Harvest Feast

This weekend, Bethanie hosted a prayer weekend. As part of it we all gathered together for a Harvest Feast, celebrating God's goodness and blessing. Every course used home grown produce from the Bethanie Garden.

Starter

Goats Cheese with Caramelised Red Pepper Relish

Main

Normandie Sausages

Potato, Pumpkin and Sage Mash

Redcurrant and Rosemary Sauce

Baked Red Cabbage

Dessert

Pumpkin Pie

served with creme fraiche

Goats Cheese with Caramelised Red Pepper Relish

Serves 8

2 red peppers
2 red onions
50ml balsamic vinegar, and extra for drizzling
400g Soft goats cheese
Parsley to garnish
sliced baguette to serve

Spread a layer of the cheese into 8 ramekins (50g per person), and put in the fridge to keep chilled.
Finely slice the red peppers and onions. Heat a glug of olive oil in a frying pan and add the peppers and onions, cook until softened. Add the baslsamic vinegar and reduce to a medium-low heat. Cook until there is little to no liquid and peppers and onions are gluey. Remove from heat and allow to cool fully.
Top each cheese ramekin with the peppers and onions, drizzle with a few drops more of the vinegar. Garnish each dish with chopped parsley. Serve with a few slices of thinly sliced baguette.

Shortcrust Pastry

To fit a 28cm flan tin

65g butter (room temp)
130g plain flour
1 egg yolk, beaten

In a mixing bowl, rub the butter into the flour until it becomes like breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and just enough very cold water to gather it all into a ball. Roll out the pastry on a flour dusted surface and place in flan tin. Keep in fridge until needed.

Spiced Apple and Raisin Crumble

A Delia Smith recipe. I love cooking this around October time; it fills the air with a scent that reminds me that Christmas is on its way!

Serves 6

900g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and sliced

75g raisins

25g soft brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

2 tbsp water

topping:

110g plain flour

110g porridge oats

75g butter, room temperature

80g soft brown sugar

Preheat oven to 180C. Place the sliced apples, raisins, sugar and spices in a saucepan, sprinkle with the water and cook gently until the apples are soft and fluffy. Spoon the mixture into pie dish/ shallow gratin dish and set aside.

To make the topping, place the flour in a large mixing bowl, then add the butter and rub it into the flour lightly, using your fingertips. Then when it all looks crumbly, and the fat has been dispersed fairly evenly, add the oats and the sugar and combine that well with the rest.

Sprinkle the topping mixture all over the fruit, spreading it out with a fork.

Place the crumble on a high shelf in the oven and bake for 30-40 mins or until the top is tinged with brown.

In-a-hurry Naan Bread

This is a really quick naan bread recipe based on Caroline's In-a-hurry Pizza Base.

Serves 6 (2 medium pieces of naan each)

750g plain flour
500g natural yoghurt (4 pots)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp paprika
knob of butter

Mix the flour and the spices together in a bowl. Gradually add the yoghurt, mixing it all together with your hands, until a good dough mixture is achieved. Divide into 12 equal-ish sized balls. Roll each ball out to the size of a hand. Place onto baking sheets, melt the butter and brush over the top of each naan. Bake in a hot oven for 20-25 mins.

Spiced Red Lentils

This is a Bethanie fave! And surprisingly very filling.

Serves 4

200g split red lentils

1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

4 tbsp olive oil

salt

70g butter

juice of 1 lime

PASTE:

25g fresh coriander

1 onion, peeled, roughly chopped

40g ginger, peeled, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled

SPICE MIX:

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp paprika

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

1/2 tsp fenugreek (optional)

Wash lentils, drain and soak in 350ml of fresh water for 30mins.

Roughly chop up the leafy part of the coriander bunch. Put the stems into a food processor with the onion, ginger and garlic, pulse to an almost paste.

Put the mustard seeds in a heavy based pan and place over a medium. When they begin to pop, add the onion mix and the oil, stir and cook on low heat for 10 mins.

Add spices and continue cooking and stirring for 5 mins longer.

Add the lentils and their soaking water, the tomatoes, fenugreek (if using) and salt. Cover and simmer for 30 mins or until lentils are cooked and sauce is not watery. If the mixture is catching before lentils are cooked, add more water.

Before serving, stir in the butter, lime juice and chopped coriander.

Serve in bowls with a side of fresh green salad, raita and our In-a-hurry Naan Bread.

Pumpkin Pie

Serves 8 large slices / 12 medium slices

1 quantity shortcrust pastry (or pre-made sheet if in a rush)

600g pumpkin flesh cut into chunks

130g soft brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 1/2 tbsp honey

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

grated zest and juice of 1 orange

4 eggs, beaten

Creme Fraiche to serve

Preheat oven to 180 C. Lay pastry case out onto greased 28cm flan tin, and prick with a fork all over. Cover with baking paper and weigh down with baking beans (or rice). Bake blind for 20-25mins.

Having removed its seeds, steam the pumpkin until tender. Scoop the tender flesh into a bowl and discard the skins. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the eggs, into a food processor and puree until smooth. Add the eggs and blend.

Pour into pastry case and bake for 55 mins until a skewer comes out of the centre clean. Allow to cool and dust with icing sugar.

Redcurrant and Rosemary Sauce

Tasty, fruity sauce for yummy sausage and mash suppers!

Serves 4

500ml vegetable stock

2 tsp wholegrain mustard

2 tbsp redcurrant jelly (blackcurrant jelly/cranberry sauce will work too)

1 sprig fresh rosemary

Pour the stock into a medium sized saucepan and place over a high heat. Add the mustard and jelly and stir through. Add the rosemary and let it all bubble away fiercely for 15 mins.

Note: For a thicker sauce then melt 25g butter in the pan first, and add 1 heaped tablespoon plain flour. Mix into a paste and then gradually add the stock. Continue as normal from here, serving when desired consistency is reached.

Choc Pots

Serves 8

225g chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids

600ml double cream

Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water.

Warm the cream in a jug in the microwave or in a pan over a really low heat.

Stir the cream into the melted chocolate until completely combined. Turn mixture equally into 8 ramekin dishes (about half full) and set aside until ready to serve.

serving suggestions:

(1) serve with fruit kebabs, so as to create individual chocolate fondues.

(2) serve on a plate with Palmero biscuits and a shot glass of Muscat

Smoky Walnut Pasta

We have a sack full of walnuts from a neighbour at the moment, so I have been looking for some good recipes to help us use them up.

This pasta recipe is delicious and is so warming at this time of year. Based on a recipe from Gennaro Contaldo.

Serves 4

400g Pasta (penne or fusilli works well)

70g butter

1 clove garlic, squashed

200g smoked lardons

75g walnuts (shelled weight)

1 egg, beaten

150ml single cream

parmesan to serve

lemon thyme leaves to garnish

Put the pasta on to cook. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat the butter, add the garlic and saute until golden. Remove the garlic and discard. Add the lardons and walnuts to the butter and saute until lardons turn a golden-brown, taking care not to burn the walnuts.

In a bowl, mix together the beaten egg and the cream and set aside.

Cook the pasta until al dente and drain. Add the walnuts and lardons to the pasta and stir through. Then stir in the egg and cream mixture. Season well and place back on medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly, making sure sauce doesnt burn at the bottom of the pan.

Remove from heat and serve immediately with lots of parmesan and lemon thyme to garnish.

Marrow and Coconut Soup

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 x 1.5 kg Marrow

500ml Veg. stock

3 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 x 400ml tin coconut milk

salt and pepper

Peel all the skin off the marrow and de-seed. Chop into small chunks. Put a glug or two into a large saucepan and place over a low heat. Add the chopped marrow chunks and the crushed garlic, stir, place lid on and leave for 5 mins. Add the ginger, turmeric and cumin and stir through. Next, add the stock. Increase the heat to bring to the boil then simmer until marrow chunks are soft all the way through.

Remove from heat, add the coconut milk and blend to a smooth consistency. Season to taste.

Brown Butter Sage Pasta

This recipe is great if you have lots of sage growing and/or if you want a really quick and tasty supper.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

400g pasta (spaghetti/penne work well)

150g butter

1 tsp brown sugar

30g sage leaves, roughly chopped

Parmesan, to serve

Cook the pasta in well salted water. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to make sure the butter doesnt burn. When the butter is bubbling, add the sugar and stir to combine.

Continue cooking and stirring the butter until it turns a light caramel colour and darker brown flecks start to appear. Add the sage, wait for the bubbling to subside then continue to cook until sage starts to go crispy then remove from the heat immediately.

Drain the cooked pasta and toss through the butter sauce. Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan.

Beet-choc-orange cake

Three reasons why I love using vegetables in cakes:

1. Makes them REALLY moist
2. It's quirky
3. Young people don't want to eat them!


Look at the colour of this badboy! Used a Sarah Raven recipe for beet-choc-orange cake...

200g beetroot
Juice & zest of 1 orange
100g ground almonds
3 eggs, separated
125g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
200g dark chocolate

-prepare beetroot
-line 20cm loose-bottom tin with greaseproof paper
-melt chocolate
-whizz beetroot with hand blender, keeping some texture
-mix beetroot with orange juice and zest
-add almonds, egg yolks, sugar, baking powder & melted choc
-in another bowl whisk egg whites until stiff
-fold in egg whites
-bake for 40 mins at 180 degrees C / gas mark 4

Serve with ice cream or creme fraiche

Never missing a beet!

Our 6 step guide to preparing beets for... pickling, freezing, cooking, eating, whatever-ing

1. chop of leaves










2. Scrub gently to remove excess mud










3. boil until tender













4. remove skin and roots with hands

5. chop / slice

6. pickle some. freeze some. bake some. eat some

Caroline's in-a-hurry Pizza Base

We have been having a lot of pizza recently at Bethanie, thanks to bless' Caroline Gwilliam and her very quick and easy Pizza Base recipe...the interns have been loving it!

Makes 4 x 12" Pizzas

Ingredients

1 kg Plain flour

750g (6 pots) Natural Yoghurt

seasoning (salt and pepper)

Place the yoghurt into a large mixing bowl. Gradually mix in the flour and some seasoning to the yoghurt until good dough mixture is achieved. Divide into 4 balls and roll out on lightly floured surface to 12 inches. Place bases on suitable baking trays and add desired topping. Bake in hot oven for around 20-25 mins.

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Tonight was our weekly community meal evening and I was on starter and dessert. Due to my recent increased activity up at the patch, I noticed that we have quite a number of courgette flowers about and I've always wanted to try one of my many stuffed courgette flower recipes. So i went for it. I chose a simple recipe out of River Cafe Cook Book Easy as a basis to which I did my own thing. It worked a treat, apart from the first 2 flowers as my oil was way too hot so they instantly burnt, but the rest of them tasted great and everyone really enjoyed them.

Serves 6 (2 flowers per person)

Ingredients:

200g Soft Goats Cheese
12 zucchini (courgette) flowers
12 fresh sage leaves
250ml sunflower oil
Runny Honey, toasted pine nuts and Rocket leaves to serve

for the batter:

90g plain flour
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 egg whites

For the first stage of the batter, sieve the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre, pour in the olive oil and stir to combine. Loosen this paste by slowly adding enough warm water, about 150ml, to make a batter the consistency of double cream. Add 1/2 tsp salt, cover and leave for at least an hour.

To prepare the flowers, remove the green bits at the base and wash carefully off any bugs/dirt.
Push a tsp of goats cheese and a sage leaf into each flower. Press together.

Heat the oil to 180C in a deep frying pan.

Beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the batter.

Dip the flowers one at a time into the batter. Tap gently to knock off excess, and carefully place as many as you can without touching into the hot oil. Fry until light brown, then turn to crisp the other side.

Serve on a bed of rocket leaves, drizzle with honey and scatter with toasted pine nuts.

Mrs Long hits the patch!

Well as Mr Long is away at the moment, it is down to me, Mrs Long, to take care of the veggie patch. And I must say, i quite enjoyed myself. I potted out a couple of new plants, picked some strawberries and raspberries, made my own stakes from a rowan tree and added them to the row of peas along with an additional climbing line for them. All with the help of my little Pixie of course!
So babe, here are some pics of the patch at the mo, you can see how well (terribly) I'm doing...

...peas...

...first courgette coming through...

...Pix sorting out whatever they are...

...are these beans? Don't think they are doing so well...

...tomato plants; should they be taller?


She is obsessed with this!?!

Elderflower Cordial

This last month we have been harvesting our elderflowers and making lots of elderflower cordial. We have been putting batches in the freezer also so that we can enjoy this refreshing drink all through the summer...and maybe on into the winter where its delicious made with hot water.
Based on a Sarah Raven recipe.

Makes 2 x 750ml bottles
Ingredients

1.3 kg sugar
15-20 elderflower heads
2 lemons
30g citric acid

Put 1.15 litres of water and the sugar in a saucepan, and dissolve the sugar completely before bringing to the boil. Remove from the heat immediately.
Thinly slice the lemons into a large bowl or jug. Add the citric acid and pour over the hot syrup and flowers. Cover loosely. Leave for 24 hours. Strain into warm sterilised bottles and seal. Will keep in fridge for a couple of months.

RADishes

There's radishes galore on the patch at the moment...

found a great recipe in Sarah Ravens garden cookbook using radishes and their leaves

For 4:
25 radishes with their leaves
350g pasta
3 tbs olive oil
1 onion, choppd
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
75g pine nuts, toasted
75g parmesan cheese, plus more to serve

-cook pasta
-heat oil in pan
-sweat onions for 3 -4 mins
-add sliced radish, chooped leaves, garlic & pine nuts and cook until the tops wilt and soften
-remove from heat and season
-drain pasta and add radishes & parmesan

Yummy

We got the style

Oh it's getting hot out here
Must be something in the atmosphere
Oh I should be blogging about it
And making the most of the true French climate

I've seen,
The seedlings on the veg patch growing lately...

...potted on coriander, pumpkins, courgettes
...planted out red cabbage & tomatoes
...sowed two varieties of french bean
...built support structure for mange tout
...harvested salad leaves, radishes & strawbs
...weeded & watered (lots)
...declared slug wars!

Saltmine Theatre Co. - Fri Lunch

Saltmine Theatre Co. - Thurs Eve

Saltmine Theatre Co. - Thurs Lunch

Saltmine Theatre Co. - Weds Eve

Saltmine Theatre Co. - Weds Lunch

Pesto Potatoes

By Sarah Raven

Serves 4

4 Baking potatoes
200ml creme fraiche
175g grated Wensleydale or another crumbly hard cheese (I like to use feta)
150ml Pesto (I often do this with wild garlic pesto)
2 cloves of garlic (leave out if using wild garlic pesto)
salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 180C.
Wash the potatoes and score round the full diameter of the potato with a sharp knife, only just piercing the skin. This makes it easier to cut them precisely, so that you get two perfect halves.
Bake the potatoes for about an hour, until they're cooked all the way through. Remove them from the oven, keeping it on, and cut them in half. Carefully scoop out the potato from the skins and put into a bowl.
Add all the other ingredients to the potato flesh and mix thoroughly with a fork. Spoon the mixture back into the potato skins, piling them up above the edges, so that they look generously filled. Return them to the oven for about 15 mins, until the tops become golden.

These can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to two days to cook when needed. They are also suitable for freezing at the just-stuffed stage.

Banoffee Pots

Serves 8

150g digestive biscuits (petit lait works if you live in france), crushed
75g melted butter
1/2 jar confiture de lait (equivalent filling made from condensed milk in UK)
2-3 bananas, sliced
300ml cream, whipped to stiff peaks
chocolate, grated, to serve

Combine the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and distribute evenly between 8 ramekin dishes. Smooth biscuit lightly with the back of a teaspoon into each pot. Heat confiture de lait in microwave gently, till smooth and almost runny. Layer 2-3 tsp of confiture de lait over the biscuit base of each pot. Add a layer of sliced banana to each pot and top with the whipped cream. Sprinkle with the grated chocolate.

Spiced Courgette

This is so quick and simple and tastes great served with my cous cous salad and merguez sausages!

Serves 4

Olive oil
2 courgette, diced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1x400g tin chopped tomatoes

Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the courgette. When courgette start to soften, add the spices and mix through. Cook for a couple of minutes then add the tomatoes. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 mins or until sauce has started to thicken.

Cous Cous Salad

Serves 4

240g cous cous
25g butter, cut into cubes
240ml veg stock
handful raisins
fresh mint, finely chopped
fresh chives, finely chopped
200g feta cheese, crumbled

Place cous cous in shallow dish/salad bowl. Add the raisins and mix through. Dot the butter around the cous cous and then add the hot veg stock. Cover the dish and leave for 5 mins. Fork through the cous cous. Once loose throughout, add the chopped herbs and crumbled feta and combine.

I often serve this with spiced courgette and merguez sausages. Or try adding diced cucumber for a refreshing edge.

Apple Galette

Serves 8

1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg yolk, beaten
frangipane (see below)
2 green apples, peeled, cored, quartered, thinly sliced
melted butter, for brushing
1 tbsp runny honey

creme fraiche to serve

Preheat oven to 220C. Place pastry sheet on a greased baking sheet. Score a 1cm border around the edge of the pastry. Prick area within border all over with a fork.
Spread frangipane evenly over pastry within scored area. Layer the apple slices over the top, brush lightly with melted butter and bake for 15 mins. Drizzle with the honey and bake for another 15 mins or until golden. Drizzle with extra honey and serve.

Frangipane:
75g butter, softened
75g icing sugar
75g ground almonds
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream together the butter and sugar. Gradually mix in the almonds, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

Sausage Penne

One of my fave meals!

Serves 4

Glug of olive oil
350g Penne pasta
4 good quality chunky sausages
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 fennel bulb, stalks removed, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
350ml passata
150ml red wine
handful fresh basil, roughly chopped
50g parmesan, plus extra to serve
100g Ricotta (optional)

Put the sausages in a pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins. Remove sausages and set aside to cool. Once cooled, remove skins and crumble the meat with your fingers.
Fry the onion, fennel and garlic in the oil until soft. Add the crumbled sausage meat, wine and passata and cook for 10-15mins. Add the basil and season.
Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente, then drain. Stir the sauce into the pasta. Add the parmesan into the pasta and stir through.
Place tbsp of ricotta (if using) on each plate. Spoon the pasta over the top of the ricotta, but do not combine. Serve with the extra parmesan.

Honey and Mustard Dressing

4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp runny honey
2 tsp french mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice (half a lemon)
Pinch salt
Grind of black pepper

Mix oil, honey, mustard and lemon juice together until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Ham and Egg Salad

Serves 6

125g lambs lettuce
2 hard boiled eggs
handful of shredded smoked ham
honey and mustard dressing

Create a bed of lambs lettuce on a large serving platter. Dice the boiled eggs and scatter over the lambs lettuce. Scatter the ham over the egg. Drizzle with the dressing.

Leek and Potato Soup

A variation by Sarah Raven

Serves 8

1 onion, thinly sliced
25g butter
6 large leeks, sliced
3 medium potatoes, sliced very thinly
1 ltr veg stock
500 ml milk
handful fresh basil
5-6 tbsp single cream/creme fraiche

In a large heavy-based pan, saute the onion in olive oil and butter until soft. Add the leeks and potatoes, and cook for 6-7 mins. Add the stock and simmer until the veg are tender.
Liquidise and add enough milk for the desired consistency, then bring to the boil.
Remove from the heat, add the basil and cream. Season to taste.

Chocolate Brownies

I have used various brownie recipes before and always found them to be a bit hit and miss or just over complicated...then i discovered one by Bill Granger which changed my life. I made some adjustments to it to make it my own. I am now a brownie making machine and churn them out in no time at all with this simple recipe. People are always asking me for the recipe, so here it is!

345g caster sugar

80g cocoa powder

60g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 eggs, beaten

200g butter, melted

Preheat oven to 160C (I use 180C in my combi oven) .

Stir the sugar, cocoa, flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Add the eggs and melted butter and mix until combined.

Line a 22cm (9 inch) tin with baking paper and pour in the brownie mixture.

Bake for 40-45 mins. Allow to rest in tin for 10 mins then transfer to a cooling rack. Cut into squares and dust with cocoa.

Normandy Pork Stew

I love cooking this as it uses so much local food.

Serves 4-6

olive oil

1 large fennel bulb, top removed, roughly chopped into large chunks

2 onions, roughly chopped

3-4 carrots, peeled, chopped into chunks

500g diced stewing pork

1 heaped tbsp plain flour

500 ml dry Normandy cider

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

a few sprigs of fresh sage or 3 fresh bay leaves

salt and pepper

Put a large heavy-based pan over a medium heat with a glug or two of oil. Add the onion, carrot and fennel and fry for 10 mins. Add the pork and the flour and stir through. Add the cider and the tomatoes. Stir well and then add the sage/bay and salt and pepper.

Bring to the boil then put a lid on and turn heat down to low. Leave to simmer for about 1.5-2hrs, stirring often to prevent sticking. Remove lid for the final half hour. Cook until sauce has thickened and pork is tender. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Fennel, Apple and Rocket Salad

Probably my fave salad right now...I literally cannot get enough! And its my own creation!

Serves 6-8

1 fennel, thinly sliced

1 bag of rocket leaves (125g)

1 lemon, zest and juice of half

2 eating apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp creme fraiche

2 tsp runny honey

salt and pepper

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

Layer a large platter with the rocket, then the fennel, then the apple.

Toast the pumpkin seeds with some salt on a griddle/dry frying pan and set aside to cool.

Mix together the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, creme fraiche and honey, season to taste, then drizzle over the salad. Top with the toasted pumpkin seeds and serve.

Grated Carrot, Pine Nut and Raisin Salad

by Sarah Raven

Serves 6 as a side dish

4 large carrots, peeled

1 tbsp poppy or cumin seeds

1 tbsp pine nuts or sunflower seeds

2 tbsp raisins

salt and black pepper

Really large bunch of fresh coriander, chopped

for the dressing:

juice and grated zest of 1 lemon

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp runny honey

Grate the carrots on a medium-grade grater. Set aside in a large bowl.

Now make the dressing. Put the lemon juice and zest and olive oil in a small bowl and mix together. Add the honey. Pour the dressing over the grated carrot.

Toast the poppy seeds and pine nuts in a dry frying pan, then scatter them, and the raisins, over the carrot. Season with salt and pepper. Stir everything together well, really mixing in the poppy seeds, and leave to marinate for a couple of hours. Mix in the coriander before serving.

Cheese and Onion Tart

Serves 6 for a light lunch

4 onions, roughly chopped

50g butter

1 x puff pastry case

120g semi soft cheese (I use Chausee Aux Moines in France)

handful of fresh Thyme/Lemon thyme

Fresh, dressed, green salad to serve

Put the onions in a shallow pan with butter and leave on med-low heat till soft.

Set oven to 220C. Roll out pastry onto floured baking sheet. Score a border from the edge (2cm) then prick all over with a fork. Spread onions over pastry within the border. Brush border with onion butter.

Slice the cheese then break/cut into smaller pieces and scatter them over the onions. Scatter the thyme over the top and bake until pastry is golden and puffed, cheese is bubbling and onions have started browning. 15-20 mins.

Spiced Stewed Fruit Pots

So quick and easy, looks great, tastes yummy!

Serves 6

12 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

6 tbsp raisins

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp brown sugar

splash of orange juice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tub vanilla ice cream/creme fraiche to serve

Sprinkling of granola to serve

Put the apple and raisins into a heavy based pan. Add the vanilla extract, sugar, orange juice and cinnamon and give a good stir. Place over a low heat with a lid on and leave to cook until apple is mushy, stirring from time to time to make sure its not sticking, add more juice if required. About 20 mins.

Get 6 small-medium sized tumbler glasses. Put a layer of fruit in the bottom of each glass (to fill about a quarter of the way up) followed by a layer of ice cream/creme fraiche. Repeat once more then top each glass with a sprinkling of granola. Serve whilst fruit is still warm.

Courgette and Lemon Salad

A great Sarah Raven recipe in those summer months when you are overwhelmed with courgette from the patch!

Serves 6-8

3-4 courgettes

grated zest of 1 lemon, and juice of half

grated zest of 1 lime, and juice of half

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chopped tarragon

1 tsp runny honey

salt and black pepper

Cut the courgettes very thinly lengthways with a potato peeler and put the slices in a shallow dish. Grate over the zest of the lemon and lime.

Make a dressing by mixing together the olive oil, lime and lemon juice, tarragon, honey, salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the courgettes and toss gently. Toss with your finger tips, twisting your wrists at the same time so the courgette ribbons stand in curls rather than just flat on the platter.

Creamy Chickpea Bake

This is originally a chicken dinner which i made changes to to make a lovely veggie dish

Serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil

2 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3-4 large leeks, sliced

250g button mushrooms, halved or thickly sliced

50g butter

2 tbsp plain flour

200 ml dry white wine

200 ml vegetable stock

100 ml double cream

bunch of tarragon, roughly chopped

2 tsp dijon mustard

50g white breadcrumbs

few sprigs parsley, finely chopped

Heat oven to 190C. Heat oil in a large frying pan. add the leeks and mushrooms and fry until softened. Add the chickpeas and fry for another 5 mins. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Melt the butter in a pan, then add the flour and stir for 1 min over a medium heat. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring until thick, then gradually add the stock, a splash at a time. stirring until smooth. Cook for 1 min before stirring in the cream, mustard and tarragon. Season to taste, then pour over the chickpeas and veg.

Mix together the breadcrumbs and parsley, then scatter over the top. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 25-30 mins, until bubbling and golden.

Serve with rice or potatoes and a crisp green salad.

Rotivation to mastication

It has been a busy time on the patch this week…

we ‘rotivated’ the patch and sowed parsnips, radish, mange tout, spring onions and beetroot direct and red cabbage, courge, squahes, pumpkins and leeks in modules under cover

We also had our first harvest of salad thinings - rocket, cos, pepper grass and green oakleaf

March H2B, Sunday Lunch

March H2B, Saturday Lunch

My favourite sort of lunch!

March H2B, Friday Supper

At the weekend we had 25 people for another Heart2Bless event. This was supper for Friday night. A veggie delight!

March in BBQ

BBQ in March!

Wild Garlic Pesto

This week I went for a bit of a forage in our local public gardens and harvested several bunches of wild garlic. Nothing better to do with wild garlic than make pesto...mmmmmm!
This recipe is by Sarah Raven.

For a large jar:
2 handfuls (about 100g) of wild garlic leaves with flowers
200ml extra virgin olive oil, plus a bit more for sealing
50g pine nuts or walnuts
2 garlic cloves
50g parmesan cheese, grated
salt and black pepper

Blanch the wild garlic leaves in boiling water for about 10 seconds. Refresh in cold water and pat dry on kitchen paper.
Put the wild garlic, olive oil, pine nuts or walnuts, together with the garlic cloves, into a food processor and blend to a puree.
Transfer to a bowl and mix in the grated parmesan.
Season carefully and put into a sterilised jar.
Pour over a little extra virgin olive oil to seal and cover tightly.

Chai Tea Syrup

A couple of weeks ago it was my friends birthday. She loves syrups in her coffee so I thought she might enjoy this alternative, Chai Tea Syrup. I used a recipe from my little brother's blog but only used half the amount of sugar as I prefer a less sweet cup of chai.
My friend really enjoyed it. Thanks Jono!

today on the farm...

sowing surplus salad seeds

It has been a productive day on the farm today, after morning prayers…

I filled & covered the right half of the compost bin with the contents of last year’s plant pots and window boxes ready for re-planting

I emptied THREE WHEELBARROWS FULL (120L I reckon) of 18-month-old-home-made-compost from the left half of the compost bin ready for re-filling

I sowed last year’s surplus salad-leaf seeds under a spontaneously-scrap-built ‘polytunnel’; old wire fencing covered in the ripped remnants of the trampoline netting

I had a picnic lunch with Pixie al fresco

I had my hair cut by Rebekah…

… who rewired the light fitting in the hallway so that it holds three light-bulbs instead of one

made some chai syrup

And had a French lesson

Favourite Spiced Parsnip Soup

This is our favourite parsnip soup, by Sarah Raven, and is just the best when we find ourselves snowed in here at Bethanie in the winter.

For 6:

30g butter
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, chopped
675g parsnips, chopped
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1.2 litres vegetable stock
salt and black pepper
A little milk (optional)
150ml single cream
yoghurt and chopped coriander to serve (optional)

Melt the butter with the oil in a large heavy-based pan and add the chopped onion and parsnips. Sweat them for 5 minutes, without allowing them to colour. Stir in the spices and cook gently for another 2 minutes.
Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the parsnips are quite tender. Allow to cool slightly, season carefully and puree in a food processor.
Return the soup to a clean pan, adding a little milk if necessary, depending how thick you would like the soup.
Add the cream and warm through gently without allowing the soup to boil. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt and some chopped coriander.

The Temptation of the Parsnip

So, day 1 of our Lent Challenge was indeed a challenge.
The French don't really do parsnips, at least not the way the Brits do, so it is not often you'd find them for sale and, if you do, the quality tends to be quite poor. In the 18 months that we have lived here, we have never seen them in our local store. And as our own supply from the patch ran out a while ago, we've started to get a few cravings, especially for our favourite Spicy Parnsip Soup by Sarah Raven.

So I think you'll understand my dilema on Wednesday, as I was standing in the vegetable aisle of our local supermarket, staring heartbroken into a panier of fresh fat parsnips...Origine: Grande Bretagne! Oh the irony!

Lent Challenge

The season of Lent is upon us and this year our Lent commitments are:

• to buy local - we're only going to buy meat, fruit and vegetables that are 'Origine de France'
• to reduce our consumption of meat - we're only going to eat meat 3 times a week

We really want to be better at buying food with a low carbon footprint, as well as investing into local economy. We want to reduce our meat intake for environmental reasons and also because we do enjoy vegetarian food and would like to increase and develop our veggie repertoire.