Back to work!

It's all very well gadding about all over the place but it's time to get back in the saddle.  It's a bit like waiting for a bus – you wait for hours and then two come along at once – a London trip and then Birmingham in the same month!

So lets crack on – it's Class time again

Remember the Soda bread rapido mentioned in Beautiful bread - this will be my appetiser.  I shall make a loaf late afternoon so that it is still pleasantly warm, ready for my guests to enjoy and then demonstrate another.  Just imagine the aroma when they walk into the dem room!

It would be pretty miserable just serving up slices of bread – fresh though it may be.  So I decided to have two options to taste test.  The first is lemon curd – the microwave version.  A small gift – a pot of their own to take home if they don't want to use it during the evening.  My alternative is soft goats' cheese and tart montmorency cherries chopped finely – enough to sprinkle over the cheese and finally an optional drizzle of clear honey.  You could use fresh cherries at the moment since they are in season – don't forget to stone them!  The cheese and cherries would make an excellent crostini topping.

Oh, by the way – re the soda bread - instead of dusting your baking sheet with flour, try semolina.  Likewise sprinkle semolina over the top of the loaf before baking to give a really crusty loaf – deep joy.

Freshly baked bread always makes me think of home-made lemon curd – a little strange since I don't really have a sweet tooth – I think it's the satisfaction of producing jars of it – comfort food at its best.

Here's a photo of my luscious lemon curd.

What a great weekend treat – turn the oven on to pre-heat on your way to the kettle - it only takes 30 minutes.  If you weigh out your flour, salt and bicarb the previous day you just add the buttermilk and in it goes – it'll be ready before your second mug of coffee or tea!