Green soup

One of the best things about hosting Christmas ourselves this year was that we were able to make turkey stock from the carcass. This is not something we are very good at remembering to do with our regular roasts, I'm not really sure why. We're probably just too lazy. But it is, of course, simplicity itself. Especially in the Aga - just bring it all to the boil on the top and then pop it into the simmering oven until you remember to get it out several hours later!

Our freezer is packed full of pots of stock and it is so flavoursome - it adds so much flavour to soups and risottos in particular. I have a few favourite 'go to' soup recipes that I make regularly but really, with stock so flavoursome, it doesn't matter what you put in your soup. The end result will probably be delicious. Last Friday I took a look in the fridge and didn't seem to have enough of anything to make a particular soup. Instead, I decided to make a mixed green vegetable soup using up little bits of all kinds of veg. I wasn't expecting a particularly great result, but it was absolutely delicious as well as being extremely healthy (...don't tell anyone about the cheese toastie I had alongside). It's lovely green-ness made me feel all Spring-like and uplifted!

Here is what I did...

Green Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

A selection of green vegetables. Here is what I used...

2 leeks, sliced

2 spring onions, sliced

1 stick celery, sliced

1 large potato, cubed

1 courgette, roughly chopped

1 cup frozen peas

small handful chopped cabbage

1 pint good quality turkey, chicken or vegetable stock

Dash of sherry vinegar (optional)

1. Heat a little olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the leeks, celery and potato and sweat for a few minutes until just starting to soften.

2. Add all the other vegetables and then the stock. Stir and bring to the boil. Simmer over a gently heat (or in the simmering oven of an Aga) until vegetables are tender. I left mine in the simmering oven for around 25 minutes.

3. Whizz to a smooth consistency with a stick blender. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in a small dash of sherry vinegar to taste.

4. Pour into warmed bowls and garnish with chives, if you have any to hand!

Summer squash and sweetcorn salad

Since I am now mainly cooking for two people, rather than one, I decided that it was time to re-instate my weekly veg box order. This week I was delighted to receive a rather attractive pattipan squash. I usually associate squash with the autumn and had a brief moment of depression when I wondered whether summer really was over already.

I then read the accompanying recipe sheet and realised that this was a variety of summer squash. I also read the accompanying recipe and decided that it sounded rather good. It was for a salad of roasted squash and corn (torn off the cob rather than from a tin!) with rocket, feta and a sweet chilli glaze. We decided to roast a chicken and serve it alongside the bird for a summery supper.

I made the classic error of not reading the recipe through before I started and I then realised that both the corn and squash needed time to cool before adding to the salad. I didn't have time for this and the squash was fresh out of the oven when I added it to the peppery rocket leaves*. It actually didn't matter a bit and was perfectly delicious as a 'warm' salad. As we were eating it immediately, the leaves didn't wilt at all. However, we did have to throw the excess away which was a shame. Next time, I'll make it with more time to spare and try a cold version to take for lunch at work.

Summer squash and sweetcorn salad
Serves 4 as a starter or side-dish (2 as a main)
Recipe from Abel and Cole

Ingredients

1 summer squash (we used a pattipan squash, the recipe suggests onion squash)
1 garlic clove peeled and chopped
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cobs sweetcorn
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp red chilli jam (I used Jules and Sharpie red pepper jelly)
1 bag fresh rocket leaves
100g feta cheese (recipe suggests 200g, but this seemed too much to me)

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Halve the squash and scoop the seeds out with a spoon. Cut into small wedges or chunks of around half and inch square. Keep the skin on as it is very thin and helps the squash keep its shape.

2. Place squash in a roasting tin with olive oil, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and mix together with your hands to ensure all is well coated. Roast for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, remove husks from corn and place in a large saucepan of water. Bring to boil, put a lid on the pan and simmer for around 20 minutes until tender. Drain and cool (run under cold water if short of time). When you are able to handle it, cut the kernels off the cobs trying to keep them in large panels rather than individual kernels. Use a sharp knife for this - the panels should come off fairly easily.

4. Remove squash from oven and add butter to pan immediately. Dot the chilli jam over the top and pop back into the oven for then minutes to give squash colour and a sticky glaze. Remove from oven and cool (optional)*.

5. Take a large salad bowl or plate and add the rocket. Add the squash and toss together. Add corn and fold through. Finally, crumble the feta cheese over the top.

Pimientos de padron

Another weekend, another wash-out. We've had a string of family celebrations this 'summer'. All of them planned around enjoying the great outdoors, all of them dampened rather by rain. Fortunately, our spirits have not been dampened and we therefore soldier on. A naming ceremony for my nephew 'in the garden' next weekend and a sister's birthday party al fresco the next. Will we ever learn?

My favourite 'washout' though occurred this weekend. My nephew decided he wanted to celebrate his birthday at Wilderness Wood in Sussex. They specialise in children's parties here - you walk into the woods, build a huge den using branches and leaves from the forest floor and then build a campfire. Out come the sausages and marshmallows and everyone gets involved in cooking them over the smouldering fire. At least this is what is supposed to happen in theory...

The heavens opened at the crucial moment and sausages cooked over a rain-drenched fire. My favourite photo of this damp and muddy affair is this one...

I can't help thinking that the sausages look rather rude. I'm sorry. My mind is obviously impure and unclean. I have nothing to add in my defence.

Moving swiftly on, I'm reporting in briefly tonight to tell you that how delighted I was to get my hands on my favourite 'padron' peppers whilst in the butcher last week. These small green peppers are often found on Spanish tapas menus and whenever I see them, I always order them. The fun of these little peppers lies in the Russian roulette style gamble you take when plucking one from the serving platter...

You see, most pimientos are lovely and sweet and tasty. Every now and then, however, you'll pluck a hot one from the plate and your eyes will water! The good ones are absolutely delicious and totally moreish, the hot ones aren't too violently hot, but certainly enough to make you a little wary.

Traditionally, the peppers are fried in olive oil and then sprinkled with crunchy salt. Plenty of it. For some reason best known to myself, I decided to roast mine in the oven on a high heat instead. They worked pretty well, but I guess the might have been a little crisper on the outside had I reached for the frying pan.

Either way, to eat them, you hold them by the stalk and bite the pepper off in one go.

Pimientos de padron



Padron peppers- allow approx. 5 per person as tapas/nibble
Olive oil
Crunchy sea salt, such as Maldon

1. Place peppers on a baking sheet and drizzle with generous amount of olive oil. Sprinkle with some of the salt and shake the baking tray to coat evenly.



2. Roast in a hot oven (210C) for 10-15 minutes until the pepper skins start to blister and brown. Blot on kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little more salt - don't hold back.

3. Hand round whilst still hot along with a dish to collect the stalks.

Chilled avocado soup

I've probably said this before but, if given the choice between living somewhere permanently hot and sunny and spending the rest of my days here in damp and murky Britain, I'd choose the latter. Don't get me wrong, I love a hot sunny day as much as the next person, but what I love best of all is an English summer's day. So rarely do we get a spell of perfect sunny weather over here, when we do, we really make the most of it. I think the unpredictability of the British summer makes it all the more appealing. Today, the sun is out and my spirits are immediately lifted. I feel energised and spontaneous and excitable. If it was like this all the time, I'm not sure I'd feel the same.

Outdoor events are something that the British do rather well, I've always thought. Come rain or shine we put our best foot forward and enter into the spirit even if we are soaked through the skin. There is a certain British pride in gathering together and making the best of an unkind summers day. We shall wave our flags, even if we have to do so wearing head-to-toe ponchos.

Fortunately, my latest evening of flag-waving was blessed with good weather. Last weekend, I headed back home to the Isle of Wight for a thoroughly British evening of picnics, Rule Britannia, classical music and fireworks. The 'last night of the Proms' type event took place at wonderful Osborne House, holiday home of Queen Victoria.


We were blessed with a perfect English summer evening although there was a bit of a nip in the air! I just love to eat outdoors - the food always seems to taste better somehow. Picnics are a real favourite of mine and like Julia over at A Slice of Cherry Pie, I like to do them properly. With linen napkins and proper knives and forks. Fortunately, so does my mother as it was her who made the preparations for this particular event. I am proud to say that I am fairly sure that we were the only ones to have a properly ironed linen tablecloth!

Sadly, we were slightly outdone by a neighbouring table who had bought a candelabra. We were the ones who were smug though as they couldn't get theirs to stay alight in the breeze - our pretty glass holder sheltered the nightlight from the wind.

Anyway, earlier in the day, we (..or rather my mother..) prepared a delicious chilled avocado soup for our starter. It is superb and a real summer favourite of mine. I know some people are hesitant at the idea of a chilled soup, but I think there is nothing more refreshing on a hot day. Gazpacho is another favourite of mine. The recipe is one I've grown up with - just one mouthful makes me feel all summery. I think the recipe came originally from our old milkman, believe it or not. But I could be wrong.

It needs to be made a few hours in advance so that it has adequate time to chill, though you can speed it along with a few ice cubes. It is the simplest of soups to make - you chop everything up and whizz it together in a liquidiser. I like to serve this for summer suppers or lunches in the garden. I have some pretty glass bowls that set it off perfectly. For our picnic, we transported in in a thermos with a few ice cubes and then poured it into mugs. Not to be outdone by our fellow diners, my mother even snipped a few chives and wrapped them in clingfilm ready to sprinkle on top. Now that is what I call a civilised picnic!

I'm entering this cooling soup into an event called 'Beat the Heat' hosted by A Southern Grace. Grace is compiling recipes from the blogosphere that do not require us to fire up the oven during these hot summer days. Do take a look at her lovely and entertaining blog and, even better, why not submit one of your own heat-beating recipes.

Chilled avocado soup
Serves 4-6 (4 as a lunch dish, 6 as a starter)

Ingredients

150ml single cream
2 large ripe avocados
2 tbsp lemon juice
575ml cold chicken stock (well-flavoured) You could also use vegetable stock, of course.
300ml milk
2 spring onions
Worcestershire sauce - a few drops to taste
chives - to garnish
Salt and pepper

1. Chop the avocados into chunks and slice the spring onions. Do not throw away the avocado stones.

2. Place everything into a liquidiser and whizz until smooth. Taste the soup and season well. You may want to add more Worcestershire sauce.

3. Cover and chill, placing avocado stones in the soup until ready to serve to prevent discolouration.

Incidentally, having enjoyed our soup, we moved onto an array of Marks and Spencer's goodies - looking around at the other picnics, I'd say that good old M&S did pretty well out of us concert-goers. The strawberry tarts were particularly good!

In August I am lucky enough to be going, for the first time, to Glyndebourne. I have been charged with bringing dessert so am searching for good ideas. It needs to be easily transportable yet impressive. And, as it might be a hot evening and we won't get round to eating it until late, something that won't melt/fall apart. A tall order and I have a few ideas, but I would welcome any ideas or suggestions that you may have...

Braised little gems

Summer, it seems, is finally here. We are half way through the first week of Wimbledon and there's not been a spot of rain. Is this a first? It is not super hot, but the sun is shining and there is a gentle breeze in the air. English summer at its best...


I've always been intrigued by recipes for cooked lettuce. To me, the joy of lettuce is that it is crisp and fresh. Cooking it seems all wrong. I imagine something flabby and stringy and not even vaguely pleasant. You'd think that I'd leave it at that. But no. The idea has been playing on my mind lately. The recipes usually involve peas. And anything involving peas is good, is it not?

My curiosity got the better of me and so it was that I found myself braising some Little Gem lettuces on Sunday night.

What have I been missing all my life? It was superb. I'm totally unable to explain why soggy lettuce should taste good, but trust me; it does. Actually, it wasn't soggy at all. It retained a pleasing crunch. And it was perfect with a bit of simply grilled fish. This comes thoroughly recommended.

Braised Little Gems with Peas and Spring Onions
Serves 2 (easily halved, or doubled)


Ingredients:

2 small Little Gem lettuces, outer leaves removed
1 mug of peas (frozen is fine)
5 spring onions
200ml chicken stock
butter
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
pepper

1. Chop the lettuce into strips and the spring onions into thin slices.

2. Melt a knob of butter in a non-stick frying pan and then add the spring onions. Fry until starting to soften. Add the lettuce and the peas and stir to coat in the buttery oniony juices.

3. Pour over the hot stock and bubble away for ten minutes or so. You want most of the liquid to evaporate (you can always pop a lid on the pan if it disappears too quickly).

4. Just before serving, add the creme fraiche and stir to combine. Heat through and season with pepper. Taste before adding any salt - the stock is usually pretty salty.

Pink healthy-ish coleslaw

It has been over a week without a single post. For this apologise. A combination of technical malfunction on the computer front and a few days away are to blame. I'm enjoying a week's 'holiday'. Or at least I should be. I had scheduled in a week off but seem to be spending more time than I would choose catching up on work... Hmmm. Doesn't seem quite right, somehow.

But all is not bad. Far from it. I've had the most lovely few days catching up with my parents on the Isle of Wight (where they live). The break had involved a lot of this...



...and I have returned to London with more plants than I have space for in my garden. On Friday, I was lucky enough to visit the Chelsea Flower Show. I've never been before but always gaze at the gorgeous gardens from the comfort of my sofa via the joys of television. This year, the 'in' colours seemed to be white and green with the odd hint of purple. Just thought you'd like to know. My favourite garden by far was the Daylesford Organic garden. This featured the kitchen garden of my dreams - bed after bed of fruits and vegetables surrounded by wicker. There was even a fireplace with a seating area overlooking the pristine produce - heaven!

After Chelsea, we went to eat at a great restaurant that happens to be just along the road from me. For some reason I've not been before, even though the restaurant is run by 'celebrity' chef Nancy Lam. The Indonesian-inspired dishes we tasted were extremely flavoursome and it was great to meet Nancy herself after she had finished in the kitchen. I shall most certainly be back. Sadly I took no photos of the food but I do have a few more of the fabulous flowers at Chelsea...

Lily-of-the-Valley are favourites of mine - I tried to grow some recently but it ended in disaster. 'Disaster' is perhaps a little strong. Let's just say they didn't grow. These were snapped in the Molten Brown garden which was (unsurprisingly) heaven-scented with fragrant blooms, all in white.

In case you are worried (or, worse, hungry), I am planning to share a recipe here too. I love coleslaw. But until last week I had never made my own version. I think that perhaps I thought that if I made my own, I would actually realise just how unhealthy it was and it might ruin the pleasure I get from a big dollop of the stuff. But then I spied a recipe for a slightly more healthy (or should that be 'less fattening') version and thought I really should give it a go, especially as my weekly veg box had been good enough to send me not one, but two different cabbages. This version used yoghurt mixed with just a little mayo to creat a tangy and delicious dressing.

I really didn't miss the copious mayonnaise. I found the yoghurt actually gave a more interesting flavour and red cabbage was a pretty and flavourful substitute for the usual white variety. I'm not sure I'll ever go back. Though there is something quite moreish about the overly vinegary shop-bought variety too. I've changed and tweaked the recipe somewhat to my liking - a little less dressing, a few more carrots and a final sprinkling of chives which is entirely optional but seemed a good idea seeing as they were growing in the garden.


I always think that coleslaw should be served with ever-so-slightly trashy food: a fish finger or sausage sandwich, barbecued ribs, burger and chips. I'll leave that to you though. I'll keep quiet about how I ate mine. It is just a touch too embarrassing to admit publicly.

Pink healthy-ish coleslaw
Serves four(ish)


Ingredients

Half a white onion
Half a red cabbage
4 medium carrots
6 tablespoons low fat plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon low fat mayo
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Handful of chives (optional)

1. Shred all the vegetables either using the shredder on a food processor or a grater. If the onion is very strong, you may want to use a little less.

2. Stir in yoghurt, mayo and mustard. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Cover with cling film and place in fridge for at least an hour if possible to allow flavours to mingle. Garnish with chopped chives if wished.

In the Bag: Are you casting asparagus on my cooking?

I hope everyone enjoyed the Summer. You were away last week? Oh. What a shame! You missed it.

I knew I shouldn't have dusted off the barbecue. No sooner had I donned my summer dress and unearthed the flip-flops than the sun disappears behind a dull and damp-looking cloud. Today, I even considered popping the heating back on for a moment but I thought better of it and just donned another layer.

I'm cheering myself up with the very best of British Spring produce: asparagus, Jersey Royals, watercress, peas and salad leaves fresh from the garden. Deliciously fresh flavours to brighten up the dullest of days.

Asparagus is perhaps the vegetable I look forward to most. It has such a short season and tastes so disappointingly bland when imported from warmer climes at other times of the year. It really is a treat worth waiting for and savouring. I find that many people are quite precious and particular about the way they like to prepare these flavoursome green spears. Perhaps because the season is so short, they want every asparagus moment to be a perfect one.

Essentially, I like mine pretty plain. Steamed (or occasionally roasted) and served with melted butter and a squeeze of lemon juice. Please note that when I say melted butter, I do not mean a slice of butter popped atop the warm asparagus. Oh no. I mean a blob of butter that has been purposefully melted in a pan and is then served from a warmed jug. The plate must then be propped up with a fork, or knife so that it is on a tilt and all the butter runs to one end. The asparagus can then (and only then) be savoured, dipped in that lovely butter... Did I mention that I am particular about how I like my asparagus?

Occasionally I divert from this course of action, substituting butter for really good extra virgin olive oil and some shavings of Parmesan. If I'm offered it, I won't say no to a splodge of hollandaise sauce either. It would be churlish to refuse, after all.

How do you like to eat yours?



When Scott from Real Epicurean announced the ingredients for this month's 'In the Bag...' event, I was ahead of the game! Just that day, I had enjoyed a divine lunch of asparagus with quail's eggs and Parmesan (see above photo). As the ingredients were asparagus, Parmesan and eggs, I thought I had the event 'in the bag' so to speak (-sorry, couldn't help myself).

After a bit more thought though, I decided that I should be a little more imaginative. I decided to incorporate asparagus into one of my favourite speedy lunchtime dishes: frittata. With Jersey Royals, spring onions, asparagus and peas, this certainly put a 'spring' in my step. (Don't know what's with the puns today. I can only apologise).

Springtime Frittata
Serves 2 hungry people



Ingredients

4 large free-range eggs (preferably organic)
bunch of asparagus (around 10 stems)
5 spring onions
5 baby Jersey Royal potatoes (or other potatoes)
ramekin full of peas (fresh or frozen)
Small handful of fresh herbs (I used parsley and chives)
Parmesan

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C. Drizzle olive oil into a roasting tin and pop in oven to heat up. Cook potatoes in salted boiling water until just soft (you need to slice them up so don't let them get too soft).

2. Bend asparagus stems until they snap so that you are left with the tender part and not the woody stem. Pop them into the oven to roast. This could take from 5-15 minutes, depending on whether you have the fat stuff or the thin stuff. I had the medium stuff and it took about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, chop the spring onions and herbs. Heat some olive oil in a small non-stick pan and add the onions. Soften on a gentle heat.

4. Once the potatoes are ready, drain them and then slice roughly. Add to pan with onions and throw over the peas. Up the heat a touch.

5. Remove asparagus from oven. Take three stems and chop them into small disks - add them to the pan. Sit the other spears on top in a pretty pattern, with the tips meeting in the middle.


6. Pre-heat the grill to high. Crack the eggs and beat slightly with a fork. Add the chopped herbs and salt and pepper. Pour eggs over the ingredients in the pan and cook gently until most of the egg is set. At this point, remove from heat and grate Parmesan all over the top.

7. Pop the pan under the grill to cook the top and brown the cheese. Keep an eye on it - I left mine a touch too long.



8. Cut into slices and enjoy with some salad on the side, perhaps.



Notes: Other things that might be fun to add are courgettes, broad beans and (unless, like me you think it is the devils' work) mint.

Do take a look at Scott's blog for the details of the 'In the Bay' food blogging event and have a think about entering your own favourite asparagus dish!

In the Bag - July

This is my first ever attempt at a food blogging 'event'. Each month, a selection of seasonal ingredients are chosen and food bloggers have to create a dish using said ingredients. This month's event is organised by Julia at A Slice of Cherry Pie and the ingredients in question are:

Aubergines

Peppers

Basil

My slight concern here is that a) I only found the event today, and strictly speaking the entries are due in today and b) being such a novice at all this, I am not sure that I will 'tag' my entry properly and may therefore not be able to enter. Oh well - it is still a good culinary experiment!

Having just returned from a holiday in Provence, I was in just the mood for these ingredients. One night I cooked up an oven-roasted ratatouille from Delia's Summer Cook Book.

It was superb - I particularly enjoyed the way the vegetables kept their shape better than in the usual method. As Delia says, 'once you've tried it roasted like this, you'll never want to go back to the original method'. And I wouldn't want to argue with Delia. Anyway, I had also been wanting to try a recipe from BBC Good Food for stuffed baked courgettes - I LOVE courgettes. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine the two. I also made some basil oil just a few days ago which came in very handy.

The results were very good - all the flavours of the Mediterranean in a different-to-usual form. I was transported back to my holiday and after one bite, decided to take supper outside (a first for this summer, what with the awful weather we have been experiencing). Sadly, all hopes of an alfresco evening were dashed when, within moments of my sitting down, the rain started to fall. Oh well, if I can't have summer outside, at least I can enjoy a ray of sunshine inside with this dish...

Courgettes stuffed with aubergine and red pepper ratatouille

Ingredients (serves four as a side dish, or 2 as a main course)

2 courgettes (I used one green and one yellow)

1 medium aubergine

1 red pepper

1 medium onion

2 medium tomatoes

1 clove garlic

Half a red chilli (optional)

Handful of basil leaves

Olive oil

4 tablespoons of breadcrumbs mixed with 6 tablespoons of grated Parmesan

1. If possible, a few days prior to making the recipe, tear up the basil leaves and place in a jar with olive oil. Leave to infuse.

2. Pre-heat oven to 200C. Peel half of the aubergine (see notes) and chop into 1cm cubes. Place in sieve over a large bowl (to catch the juices). Sprinkle over 1 dessert spoon of salt, place a plate on top and weigh down for an hour. The salt helps to draw out the bitterness.

3. Meanwhile, half the courgettes and scoop out the middles with a teaspoon -

4. De-seed the pepper and chop into 1cm cubes, along with the chilli, if using. Do the same with the onion. Finely chop the garlic clove.

5. Make a small cross in the base of each tomato and pour over boiling water. Leave for one minute. Drain. Peel tomatoes and chop into 1cm cubes (no need to de-seed).

6. Squeeze any remaining liquid from the aubergine and dry thoroughly with a piece of kitchen roll. Place in a bowl with the pepper, tomato, chilli and garlic. Pour over a couple of tablespoonfuls of the basil oil, adding a little freshly torn basil too. Mix thoroughly with your hands so all is well-coated.

7. Stuff the aubergine and pepper ratatouille into the hollowed out courgettes. Place carefully in a baking dish and cover with foil.

8. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 200C.

9. Remove from oven and remove foil. Sprinkle over the breadcrumb and Parmesan mixture and return to oven for 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Notes -

I chose to peel half the aubergine as I find the skin to be quite bitter. Peeling half gives just enough flavour from the skin, without the bitterness. The salting and weighting down also helps.

I ate this as a side dish with a herby, chargrilled lamb steak. A delicious combination. But it would also be good as a light lunchtime meal.

Wine Notes -

I enjoyed this as a side dish with chargrilled lamb. It was perfect with a full-bodied rosé from the South of France.