Apple sauce
This is great to use with fatty meats such as pork and duck or in desserts. Try and get Bramley apples to make it. They're incredibly tart which works well flavour-wise and they break down to a beautiful thick puree.
Ingredients
5 Bramley apples
50g butter
75g demerara sugar
dash of water
lemon juice to taste
2 pinches cinnamon
Method
Peel, core and slice the apples.
Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the apples, sugar and water and cook gently until the apples are soft and pureed.
Stir in the cinnamon and lemon juice, then transfer to a sterilised jar. Allow to cool before serving.
Roasted tomato soup
The ultimate recipe for tomato soup. You won't buy it from a can ever again!
serves 4
Ingredients
1,5 kg ripe plum tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
2 onions, finely sliced
vegetable stock, about 750ml (we use an organic vegetable cube)
olive oil
salt and pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C. Rinse the tomatoes and cut them in half. Place in a roasting dish together with the garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until the tomatoes are well roasted and they have released their juices.
Heat a large pan with a good glug of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sweat until soft for 7-10 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes with their juices and vegetable stock to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
Blend the soup in a blender or with a stick blender until smooth. Season, if needed with salt and pepper. Reheat the soup and serve as is or with creme fraiche and basil.
Preserved Lemons
Preserved lemons are easy to make. They are used a lot in Middle Eastern and North African cooking to add a citrusy boost to dishes.
Ingredients
4-6 lemons, washed per jar
1 tablespoon salt per lemon
1-2 bay leaves per jar
Method
Sterilise a couple of jars (whatever size you have).
Cut the lemons lengthways into quarters keeping the stalk end on.
Mix them with 1 tablespoon salt per lemon and stuff them into the jars as tightly as you can, add 1-2 bay leaves per jar. Gradually over the course of a few days, liquid will be released from the lemons. The liquid should cover the lemons completely.
At the end of that time they should be refrigerated. The lemons will last for a year if you make sure you use a clean spoon whenever you remove any from the jar. To use, discard the flesh of the lemons and use the rind.
Parsley Root, Apple and Watercress ‘Stamppot’ with Gasconne Steak
When the weather turns cold and wet, we start yearning for comforting and filling dishes. Here, we've taken an old Dutch classic of steak and stamppot and given it a slight twist.
serves 2
Ingredients
1kg floury potatoes
1kg parsley root
1 Elstar apple
1 bunch watercress
2 Gasconne dry aged steaks of 150g each
100g butter
2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
milk (a splash to make the mash creamy)
salt and pepper
Method
Peel the potatoes, parsley root and apple. Cut all into chunks (removing the core from the apple) and place in a pan with water and salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the ingredients are soft.
Drain off the water and return the vegetables to the pan. Using a potato masher, mash them as smooth as you can. Add 60g of the butter and enough milk to make it smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm over a low heat.
Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan over medium heat with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Fry the steak until golden on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Add the remaining butter and allow to turn light brown. Spoon over the steaks.
Transfer the steps to a plate and cover loosely with aluminium foil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Remove the tough stalks from the watercress and roughly chop the leaves. Add to the potatoes and mix through.
Spoon the ‘stamppot’ on to a serving plates and set the steak on the side. Add any juices that have gathered from resting the steak to the butter in the pan, reheat gently and spoon over the steaks. Serve with the wholegrain mustard.
voor 2 personen
Ingrediënten
1kg kruimige aardappelen
1kg peterselie wortel
1 Elstar appel
1 bos waterkers
2 Gasconne dry aged kogelbiefstuk van 150 gr per stuk
100gr boter
2 eetlepels grove mosterd
3 eetlepels olijfolie
melk (een scheutje om de puree smeuig te maken)
zout en peper
Bereiding
Schil de aardappelen, peterseliewortel en appel. Snijd ide groenten in grove stukken (verwijder het klokhuis van de appel) en doe ze in een pan water met zout. Breng aan de kook en laat 15-20 mintuten zachtjes koken totdat de groenten zacht zijn.
Giet het water van de groenten af. Stamp ze fijn met een aardappelstamper. Voeg 60 gr boter toe en genoeg melk toe om het smeuig te maken. Breng op smaak met zout en peper en houd warm op een laag vuurtje.
Bestrooi de biefstuk met zout en peper. Verwarm een koekenpan op medium vuur met 3 eetlepels olijfolie. Bak de biefstuk goudbruin, 2 minuten aan elke kant. Voeg de resterende boter toe en laat licht bruin worden. Lepel de boter af en toe over de biefstuk.
Leg de biefstuks op een bord en dek licht af met een stukje aluminiumfolie en laat 5 minuten rusten. Verwijder de grove steeltjes van de waterkers en snijd de waterkers grof. Voeg toe aan de stamppot en roer er goed doorheen.
Lepel de stamppot op 2 borden en leg de biefstuk ernaast. Voeg sappen die op het bord van de biefstuks liggen, toe aan de koekenpan, warm lichtjes op en lepel over de biefstuks. Serveer met de grove mosterd.
Pumpkin & apple chutney
If you happen to be passing a farm store, pumpkins and apples are fully available. Make this delicious apple and pumpkin chutney to enjoy through the winter with curries, cold cuts and cheese.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
100g ginger, peeled and sliced into thin strips
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
15 cardamom pods, smashed open
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
5 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 kg pumpkin, peeled and cut into small cubes
500g Bramley apples, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
500g light brown sugar
300ml cider vinegar
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan, then gently fry the onions until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli, cardamom, cinnamon, mustard and cumin seeds and turmeric and fry together for 5 minutes.
Add the pumpkin and apples to the pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the ingredients are softened.
Stir in the sugar and let it melt around the vegetables. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour in the vinegar, season with 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring regularly for about 30 minutes or until the apple has cooked down and the pumpkin pieces are tender. There should be a little syrupiness in the pan.
Spoon into sterilised jars and seal. They chutney can be eaten straight away or left to mature in a dark place. Store for up to six months.
Sauerkraut
It's easier than you think to make your own sauerkraut. Have your own supply right through the cold months.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
1,2 kg finely shredded white cabbage
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
5 teaspoons fine salt
Method
Place the finely shredded cabbage in a large bowl together with the caraway and salt. Using your hands, knead and squeeze the cabbage for about 10 minutes until the appearance and texture change and water begins seeping from the cabbage.
Place in a jar or container, weight it down and cover with a muslin cloth. Allow to ferment for at least 5 days. This will be a very young sauerkraut. Ferment up to 2 weeks until you have reached your desired strength of flavour.
Place into sterilised jars, cover with a lid and keep in the fridge for up to 6 months.
Click on the link below to see how to mix the cabbage:
Bulgur Salad with Roasted Carrot and Tenderstem Broccoli
Enjoy a relaxed Sunday and end it with a healthy and exciting salad, sipping a glass of wine and watching the sun slowly dip into the horizon.
English
serves 2
Ingredients
200g bulgur wheat
2 carrots
300g tenderstem broccoli
1 bunch mint
75g pecan nuts
1 lime
5 tablespoons pomegranate syrup
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
Method
Preheat an oven to 200°C. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Peel the carrot and finely slice diagonally. Cut the hard stalk ends off the broccoli.
Place the carrot and broccoli, 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper in a roasting dish and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes.
Place the bulgur in the pan of boiling water and simmer until cooked, about 10-12 minutes. Drain off the water from the bulgur.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast the pecan nuts until golden. Pick the mint leaves and finely slice into thin strips.
Roughly chop the pecan nuts. Mix the roasted vegetables with half the mint and lime juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the salad on to a plate, sprinkle over the remaining mint and pecan nuts and drizzle the pomegranate syrup over.
Nederlands
voor 2 personen
Ingrediënten
200gr bulgur
2 wortelen
300gr bimi
1 bosje munt
75 gr pecannoten
1 limoen
5 eetlepels granaatappelsiroop
4 eetlepels o lijfolie
zouten peper
Bereiding
Warm de oven voor op 200 C. Breng een pannetje water met zout aan de kook. Schil de wortel en snijd in dunne schuine plakjes. Snijd de harde uiteinden van de bimi af.
Doe de wortel samen met de bimi, 3 eetlepels olijfolie, zout en peper in een ovenschaaltje, rooster in de oven voor 15 minuten.
Doe de bulgur in het pannetje met kokend water en kook gaar in ongeveer 10-12 minuten. Giet water af van de bulgur af.
Verwarm een koekenpan op medium vuur met 1 eetlepel olijfolie, rooster hierin de pecannoten goudbruin. Pluk de blaadjes van de munt en hak fijn in dunne reepjes.
Hak de pecannoten grof. Meng de geroosterde groenten door de bulgur met de helft van de munt en sap van limoen naar smaak, zout en peper. Schep de salade op het bord, bestrooi met de resterende munt en pecannoten, drizzel er granaatappelsiroop overheen.
Chilli Duck Stir Fry
With the end of summer nearing, we're still looking to eat light dishes but now with a little spice to warm us. We've added duck to this stir fry instead of the usual beef, pork or chicken for something a little different.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 duck breast of 350g
1 red chilli
1 small bunch basil
2 tablespoons chilli bean sauce
200g jasmine rice
2 bok choy
3 tablespoons sesame oil or olive oil
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
salt and pepper
Method
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the jasmine rice. Simmer gently until cooked, about 12 minutes. Drain the rice off through a sieve and keep the rice warm over a low heat by placing the sieve above the pan filled with a layer of water and covering with a lid. Finely chop the red chilli; cut off and discard the base of the bok choy and chop the rest into 2 cm-thick pieces.
Season the duck breast with salt and pepper. Make diagonal scores into the duck fat, being careful not to cut into the meat.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat and fry the duck breast, fat side down, until golden (until the fat is almost all rendered down). Turn the duck over and fry for a further 1 minute. Set aside on a plate and cover with aluminium foil.
Heat a wok over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive or sesame oil. Stir fry the boy choy for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the duck breast and add to the wok together with the chilli bean sauce.
Stir the basil leaves through the bok choy. Divide the rice between 2 bowls. Spoon over the duck stir fry and serve.
voor 2 personen
Ingrediënten
1 eendenborstfilet van 350gr
1 rode chilipeper
1 klein bosje basilicum
2 eetlepels chili beansaus
200gr jasmijnrijst
2 paksoi
3 eetlepels sesamolie of olijfolie
1-2 eetlepels sojasaus
zout en peper
Bereiding
Breng een pannetje water met zout aan de kook en kook de jasmijnrijst in 12 minuten gaar. Giet het water van de rijst af door een zeef en houd warm boven een pannetje met kokend water. Snijd chilipeper fijn. Snijd onderkant van paksoi af, snijd daarna in grove stukken van 2 cm dik.
Bestrooi de eendenfilet met zout en peper. Snijd vetkant diagonaal in, pas op dat je met het snijden niet door het rode vlees gaat.
Verwarm een koekenpan op medium vuur en bak hierin de eendenfilet op vetzijde goudbruin (totdat vet bijna uitgebakken is). Draai filet daarna om en bak nog 1 minuut. Zet opzij op een bordje afgedekt met aluminiumfolie.
Verwarm de wok op medium vuur met 2 eetlepels olijfolie of sesamolie.Wok de paksoi voor 5 minuten. Snijd de eendenfilet in dunne plakjes en voeg toe aan de wok samen met chili beansaus.
Verdeel de rijs tover 2 kommen. Schep de basilicumblaadjes door de paksoi. Verdeel de stir-fry over de rijst en serveer.
green tomato chutney
A perfect way to preserve fresh green tomatoes. Serve with cheese or cold cuts.
Ingredients
1,5 kg green tomatoes, roughly chopped
600g light brown sugar
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
7 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
700ml malt or cider vinegar
salt, to taste
Method
Place all the ingredients into a large, heavy based can over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook for about 50 minutes until the chutney has thickened.
Pour the hot chutney into sterilised jars and seal.
Stuffed Tomatoes
Tomatoes are incredibly versatile and are at the best towards the end of summer when they have had time to absorb the sun's rays and become beautifully ripe and flavourful.
English
serves 2
Ingredients
4 beef steak tomatoes
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
20g panko
3 sprigs thyme
1 small bunch chives
400g minced veal
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley
50g grated Parmesan
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
Method
Preheat an oven to 210°C. Finely chop the shallot and garlic. Heat a frying pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sweat the shallot for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for a further 1 minute.
Slice off the top of the tomatoes (this is the lid) and set aside. Scoop out the flesh and finely chop.
Finely chop the chives and parsley. Pick the thyme leaves from the stalks. In a bowl mix the shallot, garlic, panko, thyme and half the chives and parsley with the minced veal and season with salt and pepper. Fill the tomatoes with the meat mixture.
Place the chopped tomato flesh in a roasting dish and place the tomatoes on top. Replace the lids on the already stuffed tomatoes and bake in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven and sprinkle over the grated Parmesan, parsley and chives and serve.
Nederlands
voor 2 personen
Ingrediënten
4 coeur de boeuf tomaten
1 sjalotje
1 teentje knoflook
20gr panko
3 takjes tijm
1 bosje bieslook
400gr kalfsgehakt
1 bosje bladpeterselie
50gr geraspte Parmezaan
4 eetlepels olijfolie
zout en peper
Bereiding
Verwarm de oven voor op 210 C. Snijd knoflookteentje en sjalotje fijn. Verwarm een koekenpannetje met 1 eetlepel olijfolie en smoor hierin het sjalotje 2 minuten en voeg dan knoflook toe voor nog eens 1 minuut.
Snijd het kapje van de tomaten af en zet opzij. Haal het vruchtvlees uit de tomaten en hak het fijn.
Hak de bieslook en peterselie fijn. Pluk de blaadjes van de takjes tijm. Meng de sjalot, knoflook, panko, tijm, de ½ van de bieslook en peterselie door het gehakt in een kom. Breng op smaak met zout en peper.
Doe het vruchtvlees in de ovenschaal en zet de tomaten er bovenop. Zet de deksels van de tomaten op de gevulde tomaten en zet de schaal in de oven voor 20-30 minuten.
Haal de tomaten uit de oven en rasp er Parmezaan overheen. Verdeel ze over 2 borden.