Give peas a chance.

I visited a friend in Napier on my way to Auckland for Christmas and a conversation we had then is the inspiration for this post.  Last December this friend -  you know who you are - stayed for two nights.  It was a work related visit and both evenings were weeknights so we were eating weeknight suppers rather than meals for entertaining.
The first night was Monday so I made soup and it was early December so we had peas in the garden.  I made the obvious choice - pea soup.  Soften a finely sliced onion and 2 stalks finely chopped celery in a little butter, with a bay leaf. Add 3 cups chicken stock & bring to boil then add 1 kg peas - freshly picked or frozen - and boil 3 mins.  Remove from the heat & stir through 1 cup chopped parsley & 3/4 cup cream with a little ground white pepper to taste.  Blend until smooth.  Add 2 tsp red wine vinegar and salt to taste.  Keep warm while you pan fry 3 scallops per diner.  Cook them in a little butter with a little salt & some tarragon leaves.  Pour the soup into serving bowls and top each bowl with scallops and tarragon leaves. A delicious seasonal soup.
We also had a good crop of broad beans and the asparagus season was drawing to a close so I returned to another seasonal favourite. A dish of seasonal greens.  Soften a finely chopped onion, a bunch of finely sliced spring onions and a couple of cloves of finely chopped garlic.  While your alliums are softening steam a couple of bunches of asparagus and chop each stalk into three, and blanch and skin 500g of broad beans.  When the onions are done add 250g of peas to the pan and cook five minutes then add the broad beans and asparagus and cook a further five.  Add finely chopped parsley, basil and chives and a large dollop of butter. I sometimes add chunks of feta.  A delicious spring supper.
I did notice after the second evening that I had served two plates of green food.  I did not however twig that I had basically served two meals which primarily consisted of peas.  That suits me fine, however my guest hates peas.  She did not reveal this at the time but shared over a glass of wine a year later.  The most interesting thing was that in these meals she actually liked them.  So all you pea haters out there give peas another chance.
I have mentioned another great pea favourite of mine - peas with lettuce. Halve a small lettuce - a baby cos or little gem and lay in the bottom of a pan.  Add six chopped spring onions, 1 tbsp parsley, a knob of butter, 4 tbsp water or chicken stock and lots of peas.  Add a pinch of sugar.  You can add 2 baby chopped carrots if you have them.  Cover tightly and simmer about 15 minutes, less if you are using frozen peas.  This is the French classic dish  Julia Child  refers to as the glory of pea cookery.  She suggests it should be served as a separate course and eaten with a spoon. Julia also suggests serving the peas with a chilled white wine that's not too dry, or a chilled rose and I suspect that would work with any of these pea dishes.
I have however a new favourite pea recipe which I urge you to try.  Peas with sorrel and mustard is pea cookery at its absolute finest. Blanch 300g peas, refresh under cold water and set aside.  Toast a tbsp black mustard seeds and set aside. Make a paste with 2 tsp Dijon mustard and 1 1/2 tsp English mustard powder, 1/2 tsp caster sugar and a splash of water.  Sauté two or three bunches of finely sliced spring onions with 2 finely sliced garlic cloves.  When they are slightly coloured add the mustard paste, the peas, half the mustard seeds and a couple of tablespoons of Greek yoghurt.  When everything is warmed through take off the heat and stir through 100g roughly shredded sorrel.  It is the sorrel that makes this dish and you may struggle to find it.  You can substitute rocket but if you do you will need to add lemon juice.   I may have some sorrel to hand out when I separate my plants in the autumn so get in touch.

Sunday Curry

We recently had an old favourite curry with some new additions.  I may have mentioned it before but I am going to tell you again.  This has been a family favourite since 2001.  It is known as Malcolm's Curry and is named after the person who first  made it in our kitchen. 
You first need to make a garam masala mix. Take 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 6 cloves, 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp black mustard seeds.  Heat a heavy based frying pan over a medium flame.  Put the peppercorns in first.  After a couple of minutes add the cloves.  After another 2 minutes add the coriander seeds.  Shake the pan gently as the spices roast.  After a couple more minutes a fragrant smell will waft into the kitchen.  Add the cumin & fenugreek seeds.  When the mustard seeds start to pop remove from the heat & pour into a bowl to cool.  Grind with a pestle & mortar.  You can store in an airtight jar for several weeks.  I always keep a quantity on hand.
Now you are ready to make the curry.  Do a good quantity.  You can always freeze or reheat later in the week. For 1 kg meat, in a food processor blend 2 roughly chopped onions, 4 cloves garlic,1 inch piece of ginger until you have a smooth paste.  Add 2 tbsp of the garam masala, 1/2 tsp turmeric & 1 tsp paprika & mix well.
In a heavy based pan add a little vegetable oil and add the spice paste.  It will sizzle & smell quite strong.  Malcolm recommends changing into your gardening clothes and his wife suggests you remove all laundry, coats & bags from the kitchen at this stage, unless you want to smell like a curry house.  I also recommend opening windows because the smell is lovely while cooking but not so much 3 days later. After a couple of minutes add the meat.  You can use any meat you like including chicken, on the bone or off.  On this occasion I used lamb shoulder cut into largish chunks.  This cooks beautifully.  Brown the meat on a high heat and add just enough water to cover.  When the water is simmering, cover and cook until tender.  We cooked the lamb for about two hours. It might take longer if your meat is on the bone.  Less for chicken.  Add water during cooking if it looks dry.  Serve with rice and dhal plus vegetables.
Malcolm also provided a dhal recipe but I prefer mine. Melt ghee or vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add 1 finely chopped onion with 3 cloves crushed garlic.  Sautee until onion is soft then add 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp chili powder, pinch of salt & a few grinds of black pepper. and sautee 1-2 minutes.  Add 1 cup red lentils. juice of half a lemon & 3 cups water.  Bring to the boil & simmer uncovered until lentils are cooked - about 15-20 minutes.
I served this Nigella Tomato Curry sans coconut rice, because it looks so pretty in the picture.  It tastes as good as it looks.  Nigella is a fan of English mustard powder and it really is a good addition to many things.  I always put a pinch in the cheese sauce for cauliflower cheese.  Do you?
 I wanted an Indian type pudding and I had eaten a yoghurty thing at Moore Wilson's producer day a few weeks ago but couldn't buy it.  Jack Santa Maria came to the rescue.  It's called Shrikand.  Take 600ml thick yoghurt - you could strain it overnight, but it's fine without.  Dissolve a pinch of saffron in 1 dsp rosewater, then whisk into the yoghurt. Mix in about 1 tsp ground cardamom and chill.  Jack noted that in Nepal, cloves, cinnamon & pepper are added with the cardamom so I did that.  He didn't say how much so I did similar quantities.  Adjust to your taste.  Jack mixes though chopped almonds & pistachios before chilling but I added them just before serving with a tsp rose petals.

Pasta, grains & greens

When I first introduced soup Monday I made a wonderful barley soup inspired by Alison Holst & I returned there this week.  This had two pleasing consequences.  I discovered I had more pearl barley in the cupboard than I needed & remembered a barley salad I had been meaning to make.  You could serve this with anything really but we had lamb meatballs which worked well.  Just make your favourite meatball recipe.  We included onion, garlic & cinnamon.  For the salad cook 1/2 cup of pearl barley for about half an hour until tender.  It may take a little longer.  Drain, toss through 2 tbsp olive oil & set aside to cool slightly.  In the meantime mix a cup chopped parsley, 1/4 finely diced preserved lemon, a few black olives, juice of 1/2 a lemon, crumbled feta & some finely sliced mint leaves.  Mix in the cooled barley & top with meatballs.  Good as lunch leftovers later in the week.  Look forward to lots of barley on these pages in the coming weeks.Are you wondering what the second consequence was - did you think I had forgotten?  The soup requires a can of creamed sweetcorn & I only needed 1/2  a tin for two.  We added the remaining corn to the Friday night omelette.  Try this - it was delicious.  I have a real soft spot for creamed corn.
I often think of the green vegetable first & then come up with a way to fit a meal around it.  For a simple weekday meal you can't go past Hugh F-W's macaroni peas.  Cook pasta - we used macaroni but penne or whatever shapes you have to hand would do as well.  Cook some frozen peas.  While the peas are cooking gently soften a clove of garlic in a little butter.  Blend half the peas with the butter, garlic, 25g Parmesan & enough of the pea cooking water to make a puree.  Think pesto.  Combine with the rest of the peas & pasta, add more Parmesan & mix through basil or parsley.
Roasted roots crumble seemed like a good accompaniment to leeks & greens this week.  Roast a selection of pale root vegetables - potato, parsnip, swede, celeriac - cut into smallish chunks & some sliced onion, with a mustardy dressing.  Mix equal quantities of wholegrain mustard, honey & olive oil with a good quantity of chopped rosemary and toss the veg around in it.  Cover the veg & roast at 180 for 45 minutes then uncover & cook a further 20 minutes at 200.  You want the vegetables well cooked & golden but not browned.  Pour a few tbsp cream over the vegetables - this is just to meld them together a little so you could omit if you don't have cream in the cupboard.  Top with a crumble made of a handful of rolled oats, 2-3 slices of crumbed bread, toasted hazlenut roughly chopped , grated cheese & a little melted butter.  Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp up the crumble.
We made way more than we could eat & there was a little cranbapple sauce in the fridge so the next day we had lamb rack with the left over crumble mixed with the left over leeks & greens.
If we are planning to eat mixed greens it seems impossible to buy only what we need for a single meal so another pasta & greens meal was called for.  Again this can be whatever pasta & greens you have to hand.  In our case penne & cabbage with beetroot leaves.   Soften an onion in a little oil then add finely chopped garlic & chilli & cook a little longer.  Cook the pasta in the usual way & a few minutes before the end of cooking add the shredded greens.  Drain the pasta & greens & toss with the onion mix & some grated Parmesan & a drizzle of olive oil.
There was still some spinach & beetroot leaves to use so out came that meal of the moment  - spicy potatoes with greens.  Top it with a poached egg and you have a splendid meal.
This week a work colleague gave me 5 kilos of windfall apples.  Look out for apple recipes next week.  If you have any ideas post them here.
You may remember that when I go to the market every Sunday & have a cup of chowder from Yellow Brick Road for Breakfast.  I occasionally try something different but always return to chowder.  Nothing else quite measures up - until now.  I may have found a new favourite - Vicky Ha and The Dumpling House.  Try those dumplings.  She now sells them frozen by the dozen and I am planning to buy a dozen tofu & spinach dumplings to treat a vegan.  I think my favourite is the pork & cabbage but the Nepalese lamb & veg is a close second.

Goodbye summer, hello autumn

Only a couple more tagines to go.  This week it was butter beans with cherry tomatoes & olives.  I use the jars of Spanish butter beans.  Heat some olive oil and butter in a tagine.  Stir in 4 cloves of crushed garlic, 2 sliced red onions, 1 sliced green chilli.  Add 2 tsp crushed coriander seeds, a knob of grated ginger & a pinch of saffron.  Cover & cook 5 mins.  Add 20 or so cherry tomatoes with 2 tsp each sugar & dried thyme.  Cover & cook until the tomato skins begin to wrinkle, not long.  Toss in the drained butter beans & a handful of black olives.  Squeeze on some lemon juice, cover & cook until the beans & olives are heated through. Sprinkle with parsley & serve with some crusty sourdough & a dollop of thick yoghurt.
Sunday night was a lovely piece of gurnard & an unexpected treat from the market - samphire. Luckily the fishmonger was able to tell us how to cook it.  I cooked the fish with the potatoes a la Hugh.  First roast the potatoes in a roasting dish big enough to hold the fish & when they're nearly done add the fish.  I often do this & serve with a garlicky minty pea puree.  The samphire is easy.  You do need to pick through & remove the woody bits.  The bottoms are quite twiggy & not nice to eat.  Think asparagus of the sea & you will get the idea.  You just boil for 3-4 minutes & toss in butter with black pepper & lemon juice.  Think seafood+lemon.  Don't salt without tasting.  It grows in the salt water.  Keep an eye out for it next year - this was the end of the season.  I think this lot came from the Hawkes Bay somewhere. 
Try this soup with the last of the courgettes & corn.  Heat some olive oil with a knob of butter in a large saucepan & add 2 thinly sliced onions & 400g floury potatoes peeled & diced.  Cover & steam for 10 minutes or so.  Keep an eye on them to ensure the potatoes don't catch.  Add 500g roughly chopped courgettes & the kernels off 2 sweet corn cobs with 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 cloves crushed garlic & cook for a couple of minutes.  Add 5 cups chicken stock, season & bring to the boil.  Simmer 10 minutes ensuring the potatoes & corn are cooked.    Transfer 1/3 of the soup & 1/2 cup basil to a food processor & blend until smooth.  Tip the puree back in the pan & reheat if necessary.  To serve top with a dollop of yoghurt, some extra basil & a drizzle of olive oil.  This is delicious reheated for lunch on a day you happen to be working from home.
It's the new leek season so we had spaghetti with leeks & bacon with chilli crumbs.  Remove the crusts from 3-4 slices of sourdough bread & tear into large crumbs.  Lay on a baking tray & spray lightly with olive oil.  Add 1/2 tsp chilli flakes & 1/2 tsp sea salt.  Mix them well & bake at 180 10-15 minutes.  Keep a close eye & toss occasionally.
Meanwhile heat some olive oil in a pan & add finely sliced onion & leek with a tbsp finely chopped rosemary.  Cook slowly until the alliums are soft.  Stir in 200g crumbly goat's cheese.  Grill a couple of rashers of bacon & chop into the onion mix.  Cook the spaghetti  and put everything together with some grated Parmesan.  Hold back  a few of the crumbs & sprinkle on the top.
As you know, I am very fond of lentils & I got the idea of making a spicy lentil stew from Nigel Slater.  I thought that this would be nice with mashed potatoes, then I found a parsnip in the fridge & thought parsnip & potato mash but that seemed a little insipid & carrot seemed like a colourful addition.  The trick is to cook the potato separately.  So cook the potato in one pot & the parsnips & carrots in another then puree them with a little butter in the food processor & mash the potato with a little warm milk.   Whip them together with a fork, season & add a little grated nutmeg.  There was some spinach in the fridge with the parsnip but not quite enough for two so I added the beetroot leaves.  Remember to always use your beetroot leaves.  I just like them in salad but I now know that they are also good cooked.  Just roughly chop the spinach & beet leaves & put in a dry pan.  The water left from washing the leaves is sufficient.  Cook them down, season - nutmeg is also good here - & stir through a little olive oil or cream if you find some in the fridge.  This meal was my favourite of the week although I did use every pot and pan in the house.  One for the lentils & another for the caramelised onion topping, two for the mash & another for the greens.  I did struggle to fit everything on the hob.  Phoebe would have had something to say about this.  There was more than enough but my plan is to add the left over lentils to the intended left over lamb & quince tagine for a Moroccan shepherd's pie.  The sweet orange mash should be perfect & I think I have some frozen mashed potato to add to it.  Return next week for the thrilling conclusion.

Spring Vegetables

This week we had a rather unusual tagine - chicken with grapes and artichokes.  For four, marinade 4 chicken breasts, cut into strips, in a mix of 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp turmeric, juice of a lemon, 1 tbsp olive oil.  Leave 1-2 hours.  Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in the tagine, and stir in 2 onions halved length ways & sliced with the grain.  This is what I did with the onions last week as well and I did it in the rice later in the week because I like the way it turns out.  Add 1/2 a thinly sliced preserved lemon with 1 tsp sugar.  Saute until slightly caramelised.  Toss in the marinated chicken slices, then add 1-2 tsp harissa paste, depending on how hot you want it, and 2 tsp tomato paste.  Pour over 300ml chicken stock & bring to the boil.  Cover & simmer 15 minutes.  Toss in a jar of artichoke hearts, cover & cook a further 5 minutes.  Add about a dozen green grapes halved length ways and flat leaf parsley, season & serve with couscous & a salad.  This was nice but not my favourite.  Worth a try.
We bought some beautiful snapper at the market on Sunday and served it with a fresh salsa verde type sauce.  For two, finely chop 1 clove garlic then add a small bunch parsley, a dozen or so basil leaves, 2 tsp capers & zest of a lemon.  Chop them all together as finely as you can, tip into a bowl, add the lemon juice & season well.  Add enough olive oil to make a thick puree.  Set aside.
Pan fry the fish using your usual method & when it is nearly done, add a knob of butter & the herb mix.  As the butter melts, stir it with the herbs & spoon them over the fish.  This should take about 1/2 a minute.  Pour the herby sauce over the fish on the plates.  I served it with baby carrots, asparagus & crushed baby potatoes.
This week I made a spring risotto with our own peas & broad beans.  They were a bit weeny - but still delicious, and a plate full of bright green with creamy rice is a beautiful thing to look upon.
For two, blanch 1/2 cup each of peas and broad beans with a bunch of thin asparagus sliced into about 3 pieces, in 1 1/2 cups chicken stock.  In a risotto pan soften 3 baby leeks & 3 spring onions finely sliced.  Add 1/2 cup of rice & prepare your risotto in the usual way.  At the end add the blanched vegetables with a tbsp each of finely chopped mint & flat leaf parsley.  At this stage I usually stir through a knob of butter, cover & let stand a couple of minutes then stir through Parmesan, season & serve.
On the same theme later in the week I did a saffron rice with peas.  In a large saucepan heat a tbsp sunflower oil & soften 1/2 an onion with 1/2 tsp garam masala.  I sliced the onion lengthways as noted above.  Try this - it's quite good.  Soak a few threads of saffron in a tbsp hot water & add to the onions along with 3-4 pitted prunes, sliced lengthways, 1/2 cup brown basmati rice and 1 cup chicken stock.  Bring to the boil, cover & cook until the water has evaporated & the rice is fluffy.  Add 1/2 cup blanched peas at the end.  If you are using frozen just pour boiling water through them in a sieve.  Stir in the parsley. 
While the rice is cooking combine 2-3 lamb fillets with 1 tbsp lime juice, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cumin & 2 tsp sunflower oil.  Just before the rice is ready pan fry the lamb about 4- 5 minutes, then cover &  rest 5 minutes.  Slice & serve with the rice.

French pizza and Scottish tagine

This is the tagine I first made the day after I was given the book.  It never fails to please.  Make a marinade with one grated onion, 3 crushed garlic cloves, a knob of grated ginger, finely chopped parsley, a pinch of saffron threads, juice of a lemon, salt & pepper, 3 tbsp olive oil.  Add chicken thighs with bone in, or legs.  You could get Maryland pieces and cut them in two then you have both.  You want 1-2 pieces per person depending on the size of your diners.  Rub the marinade well into the skin & refrigerate 1-2 hours. 
Heat a tbsp olive oil with a knob of butter, in your tagine.  Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade & brown well on both sides.  Pour over the marinade & add just enough water to come halfway up the sides of the chicken pieces.  Bring to the boil, cover & bake in the oven at 180 for about 45 minutes.   Add 2 preserved lemons, cut into strips, 175g cracked green olives & 1 tsp dried oregano.  Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes.  Sprinkle some fresh oregano over the top to serve.  I served it with steamed carrots tossed with toasted cumin & coriander seeds & mint.
Sunday being rugby I decided we should do the right thing & eat pizza in front of the telly.  I made RWC Final Pizza - one half black & white, the other red, white & blue for Le Tricolore.
I also made Olivo's delicious parsnip skordalia for rugby snacks.  Toss 500g parsnips, quartered lengthwise, with 1 tbsp Helen's cumin oil and 2 tsp cumin seeds and place in a roasting pan. Put in the oven and roast at 190 for about 25 minutes until cooked through and golden. Cool.  Place the parsnips in a food processor and pulse until mashed. Add 3 cloves garlic, salt to taste & an egg yolk then pulse again. Gradually drizzle in about 1/2 cup cumin oil while pulsing, then finally add the juice of 1/2 a lemon. If the mixture is too thick add a little warm water to the desired consistency.  As well as a dip Helen suggests serving it as an accompaniment with sausages.
Monday night I made one of the best soups ever.  Pea & parsley with scallops.  If you don't eat scallops (you must be crazy) you could leave them off but they are a magnificent addition.  For 6 people, soften 1 finely chopped onion with a finely chopped stick of celery and a bay leaf in a little butter for about 10 minutes.  Add 3 cups of chicken stock & season.  Bring to the boil & add 1 kg peas.  Sadly, frozen, as mine aren't ready & I don't think I could ever harvest that quantity for a single meal.  Bring back to the boil for about 3 minutes then stir through 1 cup finely chopped parsley, 3/4 cup cream & white pepper.  Blend with a stick blender, then add 2 tsp red wine vinegar & adjust the seasoning.  Keep warm & prepare the scallops.  Heat about 50g butter in a pan & sprinkle with a little mineral salt.  Fry 3-4 scallops per person with some fresh tarragon or mint leaves, for about 1-2 minutes per side.  Top the individual soup bowls with scallops & the fried leaves then drizzle with the scallop pan juices. 
A couple of weeks back, I had a sorrel risotto at Floriditas & as I have some in the garden, I thought I would try this at home.  I made a basic risotto using finely chopped onion & celery as the base then at the end I stirred though 1/2 dozen finely chopped sorrel leaves & the zest of half a lemon.  I finished off with the juice of the lemon half & a knob of butter.  It was wonderful.  You should grow sorrel.  It is delicious cooked & in salads & grows so easily.  I found the half dead seedling languishing in a dark corner at the garden centre & this week I am planning to separate the plant as it has flourished.
I had a small piece of pumpkin that needed to be eaten.  Enter Moroccan chicken with rice & pumpkin.  Tie 2 boneless chicken thighs per person, with kitchen string so that they keep their shape.  Heat the oil in an oven proof dish & brown the chicken on all sides.  Set aside.  For 6, add finely chopped onions & carrots with 3 cloves crushed garlic & cook until softened.  Add 1 tsp each ginger, turmeric, smoked paprika & cinnamon plus the zest of a lemon & cook a further 2 minutes.  Stir in diced pumpkin then 2 cups chicken stock.  Scrape up all the sticky bits at the bottom of the pan.  Add a cup of basmati rice - I used brown - & sit the thighs on top.  Cover & bake 45 mins at 180.  
A reader sent me a photo of her egg & kefte tagine & I want to share it with you.  Do you have any photos to share?  I think the tagines have been a hit and many of you are making them.  Good old  Ghillie.  You may be surprised to discover she is actually Scottish.  She has also been shortlisted "Pasta Journalist of the Year".   Who knew their was such an honour?  Does anyone know who won?

The greens make the meal

I bumped into one of my regular readers at Moore Wilson this week & she recommends the kefte tagine with eggs.  Has anyone tried the others?  What's your favourite to date?  This week was a Spanish influenced tagine of chickpeas & chorizo.  You could use merguez sausages or leave them out altogether & just do the chickpeas.
This is another to do on the stovetop.  In a casserole, saute 2 red onions, cut in half lengthways, halved crossways, & sliced with the grain.  Sounds complicated I know but the dish is simple & you can see in the picture that the lengths of onion look pretty.  Add finely chopped garlic & soften down.  Add one chorizo sliced on the diagonal.  For Takanini residents - they used to have the best chorizo at the Takanini Foodtown deli counter.  Add bay leaves & thyme then toss through a tin of chickpeas & 2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika.  Cover & simmer 10-15 minutes.  Add sage leaves & lemon juice.  Serving suggestions include with Turkish bread & yogurt, or as a side dish with grilled meat.  I served mine with one of these leafy salads.  In case you were wondering, you can eat radish leaves too.
On Sunday I had a hankering to do petit pois a la Francaise and I had a Kipdale chicken in the freezer for a rainy day.  The upshot was a French style roast chicken.  Make tarragon butter by mixing 50g butter, 1 tbsp wholegrain Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp chopped French tarragon, grated zest of a lemon & 2 cloves crushed garlic.  Put half the zested lemon & a tsp of the tarragon butter with some extra tarragon leaves inside the cavity.  Put half the rest of the butter between the skin & the chicken.  This gets messy but is the best thing to do with chicken.  My flatmate in London 30 years ago who was a chef taught me how to do this with the Christmas turkey.  Tuck in the wings & tie the legs together around the parson's nose then truss around the bird to secure the wings against the breast.  Rub the rest of the butter on the top of the chicken.  This will burn a bit but don't worry about that.
Put the chicken in a roasting dish with members of the onion family - 8 baby leeks, 8 spring onions, 4 red onions halved, 8 whole shallots, 2 heads of garlic beheaded a third of the way down and a bunch of baby carrots.  Add 1/2 cup white wine & 1 cup chicken stock.  Roast for 70-80 minutes at 200.  You could make a gravy with the stock & a little creme fraiche at the end.  I just reduced it down. 
To make the peas, halve a small lettuce such as baby cos or little gem & lay in the bottom of a pan.  Add six chopped spring onions, 1 tbsp parsley, a knob of butter, 4 tbsp water (or chicken stock because you got some out of the freezer for the chicken & didn't use it all), and lots of peas.  Add a pinch of sugar.  You can add 2 baby chopped carrots if you have them.  Cover tightly & simmer about 15 minutes, less if you are using frozen peas.  This sounds odd but trust me.  I went to all the trouble above because I wanted to eat this.  Julia Child calls this dish the glory of pea cookery and suggests it should be served as a separate course and eaten with a spoon. She suggests serving the peas with a chilled white wine that's not too dry, or a chilled rose.
Roast chicken for two can be a bit daunting but made good use of our leftovers with a delicious chicken salad.  I did the iceberg lettuce & verjuice aoli salad just adding the shredded cold chicken. And don't forget to make up some more chicken stock.
This week we had Angie O's walnut pesto tossed through spaghetti.  That was delicious. And no effort.
 Forget everything I ever said about Chinese greens.  I have a new method and this is amazing.  It is my version of Allan Fong's Chinese greens.  I just looked him up & he has a website!  Can you believe it - and it has the recipe.  Do it Allan's way or do it mine.  In a pan lightly saute thinly slivered or julienned garlic, ginger & baby carrots.  Chop a bunch of greens - I used baby pak choy & choy sum - on the diagonal & toss into the pan.  Pour in a good slug of gin & cook until the leaves are wilted then pour on some oyster sauce.  I added baby pea pods from the garden & blanched asparagus because it needed to be eaten.  I urge you to try this.  Like the peas, you will plan a whole meal around this dish.

Greens, yellow, red, black & blue

I am in the spicy meatball or kefta section of the tagine book.  Last week's was one of my favourite things - meatballs with poached eggs.  This reminded me of Turkish pizza with lamb & egg on top which I am keen to perfect.  This tagine is best made on the top of the stove and takes no time at all.  The meatballs are poached rather than fried.  Mix 225g mince with 1 finely chopped onion, 1 tsp dried mint, 1 tsp ras-el-hanout, 1/2 tsp dried chilli, a small bunch of finely chopped parsley & salt & pepper and make into about 12 small meatballs.
Fill a shallow pan with water & bring to the boil & carefully drop in the kefta.  Poach for 10 minutes turning occasionally.  Remove the kefta & drain.  Tip away all but about 300mls of the poaching liquid & add 1 tbsp butter, then bring to the boil.  Stir in a pinch of salt & 1 tsp dried chilli then return the poached kefta to the pan. I also added half a tin of crushed tomatoes because they were in the fridge and that was nice.   Cook over a high heat until almost all the liquid has evaporated then break an egg per person carefully between the kefta.  Cover & gently cook until the eggs are just set.  About 3-5 minutes.  Sprinkle over roasted cumin & chopped parsley.
We have been trying to eat more fish although it is always tricky to do it mid-week as it means a trip across town after work.  We often get some on Sunday at the market.   We had a lovely piece of salmon with pea salsa & crushed potatoes.  To make the pea salsa cook frozen peas as usual.  For 4, blend 1/2 cup each basil & flat leaf parsley, 3 anchovies, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1 tbsp capers, 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp cold water, in the food processor.  Mix half with the drained peas & set aside the rest.  Boil some Agria potatoes & crush lightly with the back of a fork.  Mix through a little olive oil & season.
Brush both sides of the salmon, skinned, with oil & pan fry until cooked the way you like it,  Don't overdo it.  Serve the salmon atop the potatoes, then top with the peas & drizzle over the reserved salsa. 
I had some Chinese greens again & a few sprigs of broccoli & a couple of asparagus stalks so I cooked them the way I told you a few weeks ago & served with sliced pork & egg noodles.  The next day I did the rest of the choy sum, with mushrooms & served with a plain omelette.  Just keep playing around with these greens.  There is so much you can do with them and they are so fresh tasting.  And they look pretty on the plate.  Always a plus. 
We had guests at the weekend and to start served a plate of antipasto.  This included some of the olives we brined ourselves and they were truly delicious.
We then served the chicken & couscous I made not long ago.  This was a good meal for a crowd as you can prepare ahead.  And it was a crowd pleaser - you will note the plate had been disturbed before I got in the photo.   I served it with a green salad.
The piece de resistance though was the pudding.  As you know I can be a bit lazy in this department.  I wanted something light  - it is after all spring, ha ha.  I settled for individual lemon jellies served with lemon curd & meringue.  This was again easy because everything was done ahead.  You could do it a couple of days ahead.
Clarifying the jelly seemed a pain but it was not too bad.  I always freeze left over whites when I separate eggs & I clarify with these.  You can also use this method to clarify your stock & savoury jellies.  I made my jellies in little tin jelly moulds from my childhood.  Top everything off with a small dollop of gently whipped cream and serve with a shot of limoncello.  Of course I have heaps of meringues left.  Any suggestions? 
We picked our first cabbage this week.  They have not been a great success in that a couple bolted and the ones that hearted up are quite small, but they are cabbages & there are only 2 mouths to feed.  We made two meals from this little beauty.
The first night I steamed the cabbage, finely sliced, about 4 minutes, then tipped back into the pan with a knob of butter & a turn or so of the pepper grinder.  We served this with pork fillet & lentils.  It was quite cold here this week and this was a perfect mid-week meal.
The next night we had a coleslaw variation with chicken.  We didn't have any mung beans but used pea sprouts and there was something about it that made it better than I remembered.  More mint maybe.  Or perhaps it was just that deliciously fresh cabbage.
A couple of weeks back in Moore Wilson they had RWC themed macarons.  The black was liquorice & delicious.  Not sure what the blue flavour was but equally delicious and they look so cute. 
Have just been out in the garden and note that peas, rhubarb & broad beans coming along nicely.   I wanted to say "coming soon" but Peter suggests just say "coming".

Tasty tagines and soothing soups

Tagine Saturday has delivered 2 great tagines to date. Both were traditional lamb tagines with fruit and nuts. The first was with dates, almonds and pistachios. Heat olive oil and a knob of butter in your tagine or casserole dish and saute 2 finely chopped onions until golden. Stir in 1 tsp each turmeric & ginger plus 2 tsp cinnamon. Add 1 kg diced lamb & toss to coat. (We always do the full amount and freeze the leftovers.) Add enough boiling water to just cover the meat, bring back to the boil, cover & put in a medium oven for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Add 250g stoned fresh dates & tbsp dark liquid honey. Return to the oven a further 1/2 hour. Season and sprinkle with 2 tbsp each lightly toasted blanched almonds & pistachios plus some flat leaf parsley.
The 2nd tagine includes prunes and apricots. Heat the oil & this time toast 2 tbsp blanched almonds at the beginning, then add 2 red onions finely chopped plus 2-3 cloves garlic, also finely chopped. Stir in 1 chunk of finely chopped ginger, a pinch of saffron, 2 cinnamon sticks & 1 tsp crushed coriander seeds. Add 1 kg diced lamb & toss to coat. Cover with boiling water & put in the oven 1 1/2-2 hours. (The timing could be less or more - just test that your lamb is tender.) At this stage add 1/2 dozen each stoned prunes & dried apricots that have been soaked about an hour & drained. You want the fruit plumped up before you add it. Add some strips of orange zest & return to the oven 15-20 mins. At the end add 1 tbsp dark liquid honey & season then return to the oven for another 10 mins. Sprinkle with flat leaf parsley. Serve your tagine with couscous and a crunchy sharp salad to balance the sweetness. The date one is my favourite so far. Let me know which you prefer.
Apart from indulging with tagines, it has been soup Monday to Sunday in our house as I have been ill and not able to eat much else. I have 2 new soup discoveries you should try.
The first is roasted pumpkin and thyme. Cut up your pumpkin of choice and scoop out the seeds. Rub with oil, season with salt & pepper & roast on a tray in the oven about 30 mins at 200. When cool enough to handle (or immediately if you have my grandma's asbestos fingers) slice away the skin & cut into smallish chunks. Soften a chopped onion in a pan with a little butter or olive oil and a handful of thyme leaves. Add the pumpkin pieces and 1 1/4 litres vegetable stock (or water) with a pinch of salt. Simmer 20 mins or so then cool slightly & blend with more thyme until smooth. Return to the pan with 150ml cream and warm through. Ladle into warm bowls & pile about 25g grated Gruyere or Comte per bowl. Sprinkle over a few more thyme leaves to garnish. This soup is like velvet to eat - and the pumpkin flavour is very intense but enhanced by the thyme.
Lastly the soup you MUST try this week. You will be amazed. Leek, pea & potato. Heat a little oil & butter in a pan and add 2 leeks finely sliced (use the white & tender green parts), 500g floury potatoes chopped into small pieces, 2 cloves garlic, crushed & tsp chopped thyme. When the leeks are well softened, add 5 cups chicken stock & 1 cup of milk. Bring to the boil & simmer abour 30 mins. The milk will curdle but don't worry - you will blend it smooth at the end. Add 3 cups frozen peas & cook a further 5 mins. Blend till smooth then return to heat to warm through & season. So simple, so green and so delicious.
I have been drinking juice for breakfast through the winter. Didn't prevent the flu but it is delicious and more filling than you would imagine. For one person, juice 1-2 oranges, 1 largish carrot, a small piece of ginger and 1/4 betroot.