It’s been a fun week in the kitchen because half of it was spent away on an Easter holiday with family and friends so there’s been lots of communal meals and the cooking has been shared.
I was prepared for my part, pre-measuring all the spices for my lamb raan and popping them in a small container rather than packing each individual packet. And once there and my spice paste was made and on the lamb there was nothing for me to do for a couple of days while it marinated in the fridge.
But Lucy Senior, a friend who was camping (in a tent!) next door put my prepared-ness to shame; on every occasion she excelled. For drinks she produced a gorgeous flip-top jar containing her rich, red tomato relish to go with cheese and crackers. For dessert she arrived with a pound cake that was a taste sensation, crunchy on the outside and soft and buttery inside — she’d simply taken it out of the freezer to bring away with her. She also produced healthy salads utilising things such as packet lentils and noodles and dressings she had made in advance and put into jars. On the third day she came over with slice and bake crackers. Once again, made at home ready to bring away, these were rolls of dough wrapped in baking paper and tied with string with instructions to slice and bake in a 170degC oven for 25 minutes. We did, and we wanted more, more, more. So I have asked this Southern Belle (she hails from Atlanta, Georgia) to share the recipe:
Lucy’s cut and bake crackers
Blue cheese and pecan
Pulse together ¾ cup pecans or walnuts and ¾ cup flour in a food processor then gradually add 4 Tbsp chilled butter and 70g blue cheese. Once combined roll into a log and refrigerate for 24 hours or freeze.
Cheddar and thyme
Pulse together 1 cup of flour, 1 tsp salt a grind of black pepper and 2 Tbsp chopped thyme. Gradually add 3 Tbsp chilled butter, 1 cup finely grated cheddar and ¼ cup milk. Once combined roll into a log and refrigerate for 24 hours or freeze.
To bake your crackers, cut them into small slices on to a baking tray and bake in a 170degC oven for 25 minutes. Lucy says you can make many different herb and cheese combinations and you can add cayenne or chilli too. Lucy originally copied this recipe from “somewhere she is not sure where’’. So our apologies for not crediting the rightful owner.
