Recipe: Pumpkin & Apple Compote

This most versatile of recipes can be eaten at any time of day - as breakfast, snack or pudding. It’s a great way of using up autumnal fruits, the version I made pictured above uses up pumpkin flesh left over from Halloween along with windfall apples - did you know that around 180,000 tonnes of pumpkin are thrown away each year (Guardian)?

The compote can be eaten on its own, perhaps accompanied with yoghurt; added to cereals, muesli or granola at breakfast time; and it also makes the perfect fruit base for a crumble.

In the recipe below I’ve included details of how to make the crumble topping if you wish to use some or all of the compote in this way. It also stores in the fridge for a good few days so you can come back to it and use it in different ways. This recipe is refined-sugar free, and can be made vegan by replacing the honey with maple syrup, and gluten free by using GF oats.

I cooked this recipe for breakfast with Alex Geldenhuys of New Dawn Traders for Episode 9 of my podcast, Breakfast & Beyond. Do take a listen!

I hope you enjoy x

Recipe: Pumpkin & Apple Compote

Serves 8 (8 generous compote portions, or with crumble topping added, 8 portions of crumble)

Ingredients:

• 400g pumpkin, peeled, seeds removed, cut into bite-size pieces

• 500g apples, cored & cut into bite-size pieces

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• Few shavings fresh ginger (or 1 tsp ground ginger)

• 80g raisins (or other soft fruit eg dates or apricots, chopped into small pieces)

• 100g honey (or maple syrup for vegan version)

• 400ml water

• 1 lemon

• 2 tsp chia seeds

If you wish to make a Pumpkin & Apple Crumble, for the topping you will need:

• 300g oats

• 100g mixed nuts, roughly chopped

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 100g honey (or maple syrup)

• 80ml sunflower oil

To make the compote:

1. Place pumpkin and apple pieces in a large saucepan, add the water, cinnamon, ginger, raisins, honey and juice of the lemon. Stir well, bring to the boil then turn down heat and simmer for approx 20 minutes until pumpkin and apple have softened, but still keep their shape.

2. Remove from the heat, add the lemon’s zest along with the chia seeds, allow to sit for 10 minutes.

3. The compote will be ready in 10 minutes once the chia seeds have absorbed some of the liquid. You can eat it straight away, cool it and refrigerate, or place it in the base of a baking dish and add the crumble topping. You may wish to eat it on its own, add to cereals or muesli, or serve with yoghurt or ice cream - great as a breakfast or a pudding!

4. If making a crumble: preheat oven to 180C. Warm honey and sunflower oil together in a saucepan. In a large bowl mix the oats, nuts and cinnamon, then pour over the honey and sunflower oil when melted, stir well. Spread the compote mixture in the bottom of a baking dish, add the crumble on top, bake in the oven for approx 30 minutes until the top turns golden.

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Pumpkin seeds

It always feels like a waste discarding the seeds from a pumpkin (then buying in pumpkin seeds in plastic wrapping from a health food shop …) so I’ve taken to drying and toasting my own. Here’s are basic steps to prepared pumpkin seeds; once they have been dried, I love to toast them in a frying pan (with no oil) to add on top of porridge (see my Pumpkin Porridge recipe), or for a tasty snack you can add a drizzle of oil plus salt and/or spices and roast them briefly in the oven.

1. Scoop out seeds from pumpkin, and remove any pith from around the seeds

2. Place seeds in a pan of salted water, simmer for 10 minutes

3. Drain seeds then space out on baking tray and place in oven set at low heat (100 C) for approx 40 minutes

4. Remove from oven, leave to cool then place in container or jar until you are ready to use them

Spring recipe: Asparagus Dip

This subtle, creamy recipe is a lovely alternative to enjoying asparagus stems whole if, like me, you tend to over dose on asparagus during it’s short local spring season! It’s also a great way of using up the stalks if you have included the softer tips in another recipe. You can use every part of the asparagus stem that has some ‘give’ in it, except any completely hard, woody, bits at the bottom - so a good one for zero waste cooking!

The cashews need to be soaked at least two hours in advance (and can be overnight), then the recipe can be made in advance of when it is going to be eaten and stored in the fridge.

I served this dip to accompany Magnolia Petals with Marinated Veg for breakfast in Episode 4 of my podcast, Breakfast & Beyond.

I hope you enjoy!

Recipe: Asparagus Dip

Serves 6 - 8 with a generous dollop, or less as a more substantial part of a dish

Ingredients:

• 200g asparagus, I use St Enodoc Asparagus

• 100g cashew nuts

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Zest of 1/2 a lemon

• Small handful fresh spring herbs, including stalks - I used parsley - roughly torn

• Small handful wild garlic, roughly torn

• Generous pinch of salt, I use Cornish Sea Salt

• Cracked pepper

Method:

1. Place the cashew nuts in a bowl, cover generously with water and leave to soak for minimum two hours, or overnight, then drain and set aside.

2. Cut the asparagus stalks into small, bite-size pieces, using all but any completely hard, woody ends. Separate the softer tops from the harder parts of the stem - the softer tops will need less time cooking.

3. Bring a pan of water to simmer, add the harder pieces of asparagus stem and simmer for three minutes then remove from heat and add the softer pieces of asparagus tops. Leave the asparagus to sit in the hot water for five minutes then drain, refresh with cold water, and set aside.

4. Place the drained cashews in a food processor and blitz for approx 1 minute until well broken down. Add the asparagus, blitz again. Add in lemon zest, wild garlic, fresh herbs and blitz to combine, then pour the olive oil in as blitzing to form a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper, blitz to combine, then adjust seasoning and olive oil until you reach the desired consistency and flavour.

5. Pour into a bowl and serve immediately, or store with a lid on in the fridge for a few days.

Recipe: Marinated Spring Veg on Magnolia Petals

This dainty recipe embodies the lightness of spring, inspired by the shapes, colours and textures of magnolia petals which serve as beautiful ‘boats’ for the marinated vegetables. I served these for breakfast in Episode 4 of my podcast Breakfast & Beyond, accompanied by an Asparagus Dip. I love the pairing with the dip - asparagus being another of my springtime heroes - and the more subtle flavours and softer bite of the dip works well alongside the crunch of the vegetables. As with most of my breakfast recipes, it works equally as well for brunch, lunch, supper .. or a lovely option for canapés with an al fresco evening drink.

I made this recipe just as the St Enodoc Asparagus were appearing here in Cornwall, and simultaneously the magnolia tree in our garden was in full bloom. The marinated vegetables that I used can be substituted for any other spring veg you have available locally or needs using up, that can be eaten raw.

The quantities below may leave you with a little left over veg depending upon the size of your magnolia petals - great to use up in a separate dish.

Check guidelines for safe magnolia petals to eat, and be sure to stick to foraging guidelines.

Recipe: Marinated Spring Veg on Magnolia Petals

Serves 4 - based on 2 filled magnolia petals per person.
I like to double the quantities of the marinated veg and have half left over for another dish!

Ingredients:

For the marinated vegetables - make at least 2 hours in advance, the day before if possible

• 125g cauliflower, including stalks

• 80g purple sprouting broccoli, florets and stalks

• 60g celeriac

• 1 chilli

• Small handful wild garlic (or 1 clove garlic)

• 2 lemons, zest and juice

• 100ml extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp harissa

• 1 tbsp capers

• Sea salt & cracked pepper

For the rest

• 1 tbsp fresh mint, leaves & stalks, reserving the tops of a few sprigs to garnish

• 1 desert spoon tahini

• 1 desert spoon tamari (or soy) sauce

• 1 desert spoon maple syrup (or local runny honey)

• 8 large magnolia petals

Method:

1. Cut the cauliflower and purple sprouting broccoli into small, bite-size pieces, place into a medium sized bowl.

2. Grate the celeriac and add to the bowl with the cauliflower and broccoli and mix well.

3. Grate the lemon juice into the bowl then finely chop the chilli and add in, stir well.

4. Measure the olive oil into a jug, then add the lemon juice, harissa and generous sprinkling of salt along with cracked pepper. Stir, then pour over the vegetables. Add the capers and mix all together well ensure the vegetables are well coated with the sauce. Place a lid or plate on top of the bowl and place in a cool area or fridge for minimum two hours. If leaving for longer than a couple of hours, stir a few times to re-cover the top vegetables with marinade.

5. To prepare for serving, pick the magnolia petals and ensure they are clean and dry. If the vegetables have been stored in the fridge remove them so they warm a little.

6. In a cup mix together the tahini, tamari and maple syrup.

7. Pick the top of the mint sprigs to use as garnish, finely chop the remaining leaves and stalks, add to the bowl of vegetables and stir through, re-coating the vegetables with the marinade.

8. Use a culinary brush to coat the inside of each magnolia petal with the tahini, tamari and maple syrup mixture.

9. Spoon the marinated vegetables inside the magnolia petals, top with a sprig of mint and cracked pepper.

Serving suggestions: The petals can be served on individual plates or one large plate, canapé style. They can be eaten with a knife and fork, or by hand. I like to serve these with my Asparagus Dip.

Recipe: Swede Rostis with Wild Garlic, Kale & Mint Tzatziki

I love this dish - the ingredients are somewhat surprising for breakfast (swede and kale, anyone?!) although granted it’s also a perfect brunch, lunch or supper recipe. Based on springtime seasonal ingredients, the deeper flavours of the swede set off beautifully against the mixed spice; and the tangy wild garlic, roasted kale and mint are a light and zingy accompaniment - as is the sorrel on top which can be substituted for any other leaf or herb you have available.

Recipe: Swede Rostis with Wild Garlic, Kale & Mint Tzatziki

Serves 4 as a breakfast / brunch (makes approx 12 small rostis / 3 rostis per person) or serves 2 as a main

Ingredients:

For the rostis

• 300g swede, washed & grated

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard

• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for frying

• 1 tbsp tamari (or soy) sauce

• 1 tbsp flour (can use gluten free if required)

• Cornish Sea Salt & cracked pepper

For the tzatziki

• 200g yogurt (or dairy free alternative)

• 50g kale, chopped into small pieces

• Handful wild garlic

• 2 sprigs mint

• Splash of olive oil

• Cornish sea salt

Optional, to garnish

• Small handful sorrel leaves

• Finely chopped fresh chilli

Method:

1. Heat oven to 180C.

2. Prepare the rostis: grate the swede and place in a mixing bowl along with the finely chopped onion. Add the rest of the rosti ingredients and stir so well combined then set aside.

3. Spread out the finely chopped kale on a baking tray, drizzle over olive oil, sprinkle with salt, give the tray a shake then place in the oven for approx 5 minutes so kale turns a vibrant green then just starts to brown. Remove tray from oven and kale set aside to cool. Turn the oven right down so set at warming temperature and place the baking tray back inside.

4. Finely chop the wild garlic and mint, and add to a bowl along with the yogurt and cooled kale. Add a glug of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, mix well.

5. Place a large glug of oil in a frying pan and warm at a medium heat.

6. While oil is warming, bring the bowl with the rosti mixture beside the frying pan and use a desert spoon to take a spoonful in the palm of your hands, squeeze it together to create a ball then flatten between your palms. Place in frying pan then repeat, leaving space to flip each rosti with a spatula. Depending upon the size of your saucepan you will likely cook the rostis in 2 to 3 batches.

7. Cook each rosti for approx 3 - 5 minutes each side, until turning dark golden in colour. Flip with a spatula when one side is cooked and repeat other side. When the first batch are cooked, place them on the baking tray and put them back in the oven to stay warm until all are ready.

8. When final batch are cooked, serve rostis on plates with a dollop of tzatziki and garnish with fresh sorrel leaves

Recipe: Blackcurrant jam (sugar free)

I made this jam in December with some frozen blackcurrants picked from my Mum’s garden in Lostwithiel during late summer. They are a treat to come to once the rush of summer berries has ebbed away. I wanted to make it processed-sugar free; balancing that with the tartness of blackcurrants makes for an interesting challenge, the bass notes of the bay leaf work to mellow the tangy top-note flavours. The kids step in as very handy taste-testers here - brutally honest and inclined towards the sweet! They’ve given it the thumbs up and have been spreading it thick on fresh baked bread.

Without the sugar, the jam won’t last as long - keep your jar in the fridge and use within approx five days.

Recipe: Blackcurrant jam (processed sugar free)

Makes 1 small jar

Ingredients:

• 300g blackcurrants, fresh or frozen

• 3 tbsp local honey

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• Few shavings fresh ginger

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 1/2 tbsp chia seeds

• 3 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Sterilise your jar in preparation for making the jam.

2. Place the blackcurrants, honey, cinnamon, ginger and bay leaf in a saucepan along with a splash of water. Simmer for approximately 8 minutes until blackcurrants have softened but there some are still holding their shape.

3. Remove saucepan from heat. Add in chia seeds and vanilla extract, stir to combine then allow to cool.

4. When cool remove the bay leaves then pour the jam into the jar.

Recipe: Honey & Rosemary Roasted Nuts

These nuts have become a regular feature of our festive holidays and a perfect post-winter-swim beach snack. They are incredibly simple to make, our kids love getting involved, and the rosemary offers a welcome wintery, woody flavour. You can swap in different types of nuts according to preferences and what’s lurking in the store cupboard, as well as playing around with additions such as cinnamon and ginger. Be warned - they are highly moreish!

Recipe: Honey & Rosemary Roasted Nuts

Ingredients:

• 500g nuts of your choice - we use a mixture

• 100g local honey

• 1 tbsp rapeseed (or alternative) oil

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• Sprinkling of sea salt

• Handful of rosemary sprigs

Method:

1. Warm oven to 180C.

2. Pour the honey and oil into a saucepan, warm over a low heat until melted.

3. Place the nuts in a large baking tray. Pour the honey and oil over the nuts and mix well.

4. Sprinkle the cinnamon and salt over the nuts, stir to combine and spread the nuts out so they are in an even layer (or use two baking trays). Lay the rosemary sprigs on top.

5. Bake in the oven for approx 15 - 20 minutes until turning golden in colour, giving the baking tray a good shake half way through to ensure they aren’t burning.

6. Leave to cool - then enjoy!

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Sustainable Recipes?

I have a question for you: What is a recipe?
(a) a set of rules for preparing a food dish that states the ingredients to be used, along with how to use them
(b) suggested ingredients along with guidance on process, for creating a food dish

I was pondering this question last night as I scribbled all over a recipe, noting the herbs, vegetables and pulses I’d swapped in to a suppertime dish so that in the future I could remember what I’d used, and reflect on how the textures and flavours had worked together.

So I looked up the definition of a ‘recipe’:
“A set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required” (Google).

Reading this definition led me to question: what is the purpose of a recipe? And: does the way in which we perceive recipes make a contribution to the sustainability of how we eat?

Undoubtedly we utilise recipes in different ways and on different occasions according to, for example, our desire to go off-piste or stick to the rules, which could reflect a love of being creative cooking or a desire to simply ‘get food on the table’ (and I know for me it’s sometimes the former and sometimes the latter); our confidence with adaptation, which may depend upon how familiar with are with a recipe’s genre; our time - for meal planning and ingredient shopping as well as cooking; along with a host of other factors, not least the extent to which we think the recipe requires strict adherence to the rules in order to ‘work’. So clearly there are many dimensions at play in terms of how we, for any particular meal, follow a recipe.

There are no shortage of recipe books and blogs (my blog included, I recognise!) all offering different formulae for creating dishes by following a set of rules for pairing and manipulating ingredients. Yet does the way we interpret the purpose of a recipe play a role in the sustainability of our cooking and eating habits?

Let’s take the dictionary definition of a recipe above, which includes the words ‘instruction’ and ‘required’. Instructions can be carried out as intended or not but sound pretty directive, and ‘required’ has a fairly emphatic tone to it. This seems to sum up how, I think, many of us tend to perceive recipes: there to be strictly followed (point (a) above) rather than a draft idea to be interpreted creatively (point (b)). And for good reason, because clearly if we don’t follow the recipe strictly, we’re not going to end up with an exact replication of what the recipe writer intended. But for me two questions stem from this:

1. Does the recipe always turn out exactly as shown (perhaps this is just me ….)?
2. Do we really want to follow it strictly, and can taking a more flexible approach to recipes increase the sustainability as well as creativity of our cooking?

Let’s take a look at factors that contribute to the sustainability of a recipe, which in turn influences the sustainability of our eating habits. These might include:

• Are seasonal ingredients used, especially in relation to fresh produce. Are the fresh ingredients that are listed grouped together seasonally within individual recipes (eg blackberries and apples in autumn; elderflower and strawberries in summer)?

• Is it possible to acquire the ingredients locally (which clearly depends upon the location of intended readership) or for example are bananas paired with wild garlic (ok, ok, so I haven’t ever seen a recipe that does, but you get my point …)?

• To what extend is a ‘zero waste’ approach taken to the dish ie encouraging the use of the whole of plants (where edible) for example using potato skins, carrot tops or broccoli stalks within a recipe?

And …

• Are we encouraged to get creative with the recipe and treat it as flexible? Which can have the effects of: using up what we already have at home to prevent older items going to waste; reducing the need to buy particular items just for the quantities required within recipe, the remainder of which might then rot (meat or vegetables?) or sit in our cupboards unused again for years (spices?) which increases the financial and environmental costs of what we eat.

Consider this:

We throw about 10.2 million tonnes of food waste in the UK each year, most of which comes from within our homes, creating in excess of 20 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (Which).

In an era where there are cook books, blogs, social media posts and apps aplenty (which is great testimony to the revival of interest in preparing meals from scratch) can we be doing more to promote a zero waste / use up / cook seasonally approach to the food we eat through the recipes that are shared?

Fresh veg at my local market garden, the Real Food Garden. Image - John Hersey.

As someone who (very embryonically) shares simple recipes through my work and blog (and just to be clear, I make no claim to any formal food training or expert knowledge, other than a lot of time spent and love for playing in the kitchen) I realise how exciting it is to create a recipe that feels truly unique in the pairing or processes that it describes. That excitement fuels the creative drive, develops new directions in what and how we eat and is most certainly not to be criticised; but equally can the excitement of the ‘new’ manifest not only in the set of rules embodied within a recipe, but also in the joy of it’s realisation in a myriad of different ways within people’s homes, according to their taste preferences, time, budget, the contents of their fridge and the fresh food that are in season at that time?

How can we actively encourage and support the notion of a recipe as draft form, and encourage a more sustainable approach to interpreting it within home kitchens? I was lucky enough to chat about this topic with chef Jamie Park of Frog by Adam Handling earlier in the year, who commented, “If you’re trying to create a signature restaurant dish then absolutely, you need to stick to a recipe; but there is a sense that people are almost afraid to start moving away [from the strictures of a recipe]. Recipes need to be seen as guidelines.”

Taste testing with Jamie Park & James Strawbridge, Chateau Takeover. Image - John Hersey.

At the risk of suggesting that recipes should be so full of adaptations and variations that they become vague and unmanageable, there are some brilliant examples of flexibility emerging within the recipe-sharing sphere within books, blogs and apps; some of these techniques that are being used by some of my foodie sustainability heroes include:

1. Referencing ‘flexi swaps’ (ie other foods that could be swapped in for different ingredients to eat up what you have at home, or swap in a seasonal ingredient) and indicating parts of foods that can be eaten and are normally discarded, as Melissa Hemsely does in her brilliant book ‘Eat Green’, in which she also dedicates sections of the introduction to topics of food waste and seasonal eating.

2. Offering encouragement to take recipes as a starting point then adapt them, as James Strawbridge does in his book ‘The Artisan Kitchen’, writing in the introduction “[I’ve] offered possibilities for you to experiment with … start by mastering the basics, then practice the classics, and finally let your flair and creativity come out to play”.

3. Framing a recipe book around the seasons, so it’s easy to select recipes according to the fresh produce that is likely to be available locally. There is, rather wonderfully, a surge in interest in seasonal eating and books such as Tommy Banks’ ‘Roots’ locate all of their recipes within a specific season to celebrate the produce and encourage use of locally grown food.

4. Creating physical space for creativity within recipes, whether space around the recipes to be scribbled on (surely I’m not the only one?) and I was insanely excited to see that the Deliciously Ella app has a ‘notes’ section connected with each recipe so you can mark down your amendments to refer back to.

It may not be going to change the world on its own, but perhaps swapping in a locally grown autumn raspberry in place of an imported strawberry when interpreting a recipe in October, or finishing up a packet of oregano instead of placing a food order or making a trip simply to buy some Za’atar for one particular recipe (I do realise this may be sacrilege-speak to some!) could form part of a cultural shift that helps to reduce the environmental footprint of what we eat.

Has anyone else bought store cupboard ingredients, as specified in a recipe, that are used once then linger for a couple of years?

And so it seems to me that recipes can play a part in the sustainability of how we eat - through how recipes are framed (the message that sits alongside them in cook books, blogs, social media etc) as well as the manner in which they are written - set in stone, or with notes, swap-ins and adaptations encouraged within the structure of the recipe. We can still hold onto the uniqueness of the recipe as it is presented, and acknowledge that some recipes are more ‘adaptable’ than others, but also celebrate the joy of the many unique manifestations of the recipe as it is interpreted flexibly in different homes.

After all, nothing’s really ‘new’. Food for thought …

Autumn Recipe: Blackberry Jam, Sugar Free

Blackberry season is well and truly here - the time of year when there’s a role reversal and the kids are pressuring me to head out for a walk for some hedgerow snacks!

Blackberry jam is a seasonal staple in our household, but this year I wanted to try a sugar free version. I normally try to cook processed sugar free, and jam is one of the exceptions I make, mainly for the preservative qualities. But with the kids (and me) not having consumed much processed sugar during lockdown - eating almost exclusively from home - I was reluctant to start feeding them 50/50 fruit/sugar jam - not least because the rest of the sugar free cooking we do will suddenly seem less tasty!

This simple recipe is a variation of my blackberry compote, just simmered a little longer and with more chia seeds added at the end to absorb the liquid and create the ‘jam’ texture. The same recipe makes a beautiful compote with a little less cooking and half the amount of chia seeds. So far we’re our family are loving it spread thick on toast, or paired with yogurt as a pudding.

I may well still make some jam with sugar to see us through the winter, but for now this recipe is proving popular for breakfast ad beyond. I’d love to know your thoughts - I hope you enjoy!

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Recipe: Blackberry Jam, Sugar Free

Makes 2 small/medium size jars of jam

Ingredients:

• 600g blackberries, washed

• 4 tbsp honey (local if possible)

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• Few gratings fresh ginger (or 1tsp dried ginger)

• 3 tsp chia seeds

• 1tsp vanilla extract

Method:

• Begin by preparing your glass jars, washing and sterilising.

• Place blackberries, honey, cinnamon and ginger in a pan and add a splash of water.

• Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, checking and stirring regularly, until there is just a small amount of liquid left around in the pan.

• Remove from heat, add chia seeds and vanilla extract. Stir well and leave to cool.

• When cool place in glass jars.

Keeps for approximately one week in the fridge.

Recipe: Spring Smoothie Bowl

My all-time favourite breakfast is a bowl full of smoothie - cramming in all the goodies such as seasonal veg or leaves from the garden, fruits - whether picked fresh, delivered or frozen - with plenty of nuts and seeds to boost the density and depth of flavour. Topped with muesli and perhaps some fresh fruits if I have to hand, it is my go-to.

Our smoothie bowl is different every day according to what’s in the larder, fridge, freezer and garden - and the joy of smoothies is that they are so utterly versatile - so mix things up and in so doing use up any leftovers or what you have to hand.

The forget-me-not flowers that add a pop of colour to the bowl grow easily in many of our gardens at this time of year felt like a poignant reminder - let’s not forget this time we’re in right now during lockdown, let’s commit to learn from it and try to hold onto any positive changes it has invoked in our lives.

Spring Smoothie Bowl

Makes approx 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup (approx 130g) frozen berries

• 1 stalk rhubarb, chopped into small pieces

• 2 chard leaves, roughly torn or chopped

• Handful spinach or other greens

• Handful flaked coconut

• 2 tbsp yogurt

• Small handful raisins

• Handful nuts - any you have available

• 1 tbsp seeds - any you have available eg linseed, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, chia

• Few shavings fresh ginger

• Few leaves fresh mint

• 200ml boiled water (boiled water helps to soften the frozen berries)

• 100ml almond milk (or other milk of your choice eg cows, coconut)

• Optional: muesli to sprinkle on top

• Optional: fresh fruits for on top

• Optional: edible flowers such as forget-me-nots to decorate your smoothie bowl

Method:

• Place all ingredients in a blender and whizz up until smooth

• Serve with optional toppings such as muesli, fresh fruits and edible flowers

Recipe: “Croque Fourrage”

This recipe is so easy to make and hugely versatile according to what you have available. I stepped out for a foraging walk along the lanes with the kids to see what we could find. I have found it such a joy during this phase of lockdown living to be able to walk through fields and woodlands taking time to identify and then utilise more of the wild bounty that surrounds us; something I’ve always had great intention to do yet never quite made enough time for. I do realise how very lucky we are to have deserted lanes to walk in, being located here on the farm and for that we are all truly grateful.

We are also hugely grateful to our wonderful local suppliers who are still safely delivering their produce, for this recipe I used Baker Tom sourdough (they are doing a weekly delivery to our local community centre car park), and Cornish Gouda from along the lanes.

The beauty of this recipe is simplicity and adaptability - have fun of foraging for whatever you can find (if you have access to a garden or the countryside on your doorstep) but of course you can also use bought vegetables and salad items to create your recipe.

I personally love the flavours of gently wilted primrose leaves as the base of a side salad, then sorrel, wild garlic and young hawthorn leaves are delicious raw, topped with toasted seeds, a simple dressing, mint leaves if you have any in your garden, and edible flowers. For the foraged plants to cook on top of the cheese, I love the nutty taste of nettle along with wild garlic, sticky willy, dandelion leaves and penny wort. Wild Food UK has a great online guide (and handy guidebook) if you’d like some help with identification. Please also see notes on foraging guidelines below.

Whether you’re able to get out for a foraging walk or simply make this at home using up some salad and veggie leftovers, I hope you have fun creating and eating this recipe
Tia x

“Croque Fourrage”

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 large slices bread - I used sourdough

• 150g / few handfuls of sliced cheese, enough to cover well each slice of bread. I used mature Cornish Gouda.

• Few handfuls foraged leaves - some to be cooked on toast, some to make a fresh salad. This is adaptable depending on what you have available and your preferences, I used:

  • For on top of the toasted cheese: nettle, wild garlic, dandelion leaves, penny wort.

  • For the salad: primrose leaves, young hawthorn leaves, wild garlic and sorrel (see foraging guidelines below)

  • If you you aren’t able to forage then bought or garden leaves such as spinach and chard would work well on top of the cheese and use leaves you have available for the salad.

• Handful foraged edible flowers, for example primrose, sweet violet, herb robert or stitchwort (optional, see foraging guidelines below)

• Drizzle rapeseed oil (or an alternative oil)

• Drizzle gorse syrup or honey (optional) - for gorse syrup recipe see below

• Drizzle tamari or soy sauce (tamari is a gluten free version)

• Handful of seeds eg sunflower, pumpkin, poppy, linseed, sesame - any combination

• Glug of olive oil

• Glug of balsamic vinegar

• Salt & pepper

Method

• If you have access to foraged plants, head out for a walk and see what you can find. See recommendations above for the type of edible plants that you might find in season right now (April) and bear in mind responsible foraging guidelines below.

• Back home, choose which plants you will use to go on top of the cheese, and which you will use for a side salad. I have given suggestions above but these are adaptable according to availability and preference.

• Prepare the bread: cut a couple of slices for each person, lightly toast them and set aside.

• Slice the cheese so there is enough to cover well each slice of bread. Place the bread on a baking tray and top with the cheese.

• Chop the leaves that you will use to top the cheese and scatter these over. Drizzle tamari on top.

• Prepare the seeds: toast lightly in a saucepan until starting to brown and pop. Remove from heat and set aside.

• Cook the cheesy toast: we don’t have a grill so I use an oven preheated to 180C for approx 8 mins until cheese is bubbling but not over-cooked and foraged plants are wilted. Alternatively, place in the grill for approx 5 mins.

• While the toasted cheese is cooking, in a saucepan add a drizzle of rapeseed oil and either gorse syrup or honey, add the primrose leaves and cook for one or two minutes until they just start to wilt. Take off the heat.

• Make the dressing - combine a glug of olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a jar or jug, add a drizzle of gorse syrup or honey (optional) and some salt and pepper, mix together.

• Place the toasted cheese on two plates, make the side salad by adding a small pile of wilted primrose leaves on each plate, then adding the fresh salad leaves, toasted seeds, a drizzle of dressing then the edible flowers on top.

To make gorse syrup
I made this a couple of weeks ago with the kids, we used 1 litre water and 400g granulated sugar, combined them in a saucepan and simmered for 10 minutes then removed from heat and added 5 large handfuls of gorse flowers. We left it overnight then simmered for another 10 minutes in the morning before straining through muslin, bottling and popping in the fridge. This makes lots of syrup - enough for a good few cakes, drinks, salad dressings and anything else you care to make with it - and we’d love to know if you have any good ideas!

Foraging guidelines
Do remember to follow responsible foraging guidelines, ensuring you only take plants when there is a plentiful supply, just picking what you need, and never taking the roots.  Seek permission before foraging on private land.  Here at Botelet Farm there the hedgerows right now are teeming with primroses, sweet violet and stitchwort, however be aware that in some areas these plants can be scarce and are therefore not suitable for picking.  It’s a good idea to check foraging guidelines before setting out, see for example Wild Food UK’s Foraging Code.

Recipe: Autumn Overnight Oats

Breakfast is, hands down, my favourite meal of the day. I love the freshness of flavours and textures in the morning as my body and mind are gearing up for the day. Overnight oats sit particularly well for me, the oats feel easily digestible having been soaked overnight creating a beautifully creamy texture, and I love making some subtle changes to the recipe, bringing in fruits and spices to reflect the season.

As with every recipe I’m drawn to - this is incredibly simple! Combine all of the ingredients and let them soak in the fridge overnight - no cooking needed. You can easily adapt it, I recommend playing around with the quantities to suit your preferences. In the morning top with fresh fruits, compote, toasted seeds, yogurt and maple syrup.

This year I made this recipe a lot while blackberries were in season (topped with blackberry and apple compote), I then froze batches of blackberries so that I could continue using them later in the season - these are what I’m using today, along with apples from the orchard here at Botelet. Freezing foraged foods is a great way of making them last through the seasons - especially as we head into winter and there isn’t such an abundance of fruit to be found in the garden and hedgerows.

On a very chilly morning, warm your overnight oats gently with an extra splash of milk in a pan before serving.

Overnight oats are on the menu at our monthly Botelet Breakfast Club - this recipe will be appearing at our November event for the last time this year before we move into our winter recipe! I hope you enjoy - I’d love to know your thoughts.

Tia x

Autumn Overnight Oats

Makes 2 large or 3 smaller bowls

Ingredients:

• 90g oats

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 1/2 tbsp flaxseed

• 1 apple peeled, cored and grated

• 1 cardamom pod, seeds crushed

• Few shavings fresh ginger

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• Handful blackberries (fresh or frozen)

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 250ml organic milk (cows or nut milk for vegan version)

Method:

• Place all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.

• Add the blackberries, stir gently then add the milk, vanilla extract and maple syrup, continue stirring to combine.

• Place a lid or plate on top of the bowl and store in the fridge overnight.

Notes:

• If using frozen blackberries, I like to remove them from the freezer a couple of hours before making the recipe, that way they start to defrost before going back in the fridge, and they give the dish a lovely purple hue.

• The apple peelings can be laid flat on a baking tray and dried in a slow oven making a tasty snack for later in the day, or a chewy topping for your breakfast.

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