Peaches and Cream (and pasties of course)

In 1936 the US steamer Bessemer City was wrecked in fog under cliffs to the west of Clodgy Point, St Ives. No lives were lost but the wreck broke in two and the cargo of tinned salmon and tinned fruit was cast into the sea and washed up on beaches all over Cornwall.  The cargo was said to have fed the locals for months – but the labels on the tins were washed away so no one knew what they were having for tea until they opened the tin. 

My father was 8 years old and living in St Ives when the shipwreck occurred, and my grandparents were amongst those eagerly collecting tins off the beach. There was great anticipation as each successive tin was opened – will it be salmon for tea today? It never was – every last tin contained peaches - and they have been known in my family as “Bessemer Cities” ever since. As a child I presumed the name was “bessamasities” and that everyone referred to tinned peaches this way. It was literally years before I heard the story of the shipwreck and understood the origins of the name.

Cornish Pasties:

Shortcrust pastry

Beef Skirt

Onion

Potato

Swede

Salt and pepper to taste

Jusrol do a great line in frozen pastry – you can buy it in rounds that are a perfect size for a pasty. All the ingredients should be diced really small or shredded or flaked – no big chunks of anything!

Lay the ingredients in layers in the middle of the round of pastry, starting with potato. Season each layer with salt and pepper.

Dampen the outer rim of the pastry round with warm water and carefully draw up the pastry around the filling. Press the sides together and crimp to seal. You’ll have to ask my mother how to do the crimping but it looks something like this......

Start in a hot oven (200) and reduce the heat to 180 after 30 minutes. They should take about an hour and a quarter in all.

We waved Cornish flags, ate the pasties, and had Bessemer Cities with Cornish Clotted Cream for dessert.

At the moment I’m blogging and cooking more than walking and cycling – and I'm having such fun! 

January Stats:

Walker:                      69 miles
Cyclist:                      0 miles
Blood Pressure:         132/86