oasis shirt at 18 pounds

hot

pretty green losing the plot

seems like pretty green has become marks and spencer.

west mersea

Two Tides Bar and Clubhouse
Seaview Holiday Park - West Mersea
01206 385938
Club Membership only £1
membership cards must be shown on entry
Sunday lunch roasts 2 course meal £10regular entertainment throughout seasonThe Two Sugars Cafe
Cafe in unique setting of former World War 2 Gun Emplacement along Victoria Esplanance. One of the few remaining gun emplacements left in the country - built here in 1939 to repel the enemy. The gun was only ever fired once - just as a test. Open during the holiday season whenever the weather is fine and sometimes even when it rains. Serves tea - snacks and ice cream - outdoor patio overlooking beach. Nearest car park - Willougby - free!

Seaview Cafe Sea end of Seaview Avenue - on approach to Seaview Caravan Site
Good - plain - reasonably priced food. Outdoor seating overlooking beach
Open All Day - every day - Tel: 01206 386916


The Old Mill Bakery
Bakery and Cafe
open daytime only
8 Barfield Road - Tel:01206 382186
web www.theoldmillbakery.co.uk

The Islander
Traditional fish and chips eat in or out
37 High Street - Lunch 11.30am to 2 pm - Evening 4.30pm to 9 pm
Tel: 01206 382305

32v euros at leredoubte

tuscan soup

Tuscan Autumn Soup (Passata de ceci)

Ingredients

7-8 cloves garlic

4 shallots or 1 large, mild onion

5 cups soaked, cooked chickpeas

12 - 15 sage leaves, the fresher the better

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 stick / 50 g butter

12-15 bay leaves, the fresher the better

Leaves from a bulb of fennel

4 oz/ 100 gr tomato paste or plain tomato sauce

1 cup brandy or white wine

5-6 doses of saffron

3-4 small dried hot peppers

To serve

3-4 slices stale bread

a walnut-sized piece of butter

In a deep pot, simmer the chickpeas and their cooking liquid with the sage leaves.

If your saffron is in threads, add it to a little hot water and let it steep. If it’s powder, you can just add it directly to the soup at the end of the cooking (below)

In a frying pan, melt the butter with the olive oil and add the chopped garlic and onions. Crumble the dried peppers over it, and add the bay leaves. Saute over medium low heat until the bay leaves are soft and fragrant and the onion and garlic are translucent. Do this relatively slowly, as you’re infusing the oil and butter with the flavors.

Add the tomato paste/sauce and the brandy/white wine. Cook over medium heat till it’s almost dry. Remove the bay leaves and add the mixture from the frying pan to the chickpeas.

Liquefy with an immersion blender or by transferring to a blender. Add water if necessary to get the consistency you want. Put the bay leaves back in and add the saffron and the fennel leaves. Turn the heat off and let it sit for at least an hour. Really. This makes a huge difference. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves again before serving.

Before serving, cut the stale bread into cubes, and melt the butter in a small pan. Add the bread cubes, toss, and let brown slowly over medium-high heat. Toss from time to time to brown them evenly on all sides.

Ladle the soup into bowls, add the hot croutons (I love the sizzle), and enjoy!

Serves 4 if they like it and 10 if they don’t.

Notes:

1. You can substitute four cans of chickpeas. I don’t have to tell you that it’s better with the dried, soaked beans, but if you’re pressed for time, go ahead and use the canned. It’ll still be heavenly.

2. I never understood the point of bay leaves before this recipe. But now they’re among my favorite herbs. The smell of them as they sautee is out of this world.

3. In Siena we didn’t use fennel leaves, we used finocchio fiori, which are the dried petals of wild fennel flowers. Unless you’re in Tuscany, you’re probably not going to find this. Believe me, I’ve tried. You can substitute fennel leaves, if you can find a bulb with leaves on it. I just keep finocchio fiori in the freezer, and stock up when we’re in Italy.

4. You can skip the fennel flowers and the saffron if you can’t get them, but you’ll miss a subtle layer of flavor, as well as some of the golden color.

5. While this might seem like a fussy recipe, remember, it’s ITALIAN. Everything is approximate. Feel free to play with it!

pretty green 40 quid polo