Pasta Jambalaya

September 4, 2017

A dish that I picked up in New Orleans that was on the menu at the now no longer Royal Cafe at 700 Royal St. I waitressed there and it holds some of my favourite memories attached to some of my favourite people to come in to my life. I used to ask Chef Johnnie to make me this vegetarian dish and it is one that has stayed with me. All the flavour of New Orleans in a slightly healthier recipe. This one combines two of my places I consider home as I used green beans and courgettes that I had picked from my Auntie Chrissie's garden in Orford, Suffolk and brought back to London. It has the cayenne and paprika to give it that characteristically new orleans flavour and is full of vegetable goodness. I love this recipe with any variation of vegetables of with prawns or crawfish.

Recipe

100g green beans - topped, tailed and cut into 3 cm long sections
1 small red pepper - sliced and chopped
1 courgette - sliced into half-moons
50g sun-dried tomatoes - chopped finely
100g artichoke hearts - roughly chopped
2 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
salt & pepper to taste
150g linguine + salt for water

1. Whilst preparing your veg adn ingredients begin to salt and boil the water for the pasta and cook for the correct time as noted.
2. Add oil to a pan with heat set to low.
3. Heat the sliced garlic for one-minute and be sure not to burn the garlic them remove the garlic slices from the oil and pan.

4. Add the green beans and red peppers to the oil.

5. Add the courgettes and sun-dried tomato to the pan.

6. Add the artichoke, cayenne and paprika to the pan and stir well. If you do not like spicy food then you should reduce the cayenne and paprika from 1 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon. If you prefer spicy dishes you can increase the amount of cayenne and paprika to 1 tablespoon each of cayenne and paprika.

7. Add the thyme and cream to the pan and stir well.
8. Drain and add the pasta to the pan, stir well, garnish with oil and parmesan if so desired and enjoy!

Orford Flower Show 2013 - Part 2

August 28, 2013

Here are just a few of the prize winning fruits and vegetables from inside the Orford Flower Show tent.

2nd Annual Orford Food Revolution Day - 18th May 2013

May 19, 2013

Another great event getting the community involved to celebrate and support

Orford Primary School’s Kitchen Garden Project

at the

Jamie Oliver's 2nd Annual Food Revolution Day

- thanks to all the organisers and everyone who came out!

Chillblains

January 11, 2013

After being in Orford for a few days I got a bit blasé thinking it wasn’t all that cold outside and popping outside with just slippers on. A few days later I suddenly felt that my feet were on fire, it was as if each toe had worn an expensive but ill-fitting new pair of shoes and went out dancing all night without me knowing about it and my toes had blisters surrounding each toe. Someone suggested it sounded like chillblains which are a mild version of frostbite that can occur when going from very cold to warm environments. When I asked how long it would last I was told that the pain and discomfort can last from a few days to several months! Two days of self-Google-diagnosing the situation I read in several places that a home remedy was to walk barefoot in the snow. Later that evening and after two different creams provided no relief I ran across the garden in the freshly fallen snow and am pleased to report that it instantly relieved almost all the burning and over the next day I walked barefoot a further two times and they ceased to hurt at all. The lesson of this story is to protect your feet from the cold by wearing proper footwear and to warm them up slowly should they get cold and if all else fails and you do get chillblains, you had better hope you have snow nearby.

Orford Food Revolution photos

May 31, 2012

Orford Town Hall proudly displaying the Food Revolution Day banner. Below are some photos from the day which was just brilliant. As of 31 May, over £ 1430 has been raised from the event and that figure was still rising. Joanna, Michelle, Kate and Roger all deserve a round of applause and a rest for organising the day and the ongoing good work in the village and for the young people.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day

Orford Primary School’s Kitchen Garden Project

Pump Street Bakery

Well Associates

Orford Food Revolution Day

May 17, 2012

Can you smell the Food Revolution in the air? Well you should as it is happening and upon us. This Saturday 19 May I shall be in Orford, Suffolk for

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day

. The Orford Food Revolution Day will be held in the village square which has been pedestrianised for the day and all the regular Orford Country Market stalls will be there as well as some additional ones, including me - Smy Chutney. This community event will be an opportunity for people who love food to share information, talents and resources; to pass on their knowledge and highlight the world’s food issues. It's all about making a difference and getting all the elements of community of all ages together and promote better food and education for everyone. This is also a global event with people all over the world coming together. From schools, restaurants, local businesses, dinner parties and farmers' markets, to date the following are involved:

543 CITIES
57 COUNTRIES
391 PUBLIC EVENTS
425 DINNER PARTIES

WOW! I'm so excited by the concept and so excited to be participating in the Orford Food Revolution Day - where I am from!

Orford Primary School’s Kitchen Garden Project

has been running for two years as a pilot project for the Jamie Oliver Foundation, thanks to the combined efforts of the local community, and the educational charity

Eastfeast

. Using an approach that has been fully integrated into the school’s curriculum, the project teaches children the joys of growing and cooking their own food in the hope of planting a seed for positive eating habits that will last a lifetime.

My earliest memories are of pulling up potatoes, picking and eating strawberries, the smell of the Oysterage, going to see freshly hatched chicks, cracking open coconuts won at the Flower show and eating fish and chips on the castle green. I feel so lucky and proud to be from Orford and can't wait to be part of this event and its message. Now I'm based in London but get back to the village whenever I can and always bring back a bounty of bootiful fruit and vegetables from my dear Auntie Chrissie's allotment. I've posted before on

Orford

, the

Orford Country Market

and

Orford's Fine Food

if you're interested.

I'm also thrilled to be involved in Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day as I live and work directly across from

Fifteen Restaurant

in London. I've always been a fan of his passion for food but for five years I've had a unique insight into just how hard all of his team work. No matter what time I get up, the kitchen are already hard at work and continue to do so well into the night. The restaurant team and the team in the offices are also working methodically throughout the day and night. The deliveries in the morning and the Fifteen shutters retracting each night are sounds that regulate my day as do the flashbulbs and chatter of the patrons excited to see the stunning Fifteen building and eager to enjoy their fabulous meal together. Most inspiring is to hear and see all the Fifteen apprentices. I'm not a stalker (promise!) but when I'm not attending to my chutney pots or working at my kitchen desk, I'm at my desk in the window and it's a beautiful view of the cobblestones, Fifteen and

Westland Place Studios

. I was loved Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day? book when I was little and it's a bit like that:

So I took it as a good sign for the Orford Food Revolution Day when I heard some commotion outside on Monday and when I looked out, this is what I saw:

Jamie Oliver and Richard Branson! They were at Fifteen where

Virgin Unite

and the

Jamie Oliver Foundation

held a special event at Fifteen to announce the winner of the

Screw Business As Usual

competition. Richard Branson has also promised to cook a shepherd's pie on Food Revolution Day and share the recipe.

What will you do on Food Revolution Day? Check out their

website

to see what's going on in your area or come to the Orford Food Revolution Day! Thanks to Joanne of

Pump Street Bakery

and Roger of

Well Associates

for inviting me and all their hard work and involvement and obviously the Jamie Oliver Foundation for their hard work, involvement and vision. I'm donating a percentage of any proceeds that I make on the market stall to the Orford Primary School’s Kitchen Garden Project and am hoping to be inspired and inspire future and existing preserve makers. I have fond memories of the school and I'm sure the project will have a lasting impact on all those involved. Can't wait to see what they've been up to and to see everyone there!

Orford Food - Part 1

May 18, 2011

There are famous eateries in Orford including the

Butley Orford Oysterage

Richardson's Smokehouse

and now

Pump Street Bakery

. The commitment to local, seasonal and quality ingredients are natural elements of country living, “sustainability” isn’t a trendy buzz-word, it’s just what you do. I’ve always thought that the village isn’t behind the times but far ahead of the times. The village is also teeming with history and an appreciation for crafts, more of that to come in future posts. Although I haven’t spent my entire life in the village it has influenced my entire life and all the decisions that I have made.

On my recent trip I was very excited to stop into Pump

Street Bakery as I have been tweeting with them for quite awhile now (@pumpstbakery) and hearing from everyone how amazing their baked goods are.

They offer real bread and slow food and are open Wed-Sat 9-4, Sun 10-4.

My cousins, Auntie Chrissie and I stopped in to have a coffee and fresh apple juice. The bakery looks and smells amazing and it was so nice to put a face to the tweets. We were very pleased and grateful for the jam donuts that were kindly given to us and I can honestly say that they were the best donuts I can recall eating for some time. They were fresh, filled with delicious jam, light, with a hint of citrus and sugary. All too often donuts can be stodgy, jam-deficient and a bit of a let down, but these were heavenly, thanks again!

We ended up getting some baguettes and meringues to have with our tea later on and I couldn't resist a photo of the baguettes resting on the grass with their lovely packaging.

The meringues were delicious and we topped them with blueberreis, raspberries, strawberries and oh yeah - lashings and lashings of cream.

We ended up going back for some loaves of bread for Sunday's sandwiches. I will definitely be back and I hear the eccles cakes are very tasty and popular. I almost forgot to mention that the cafe latte that I had was outstanding as well. It's so good to see such a well thought out bakery and cafe operating in one of the most beautiful buildings in the village. I know that for ages people had been saying that it would make a great this or that but it's great that Jo and her family have had such a positive impact on the village and beyond with what is best summed up by their tagline - real bread and slow food, all of which is very good.

Next up is the

Butley Orford Oysterage

which is pretty much a world-famous restaurant offering locally caught seafood. There is also a shop on the Quay that has all sorts of delicious food for sale.

Last but not least is

Richard's Smokehouse

which offers delicious smoked seafood, meat, game, cheese, pates and more. It has an outstanding reputation is as renowned as it's neighbour the Oysterage.

Steve let me have a peek inside, unfortunately nothing was in the process of being smoked but the smoker is fascinating and I loved the textured layers of smoke that over 18 years of use has created.

I also love the Richardson's Smokehouse bicycle which is used for deliveries. It makes me think I should brand up my bicycle a bit better than the stickers that I have on there now.

There are many more shops and pubs in the village that I will feature in future. There are also amazing events going on throughout the summer that will be featured as well. You can find out more information by clicking on the links or checking

Well Associates

who have details of activities going in and around Orford, such as the

Jazz at the Pavillion Picnic

which will be held on Sunday 24 July. It should be a great day and all the proceeds go to local charities.

and remember...

it's not your chutney...

it's Smy Chutney.

Long Weekend in Orford - May 2011

May 18, 2011

I come from a small village in Suffolk, called Orford, where there is such a connection to the countryside. My auntie says she used to find me as a toddler, sat in her cupboards taking fistfuls of sultanas out of her jars and stuffing them in my mouth. My earliest memories are of picking potatoes and strawberries, making mudpies in Granny and Grandad’s garden, being down the quay or on the castle green and getting my wellies stuck in the mud on long country walks.

Last weekend I went home to Orford, Suffolk - it was well overdue. I've lived in a lot of places but Orford is my first home and I have always considered it my true home. A lot of my family are there and the memories always come flooding back. It may only take a few hours to get from London to Orford but it sometimes feels like I've travelled through a space-time worm-hole and I end up somewhere where time behaves differently. Perhaps it's hearing the birds instead of hearing the traffic that leaves me so relaxed. The village is lovely and beautiful and faces a lot of the issues that many British villages face. I relish my time there and do hope to one day live there again. This would complete the full circle of local turned world traveller turned Londoner turned Londoner who moves back into the village.

Whenever I'm in Orford I always spend a lot of time in Auntie Chrissie's garden and alottment, both of which are lovely. I always end up taking loads of photos of the hard-working bees who go from flower to flower in her garden. They always seem so focused and massive.

Speaking of hard-working, we went past Orford Castle on our way to Auntie Chrissie's alottment.

Through the gates we went...

Until we got to Auntie Chrissie's alottment.

We picked a few bunches of asparagus

Auntie Chrissie picked some sweet peas.

And then we went home to put the sweet peas in some water and to have a nice cup of tea before meeting up with my cousins, their partners and children for lots of good food and drink and even more laughs. A massive thanks to them for another lovely weekend.

and remember...

it's not your chutney...

it's Smy Chutney.

Orford Country Market - 14 May 2011

May 17, 2011

During my long weekend in Orford I was looking forward to visiting the

Orford Country Market

again and it did not disappoint.

The Market operates 9.30 am - 12.30pm, every Saturday morning in the Town Hall, Orford, Suffolk, IP12 2NZ. As well as yummy hot food, teas and coffees there is a wide selection of cakes, preserves, eggs, truffles, plants, herbs, books, knitwear, jewellery, home furnishings and more! All set in the beautiful village hall.

The photo below shows some of

Jenny Cooper's

amazing handmade cushions and quilts. Jenny makes everything herself from her studio in Suffolk and even has a bespoke service that allows you to turn your most treasured clothes into treasured memories. The photos do not do them justice but you should check out her website on the link above.

Some of the many delicious cakes on offer.

Lovely homemade jams.

Lots of marmalade, chutney and more jam.

Next up are

B Chocolates

, who offer delicious handmade honey truffles made from their own honey collected from hard-working Suffolk bees. They also have sea-salt caramels and other fine chocolates made from Suffolk produce wherever possible and everything is made free of any artificial flavours or preservatives.

There are many different herbs and plants available.

I didn't get any photos of

Gedgrave Wensleydale's

lovely items as she was busy and I wanted to ask her permission before taking any photos but you will have to trust me that they are gorgeous. The link to the website is above but there is also a fun

blog

which tells you all about their lovely Wensleydale sheep that produce the wool that their products are made from. The products range from brooches, gloves, hats, jumpers and more.

It's really nice to see the Market and hear how well they are doing, I really recommend that you check it out!

and remember...

it's not your chutney...

it's Smy Chutney.

Bank Holiday Weekend in Orford

September 24, 2010

Smy Chutney went home to Orford, Suffolk this past bank holiday weekend. It was the Orford Flower Show which is not to be missed! Auntie Chrissie has a stand at the Flower Show and she along with other allotment holders and members of the community generously donates the fruit and veg she grows on her allotment to charity. Smy Chutney donate jars of chutney and this year they raised almost £600 for charity! Auntie Chrissie always send us home with mountains of produce for Smy Chutney for which we are SO grateful and nothing really compares to time spent with family in the country.

These are some of the ella bellas, damsons and greengages that we picked for the stand:

Here is a big, beautiful country bumblebee...it is really heartbreaking to think that bumblebees are struggling all over the world and falling in numbers, they are such hard-working creatures and so crucial to nature and the food chain!

and remember...it's not your chutney
it's Smy Chutney.