Swede as ....

I made it through my first cookery lesson with nothing more major than cutting half my index finger nail off and creating so much washing-up that apparently it took four hours to clean up after me! Apart from that I think it went pretty well but we are in the process of fine tuning the details to make sure that they run even smoother in future.

One of the main vegetables that seemed to cause my students concern was the humble Swede.  No-one seemed to know what to do with it, when it turned up relentlessly in their veg boxes.  So I thought I would test out a few new recipes and see what I could come up with. First of all, I have to say that Riverford Swedes are in a class of their own. If you remember Swede as a dark orange-fleshed, cabbage smelling mush, then please give them another go.  I don't know if it because Riverford's Swedes are organic, or it is just that they are really fresh compared to others that I have had in the past but they really are quite delicious in comparison.  They have a much paler flesh and a much more delicate flavour - less turnipy, more creamy. Also, happily they have a much more subtle aroma and I even had the kids eating them.

There is actually mass confusion as to what Swedes actually are and opinion are split again North and South of the border but they appear to be a cross between a cabbage and a turnip, possibly first cultivated by the Swedes.  They seem to crop up quite a lot in Scottish recipes with not only "Neeps and Tatties" (Swede and Potatoes) but also "Clapshot" (pretty much the same thing with some butter and chives) or could it just be that their peak season coincides with Burns night.

I tried making some classic Swede and Carrot mash, which really was quite yummy. Swedes love butter and freshly ground black pepper and so do I. Next I made a Swede, Leek and Bacon Gratin. Bacon and swede are a fantastic combination but you could leave it our for a vegetarian option. Finally I made some Swede soup, which was really surprisingly delicious. Swedes are also a must in Cornish Pasties, great chucked into a curry or a stew and lovely addition in with your roast vegetables. So give the humble Swede another go and I think you will be pleasantly surprised. 

Mashed Swede and Carrot
Not really a recipe as much as a combination of two ingredients.  Boil cubes of peeled Swede and Carrots  in plenty of boiling water, until tender. Mash with lots of butter, a little salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Swede, Leek and Bacon Gratin
Serves 6

500mls Double cream
100mls Milk

2 garlic cloves peeled

1 nice big sprig of rosemary

150g smoked streaky bacon, cut into lardons

2 tablespoons olive oil

Knob of butter

1 Swede, sliced paper-thin

3 Leeks cut in rings, washed and well-drained

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a saucepan, combine milk, cream, garlic and rosemary over low-medium heat being careful not to boil over. Gently boil for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Fry the bacon in a little oil until really crispy. Add the leeks and a knob butter and cook until soft and just beginning to caramelize   This could take up to half an hour but is an important stage.Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Arrange i/2 your sliced swede on the bottom of a gratin dish. Top with the sauteed leeks and then top with the remaining swede. Press the layers down with a spatula to condense.

Pour the infused milk over and cover the dish with foil.  Place in a preheated oven at 170 degree C. Bake for 1 hour or so until a knife can easily be inserted all the way to the bottom.  Uncover and bake for 15 additional minutes until gratin is golden around the edges. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Roast Swede Soup

1 swede, peeled and cut into cubes

3 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely sliced
2 stalks celery, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
Small bunch fresh thyme, leaves only
1.25 litres/2 pints vegetable stock or water
142ml/5fl oz carton double cream

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Place the cubes of swede in a roasting tray. Drizzle over two tablespoons of the olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well and roast in oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and tender, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large heavy-based saucepan, stir in the onion, carrots, celery and thyme (either finely chopped or whole bunch tied with string).  Gently fry the vegetables for 10-15 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more. Add the roasted swede to the pan and pour over the stock or water. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring gently to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Add the cream and purée the soup with a hand blender or in a liquidizer until completely smooth. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. 

Perfect Pasties

As I was making the kids sandwiches, yet again, for their school lunch-boxes, I thought how nice it would be to be able to give them something different for a change. A home-made Cornish pasty sprang to mind.  What a great way of using up vegetables and nourishing the kids at the same time. 

Cornish pasties date back to the 13th Century, during the reign of Henry III. They were eaten by poorer working families who could only afford cheap ingredients such as potatoes, swede and onion. Meat was added later. Miners and farm workers took this portable and easy to eat convenience food with them to work because it was so well suited to the purpose. Its size and shape made it easy to carry, its pastry case insulated the contents and was durable enough to survive, while its wholesome ingredients provided enough sustenance to see the workers through their long and arduous working days. The crust (crimped edge) was used as a handle which was then discarded due to the high levels of arsenic in many of the tin mines.  Luckily, now a days we can eat all the pastry but the classic mix of beef, swede, onion and potato is set in stone and it would be considered sacrilege to modify these ingredients in any way.  

But your pasty does not have to be Cornish.  In fact it could come from almost anywhere and contain whatever you like or have to hand.  It is a fabulous way of using up left over root vegetables which always are in abundance throughout the winter months. Carrots, celeriac, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes and squashes all work fantastically well.  It could be meat free but it certainly makes a little meat go a long way. Just remember whatever you put in your pasty, it must be cut pretty small and must all cook in the same time. Because the ingredients go in raw, unlike most pies the filling must cook before the pastry burns.  But fear not. As long as the pieces in your filling are never any larger than about 1cm, it always somehow seems to work. 

My next top tip for busy cooks, is ready made, ready rolled shortcrust pasty.  The supermarkets have really got their acts together on the pastry front and you can find a good selection of all-butter pastries in the chilled or freezer section.  Check the ingredients and make sure that they contain little more than butter and flour and you can guarantee that they will be good.  

Last of all I recommend that you make up a large batch because they disappear really fast. They freeze brilliantly - I wasn't expecting you to get up a 5.00am and make them from scratch each morning for the kids lunch-box. I freeze them, uncooked and simply put them in the oven first thing in the morning and they are ready to go about 45 minutes later. Then straight in the lunch-box and they might even be still be warm by lunch time.  What better way to sustain your little miners.

Cornish Pasties

400g/14oz good-quality beef skirt or rump steak (very lean, no fat or gristle.)
200g/7oz waxy potatoes such as Charlotte (I didn't even peel mine.)
200g/7oz swede 
175g/6oz onions
salt and freshly ground black pepper
knob of butter
Ready rolled all-butter shortcrust pasty
1 egg, lightly whisked
Chop the potatoes into cubes, no bigger than 1 cms.  Peel the sweed and do the same.  Trim any fat or gristle from the meat and cut into small cubes, about 1cm.  Chop the onion fairly finely and mix together with the other ingredients and plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lightly grease a baking tray with butter or line with baking or silicone paper. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. (If baking from frozen then 160C.) Cut your pasty in to discs roughly 15cms wide.  I use a small bowl to cut round. Spoon some mixture into the middle of each disk and top with a knob of butter. Then bring the pastry around and crimp together.  I find the ready rolled pastry stick fine. Do not get the pastry wet or that will stop is sealing. A genuine Cornish pasty has a distinctive ‘D’ shape and is crimped on one side, never on top but I like mine the other way.  It is up to you. Just make sure it is well sealed and has plenty of filling. Put the pasties onto the baking tray and brush the top of each pasty with the egg. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 30 minutes or until the pasties are golden-brown. (If baking from frozen allow up to 45 minutes.)