CELERIAC REMOULADE

December 07, 2021 by Chris Onions

Celeriac is a highly under-used winter vegetable. If it is used at all then often it’s turned into soup, roasted or hidden somewhere in a winter casserole. This recipe takes a different angle for this humble and magnificent vegetable, making it centre stage. It will keep for 5 days in the fridge, is super with blue cheese and walnuts or served as a side to lots of dishes.

Serves 4

½ peeled and grated celeriac
bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
small bunch fennel or dill leaf, finely chopped
4 tsp capers
½ red onion, peeled and finely sliced
5 tbsp mayonnaise
½ lemon, juiced
salt and black pepper

To make the remoulade, simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. If possible, make a few hours ahead of serving and store in the fridge to allow the flavours to develop.

This recipe is shared as part of the Good Food Club. We are very grateful for funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, distributed by the Landworkers’ Alliance, which has allowed us to offer a pilot of the Good Food Club this year. Thanks to National Lottery players for making this possible.

GAME PIE

December 07, 2021 by Chris Onions

We all realise that it’s important that we eat less meat and more vegetables; a plant-based diet is certainly less impactful on the planet if we live in an area where good quality, well farmed veg is accessible. In this part of the country we also have a wonderful, healthy alternative to farmed meat; game. Some hunting is of course questionable but wild game, when managed properly, can provide us with seasonal food whilst helping to maintain balanced ecosystems within the local landscape.

This winter warmer can be made from a selection of game meat, so feel free to experiment if making again! We’re using our ROUGH PUFF PASTRY recipe, a favourite pie topping pastry.

Serves 6

200g diced venison, shoulder or belly
350g diced mixed game (e.g. pheasant, partridge, boar, rabbit)
2 large onions, peeled and diced
100g smoked bacon, diced
10 wild or chestnut mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
1 tbsp plain flour
2 springs thyme
2 bay leaves
200ml red wine
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
300ml game or chicken stock
ROUGH PUFF PASTRY rolled to 1 cm thickness and cut to cover pie dish with 2.5cm overhang
1 egg
2 tbsp sunflower oil
salt and pepper

To make the filling, in a heavy based pot heat the sunflower oil and fry off the meat in batches until golden brown, then remove from the pan and keep to one side.

Add the onions and bacon to the pan and fry gently for 10 minutes. Now add the mushrooms and fry for a further 5 minutes. Return the meat to the pot and add the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring well.

Now add the red wine and increase the heat until the wine begins boiling, keep it boiling until it has reduce by two thirds, then add the stock, herbs, Worcestershire sauce and redcurrant jelly. Turn down the heat so that there is just a gentle simmer in the pan.

Cook the game stew until just tender, around 1-1.5 hours. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper and allow to cool a little. At this stage, you can eat the filling as a stew; the mixture will keep for 5 days in the fridge and freeze well for another meal.

To make our pie, transfer the game stew into your pie dish, lightly whisk an egg and add a pinch of salt, brush a 2cm wide layer around the pastry edge and then flip the pastry over and onto the pie dish; this egg will act as a glue. Seal the pie with your fingers. Now brush the top of the pie with the remaining egg wash and bake at 180C for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.

RED CABBAGE SLAW WITH CRISPY KALE

October 19, 2021 by Chris Onions

This slaw makes the most of the autumn cabbages and root vegetables but keeps it light and fresh with the last of the summer’s soft herbs. It is really delicious served with cold roast meats or hot casseroles.

Serves 4

200g red and white cabbage plus two autumn root vegetables (e.g. radish, beetroot, celeriac), grated or very thinly sliced
half red onion, thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
extra virgin olive oil
100ml yoghurt
1 tbsp mustard
1 handful fresh soft herbs (e.g. mint, fennel, dill, parsley, chervil), leaves picked finely chopped

Combine the sliced cabbage, root veg and onion in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, make the dressing by mixing half the lemon juice, a lug of extra virgin olive oil, yoghurt and mustard. Stir the chopped herb leaves into the dressing.

Pour the dressing over the veg and mix well to coat everything. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Serve topped with CRISPY KALE.

CRISPY KALE

Few handfuls of kale, thickest woody stems removed
2-3 tablespoons oil
sea salt

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Wash the kale and dry well. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces and place on a baking tray. Trickle over the oil and massage it thoroughly into the leaves. Don’t salt them yet – they roast better just with the oil.

Spread the leaves out on the tray in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, then stir around.

Return to the oven and bake for a further 5–10 minutes. The leaves should be crisp but don’t let them get too dark. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve.

LABNEH AND WHEY ROASTED CARROTS WITH FENNEL SEED DUKKAH (V, GF)

September 21, 2021 by Chris Onions

Labneh is a soft cheese made from yogurt and popular in the Middle East. It’s super easy to make, and a good introduction for anyone wanting to have a go at cheese-making. Experiment with adding different dried herbs or freshly ground pepper. Here we serve it with sweet roasted carrots and another of our store-cupboard essentials – a homemade dukkah, great for sprinkling over salads or roasted vegetables for added taste and texture.

serves [2] 4

LABNEH

500ml yoghurt
1/2 tsp salt

Combine salt and the yoghurt and mix well. Line a sieve with a thin cloth or muslin. Transfer the yoghurt mixture to the sieve and place a bowl underneath to catch the whey.

Leave in the fridge overnight to drain. In the morning, you should have a firm, tangy lump of yoghurt-y cheese.

DUKKAH

Dukkah is a traditional Egyptian seasoning or condiment typically consisting of toasted and ground nuts, seeds and spices, depending on taste and what is available. It is used with olive oil as a dip for bread, as a crusty coating for meat or fish, or a sprinkling over salads, dips, soups or vegetables. We encourage you to try out your own combinations, but this time we are using:

Equal parts of:
Fennel seeds
Coriander seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Salt to taste

To make the dukkah, add all your seeds and spices to a dry pan and place on a medium heat. Toast gently for 5 minutes, tossing the seeds occasionally to prevent them from burning. Remove from the heat, add a little salt and smash up to create your dukkah. This will keep for 1 month in a sealed container. View the How To video on youtube.

CARROTS

[4] 8 medium carrots, peeled, washed and split lengthwise
[75ml] 150ml whey, drained from labneh
[1 tsp] 2 tsp honey
[25ml] 50ml olive oil
[1] 2 bay leaves
[1] 2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
[½ tsp] 1 tsp chopped preserved lemon skin

TO SERVE
1 portion of LABNEH, made the night before (see recipe)
1 portion of DUKKAH (see recipe)

Firstly combine all the ingredients in a bowl except the carrots, labneh and dukkah. Toss the carrots in the mixture and add to a heavy-based pot.

Cook on a medium heat, turning the carrots to achieve an even glaze and colour. As the liquid evaporates the carrots shall soften and take on a great flavour. Don’t cook too long, they should still have a slight bite. If they are large and still hard you can add a little water but you should end up with a glaze rather than liquid left in the pot. Set to one side.

Arrange the carrot on top of the LABNEH and garnish with the DUKKAH.

RADICCHIO ‘TACOS’ WITH BEETROOT HUMMUS AND SMOKED ALMOND CRUMBLE (VG, GF)

September 21, 2021 by Chris Onions

Here we combine a favourite of Trill Farm Garden (Ashley’s passion for the bitter autumn and winter varieties of chicory, of which radicchio is one, is unrivalled!) and an ODK classic – anyone who ate at the Old Dairy Kitchen is likely to have sampled some of Chris’ famous beetroot hummus.

Serves 6

HUMMUS
500g peeled beetroots
5 garlic cloves (peeled)
3 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp tahini
150ml olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
salt and pepper

Mix together the beetroot, garlic cloves, coriander and cumin on a roasting tray with 100ml of the olive oil.

Roast in the oven at 180C until beetroots are soft and caramelized – the time will depend on the size of the beetroots, so check them from about 30 minutes with a knife.

Blitz the soft beetroots in the food processor or using a knife, add the tahini and the oil until a thick batter consistency is achieved. Adjust the seasoning and add the lemon juice.

TO SERVE
1 large radicchio, other chicory or lettuce with cup-shaped leaves
1 tbsp smoked almond crumble
1 tbsp olive oil

To serve, split the radicchio lettuce into shells and give them a quick rinse under the cold tap. Add a spoonful of the hummus on top and garnish with the smoked almond crumble. Drizzle over a little olive oil.

CHARD DOLMAS WITH BARLEY AND TOMATO SAUCE

September 21, 2021 by Chris Onions

This is a versatile dolma recipe substituting vine leaves for chard which is bang in season at the moment, affordable, nutritious and absolutely delicious. It’s a great way to use up leftover pulses or grain and random pieces of veg in the fridge.

Serves [2] 4

THE STUFFING
[75g] 150g raw pearled barley
[200ml] 400ml water or stock
[1] 2 bay leaves
[1/2 tbsp] 1 tbsp chopped soft herbs, e.g. fennel, coriander, basil, parsley
[1tsp] 2 tsp peeled and finely chopped garlic
[½] 1 large handful chopped greens, e.g. kale, chard, beetroot tops

TO WRAP
[6] 12 large chard leaves, blanched for 20 seconds in boiling salted water

THE SAUCE
[15ml] 30ml olive oil
[½] 1 onion finely chopped
[½] 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
[½] 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
[15g] 30g light brown sugar
[25ml] 50ml cider vinegar
[200g] 400g tinned tomatoes
[100ml] 200ml water
salt and pepper

Simmer the barley with the stock/water & bay leaves until tender and the water has boiled off. Combine with the remaining stuffing ingredients. Season to taste. This is a very versatile stuffing; various herbs and spices can be used depending on your taste and what’s available.

To make the dolmas, gently wrap up a good spoonful of the barley mixture inside the chard leaves in a cigar shape (see below for a demonstration of how to wrap). Arrange neatly in an ovenproof dish or pan. Preheat the oven to 180C.

To make the sauce, sweat the onion, garlic and ginger in the olive oil for 5 minutes on a gentle heat. Add the vinegar and sugar and simmer until reduced and syrupy. Add the tomatoes and water and simmer for 15 minutes, correct the seasoning and pour over the dolmas.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until bubbling and slightly crisp on top.