Honey and Lemon Roast Carrots

Yellow and orange Carrots roast with Honey and Lemon.  Piled on top of large grain wholemeal Couscous and Rocket.  Glamourised with Nasturtiums, Calendula Petals and Feta.  A super Sunday evening feast of allotment pickings.

Broad Beans with Chorizo, Patatas Bravas...

Fry Chorizo and Onion in Olive Oil, add blanched Broad Beans, heat through until hot, smother in Olive Oil, fresh Garlic and Spring Onions... Roast yesterday's leftover New Potatoes in Olive Oil with Rosemary.  A sort-of-Spanish feast from the allotment.

And for quite the best in Olive Oils:  I have just had a new delivery from Spain of Mother's Garden Olive Oil, it is so fresh it is buttery, almost drinkable.

Habas con Jamón, Courgette Gratin

Early Summer, in this belated garden at least, brings a wealth of Broad-Beans, Spring-Onions and young Courgettes.  With today’s warm breeze blowing through the cottage, we are not thinking of hot food, but only a few days since the fires were lit and the windows tight-closed.

One of my favourite hot Broad-Bean dishes is the Spanish Habas con Jamón.  It is in fact quite the thing for those warm breezes blowing through whitewashed windows: redolent of searching for midday shade from drybaked Andalusian streets, stepping, cowering from the sun into the sudden dark cool of a café.  Appears from the darkness looming: a bar, stools sat with a few elderly men drinking coffee (short and black in glasses sat on saucers) or wine, sherry in tiny glasses, above their heads Jamón Serrano hanging.   On the corner of the bar, in front of a blue/white tiled wall, a cluster of ceramic dishes Pulpo perhaps, cold Tortilla or resplendent with Winkles.  On this occasion a superb, if understated Tapa:  Habas con Jamón.  Traditionally beans and ham, hot from the kitchen in a rich tomato sauce, Habas con Jamón can also be done without the tomatoes in a lighter more summery version or indeed raw (peel the Broad-Beans toss with Jamón Serrano, coarse Salt, Black-Pepper, Olive Oil and thinly sliced wet Garlic).

My variation (seen above) was based on a Habas-craving and what I had in the garden/kitchen at that instant.

Habas con Jamón hecho en casa:

Pod peas and broad beans (peel beans if desired).  Chop Mange-Tout, French Beans, Courgettes, Onion, Saucisson, Spring Onion into slightly-larger than broad-bean sized pieces, peel eight cloves of (wet if possible) Garlic.

I suggest basing amounts and ingredients on what you have available.  I also used a Patisson and some Courgette Flowers when I made this.

Gently heat Olive Oil in a frying-pan, adding first Onion, then Garlic, then Courgettes, Saucisson, a whole Sprig of Thyme and of Rosemary and a couple of fresh Bay Leaves, taking care to keep heat low.  Add Spring Onion and the Beans and Peas, toss in oil then add a splash of water so as to prevent burning or sticking and cover for five minutes or so until the beans are just-cooked, still retaining their colour.

Serve with a squeeze of Lemon, fresh Oregano and Nasturtium Flowers, a chunk of bread, and in this case some home-made Cottage Cheese.

...

Courgette Gratin

A sudden influx of Courgettes from the farm had us on perpetual Courgette Soup, that and Courgettes fried, steamed, barbecued with every meal.  Then as the weather darkened so did talk turn to Gratin.  The thought fomented over a few days and on the third I came home with a pot of Crème Fraiche and some Binham Blue, and we set to it.

Gratin for me suggests French childhoods, often a creamy rice dish with a vegetable of sorts in it, served in a deep dish, the sort the English might use for Shephard’s Pie.  It isn’t glamorous, but it is continental.  We were obliged to forgo the rice as a friend dining with us was on something low-carb… same friend rid Gratin of any pretentions whatsoever, saying it is the French term for anything covered in melted cheese.  Quick then to interfere, I think now he was perhaps right.  I believe a Macaroni Cheese in France is a Gratin de Macaronis, as a Cauliflower cheese – Gratin de Chou-Fleur.  A name used in England to somewhat glamorise those comfort foods indispensable to our diet.

We did slightly glam-up our version by using Blue Cheese, Crème Fraiche and White Wine as opposed to béchamel and super-market Cheddar.

Cut Courgettes into rounds.  Marinate briefly in Olive Oil, Salt, Black-Pepper and Garden Herbs.  Fry off sliced onions and Courgettes in Olive Oil.  Layer in a dish with more Black-Pepper, dollops of Crème Fraiche, splashes of White Wine (to help retain moisture and add a sophisticated flavour) chopped Oregano, Spring-Onions, Parsley, wet Garlic.  Top with more coarse-ground Black Pepper and Binham-Blue, or similar Blue Cheese.  Cook in the oven at about 180C for twenty minutes or until cheese is just browning, courgettes are soft, the dish is moist…

Slow Food Weekend, on Clare Island, Ireland

The Cove, Clare Island, looking across to Achill

Before time blankets the vibrant tastememories of last weekend’s Slow Food Galway visit to Macalla Farm, on Clare Island, let me tell…

Macalla Farm is home to the artisan, the sustainable, the innovative, regarding food and all aspects of living.  A crowd of twenty or so mainlanders boarded the Pirate Queen or another intrepid sea-faring vessel for an experiential couple of days in the ‘midst of the Macalla household.  Of course.  Of course, when the East of England was baking in temperatures of around 34C, Clare Island was shrouded in a heavy fog, interspersed with deluges unthinkable in an apparently “temperate” climate.  Indeed, the island has been battered now since April with storms ranging up to Force 12, interminable deluges, plagues of Sawfly and the like.. whilst we in the East have been begging for a drop of rain… and the gardens, although abundant were not as bountiful as previous years – the apple trees had lost not only their blossom, but their leaves… a sobering sight for those hoping to be self-sufficient.

Despite the weather, and the garden bereft, a fine show was put on for the Galway Slow-Fooders, the outline as follows:

Saturday Evening

Kir Royale (home-squeezed Blackcurrant Juice with Elderflower Champagne)

Beetroot Soup (with Coconut and Ginger), Sourdough Bread and curls of Bernie’s Island-made Butter

Swiss-Chard, Wild-Rocket and Sheep’s Cheese Tart (with Duck Eggs and home made Ewe’s cheese)

Puy Lentil, Broad Bean, Tomato and Courgette Warm Salad (using the garden’s somewhat scant offerings)

New Potatoes (variety: Sharp’s Express)

Dill Sheep’s Yogurt Dressing

Green Garden Salad, with Nasturtiums and Calendula

Blackcurrant and Strawberry Frozen Yogurts

(Blend 1lb Fruit, 100g Raw Cane Sugar, 500ml Homemade Sheep’s Yogurt.  Then place in the ice-cream maker until frozen)

Ciara’s melt-in-the-mouth Snowball Cookies

(must get hold of a recipe for these)

Lemon Verbena Tea

-- Rye and Spelt Sourdough Breadmaking Demonstration --

Sunday

Breakfast

Tonka Bean and Hazelnut Porridge

Buckwheat and Sheep’s Whey Pancakes

Rhubarb and Blackcurrant Compote

Sheep’s Yogurt

Blackcurrant and Apple Juice

Rye and Spelt Sourdough

Water-Mint Tea

-- Dairy Demonstrations – Making Sheep’s Yogurt, Kefir and Soft Ewe’s Cheese --

-- Visit to the Gardens and Polytunnels --

-- Lacto-Fermentation demonstration – making Lacto-fermented Beetroot, Cauliflower and Carrot Kimchee --

-- Visit to Ballytoughey Loom --

Buffet Lunch

Brown Rice and Seeds Salad with Lacto-Fermented Courgettes and Cauli Greens

Tabbouleh with Garden Herbs (Wild Rocket, Marjoram, Lemon-Balm, Water-Mint, Parsley, Savoury, Oregano, Chives and Borage Flowers)

Potato Salad with Lacto-Fermented Sea-Spaghetti, Chilli and Onion Greens

Courgette Antipasti

(Courgettes macerated in Olive-Oil then Grilled and stored in Oil, Herbs and Garlic)

Tzatziki (with Garden Cucumbers, Garlic, Water Mint and Sheep’s Yogurt)

Stuffed Macalla Vine-Leaves

Wild Rocket and Wild Garlic Pesto

Herby Soft Sheep’s Cheese

Strawberry and Blackcurrant Muffins

Ginger and Cardamom Tea

-- Visit to the Island Farmer’s and Craft Market --

The Cabbage Patch

…

Christophe and Ciara will be hosting a “Food Matters” course towards the end of August this year, on beautiful Clare Island.  This will be a chance to take part in hands-on workshops and to learn about the myriad aspects of sustainable living as well as enjoying informal discussions as to why food does matter in the current climate. 

We much look forward to seeing you there.

The throes of the Hungry Gap...?

 

Asparagus, Broccoli, Red Celery, Leeks, Lemon-Balm, Sage, Rosemary, Marjoram, Chives, Eggs.

As we prise ourselves away, out of the torrid grip of said epoch, I am obliged to ponder the notion of this era bereft of nourishment.. indeed, as I fill yet another trug from the bountiful belly of an early Spring garden, I revoke it.

The wild greens started early, with Ransoms, and Dandelions, Nettles, Sorrel, Sea Beet in full green bloom in February… after the Spring Equinox when the roots in the ground start to turn to seed, the Leeks and Celery still sat around, and Watercress began to fill the streams (forager beware: Liver fluke), Lovage, Marjoram, Herb Patience and Fennel springing up in the garden… and now, oh prolific Purple Sprouting Broccoli abounds and, blessed days, the Asparagus are rousing, poking their dreamy heads through the straw in overnight spurts of growth.

Broccoli and Asparagus plucked and, I insist, taken without a moment’s hesitation, to the table are more akin to foods of the gods than meagre offerings of a time of famished spirits.

And in homage to these simple-yet-unearthly Spring shoots, I pray, do not then drown them in suddy boiling water, nor adulterate them in the depths of chaotic menus, the art is in allowing the essence of these vegetables to emerge.

Steam or lightly blanche the Asparagus and/or Broccoli and serve on the raw-side of cooked,  still-warm on a salad of (aforementioned) wild herbs with a squeeze of lemon, a drip of oil… for the vinaigrette-o-phile: a simple Balsamic Vinaigrette, for the glutton: Sea-Salted Butter or a home-made Hollandaise Sauce whisked with the yolks of today’s eggs, for the outdoorsy: grill the Asparagus on an open fire by night...

Chick-a-Pics

  The aforementioned "at-long-last-laying hens"  in a snowy Kabul garden...

...the three black ones are named after warlords who continue to have a large stake in the current government - Sayyaf, Marshal Fahim and Dostum. The white one, which is bullied by the others and doesnt produce eggs, is called Bashardost, after the most outspoken MP who frequently rails against corruption and warlordism to much ridicule from others.

Notes on the omelette to follow...