Kitchen Garden

Bush tucker: Barilla bower spinach and sweetcorn soup

Posted on August 5, 2014 by melhm

This is a wonderful soup, full of gingery goodness! We were lucky enough to get some fresh organic turmeric that added quite a savoury aspect to the soup, and stained everything bright yellow, including fingers!

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Foraged bush tucker food: Barilla bower spinach
Recipe source: adapted from a Javanese recipe on riverford.co.uk
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Kettle
  • Chopping boards & knives
  • Peelers
  • Garlic press
  • Microplane
  • Mixing bowls
  • Colander
  • Stockpot
  • Measures: jug, tablespoon, teaspoon
  • Serving bowls
 Ingredients:

  • 1.5 litres water
  • 1.5 tablespoons bouillon
  • 2 onions
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2cm piece of galangal
  • 2cm piece of ginger
  • 2 fresh corn cobs
  • 2 large handfuls Barilla spinach
  • 1cm piece of fresh turmeric
  • Rice Bran oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • Flaked salt & pepper

What to do:

  • Fill the kettle and set it to boil. Peel and finely chop the onions. Peel and mince the garlic.
  • Peel the galangal, turmeric and ginger and carefully grate using the microplane.
  • Peel the silks from the corn cobs and wash the cobs. Cut in half across the middle and then, keeping the flat side on the chopping board, carefully slice off the kernels with a small sharp knife.
  • Wash the Barilla spinach in a big bowl and several changes of cold water, drain in the colander then roughly chop.
  • Drizzle roughly 2 tablespoons of oil into the stockpot and heat on medium. Fry off the onion gently for 3 minutes, stirring, then add the garlic, ginger and turmeric and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add the hot water and bouillon, turmeric, bay leaf and brown sugar and simmer for 5 minutes, covered.
  • Add the corn and simmer for 5 minutes, partially covered, until the corn is tender.
  • Add the spinach and taste to check if you need any more seasoning.
  • Ladle into bowls and serve.

Notes: What is Barilla bower spinach like and where does it grow? What is turmeric and what does it look like?

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Kitchen news – 12th June 2014

Posted on June 16, 2014 by melhm

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Hooray for winter! Enough of this dilly-dallying around with 25 degree days and sea water as warm as a bath… it’s time for jackets and scarves & slow-cooked meaty stuff at home*! Finally the cool weather veggies are having the opportunity to grow and we can get excited about a new season of cooking…

ourkitchengarden.net

So, the first recipes up are new ones for us. We’ve been playing with ready-bought puff pastry in the Turnip tops & silverbeet, herb and ricotta tart – sure to be repeated again with different arrays of leafy veg – and then Risi e bisi, the Venetian take on a soupy risotto, using 3 types of peas… Also we’ve been explaining the importance of delicate leaf handling with our Green salad of baby rocket, spinach, lettuces and pea shoots and a beautiful apple cider vinegar and honey dressing… and we reinvigorated Yotam’s hummus – always a winner – with hand-rolled Rosemary and thyme grissini to mop it all up. And washed down with a curative cup of steaming Lemongrass and lemon balm (also known as Melissa Officinalis he he) tisane, or herbal tea… Wonderful!

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One more week of usual classes (looking forward to seeing you finally Mr Forbes and 4F!) and then we’re bringing the Year 1 kidlets in for a play… So see you next term – unless I see you in Vacation Care Cooking first!

Cheers, Melissa x

* Feather and Bone Sunday Night Lamb Shoulder Braise

Brown seasoned shoulder, set aside. Caramelise 2 chopped leeks, half a dozen peeled brown shallots and a head of garlic, peeled, in a heavy-based pot, then bung in browned lamb shoulder (on the bone) meat-side down along with 6 anchovies, a handful of thyme sprigs, some chopped rosemary and a spot of mustard and tomato paste. Add about 2 cups chook stock & same of white wine to come ¾ way up the meat. Cook at 150C for three or four hours. Stir in cooked peas right at the end. Serve with mash or gnocchi!

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Lemongrass and lemon balm tisane

Posted on June 16, 2014 by melhm

Alice says: ‘A tisane is a fresh tea, an infusion of fragrant herbs, or flowers or spices, in boiling water. It is a soothing a refreshing finish to a meal, is complementary to most desserts, and offers a mild alternative to coffee. Tisane can be made from such flavourings as lemon verbena, mint, lemon thyme, lemon balm, hyssop, chamomile, citrus rind and ginger – alone and in combination. The one I make most is a combination of mint and lemon verbena. It is very beautiful made in a glass teapot so you can see the brilliant green leaves… I like to use small clear tea glasses, as they do in Morocco, so the lovely pale green colour is visible.’

Melissa says, ‘this is my tea! The botanical name for lemon balm is Melissa Officinalis – Melissa means honeybee in Greek, and so lemon balm was thus named as its white flowers attracted bees.’ Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: lemongrass, lemon balm
Recipe source: inspired by Alice Waters: The Art of Simple Food
Makes: 2 to 3 litres

Equipment:
  • Stockpot
  • Tea glasses

Ingredients:

  • A bunch of lemongrass leaves
  • Several branches of lemon balm
  • 2 or 3 litres water

What to do:

  • Fill the stockpot with water and set it on high to boil with the lid on.
  • If you’re using lemongrass then take care as the leaves are sharp! Grab a bunch and tie together in a loop, then rinse the bunch well and shake dry.
  • Wash the lemon balm in cold water and shale dry. Strip off the leaves & discard the stalks.
  • Once the water is boiling, turn the pot off and carefully drop the herbs in.
  • Let the tisane steep for several minutes and serve, ladling the tea carefully into each glass.

Notes: What else is tisane know as? What other herbs or spices could you use? What are aromatics?

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Turnip tops, kale, herbs and ricotta tart

Posted on June 16, 2014 by melhm

Yotam says, “It is possible to use a wide range of wild, cultivated or supermarket greens in this recipe. Consider nettles, beetroot tops, turnip tops, spinach or watercress, in combination.”

We say, ” This is DELICIOUS!”

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Fresh from the garden: onion, celery, turnip tops, kale, silverbeet, herbs, lemon
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:
  • Chopping boards and knives
  • Large and smaller frying pans
  • Measures: tablespoon
  • Scales
  • Grater & microplane
  • Mixing bowls
  • Rolling pin
  • Baking paper
  • Large oven tray
  • Pastry brush
  • Fork
  • Serving plates

Ingredients:

  • ½ a small red onion
  • 3 celery stalks
  • 8 large turnip leaves & silverbeet
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • A small branch mint
  • A small bunch of parsley
  • A small branch of sage
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • 50g pecorino
  • 75g feta
  • 15g pine nuts
  • 1 lemon
  • 350g all-butter puff pastry (we use Careme)
  • 100g ricotta
  • 1 egg
  • Salt and black pepper

What to do:

  • Peel and thinly slice the onion. Wash and thinly slice the celery stalks and leaves. Wash the turnip tops and shake dry then finely chop, discarding any tough stalks. Peel and finely slice the garlic. Wash and spin dry the herbs then pick off the leaves, tearing the mint leaves and finely chopping the parsley and sage.
  • Place a large frying pan on medium-high heat and sauté the onion, celery, chard, garlic, mint, parsley and sage in the olive oil. Cook, stirring continuously, for 10 minutes or until the greens are wilted and the celery has softened completely.
  • Meanwhile weigh the pecorino and grate it. Weigh the feta and crumble it. Weigh the pine nuts and lightly dry toast in the smaller frying pan. Wash and wipe the lemon and finely zest using the microplane grater.
  • Remove the greens from the heat and stir through the feta, pecorino, pine nuts, lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon of salt and a hearty grind of black pepper. Leave aside to cool for a moment.
  • Preheat the oven to 200C.
  • Roll the pastry so it is 5cm bigger than your baking tray on all sides, and then cut the extra off in strips. Place the large pastry sheet on an oven tray lined with baking paper and lay the border strips on top of the edges of the pastry sheet. Spread the filling out on the pastry inside the borders and dot the filling with large chunks of ricotta. Lightly beat the egg, then brush the pastry borders with egg.
  • Bake the tart in the oven for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked on the base.
  • Remove from the oven and brush with a little olive oil. Divide onto serving plates and serve warm or at room temperature.
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Green salad

Posted on June 16, 2014 by melhm

The title is simple but the ingredients are many and varied! Just take care when washing young delicate leaves so that they don’t get squashed…

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Fresh from the garden: rocket, lettuces, pea shoots, baby spinach, kale, spring onions, herbs
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 4 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Mixing bowls – 3 big, 2 med, 2 small
  • Colanders
  • 2 salad spinners
  • Scissors
  • Paper towel
  • Measuring – 1/4 cup, tablespoon, teaspoon
  • A small jar with lid
  • Bowlsto serve

 

 Ingredients:

  • A few stalks of kale
  • A large handful of rocket
  • A large handful lettuce leaves
  • A large handful pea shoots
  • A large handful baby spinach
  • A small bunch of spring onions
  • Edible flowers
  • A handful baby nasturtium leaves
  • A bunch of aromatic herbs: marjoram, basil, thyme, coriander
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • A teaspoon of honey
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Flaked salt & black pepper

What to do:

  • Wash the kale and shake dry. Cut the leaves from the stalks and discard the stalks. Roll up the kale leaves into a tube shape and then finely slice into very thin ribbons.
  • Wash all the leaves & pea shoots in several large bowls and many changes of cold water, filling up the bowls with the water and gently swilling the leaves around, draining in the colander and checking each time for any dirt left in the water. Spin dry in handfuls, reserving the leaves in a large clean, dry bowl.
  • Wash and trim the spring onions, discarding any roots and browning layers. Using scissors, snip into tiny discs and add to the bowl of prepared leaves and shoots.
  • Reserve the edible flowers and nasturtium leaves in a small bowl of cold water. When ready to use, drain on a piece of paper towel and use for the garnish.
  • Wash & dry the herb sprigs, leaving small leaves whole and chopping or snipping with scissors any large leaves and the coriander stalks into tiny pieces.
  • For the dressing, measure the olive oil, vinegar and honey and pour them into the jar. Add all the herbs with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then put the lid on & give the jar a good shake.
  • Drizzle the dressing around the leaves and gently turn the leaves with your fingers so that all the leaves are covered. Lift out and drain the dressed leaves, dividing into serving bowls.
  • Finish by popping the edible flowers and nasturtium leaves on top of the bowls of salad. Serve immediately!

Notes: Why do we have to be so gentle when preparing these leaves and pea shoots? What is vinaigrette? What do the edible flowers taste like?

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Risi e bisi

Posted on June 16, 2014 by melhm

This soupy rice and peas dish originating in Venice amounts on the plate to so much more than its simple name suggests. Make sure you retain the pods of your peas as they are incorporated in.

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: shelling peas, sugar snaps, onions
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe  by Stevie Parle on telegraph.co.uk
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:
  • Mixing bowls, 5 mixed size
  • Scales
  • Measures – jug, tablespoon
  • Chopping boards and knife
  • Large stockpot & smaller saucepan
  • Large spoon
  • Stick blender with small blending bowl attachment
  • Spatula
  • Ladle
  • Sieve
  • Wooden spoon
  • Grater
  • Serving bowls

Ingredients:

  • 300g peas (combination of freshly podded, frozen and sugar snaps)
  • 1½ litres water
  • 2 onions
  • 75g butter
  • Olive oil
  • Flaked salt & black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons bouillon
  • 300g Arborio rice
  • 75g parmigiano or grana padano

What to do:

  • Pod the fresh peas, keeping the peas and pods in separate bowls.Wash the sugar snaps, de-string and slice in half or into thirds. Weigh the peas and sugar snaps and then add frozen peas to make up the remainder of the 300g.
  • Measure the water into the smaller of the saucepans and set it to boil. Peel and finely chop the onions.
  • Melt the butter with a splash of oil in a nice big saucepan or stockpot over a low heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and gently fry until very soft but not coloured (about 15 minutes).
  • Meanwhile, add the bouillon and the pea pods (not the peas) to the boiling water in the smaller saucepan and boil hard for at least 10 minutes until soft.
  • Stir all the peas and the rice into the onions and season well. Make sure everything is nicely coated in the butter, then add the reserved stock, gradually bringing it to the boil and stirring gently. Turn the heat down low so that it is gently simmering and leave it to bubble away, stirring occasionally until the rice is just cooked and the peas are soft (about 20 minutes).
  • When the 10 minutes is up for the smaller saucepan, carefully using the large spoon, scoop out the solids to the blending bowl of the stick blender, with a small amount of liquid. Blend them until you have a slightly stringy paste, then pass through the sieve so you have a purée. Add a splash of oil and a little seasoning and put to one side.
  • Grate the parmesan. After the 20 minutes are up for the stockpot, stir in the purée and parmesan, check the seasoning, and add a little more stock or hot water if the consistency is not soupy enough (you should need a spoon to eat it) then spoon into bowls and serve.

Notes: How many peas are in a pod? What does risi e bisi mean?

ourkitchengarden.net

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Kitchen news – 29th May 2014

Posted on May 31, 2014 by melhm

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We’ve had a lot of planting action in the garden these past weeks & whilst we’re enjoying this Indian summer weather (with only a week to go til winter!), we’re hoping for at least a little bit of chill to set the cold weather veggies…  Meanwhile we’ve been rustling together a delicious menu in our classes – straddling the seasons as we are – with the Last Hurrah of basil (hurrah!) and a seemingly simple Penne Pesto, the always delicious Soft polenta with poached eggs and crispy sage, and a new take on the old fave, Green leaves and potato soup (even MY kids will eat this one!). A new favourite was born too (and even cooked up chez moi on Sunday with a cracking Roast Pork) in Roasted turnips and pears with rosemary honey drizzle. Try it and see! And then to finally make use of the harvested last tomatoes: Green tomato chutney – to be aged for at least a month and served like a fine wine, with decent cheese, a Laguiole knife and damask napery. If you like.

Let us know if you want to come along to a class!

Cheers, Melissa x

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Green tomato chutney

Posted on May 31, 2014 by melhm

This is the best way to use up the last of the green tomatoes and preserve them for the cooler months. Don’t forget to stir the pot regularly!

I also water-bath the jars after sealing by placing them in a large pot, not touching, on a clean tea towel in about 15cm of cool water. I set the pot to boil for about 10 minutes, and then carefully remove the jars with tongs. I leave them to cool and then label the jars. This ensures preservation.

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: tomatoes, onions, apples, garlic, bay leaves
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe by Jeremy & Jane Strode
Makes: About 4 large or 6 small jars

Equipment:

  • Colander
  • Mixing bowls – 6 mixed sizes
  • Chopping boards and knives
  • Microplane grater
  • Heavy based stockpot
  • Wooden spoon
  • Scales
  • Measures: jug, tablespoon, teaspoon, ½ teaspoon
  • Jars with metal lids
 Ingredients:

  • 1kg green tomatoes
  • 500g brown onions
  • 200g apples
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 knob fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
  • ½ cinnamon stick
  • 300ml cider vinegar
  • 225g brown sugar

What to do:

  • Wash the tomatoes, drain into the colander and discard any with holes or are mushy. Chop them into small pieces.
  • Peel and chop the onions, apples (discarding the cores) and garlic.
  • Peel the ginger and carefully microplane into a small bowl.
  • Place tomatoes, onion, apples, garlic, ginger, salt, all the spices and half the vinegar in a heavy-based stockpot. Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring, for one hour.
  • Add remaining vinegar and the sugar and simmer for another 90 minutes or until thick. Stir regularly to prevent catching.
  • Spoon hot chutney into sterilised jars and cover with airtight lids for one month before serving.

Notes: Why are the tomatoes green? What is a microplane grater? Why we do have to cook the chutney for so long? Why do we leave the jars for a month before serving?

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Penne pesto

Posted on May 27, 2014 by melhm

For a spicy alternative, rocket leaves can be added to the basil and pounded together or you could try a parsley combination… cooked chickpeas can be used in place of pine nuts in case of nut allergy, and gluten free pasta works fantastically!

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: basil, garlic
Recipe source: pesto adapted from a recipe by Alice Waters in The Art of Simple Food
Serves: 4 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Large saucepan or stockpot
  • Mixing bowls – 4 mixed sizes
  • Scales
  • Salad spinner
  • Cheese grater
  • Medium frying pan
  • Mortar & pestle
  • Tea towel
  • Measuring jug
  • Spatula
  • Tablespoon
  • Serving bowls
 Ingredients:

  • 250g dried penne
  • 1 big bunch basil, to yield about 100g
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • Salt
  • 80g pine nuts
  • 50g parmesan cheese – grana padano or parmigiano
  • 200ml extra virgin olive oil

 

What to do:

  • Fill the large saucepan or stockpot with water and set it to boil.
  • Weigh the pasta and add it to the pot when boiling with a tablespoon of salt – cook for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, pick the basil leaves from the stalks and weigh before you wash them! Then wash in several changes of water and thoroughly spin-dry the basil.
  • Heat the frying pan on a medium heat and lightly dry-toast the pine nuts, shaking regularly so that they don’t stick.
  • Peel the garlic clove and place in the mortar and pestle with a good pinch of salt. Pound these to a paste.
  • Grate the parmesan cheese.
  • Add the pine nuts to the mortar & pestle and continue to pound. Once smooth-ish, transfer to the bowl and stir in the parmesan.
  • Tear the basil leaves and put them into the mortar with a sprinkle of flaked salt. Pound the leaves to a paste. Return the pine nut mixture to the mortar and, pounding it all together, gradually pour in all the olive oil.
  • Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary, then using the spatula, scrape out the pesto into a clean big mixing bowl.
  • When the pasta is cooked, scoop out into the pesto bowl with a small amount of cooking water to moisten. Divide among bowls and serve!

Notes: With what else can you use pesto? What also goes with well with basil? Why do we toast the pine nuts? Can you name any other pasta sauces?

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Green leaves and potato soup

Posted on May 27, 2014 by melhm

These sunny-but-cool days & lengthening nights sing to me of soup, soup and more soup – and this is a great way to use up any bolting rocket or snaily kale!

Fresh from the garden: rocket, silverbeet, kale, potatoes, basil
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

ourkitchengarden.net

Equipment:

  • Kettle
  • Scales
  • Chopping boards & knives, scissors
  • Peelers, garlic press
  • Bowls – big
  • Salad spinner
  • Large stockpot
  • Wooden spoon
  • Measures –jug, tablespoon
  • Stick blender/ handheld mixer
  • Ladle
  • Serving bowls
 Ingredients:

  • 500g waxy potatoes like Kipflers
  • A small bunch of spring onions
  • A small bunch of rocket
  • A handful silverbeet
  • A handful kale
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 1 litre water
  • 1 tablespoon bouillon
  • Black pepper
  • A bunch of basil

What to do:

  • Fill the kettle and, making sure you have dry hands, set it to boil.
  • Scrub the potatoes under running cold water (do not peel!) & cut into 2cm cubes.
  • Peel the garlic cloves and squeeze them through the garlic press. Wash & trim the spring onions and slice into finger-width pieces.
  • Melt butter in the large stockpot over medium heat and sauté the spring onion and garlic for a minute, and then add the potato cubes and turn so that the potato cubes sweat in the butter.
  • Meanwhile wash the rocket in several changes of water and spin dry. Roll up and slice into thin ribbons. Wash the silverbeet in several changes of water and shake dry. Slice or cut the leaves up the middle to remove the stems, then chop them into 1cm pieces. Roll up the leaves and finely slice them into ribbons.
  • Wash the kale leaves and shake dry. Cut or tear the leaves from the stalks, chop the stalks into half-finger-width pieces, and slice up the leaves into ribbons.
  • Carefully measure the boiling water and the bouillon into the pot of potatoes and stir. Bring it to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, cover and cook gently over low heat for 10 minutes, then add the silverbeet and kale stalks.
  • Cook for 2 minutes – check that the potato is tender, then stir in rocket, silverbeet and kale leaves. Increase heat to medium and simmer for another 2 minutes. If it’s really thick you may need to add another cup of hot water and pinch of salt.
  • Wash the basil and pick the leaves from the stalks, spin dry.
  • With dry hands, plug in the stick blender and carefully blitz the soup until it is silky smooth. Add the basil leaves and blitz again.
  • Taste for correct seasoning and ladle into bowls to serve.

Notes: How many different procedures are there here? Why do we want the potato to ‘sweat’?

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