march/april newsletter 2009

good cateress newsletter, March 2009

With the onset of Spring today, waking up to snow was hardly what I had in mind, after what has seemed to be a particularly long winter, it is going to be a milder weekend, but after all it is still March!

Looking out my window, I can see that Spring is ready to leap forth. The snowdrops are blooming at the top of the garden, a glimmer of white that is not snow. The daffodils greens can be seen peeking through, I wonder did I plant them in the wrong spot? The tulips, are further ahead. Or should I say, what is left of the Tulips. I had been delighted to see them appear. Everyone had warned that the squirrels would eat the bulbs. No one had mentioned that the squirrels waited until the leaves were up, and that they ate the shoots. I now know why people are heartbroken to get up one morning and discover the deer have eaten their flower buds, without a bye your leave, after all their hours of work and quiet nurturing. I have threatened the squirrel, as he sits on the fence watching me gasp at his decimation.

Spring means Easter, which for me means Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday. Hot cross buns, may in fact predate Christianity, and were a Saxon bun made with dried fruits and spices for the celebration of Eostre, and the cross on top denoted the four seasons, rather than the cross symbolizing Christianity. I had always thought that Hot Cross Buns were the first rich item after the plain fare of Lent.

My first really enjoyable Hot Cross Bun, was when we lived in Wiltshire when I was 9/10 years old. Mum worked in Ludgershall, a village near Tidworth where we lived. Ludgershall was one of those villages that had a butcher, a baker, a greengrocers and a village post office. As I recall, the Baker was exceptional, making all those old English loaves that we rarely see any more, like a Cottage loaf, (a round loaf with a smaller round on the top, which was white and crusty) and Sally Lunns ( a round yeast bun, that was similar to a brioche, that originated in Bath, and pre dates the Georgian period.)

In those days, you had to order your Hot Cross Buns for Good Friday, they were not available year round, as they are now in supermarkets. Dad, always the early riser, would take Simon and I to the Bakery for 8am as it opened, we would join the queue of people waiting to pick up their Hot Cross Buns. We and almost everyone ordered extra, so we could have them two days, once they were gone, that was it until next year. We would drive home along the back roads, the car redolent with warm spices and yeast; so that Simon and I could see the lambs gamboling around the fields and the pink piglets looking adorable in the next field.

Not that I distain the supermarket Hot Cross Buns. As many friends family can attest, my number one request of anyone coming over from England are Hot Cross Buns. American bakeries do not seem to understand the quiet understatement of currants, raisins and spices in a soft bun, with a thin pastry cross on top, this means it can be split and toasted or just eaten plainly. It does not need the addition of glace fruits, (Did this come from Southern European influence?) nor an icing cross, yuk! We even have a nursery rhyme about our buns

Hot cross buns, Hot cross buns,
one a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns

Hot cross buns, Hot cross buns,
If you have no daughters, give it to your sons
Hot cross buns.

Surely, the only time in a nursery rhyme a daughter got preferential treatment!

I have tried to make them myself, but sadly I have not been very successful.

Saturday we were back to Ludgershall to pick up our Lamb roast for Easter Sunday. My favorite Lamb joint is a shoulder. In England we get a small shoulder joint to roast, it is so much more flavorful than leg, but they are hard to find here in the US. One time I asked a butcher for one and was staggered by the size of the shoulder, it must have been a huge lamb.. The first mint would be up in the garden for mint sauce. Spring greens from Cornwall and of course, roast potatoes and parsnips. I know I have written before of the joys of roast lamb, so I will refrain from waxing lyrical about it all again.

I happened to be on a Kibbutz in Israel for Purim and Passover one year. We really enjoyed the celebration of Purim, and the challenge of creating a fancy dress costume. Most of us had all our belongings in a backpack and small holdall; the Kibbutz did have Purim clothes that we could borrow. I was working in the Dining Room, and so we Dining Room girls thought that we could be Bunny girls or serving wenches, with the man running the Dining Room as our manager. I borrowed my friend Lidija’s red leotard, with a small white apron as my bunny outfit. Our ‘manager’ wore a shirt and tie as his fancy dress, the novelty being the tie, which he could not tie himself, so I tied it for him. We Brits all thought this hilarious as we had been wearing ties as part of our school uniform, and been tying our own ties since the age of 5 or 6. It was the only time we saw kibbutzniks drink and some got quite drunk with all the partying.

In the evening we were all in fancy dress again at the communal dining room, before we headed off to the volunteer Bomb shelter bar, for a dance. This time I was a Dalmation, all white clothes, with black spots sewn on, blacked out nose, and black paper ears. Lidija was a devil in her red leotard, red tail, and a pitchfork. Our Dutch room mate Hannah was the most adventurous, she made a large paper plate from a box, that she wore around her waist, with colored streamers, a green t shirt, she was a plate of cole slaw. Simon, was the best looking and happiest clown I ever saw.

During Passover I had to go Tel Aviv, so I went into Tiberias with a kibbutznik, from where I would catch a shared Taxi. I was in the large Benz taxi with a man, and a woman and her son of about 9 years old. Everyone spoke a little English, I had maybe ten words of Hebrew, but we had all managed to communicate. During the ride, the woman had given me a home made coconut macaroon to eat, and then a couple to take with me, totally delicious. As we neared Tel Aviv something in the Taxi changed, and I was not sure what was going on, but the woman too was aware of something going on. In Tiberias I had negotiated my fare with the driver, before getting into the cab, as we had all been told the drivers liked to ripe off us volunteers; the woman had watched me do this. So, as we neared where she would disembark, she asked me for my money for the fare, I gave it to her. She paid the driver for me, there was a heated discussion in Hebrew between them, clearly the driver was angry, he had hoped to get more money from me. The woman patted my hand as she got out at her stop, telling me I would be alright now.

When I write the story of my life I shall use “The Kindness of Strangers” as it’s title. Everywhere I have gone in the world, the universe has sent me me ‘little angels’ in all shapes and sizes to watch out for me and I am truly grateful for them. I, in turn, try to help other people. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. A motto to live by.


Spring may be here, but the evenings are still cold. Here are a couple of simple Spring soups.


Mandy Browns Radish Green soup

4 tablespoons of virgin olive oil or butter
1 onion
2 bunches of good fresh radish greens - washed thoroughly
2 medium organic russet potatoes
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup half and half
3 grated radishes for decoration
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion, add the radish greens and potato, cover with stock, add salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are cooked thoroughly. Blend with a stick wand or cool and blend in food processor. Add half and half, gently bring back to boil. Check seasoning. Serve, sprinkled with a little grated radish.






Asparagus soup - the California Asparagus are here, while not entirely local, they are grown in the US.

2 lbs green asparagus, chopped into 2 inch pieces - remove tips and blanch separately
Large onion or 2 leeks, washed thoroughly. I like the leeks for the added flavor
4 tablespoons of virgin olive oil or butter for sauteing
1 organic russet potato - cut into two inch pieces
4 -5 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup creme fraiche

Saute the onion or leeks, when translucent add the asparagus pieces and potato, cover with stock, bring to boil, simmer for 30 minutes. Blanch the tips and keep separate. When the vegetables are cooked, blend with a stick blender or in food processor. Add the creme fraiche. Bring back to simmer, serve immediately with chopped tips as decoration.


Spring has sprung the walrus said