Greener Grass

The following is the first thing I wrote in my journal after arriving in the Cotswolds. Just for a wee bit of context, I spent most of September in the English countryside cooking for the participants of a watercolor workshop taught by my dear friend, Sarah Simon, of The Mint Gardener.

“Looking out the kitchen window whilst preparing a pot of coffee in an old stone house in the Cotswolds, I see a field full of bunnies gathering their morning meal. Uh oh, I think. It actually exists - a place I long for in my everyday when it all feels too much, too impossible, too hard. A place I assure myself that it doesn’t actually exist. Now how am I going to fool myself?”

First let me explain my usage of “whilst”. Yes, I did actually write that in my journal. Yes, I was reading a lot of Jane Austin leading up to this adventure.

Perhaps the grass is greener but what is more likely is that I was living a life free from my daily obligations of home life. While I did have to prepare multiple meals a day for 15 to 20 people, I didn’t need to worry about much of what often preoccupies my mind. Instead I got to watch the bunnies nibble on the grass in the morning light, and pick blackberries that look and taste of candy, and fill glass bottles of milk with the cows the milk came from cheering me on mere feet away. I was present and paying attention. And I was rising up to new challenges - I taught myself how to cook on an AGA - and like most things in life I learned by failing. The first cake I baked was absolutely blackened BUT I simply cut off the top, bottom, and sides to reveal an interior that was perfectly baked. I took time to run my hands through the lavender in the garden every time I walked past just so I could pause to take in the heady scent. Instead of my inbox I reached for my journal in the morning while the porridge slowly simmered. Instead of Instagram and TikTok I read a book in the evenings until my eyes were heavy. This is perhaps why the grass is so green over there. Well, the rain also helps.

If these paragraphs feel a bit frantic and out of sorts it’s because they are, which is just a sign of my abundance of excitement and inspiration that came from this time. Inspiration that I am giddy (that’s right, giddy) to share with you all. And you guys, it has been a minute since I’ve been this excited.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake with Apple and Plum Caramel

This is one of the few recipes I made in the Cotswolds that I had made previously but it only felt fitting that our first meal end with a classic Sticky Toffee Pudding. Well, I guess this isn’t entirely classic because it is me and I am who I am; meaning, I can’t leave a recipe well enough alone. So instead of the traditional toffee sauce this tender date cake is usually served with, I used the apples I plucked off the branches behind the kitchen and some crimson plums I found at the market to create a fruit laced treacly toffee sauce. It’s not quite as rich as the version made with heavy cream but fear not, the entire dish is capped with a cool, creamy crown, because tradition or not, I will never miss an opportunity to finish a dish with a dollop, swirl or spoonful of cream.

Serves 8 to 10

8 ounces/ 230 g pitted medjool dates

1 cup / 240 ml boiling water

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons / 60 g butter, melted

3/4 cup / 160 g packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup / 140 g all purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Grease an 8 inch cake pan then line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the paper.

Add the dates to a heat proof bowl then cover with the boiling water. Stir in the baking soda then let this mixture sit until it is cool enough to handle and the dates have softened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Using a fork (or your hands) mash up the dates until nearly a soft puree.

While the mixture cools, stir together, in a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, stir the melted butter and brown sugar until well combined. Whisk in the eggs and salt before gently stirring in the flour mixture and then the date puree. Mix until just combined, taking care not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and then bake until the cake gently springs back when pressed or a toothpick, when inserted in the center, comes out clean, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Apple & Plum Caramel

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 large apple, cored and chopped (about 2 cups)

2 medium plums, pitted and chopped

Pinch of salt

In a wide saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter and stir in the brown sugar. Cook, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves into the butter and a glossy caramel begins to form. Add the chopped apples and plums along with a pinch of salt. The caramel will seize and harden when the fruit is added—this is expected. Continue cooking and stirring gently, and as the fruit releases its juices and softens, the caramel will melt again and coat the fruit in a rich sauce. Cook until the apples and plums are tender and the sauce is thick and glossy, about 8 to 10 minutes.