We still have plenty of beetroot and radishes. I found a delicious new way to serve squid which has the added advantage of using some of the beetroot leaves along with spinach. For four, saute a finely chopped red onion in a little olive oil then add 500g squid sliced into rings, with 1/4 cup white rice. It may not seem like much rice but it is enough. You don't want the rice to overwhelm. The squid & spinach are the stars here. Cook 3 minutes or so then add a tin of tomatoes and a handful of roughly chopped spinach & beetroot leaves with 2 tbsp chopped parsley. Simmer 10 mins or until rice & squid are cooked. Delicious.
Remember
spicy bean stew? This a herby version. Saute a sliced leek in olive oil until soft then add 2 cloves chopped garlic and cook a minute or two. Add a tin of tomatoes and a good handful of finely chopped herbs - parsley, thyme, chervil. Cook about 10 minutes and if it looks dry add a splash of water. At the end add some finely sliced spinach & beetroot leaves with a drained tin of canellini beans and cook until the greens are wilted and the beans are heated through. Add a sprinkling of herbs to serve.
We went to friends for dinner, were served a wonderful meal and sent home with a bag of freshly picked runner beans. I cooked these with herbs and served with steak and a corn and avocado salad. For the beans, slice them thinly and cook in water about 10 mins & drain. There were about 400g. Heat a little olive oil & add a good handful of chopped mint, parsley, chervil & dill with 4 tsp capers, juice and zest of a lemon, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 small shallots finely chopped. Stir in the beans & serve. Add any leftovers to a salad the next day.
For the corn salad, combine kernels from 2 cooked corn cobs or about 2 1/2 cups frozen, 4-5 tomatoes cut into wedges, 2 diced avocados & handful of basil leaves. Toss with a herb dressing made by mixing in a food processor 3 handfuls basil leaves, 2 cloves of garlic, zest of a lemon, 1 1/2 cups olive oil & a pinch of salt. This will keep in a jar in the fridge for a week & is also great with fish & freshly dug potatoes.
The garden is certainly serving us well. On Sunday I tried to finish up odds and ends. We bought some fish from the market & served with the last of the potatoes & aforementioned oil, a corn cob mixed with the last of the peas and the lone leek sauteed with the lone courgette. The courgettes got off to a slow start but are coming on now. I think it may have been the lack of sun as there was a shortage of female flowers on the plants and apparently they appear as the weather warms up.
I have been reading about Isabel (Mrs) Beeton's carrot jam which was intended as a kind of substitute for apricot jam. On further investigation, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of
vegetable jams from our old friend Hugh F-W. Not chutney, but vegetable jams. I started with the carrot version, which resembles a spicy marmalade with lots of peel and is delicious. I am keen to try the green tomato but we didn't put in any tomatoes this year. I may be able to muster up the pumpkin jam as we have a splendid crop and if the courgettes improve look out for courgette and lemon jam.
With the pumpkin I have already made what looks like the winter's supply of pumpkin soup. I will be looking for smart ideas for pumpkin shortly.
We still have plenty of beetroot and radishes. I found a delicious new way to serve squid which has the added advantage of using some of the beetroot leaves along with spinach. For four, saute a finely chopped red onion in a little olive oil then add 500g squid sliced into rings, with 1/4 cup white rice. It may not seem like much rice but it is enough. You don't want the rice to overwhelm. The squid & spinach are the stars here. Cook 3 minutes or so then add a tin of tomatoes and a handful of roughly chopped spinach & beetroot leaves with 2 tbsp chopped parsley. Simmer 10 mins or until rice & squid are cooked. Delicious.
Remember spicy bean stew? This a herby version. Saute a sliced leek in olive oil until soft then add 2 cloves chopped garlic and cook a minute or two. Add a tin of tomatoes and a good handful of finely chopped herbs - parsley, thyme, chervil. Cook about 10 minutes and if it looks dry add a splash of water. At the end add some finely sliced spinach & beetroot leaves with a drained tin of canellini beans and cook until the greens are wilted and the beans are heated through. Add a sprinkling of herbs to serve.
We went to friends for dinner, were served a wonderful meal and sent home with a bag of freshly picked runner beans. I cooked these with herbs and served with steak and a corn and avocado salad. For the beans, slice them thinly and cook in water about 10 mins & drain. There were about 400g. Heat a little olive oil & add a good handful of chopped mint, parsley, chervil & dill with 4 tsp capers, juice and zest of a lemon, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 small shallots finely chopped. Stir in the beans & serve. Add any leftovers to a salad the next day. 
For the corn salad, combine kernels from 2 cooked corn cobs or about 2 1/2 cups frozen, 4-5 tomatoes cut into wedges, 2 diced avocados & handful of basil leaves. Toss with a herb dressing made by mixing in a food processor 3 handfuls basil leaves, 2 cloves of garlic, zest of a lemon, 1 1/2 cups olive oil & a pinch of salt. This will keep in a jar in the fridge for a week & is also great with fish & freshly dug potatoes.
The garden is certainly serving us well. On Sunday I tried to finish up odds and ends. We bought some fish from the market & served with the last of the potatoes & aforementioned oil, a corn cob mixed with the last of the peas and the lone leek sauteed with the lone courgette. The courgettes got off to a slow start but are coming on now. I think it may have been the lack of sun as there was a shortage of female flowers on the plants and apparently they appear as the weather warms up.
I have been reading about Isabel (Mrs) Beeton's carrot jam which was intended as a kind of substitute for apricot jam. On further investigation, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of vegetable jams from our old friend Hugh F-W. Not chutney, but vegetable jams. I started with the carrot version, which resembles a spicy marmalade with lots of peel and is delicious. I am keen to try the green tomato but we didn't put in any tomatoes this year. I may be able to muster up the pumpkin jam as we have a splendid crop and if the courgettes improve look out for courgette and lemon jam.
With the pumpkin I have already made what looks like the winter's supply of pumpkin soup. I will be looking for smart ideas for pumpkin shortly. 
No comments:
Post a Comment