Seasonal Recipes

July & August

At their best: artichoke, beetroot, beans, peas, carrots, courgettes, garlic, shallots, lettuces, mange tout, new potatoes, radish, rocket, spring onions and watercress.  

Our favouties include beans and summer courgette. Both are very versitile.

Young beans are wonderful when simply boiled and buttered.

If you have any older broad beans from July, freeze them. Alternatively make them into a great dip to accompany a summer BBQ. These crushed broad bean and mint bruschetta's also make a great starter or light summer snack.

Synonymous with summer, homegrown, hand-picked strawberries cannot be beaten by imported varieties! In our opinion, strawberries are best eaten freshly picked - perhaps with a little dressing to bring out the taste. Why not try Jamie Oliver's suggestion of balsamic vingear? 

 

May

In our humble opinion, asparagus needs little embellishment. Serve it simply with dippy eggs or with some freshly prepared hollanaise sauce. After you've eaten your fill of delicious, tender asparagus, let your plants settle down for a good long rest.

Our home-grown radishes are usually red and crisp; adding punchy colour and peppery taste to salad dishes. Enjoy eating radish raw or simply with home made mayonnaise.  Alternatively, try marinated in vinaigrette.  

Actually a vegetable, Rhubarb is a real favourite of ours. Many will remember picking it in the garden, dipping it in sugar, and then eating it raw! Due it its sharp taste, rhubarb works extremely well with meat and oily fish dishes such as pork and mackerel. Rhubarb is so versatile and can be poached, roasted, fried, stir-fried, stewed and even marinated. However most (including us!) enjoy rhubarb in a delicious comforting pudding. (Providing it has been sweetened with plenty of sugar, of course!).

Rhubarb historically goes well with custard, ginger, made into jam and also tastes good served as fruit with breakfast.

If you are growing your own rhubarb and have a glut, why not try turning it into chutney, place in attractive jars and give to friends and family?

Here are some other recipes we’ve tried and enjoyed.

• Rhubarb upside down cake
• Rhubarb muffins
• Rhubarb tarte tatin
• Rhubarb Juice

 

Freshly New Potato Salad

Ingredients

• Enough new potatoes for four
• Handful of chives, chopped
• Rind from one lemon
• Tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• Tablespoon of olive oil
• Radish, washed or wiped, top and tailed
• Season to taste

Method

Simply boil new seasons new potatoes as normal for about 15 – 20 mins. Drain and allow cooling in a serving bowl. Mix the white wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon rind and chives. Season well and add to potatoes. Run through sliced peppery radish and serve immediately. 

 

 

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February

Kale is one of the few green vegetables that are full of flavour at this time of year. Easy to grow and easy to prepare, we think Kale deserves a little more attension in the veg garden. A member of the same family as the cabbage (Brassica), Kale can be easily substituted for spinach or cabbage in recipes. Kale tastes great when steamed, stir-fried, or sautéed. We love this simple, tasty recipe: ideal for lunch or brunch! So what you waiting for?

Kale, Chorizo and Poached Egg

 Ingredients

• Knob of butter
• 2 large bunches of Kale, washed well, tough stalks removed, shredded
• Clove of garlic, sliced
• Handful of sliced chorizo sausage
• Free range egg
• Black pepper

Method

Simply start to saute the kale in a little butter, add the garlic and sliced chorizo sauage. Kale requires a longer cooking time than cabbage or spinach, so saute gently for several minutes (adding a tablespoon of water  if required) until tender. Add black pepper to taste. Meanwhile, poach the egg. Create a bed of kale and chorizo, and place your poach egg on top. Season to taste and tuck in! Delicious.