A versatile recipe

The great thing about this recipe, is that there are several different ways to enjoy this versatile yoghurt dessert. We’re focussing on baby-friendly yoghurt drops here, but to get you started with a few alternative ideas, consider these delicious options below and have fun creating your own adaption!

• Cover a tray with freeze proof lining paper and spread the mix out evenly, then top the yoghurt with granola and berries. Freeze this overnight and then smash it in the morning for a high protein breakfast yoghurt bark. Serve as chunks of ‘bark’ to be enjoyed with a coffee whilst sat in your garden chair listening to the dawn chorus, bliss!
• For a more decadent pudding option, freeze mounds of the yoghurt on grease proof paper with chopped strawberries in the middle. Once they are frozen, dip them in white chocolate and then place them back in the freezer. Once the chocolate has set, enjoy them like a giant frozen yoghurt cookie!
• For children, fill ice cube trays with yoghurt and berries and pop a lollipop stick in the top. Once frozen, little ones can eat them like regular lollies whilst holding the stick to avoid frost bitten fingers.

Method:

1. Mush the raspberries with the back of your fork, or if you’re opting for strawberries, blitz in a blender until smooth
2. Combine the yoghurt and fruit along with a sweetener such as lemon curd (if you would like)
3. Line a tray with grease proof baking paper and spoon the yoghurt mix onto the tray in rows of “giant chocolate button’ sized dollops
4. Pop the tray in the freezer (they don’t take long), once frozen they can be transferred to a more compact pot
5. Any leftover mix can be stored in the fridge, believe us when we say you’ll need to make more soon as the little ones are bound to demand some more!
6. Freeze for about an hour ,or, if they’re not quite there, a little longer if they need it. Once they’re ready they don’t tend to stick around too long, but if space in the freezer is at a premium you can transfer them to an old ice cream pot or similar
7. Enjoy!

History

Just like the French Fougasse and the Spanish Pan de Hogaza, the focaccia was a bread traditionally served to poor country peasants. The original recipe was one of rough flour, olive oil, water, a small quantity of yeast and salt, and it was cooked directly on coals. It was likely a very tough, plain bread that would have been torn apart by hand and dipped into salty soups to soften. Today, focaccia toppings are becoming more and more experimental. Usually, savoury versions are topped with rosemary, garlic, cheese, onion and cherry tomatoes, whilst sweeter varieties can be topped with honey, raisins, sugar, lemon peel and candied orange. Let’s cook!

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 240°C
2. In a stand mixer place the salt, sugar, glug of olive oil, yeast, warm water and just a sprinkling of flour (to activate the yeast). Give it a mix with a fork and leave for 10 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes, there should be a froth on the top which shows that the yeast is alive and activated. Add the flour and the dough hook to the stand mixer.
4. On a low speed (1) allow the machine to knead the mix until it’s stretchy and bouncy.
5. Pour a glug of oil into another bowl and transfer the dough. Cover this with a wet tea towel to stop it from developing a skin and leave it for approximately an hour in a warm spot. This will allow the mixture to double in size.
6. Line a tray with parchment paper and give it a seriously good few glugs of oil until the whole sheet is covered by about 2mm of oil. This will ensure that the bottom is as crispy and delicious as it should be.
7. Transfer the dough to the tray and spread it out with your fingers, knocking back the air bubbles that have formed.
8. Leave the dough to rise a second time, ensuring that the top has a little oil on it to keep it moist and prevent skin from forming (between 40 minutes to 1 hour).
9. Position the toppings of your choice and add a sprinkle of salt.
10. Place in your preheated 240°C oven for the first 15 minutes, then lower this temperature down to 200°C until cooked through.
11. Focaccia keeps longer if you wait for it to cool before cutting, but who can resist a warm focaccia straight out of the oven? Truthfully, it will likely be gone in one sitting anyway, so just dig in and enjoy!  

Where to Begin

To make the most of your stargazing voyage, on clear nights it’s best to head to a spot that provides you with as much of an unobstructed view of the sky as possible. Ideally this should be a site with minimal light pollution, far away from tall buildings, trees and other objects that might punctuate the skyline. An excellent place to go for this is Bodmin Moor. In July 2017, Bodmin Moor was designated an International Dark Sky Landscape, confirming its long held reputation as one of Cornwall’s top attractions and simultaneously making it the first International Dark Sky location that sits within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. These features make it an exceptional spot to bundle up the family and whisk them off to gaze up at the night sky, hot cocoa in a flask, of course! But, if you’d rather stay at home or have little ones that need to be in close proximity to their bed late at night, you would be surprised what you can spot from your bedroom window or sat on a blanket out in your garden. In its most simplest form, you don’t need any equipment to experience the awe of the night sky and by simply turning your back to streetlights and putting your phone away for just 15 minutes, your eyes will adjust to the darkness. Your eyes alone will pick out the moon, satellites, meteors, shooting stars and possibly even some UFO’s… However, if you’d like to up your game a little, you might be surprised at how much a simple pair of binoculars can enhance your experience. Children’s binoculars for smaller hands are easy to purchase, but they might find it easier without any depending on their age. For the more discerning individuals that are eager for further details, investing in an amateur telescope is highly recommended.

Meteor Showers

In fundamental terms, meteor showers are caused by clouds of debris left in the wake of comets, which Earth passes through on its path around the sun. These tiny grains of dust and rock enter the atmosphere at such high speeds that the friction between them and the air makes them burn up, producing a visible flash that moves across the sky. You don’t need any high tech equipment to spot meteor showers, simply let your eyes adjust and look up, meteors will shoot across the sky in all directions, appearing and disappearing within seconds, moving rapidly across the sky. If you’re lucky, you might even see some fireballs; big and brilliant meteors that appear as bright as Venus. To ensure an outstanding view, check weather forecasts for cloud coverage and try looking on any clear night during that week and in the weeks leading up to the peak – it’s generally advisable to look before the peak, rather than after. On any given night, the best time to look is just after midnight, wherever you are in the world. Make sure you keep an eye and an ear out for mention of any possible meteor showers and when they’re likely to occur so you don’t miss out!

Stargazing Benefits

The night sky is full of stories, adventures, and curiosities. Not only is gazing into the sky one of many ways to encourage your child’s natural love of learning, it’s also a positive step toward raising thoughtful, introspective, universe-conscious people. So whether it’s picking out constellations, learning the planets of the solar system, or simply studying the surface of moon, the benefits of stargazing with children are many. Now all that’s left to do is wait for twilight to fade to black, turn your focus to the skies and watch in awe as a sparkling display of the cosmos appears before your eyes. Don’t forget the downloadable activity sheets below, and happy stargazing!

Ingredients for the pork:

2.5kg belly of pork, boned and skin scored (ask your butcher to do this)

3 tsp salt

50g fennel seeds

25g cracked black pepper

10 sage leaves

Method to prepare the pork belly:

• Prep: Lay the belly of pork skin side down on a board then butterfly, using a sharp knife: cut through horizontally from one long side almost to the other, so you leave one side intact; be careful not to slice all the way through. Now open up the belly.
• Season: For the seasoning, mix the salt, fennel seeds and cracked pepper together in a bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the butterflied pork belly and distribute the sage leaves on top. Fold the belly to enclose, cover and place in the fridge to chill for an hour.
• Make the stuffing: Place a large frying pan over a medium heat on the hob and add the oil. Once it is hot, add the diced onions and fennel and fry for about 10 minutes until softened and golden brown. Stir in the pine nuts, olives and nduja and warm through briefly. Spoon the stuffing onto a tray and spread out evenly to encourage it to cool quickly.
• Stuff: Once the stuffing is cooled, lay the pork belly back on the board and open it up again to expose the seasoned side. Spread the stuffing evenly over the surface, using a palette knife or the back of a spoon.
• Roll: Now roll the meat up tightly from a long side and tie with kitchen string at roughly 4cm intervals, starting in the middle and working out towards the ends. It should be firmly tied, but not so tight that the filling is squeezed out. Place the porchetta on a tray in the fridge overnight. The next day, remove the pork from the fridge at least an hour before you intend to start cooking it.

Introducing mud kitchens

Simply put, a mud kitchen is typically a table or bench adorned with items such as old pots and pans. They can be placed in any corner of a garden, patio or even on a balcony. The beauty of mud kitchens is that they can be as little or as large as you wish, and as beautiful or rustic as you’d like to make them! Their primary function is to kindle creativity, but unstructured play at mud kitchens also fosters problem-solving skills, critical thinking, supports sensory exploration, and can even boost immune systems. Once set up, at the helm of a mud kitchen children take on the roles of chefs, scientists, and artists, they’re free to concoct pies, potions, and sculptures. There is simply no limit to what this play station may become in the mind of a child; it can be a restaurant, a perfumery, an apothecary, a witches cauldron, a potting station, a florist, the list doesn’t end!

What are the benefits?

Apart from unleashing creativity, sensory experimentation and creating a connection with nature away from screens, there are endless benefits to mud kitchen play. Not only does it help with physical development such as motor skills and hand-eye coordination, it also positively impacts collaborative play which helps your little one build social skills. Mud kitchens can have a therapeutic quality for children by allowing them freedom to explore and create in the fresh air, which in turn promotes emotional well-being. It’s also sustainable, building an area from up-cycled items and encouraging young ones to reuse and recycle during playtime instills an environmental awareness early on. Mud kitchens help create a rudimental platform for informal STEM learning, where children can observe basic scientific processes like cause-and-effect relationships, explore the properties of materials, and become inquisitive about naturally occurring elements. It’s important to remember that the experiences of play create lasting childhood memories, these formative years help shape a child’s perspective on the world and contribute to their overall happiness and well-rounded development as they grow.

Let’s talk rosé

The rosé will lose some of its colour and flavour as it’s diluted, frozen and mixed with other ingredients. Therefore it’s important to choose a full flavoured, full bodied and darker coloured rose such as a Pinot Noir or Merlot so the pink really comes though. You ideally want something that holds its own, is able to maintain its flavour and complements the additions that you throw at it.

You will need:

• A baking tray or something you can freeze rosé in – ice cube trays also work
• A bottle of your chosen rosé
• Frozen strawberry or watermelon 
• Lime juice 
• Vodka
• Sugar
• A blender
• Caster Sugar and fresh rose petals picked from the garden (to decorate the glass)

Top tip

When choosing your lemons, search for larger lemons that have more pointed ends and thicker rinds: they tend to look better when halved and hallowed out. When serving, there is no need to provide a plate, simply arrange them on a sharing board with teaspoons and let everyone help themselves! Not only does this look beautiful, it also saves on the washing up; win-win. 

Method:

1. Half the lemons length ways and hallow them out, reserving the flesh and juice
2. In one bowl ,mix the soft cheese with the caster sugar and jam (this becomes your blueberry cheesecake mix)
3. In another bowl, whip the double cream until thick but not quite spreadable – you want it to be a thick pour. 
4. To the double cream add the lemon curd and some of the lemon juice. This can be done to taste, you’ll want it to be tart to cut through the cream and sugar, but not too tart that it makes you squirm. Once the juice has been added you will need to whip it again. This time you want to take it to an ‘almost’ spreadable texture. It should be a thick dollop like consistency, not pourable, but not quite a thick spread (this is your lemon posset mix)
5. Using a spoon, fill half the lemon skins with the blueberry cheese cake mix and then with a completely clean spoon, fill the remaining lemon skin with the lemon posset mix. 
6. Place in the fridge for at least 12 hours but preferably overnight, loosely covering with cling film so that they don’t absorb any fridge smells.
7. The next day, chilled and set, they’re ready to enjoy!

Ingredients for the mango salsa:

1 ripe mango, finely chopped 

1 lime, zested and juiced

8 medium sized tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped

4 inch stick of cucumber, finely chopped

2 whole red onion, finely chopped 

Chilli flakes (to taste) 

A large pinch of sea salt 

50ml of apple cider vinegar 50ml

Fresh coriander, you can use a whole spring if your family loves the stuff, less if you’re not a number one fan

Ingredients for the fish tacos:

200g of meaty white fish, such as cod, rock salmon, or, if you wish to elevate this dish even further, monkfish 

1 egg 

30ml milk 

70g panko bread crumbs

150g plain flour

1 packet of Mexican spice mix

Salt 

Pepper 

Tortilla wraps 

Your favourite veggies and fillings

Approx. 500ml of frying oil (you need to cover the base of your pan and come up the side by an inch)

The village is home to the historic Kings Wood, a couple of campsites and a few great places to eat. One such place that is definitely worth checking out is Rebellion Roast House, offering the most mouth watering selection of burgers, maple and moonshine mussels, and tempura monkfish stacks. Another fantastic option is the Kingswood Bar and Restaurant, providing a more gourmet experience with items such as wild mushroom risotto, 26oz tomahawk steaks and sugar-pit glazed pork belly on the menu. Both are excellent!

Alongside the farm shop is The Refill Hut, a packing free refill and eco-friendly shop providing all of your daily essentials. Simply bring your own containers to top up on your washing liquid, milk, muesli or coffee beans. When it comes to the containers that you use, the only limit is your imagination. They’ve seen it all from fancy storage containers and kilner jars, to old mayo bottles, empty cereal boxes, takeaway tubs and yogurt pots. As long as what you’re using is clean and dry, you can pretty much use anything. However, if you do turn up empty handed, they have plenty of clean pots to use in their donations box or paper bags you can fill. They offer everything you would ever need to keep your home running seamlessly, as well as selling beautiful gifts such as coffee table books, candles and children’s toys. Both the farm shop and refill shop are open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5.30pm and on Sundays from 10am to 4.30pm. We really can’t recommend a visit highly enough.

1. Park in the small car park at the top of Mount Stamper Road. This is a free car park used mainly by dog walkers on the clay trail. There are spaces for about 10-15 cars, but there is plenty of parking on the road leading up to it on busier days.

2. Cross the bridge that goes over the A391 just in front of St Austell Printing Company.

3. Head in the direction of Carn Grey. The path is clearly worn and marked. Keep your ears open for Cuckoos, they can occasionally be heard on this section of the path.

4. Once you get to the end and Baal Lake comes into view, the road bends around to take you up Carn Grey mound.

7. The trail continues in between Pentruff  and the back of the village, eventually leading you to the top of Baal Lake.

8. Follow the gorse lined hedgerow that runs alongside the A391 until you come to the bridge again.

9. Cross the bridge to loop back to the car park.

Add on: If you wish to extend your walk, you can continue along the path and not turn off to the car park. Follow the trail for a wooded walk around Ruddle Lake, or head in the other direction and follow the path around the solar panel fields and the sky tip.