Plum and Smoked Chicken Salad

Ingredients

(Serves 2)

8 plums

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

One large smoked chicken breast

A handful of salad leaves

Juice from half an orange

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cut the plums in half and put in a small heat proof dish, drizzle them with some maple syrup.

Bake the plums for around 25 minutes in a medium oven at around 200 deg C

Allow the plums to cool

Make a dressing by mixing together olive oil, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, any juices from the plums and salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the chicken breast and arrange on a large plate with the plums and salad leaves and drizzle with the dressing

Cheese and Chive Scones

Ingredients

Cheese and Chive scones

150 g strong bread flour

100g wholemeal flour

3 tsp of baking powder

40g butter

100g cheddar cheese

Small handful of chives chopped small

1 egg

125 ml milk

Half a teaspoon of salt

Method

Sieve the flours and baking powder together with the salt.

Chop the butter into small pieces and rub into the flour with your finger tips

Stir in 85g of the grated cheese and the chives or any other any herbs that you are using.

In a small jug beat up the egg and add 125 ml milk.

With a knife fold most of the milk and egg mixture into the dry mixture. if it seems wet enough you can use the remaining milk and egg to brush the top of the scones.

Kneed the dough briefly by folding it over a few times, but do not overwork it. Shape the dough into a round about 25 cm in diameter and cut into six or eight pieces.

Brush the top of each scone with milk and top with some grated cheese.

Cook in a hot over (around 220deg) for about 15 minutes and then ideally eat while still slightly warm.

3 tsp of baking powder

Raspberry Trifle

Autumn raspberries growing in November at St Olaves

Ingredients

6 trifle sponges

Half a raspberry jelly block

200g frozen raspberries (plus fresh for decoration)

250g mascarapone cheese

1 egg plus an extra yolk

2 tablespoons of caster sugar

A few drops Vanilla essence

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Method

Break up the jelly into small squares and stir to dissolve in about 250 ml boiling water, and allow to cool.

Place the trifle sponges into a fairly deep serving bowl, break some of them in half if you like and add the defrosted raspberries to fill in all the nooks and crannies around the sponges. You can also drizzle on some marsala, brandy or sweet sherry if you want a boozy trifle.

Pour the cooled raspberry jelly mix over the sponges and raspberries and allow to cool completely and set in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

In a large mixing bowl whisk up the mascarpone, egg and egg yolk, the sugar and the vanilla essence. It is worth whisking with an electric hand whisk for 5-10 minutes so it gets nice and thick.

Spoon the mascarpone custard mixture evenly over the raspberry sponge base and then use your imagination to decorate the top.