Chard with Garlic and Lemon

 

My neighbour is a brilliant gardener, which is lucky for me as she often gives me gifts of vegetables. At this time of year she brings round bags of chard. I love chard but the mainstream supermarkets rarely sell it. One place that does is veg box firm Riverford in Devon. I tried this recipe of theirs yesterday and it was delicious - fresh and zingy.

 Chard with Garlic and Lemon

Serves 2

Chard is best when the stalks and leaves are cooked separately. Always add the lemon just before serving as it will discolour the greens after prolonged contact. No lemon? A splash of good quality wine vinegar will work well.

Ingredients
1 head of chard
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lemon

Method
Step 1
Remove and discard the chard root. Strip the leaves from the stalks, washing both parts of the veg. Chop the stalk into small ½ cm dice. Roughly slice the leaves.
Step 2
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and gently fry the stalks for 8 minutes, until they have begun to soften. Add the garlic and fry gently for 1 minute before adding the leaves to the pan. Cook on a medium heat until wilted and tender; about 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Finish with a good squeeze of lemon juice to taste.

Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

We can email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'follow by email' link.

Leeks: Riverford Rarebit

LEEKS are in season at the moment and my brother dropped by to give me half a dozen.  I was delighted and set about making a big saucepan of Leek, Potato and Bacon Soup. This is a real winter warmer - tasty, substantial and filling.

I still had some leeks left over so for a delicious lunch the next day I rustled up Riverford Rarebit, one of my favourite dishes, the recipe for which I found on the Riverford Organic Farms website. Take a look - there are lots of wonderful recipes there.

Riverford Rarebit

Ingredients

A little oil for frying, e.g. vegetable or sunflower

3 leeks, finely chopped

2 skinless chorizo sausages, diced (the skins will peel off if you dip the sausage in cold water)

4 slices of sourdough, workers white, or malted bloomer bread

Method

In a frying pan with a little oil (you won’t need much as the chorizo will provide some fat) sauté the finely chopped leeks and a couple of diced skinless chorizo.

Toast four slices of workers white, malted bloomer or, even better, sourdough and place on a baking tray. Cover with finely sliced strong, dry cheddar. Slicing seems to work better than grating.

Put in a hot oven or under a not too fierce grill until the cheese has melted.

Spread on the leek and chorizo combo and grill/bake for another five minutes.

If you are the proud owner of anything akin to a George Foreman Grill you can scoop some of the crumb out of a bap and replace with the mix. Give it five minutes with the lid down for a crunchy panini/toastie.

Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Subscribe to Kitchen Cook and we'll email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'subscribe' form in the panel on the right.

Ratatouille à la Nicoise

I'm not a vegetarian but I often eat a vegetarian meal. This recipe is one I come back to again and again. It's from Jane Grigson’s Vegetable Book. Jane, to my mind, is unsurpassed when it comes to the cooking of vegetables. This is a lovely recipe but I don't always keep strictly to it. You can adapt according to the vegetables you have available. It can be eaten hot or cold.  

Ratatouille à la Nicoise 

Serves 8-10

Ingredients
500g aubergines
500g courgettes
500g
salt
500g tomatoes, skinned
2-3 sweet peppers 2-3
2-3 onions large, sliced
4 tbsp olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
pepper, sugar, vinegar to taste
¼ tsp coriander seeds, crushed
fresh basil or parsley leaves

Method
Slice the aubergines and courgettes. Put them in a colander, sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt and leave for an hour to drain. Pat them dry with kitchen paper. Chop the tomatoes roughly. Remove the stalks and seeds from the peppers and cut them into strips.

Cook the onion slowly, without browning it, in the olive oil with the garlic. As it softens, add the aubergines and peppers. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Put in the tomatoes and courgettes. Season with salt, pepper, and a little sugar and vinegar if the tomatoes lack flavour as they often do. Cook steadily without covering the pan until all wateriness has disappeared – about 50 minutes. Ten minutes before the end, add the coriander. The vegetables should retain a certain identity, so do not crush them to a puree, although they should be stirred vigorously from time to time. Serve hot or cold, sprinkled with basil or parsley.

Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book

 The Daily Mail described this book as, 'A reference bible...inspirational in the way that it opens up new possibilities for vegetables.'

It is the definitive guide to the selection, preparation and cooking of vegetables - from the common potato to the exotic Chinese artichoke. Jane gives tempting, stimulating ideas for side dishes, main courses and even the odd dessert. This marvellous book has become a classic work of reference for good cooks everywhere.

Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

We can email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'follow by email' link in the panel on the right.

Jersey Royal Potatoes

Those delicious Jersey Royal Potatoes are in the shops now. These are grown exclusively on the island of Jersey. With their sweet, summery taste, they are one of the food highlights of the year. Here is a Jamie Oliver recipe which goes brilliantly with lamb dishes. If you have plenty of time, try this six-hour slow roasted lamb shoulder. Superb.

Roasted Jersey Royal Potatoes

Serves 6

Ingredients

1.2 kg Jersey Royal potatoes
1 bulb of garlic, unpeeled
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5. Add the potatoes to a medium pan of boiling salted water, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

Drain and leave to steam dry, then place in medium roasting tray and mash lightly with a potato masher.

Throw in the garlic and rosemary, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a good lug of olive oil. Place in the hot oven for around 40 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Delicious served with spring lamb and asparagus.



Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

We can email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'follow by email' link in the panel on the right.

Braised Red Cabbage

Braised Red Cabbage

My nephew cooks Christmas dinner every year and always includes red cabbage with cranberries. I love it but never cook it myself having got the idea into my head that it's  a bit of a pain to prepare.

Recently I spotted a huge red cabbage at a very cheap price so I thought I'd give it a go, minus the cranberries. Why on earth I'd got it into my head it was a complicated vegetable to prepare, I don't know. It was quick and easy to get ready and then I put it into the slow cooker while I got on with the rest of my day.

If you don't have a slow cooker, simmer slowly in a saucepan on the hob for one and a half hours. Keep an eye on it and add a little more water if it starts to get dry.

It is not only delicious but so good for you too with lots of cancer-fighting nutrients. The colour is provided by a special compound called anthocyanin which is a powerful antioxidant.

Here's the recipe I used.

Ingredients

1/2 head red cabbage, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons water


Method

Spray a 3-4 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine cabbage, red onion, and garlic in the prepared slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, white pepper, and water and stir well to dissolve the sugar and salt.

Pour over the cabbage in the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low, stirring twice during cooking time, for 6-8 hours until cabbage is tender. Or cook on high for 3 hours.




Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Subscribe to Kitchen Cook and we'll email you every time the website is updated.  All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'follow by email' link in the panel on the right. 

Slimming World Chips

I MUST admit I'm a bit of chips fan but lately I have been trying to eat more healthily and have given up deep fried food. So I was delighted when a friend gave me this Slimming World recipe for oven chips. I love them.

Slimming World Chips

Serves 4
Ingredients
900g medium sized Maris Piper potatoes
Low calorie cooking spray
Crushed sea salt and malt vinegar
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C Fan/Gas 9. Peel the potatoes using a potato peeler and remove any blemishes or 'eyes'. Slice lengthwise into approx 1cm thick rectangular chips.
2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the chips and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and leave aside for 10 minutes to dry.
3. Return the chips to the dry saucepan, cover with a lid and shake to ''''rough up'''' the edges of the chips - this roughness is important to the texture of the chips.
4. Spray a metal baking tray with low calorie cooking spray. Transfer the chips to the tray, spray lightly with low calorie cooking spray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides. Drain them on absorbent kitchen paper and serve with salt and vinegar.

Tip: For extra flavour sprinkle your chips with garlic salt, herbs and spices




Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Subscribe to Kitchen Cook and we'll email you every time the website is updated.  All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'follow by email' link in the panel on the right. 

Honey-Mustard Parsnip and Potato Bake

My brother, an expert gardener, has been giving me lots of parsnips over the past few weeks. I have roasted them and I have mashed them with carrot. This Sunday I cooked Honey-Mustard Parsnip and Potato Bake, a BBC recipe, which I served with roast pork. The dish was a big hit and I shall be cooking it again. It can also be served as a vegetarian dish.

Honey-Mustard Parsnip and Potato Bake

Ingredients
800g potato like Desirée, cut into 2½ cm cubes
800g parsnip, cut into 2½ cm cubes
85g butter
85g plain flour
600ml milk
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
2 tbsp clear honey
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
85g fresh white bread, whizzed to crumbs
25g grated parmesan (or vegetarian option)

Method
1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Tip in the potatoes and parsnips, bring back to the boil and simmer for 5 mins. Gently drain so they don’t rough up too much, then tip into a baking dish.

2. Melt the butter in a big saucepan, then stir in the flour and cook for 2 mins. Gradually stir in the milk to a smooth, lump-free sauce. Cook gently, stirring constantly, until the sauce is nicely thickened – about 5 mins.

3. Stir in the mustard, honey, vinegar and some seasoning. Pour evenly over the potatoes.

4. Mix the crumbs and cheese together, then scatter over the top and set aside until ready to bake. You can cover the dish and chill for up to 24 hrs before finishing.

5. Cook the bake at 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 for 30-40 mins until the top is crisp and golden and the sauce hot through.


Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Subscribe to Kitchen Cook and we'll email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'follow by email' link in the panel on the right. 

Dauphinoise Potatoes

WE were invited to dinner at the sister-in-law's on Saturday evening - and very nice it was too. Accompanying her main course of pheasant and veggies was a  big dish of dauphinoise potatoes. Delicious.

I always use Delia Smith's recipe; it seems to be foolproof. The better half likes his pretty garlicky so I always add an extra clove.

Dauphinoise Potatoes

Serves 3-4
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 2, 300°F (150°C)

Ingredients
1 lb (450 g) good-quality potatoes (King Edward or Desirée)
1 small clove garlic, crushed
5 fl oz (150 ml) double cream
5 fl oz (150 ml) milk
freshly grated nutmeg
1 oz (25 g) butter
salt and freshly milled black pepper


Method
First, peel the potatoes and slice them very, very thinly (a wooden mandolin is excellent for this operation, if you have one), then plunge the potato slices into a bowl of cold water and swill them round and round to get rid of some of the starch.

Now dry them very thoroughly in a clean tea cloth. Then in the gratin dish arrange a layer of potato slices, a sprinkling of crushed garlic, pepper and salt and then another layer of potatoes and seasoning. Now mix the cream and milk together, pour it over the potatoes, sprinkle with a little freshly grated nutmeg, then add the butter in flecks over the surface and bake on the highest shelf in the oven for 1½ hours.

 

This recipe is taken from Delia Smith's Complete Illustrated Cookery Course. 

Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Subscribe to Kitchen Cook and we'll email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'subscribe' form in the panel on the right.

Tomato Chutney

I HAVE loads of tomatoes at the moment and was looking around for a good tomato chutney recipe.
This one was easy and produced quite a few jars of delicious chutney. It's ideal for serving with all kinds of cheese. I used a "gert big dollop" (sorry I'm a Devon maid!) on a ploughman's lunch.

Makes about 1.5 litres / 2¾ pints

Ingredients

1kg ripe tomato, peeled and chopped
750g cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped
375g light muscovado sugar
250g onion, chopped
250g raisins
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 tsp salt
½ tsp ground ginger
350ml cider vinegar

Method

Put all the ingredients into a large pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Boil the mixture, uncovered, for about 45-50 mins until the fruit is tender and thickened. Cool, then transfer the mixture to a sterilised jar and seal.




Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Subscribe to Kitchen Cook and we'll email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'subscribe' form in the panel on the right.

Runner Beans Bonanza

PERSONALLY, I like my runner beans simply steamed and seasoned but if you have a glut you may be looking for some different ways of cooking them.

Here are a few fancy pants and simple recipes!

Runner Bean Ratatouille

This tasty ratatouille is by Riverford Organics. They have lots of great recipes on their site at www.riverford.co.uk

Ingredients

400g runner beans, topped, tailed and stringed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
6 large tomatoes or 1x 400g tin tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
3 sprigs thyme

Method

If using fresh tomatoes, peel them by cutting a cross in the skin at one end and plunging into a pan of boiling water for 1 minute, until the cut skin starts to peel back. Remove from the water, peel and roughly chop.

Slice the runner beans diagonally into long strips about 1cm wide.

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan. Add the onions and sweat until translucent and beginning to soften.
Add the beans, tomatoes, garlic, sugar and herbs.

Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the beans are soft and the sauce is thick – if it is still thin, remove the pan lid and bubble until it reaches the right consistency.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Garlicky Runner Beans

This is so simple. Fry some crushed garlic and red onion in olive oil until the onions start to caramelise.  At this stage you can some diced pancetta if you want to. Add prepared beans and fry until they start to turn tender but are still crisp. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. The proportions are up to you. I use two garlic cloves and one onion to two big double handfuls of prepared beans.

Italian Runner Bean Salad

You don’t have to cook runner beans. They are perfect for a salad. Slice up young and tender prepared beans, add  pecorino or parmesan cheese to taste. Then add your favourite Italian dressing. Here’s a basic dressing recipe:

Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
Pinch of dried oregano

Method

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and whisk to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Thai Chicken and Runner Bean Salad

For something more exotic and very tasty, this chicken and salad recipe ticks all the boxes. 

Ingredients

200g runner beans
1 red chilli, halved and finely sliced   
2 shallots, finely sliced
1 lemongrass, finely sliced
2cm piece ginger, shredded
2 cooked, skinless chicken breasts
small bunch mint leaves
large bunch Thai basil or coriander
1 lime cut in wedges to serve
 steamed jasmine rice
Coconut dressing
100ml coconut cream
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
juice 1 lime
1 bird's eye chilli, finely diced

Method

String runner beans. Cut into strips using a bean slicer, or on the diagonal into 2cm pieces. Cook the beans in simmering salted water for 4 mins or until tender but still bright green. Drain and put in a bowl with the chilli, shallots, lemongrass and ginger. Pull the chicken breasts into shreds using your fingers and add to the bowl.

Make the dressing. Mix the coconut with the garlic, fish sauce, sugar, lime and chilli. Tear the mint and Thai basil over the chicken and toss everything together. Pile onto a plate and pour over the dressing. Serve with the lime to squeeze over and jasmine rice.




Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Subscribe to Kitchen Cook and we'll email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'subscribe' form in the panel on the right.

Gratin of Chard and New Potatoes

My lovely neighbour, who is a brilliant gardener, dropped in a big bag of chard yesterday.  I love chard but it's not widely available in my neck of the woods so this was a real treat. Young leaves can be eaten raw in salads but the bigger leaves are tough before they are cooked.

My brother had given me some new potatoes so I rustled up this tasty Sophie Grigson recipe.

Gratin of Chard and New Potatoes

Ingredients

5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing450g/1lb ruby or Swiss chard, stems and broad ribs cut into 1cm/½in pieces, leaves finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
60g/2oz black olives, stones removed2 canned anchovy fillets, chopped
2 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
½ tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
400g/14oz new potatoes, scrubbed, boiled until just tender, drained and sliced
60g/2oz gruyère cheese, grated
30g/1oz parmesan, freshly grated

Method

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.

Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a wide, lidded pan and add the chopped chard ribs. Stir, then cover and cook over a low heat for four minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the leaves, stir, then cover again and cook for a further five minutes, or until just tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside.

Place the olives, anchovies, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, parsley and two tablespoons of olive oil into a food processor and blend to make a smooth paste.

Lightly oil a 30cm/12in ovenproof dish. Place a layer of the chard, along with any cooking juices, and a layer of the cooked potatoes into the dish. Spread a little of the olive paste over the chard and potatoes and season with freshly ground black pepper. Continue to layer up the chard and potato, spreading more of the olive paste between each layer and finishing with a layer of chard.

Mix the gruyère and parmesan in a bowl and sprinkle over the top of the gratin. Drizzle over the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.

Transfer to the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Serve hot or warm.

There are lots more delicious Sophie Grigson recipes here.


Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Subscribe to Kitchen Cook and we'll email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'follow by email' form in the panel on the right.

Home-Dried Tomatoes

Home-Dried Tomatoes

If you have plenty of tomatoes, this is a perfect way of preserving them. This simple recipe from Riverford Farm is for home-dried tomatoes. Use them instead of sun-dried tomatoes. They have a deep, intense flavour and are excellent tossed in a salad, baked in tarts or mixed with pasta. Dry as many tomatoes as you can while the oven's on; they keep well for at least six months.

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil
16 tomatoes
1 tbsp caster sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 150°C/Gas 2. Drizzle about half the olive oil over 2 baking trays. Cut the tomatoes lengthways in half, then slide the knife around the inside of each one and remove the pulp and pips.

Arrange the tomato halves on the trays so that they are close but not touching. Drizzle the remaining oil over the top and sprinkle with the sugar and a little salt.

Put the trays the oven and cook for about 45 minutes; the tomatoes should look shrunken and slightly coloured when they are done. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

To store, pack the tomatoes into jars and cover completely with good-quality olive oil. They will keep for about 6 months without refrigeration.


I am a big fan of Riverford Farm. Their website includes lots of brilliant recipes (here). I have all their recipe books and dip into them often. Take a look at:
Riverford Farm Cook Book: Tales from the Fields, Recipes from the Kitchen
Everyday and Sunday: Recipes from Riverford Farm
Riverford Companions - Autumn and Winter Veg.;
Riverford Companion: Spring and Summer Cooking With a Veg Box






Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Subscribe to Kitchen Cook and we'll email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'follow by email' form in the panel on the right.

Brussel Sprouts

BRUSSEL sprouts are in season at the moment. They aren't everyone's cup of tea but I love them. I think all that over-boiling at Christmas, reducing them to a pungent mess, has put a lot of people off. But there are lots of recipes that produce a really tasty dish that even the most ardent of sprout-haters will enjoy - and not a turkey in sight!

Here two of my favourites.

Brussels In A Blanket

You've heard of Pigs In Blankets but to my mind Brussels In Blankets are just as delicious - and much better for you.

Makes 20
2 litres water
1 tbsp salt
20 trimmed medium sprouts
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
25 thin smoked pancetta slices (or dry-cured smoked streaky bacon), roughly chopped
2 tsp sherry vinegar

1 Put the water and salt in a saucepan until boiling. Drop in the sprouts in and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and plunge into iced water. When they are cool, drain again and place on to kitchen towels to dry off.

2 Heat the rapeseed oil in a frying pan. Toss the pancetta into the hot pan and fry it until it is gently caramelised, all the fat has rendered and the bacon is a deep brown.

3 Remove from the heat. Remove the pancetta leaving the fat and cooking juices in the frying pan.

4 Place the pan back on the heat and add the sprouts. When they start to sizzle, add the sherry vinegar and cook for a further minute. Stir carefully to make sure all the sprouts are covered in the fat and vinegar.

5 Tip the sprouts on to a plate and leave to cool.

6 Wrap the sprouts in the pancetta, secure with a cocktail stick and place on a baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven at 190C/375F/gas mark 5 for 6 minutes until the pancetta begins to crisp around the edges.

Deep-fried Sprouts with Goat’s Cheese and Chilli Flakes

Serves 4
30-35 trimmed sprouts
4 tbsp soft goat’s cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp grain mustard
A dash of milk
Salt
2 parsley sprigs
Sprinkling of chilli flakes

1 Score the sprouts both ends, from the top to almost halfway down.

2 Mash the goat’s cheese with the olive oil and mustard. Add milk until you obtain a thick drizzling consistency. Season with salt to taste.

3 Deep-fry the sprouts at about 165-170C/330-340F, until the outside few layers of leaves are going golden brown, but the inside is still green.

4 Drain and tip on to kitchen roll and leave, preferably in a warm place, for a minute or two. Season with fine salt.

5 While the sprouts are resting, wash and chop the parsley, arrange the sprouts on a big plate, drizzle with the goat’s cheese dressing and sprinkle with chilli flakes and the parsley. Serve while warm.

Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Subscribe to Kitchen Cook and we'll email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'subscribe' form in the panel on the right.

Ramiro Peppers

Ramiro peppers are a sweet variety of the common pepper. They are slightly smaller and pointed and are ideal for salads or grilled or stuffed.

Here's a recipe from Riverford Organic Farms that's ideal for a starter or a light lunch.

Ramiro Peppers Stuffed With Mozzarella and Pesto

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 ramiro peppers
100g mozzarella, sliced
2 tbsp pesto verde
olive oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Place the peppers under a hot grill for 10 mins, turning occasionally, until the skin is blackened in places, but not all over.

Remove from the grill and leave to cool.

Make a slit in the cooled peppers from top to bottom, taking care not to slice through both sides. Open them out a little and, taking care not to tear the pepper, remove the seeds. Fill the peppers with the mozzarella and pesto. Season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven until the mozzarella has melted.

Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Subscribe to Kitchen Cook and we'll email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'subscribe' form in the panel on the right.

Kohlrabi

MY brother gave me a couple of kohlrabi. Kohlrabi is a bit like a turnip but is mild and crisp with a delicate nutty flavour. I love them but I never quite know what to do with them apart from boil them or steam them. A quick search on the internet turned up the recipe below for Kohlrabi Salad from Riverford Organic Vegetables . It's delicious - fresh and summery yet substantial enough for a lovely lunch with the addition of some crusty bread. If you love vegetables, take a look at the site; there are some great recipes there.

Kohlrabi Salad

Preparation Time: 15 minutesCooking Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 medium kohlrabi

2 carrots

1 apple

juice of 1 lemon

100g (4oz) peanuts

3 tbsp mustard seeds

3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
1. Peel and grate the kohlrabi. Wash and grate the carrots and apple. Mix with the lemon juice and add the peanuts.

2. Fry the mustard seeds in the hot oil until they begin to pop. Pour the seeds and oil over the salad and mix well.

Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Subscribe to Kitchen Cook and we'll email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'subscribe' form in the panel on the right.

Potatoes

NEW potatoes are in the greengrocers' and markets now. If you boil them they are delicious just as they are or you could add a little chopped mint and butter to liven them up. At the bottom of the page is a recipe for roasted new potatoes with garlic and lemon that's just delicious.

Different types of potato
Boiling potato, waxy potato, new potato: These keep their shape after cooking, so they are good for making potato salads or for eating early in the season as part of the traditional meal. They are not good for mashing, baking, or making chips. Examples of waxy potatoes are Charlotte, Pink Fir Apple, new potatoes and salad potatoes. Examples of waxy new potatoes: Jersey Royal, most salad potatoes, Record, Rocket.
Floury potatoes: These are good for mashing, frying, baking and for chips. For frying, the harder and drier the potato, the better it will fry; you can judge this when you cut it through with a knife. Examples of floury potatoes: Golden Wonder, British Queen, Maris Piper, Edzell Blue, Shetland Black.

Multi purpose potatoes: These are sold everywhere because they are easy to cook in any method. However, if you want a good full flavour it's better to get a variety that's suited for the purpose. Examples of multi-purpose potatoes: Desiree, Wilja, Nadine and Romano.

Purple fleshed potatoes: These are a speciality potato that have an interesting colour when mashed and in salads. They will go mushy if cooked too long. Examples: Salad Blue, Congo.

Roasted New Potatoes With Garlic and Lemon
Serves 4
Preparation time less than 30 mins
Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

700g/1lb 9oz British new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
4 whole cloves of garlic (optional)
1 lemon, grated rind of
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a roasting tin then add the potatoes, cloves of garlic, lemon rind and seasoning.

2. Mix well and roast for 40-45 minutes or until tender, turning once.

Take a look at these websites for more kitchen information and pictures:
Country Kitchens
Kitchen Gallery
Kitchen Talk

Subscribe to Kitchen Cook and we'll email you every time the website is updated. All you have to do is pop your email address in the 'subscribe' form in the panel on the right.