Assembly – The Jam Jar salad

This is the fun bit but before we begin a couple of tips :

• for your piccalilli drizzle, trim a disposable piping bag – approximately 20cms – it should be small so that you can control it. You don't need a nozzle, just snip off the end of the bag – the tiniest of snips - and you're ready to go.
• Recently I bought a pair of small tongs – the type you would use in sugarcraft – now is the time they come into their own – you can spoon ingredients like the potato and the salsa but you might like to control the gammon and the tongs will help you achieve this so you can garnish your jam jar salad without scattering it all over the kitchen!

You are layering your prepared ingredients in the jar as follows :

Baby new potatoes

a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of piccalilli sauce

Sweetcorn salsa

Shredded gammon and a drizzle of piccalilli sauce

Finely chopped silverskin onions

It will look as if you'll never pack all the layers into the jar – yes you will! As you add your salsa layer press down, gently but firmly, repeat with each layer.

It does occur that not everyone likes the idea of piccalilli sauce. If you really don't want to step outside your taste box, you could substitute it with a honey and mustard dressing or another of your choice – plain mayonnaise if you prefer or check out Farringtons Mellow Yellow garlic mayonnaise – made with cold pressed rapeseed oil.

Coming next are the step by step photos and the finished salad!

Method – The Jam Jar salad

Method

smoked gammon joint

Using a drop of rapeseed oil, seal your joint on all sides and slow cook in vegetable stock for 2.5/3 hours on low. I use the Knorr Stock Pots.

Once your gammon is cooked remove from the stock and take off any excess fat and rind and allow to cool. Shred the gammon – your aim is to create bite size pieces - approximately 2cms in length. You don't have to be meticulously precise - it should be easy to pick up with a small fork or spoon. Box and fridge until required. The gammon can be slow cooked ahead.

potatoes

Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water until a paring knife passes through easily. Cool the potatoes. If they have skins you may prefer to remove them. Halve the potatoes or quarter depending on the size of the potatoes. As mentioned above the aim is easy to eat with a small fork. I used 5 potatoes per person and chose the smallest and most uniform. The potatoes can be cooked and prepped ahead.

Sweetcorn salsa

340g tin of sweetcorn – drained and rinsed

half a small red onion, finely chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

juice of 1-2 limes

salt and black pepper

Tip the corn into a large mixing bowl and break up with a masher or a pestle. Add the remaining ingredients. Box and fridge until required. I used 2 heaped dessert spoons of salsa per jar. If you don't want to use fresh limes, 2 tbsps of juice is equal to one fresh lime.

Here's what it should look like :

silverskin onions

The onions are small to begin with but should still be finely chopped. I used 5 per jam jar – it's personal preference.

piccalilli sauce for drizzling

For those who would like to make their own sauce, there are recipes out there – for those who'd like a short cut – try this on for size. Bartons Smooth & Tangy Piccalilli Sauce.

All the elements for the salad can be prepped when it suits and non are time consuming.

Assembly next!

Lip-smacking Leftovers

I cooked all the potatoes at the same time which meant I had leftovers – I made the fastest potato salad ever. A touch of seasoning, a heaped teaspoon of curry powder – strength to suit your taste. A blob of mayo and a blob of sour cream, mix well.

You'll find that you have salsa leftovers too – as an alternative why not combine the potatoes and the salsa. Add extra seasoning of your choice – salt and black pepper – a touch of sumac to add a lemony hit with the lime in the salsa.

You'll find that you have leftover gammon – slice and serve as part of your alfresco “table”. If not required then I'd freeze it (in a lump if possible – it doesn't dry out) and use later as part of a pie filling. It may not qualify as lip-smacking – I just hate waste!

Jam Jar Salad

Since we are approaching all things summer – alfresco dining, bbq'ing et al, here's an idea that can be adapted to suit your own taste.

You will need jam jars – preferably those with twist off lids - you can buy the lids separately if you need to.

If you want a posher more up-market version, use a kilner jar – see photo below. If you want to do fancy the jar would be nice to serve as part of a lunch or supper party and you can of course re-use it afterwards.

I used the Bonne Maman conserve jars – posh jam really – I love these jars, they have the pretty lids. As an aside - the conserve may be expensive (keep your eyes open for offers) but the way I look at it is that I get an excellent store cupboard product and a useful, attractive jar that can be used again. I get the feeling that Bonne Maman know that their jars will be re-used – the labels on the jars are really easy to remove in hot soapy water - then you can sterilise them in the dishwasher.

The jam jar salad

Serves 4

You'll need four jars – capacity 370g

1 x 750g smoked gammon joint

(£2.68 from Tesco)

Silverskin onions, finely chopped

Piccalilli sauce for drizzling

(Bartons Piccalilli Sauce)

750g baby new potatoes

Sweetcorn salsa

Method and assembly next!

Puff Pastry Straws – the photos

Here they are :

Brush your sheet with beaten egg and spread with the tapenade :

Sprinkle with the grated cheese :

Fold in half and press down gently :

Twist your straws and brush with beaten egg :

Here's the end result :

You can choose what size of straw you'd like – a long version which is approximately 30cm in length – with the pastry cut vertically – a shorter version which is approximately 15cm in length – with the pastry cut horizontally.

Personally I prefer the shorter version, they are easier to control when you are twisting into shape and more convenient to eat!

I've frozen a few just to see how they respond so further news to follow. I suspect this may be academic since they'll all be eaten but it might just be useful to make ahead and freeze – hmm.

A Puff Pastry Sheet (PPS) – again!

I really think I should give the PPS a rest after this recipe – but this is such an easy, emergency – “throw it together” snack or nibble. Who doesn't like cheese straws? Who makes them from scratch these days? This is a half way house!

You'll need a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.

Pre-heat oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Puff Pastry Cheese Straws

1 puff pastry sheet - 320g - defrosted

1 egg, beaten

3 tbsp Tapenade

75g grated Parmesan

Unroll the puff pastry sheet and brush with beaten egg.

Spread the sheet with the tapenade.

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Fold the sheet in half and press down – gently but firmly.

Cut into strips 2.5cm – ½” wide. You'll find a Chef's knife is the best piece of kit and take your time otherwise the pastry and filling will stick to the knife.

Twist in opposite directions and place the twists on a lined baking sheet, gluing the ends of the twists down firmly. Brush with beaten egg.

Bake for 15 minutes – you may need another 2/3 minutes depending on your oven.

You can make this as quick and easy as you like – you can buy your tapenade ready-made. Tapenade isn't difficult to make if you have time and the inclination :

Tapenade

290g black olives – 160g drained weight

(most supermarkets have pitted, sliced black olives in various sized jars)

1 tbsp capers

50ml olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 anchovy fillets

Blitz in a small processor until the tapenade is spreadable.

You can buy ready-made black olive tapenade – 130g - £2 – obtainable from Marks and Spencer which may sound expensive but it's a great product – smells and tastes divine.

Here come the helpful photos!

News Report – Part 2

I mentioned in Part 1 that the new frying pan was also suitable for an induction hob. It's my experience that pans that are suitable for every cooking surface have a price tag to match. I should explain that my every day hob is gas but I use a portable induction hob for classes. They are really useful pieces of kit but impeded by the expensive cookware required specifically for the surface.

Should you ever decide that you're going to invest I'd suggest that you check out IKEA. They produce said hob at the price of £35. Product name Tillreda.

My hob cost £70 ten years ago just to give a little perspective. Periodically the cheaper supermarkets sell them but you have to be quick off the mark.

Whilst I'm on the subject of all things IKEA, the frying pan mentioned previously can also be purchased as part of a 7-piece set costing £39.

A portable hob is a really useful piece of kit. They don't take up space so can be stashed easily. They are handy if you need extra capacity – particularly during the summer or entertaining any time for that matter. They are also easy to keep clean.

What a pleasant surprise to find “all surface” cookware that really is “all surface”.

Phew – shopping over - exhausted but very happy!

News Report – Part 1

Sadly my trusted “hob to oven” frying pan is no more – I've worn it out and it has to be replaced forthwith, immediately, if not sooner!

I went shopping with my Sister to IKEA – hadn't been for ages – what a result. It's one of those stores that should carry a warning – you know what I'm saying, “I have to have it – I can't possibly survive without it” when in truth it will gather dust, buried at the back of a cupboard and then be committed to the happy hunting ground for unwanted kitchenalia in the sky.

It didn't occur to me that I might find my replacement frying pan – meandering hither and thither I found the answer to all my dreams, the Oumbarlig frying pan - product number 502-92-96 measuring 28cms - cost - £14.95. Non stick of course and the added bonus - it is suitable for use on an induction hob too. To say I was delighted is an understatement. I bought my worn out pan for £25 several years ago and I thought it was a good investment then despite the fact that it wasn't suitable for an induction hob. Credit where it's due that pan has been brilliant. If you want to invest then you need to check out your favourite search engine and shop around. You can pay anything from £14.95 to noughts – personally I'm not sure the noughts are justified – nor is a fancy, dancing range just because it has been endorsed by a fancy, dancing chef!

I've no idea whether the IKEA replacement pan will stand the test of time but I'll give it my best shot and so far so good.

By the way I kept the lid from my old pan which fits the new one perfectly. You can buy a splatter screen at a more than reasonable price of £3 if you need a cover.

I've learnt that my first stop in future will be IKEA – I may not find what I'm looking for but one thing is for sure it will be worth the visit.