Following on . . .

As the previous blog about slow cooking appears to have been a hit, this is a little bit of a follow on in that you can cook all of these and freeze the remainder for another day (or invite some friends over!)

We live in the country where, like it or not, there is a lot of shooting this time of the year. If given any game birds, remember to respect them as a free range, organic piece of meat who has at least flown and been part of the countryside for most of its life. Cook them to the best of your ability and use all of it.

Pheasant Casserole with Apples

25g butter
2 tablespoon sunflower oil
Salt and pepper
6 pheasant breasts, skinned (use the carcass to make stock with some carrots and onions and water)
2 onions, thinly sliced
150ml apple juice (cloudy is best)
300 ml game stock – see above but you can also use a cube
2 dessert apples, peeled and cut into wedges
2 tablespoon double cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat half the butter and all the oil in a non-stick frying pan until very hot. Season the pheasant breasts and fry them in the hot pan until golden. Set aside. Heat the remaining butter in the unwashed pan and fry the onions until tender – about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and gradually blend in the apple juice and stock. Bring to the boil stirring and add apples and breasts. Cover and simmer over a low heat for about 12 minutes until the pheasant is just cooked through. DO NOT OVER COOK! Stir in the double cream and lemon juice and serve with mashed or baked potatoes and a green vegetable.

Pheasant Stroganoff – a quick and delicious way of using pheasant breasts.

4 pheasant breasts, sliced
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 grated cloves of garlic
6 – 8 chopped mushrooms
200ml double cream
2 teaspoons paprika
4 cornichons, finely chopped
1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped
1 teaspoon grained mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
Handful of parsley, finely chopped
Pasta or rice to serve

Fry the pheasant strips on a high heat until they have a good colour. Put aside. Gently fry the shallot and garlic until soft, add mushrooms, then the cream, mustard and paprika and put the pheasant strips back in. Turn up the heat until they are simmering and the pheasant almost cooked through (you want it to be little pink or it will taste dry). Add the cornichons, capers and lemon juice, seasoning and parsley.

Partridge with cider and cabbage

1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
4 streaky bacon rashers, roughly chopped
2 dressed partridges (you can try other game, too – even poussins)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 leek, sliced
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme leaves
300 ml medium dry cider
2 tablespoon double cream or crème fraiche
¼ savoy cabbage, finely shredded

Heat the oven to 180oC/gas4. Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan and fry the bacon and birds for 4 – 5 minutes, turning until brown on all sides. Take out and add the onion, leek and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, over a medium heat for 3 -4 minutes until starting to soften. Return the partridges and bacon to the pan. Add the thyme and cider and put into the oven, cooking, uncovered for 20 – 25 minutes. Take out of the oven and transfer the birds to warmed plates. Stir into the pan the cream and cabbage and put over a medium heat to warm through – don’t let it boil! Season and serve with the partridges. ¼ savoy cabbage, finely shredded.

Sloooow Cooking

When I started this blog, I didn’t want us to do any batch cooking – I wanted everyone on their own to enjoy the shopping, the cooking and the eating of a meal but I have been asked recently to think about cooking in a slow cooker – so here you are!

Why slow cook? Basically, once you have prepared all the ingredients and put them in the pot, the food can be left to its own devices, requiring minimal further effort , so you can go out for the day, spend time in the garden, paint a room – and return to a perfectly cooked meal.

Slow cooking makes economic sense, too, as it works best using cheaper cuts of meat and inexpensive staples such as beans and lentils. It is also easy to cook larger quantities at once, creating leftovers for another day or to freeze.

With colder times approaching, stews, casseroles and pot roasts are real comfort food – and you might not have thought of doing them just for yourself so this way you can be really organised for a meal for today and think ahead to another week.

Energywise, slow cooking is great – don’t be put off when you see the recipe saying switch on and slow cook for 8 hours!

Cooking time: 8 hours
Energy used: 200 watts x 8 hours = 1600 Wh or 1.6 kWh
Cost: If your energy rate is 20p per kWh, the cost would be 1.6 kWh x 20p = 32p.

Tips for success

For maximum flavour, brown the meat at the start of the cooking ie lightly fry and soften aromatic vegetables such as onions and garlic in the same pan afterwards.

Be careful not to over season as salty flavours become concentrated with slow cooking. You ca always adjust at the end.

Peppercorns and seeds, such as cumin and coriander are best crushed before adding to the pot so they release their flavour slowly.

Woody herbs such as rosemary and thyme are robust enough to add at the beginning of cooking whilst delicate herbs like parsley towards the end.

Always add delicate ingredients that don’t need much cooking such as fish and seafood towards the end of the cooking time.

If topping up the liquid during the cooking, add HOT liquid to prevent lowering the cooking temperature.

Make sure all frozen ingredients are thawed and meats thoroughly defrosted before cooking.

If a recipe calls for milk add this for the last 30 minutes of cooking. Add any cream at the end.

Adapting recipes from conventional cooking to a slow cooking. Look at the basic cooking time – but leave to cook for longer – low, if all day and high, for 3 – 4 hours. A slow cooker will never boil dry. As a general rule, halve the liquid as it doesn’t evaporate. If at the end, it looks like too much liquid, put it onto high with the lid off. You may need to reduce spices and herbs as their flavour becomes concentrated in the slow cooker.

MINESTRONE SOUP Serves 4 – 6

2 tablespoon olive oil
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
400g can chopped tomatoes
can of cannellini beans (optional)
750 ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
60g small pasta shapes
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
40g parmesan cheese

Heat the oil and cook the celery, carrots and onions until softened, Stir in the tomatoes and their juice. Transfer to the cooker and add stock. Cover and cook low 6 – 8 hours. Add the pasta (and beans, if using) for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Stir in the parsley and parmesan.

MUSTARD CHICKEN CASSEROLE Serves 4 – 6

2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
1 tablespoon English mustard
2 tablespoons runny honey
8 chicken thighs (bone in, skin off)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 -3 onions roughly chopped
2 – 3 cloves of garlic
200g parsnips/200g carrots, peeled and chopped
1 pint hot chicken or vegetable stock ( a cube is fine)
Herbs of your choosing / slices of lemon (optional)

Mix together the mustards and honey in a bowl. Season the thighs and smother them with the mustard mix. Leave to marinate for ½ hour. Heat half the oil in a pan and add the chicken pieces, a few at a time. Cook for 6 – 10 minutes until golden. Remove and set aside. Add the remaining oil and fry the onions for a few minutes, scraping up any of the chicken juices, Add the carrots and parsnips. Put everything into the cooker, pour in the stock and add the chicken. Put the lid on and cook on low for 6 hours or High for 3 – 4 hours.

RED CABBAGE WITH CIDER Serves 4

½ red onion
1 large red cabbage
1 apple, cored but not peeled, finely chopped
1 teaspoon 5 spice powder
300ml cider

Put the onion, cabbage, apple and 5spice powder into the cooker. Season. Pour in the cider and stir to mix well. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Super Soups

October, and a sharp drop in temperature so we really need something warm and sustaining – and what could be better than soup? I know it’s easy to open a tin, a packet or a carton, and, yes, some of them are very nice – but wouldn’t you like to make your own with fresh ingredients and no preservatives? Buy “wonky” veg / use it up the odd ingredient lurking in the back of the fridge or use up the end of spices or herbs

Of course, you can’t really make soup for one but this is one of those occasions when you do want to make more than you need for one sitting – a pot of soup sitting in the fridge when you want it should last the week – and you can vary it in lots of ways by what you add to it.

Extra touches you can add to Soups

Parsley Sage Rosemary Thyme Oregano Basil Coriander Mint

Kaffir Lime Leaves Chervil Chives

Single or Double Cream
Crème Fraiche
Yogurt
Sour Cream

Croutons – cube some bread and fry in butter

Croutes – French bread of slices of bread, brushed with olive oil and toasted in the oven

As above but rubbed with garlic

As above but covered in cheese and toasted

You can make your own stock, boiling up the carcass or bones of a roast dinner with some vegetables – but stock cubes are perfectly acceptable – there lots of good ones in the shops now.

Canned Beans eg cannellini / pulses eg dried beans and lentils / grains eg rice, pearl barley and couscous can all be added to bulk out simple soups.

How about you make one of the below, go for a walk in the lovely crisp air and come home to a bowl of soup. Don’t forget to pick up a nice crusty bread to go with it – and you definitely want some nice butter to go on it – no margarine!

Broccoli and Stilton Soup – a “quickie” recipe as cooking time is less than 10 mins Serves 4

12oz broccoli, cut into small pieces
14fl oz vegetable stock
1 oz butter
4 spring onions, sliced (or 1 leek)
1 3/4oz Stilton, crumbled or to taste
3 ½ fl.oz double cream
Salt and pepper
Pinch nutmeg

Put broccoli pieces into a glass bowl. Pour over stock. Cover the bowl with cling film and put in microwave. Cook for 4 minutes till tender. Heat a frying pan till hot and add butter. When it starts to foam, add onions and cook for 1 minute. Put cooked broccoli and stock in a bowl/blender. Add onions, stilton and cream and blend together. Transfer mixture to a pan and bring gently to a simmer.

Red Lentil and chilli soup Serves 4

2 teaspoons cumin seed
pinch chilli flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1chopped red onion
140g red lentils
850ml vegetable stock
400g can tomatoes
200g can chickpeas*
Small bunch of coriander chopped
Greek yogurt to serve

* optional

Heat a large saucepan and dry fry cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 minute. Add oil and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the lentils, stock and tomatoes and bring to boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Whiz the soup with stick blender or food processor until rough puree. Put back in pan and add chickpeas if wanted. Heat and stir in coriander. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.

Leek and Potato Soup with cheesy mustard croutons Serves 4

10 grams butter
2 leeks
1 teasp dried tarragon (optional)
1 large potato
500 ml stock with boiling water and a stock cube
30 grams watercress (optional)

Melt butter in a large pan and add chopped leeks and tarragon. Add the chopped potato and stock. Bring to boil and cook until potato is soft. Add the watercress if using, simmer for 3 minutes and blend till smooth. Preheat grill to high and toast 2 slices of bread/baguette until crisp. Spread each slice with some Dijon mustard and top with some grated cheese (any kind you like) Put the soup into a bowl and top with a cheesy crouton and serve.

Carrot and Ginger Soup Serves 4

1 tbsp oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 tbsp coarsely grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, sliced
500 grams of carrots
850ml vegetable stock
little nutmeg

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, ginger and garlic, and fry for 5 mins until starting to soften. Stir in the nutmeg and cook for 1 min more. Pour in the stock, add the carrots then cover and simmer for 20-25 mins until the carrots are tender. Scoop a third of the mixture into a bowl and blitz the remainder with a hand blender or in a food processor until smooth. Return everything to the pan and heat until bubbling. Serve topped with a little nutmeg.

You say tomato; I say tomahto

In the middle of a tomato glut! Why do tomatoes all become ripe at the same time? And, also, what about the ones which never turn red? All the hard work of growing, looking after and nurturing them to end up with almost too many of the little red bombs! Sun-warmed tomatoes picked straight from the vine are arguably the ideal way to enjoy tomatoes. What can you do with them once you’ve made gallons of soup and tomato sauce for the freezer, eaten them fresh, fried and baked and given away pounds?

Beefsteak tomatoes are best for these 3 recipes

Stuffed Tomatoes (1) Fish

170g cooked leftover salmon fillet, flaked
1 tbsp shredded smoked salmon
1/2 tbsp ready-made mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tbsp tomato ketchup
splash balsamic vinegar
2 large firm tomatoes, cut in half from top to bottom, seeds removed and reserved
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the inside. Lay cut side down on some kitchen paper. In a large bowl, mix together the flaked salmon, smoked salmon, mayonnaise, garlic, ketchup, scooped out tomato flesh and balsamic vinegar until well combined. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and pile back into the tomato shells, using the tops as lids.

Stuffed Tomatoes (2) veggie

Cut off the tops, scoop out the insides as above. Bake in the oven for about 10 – 15 minute at 190 – 200oC. Now add any chopped up (small) vegetables; left over rice, quinoa or couscous, herbs (parsley, mint or basil), garlic (of course). Put all the ingredients you want in a bowl with the scooped-out flesh, mix well and put back into the shells. You can put the lids back on or top them with breadcrumbs and or cheese.

Stuffed tomatoes (3) – meat

2 – 3 tomatoes
1 shallot, finely chopped125grams lamb mince
15 grams fresh breadcrumbs
150 grams button mushrooms, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
salt and pepper
Sauce: 4 medium tomatoes, cut into quarters 25ml rapeseed oil 1 garlic clove chopped

Preheat the oven to 200oC/Gas6. Slice the tops off the beef tomatoes, reserving the tops as before. Scoop out the flesh and put in a saucepan. Mix the shallot, mince, breadcrumbs, mushrooms and tarragon in a bowl. Season. Stuff the tomatoes with the mince mixture (do not overfill as the mixture will expand when cooking and split the skin) , drizzle with oil and place the lids on top. Place the stuffed tomatoes in the oven and bake for 10 – 15 minutes. Sauce: Put quartered tomatoes into a saucepan, plus the flesh from the beef tomatoes. Add oil and garlic, season and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Place the baked tomatoes on a serving plate and drizzle over sauce

Spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce

200g spaghetti or linguine
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp caster sugar
300g tomato, diced
125g ball mozzarella or burrata (see tip, below), torn into pieces
handful of basil leaves, torn, to serve

Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Meanwhile, put the chilli, shallots, oil, lemon zest, vinegar, sugar and tomatoes into a big mortar. If yours isn’t big enough, put it all in a bowl and just use the pestle in that. Add a good amount of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and bash everything together. Drain the pasta and toss together with the tomato mixture and mozzarella or burrata. Scatter over the basil and serve immediately.

It’s worth getting hold of burrata – a softer, creamier relative of mozzarella – for this dish. It will go oozingly melty and create a sauce that clings to the pasta

Fried green tomatoes with garlic mayonnaise – a recipe for the ubiquitous green tomatoes – but is so good that if I were you, I wouldn’t wait for the end of the season but just use them when you have them, even if early on! If you haven’t got polenta, you can use flour, breadcrumbs or a thin tempura like batter instead. There is something quite perfect about the green-apple tang of an unripe tomato with the warm, mealy notes of crisp polenta. Serves two.

4 medium to large green tomatoes
2 eggs and a little milk
90g plain flour
3 tablespoons fine ground polenta
2 sprigs of thyme
Oil for frying

Slice the tomatoes thickly, about three or four from each fruit. Break the eggs into a small, shallow bowl and beat them lightly. Stir in a tablespoon or two of milk. Mix the flour and ground polenta, season with salt and black pepper and the leaves pulled from the thyme branches. Tip onto a large shallow plate. Press a slice of tomato into the flour and polenta mixture then into the beaten egg then back into the polenta again. Shake off any excess. Don’t worry if bits of tomato show through here and there, you want a light, crisp coat, not armour-plating. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes. Warm the oil in a frying pan. Lower some the tomatoes into the pan, one at a time – otherwise they will stick together- then let them colour lightly on both sides. I turn mine after a minute or two. Cornmeal burns quickly, so I keep a watchful eye on the tomatoes as they cook. They should be ready in four or five minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with garlic mayonnaise.

Sweet Tomato Jam is given a nice kick by the addition of ginger.

2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125ml) red wine vinegar
1/2 firmly packed (100g) brown sugar
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
450g chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon honey

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and onion, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the vinegar, brown sugar and chilli, and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until sugar dissolves. Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30-35 minutes until thick. Stir in the honey and cool to room temperature.

NB I know some of above is for more than one but now is the time to cook for more when you have so much to hand!

Summer Solstice

June 21st is the Summer Solstice and is often referred to as the first day of summer, and yet celebrations across the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year carry the name Midsummer, which is pretty confusing. Midsummer and the summer solstice are used interchangeably, but they refer to different things.

The solstice is the beginning of the astronomical summer that has been celebrated since ancient times as the longest day of the year, whereas Midsummer now refers to numerous celebrations that are held over the solstice period, between June 19 and June 24, with both pagan and Christian origins. Midsummer, as in the religious observances traditional in many countries, occurs close to the June or Summer Solstice. With celebrations originating in ancient times as a festival for the summer solstice, this could be where the name comes from. Bonfires were lit up to ward off evil spirits as the sun turned southward. If you only had the sun to measure time and dictate your hours of light, the longest day would feel like a mid-point before you make the descent back into winter.

The past few days’ weather has been glorious so instead of recipes for one, invite three friends round and follow the next few for the perfect Summer Solstice Dinner.

Salmon Rolls with Asparagus and Butter Sauce

asparagus spears
4 thin salmon fillets
juice of a lemon
2 small shallots, finely chopped
6 peppercorns
120 ml white wine
4 tablespoons double cream
200g butter, cut into small cubes
fresh parsley

Steam the asparagus for 6 – 8 minutes till tender, refresh under cold running water. Lay on top of the salmon fillet and roll up. Place on a rack over a pan of boiling water, sprinkle with lemon juice, cover and steam for 3 – 4 minutes till tender.

Sauce: Put the shallot, peppercorns and wine into a small saucepan and heat gently until the wine is reduced to a tablespoonful. Strain and return to the pan. Add the cream and bring to the boil then lower the heat. Add the butter to the sauce in small pieces, whisking all the time. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL AS IT WILL SEPARATE! Season to taste, add a little parsley and serve with the salmon roll, some new potatoes and tenderstem broccoli and/or spinach.

Anything with basil immediately transports me to summer and the Mediterranean – sun, warmth and taste in one little green plant!

Chicken, Pepper and Basil Traybake

2 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken thigh cutlets, bone in
salt and pepper, to season
2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
3 – 4 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
red pepper, cut into thick slices
yellow pepper, cut into thick slices
3 – 6 anchovies, chopped (optional)
200ml cup chicken stock
a pinch of sugar
loosely packed basil leaves, torn
a splash of balsamic vinegar

Heat your oven to 200C. Take a large baking dish or frying pan that can be placed on a stovetop as well as into the oven and heat over a high heat. Add the olive oil, season the chicken thigh with salt and pepper and fry, skin side down, until golden brown. Turn the chicken and add the onions, garlic and peppers around the chicken. Scatter with the anchovies (if using) and pour over the stock. Season very well with salt, pepper and a good pinch of sugar and transfer to the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked though. Scatter with the torn basil leaves and serve immediately, with a splash of balsamic vinegar. A side salad and some little Jersey potatoes would be perfect alongside.

And now for the first strawberries – what else stands for summer?

Strawberry and Mascarpone Gelato – Strawberry and mascarpone is a classic mix and this is also one of the easiest ice cream recipes you could possibly make.

300g strawberries, hulled and chopped
2 tbsp elderflower cordial
150g golden caster sugar
500g mascarpone
100g white chocolate, roughly chopped
200g strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 tbsp elderflower cordial
2 tbsp golden caster sugar

Put the chopped strawberries in a bowl. Add the cordial and sprinkle over the sugar. Set aside to macerate for up to 1 hour. Beat the mascarpone and white chocolate together, then fold through the strawberry mixture. Put in a cling film-lined, straight-sided freezer-proof box (about 1 litre) and freeze. For the soft strawberries, put the berries and cordial in a bowl, then sprinkle with sugar. Set aside for 15 minutes. Slice the ice cream and spoon over the strawberries to serve.

Meteorologically, we’re nearly a month into summer. Astronomically, the summer has only just begun.

But, of course, it won’t really feel like summer in Britain until we start complaining it’s too hot!

Drinking Summer . . .

Have you been enjoying this hot, sunny weather? I have travelled extensively but have decided that when the weather is wonderful there is nowhere more lovely than England. The colours and smells are amazing as everything comes to life and smiles at the sun!

It’s very important, though, to remember to keep hydrated – and I don’t just mean the beer/lager you are drinking watching the football or the Pimms watching the tennis. The elderflower is out now in full bloom but it doesn’t last too long so now is the time to make 2 lovely drinks to put in the cupboard for you to taste the sunshine when it may not be here.

Try and pick your flowers in the morning as the aroma fades with the day

Elderflower Champagne

7 heads of elderflowers
560 grams of sugar
7 pints boiling water
2 lemons
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Put the flowers into a big bucket and add sugar, water and lemons. Give it a good stir and add the vinegar when cold. Bottle into clean plastic bottles (glass ones have been known to explode – and you can help save the planet using up the plastic!). Leave for a minimum of 2 weeks to go fizzy. Serve with lots of ice and sliced lemon

Elderflower Cordial

1 kg Granulated Sugar
1 litre boiling water
50g citric acid (from a chemist) or juice of 2 large lemons
zest of 2 large lemons
15 elderflower heads

Put the sugar and water in a bucket and stir to dissolve. Add the citric acid or lemon juice and zest. Add the flower heads to the sugar syrup and leave 1 -2 days, stirring regularly. Strain through some muslin into sterilised bottles and store in a cool place. To use, put a little in a glass and top with still or sparkling water. You can even add it to your gin and tonic – and if cooking gooseberries add instead of water.

Another cordial I have made recently is LIME – fresh and sharp when diluted with sparkling water, tonic – even vodka or gin!

3 Limes
355ml Hot water
150g Granulated sugar
3/4 Teaspoon Citric acid

Zest the three limes and set to one side. Juice the limes and set to one side.
Put the sugar in a bowl and stir in the citric acid. Put the water in a saucepan, bring it to a boil and add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add the lime juice and peel. Stir. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and rest the mix until cool. This should be at least one hour. Pour into a container, seal and refrigerate overnight. Strain the mix using a fine-mesh strainer. Pour into a clean bottle and keep in the fridge.

Victory Day

It’s VE Day this week (Thursday 8 May) and up and down the country will be street parties, starting today in London, with a flyover of Buckingham Palace, and other communal events. It’s a time of celebration and coming together of communities and to give thanks for those who gave their lives so that we may have the space and freedom to love our lives, peacefully.

With the thought that somewhere, some of you may be asked to contribute to a buffet table I’m posting some ideas for sandwiches, a pudding cake and a non-alcoholic drink to wash it all down with.

There are so many breads and wraps out there, I am leaving the hard bit of what to use up to you – I’m just going to give you the fillings, a meat, fish and veggie one.

Meat and Pickled Cucumber

Meat of your choice – leftover roast, specially cut ham, even fish meat will do
½ cucumber, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Mayonnaise

Combine the cucumber, vinegar, olive oil, sugar and salt and pepper in a bowl then pile up the meat, cucumber mix and mayo on top.

Smoked Salmon and Salad

smoked salmon, chopped
2 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoon chopped celery
Dill/chives/red onion to taste (one or other or all three!)
1 teaspoon lemon zest (you can zest the whole lemon, squeeze the juice and freeze separately – or you can make yourself a gin and tonic!)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and pile up your bread with a dusting of Aleppo pepper.

Beets, Spinach and Goats Cheese

1 small cooked beetroot 1 dessertspoon olive oil
good handful of spinach 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 ounce goats cheese

Cook the spinach in a tiny bit of water until wilted, stir in the vinegar and cool. Layer up the sliced beetroot, spinach, cheese – and munch!

Apple Sharlotka

6 large, tart apples
3 large eggs
200 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
125 grams plain flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper and the sides of the pan. Peel, halve and core your apples, then chop them into medium-sized chunks. (I cut each half into four “strips” then sliced them fairly thinly — about 1/4-inch — in the other direction.) Pile the cut apples directly in the prepared pan. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs with sugar until thick and ribbons form on the surface of the beaten eggs. Beat in vanilla, then stir in flour with a spoon until just combined. The batter will be very thick. Pour over apples in pan, using a spoon or spatula to spread the batter so that it covers all exposed apples. (Spread the batter and press it down into the apple pile. The top of the batter should end up level with the top of the apples.) Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out free of batter. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on rack, then flip out onto another rack, peel off the parchment paper, and flip it back onto a serving platter. Dust lightly with ground cinnamon and icing sugar

Rhubarb Cordial

450g rhubarb, chopped
225g sugar (I know it seems a lot, but remember you are going to dilute it and don’t need a lot)
300ml water
1 orange, zest and juice
1 lemon, zest and juice

Put the sugar and water into a large saucepan. Add the rhubarb, zests and juices and bring to the boil. Cook until the rhubarb is completely mushy (technical term!). Put a piece of muslin over a large bowl (I secure mine with an elastic band) and pour the liquid and fruit into it. Leave it to drip through overnight. Bottle and keep in the fridge. I have no idea how long it will last as it seems to go as fast as I can make it, but I would think about 1 week to 10 days.

PS if you want to make more, I work on a ration of half sugar to weight of rhubarb and up the water slightly.

Onions to Cry For . . . .

Onions – cheap and cheerful and plentiful – and so good for you! Brown ones, yellow ones, red ones, shallots, and spring (scallions)

Look at their incredible health benefits:

The phytochemicals in onions along with their vitamin C help improve immunity.
Onions contain chromium, which assists in regulating blood sugar.
For centuries, onions have been used to reduce inflammation and heal infections.
Got stung by a honeybee? Apply onion juice on the area for immediate relief from the pain and burning sensation.
Onions help remove free radicals, thereby reducing your risk of developing gastric ulcers.
Those bright green tops of green onions are rich in Vitamin A, so do use them often.

And just look what you can do with them – to name a very few.

But before you do – tricks to stop crying. I can’t guarantee them but give them a try!

Chill the onions first
Use a super sharp knife
Rub your knife with lemon juice
Cut under water

Classic French Onion Soup

1 tablespoon butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 dessertspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 – 3/4 pint of beef stock (you can make this up with some red wine if you have any)

Slowly melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onions. Cook over a very low heat, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Stir in the sugar and vinegar and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring slowly to the boil and simmer, uncovered for about 15 minutes. Ladle into a bowl – and the nicest way to finish off is to toast some bread, top with grated cheese and float on the top!

French Onion Tart

Pastry made with 50 grams of butter and 100g plain flour
1/2 kilo onions
25 grams butter and 1 dessertspoon olive oil
2 egg yolks and 100 ml of double cream
50 grated cheese

This is the easiest pastry recipe known to man (or woman) – rub the butter into the flour and enough cold water to bring the mixture together and simply press it straight into a small tart tin, using your hands, without even rolling. You now want to bake it blind – which means laying some greaseproof paper on top and filling it with clay baking beans or dried pulses – even bread crusts – as a weight. Bake it in a oven for about 15 mins at 200oC.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a pan and add the sliced onions and cook very gently till soft – about 1/2 hour (just like the soup). Remove from the heat and season well (a little nutmeg tastes nice, too!) Beat together the yolks and cream and finely grate the cheese. Add to the onions and spread evenly into your pastry case. Bake at 190oC for about half an hour until the filling is lightly puffed golden. Serve with a crisp salad.

Spicy onion chutney

1 big onion diced
3 – 4 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt to taste

First peel the onion and dice it finely If you have time, soak diced onion in a bowl of cold water with ice. Meanwhile, mix tomato puree/tomato ketchup, chilli powder and cumin powder together in a bowl. Add lemon juice. Drain the onions after 15 mins and ensure you pat dry with a clean kitchen towel to remove the excess moisture. Mix the onions in the tomato mixture and add salt to taste.

If you have leftovers, you can add it into a curry when preparing the onion/garlic base.

Potato Salad with Spring onions

1 lb potatoes waxy
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar more to taste
2 – 4 spring onions depending on size
1 small red onion or ½ a medium one
1/2 bunch parsley
Some sprigs of basil

Dressing:

60 ml sour cream
30ml Greek yogurt
30ml mayonnaise
1 tablespoons milk more if necessary
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard heaped
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cook potatoes: Peel, wash, and cut the potatoes into chunks. In the meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and potatoes. Cook until soft but not falling apart, about 13-15 minutes, depending on size. Check with a fork. Drain well and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Let cool before adding the dressing. Prepare onions and herbs: Cut the spring onions into fine rings,red ones into fine cubes, and chop the parsley finely. Don’t chop the basil yet; only chop and add it to the spring onion potato salad before serving.

Dressing: Mix sour cream, yogurt, mayo, milk, mustard, salt, pepper, sugar, and white balsamic vinegar in a small bowl.

Place the cooled potatoes into a large bowl. Add dressing, spring onions, red onion, and parsley. Stir well to combine. Adjust the taste with more salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Add the chopped basil before serving. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Bring to room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving, stir well, adjust the seasoning again and add the basil.

Wild About Garlic

Everything is starting to bloom and hazes of green cover the trees and hedges. Amidst showers and sunshine, we are out walking more and enjoying the Spring. Daffodils, tulips and bluebells; new rhubarb and spinach and strawberry flowers with the promises to come. The Husband has been fishing and the added bonus to this is the first of the year’s green treasures – wild garlic by the riverbank. It looks like this:

Please note – wild garlic does look similar to lily of the valley, which is poisonous. The key difference between the two plants is that wild garlic always smells – yes, you guessed it – of garlic. If you’re in any doubt about which plant you’ve found, do not eat it.

Take yourself out for a walk in the woods and you won’t fail to notice the fragrant smell of wild garlic as you stroll through – the scent is truly hard to miss! The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked and taste milder than shop-bought garlic. A fairly low growing plant and the most beautiful vibrant green. Pick it when you find it and you can make wonderful soup, dips, butter and oil.

Wild Garlic Soup

This recipe is enough for 4 but freezes beautifully. Not only is it delicious but also helps lower cholesterol and high blood pressure!

1 onion sliced
2 – 3 potatoes (these are for thickening the soup so depends on size)
500 ml water
stock cube (I use a vegetable one)
milk/crème fraiche/cream

Saute the onion in a little butter in a large saucepan. Add chopped potato, stock cube, and water and bring to the boil. Cook until the potato is soft. Lay 3 – 4 handfuls of the garlic leaves on the top and allow to wilt and cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Cool slightly and, using a hand blender, puree. Put back into the saucepan and add milk or cream or creme fraiche to taste along with plenty of pepper. It never lasts long in our house but will keep in the fridge for 2 – 3 days – or ladle into bags to freeze. Serve with crusty bread and a dollop of creme fraiche.

Wild Garlic Oil – blanch several handfuls of leaves in boiling water for 5 – 10 seconds then immediately drain and toss into iced water (this keeps the colour). Drain again and wrap in an old tea towel and squeeze all the liquid out. Chop up into small pieces and put in a jam jar or bottle and top up with 150 ml of olive oil.

Wild Garlic Butter – I make lots of this and usually manage to eke it out all year. Chop the garlic leaves up as you would any other herb. Soften a block of butter, add salt and pepper and the chopped leaves. Roll into cigar shaped pieces, wrap in cling film and freeze. I usually keep one on the go in the fridge, replacing with a frozen one when needed. Just cut off slices and use to cook with as you would any other flavoured butters.

Garlicky green Goddess dressing

Put about 30 washed and dried garlic leaves into a food processor or blender with 300ml sour cream (if you haven’t got this creme fraiche will do or make your own by adding some lemon juice to fresh cream – leave aside for a minute or two whilst it goes thick) , the juice of half a lemon and salt and pepper. Blitz till smooth and serve over a green s salad or use a dipping sauce for bread or crisps.

Leek love

Every greengrocer and farm shop seems to be selling leeks at the moment. I love them – so easy to grow and so much you can do with them. Ever heard of potato and leek soup? I thought so! But how often do you cook leeks in other recipes? Have you tried them in pasta, stuffing, or risotto? If I had my way, we’d all be eating leeks more often. They’re incredibly versatile, adding unique, sweet, and mild onion flavour to a huge range of dishes. This vegetable seems humble, but there’s so much that it can do.

Sometimes, I make up a recipe that is so ridiculously non-challenging and moreish, that I just have to pass it on and this is one of them.

Ailsa’s Cheese and Leek Pate

1 leek
Large knob of butter
2 – 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
200g packet of cream cheese
Lots of freshly ground black pepper

Cut the leek up into thin slices – I cut down the middle and then slice. Melt a little butter in a pan with some salt and coarse pepper. Saute the leek and garlic very slowly until soft (keep an eye on it and move around the pan as you don’t want it to burn). Put the cream cheese in a bowl, tip over the hot leek and blend with a stick blender until pate-like. Put into a small bowl and seal with some melted butter (if you want to be super-posh in your serving, line a small tin with cling film and spoon it in – when set in the fridge you then tip it out and slice like a cake on a plate with salad and bread). Personally, I just eat it almost immediately with crusty bread/toast/or favourite crispbread!

Leek and Potato Soup (couldn’t really miss this out!) with cheesy mustard croutons

10 grams butter
2 leeks
1 teaspoon dried tarragon (optional)
1 large potato
500 ml stock with boiling water and a stock cube
30 grams watercress (optional)

Melt butter in a large pan and add chopped leeks and tarragon. Add the chopped potato and stock. Bring to boil and cook until potato is soft. Add the watercress if using, simmer for 3 minutes and blend till smooth. Preheat grill to high and toast 2 slices of bread/baguette until crisp. Spread each slice with some Dijon mustard and top with some grated cheese (any kind you like). Put the soup into a bowl and top with a cheesy crouton and serve.

Leek risotto with poached egg

60 grams frozen broad beans or peas, cooked
some butter and oil
2 leeks
20g / 4 oz Arborio/ risotto rice
glass Dry white wine (don’t worry if no wine, just make up with extra stock)
1 pint hot chicken or vegetable stock
2 Teaspoons butter
2 Teaspoons olive oil
A little cream or crème fraiche
60g/2oz grated parmesan cheese
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 – 3 tablespoons parsley chopped

Melt a knob of butter with a little oil and add the thinly sliced leek and cook till soft over a low heat. Increase the heat and add the rice turning it in to the buttery leeky mix. SLOWLY add the stock (a tablespoon at a time to begin with), stirring all the time in between additions until the rice is soft. Add the beans and/or peas. Remove from the heat and add the lemon, parsley and cheese. Pile into a bowl and top with a poached egg – delicious!

ps this will make more than one portion but it’s a difficult one to scale down. However, it will freeze very well for another day when you may need some comfort food.