recipe: warm courgette & melon salad

warm courgette & melon salad

crisp crunchy courgette & chunky melon pieces dressed w/ mandarin, chilli, honey, lime, lemon verbena & mint

IngredientsMakes: 600g (2)

260g		courgette	(recipe below)
4g		butter
0.5g		black pepper
300g		galia melon
1g		salt
50g		spicy mandarin & mint verbena dressing	(recipe below)

Method

Using as fresh a courgette as possible.

Dice courgette in 1cm+ size chunks, sear in an butter glazed pan for no more than 60 seconds then season w/ black pepper! This will give you a warm, slightly butter & crunchy courgette w/ a hint of heat.

Place in a warm serving bowl.

Take the galia melon, slice in half & deseed it.

Cut it into slices remove the skin & dice it into similar sized pieces, and add it to the courgette.

Season them generously, and leave them while you make the dressing.

Once you've made the dressing keep them separate until ready to serve.

Drain off any liquid from the courgette & melon & add the mandarin dressing, toss to coat evenly.

Serve immediately.

homegrown courgette

beautifully fresh crunchy homegrown courgette

IngredientsMakes: 260g

260g

courgette

Method

Top & tail the courgette & chunky dice it.

Use as you like!

spicy mandarin & mint verbena dressing

mandarin chilli honey & lime dipping sauce w/ lemon verbena & mint

IngredientsMakes: 50g

2g		mint
2g		lemon verbena
46g		honey lime & mandarin dip	(recipe below)

honey lime & mandarin dip

mandarin honey & lime dipping sauce - thicker version

IngredientsMakes: 231g (5)

1g		clementine zest
75g		clementine juice
100g		set honey
10g		fish sauce
12g		garlic
25g		lime juice
8g		chilli

Method

Zest the mandarin into the pot.

Top w/ honey & uW 800W / 1m to melt it.

Fine chop the garlic & chilli.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until mixed.

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local for great locally produced veg using organic practices well worth signing up for!

recipe: figgy bakewell

figgy bakewell

caramelised figs in a blackberry & pear bakewell tart w/ sweet crunchy pastry

IngredientsMakes: 900g (10)

360g		crunchy sweet short pastry	(recipe below)
340g		almond mix	(recipe below)
165g		blackberry conserve
224g	(4)	figs
10g		lemon juice
10g		tangerine juice
30g		sugar

Method

Tart tin - 23cm / 280g

Blind bake 160C/12m, remove beads and finish base 160C/7-10m.

Bake 150C/45m

Make pastry & leave to cool in the fridge for 30mins.

Roll and line the tart tin w/ pastry, then double line w/ grease proof paper & baking beads of your choice.

Blind bake 160C/12m, remove beads and finish base 160C/7-10m.

While it bakes caramelise the figs:

Slice the figs into thirds, dip one size in citrus juice and then in sugar and place sugar side down in a hot nonstick pan.

Let the figs bubble until then sugar has lost it's grain and just started to caramelise, then remove them placing them sugar side up on a cutting board until needed. Remove the pastry base from the oven when ready.

Line the bottom of the tart w/ jam or conserve, then make the almond mix and pour it on top.

Place the figs on top sugar side up. I put 3 in the middle and nine around the outside - however you fancy!

Bake @ 150C / 45m

crunchy sweet short pastry

Sweet crunchy pastry for use with desserts

IngredientsMakes: 1050g

250g		butter
120g		caster sugar
125g		gram flour
225g		bread flour
140g		alpen
30g		flaked almonds
1g		salt
100g		egg whites

Method

Blind bake 170C / 20m + 10m to finish w/o baking beans.

almond mix

tart filling

IngredientsMakes: 340g

110g		eggs
110g		ground almonds
110g		sugar
5g		almond essence
5g		vanilla essence

Method

Beat the eggs & sugar until creamy & light, then whisk in the grounds almonds.

Use asap.

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local for great locally produced veg using organic practices well worth signing up for!

recipe: courgette & jalapeño bake

courgette & jalapeño bake

seared marrow w/ juicy charred onions in a smooth luxurious garlic & herb sauce lifted by spicy jalapeño notes all topped w/ cheese & tomato

IngredientsMakes: 1530g (6)

200g		hotdog onions lite	(recipe below)
635g		seared marrow	(recipe below)
20g		olive oil
110g		pickled jalapeño
625g		garlic cheese white sauce	(recipe below)
160g		ripe tomatoes
50g		mature cheddar

Method

Using up courgettes that escaped your attention and got a bit bigger than you'd like!

Prep the ingredients in the order listed, you can do the onions and marrow / courgette in parallel!

Then assemble layers of marrow, onion, jalapeño & sauce.

Repeat until bake tray is near the top, this was just right for 26cm x 19cm baking dish.

Top with sliced tomatoes & cheese & bake 170C / 30mins.

If some folk don't like spiciness like the kids or mums you can leave the jalapeños out & serve w/ green tabasco sauce.

hotdog onions lite

slow cooked thick cut onions - soft & slightly charred

IngredientsMakes: 200g

10g		olive oil
400g	(3)	onions
2g		salt

Method

Peel the onions, then cut them in half north pole to south & then in thirds.

Keep the thirds in one piece for cooking.

Heat the oil on a medium heat & add the onions in whole thirds covering the bottom of the pan.

Season, turn the heat down to minimum and place a lid on top.

Cook for about 30mins - checking after 20mins - until they are soft & nicely charred on the bottom.

Carefully turn them over & cook for another 10mins with the lid on.

Put to one side and use when required.

seared marrow

sliced seared marrow

IngredientsMakes: 635g (4)

1100g		courgette
60g		olive oil
4g		salt

Method

Slice up the courgette into sub centimeter slices so you can remove any fully formed seeds.

Remove them, then dust liberally w/ salt, turn them over & repeat the dusting.

This will stop the bake coming out too sloppy and tasteless.

Leave them for about an hour so the salt draws water out of the courgette.

Rinse them under cold water the pat them dry.

Brush w/ olive oil and sear until golden. While they sear brush the top ready to flip them.

Sear ~2m30sec each side on high.

Black pepper is quite a nice addition too!

garlic cheese white sauce

smooth cheesy luxurious sauce - think mac n cheese / moussaka

IngredientsMakes: 625g

66g		butter
47g		plain flour
426g		semi skimmed milk
2g		salt
90g		garlic and herb roule

Method

Makes a nice thick smooth herb garlic cheese sauce!

Melt the butter over a medium high heat.

Add the flour and whisk until smooth.

Add the milk keep whisking until the sauce has thickened

Remove from the heat, break the cheese into smallish lumps.

Add them to the sauce and whisk until smooth.

Loosen with veg or chicken stock if required.

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local for great locally produced veg using organic practices well worth signing up for!

recipe: aubergine pate w/ orange & fennel jelly

aubergine pate w/ orange & fennel jelly

rustic aubergine & barley base w/ great depth of flavour topped w/ citrus infused orange & fennel jelly w/ aromatic spices

IngredientsMakes: 950g (2)

760g		mushroom aubergine and barley base	(recipe below)
190g		orange & fennel jelly	(recipe below)

Method

Split the barley base into two containers.

Springform ring mold or takeaway box work well.

Place in the freezer for 30mins - this won't freeze it solid but will make the surface very cold which means the jelly will set as soon as it come into contact and form a jelly proof barrier.

This way it won't all seep into the base leaving you with no jelly top!!!

Serve w/ a robust bread.

I buttered some toasted sourdough loaf for this one . . . lush.

mushroom aubergine and barley base

nicely textured veggie pate base with great depth and a touch of tang..

any vegetarians out there please leave your favourite parmesan alternative in the comments!

IngredientsMakes: 760g

140g		onions
50g		bulgar wheat
1g		salt
150g		water
50g		carrots
50g		parsnips
120g		aubergine
10g		veg oil
1g		salt
130g		chestnut mushrooms
60g		sunflower seeds
20g		butter
1g		salt
34g	(4)	prunes
24g		dried cranberries
50g		cream cheese
20g		lemon juice
10g		pickled jalapeno
40g		mini pickled onions
20g		ginger
12g		parmesan

Method

Dice the carrots and parsnips and red onion.

Add the barley and add water.

Add the diced carrots and parsnips and red onion, on top of the barley, place a lid on top.

btbas - 20m

Dice aubergine and cook until brown & soft.

Same with mushrooms 1cm dice, sautee in 20g butter.

Toast the sunflowers seeds in a pan w/ butter until golden.

Then mix everything together into a kind of stuffing mix.

orange & fennel jelly

IngredientsMakes: 190g

140g		orange juice
80g		caster sugar
20g		fennel
2g		fennel seeds
9g		lemon grass
20g		ginger
40g		mini pickled onions
12g		gelatine sheets

Method

Mix ingredients - except for gelantine - and uW / 900W / 100% / 2m

Leave for 2hrs - at least 60m - to infuse.

Strain mix keeping both parts.

Soak gelatine leaves in cold water until soft.

Reheat the liquid & dissolve the gelatine into it.

Remove the onions and ginger form the solid part and chop them up.

Use them for the mushroom aubergine and barley base mix

Pour the jelly into a container or onto mushroom aubergine and barley base to set.

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local for great locally produced veg using organic practices well worth signing up for!