Hampshire Tapas at Caviste - food & wine heaven (a review)

As you know, I am a big fan of good food (aren’t we all). I am also, you may have noticed, a fan of ‘local’ food, be that veg from the back garden or the Farmers’ Market, locally reared pork or blackberries foraged from the hedgerows round and about the village. 

Where we live we have some great independent shops, one of which is a wine merchant, Caviste. I should say now that I don’t pretend to buy all my wine here, or, in fact, that I know much about wine at all. On the other hand, I do like a good glass or two, and Caviste is where I sourced the Prosecco for my 40^th birthday party earlier in the year. If we are having people for dinner, I will head there with my menu in hand and a budget in my head and come away with bottles of loveliness and delight . When I have done this in the past, the wine that I have been recommended has always complimented the meal beautifully.

If you’d asked me before we moved here whether I would have bought wine from an independent wine merchant, I would have probably explained that it would be far too expensive. However, the reality is that it isn’t. They can, or course, sell you a bottle of wine costing £30, £50 or even (I believe) £500, but they also sell a fantastic range of ‘everyday drinking wines’ starting at £5 a bottle. Again, I can’t pretend to have tried them all – partly because the stock changes, but I have always enjoyed what I have come away with.

Now. What does all this have to do with local food? Well, I’d been aware that the shop had been refurbished and that a couple of tables had appeared in the windows, and thought nothing of it. Imagine, then, my excitement, when I walked passed a few days ago on the way back from a particularly muddy dog walk and spied a big sign outside announcing: Hampshire Tapas. I had to find out more, and deciding that there was no time like the present, I told the dog in no uncertain terms to be on his best behaviour, and went in.

Well, she who dares, wins, and as a result of that, I was delighted to be invited back (without the dog) on Friday lunchtime to have chat with Graham Devereux, the General Manager, over a platter of said tapas and a glass of extremely delicious red wine, which I can tell you was a 2012 Meerlust red from the Stellenbosch region of South Africa.

Hampshire Tapas is, I think, a totally genius idea. The tapas concerned are locally sourced, from independent producers in the county. The idea is that the intentionally limited selection will change according to the seasons and as Caviste discover more producers. When I had originally seen ‘tapas’, I had imagined the Spanish version made from local ingredients, but how much better to serve up the best of Hampshire in this form:  a slice of pork pie, Scotch egg, mozzarella made from a buffalo herd grazing the fields around Overton itself, and Tunworth cheese, all served with slices of rosemary and sea salt loaf and a lovely chutney.  

The pork pie is hand raised by Peter Lane whose business name  ‘I Cook You Eat’ says it all. The pie was meaty and well seasoned, a gorgeous pink, the jelly and pastry just right. I also got a sneaky sample of his game pie filling – now the Husband makes a pretty good game pie, but this is in a different league altogether. The Scotch Egg is from Newlyns Farm, made with their own pork and eggs. The egg was perfectly cooked and the ‘scotch’ (the sausage meat casing) was meaty and not too peppery, firm and not at all greasy – if you thought you didn’t like Scotch egg, the time might have come to change your mind. 2 cheeses: The Tunworth cheese is just a mouthful of heaven – honestly, if you ever come across it you must try it – it’s a soft brie type cheese with a subtle, nutty flavour. Not surprising that it is considered one of the best British cheeses, but what is amazing is that Stacey Hedges and Charlotte Bruce have only been making it since 2005. Finally, ‘Hampshire Tapas’ in Overton wouldn’t have been complete without something from the brilliant Laverstoke Park. I often encounter the Laverstoke herd of buffalo while walking the dog, so very appropriate that the platter included 2 little balls of creamy, smooth mozzarella, produced just outside the village.

2 of Jody Scheckter's Laverstoke Park herd of Buffalo

 

You can imagine what heaven I was in – amazing food and delicious wine in great surroundings. I have always loved the feel of Caviste – very calm and measured (and quite unlike the frantic pace of my usual day to day) and that hasn’t changed with the refurbishment – only now, you can sit down and drink it all in. I also love the idea that the selection of tapas on offer will change so you never quite know what will be available, only that it will be of exceptional quality. And I should say that while the food isn’t yet available for online purchase, the wine most definitely is...

As you’ll probably have gathered, I was lucky enough to have been invited to try the tapas, but I can tell you that the platter I ate was their ‘Vineyard Platter’, for which I would have gladly paid £7. You can also choose to have the individual dishes. In addition, while I wasn’t required to provide a positive review, you will appreciate that it would be hard not to, given everything I have described. I can’t for an opportunity to get a babysitter sorted and head up there with the Husband for an early evening aperitif, as a great kick start to an evening.

Saved from disaster! Lamb curry with coconut rice

The Husband made it home from the States yesterday morning after what appears to have been a horrendous flight back from Florida, and was then treated to some additional ‘downtime’ due to the inability of Gatwick ground crew to remove the plane’s baggage and transfer it to the baggage reclaim hall with anything resembling efficiency. The children, of course, threw themselves upon him as he walked through the door, and he acquitted himself well in the role of returning father and husband, but I could see that he was a bit desperate. He’s usually pretty good at pushing on through the general jet lag/travel fatigue thing, but I wasn’t so sure yesterday, and it wasn’t long before he whispered that he thought he was going to have to go back to bed.

Womanfully, I took the kids off to town to do the boring chores that I save up over a few weeks – some birthday presents, a new pair of trainers for Pink (having grown 2 sizes over the summer, the weather is now such that she really does need to have something other than crocs to wear), Blue’s specs needed tightening up...

I was a bit concerned that my plans for dinner were somewhat ambitious. I adore curry and am trying to take the slowly, slowly approach to introduce it to the kids. Nothing overly spiced or too hot; mainly chicken  – you get the idea. In our little Hampshire village there are not one but two excellent curry houses. We don’t eat out very often, or get takeaway, but when we do, these establishments provide a great treat. We visited one the evening we got back from our trip to France earlier in the summer. Blue decided to branch away from the mild chicken dish that we’ve ordered for the kids in the past, and went for a Lamb Tikka Masala which he pronounced to be utterly delicious.

Keen to build on this, I have been talking the kids up to having a ‘curry feast’ one weekend, and had decided that the Husband’s return would be a fitting occasion. Nigella has a chicken curry in Feast which I have made before when we’ve had people round – a lovely creamy, mild dish, and I noticed a Lorraine Pascale lamb curry in the back of the October Good Food, so I thought that would be a good move on from the Tikka Masala for Blue. Add to that the Dahl from Veg Everyday which has become a regular feature here, a pile of poppudams and some of Gita’s finest chutneys (mango, lime and chilli) and Bob, as they say...

Well, it’s never that easy. I hadn't done anything earlier in the day. My mum called just as I was sorting myself out, with issues about knitting wool and Christmas, and advising of the imminent arrival of Nigellissima, and I got a little flustered. The chicken appeared to still be a little bit frozen, some spices burnt, and then, half way through the instructions for the lamb dish (and already half way through cooking it), the recipe in the magazine seemed to just stop: “Brown the meat all over for 2-3 minutes, stirring often so nothing catches on the bottom.”  And then silence. Nothing more about the lamb until it got to the bit where you served it with the rice. It just didn't feel right. Aaaaargh. 

Still, not to worry. I was confident that the lamb I’d bought was pretty good quality and would stand up to a little off piste action, so with the aid of some tomatoes and a little more water, the dish was saved. Pretty delicious too – because the addition of the tomatoes and water and extra cooking created a spicy aromatic sauce that, in my humble opinion, saved the dish from being a little on the dry side. And everybody loved it.

A little bit spicy lamb curry with coconut rice

For the lamb: vegetable oil, 5 cardomom pods, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp grd cumin, 1 tsp mild chilli powder (you can use medium or hot to taste) 1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced, 500g lamb leg pieces (or another cut that will stand reasonably quick cooking without gong tough) cut into bite size pieces, 3 large tomatoes, quartered

For the rice: 350g basmati rice, 400ml coconut milk, 100g sundried tomatoes, handful of coriander, finely chopped, 25g flaked almonds, knob of butter

Drizzle a little of the vegetable oil (no more than a dessert spoonful) into a pan over a medium heat. Bash the cardamom pods in a pestle & mortar (or with a rolling pin etc) to open the pods, add to the pan along with the ground spices and cook for 3-4 minutes, giving it the occasional stir. Turn the heat up, add a little more oil, then tip in the spring onions and lamb, and cook for a further 2-3 minutes to brown the lamb. Add the chopped tomatoes and some water – start with 100ml, stir and leave to simmer for 5 mins or so, on a gentle heat and see what it looks like – you may want to add a little more water, but remember that as the tomatoes cook down they will add liquid. Continue to simmer gently while you cook the rice.

Put the rice in a pan which has a good fitting lid, along with the coconut milk and 100ml of water. Put the lid on, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat as low as it will go and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Try and resist the urge to stir it. If you are worried about it burning, try and leave it at least 8 minutes  before checking, then check again at 10 mins etc. Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan and chop up the sundried tomatoes. When the rice is cooked, stir in the sundried tomatoes and chopped coriander, taste and season if necessary, then drop in a knob of butter and put the lid back on for a couple of minutes.

Serve the lamb with the rice, with the flaked almonds sprinkled on top.

Chai cake

It’s been a funny old week so far. The Husband left me in Wales (where we had been for a wedding on Saturday) early on Sunday morning to head to Heathrow and a week in the States, while I headed home via my father in law’s to collect the kids. The drizzle didn’t help anyone’s mood and I was relieved that they both slept in the car for at least some of the journey home. I won’t bore you with tales of tedious homework, a moshi- monsters birthday party, and an "entirely bought from the co-op because I couldn’t, frankly, be bothered," tea time, but let’s just say I was glad to get to my bed on Sunday evening.

 On Monday, the kids were out for tea and I thought I’d try a carb-free meal, inspired by a conversation I’d had earlier in the day with a friend. Grilled tomatoes and a poached egg. It was very delicious, but sadly didn’t stop me reaching for the oatcakes and cheddar later on that evening. The rest of the week’s meals has involved easy crowd pleasers. Toad in the Hole on Tuesday, Chicken & Red Pepper Fajitas on Wednesday, roasted tomato soup, garlic bread and pudding this evening, tea at a friend’s tomorrow... you get the idea.

However, today, a rare treat – lunch with some friends. Not ‘out’ – that would probably be too much excitement, but the prospect of some grown up company has been keeping me going this week.

I didn’t want to make anything too over the top, but it still took me some time to decide. While I’d like to have spent hours tinkering in the kitchen, it wasn’t really going to be an option, so in the end. I went with celeriac & pancetta soup (we have a lot of celeriac in the garden at the moment) and a big bulghar wheat salad, along with some good bread and cheese.

For pudding, though, something sweet, I had no such dilemmas. Ever since I read Sarah’s post at The View from The Table about her friend’s Seldom Seen Chai Cake, I knew I had to make it, and what better occasion. A grown up cake for a grown up (ish) lunch time .

This is a delicious warm ginger cake, infused through with the more subtle flavours of the chai  - more ginger, cloves and cardomon – and lifted with a tangy lemon and ginger icing. I have not always been fond of these kind of darker, more intense cakes, but my tastes are clearly changing. Last week, I made this coffee and raisin cake and, boy was it good – it did, as billed, taste a little like a gingerbread latte. So from coffee to tea – or rather chai. I’m fond of a good tea loaf, but this is in a different league. To be honest, I haven't had much experience of chai, but on the basis of this cake alone, I am persuaded to investigate further. There is a little bit of faffage, making the chai first and allowing it to cool, and grinding the cardamom seeds up, but it is worth it? Oh yes.

 

For the chai

350ml semi-skimmed milk

8 cardamon pods (bashed in a pestle & mortar)

1 clove

A cinnamon stick

2-3 slices root ginger

2 tea bags (regular tea)

For the cake

170g butter

2 eggs (beaten)

230g golden syrup

20g dark Muscovado sugar

20 cardamon pods (bashed, pods removed and discarded)

280g SR flour

2 tsp ground ginger

Pinch of salt

For the ginger icing

150g butter

150g icing sugar

Finely grated zest of a lemon and juice of half a lemon

1-2 tbsp ginger syrup (I used the syrup in the jar the stem ginger comes in)

1 ball of stem ginger (very finely chopped)

Make the chai: pour the milk into a pan and add the rest of the chai ingredients. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Preheat oven to 170C/160C (Fan) / Gas 3.5, and grease and line a 20cm cake tin

Strain the cooled chai into a measuring jug. You need 200ml so add more milk if necessary.

Melt the butter, golden syrup and muscovado sugar together, and leave to cool a little while you deseed the cardamon pods. Discard the pods and grind the seeds into a powder. Sift the flour, ground ginger and pinch of salt into a bowl and stir in the powdered cardamon seeds. Stir in the cooled butter/syrup/sugar mixture and the beaten eggs to the spiced flour followed by the cooled chai and mix well. Pour the mixture into the tin, and bake for 50-60 mins or until a cake tester comes out with just a few crumbs sticking to it. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

To make the icing, cream the butter, lemon zest and icing sugar together and then slowly add the lemon juice and ginger syrup. When they're all combined to make a smooth icing stir in the stem ginger. Cover the cake with the icing, and serve.

cover the cake with the icing...

...and serve

So you think you don't like rice pudding?

Now, I know there are lots of people who don’t like milk puddings, but bear with me here if you’re one of them.

Most food cultures across the world boast a milk pudding or 2 – rice pudding is the most widely found, but semolina, sago, tapioca  all feature in various guises. For me a good milk pudding is one of the most comforting things in the world, especially as the weather turns and it starts to get wetter and darker. School dinners didn’t put me off – not even the particularly lumpy version of semolina pudding that my junior school served up. In my mind, it was only improved with either jam to stir in or brown sugar to sprinkle on the top (as I remember). As if that wasn’t controversial enough, yes, I LOVE skin. The skin that forms on top of a rice pudding (ditto custard). Nothing better.

To me, milk puddings soothe and comfort. They are reasonably economical and you can dress them up in many ways. They are brilliant with stewed fruit.

If you are still scarred by the trauma of school dinners, of rice pudding thick enough to paper walls with, 'soggy semolina (with or without sugar/jam), or frogspawn like tapioca, and if you have never enjoyed the soothing restorative effects of a homemade milk pudding, I urge you to try again (well, may be not the tapioca).

Now I may have failed dismally in my attempts to get my son to embrace another of my favourite comfort food, cauliflower cheese, but where milk puddings are concerned, I win. During a brief flirtation with an Annabel Karmel book when I started weaning Blue, I came across a recipe involving ground rice which has evolved and still makes a regular appearance on our teatime menu when I am in the mood to receive unadulterated mummy points from my kids. I cannot tell you how much they love this.

Pear Pudding – serves 2

Ingredients: 1 ripe pear, quartered, cored and roughly diced, divided between 2 ramekins, 25g ground rice, 280 ml semi-skimmed milk, 1tsp caster sugar, sprinkling of cinammon

Method: Put the ground rice, sugar and cinnamon in a pan, and carefully stir in the cold milk to make a smooth paste, then put the pan on a gentle heat and bring slowly to a simmer stirring pretty much continually till the mixture thickens. Allow it to cook for a couple of minutes, then pour onto the pears and allow to cool a little (or a lot) before serving.

Baked rice pudding with plums – serves 4

Ingredients: 8 plums, stoned and halved, 25g soft brown sugar, grated zest & juice of an orange, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 2 cloves, 65g pudding rice, 650ml milk, 25g caster sugar, ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method: Pre-heat the oven to 150⁰C. Place the plums cut side down in a dish, sprinkle over the sugar and orange zest, add the cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves, and pour over the orange juice. 

In another dish, stir together the rice, milk, sugar and vanilla. Make sure all the grains of rice are stirred in.

Pop both the dishes in the oven. After about  45 mins-1hr, the plums will be soft and sitting in delicious juice, so take these out of the oven and leave the rice to bake for another 45 min-1 hr, until the milk has been absorbed, and the rice is cooked through and deliciously creamy.