17/12/2009 by D.

fruit: bananas, Conference pears, kiwi, Gala apples, oranges
veg: spinach, mushrooms, purple sprouting broccoli, carrots, fennel, Ambo potatoes, onions

I feel the need for lots of winter warmers this week and Gluehwein alone will not cut it!  It’s lovely to see the purple sprouting broccoli: I was looking at it longingly in the market, though left it as I try not to get too much extra stuff until it comes through in our boxes.  All broccoli is delicious with pasta and a lemony hollandaise sauce, but with the purple stuff you can also forget the pasta and just dip steamed stems into the sauce as starter.  It’s a good, quick supper dish that has family wide appeal.

We had a chicken this week so I’ll use the stock for a good old French onion soup and will use the spinach and mushrooms in a puy lentil sauce for a veggie lasagne.

I’ve been planning to preserve some lemons so I can make my own tagines very easily; my Christmas task for this week as I’ll make a couple of extra jars as presents.  In the meantime it will have to be a good old stew with the carrots, fennel, potatoes, some stewing beef, a bottle of bishops’ finger… and I may even make some dumplings to go in it.

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13/12/2009 by D.

This is my version of the classic from Nigella Express, teamed with a hearty noodle stir-fry.

For the salmon:
2 tbsp dark soy
1 tbsp muscovado sugar
1 tbsp sherry vinegar, mirrin or vermouth
400g salmon fillet
1 tbsp oil

For the noodles:
4 egg noodle nests (or a pack of fresh spaghetti)
1 ltr boiling water
1/2 Savoy cabbage or beansprouts
3 spring onions
1 fat garlic clove
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp dark soy
1 tbsp light soy
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Making this takes 2o mins in total, but it’s a fairly hectic 20 mins so it pays to be organised.  You’ll need a pan or skillet to fry the salmon, a frying pan or wok with a lid to fry the noodles, and a saucepan of boiling water to cook the noodles in.  Have individual serving bowls warming in the oven and chopsticks at the ready.  To minimise the frying salmon smell, keep the kitchen door shut, fan on, windows open, and have a sink of water ready to plunge the pan into once the salmon is out of it!  If the recipe seems complex: it’s not, you are doing marinated salmon in one pan, and noodles with cabbage in the other.  You could cook the noodle dish first, then reheat if necessary.

Boil the water.  Mix the salmon marinade together and place the salmon in it, skin up.  Cook the noodles in boiling water (4-6 mins), then drain when tender.  Turn the salmon over so the other side can marinate.  Finely chop the cabbage, spring onions and garlic.

Heat the oil in the salmon pan until sizzling and carefully place the salmon in the pan, skin down.  Heat the oil in the noodle frying pan and fry the garlic and onion for a minute.  Add the cabbage and stir, then turn the heat down and cover with a lid.  Turn over the salmon (it should have had 2 - 5 minutes, depending on thickness) and add the marinade.  Stir the cabbage mixture and add the soy sauces and the noodles, then put the lid back on.

Test the salmon.  At this point, I like to remove the skin and break the large fillet into 3 or four pieces (depending on how many people are eating; you can start with individual portions too).  Push on top of the pieces of salmon, they should be ever so slightly springy, but not spongey.  Give them a good coating of the marinade by turning them and swooshing them round the pan.

Add the sesame oil and seeds to the noodles and stir well.  Taste and add further light soy if in need of salt.

To serve, perch a piece of salmon on top of a nest of noodles in each of the warmed bowls.  This sweet, salty and satisfying feast was very, very popular with the whole family, and quickly devoured.

Posted in Muscovado, Sesame oil, Sesame seeds, Chinese, Cabbage, Fish, Spring Onions, Sherry vinegar, Beansprouts, Recipe, Toddler, Weaning, Garlic, Salmon, Savoy cabbage, Egg noodles, Organic Box | Print | No Comments »

10/12/2009 by D.

1 Romanesco cauliflower (or cauliflower or broccoli)
250g macaroni (or chunky pasta)
1 ltr salted boiling water
1/2 pint milk
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups grated strong cheddar
1 tomato or red pepper

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.  Break cauliflower into florets and rinse.  Cook them in the boiling salted water until al dente.  Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and put the pasta into the same water until al dente.  Drain and leave in the pan, adding the cauliflower back in.

Put the milk, flour, butter, nutmeg and mustard into a small pan and heat gently.  Whisk regularly as the sauce cooks.  Pay attention as it comes to boil as it will try and stick to the pan and suddenly thicken.  When this happens, turn off the heat and add 1 cup of cheese, whisking it in.  The sauce needs to be just about pouring consistency.  If it is too thick, add a little more milk or some of the pasta water.

Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and cauliflower and mix well.  Check it for seasoning.  Tip the lot into a shallow, oven proof dish, decorate with sliced tomato and then sprinkle over the rest of the cheese.  Bake in the oven until the top is brown (about 30 mins).

This is everything you want in a pasta bake; cheesy, filling, moreish.  Serve with a lovely fresh green salad with a nice, sharp dressing to cut through the stodge a little.  And it works well with some dry toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds on the side to sprinkle at your leisure.

NB You can cook this really quickly by boiling the pasta and cauliflower together, and whisking up the cheese sauce while they cook, then just grilling the cheesey top, rather than heating the lot through.

Posted in Mustard, Romanesco, Milk, Cheese, Macaroni, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Toddler, Weaning, Recipe, Vegetarian, Pasta, Organic Box | Print | No Comments »

10/12/2009 by D.

fruit: Conference pears, Gala apples, bananas, oranges, Hass avocado
veg: red onions, Ambo potatoes, Romanescu cauliflower, carrots, beetroot, Savoy cabbage, Romero pepper, sweet potatoes, lettuce

The Savoy cabbage and Romanescu cauliflower are so beautiful!  I have put them in a bowl on my kitchen counter as a sort of Winter Vegetable still life.  Even so, cooked they must be.  The cauliflower will go into a Floret pasta bake (a sort of cauliflower macaroni cheese) and the Savoy will become part Minestrone Stew and part chinese noodles to go with glazed salmon steaks (much easier and quicker than it sounds!).

The sweet pototoes will be cut into chips and baked with some sausages for a quick kiddie supper and the carrots, potatoes, beetroot and red onions will become a hearty Borscht.  Lunches this week will be beigels with: avocado and some streaky bacon; chicken live pâté and gherkin; brie and Romero pepper; creamy blue cheese and Conference pear.

Please don’t forget to send me your entries for our competition as there is only one week left.  There will be some hand made truffles up for grabs…

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