Thursday, 4th June 2009

Spring Vegetable Soup

My mind generally goes to soup in the cold winter months, with the possible exception of Gazpacho and Vichyssoise, but this Spring Vegetable Soup bridges that gap wonderfully using fresh early spring vegetables and herbs in a healthy and delicious combination.

Serves 4-6

• 750ml vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 small leeks sliced
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
• 3 celery stalks chopped
• 100g sugar snap peas, or frozen peas
• Small bunch of flat leaf parsley
• Small bunch of chervil (optional)
• 3 lovage leaves or a handful of sorrel leaves chopped
• 300g spinach
• Juice of half a lemon
• Nutmeg
• 2 tbsp crème fraiche
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Chive flowers (optional)

Method

Heat the oil in a large stock pot and add the leek, potato and celery and sweat for about 5 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.  Add the peas, herbs and spinach with 200ml of the stock and boil until the spinach has completely wilted.  Add the rest of the stock and bring to the boil.  Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potato is cooked through.

Let the soup cool a little and then blend until smooth.  Add the lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper and a little freshly grated nutmeg to taste.  Gently reheat and add the crème fraiche before serving.  If you have any chive flowers in your garden this soup looks wonderful garnished with them, and it adds a great punch of chive flavour!

Monday, 1st June 2009

Pasta with Creamy Peas

This is a perfect late spring supper using ingredients that are bursting with seasonal flavour.  I prefer to use a shallot in this recipe as it has a mild and concentrated flavour and won’t overpower the other delicate vegetables, but of course a small onion could be used in  place of the shallot.

Serves 4

Ingredients

50g butter
1 shallot finely chopped
300g fresh peas (frozen are fine if you can’t get fresh)
1 little gem lettuce, shredded
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150ml single cream
400g penne pasta
75g Parmesan, freshly grated

Method

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until tender.

While the pasta is cooking melt the butter in a large frying pan.  Add the shallots, peas and fry on a gentle heat until the vegetables are getting soft.  Add the lettuce and cook for a further 5 minutes until soft.  The vegetables may need a little water adding if it looks like they are drying out.  Season with salt and pepper.

Warm the cream gently, but do not boil.

Drain the pasta and return to the pan.  Stir through the cream, and mix in the vegetables.  Add half the Parmesan and give it another gentle stir.  Serve at once and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.

Monday, 20th April 2009

Easter Simnel Cake

Makes 1 x 20 cm Cake

Ingredients

• 225g sultanas
• 100g currants
• 50g mixed peel
• juice of 1 lemon (optional
• 50 ml brandy (optional)
• 50 ml orange juice (optional)
• 225g soft butter
• 225g light muscovado sugar
• 4 eggs
• 225g self-raising flour
• 100g glace cherries, rinsed in hot water, dried and quartered
• grated rind of 2 lemons
• 2 tsp mixed spice

For the topping:

• 450g best quality marzipan
• 2tbsp apricot jam
• 1 egg beaten, to glaze

Method

Two days before you intend to make the cake place the sultanas, currants and mixed peel in a bowl with the lemon juice, brandy and orange juice, mixing it well and leaving to one side for the fruit to soak up the liquid.  This will produce a much moister cake when baked, but can be omitted.

Pre-heat the oven to 150C/Gas 2.  Line the base and sides of a 20cm deep round tin with silicone paper.

Measure the rest of the cake ingredients in with the fruit and beat well until thoroughly mixed.  Put half of this mixture in the bottom of the cake tin and level it off so that it is as flat as possible.  Divide the marzipan into three equal parts and roll out one piece into a circle 20cm diameter, and put it on the top of the cake mixture.  Gently spoon on the rest of the mixture, levelling the surface again.

Bake for approximately 2½ hours until brown, well risen and firm to touch.  Allow to cool for 15 mins and then turn out to cool on a wire rack.

When the cake is cool, warm up the apricot jam in a small saucepan and brush the top of the cake with it.  Roll out half of the remaining marzipan to the size of the top of the cake.  Press it down firmly and push the edges down with your thumb to crimp it round the sides.  Roll the rest of the marzipan into eleven balls to represent the Apostles, without Judas.  Brush the top of the marzipan with the beaten egg and place the balls evenly around the outside, brushing the tops of the balls as well.  Place the whole cake under a hot grill until the marzipan turns a light golden colour.

Tuesday, 7th April 2009

Asparagus wrapped in Pancetta with a Lemon and Garlic Dressing

The British asparagus season is very short but well worth waiting for and lasts for only about six weeks from late-April to mid-June. Of course asparagus is always available from different parts of the world all year, but if you can make a point of searching out locally grown spears in season you won’t be disappointed.

This dish is a really good starter, or could be served as a light lunch with bread.

Serves 4

• 24 thin asparagus spears with the woody ends removed 
• 8 rashers of thinly sliced Pancetta, or rashers of thinly sliced smoked bacon
• Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 clove of garlic crushed
• 1 handful of very finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for cooking
• Salt and pepper
• Salad leaves to serve