Waffle, Charcoal and Carrot Tops

I know I have been super slack in writing my blog and to make matters worse I have just taken on the task of writing a new weekly blog for Riverford. The idea is to help customers get exciting and easy ideas and recipes each week, to help them use up their veg boxes. Then I thought, since my blog is primarily about growing and cooking vegetables, I might as well share with you a few posts from my Riverford Blog.

I would love to be sharing with you more "Recipes from the Allotment" but so far this year all I have managed to grow is a ridiculous abundance of rhubarb. I have exhausted all rhubarb recipes I can think of in the last month but luckily I have just come up with a new use, which I think I shall never tire off. It is Rhubarb Margarita and I am currently working on the recipe which I will share with you as soon as it is perfected.

In the meantime, here are some exerts from my Riverford blog.

This week I started with a Medium Veg Box (less roots). It is an exciting time of year with so many new veg and fruit coming available every day now. Gorgeous bunched carrots and onions, tender baby spinach, new season’s UK asparagus and crisp little gem lettuces to name but some.

I couldn’t wait to get started with a Grilled Asparagus & Baby Gem Salad with Feta & Mint.  Grilling your veg keeps them lovely and crisp whilst adding a delicious hint of smoke. This is a great salad to make if you are having a BBQ at the weekend, as it is so quick and easy, especially if you already have the BBQ lit. Mint is everywhere at the moment. One of the first signs of summer in my garden is when the mint reappears from nowhere, green and lush. If you don’t have any in your garden, be sure to add some to your Riverford order. Like all my recipes you can easily adapt the ingredients and this super salad would have worked just as well with grilled courgettes or even whole spring onions. It occurred to me that a few delicious broad beans would have been lovely scatted on top as well. If you are looking for a good olive oil for this recipe, I would like to recommend Riverford’s Italian Extra Virgin at £5.95 for 500ml. I like the one from Giancarlo in Puglia best – it has a lovely peppery taste.

Grilled Asparagus & Baby Gem Salad with Feta & Mint

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side
Bunch of Asparagus
One or two Baby Gem Lettuces (depending on size)
100g Feta
½ a Lemon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Few Sprigs of Fresh Mint

Snap any woody ends off your asparagus and drizzle with good olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Trim the very end off the baby gem lettuce and then cut in half lengthways through the root, taking car to keep it in tack. Cut each half into three wedges. Again drizzle with good olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Heat your griddle or BBQ until smoking. Lay the flat sides of the lettuces on the grill, turning as soon as they have a clear char mark. Do the same with the asparagus making sure they are just cooked through. (It is imperative that your asparagus is very fresh.) Make a dressing with the juice of half a lemon, whisked up with a good pinch of salt and some extra virgin olive oil. Arrange the baby gem and asparagus on a plate and crumble over some feta. Roll up your mint leaves and finely slice to create a chiffonade. Sprinkle over the top and drizzle on your lemon dressing.

Mushrooms and Spinach just go together for some reason, whether it be in a stir-fry, an omelette or a tart but this week I tried out a Mushroom and Spinach Lasagne with a bit of Goat’s Cheese thrown in as well. Serve alongside some of Riverford’s delicious salad leave and you have a meal in no time.

Riverford don’t do a Goat’s Cheese. Maybe they haven’t managed to find a good organic one. I used Helen’s Farm, which although not organic, does a lovely range of Goat’s milk products and they even come in a variety of strengths so there is something to suit to everyone. I chose the mild hard cheese and even managed to sneak it past the kids without a fuss.

Mushroom, Spinach & Goat’s Cheese Lasagne

Serves 2

One Punnet of Mushrooms
One Bag of Baby Spinach
One large clove of garlic
25g Butter
25g Flour
350mls Milk
50g Parmesan
120g Goat’s Cheese
½ box of lasagne sheets
Olive Oil
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Finely slice your mushrooms. Heat a glug of olive oil in a large frying pan and add your mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Fry on a medium heat until golden brown. Meanwhile heat a large saucepan with a lid. Add a very thin layer of oil to the bottom to stop the spinach sticking. Add the bag of spinach and add a good pinch of salt. Cover and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Remove the lid carefully. The spinach should be just wilted. Tip the spinach into a colander and wipe out the saucepan. Very finely slice the garlic. Add a glug of olive oil to the pan and add the garlic. Fry until just golden brown. Add the spinach carefully as it may spit. Stir well and turn off the heat.

Heat the butter in a small non-stick saucepan. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Return to a low heat and stir until sandy. Carefully add the milk and whisk over a medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens. Remove from the heat and add the grated parmesan. Season well to taste with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 180⁰C
Heat the butter in a small non-stick saucepan. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Return to a low heat and stir until sandy. Carefully add the milk and whisk over a medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens. Remove from the heat and add the grated parmesan. Season well to taste with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 180⁰C. Cut the goat’s cheese into small chunks.

Take a gratin dish about 20cms x 15cms and put a very thin layer of béchamel on the bottom. Top with a layer of lasagne sheets. Break up the sheets if necessary. Top with the spinach and 1/3 of the remaining béchamel and 1/2 the goat’s cheese. Next do another layer of lasagne. Then top with the spinach the rest of the goat’s cheese and the next 1/3 of bechamel. Next the final layer of lasagne and finally the rest of the béchamel. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes or so until golden brown on top and a blunt knife inserts easily all the way through.

 

Roast Sweet Potato Wedges with Sweet Chilli Sauce & Crème Fraiche

I never used to know what to do with Sweet Potatoes and I was always concocting

elaborate curries and chillies to use them up but I had forgotten how delicious simple roast Sweet Potato Wedges were until my son asked me to make them for him instead of potatoes. 

What always amazes me is how good sweet potatoes are for you. You cannot believe that something that tastes so, well .... sweet, could do you any good but they pack a powerful nutritional punch. They have got over 400% of your daily needs for vitamin A in one medium sized sweet potato as well as loads of antioxidents vitamin C and E, beta-carotene, fibre & potassium. They have got more grams of natural sugars than regular potato but more overall nutrients with fewer calories.They are low on the glycemic index scale, and recent research suggests they may reduce episodes of low blood sugar and insulin resistance in people with diabetes. 

I lightly sprinkled them with a little salt and some smoked paprika, drizzled them with a little olive oil and roast them in the oven at 190⁰C for about half an hour until soft in the middle but crispy and golden on the outside. I then served them with a couple of dips - Crème Fraiche (Riverford’s is very good) and the other was some Sweet Chilli Sauce (once again, Riverford do make their own) and it soon became a firm, family favourite.

So that is it for this week. I promise lots more recipes next week. Please feel free to comment and let us know what challenges you are facing you this week. I know I never got round to those lovely bunched onions and carrots but I promise to next week and at least I finally found something to do with tops of the carrots which I always hated throwing away. I discovered that Waffle and Charcoal just love them!

Variations on a Theme.

It has been all work and no play at the moment so I afraid that my blog has been a little abandoned but I am back and hurrah, so is Asparagus.  By that I mean English Asparagus and it marks the end of the hungry gap - that long period between December and April when the root vegetables have come to an end and although Spring is all around us, there is still a long wait for the first spring crops.  This means that we have to make do with the end of the winter crops such as leeks, cauliflower and purple sprouting broccoli, mushrooms and potatoes. 

The current torrential rain and lack of sunshine has delayed Spring crops still further, so I am still struggling with my vegetable boxes to move the menu on from Winter. The potatoes thankfully never seen to disappoint as there is always a different variety that can be exploited to stretch the seasons and a Gratin Dauphinoise never fails to please at a Riverford lunch.  I have learnt to adapted the recipe to include all sorts of vegetables and it is certainly always one of the most popular dishes that I ever cook at my Riverford lunches or indeed, dinners. 

Through until the end of winter I was often adding leeks, mushrooms and lots of garlic. Last week I tried out a really delicious new version with spring greens and bacon but you can use any greens from pointed cabbage to savoy.  All are delicious.  Another variation is to add some anchovy and lots of rosemary.  This is classically known as Jansson’s Temptation and I often add some sautéed chard as well. Absolutely delicious to accompany some Spring lamb and guaranteed to warm you up at the same time.  Just what you need this Spring.

Potato, Leek and Mushroom Gratin

Sometimes I like to add a little truffle oil with the cream.

500 mls Double cream
500g large potatoes, sliced paper-thin
10 sprigs fresh thyme (very finely chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 sliced mushrooms
3 Leeks, cut in rings and well washed and dried to remove all grit
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan big enough to hold all the potatoes, bring the cream to the boil, being careful not to boil over. Season with salt to taste. Add the potatoes and bring back to the boil, stirring gently until the cream thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and test again for seasoning. 

Meanwhile, coat a frying pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Sauté the mushrooms until golden brown. Add the thyme and season. Remove. Heat another frying pan and sauté leeks in butter and olive oil without colour until soft for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange 1/2 of the potato mixture on the bottom of a gratin dish. Top potatoes with the mushrooms and the leeks. Finish with another layer of potatoes. Press the layers down with a spatula to condense. Bake in a low oven at about 160 degrees. Cook for 1 -1 1/2 hours until the potatoes are tender. A blunt knife should easily sink in.  

Potato, Spring Green and Bacon Gratin

You could use any greens including Kale or cabbage in this. They are all delicious. You can easily omit the bacon if you are vegetarian.

                   

500 mls Double cream
A handful of rosemary (very finely chopped) 

500g large potatoes, sliced paper-thin 

1 packet of good smoked streaky bacon, cut into lardons
3 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped or crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

Large bag of spring greens, Kale or a cabbage (stems removed and shredded)

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan big enough to hold all the potatoes, bring the cream to the boil, being careful not to boil over. Season with salt to taste. Add the potatoes and bring back to the boil, stirring gently until the cream thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and test again for seasoning.

Meanwhile blanch the greens in a large pan of salted boiling water. Return to the boil and cook for about three minutes. Remove and lay out flat on a dry tea towel and allow to cool. When cool, use the tea towel to squeeze out any excess water. In a frying pan with olive oil fry the bacon until golden brown and crisp. Add the chopped garlic, fry for a few seconds and add the greens. Stir fry for a few minutes and season with salt and pepper.

Arrange 1/2 of the potato mixture on the bottom of a gratin dish. Top potatoes with the greens. Finish with another layer of potatoes. Press the layers down with a spatula to condense. Bake in a low oven at about 160 degrees. Cook for 1 -1 1/2 hours until the potatoes are tender. A blunt knife should easily sink in.

Potato and Chard Gratin with Anchovy 
This is a variation on a famous potato dish called Jansson’s Temptation which I first found in a Jane Grigson Book 

500 mls Double cream
A handful of rosemary (very finely chopped) 

500g large potatoes, sliced paper-thin  
A few handfuls of chard 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced  
6-8 good quality anchovy fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan big enough to hold all the potatoes, bring the cream to the boil infused with the rosemary, being careful not to boil over. Season with salt to taste. Add the potatoes and bring back to the boil, stirring gently until the cream thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and test again for seasoning.

Prepare Chard by removing the leaves from the stems. Chop the stems into strips. Blanch first the leaves and then the stems in a pan of boiling salted water for a few minutes each. The stem will take a minute or two more than the leaves. Remove and lay out to cool on a flat surface such as a clean teatowel. When cool, squeeze the excess water from the leaves and roughly chop. In a fryingpan, first saute the anchovies and garlic in the olive oil. The anchovies should dissolve. Next add the stalks and finally the leaves. Season with salt and pepper and stir really well. Taste for seasoning.  In a gratin dish arrange 1/2 of the potato mixture on the bottom, top with the chard mixture and finally top with the remaining potato. Press the layers down with a spatula to condense. Bake in a low oven at about 160 degrees. Cook for 1 -1 1/2 hours until the potatoes are tender.  A blunt knife should easily sink in. 

Staying in !

God, sometimes I miss eating out in expensive restaurants. When I was a young chef, many years ago, most of my meagre weeks wages would have gone on eating out.  It was imperative to research new restaurants, know what was happening, keep ahead of the game.  Now a days most of my weekly wage goes on Ballet lessons for my daughter or Judo lessons for my son.  Now and then we might splash out on lunch at Pizza Express.  The closest I get to a Michelin Star meal is to cook up something special myself and watch Michel Roux at the same time on Masterchef.


So a few weeks ago, I was watching Raymond Blanc's "The Very Hungry Frenchman".  I have to admit it was pretty bad.   He must have said "Oh là là" about 15 times in the first half an hour but you have got to love him and my god, some of that food looked fine.  It's the quality of the produce that is so spectacular; the cheeses, the saussison, the meat .... it is all so fantastic. The program I was watching had a Poulet de Bresse chicken with Morels and I just couldn't stop thinking about it. Even if I can't afford a Poulet de Bresse Chicken -  £40.00 a bird! I can afford a free-range corn fed chicken and I might just stretch to some dried Morels. This is a classic recipe and I love the idea of the use of sherry with the mushrooms.  It is a perfect combination.  It seems like years since I cooked any poncy French food.  Now a days I tend to try and steer clear of all that butter and cream and I don't often attempt restaurant cooking at home, even though I do sometimes miss all the technique; the reductions, the butchery, the sauces and the stocks.  So it was Mother's Day. There was no way we were going out for lunch so instead as a treat, I cooked Chicken with Morels for the family.  It took about half an hour, was super easy and was better than anything you will get in most restaurants, albeit (did you know that was one word!), maybe not one with stars. My treat was no washing-up.

Chicken with Morels and Sherry
Adapted from Raymond Blanc.   I like to serve this with mashed potato.
Serves 4
Planning ahead: the dried morels need to be soaked for at least a couple of hours. You can prepare the chicken half an hour in advance and warm it through in the morel sauce to serve.

For the chicken:
1 tbsp Unsalted butter
4 Chicken breasts, free range/organic, skin off (180g each)

1 tbsp butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
25g Dried morels soaked in 250ml of water for at least 2 hours
250g Button mushrooms, sliced
120ml Sherry (I used Marsala)
400ml Double cream

For the leeks:

200g Water, boiling
Large pinch of Sea salt
2 Leeks, medium size, outer leaves removed, washed and cut into 2cm pieces
1 tbsp Unsalted butter

To prepare the morels - drain the morels, reserving the soaking liquid, and squeeze to extract as much of the liquor as possible. Pass the reserved liquid through a muslin-lined sieve to remove any sand or grit and save.

To cook the chicken - season the breasts with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan, melt the butter over a medium heat until it is foaming. Now is the time to add the chicken breasts and colour lightly for 3 minutes on each side. The skin should be golden brown and crisp. Remove from the pan and reserve. In the fat remaining in the frying pan, fry the button mushrooms for five minutes, or so and then add the soaked morels. Fry for a few more minutes before adding the sherry. Boil for a few minutes and then add the reserved morel liquid and a pinch of salt. Reduce down until you have a few tablespoons of liquid.  Next add the cream and bring to the boil. Check seasoning.  Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper and more salt if necessary.  Place the chicken breasts back in the pan, skin side up, making sure the cream sauce comes up to the level of the skin. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until they are just cooked through. Do not over-cook or the chicken will be dry.

To cook the leeks - while the chicken is cooking, put the leeks into a saucepan, pour on the boiling water and add the salt and butter. Cover and cook at a full boil for 5–10 minutes until tender.

To finish the dish - Using a slotted spoon, lift out the chicken breasts and place in a warm dish; keep warm. Boil the sauce rapidly to reduce until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Place the chicken breasts back in the sauce to reheat for 2 minutes. Lift the leeks from their liquid and arrange on warmed plates. Sit the chicken breasts on top and pour the morel sauce over and around. 

Variations: Morels are quite hard to get hold of and very expensive.  You can buy them on-line or you could use dried Porcini / Ceps instead.


I entered this recipe to Spring a Leek Recipe Competition which is being hosted this month by Secret Garden Club.