Bedford Hall - Fabulous Food

Once again its the same team that approved, edited and sent most of my previous books on their happy way. As before, I regard Linda de Villiers, Joy Clack and Bev Dodd as a formidable trio. They will offer praise when they think it is due, but will gently disagree when they dont go along with my ideas. This makes for perfect interaction and, in the end, they usually know best because they are true publishing, editing and design professionals a rare threesome, and I cannot imagine where else I would find colleagues with the same amount of care and dedicated involvement. My sincere thanks to Nelani Pfaff, who so expertly edited the Afrikaans edition; and to Justine and Ryno for their inspired interpretations of my work. Their combined expertise is evident on every page.

This ebook edition published in 2013
First published in print in 2007

www.randomstruik.co.za

Struik Lifestyle
(a division of New Holland Publishing (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd)
Wembley Square, First Floor, Solan Road, Gardens,
Cape Town 8001, South Africa

Copyright in published edition: Struik Publishers 2007
Copyright in text: Lynn Bedford Hall 2007
Copyright in photographs: Struik Publishers 2007

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner/s.

PUBLISHING MANAGER: Linda de Villiers
EDITOR: Joy Clack
DESIGNER: Beverley Dodd
PHOTOGRAPHER: Ryno
STYLIST: Justine Drake
PROOFREADER: Tessa Kennedy

ISBN 9781770073647 (Print)
ISBN 9781432302214 (ePub)
ISBN 9781432302221 (PDF)

The publishers wish to thank the following outlets for their assistance and for the loan of props for the photography: @ Home; Banks; Boardmans; Brighthouse; Clicks; The Culinary Academy; Home etc.; James Russel Agencies; Le Creuset; Loads of Living; Loft Living; LOrangerie; Silk & Cotton Company; Silwood Kitchen School of Cookery; Wallflower; Woolworths; Yellow Door.

Most of us who love to cook will agree that a photograph of a completed dish sends out an exciting signal; not only does it inspire confidence, it also provides guidance: you no longer have to say What On Earth Will My Dish Look Like? In short, a photograph will speak to you, whereas a picture in the mind can simply be a wobbly confusion, especially for the timid cook.

Now with this book you no longer have to draw on your creative ability to produce what you think the author had in mind, because, at a glance, you will know what to expect: a succulent curry, a glistening salad, a steaming soup. Follow the photograph and your troubles should be over. Most of the recipes featured in Fig Jam and Foxtrot and Return to Corriebush reappear here in colour. To add balance and variety, some recipes from my books that are now out-of-print have been included, together with a smattering of timeless favourites and new inspirations. So whether you just look or look and then cook I do hope you will find pleasure in browsing through these pages.

LYNN BEDFORD HALL

This is a thick and gorgeous soup, so smooth and rich that it needs no extras, not even a cobweb of cream. The garnish, so to speak, comes in the form of little dill fronds frozen in ice cubes.

• 1 550600 g English cucumber (thats a big one)
• 15 ml (1 Tbsp) each oil and butter
• 2 medium leeks, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 500 ml (2 cups) hot chicken stock
• a small clutch of parsley tufts
• 2 bay leaves
• a little sea salt
• 2 medium or 1 jumbo avocado, diced (300 g flesh, once peeled and pipped), reserve the pip
• 23 small fronds of fresh dill
• 15 ml (1 Tbsp) fresh lime juice
• finely grated rind of 12 small lime

1. Pare the cucumber, cut in half and remove the seeds, then dice. Heat the oil and butter in a deep saucepan, add the leeks and onion and cook slowly until soft and transparent. Mix in the cucumber and cook briefly until it has started to shrink a little. Add the stock, parsley, bay leaves and salt, then cover and simmer for about 25 minutes until the vegetables are very soft. Leave to cool, then remove the bay leaves. Add the avocado flesh, the dill, lime juice and rind, and whizz in a blender until beautifully thick and smooth. Pour into a large glass jug, drop in the avocado pip, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or even overnight.
2. During this time, make the dilled ice cubes. Empty an ice cube tray and, in the hollows, place a small frond of dill, fill up with water, and freeze. Use a tray with small, round hollows or, if yours makes large cubes, only half-fill them with water, otherwise the cubes will take too long to melt. Before serving, remove the avo pip, check the seasoning, give the soup a good stir and pour into small bowls (not soup plates). Drop one or two dilly ice cubes into each bowl, then go away for a few minutes to allow them to just start melting before serving. Serves 68.

Imagine a bowl of incredibly vivid, magenta-coloured soup, floated with avocado and swirled with cream, and youve got this colourful wonder. Its a fun soup, and easy to make because the ingredients are so basic.

• 15 ml (1 Tbsp) each oil and butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced into thin rings
• 2 large leeks, white part only, well washed and chopped
• 15 ml (1 Tbsp) water
• 450500 g potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 ml (12 tsp) each grated nutmeg and paprika
• 1 litre (4 cups) hot chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• a little sea salt
• a good pinch of sugar
• 2 medium, raw beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated (about 230 g peeled weight)
• 125 ml (12 cup) milk
• a little fresh lemon juice
• white vermouth (optional)
• softly whipped cream (or thick sour cream or creamy Greek yoghurt), and cubed or balled avocado, and milled black pepper these are not just garnishes, they are essentials

1. Heat the oil and butter in a really large saucepan (because grated beetroot is bulky), and add the onion and leeks. Toss until coated, then add the water and sweat, covered, over very low heat until soft and golden; do not brown. Add the potatoes, nutmeg and paprika, toss to mix, then add the stock, bay leaves, seasoning and beetroot. Cover and simmer very gently until the vegetables are cooked about 25 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the milk and, when reasonably cool, whizz in a blender, in batches, until smooth. Check the seasoning if it needs a little oomph, shake in a few drops of lemon juice.