhere showcases that more than at Borough Market. From Spring flowers - the absolute emblem of the season - raising their cheery little heads, to glossy seasonal cabbages stacked high, right through to the much awaited new season Easter lamb which is beginning to pop up here and there, it’s enough to inspire anyone to get in the Easter spirit and start cooking.

A magnificent cabbage at Elsey and Bent

Stacks of candy coloured forced Rhubarb - impossible to miss

New potatoes and fresh peas - the perfect accompaniment to Easter lamb

                                                                                                                                                                       

UK home-grown purple sprouting broccoli at Ted’s Veg needs no more than a quick steam

The approaching radish season gives us two reasons to celebrate

Fresh veg at Turnips

It’s a shame that Easter doesn’t seem to generate anywhere near the same amount of excitement as Christmas does, especially as it’s a time when so many terrific ingredients from the UK are becoming available. But for me, Easter is still a great excuse for a party and the ideal opportunity to raise a glass of champagne and demolish some juicy roast lamb.

Lamb at the Ginger Pig- a meat-lover’s paradise

Luscious lamb chops at Cumbrian Meats

Of course Easter isn’t Easter without a fresh hot cross bun smothered in butter for brekkie. These buns are surrounded by many superstitions from Old English Folklore, each as mad as the next, including one that says that buns baked and served on Good Friday will keep until the following year (I wouldn’t risk it!). Another insists that if taken on a sea voyage, they protect against shipwreck……so do be sure to stock up if you’re planning to take to the sea anytime soon.

Hot cross buns over at the Flour Station - not quite ‘one a penny, two a penny’ these days sadly, but definitely worth the investment.

Of course every good Easter celebration is not complete without more than your fair share of chocolate. And let’s face it, we’ve all pretty much given up on any new year’s resolutions by this point, so it is the perfect time to enjoy a chocolate egg or two (or three or four…).

Mini eggs at Artisan du Chocolat - far too good to be hidden round the garden.

Egglets at Rabot’s 1745

So make the most of the Easter seasonal produce this year; have a wander around the market and see what you find. I’m sure you will be inspired to get cooking (and eating!).

Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks with baby veg, Spring cabbage and Champ- Borough Market Commission

The Borough Market team have recently commissioned me to write and produce an Easter blog post and recipe inspired by Easter produce at the market. If you'd like to see the original, follow the links below:

Recipe: http://boroughmarket.org.uk/slow-cooked-lamb-shanks-with-baby-veg-spring-cabbage-and-champ

Easter Parade Blog post: http://blog.boroughmarket.org.uk/?p=9252

Serves 6

Lamb shanks are surely one of the simplest things to cook; it’s very hard to go wrong and near impossible to over cook them. I don’t think I've ever met a meat eater who doesn't like a lamb shank. I've actually heard children refer to them as ‘those yummy lamb lollipops’ which is about right actually, as they are sweet, sticky and delicious when cooked for a nice long time.

Ask one of the Market’s butchers to French trim the shanks if you like - this just makes them look a little daintier if it’s a special occasion. You can make the lamb and champ in advance and just re-heat on the day. Like most slow-cooked recipes, it just gets better with age as the juices permeate the meat, giving it more flavour.

Ingredients 

6 lamb shanks
2 tbsp flour
3 onions, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
Bunch of baby carrots, scrubbed.
Bunch of baby leeks, washed
3 sticks celery, washed and chopped
500ml chicken or lamb stock
500ml dry white wine
2 bay leaves
5 sprigs thyme, washed
1 handful of parsley, washed and chopped
Freshly ground salt and pepper

Champ:
1.5 kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
85g butter
300ml milk
Large bunch of spring onions, finely chopped

Spring cabbage:
1 large spring cabbage, washed and broken into leaves
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp olive oil

Mint sauce:
Big bunch of mint, washed and finely chopped
8 tbsp white wine vinegar
8 tbsp hot water
2 tbsp light brown sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 160C. Season the lamb shanks generously with salt and pepper and dust with the flour.

Add a glug of olive oil to a large oven-proof saucepan over a medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add your lamb shanks in batches - two or three at a time to avoid over-crowding the pan.

Cook till golden brown on all sides. Transfer the lamb shanks to a bowl and leave to one side.

To the same saucepan, add your veg and stir. Cook for approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring to prevent any sticking, until it starts to soften. Pour in the stock and white wine, add the thyme and bay leaves and bring to the boil.

Return your lamb shanks to the pan, place the lid on and transfer to the oven. Cook for about 3 hours, turning the shanks every hour or so, until the meat is tender and can be easily pulled from the bone.

20 minutes before serving, remove the lamb shanks to a plate, cover with tinfoil, and leave to rest in a warm oven.

Return the saucepan to the hob over a medium heat. Add any seasoning needed to the sauce, and then add the parsley, reserving some for garnish right at the end.

Return the meat to the sauce and serve as it is or in a serving dish, with the parsley strewn over it.

Champ

Boil the potatoes in salted water till soft (15- 20 mins). Mash them with the butter, then stir the milk in gradually over a low-medium heat until you get the desired consistency. Add the spring onions and then season to taste.

Spring cabbage

Steam the cabbage until just tender, drain and place in a large bowl. Mix all the other ingredients in a jar along with salt and pepper, and pour over the hot cabbage. Toss through and serve.

Mint sauce

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl to taste.

Spanish Omelette (A lighter version)

With my new obsession with sweet potato in full swing, (it's a carb that's good for you, fills you up and tastes amazing- what's not to like?) I've been thinking up ways to substitute it where I would usually use white starchy potatoes in a recipe. Sometimes this doesn't work. For example, with bangers and mash- as much as I love sweet potato, when I have sausages, I just have to have them with creamy, buttery white mash. However, in the case of this Spanish omelette recipe I tried  recently, I think it does work.

On a recent trip to Madrid, my passion for Tortilla de Patatas was re-ignited. The thing I loved about a classic Spanish omelette is how comfortingly carb-y and stodgy it is, with a single slice being able to fill you up. I wanted to try and keep this element, but also see whether substituting some sweet potato in could add a bit more flavour, with the added bonus of making it a little lighter, a little healthier, whilst still retaining that bite you get from a lovely big slice of potato layered Spanish omelette.

 So what I did was to take a classic Spanish omelette recipe and replace half of the white potatoes with sweet potato. The result was delicious, a sort of cross between a Spanish omelette and a fritatta I suppose. You could use only sweet potatoes if you wanted, and do away with the white potato altogether. Maybe not a traditional Spanish omelette (I'm sure anyone Spanish reading this would be unimpressed!) but delicious none-the-less. I also used coconut oil and a little olive oil for mine to make it slightly less fatty- the traditional recipe uses vegetable oil which is not so good for you.

With this omelette the flavour combinations are endless- I've kept my recipe quite traditional and simple, but you could add some delicious sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, whatever you fancy to mix it up a bit. Chunks of chorizo would work beautifully too if you like your meat. Enjoy with a crisp dressed salad, a dollop of fresh aioli, sour cream or crème fraiche.

Ta-da! My lighter version of Tortilla de Patatas- a great lunch box filler, 

1 large white onion, sliced finely

1 large red pepper, sliced

1 large white potato (waxy variety is best as they hold together better)

1 large sweet potato

1 x 400g bag or a couple of good handfuls of spinach. 

10 free range eggs (it's worth getting the some proper free range ones- the orange yolks are far superior, and given that this recipe is 80% egg it really makes a difference)

Handful fresh Parsley, chopped
Bunch of chives, finely chopped

Salt and Pepper

1. In a large, fairly deep, non-stick frying pan, fry the onion gently in some coconut oil or olive oil, until softened and starting to caramelize.

2. Add the red pepper and cook for about 5 mins more.

3. Meanwhile peel both the potatoes varieties (sweet and white) and slice into quite thick discs about half a cm thick,

4. Put both the sliced potatoes into a sieve, cover with a saucepan lid or tinfoil/cling film, and steam over a saucepan of boiling water until cooked through but still firm (approx 10-15 mins). Leave to drain.

5. Boil a kettle of water. Put the spinach into a colander, and pour the hot water through it to wilt it slightly (this will make it easier to get it to fit in your pan). Leave to Drain.

6.  Break the eggs into a measuring jug and whisk them up. Add lots of salt and pepper, and the chopped parsley and chives.

7. Add your cooked slices of potatoes and spinach to the frying pan and stir through gently, taking care not to break the potatoes up, but making sure they are distributed nicely over the pan and throughout the onions and pepper. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Pour the beaten eggs and herb mixture over your vegetables evenly. Allow to cook on a medium-high heat for 15 minutes, until almost set and golden brown underneath (check with a fish slice). While this is cooking, turn the grill on to medium-high to preheat,

9. Pop your omelette under the grill for a few minutes, until you can see that the egg is fully set. Then you're ready to serve!

The Proper Stuff- the Tortilla de Patatas on a recent trip to Madrid- spinach on the left, chorizo on the right. 

Poires Belle Helene

Poires Belle Helene (or poached pears with chocolate sauce) is a totally indulgent and beautifully simple dessert. We are lucky enough to have a little pear tree in our garden, so when that bears fruit we tend to eat a lot of pear-based dessert like this, as well as pear and almond tart, another family favourite.

You can poach the pears in advance, and then store in the fridge in an airtight container in the sugar syrup for a few days. The cold pears, combined with the hot chocolate sauce is just heaven!

Ingredients:

4 Pears

4oz or 115g golden caster sugar

zest and juice of half a lemon

1 vanilla pod

Chocolate sauce:

150g good quality dark chocolate

100ml double cream
2 table spoons of Poire William liqueur (not essential, but adds a nice dimension to the sauce)

Method:

1. Fill a medium-sized saucepan with just over 1 pint of water. Pour in the golden caster sugar, lemon zest and juice. Slice the vanilla pod lengthways, just to split it open, and add that to the water too. Give it all a stir, and heat until it is nearly simmering, and all the sugar is dissolved.

2. In the meantime, peel the pears, leaving the stalks on. Slice the very bottom of the pears off, to create a firm base on which they can stand upright. 

3. With the sharp end of the peeler (if your peeler has one- if not use an apple corer or a small sharp knife), carefully remove the core of the pears, leaving the stalks on.

4. Place the pears in the saucepan upright, and make sure all the pear flesh is submerged in the liquid (if not, add a splash more water). Poach for 20 mins, or until the pears are soft through. When they are cooked, remove from the heat, and just leave them to cool in the syrup.

5. To make the chocolate sauce, break the chocolate into a heat proof bowl, and add the cream and pear liqueur if you are using it. Place the bowl on top of a saucepan filled with a couple of inches of water. Place on a gentle heat, so that the water is just simmering. Don't allow it to boil, or touch the base of your bowl with the chocolate and cream in it. Stir every now and again, making sure it doesn't catch on the bottom, until your sauce is silky and smooth,

6. To serve, scoop your pears out of the syrup, drain and put in your serving bowl. Pour over the chocolate sauce and serve with vanilla ice cream or cream (or both!).

Breakfast of Kings- Smashed Avo, Bacon, and Poached Egg on Sourdough toast

This is my new favourite weekend breakfast or brunch. All it is, is avocado smashed up with lemon juice, salt and pepper and a bit of chilli if you like,  plus a poached egg, and some grilled bacon (I prefer streaky) on a good hunk of bread or toast. This breakfast, although maybe not low-calorie, is so good for you. Avocado is full of good fats and nutrients that make your hair and nails strong and shiny (and everyone wants that). Plus eggs are a great source of protein, and one of the best things you can eat in the morning.

So, although not totally angelic, it's definitely better than a full fry up or a plate of eggs benedict, smothered in hollandaise sauce (another of my favourite breakfasts at the moment...). Give it a go, it will totally set you up for the day!

Christmas Feasting

Christmas isn't Christmas without a badly-decorated, gaudy tree

What a greedy Christmas I've had...I don't think I've gone more than an hour without nibbling on some festive treat or another, and I'm certainly feeling it now. But that's what Christmas is all about isn't it; putting on half a stone, bursting out of your jeans, feeling awful and eating even more as a result and telling yourself 'The diet starts in January'. So now that I'm practically sofa bound, I thought it would be a good time to upload a few of the photographs I took over the festive season.

Smoked salmon is something just says 'Christmas' to me. I'm not sure if it's typically a Christmassy thing to eat (I think it is?) but we always start the festivities off with some smoked salmon canapés and Sloe Royales (home made sloe gin and champagne cocktail- pretty lethal!). I adore really good smoked salmon straight on buttered brown or rye bread with a little lemon and black pepper, or with crème fraîche and dill, or (as we had this year) with horseradish cream. Horseradish and smoked fish go together wonderfully- give it a try!

Kicking off with some smoked salmon and horseradish cream on rye bread

This year the main event in the Hodgson Household was a huge free range chicken. Controversial I know, but cheaper and in my opinion much more delicious than a turkey. I've never been the biggest turkey fan, so this year we did away with tradition and ordered this beautiful huge chicken from the local butcher. We stuffed it with a vegetarian stuffing made from chestnut mushrooms, celery, onion, parsley, sage, all chopped finely, and held together with some bread crumbs and an egg added to the mix. Then we covered it with as much streaky bacon as was physically possible, sticking to the  mantra 'there's no such thing as too much bacon' (never a truer word spoken). Heaven!

Basting time for our bronzed beauty (can you make out the chicken underneath the heap of bacon?)

The trimmings this year consisted of roast potatoes, roast parsnips, mashed carrots (a family favourite- mashed roughly with lots of butter, a splash of cream, salt and pepper), bread sauce, sausages, bacon, red current jelly, gravy and of course the brussel sprouts, with bacon and chestnuts- the best recipe for sprouts I have tried, from BBC Good Food website: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/74608/buttered-sprouts-with-chestnuts-and-bacon

Good-looking bird

Tucking in!  (Luckily my family are very patient and accept my crazy food photography...although no phones at the table once we're all sat down!)

Christmas pudding is something that the women of the family hate (including myself), so this year Mum had made the most delicious mincemeat and frangipane tart as an alternative. This is a Mary berry recipe, and it was totally yummy, and much better than horrible Christmas pudding! The meal was finished off by a cheese board of dreams and port, before everyone eventually crashed on the sofa or rolled their way home.  That's the sign of a good Christmas lunch!

Setting fire to the Christmas pud!

Mincemeat and Frangipane tart for the non-Christmas-pudding-eating girls



Food Hero! My Mum, the brains behind the operation, making the gravy. 

Exceptional cheeseboard this year, with a little help from Neals Yard Dairy. 

I hope you enjoyed these photos from my delicious Christmas. I've realised that the 'Me, Myself and Pie' blog is now a year old- (my first blog post was of Christmas lunch last year) so I'm feeling very happy that I've kept it up, am still enjoying it and am (hopefully) improving on my skills and knowledge as I go along. I have gained lots of lovely followers and met so many other great food enthusiasts along the way. I am also currently branching out and building a slightly more formal portfolio website of my food styling and photography, so stay tuned for more news on that. Here's to 2015!

PS If you want to follow my social media (I post foodie pictures most days!) please follow me on instagram (memyselfand_pie) and Twitter (Georgiehodgson1)