Globe Pond, Russia Dock Woodland Photograph by Nick Fleming
It was such a wonderful day, the first of several FREE events we're involved with arranging in Russia Dock Woodland, London SE16 this summer. The highlight is Meditation in the Park on Sunday 26th June 2011 where there'll be prizes for picnics, but there are other things too, including nature tours and bat walks and then a Woodland Surprise. If you've never been down to visit London's best kept secret, them come along. Russia Dock Woodland runs along hte spine of the Rotherhithe peninsula, where we live, forming the heart and soul of the community. It is a sanctuary for not only humans anbut also a multitude of flora and fauna. This year the nesting kingfishers have already been sighted with their iconic flashes of blue darting through the reeds.
Nick's view on photography is that it's all about seeing; most people look but they never see. A photograph is a reflection of how you see the world, you make a photograph, you don't take it.
We've been asked for a summary of Nick's top photographic tips and also for the recipes so here you are:
Nick's Top Ten Photographic Tips
- Experiment with the manual settings on your camera
- Make more use of a wide angle lens
- Fill the frame with interest
- Work through the moment
- Don't break that moment by continually looking at your camera's LCD screen
- Try to create a sense of being there, put your scene in some sort of context and perspective
- Avoid a flat and uninteresting image by creating a sense of depth
- Don't shoot every frame from eye level
- Commit to practising
- Try embarking on a long term project, soemthing that really interests you, to create some really meanhingful images over time
Sweet Nut Biscuits
The starting point for both the biscuits we served is the classic 3-2-1 ratio so please scale these as appropriate. The quantities below are enough to fill a big tin of each.
Normally I post a photograph here but there were none left! I'll make them again soon and then you can see what mine look like but meanwhille you're just going to have to imagine.
Pistachio and Cranberry Flowers
It doesn't really matter which shape that you cut your biscuits in, it really doesn't affect the taste, but I just do like to match the fom of the biscuit to their substance. The pale green of the pistachio just seems right for a flower shape somehow, all the more so since these were being served in the beauty of the Ecological Park. These biscuits are definitely easiest made in a food processor.
- 175g shelled pistachio nuts
- 350g white flour
- 116g vanilla pod infused sugar (or plain if that's all you have)
- 230g salted butter
- 2-3 tablespoons full fat milk
- 100g of dried cranberries
Whizz the nuts until they are broken down and then add the flou and sugar. If it compacts too much on the sides of your food processor then scrape down the sides a bit.
Chop the butter into little cubes and add it to the whizzing processor one cube at a time making sure that the butter blends into the dry ingredients and doens't just form the centre of its own little world.
How much milk you add has so many variables from the freshness of the nuts to the English weather. Start by adding one tablespoon of milk and let it continue to process. If it doens't begin to bind into one large ball of dough then add another; wait before you add another. You don't want these too wet.
Heat the oven to 175 degrees.
As soon as you have a ball of dough turn the ball out onto a lightlly floured surface and knead in a little extra flour to stop it sticking too much. It's easiest if you dvide the dough in two. Roll out the first ball to 3mm thick (I use height bars for this but if you don't have any just make them quite thin), cut out the shapes and put onto two baking trays. Place a dried cranberry in the centre of each biscuit.
Bake for 18 minutes until they're cooked. You'll know if they are because they'll slide quite easily off the tray. If necessary, bake for one or two minutes more. Remember this is an art form and there'll come a stage when you just know they're done :)
Somehow Millie-Pup always seems to know when the biscuits smell ready because she comes to sit by the oven ready to sample one, or more, to give her opinion on them. A general rule of thumb is if they smell cooked and are just turning golden on the edges they're cooked.
Meanwhile, roll out the second ball and cut out the shapes and if you have enough trays get them ready. If not, you'll have to wait to wash up the ones in the oven. When you take the first batch of biscuits out of the oven let them sit on the trays for a minute or so before you put them on a drying rack.
Proceed with the second batch and make yourself a cup of Tea.
Do not put these biscuits into their tins until they are thoroughly cool otherwise they'll go soggy.
Cocoa Nibs and Walnut Hearts
I utterly love walnuts and dark chocolate so it was a no-brainer to make these into heart shapes. They are another variation on the 3-2-1 but the cocoa powder adds a whole new dimension to their stickiness.
- 150g walnut pieces
- 300g white flour, preferably 100g of spelt, 100g kharosan and 100g of French 055
- 100g vanilla pod infused sugar
- 50g cocoa powder
- 200g butter
- 50g cocoa nibs
As with the pistachio and cranberry biscuits above, start with the nuts in the processor, then adding the flour, sugar and cocoa powder, and then finally the butter in little pieces.
It will all come together in a ball in the middle of the processor but you may well need to add a bit more flour, and knead it in well, when it's out on the floured work surface.
Again, divide in two and work separately, rolling out the dough to 3mm and cutting into shapes. Place on the baking trays and then sprinkle on cocoa nibs. I just love cocoa nibs for their crunchy texture which complements perfectly the melt-in-the-mouth biscuit.
Bake in the pre-heated oven at 175g for 18 minutes. These are really quite crumbly so let them cool well before you handle them. Start again with the second ball.
One woman, who will remain nameless, when I offered her the tin of these replied: "these are such good biscuits; and you know why? because when you've had two you feel you've been treated in heaven, and there's no need to be greedy and eat any more". That's the secret of sweetness and light, isn't it: that there's no room for greed.
