Showing posts with label seasonal favourites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seasonal favourites. Show all posts
I think you all must know by now how very much I love salad. I eat it all the year through. When we were first married my husband was not convinced that salad was a very good thing . . . he called it rabbit food.
He has come to actually like them through the years however. As he says, I never make a boring salad! That is a high compliment coming from him! He is a man of very few words.
Actually he pretty much eats whatever I put in front of him and if he doesn't like it . . . he won't say much of anything at all about it, or . . . if pressed . . . he will simply say, "It was not one of my favourites." How is that for being a gentleman.
This salad here today is a recipe I adapted to what I had on hand from the Supper cookbook by the late Marion Cunningham.
Actually he pretty much eats whatever I put in front of him and if he doesn't like it . . . he won't say much of anything at all about it, or . . . if pressed . . . he will simply say, "It was not one of my favourites." How is that for being a gentleman.
This salad here today is a recipe I adapted to what I had on hand from the Supper cookbook by the late Marion Cunningham.
She adapted from a salad she had eaten which was created by her friend Myrtle Allen of the Ballymaloe Inn and Cooking School in Country Cork, Ireland. Those Allens are great cooks!
It has long been on my bucket list to go to the Ballymalloe Inn. I have all of Rachel Allen's cookery books and I have one by her MIL Darina Allen, called The Forgotten Skills of Cooking. Good cooking runs in the family.
When I saw the recipe for this salad, it intrigued me. A salad composed of crisp lettuce leaves interspersed with fresh and colourful vegetables and topped with a buttermilk dressing. It sounded delicious and as pretty as a picture.
We eat with our eyes as much as we do our stomachs and tastebuds, in fact it is what we see that first appeals to our appetites' . . .
It has long been on my bucket list to go to the Ballymalloe Inn. I have all of Rachel Allen's cookery books and I have one by her MIL Darina Allen, called The Forgotten Skills of Cooking. Good cooking runs in the family.
When I saw the recipe for this salad, it intrigued me. A salad composed of crisp lettuce leaves interspersed with fresh and colourful vegetables and topped with a buttermilk dressing. It sounded delicious and as pretty as a picture.
We eat with our eyes as much as we do our stomachs and tastebuds, in fact it is what we see that first appeals to our appetites' . . .
Something might taste really delicious, but if it is visually disgusting looking and highly unappealing to the eye, it takes a really brave person to get past all of that and dig in. We truly do eat with our eyes first.
There are only two of us and so I adapted this to smaller bowls for just us . . . you could do the same thing for four lucky individuals, or you could do as the original recipe and compose it in a large shallow salad bowl.
There are only two of us and so I adapted this to smaller bowls for just us . . . you could do the same thing for four lucky individuals, or you could do as the original recipe and compose it in a large shallow salad bowl.
Its all up to you. The Radish rose in the centre is my addition. I thought it would add a pretty and colorful touch, and . . . it did!
To make radish roses:
Wash and
clean your radishes. Dry well. Cut off the tops and root ends so that
both are flat. Taking a sharp knife begin at the top end of the radish
and make several slashes, overlapping them slightly almost all the way
to the bottom, but leaving the bottom intack. Place in some lightly
salted cold water for about fifteen minutes until they open up. Drain
and pat dry. Use immediately.
To see a video on how to do this click here.
If you are out to impress your loved ones with a salad that is as visually appealing as it is delicious, then this is the salad for you!
Hang onto your hats! You are going to literally love this!
Buttermilk Dressed Rose Salad Bowl
Yield: 4
Prep time: 24 H & 20 MTotal time: 24 H & 20 M
This is a very pretty salad. You will need to begin the night before with preparing the lettuce. You can either prepare this in a large shallow salad bowl, or in four individual wide pasta bowls.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 120 ml buttermilk (1/2 cup)
- 120g mayonnaise (1/2 cup)
- 2 tsp grated garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Salad:
- 1 head of round lettuce or iceberg lettuce
- 4 cooked beetroot, pickled if desired
- 1 bunch watercress
- 2 ripe tomatoes
- 1/2 English cucumber
- 1 bunch spring onions
- 4 hard boiled eggs
- 4 radishes, made into roses (see note below)
Instructions
- Prepare the lettuce the night before. Core the lettuce and submerge, cored end down, into a bowl of ice cold water. Remove and shake any excess water away. Wrap in several layers of paper kitchen towelling and place in the refrigerator over night.
- Make the dressing by putting all of the ingredients into a jar and shaking them together to blend well. Chill in the refrigerator until you need it.
- When you are ready to make the salad, carefully separate the salad leaves. Remove any woody stems from the watercress and discard. Cut the tomatoes into wedges. Peel the hard boil eggs and cut into wedges. Slice the beetroot into rounds. Chop the spring onions.
- Arrange larger salad leaves like a rose in the salad bowl (s). Place some of the smaller leaves in the centre. Tuck the sprigs of water cress, tomato wedges, cucumber slices, egg wedges and beetroot slices in amongst the petals (lettuce leaves). Place the radish roses in the centre and drizzle with some of the dressing. Pass the remainder at the table.
To see a video on how to do this click here.
If you are out to impress your loved ones with a salad that is as visually appealing as it is delicious, then this is the salad for you!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
We really are having some glorious weather this week and going into a Bank Holiday weekend too, which makes for a change. Let's hope it keeps up for the weekend! This be salad weather!
I am a HUGE salad fan! The Toddster, not so much although he would be the first to admit that I never make boring salads.
I like to make interesting salads, and salads that take advantage of fresh seasonal ingredients. For instance, British Asparagus is in season at the moment. I don't eat asparagus any other time of the year because there is just
no comparison in flavour.
I believe in eating seasonally. I don't
think asparagus that has been shipped over from Peru in the depths of
winter has any flavour at all really. The taste never justifies it's
high price in my opinion!
We are also getting some really nice locally grown greenhouse tomatoes at the moment, but no worries there even if you can't get local when it comes to the tomatoes. Roasting enhances the flavour of just about any tomato!
With its punchy lemon rnch dressing, the sweetness of the roasted tomatoes and that earthy asparagus, the beautiful bow tie pasta (use whole wheat if you can get it, its a bit nuttier!) . . . this makes a beautiful side dish for anything you might be grilling this weekend!
You could actually roast the veg on the BBQ as well. Just pop it onto a baking sheet and pop the baking sheet into the BBQ and close the lid. Roast for approximately the same length of time. I almost guarantee any veggie haters in the family will love this!
*Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus*
Serves 4
A deliciously different Pasta Salad. Easy to make, quick, colourful and very tasty!
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)
1 pound of asparagus, washed and dried
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish if desired
flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 TBS good quality mayonnaise
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 TBS prepared ranch dressing
1 tsp of basil pesto sauce
1 pound of farfalle pasta (bow tie)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste
Preheat
the oven to 220*C/425*F. gas mark 7. Have ready a baking sheet which
you have lined with foil and lightly sprayed with oil.
Cut
the asparagus into 2 inch lengths, put the into a bowl with the tomato
halves. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add
the fresh basil. Toss all together to coat. Spread out into a single
layer on the baking sheet, making sure the cut sides of the tomatoes are
facing up. Roast in the heated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the
tomatoes start to blister and the asparagus is tender crisp. Set aside to cool.
Place
the pasta in a pot of lightly salted boiling water and cook to al
dente, according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse with cold
water to cool down, and rinse again.
Whisk
the mayonnaise, ranch dressing, lemon zest and pesto together in the
bowl you tossed the vegetables with the oil in. Add the pasta and toss
to
coat. Fold in the asparagus and roasted tomatoes.
Sprinkle with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve garnished
with fresh chopped basil
if you wish.
Have a lovely weekend and Bon Appetit!
This is a recipe that I have made on here before, but it was so long ago and the photos are so poor I wanted to do it again, using the fresh tomatoes from our garden.
This is a winner of a recipe and one I just love. It is so good that I felt it deserved a new write up and updated photographs!
It is a pie I make every year about this time of year, when the tomatoes are ripe and fresh off the vine. A pie this delicious is deserving of really good tomatoes.
If you are not fond of the skins of tomatoes in cooked things, you may blanche the tomatoes first and remove them. Just cut a cross into the skins at the bottom of each tomato and immerse in boiled water for 2 minutes.
Just when you see the skins beginning to peel back a bit from the cross, you can put them into ice water to cool them down and then the skins will slip off very easily
Use a good cheddar and a good mayonnaise for this. I like French Mayonnaise, but Helman's is also very good.
I don't recommend low fat, for either the cheese or the mayonnaise.
This tasty pie is not low in calories or fat, but as a once a year indulgence it goes down a real treat! I used basil from my garden as well.
I have bush basil this year, which has very tiny leaves instead of the larger ones. It very well and dries very well also!
*Tomato Pie*
Serves 4-6
Printable Recipe
This is a really tasty supper dish, just perfect for these summer days when the tomatoes are ripening on the vine faster than we can get them used up!
2 to 3 large tomatoes
1 small bunch of spring onions, thinly sliced
1 TBS julliened fresh basil (roll several leaves into a cigar shape and cut crosswise)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 to 1 cup good quality mayonnaise (I like to use French Mayonnaise)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 partially baked 9 inch deep pie shell
Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. If you are using fresh tomatoes, peel. This can be very easily done by cutting a small x with a sharp knife on the bottom. Dip into boiling water and leave for 30 to 40 seconds. Remove from the boiling water and plunge into ice water. The skin should now easily slip right off.
Slice the tomatoes into thick slices. Place them in layers into the pastry shell, sprinkling each layer with some spring onions, basil, salt and pepper. Mix together the mayonnaise and the cheese. Spread this mixture over top of the tomatoes. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the filling is nicely browned.
Remove and allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting into slices to serve. Delicious!
I hope you will feel inspired to bake this. It's really delicious. Bon Appetit!
Where we live in Blacon, a suburb of Chester City, we are surrounded by Leek fields. You can smell them in the air this time of year and it's a gorgeous smell. It makes your taste buds tingle and your mouth water.
Leeks are a real autumn and winter favourite in our house and November 1st marks the beginning of the British Leek Season. I have to say with all honesty . . . there is no leek tastier than a fresh British Leek, grown in British soil and harvested and sold within days of being harvested.
I love to buy local and buy fresh. Leeks are a seasonal treat we start to enjoy every autumn, and they figure heavily in our diet throughout the season.
Interestingly enough, Leeks have been cultivated since the time of the Ancient Egyptians and were probably, in all liklihood, a fundamental part of the diet of those who built the pyramids. Hippocrates the ancient Greek physician and ‘father of medicine’ prescribed the leek as a cure for nosebleeds.
Phoenician traders are said to have introduced the leek to Wales when they were trading for tin in the British Isles – an act that would unexpectedly elevate this humble veg to national status thousands of years later, for today the Leek is indeed the Welsh National Symbol!
Like garlic and onions, leeks are a member of the allium family. They have their own distinct flavour however, being quite harsh when raw (only very young leeks are eaten this way.)
Once cooked, they develop a very delicate flavour, similar to a mild onion but with a extra hint of sweetness. Two thirds of their length is white and firm, and this is the part that is mainly eaten.
The rest of the third is made up of the leaves (flags), most of which are discarded. I find them quite useful when making flavourful stocks. I find them to be a very versatile ingredient which works well both in hearthy main dishes, delicious side dishes, and of course in toothsome soups!
I recently used some to create a delicious pie . . . Ham Hock, Leek and Cheese Pie.
Rich, buttery and flaky puff pastry, encasing a fabulous filling, perfectly showcases this delicious autumn/winter vegetable.
You get the smokiness of the ham hock . . . which goes wonderfully with the sweetness of leeks . . . leeks which have been sauteed in butter . . . long and slow to help bring out their very best . . .
Add to that the richess of double cream . . . and gruyere cheese, which has a nutty sweet flavour . . . and you have a beautiful combination of flavours that is at once sublime and yet quite outstanding in every way.
From the moment your fork breaks down through that buttery flakiness into that rich filling you know you are in for a real treat. And it does not disappoint . . . NOT in the least.
This is magnificent. End of. All you really need on the side is a mixed salad to complete your meal.
*Ham Hock, Leek and Cheese Pie*
Serves 6
salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
250g of gruyere cheese, grated (1/2 pound)
100g of cooked ham hock, shredded
750g puff pastry (1 1/2 pounds)
Heat
the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Once it melts and begins
to foam, add the leeks. Cook, stirring frequently, until they are very
softened, without allowing them to colour. Stir in the flour Add the
cream to the leeks, along with the nutmeg and some seasoning.
Increase
the heat to high, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat as soon as
it begins to boil. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
Stir in the ham hock and the cheese. Set aside.
Divide the pastry in half. Roll out each piece to a 10 inch in diameter circle on a lightly floured board. Place one disc onto the paper lined baking tray. Brush the surface lightly with some of the beaten egg mixture.
Spoon the leek cheese filling into the middle of the pastry
disc and spread it out, leaving a 1 inch border free all the way around
the edge of the disc. Top with the other disc of pastry. Crimp the
edges all the way around to seal. Brush the top with more of the beaten
egg mixture. Make a few slits in top to vent.
For more information on this lovely British Vegetable do check out British Leeks. You will find more fun facts, nutritional information, growing information and a whole host of other recipes which showcase this very delicious and versatile vegetable!
No doubt about it rhubarb is one of my favourite fruits. I look forward to rhubarb season every year and all of the treats I can cook up with it! Pies! Cakes! Crumbles! Butter!
Rhubarb Butter? Say what???
Apple and Bramble (blackberries) have to be the quintessential flavour combination for September here in the UK. That's when the apples are ripe and the hedgerows are bursting with fresh blackberries, free for the picking.
When we lived down in Kent, we were surrounded by orchards and we were welcome to go scrumping each autumn, which is the word they use to describe picking up the windfalls.
I do so love the names that they give to their puddings over here in the UK. (Pudding itself is another word for dessert!) You are going to absolutely love this Apple and Bramble Hat that I am showing you here today.
It's a steamed pudding, with a suet crust . . . coming out almost like a steamed pie really. Just look at that flakey pastry crust there . . . you can see the juices from the fruit on the bottom of the plate.
I suppose they call it a "hat" because this pudding slightly resembles a Turkish Fez hat. Pie, pudding, hat . . .
it doesn't really matter what it is called. Just know that it is absolutely delicious, and a lot easier to make than you would suppose.
If you click here, you will see a photo tutorial I did on how to do the crust, in a previous post. It's the same method for this.
This pudding is filled with lots of lovely tart cooking apple and sweet purple blackberries, with some warm baking spices, butter and a bit of lemon juice . . .
all steamed until beautifully blended together for a really delicious and hearty early autumn pudding.
You tear the "hat" open a bit while it's still hot and prior to serving and drop in a nice dollop of clotted cream if you wish. It's not essential, but comes highly recommended.
Otherwise you can just spoon it into bowls, warm . . . and serve it with some vanilla ice cream, pouring cream or custard (creme anglaise.) That of course is up to you and how decadent and naughty you feel like being. ☺
A delciously simple steamed pudding filled with lightly spiced and sugared apples and blackberries, and butter . . . You are supposed to tear open the top and pop in a tablespoon of clotted cream prior to eating, but this is optional.
225g of self raising flour (1 1/2 cup plus 2 TBS)
pinch salt
110g of shredded suet (1/2 cup)
(can use an equivalent of grated frozen butter if you wish, but the pudding
will be richer)
6 to 8 TBS cold water
1 1/2 pounds cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
a small punnet of fresh blackberries (about 1 cup)
75g of soft light brown sugar (6 TBS packed)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and the juice of 1/2 lemon
50g unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
clotted cream (optional)
Butter
a 2 pint pudding basin (4 cup) really well. Sift the flour and salt
into a bowl. Drop in the suet and give it a swirl. Stir in enough
cold water to make a soft, light dough. Knead lightly and roll out on a
lightly floured board to a large circle 1/4 inch thick.
*Apple and Bramble Hat*
Serves 6
Serves 6
A delciously simple steamed pudding filled with lightly spiced and sugared apples and blackberries, and butter . . . You are supposed to tear open the top and pop in a tablespoon of clotted cream prior to eating, but this is optional.
will be richer)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon Cut off one
quarter of it and set aside. Use the remaning 2/3 of the dough to line
the pudding basin, sealing the cut edges well together. You should
have somewhat of an over hang. Mix together the sugar, cloves, ginger,
cinnamon and lemon zest.
Layer the apples and blackberries in the
pudding basin, sprinkling a bit of the sugar mixture in between the
layers. Gather up the remaining dough and refoll it into a circle large
enough to cover the top of the fruit.
Dot the butter over top of the
fruit, and then cover with the dough circle, tucking it down around the
edges. Trim the edge of the bottom pastry and then fold it over the
lid, dampening it to secure it and pressing it together firmly.
Cover
with a piece of well-buttered pleated greaseproof paper, allowing room
for the pudding to rise. Secure with some string around the edge of
the bowl. Place in the top of a steamer and steam for 2 to 2 1/2 hours,
topping the steamer off with boiling water as necessary.
Turn out
onto a warmed serving plate and tear the top of the pudding open. Drop
in the clotted cream. Serve warm.
Note - If you don't have brambles try using some sultana raisins instead. Then it would taste somewhat like a dutch apple pie!
Note - If you don't have brambles try using some sultana raisins instead. Then it would taste somewhat like a dutch apple pie!
I have always been a strong proponent of seasonal eating. Not only is locally produced seasonal food less expensive but it also tastes a lot better! It also helps to reduce your carbon footprint, and to be honest, I think that it's the most natural and healthiest way to eat.
I was just thrilled to be chosen as the CSMA's Seasonal Food Star of the Month! Yay!! If you click HERE, you can download their Seasonal Calendar of the month which includes some of my seasonal eating and cooking tips and recipes for August eating. You can also read my profile here.
I think August has to be one of my favourite food months as all of the local produce starts ripening and coming in for harvesting. You have all of the early apples and the blackberries are ripening in the hedgerows not to mention all of the blueberries, plums, tomatoes, beans, courgettes, peas, apricots, raspberries, gooseberries . . . there is no end to all the deliciousness which is available to us this month!
I thought it would be fun this morning to share some of my favourite seasonal August Recipes with you all! There's a bit of savoury and a bit of sweet. In short, something for everyone!
I always have tinned pumpkin in my larder. Call it a North American thing, but my larder feels bare without at least one tin of pumpkin puree in it.
It's so handy to have and quick to use in soups, breads, pies, biscuits, cakes . . . they had some in Aldi just recently and I bought myself about 15 tins! *blush*
You can of course make your own when the grocery store shelves are filled with real pumpkins a bit later on in the season. It's not that hard to do, but it is somewhat time consuming.
Tinned pumpkin is so much easier and also always the right texture and consistency.
One of my favourite things to do with it is to make this tasty Pumpkin Spice bread. Long about this time of year when the days start to get shorter and the nights cooler, my heart longs for this delicious treat.
Moist from the pumpkin and delightfully spicy, this is fabulous just out of the oven . . . but, if you can resist it long enough, it gets even better after you let it sit for a few days!
Oh my but it is delicious sliced thickly and then toasted under the grill until the edges are crisp and golden . . . spread with cold butter . . . the butter melting into and gilding all the lovely little crevices.
Scrummy crunchy edges, with that demerara sugar crunch on top and the butter melting into that toasted moistness . . .
If there is a heaven on earth . . . I do believe I have died and gone there . . .
*Pumpkin Spice Bread*
Makes one 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf
Printable Recipe
A really tasty quick bread which is moist and spicy! Try it toasted and spread with butter. Yummo!!
100g of granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
85g dark soft brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
1 large free range egg
1 large free range egg yolk
4 fluid ounces sunflower oil (1/2 cup)
6 fluid ounces of pumpkin puree (3/4 cup)**
100ml plus 1 TBS full fat yoghurt (1/3 cup plus 1 TBS)
140g plus 2 TBS plain flour (1 cup plus 2 TBS)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of ground white pepper
To top:
1 heaped dessertspoon of demerara sugar (Turbinado)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a loaf tin really well and then line the bottom with some baking parchment and butter the parchment. Set aside.
Whisk together the sugars, egg and egg yolk, oil, pumpkin puree and yoghurt. In another bowl whisk the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves and pepper together. Stir the wet ingredients gently into the dry ingredients, combining only until evenly moistened. Scrape into the prepared baking pan and level out. Sprinkle the demerara sugar evenly over top.
Bake in the heated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, until well risen , firm to the touch and slightly cracked on top. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out to cool completely on a wire rack.
**Note - It is very easy to make pumpkin puree. Peel and halve a small pumpkin, butternut squash or other squash. Scoop out the seeds, and any stringy pulp and discard. Place cut sides down on a lightly buttered baking tray with sides. Cover with foil, tightly, sealing the edges all around. Bale at 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5 for about an hour or so, until soft, depending on how large your pieces are. You want it to be very soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool until you can handle it easily. Scrape the flesh away from the skin and puree in a blender. Line a strainer with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and put the flesh in and allow it to drain overnight in the fridge. The next day discard any liquid that has drained off and the pumpkin puree will be ready to use.
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