Autumn Minestrone Soup

In a mortar and pestle crush up a couple of cloves of garlic, a bunch of chopped parsley and a glug of olive oil until it is almost a paste.
In a saucepan add a good glug of olive oil and lightly fry the garlic and parsley paste for a few mins being careful not to burn or colour the garlic.
Add finely sliced carrot, celery and onion and soften.
Then add diced turnip, you can use any season veg available at this stage, and soften.
Add a good squeeze of tomato puree and stir in, then add a piece of parmesan rind, if you have any (this will add a real depth of flavour as it cooks down to nothing), before adding water.
Bring up to a gentle boil the reduce the heat to a low simmer.
When the turnips and other veg have cooked through add sliced mushrooms (wild if you can get them), some shredded cavolo nero and curly kale (again any autumnal veg is good) and a couple of handfuls of pasta (I used broken up linguine, but any will do) and simmer until cooked.
Serve.

Classic French Vinaigrette.

Firstly dry some herbs - I used Rosemary and Thyme but you can use any you wish, its better to use dried as the vinaigrette will last a lot longer.
In a tall bottle add the herbs, a clove or two of garlic, a few teaspoons of Dijon mustard, a teaspoon of sugar (or honey), a handful of black peppercorns, a good glug of white wine vinegar and then top with extra virgin oilve oil.
Place a stopper in the top of the bottle and shake a few times, then leave to infuse.
When its running low you can just top up with vinegar, more oil, sugar and mustard.
The herbs, garlic pepper corns etc should last a long time before they need changing.
I often use oil from empty jars of artichoke hearts and other veg.
You can also add a dried chilli (not fresh) if you like a little heat.

Pork Steak with Sage Butter Sauce.

A very quick, easy and tasty sauce for pork.
Marinade your pork steak (a chop would be better as its on the bone), in oil, lemon juice and seasoning for a good few hours.
Fry a couple of sage leaves in rapeseed oil until crispy and place on kitchen paper to drain.
Turn up the heat and fry the pork in the remaining sage oil for 4/5 mins on each side (chops make take a little longer).
Place the cooked pork on a warmed plate, covered in foil to rest.
While the pork is resting, deglaze the pan with a little boiling water, throw in 4/5 ripped/ bruised sage leaves and a knob of butter.
Reduce to a syrup, add a dash of lemon juice and pour the sauce over the pork (discarding the crushed sage leaves), and dress with the crispy sage leaves.

Baked Eggs with Ham and Spinach.

A very quick and simple supper or brunch dish which takes very little preparation or cooking.
First wilt down a couple of large handfuls of spinach in a steamer. When the spinach has colled squeeze out any access water and place in an oven proof dish.
Arrange in the dish with slices of ham, leaving a few little hollows for the eggs.
Break in a couple of eggs, dot the top of the spinach with a little butter, season with pepper and place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees or until the eggs have cooked.
Serve with some good crusty bread.

Fennel, Orange and Mint Salad with Squid.

This is a wonderful salad that is full of fresh flavours and could be served on its own, or with any white fish or prawns.
First peel your oranges with a knife removing the skin and pith. do this over a bowl to reserve any orange juice.
Finely slice half a red onion and add to a separate bowl with a couple of tea spoonful's of capers, a glug of good oil and half of the orange juice.
Clean and prepare your squid. Dry off on a clean tea towel and dress in a little oil and a good grid of salt and pepper.
Remove the tough outer part of the fennel blub and slice as finely as possible and place in a bowl.
Peel and de-seed a small cucumber, removing some, but not all of the outer green skin, slice and add to the fennel.
Roughly tear up a small handful of mint leaves, add to the fennel and cucumber and then dress with the onion and caper dressing.
Heat a glug of good oil in a frying pan to a very high heat. Add you squid and flash fry until just cooked.
Add the remainder of the orange juice and allow a few seconds too reduce to a glaze, then remove from the heat giving a few stirs as you do to slightly cool it.
Plate the salad and add the squid and orange glaze and serve.

Asparagus, Pea and Parsley Soup.

Cut the woody end off the asparagus stalks and discard.
Chop the stalks but reserve a couple of dozen tips. Place in a pan with slightly salted water and a couple of large handfuls of frozen or fresh peas and chopped parsley.
Bring to the biol and reduce to a simmer until asparagus is cooked, about 15 mins.
Place in a blender and blitz.
Push through a fine sieve to remove any pulp and return to the pan. heat gently, check and adjust the seasoning if the soup needs it.
While it warming through steam the remaining asparagus tips and roll in melted butter.
Serve the soup with the tips on top along with some freshly chopped parsley.

Cauliflower Four Ways.

This is a wonderful starter, but each of these ways of cooking cauliflower would work as a starter or side in their own right.
Get a whole cauliflower, strip off the leaves (you could take the leaves off the stalks and wilt them down for an extra element to the dish), cut the stalk off so the flower sits on a chopping board.
Cut a 2cm wide strip right through the middle of the cauli - this is your steak.
Set a side for cooking later.
Break off the smaller florets and put in a steamer.
Steam for five mins until par cooked and leave to cool.
Finely slice the larger florets - you should get a good three or four slices from the centre of the florets.
Dress them with white balsamic and some good oil.
Add capers and and some chopped parsley. Leave to marinade.
Gather together all the off cuts and left over cauli and place in a saucepan with a little slightly salted water, boil for a few mins until the cauli is cooked through and drain off the cooking liquid.
Add grated  parmesan and blitz until smooth - return to the pan and keep warm.
Make a spice mix by crushing a teaspoon of coriander seeds, a tea spoon of cumin seeds, a quarter of a tea spoon of celery seeds, 3 or 4 pepper corns, a quarter of a tea spoon of fennel seeds, a dash of cayenne pepper (or dried chilli flakes) and a dash of celery salt in a mortar and pestle (your spice mix can be all or some of these or different spices of your choice).
To cook the cauli steak pre heat the oven to 180 degrees, melt a knob of butter in a oven proof pan and fry the steak on one side until coloured.
Flip it over and put in the oven for 10/12mins or until it is soft, but retains its shape.
Meanwhile in a small saucepan heat some oil.
Toss the steamed florets in the oil until coated the add the spice mix and cook until  crispy on the outside.
Plate up the warm puree, serving the spiced, roasted steak and cauli salad around it.

Lamb Neck Fillet with Asparagus, Watercress, Fennel and Raddish Salad & Mint and Parsley Dressing.

Season the lamb and marinade in a little olive oil and lemon juice for a few hours or over night.
For the dressing and chopped mint, parsley, a good quality vinegar, halve a clove of garlic and oil in a blender and blitz.
Griddle the neck fillet on a high heat caramelizing the out side but leaving the inside blush pink.
While the meat is cooking cut the woody ends of the asparagus and peel off the the outer stringy bottom ends of the stems. Steam for around 8 mins depending on the thickness of the stalks.
Roll in melted butter and a grind of pepper.
While the lamb is resting add the dressing to a small saucepan and put on a gentle heat.
Finely chop the fennel and radishes add to the watercress and dress lightly with oil a bit of lemon juice and a little salt.
Plate up the lamb on the dressed salad drapping the asparagus over the top and drizzile with the parsley and mint dressing.
Serve.

Asparagus with Tarragon, Chive and Mustard Dressing.

Warm some good quality oil in a sauce pan and add a squeeze of lemon.
Add finely chopped chives,  tarragon and a teaspoon of good mustard.
Keep warn while you cook the asparagus and spoon over the top before serving.

Chilli Sauce.

This is my recipe for classic kebab shop chilli sauce.
Its very easy to make and tastes authentic.
You can use any colour or type of chilli's you like, but I find adding a green one add a slight sourness to the sauce rather like gazpacho.
If you want a milder sauce leave out the seeds and take away the white parts of the chilli's as this is where the heat is.
Place half a roughly chopped small onion, three de-seeded chopped tomatoes, two red chilli's seeds removed, one green chilli, a splash of lemon juice, a squeeze of tomato puree and a glug of sherry vinegar in a blender
Blitz all the ingredients and push through a sieve into a saucepan.
Gently heat and cook off any excess moisture, or add a squeeze more tomato puree to get the desired consistency.
Allow too cool and use.

You can also thin down the sauce with oil and lemon, add some chopped  garlic and use as a marinade for lamb or chicken.

Wild Garlic Oil.

You can use this method to make any flavoured oil using any combination of herb / flavouring and oil. Use it in salad dressings, for marinades, as a dipping oil or spread on good quality bread after it has been griddled for garlic bread.
Roughly chop two large handfuls of wild garlic leaves and place in a saucepan.
Cover with rapeseed oil and gently heat.
Remove from the heat and leave to infuse as the oil cools. You can repeat this process a few time to increase the flavour of oil if desired.
When the oil is cool place in a blender and blitz.
Strain through a fine sieve or muslin.

Spring French Peas with Chicken Breast.

This is a take on the tradition french peas adding spring onion and wild garlic to replace the finely grated garlic and pearl onions.
It would also be great with a pigeon breast rather than chicken.
First heat an oven proof pan with a good knob of butter and cook your chicken breast skin side down until it starts to brown. Lower the heat and cook on for a few mins then transfer to a preheated oven.
In a little  butter cook some finely chopped smoked bacon until it starts to crisp.
add a couple of finely sliced spring onions, soften.
Add a couple of cups full of frozen peas and a little boiling water or stock (chicken or veg) simmer until the peas are half cooked.
Add finely sliced little gem lettuce and cook for a few mins.
A few mins before serving add the finely shredded wild garlic and mint leaves, cook for a few mins and serve.
If you use traditional garlic grate half a clove very finely into the peas about a minute before the end of cooking.

Baked Radishes, Wild Herb Salsa Verde and Truffled Brie.

I ordered a similar dish to this recently in my local pub and despite thinking it was a good idea was slightly disappointed as the radishes were cold and soft, so thought i would do my own version.
Cooking the radishes softens them and also takes the heat away so you can use quite fiery ones if you like the heat - i prefer them to be served warm and only par cooked so they still have crunch in the center and a bit of heat left.
Any good cheese will do - it doesn't have to be a soft one, a quality cheddar such as Lincolnshire Poacher would also work.
First make the salsa verde, you can use garden herbs, wild herbs or a mix. I used thyme, mint, parsley and foraged wild garlic, nettle tops and a few hawthorn buds as they were in season. You could also use hedge garlic (garlic mustard), bitter cress, winter cress, watercress, chickweed, wood sorrel, lambs lettuce, sorrel etc.
Roughly chop the herbs and place in a blender with a good dollop of mustard, I used Dijon, but any quality one is fine. Biltz, then add a some cider vinegar and biltz again. Taste and adjust the flavours if you need to.
Next is the radishes. Remove the radish leaves and roots - reserve the leaves. Heat some butter in an oven proof pan. Add the radishes and coat with melted butter. Place in an oven pre heated to 180 degrees for five mins (this differs slightly depending on the size and variety of radishes).
Serve on a slice of good quality toasted bread with  the radish leaves (or a combination of other leaves) dressed with wild garlic oil (see previous recipe) chunks of cheese and a few teaspoons of the salsa verde.

Salt Baked Beetroot with Rosemary, Feta, Apple, Horseradish and Hazelnuts.

For this Recipe you need to make a rough pastry, that will not be eaten, to roast the beets in.
The amount of pastry you will need depends on the size of the beets.
First blitz about six rosemary sprigs and around 150g of course sea salt in a food processor then add 300g of plain flour, two egg whites and around 200ml water.
Blitz again to bring together into a rough dough.
Kneed the mixture on a clean surface for around five mins to form a smooth ball, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for about an hour.
Pre heat the oven to 160C. Roll the dough out to the thickness of a pound coin.
Top and tail the beetroots, but dont peel, place on the pastry and cut round the beats draw up the pastry to encase the beets and seal the top by pinching together.
Place on a baking tray for 30-50mins depending on the size of the beets - when a sharp knife goes into the beet with out much effort they are ready. Its best to slightly under cook as they will carry on cooking after they are removed from the oven and its also nice to serve them warm and soft on the outside with the middle slightly firmer.
While the beets are cooking dry toast some hazelnuts in a pan. finely slice a cored apple and roll in lemon juice.
After removing the beats from the oven allow them to cool a while before removing from the pastry and peeling.
Slice in half and plate on top of a dollop of horseradish cream (if using fresh horse radish don't use the cream and grate a fine dusting over at the end.
Place the sliced apple and cubes of feta cheese around the beet and scatter with the toasted nuts.

Padron Peppers.

This is a really nice tapas dish to eat with drinks and very quick to prepare. These pepper have been on the menus in bars and restaurants for some time now and started appearing in markets and on supermarket shelves about three years ago.
They have a very slight heat and the addition of salt while cooking really compliments there sour flavour.
Heat some good oil in a frying pan to a high heat then add the peppers whole. Add the larger ones first and turn occasionally.
Sprinkle with good quality ground salt while cooking. you want the skin on the pepper to slightly blister without softening the flesh all the way through.
When cooked turn out onto kitchen paper to drain the excess oil plate up and sprinkle with a little more salt.