radicchio, pear and walnut salad

boring and derivative are such ugly words. classic is perhaps a more gentle term of opprobrium. by way of introduction i should probably make clear that this will be one of the last dinner proper posts. i have, after much consideration but mainly eating, come to the world shattering realisation that pastry is the only natural and logical consequence of my existence. yes, in spite of a request (on the heels of a tart boom) for more catholicity (or perhaps perversely because of), this blog is now solely and wholly dedicated to pastries, fancies, subtleties, cakes and all things which rest on the fundamental, inalienable law of butter and sugar. so what better way to bid farewell to bid farewell to dinner proper than with a salad as lovely, as autumnal, and as classic as this. enjoy.

ingredients

2 radicchio

2 pear – peeled, quartered and very finely sliced

2 apples – peeled, quartered and very finely sliced

150g parmesan shavings

100g walnuts lightly toasted.

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

first toast your walnuts – just lightly. then cut up your apples and pears and lay them out on your new, beautiful, photogenic chopping board for photographing if you want to fetishise food in such a way. i would never.

cut up your radicchio – roughly, however you see fit. combine all ingredients together into a bowl. pour over the olive oil, balsamic and season with salt and pepper.

simple. and so so very beautiful. even from up above.

carrot, apple and walnut muffins

The muffins herewith are drawn, scavenger-like, from a number of muffins and muffin-related experiences of which I have been the fortunate (and, once in Agadir, not so fortunate) subject. In a secondary inspirational role is a small suite of muffin-centred dreams, dreams of muffins great and muffins good. Once upon an aimless day (are there other sorts of days? if so, where may I enquire further about them?) i happened upon a unique genre of muffin at baker d. chirico. In retrospect, I’m quite certain Fitzroy st cleft itself in twain beneath my feat that day. Revelation always strikes when you least expect it, and often when suffering from a particularly bad case of gout . Loaded though this muffin was with its constituent bits (carrot, apple, walnuts) it seemed out of place in a humble st. kildan bakehouse. But who am I to question the universe when it reaches out and taps me on the shoulder with a crumbly top and a moist centre like a whisper?
One day I’ll tell you about the Agadir-muffin debacle of 92. Till then, enjoy these.

ingredients

300g plain flour

2tsp baking powder

2tsp ground cinnamon

pinch salt

4 free range eggs

160ml sunflower/vegetable oil (i used 100ml oil and 60ml orange juice. because i can)

200g brown sugar

80g caster sugar

vanilla (vast amounts)

220g peeled grated carrot

200g granny smith

100g grated zucchini

100g walnuts

100g saltanas

preheat oven to 170 degrees. grease a muffin tray. but first get all your ingredients together, and realise you dont actually have said muffin tray and do swearing, see your life and your failures flash before your eyes and then run for your sad little life back to the shop from whence you came for a new fresh muffin tray. then, back to the grating task at hand.

sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and mix. then whisk eggs, oil, sugars and vanillas with the grated apple, carrot and zucchini. fold in the walnuts and sultanas and finally the sifted flour mix.

spoon mix into the greased tins and bake for 25 minutes.

this post was adapted by spoon after spoon and is a dedicae for snow who is possibly the greatest muffin lover and maker i know.