New recipe - Cyprus and the Olive Tree

Katmer - Filo pastry with almonds and fresh cream.



There are some lovely flavours combined in this filo pastry with Almonds and fresh cream. I have made my recipe using filo pastry for easier use. As a child I remember my Mother and Grandmother making their own pastry, rolling it out on a large floured surface with slender three foot long rolling pins until it was paper thin.

Here is the recipe.

I pack filo pastry
400g chopped almonds
300ml fresh single cream
1 stick of cinnamon
1 3/4 pints water or 35 floz
4oz caster sugar

First we need to make a syrup. Place the water, sugar and cinamon stick in a pan and boil, turn the heat down low and allow to simmer until the liquid has been reduced by at least half. Remove the pan and leave to cool down.

Grease a medium sized, round baking dish.
Spread out a sheet of filo pastry and brush generously with the fresh cream.
Top with a generous sprinkling of chopped almonds.
Gently roll up the filo pastry and arrange neatly inside the baking dish.
Repeat this process, starting from the outer edge, working towards the middle, until all the mixture is used up. The filo pastries should look like a coiled snake.

Brush the surface with the remaining cream and bake in a pre heated oven for 25 mins gas mark 6 or 200 C

Allow pastry to cool then pour over the syrup.

You can of course use a variety of fillings which I will include in my book 'Cyprus and the Olive Tree.

Royal Institute of Oil Painters

ROI 123rd Annual Exhibition - Mall Galleries, London
Non members are invited to submit work for the Annual Exhibition.

For further information contact the Mall Galleries on 020 7930 6844 or visit : www.mallgalleries.org.uk

Entry forms are now available to download here : Registration Pack

Receiving days

Friday 5 and Saturday 6 November, 10am-5pm. Select this link for information on regional handing-in points.

It has been a while since I last posted. Sad, unsettling events occur, not just on a personal basis, but all around us. The world seems to be hurtling into an unknown future taking all of us with it. long term, I can feel optimistic but short term it feels like a chaotic unknown with many difficulties and hardships yet to come. I am normally very positive and optimistic and like to think that forward looking projects like the 'venus project' www.thevenusproject.com can one day become a reality.

To come back down to earth, I have been working on a book about my family's ancient olive grove and my Mothers recipes entitled 'Cyprus and the Olive tree' (this title may change, if you have any suggestions for a title I would welcome them) I am about ready to hand in a submission now, showing three chapters a front cover with painting plus two pastel roughs showing ideas for chapter openings and a synopsis. It is time to get some feedback and advice.

Here are some of the pastel roughs.







I am also working on some paintings for an event next year. Here are some initial pastel roughs for paintings. I like the subject so much I may develop more for a mini exhibition. I will give more details soon.