Pickled Okra

Since posting the recipe for the Bullshot with a pickled okra garnish (October 2013) , I’ve been intrigued by this. The boy isn’t keen on the sliminess of okra but this version makes them crisp and crunchy. Not 100% sure I can persuade him of that though.

700g okra

4 garlic cloves

4 slices lemon

475ml cider vinegar

400ml water

3tbsp flaky sea salt

1tbsp sugar

Pickling spices

2tbsp mustard seeds

1tbsp coriander seeds

1tbsp chilli flakes

1tsp peppercorns

1tsp fennel seeds

Sterilise your jars – I’m assuming you will use four. Wash and trim the okra. You want to get them roughly the same size.

Heat up the vinegar with the water, salt and sugar and get it to a rolling boil. This will look good, and therefore more appealing to the boy if you put it together as follows. Put a slice of lemon at the bottom of each jar. Put a garlic clove in and sprinkle in a quarter of the pickling spices into each.

Push the okra in, ideally putting half in stem side up and half stem side down. Pour in the hot vinegar and seal. Okra pods are full of cavities so give the jars a couple of knocks to get the vinegar into any air pockets.

I learned about this as a garnish to the Bloody Bull cocktail but these are good as an unusual pickle on their own. Put one on the boy’s plate with some Lincolnshire Poacher cheese and hot buttered toast, in a month or so and see if he resists.

Mulligatawny

I admit we’re making a lot of soup these days. It’s the time of year. I have a fondness for this colonial dish from the days of the raj. It’s adapted from an elegant Madhur Jaffrey recipe.

3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

½ tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1tsp grated ginger

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 ½ tsp ground coriander

1tsp ground cumin

½  tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp turmeric

1tsp Madras curry powder

1 1/5 litres chicken stock

4tbsp oil

115g gram flour (chickpea flour)

3tbsp lemon juice

Basmati rice to serve

Cut the chicken up into small enough pieces for soup. This means tiny. Put it in a bowl with the salt, pepper, ginger, garlic, cumin, cayenne, turmeric and curry powder. Mix well. Put it in the fridge while we go to work. I rarely cook with curry powder, but as this is more English than Indian, I’m going for it.

The boy is home before me and has put some rice in the rice cooker, along with a thick slice of lemon and a few cardamom pods. This is because I have left a note on the kitchen table saying “cook some rice. Put a thick slice of lemon in it and a few cardamom pods. xx”

Fry the chicken mix in the oil, scraping in all the spice remnants from the bowl for a few minutes.  Add the flour, stirring constantly, for about two minutes.

Stir in the stock and give the bottom of the pan a good scrape with a wooden spoon. The gram flour will have stuck to the bottom. Simmer for 20 minutes. The boy has fished the lemon and cardamom out of the rice and spooned it into a nice bowl. He’s dressed it with a few wafer thin red onion rings and coriander leaves. He’s getting the idea that good food is in the detail.

Add a little more salt to the soup if it needs it, and the lemon juice. We have this at the kitchen table, adding a few spoonfuls of rice to each bowl first. I have put a few tablespoons of mango chutney and hot Indian mixed vegetable pickle on a side plate. It’s good with the rice.

Celery Rosti with Poached Eggs

The celery is the star here so use some good stuff. Fenlander is the ideal variety – thank God for farmers markets

4 sticks celery

1 bunch coriander

1 large waxy potato, peeled

Salt & pepper

Green Tabasco

½ tsp cayenne

Olive oil for frying

4 slices goat’s cheese, 1cm thick

4 free range organic eggs

The celery and the potato need grating, so perhaps the food processor if it has a grating disc. If so try to leave any excess liquid behind .I’m squeezing it all in a clean tea towel.  Chop the coriander quite finely.

Get the oven hot – 220/Gas 7. Mix the celery, potato and coriander, along with a few drops of the Tabasco and the cayenne. Divide the mix into four, and shape into patties. Let them chill in the fridge for 10 minutes so they firm up.

Heat the olive oil and gently brown the patties on both sides. Turn them over really carefully so they don’t break. About 5 minutes or so. Finish them off in the oven for 15 minutes, turning them once.

Turn on the grill. Place a disc of goats cheese on each of your rostis (or is that rostii?) and grill until the cheese is lightly brown and starting to give. Gets a bit frantic here as you need to poach your eggs at the same time. This is where I could do with the boy helping.

Drain the eggs well and place one on each rosti, and drizzle with just a little green tabasco

Rabbit with Olives

It’s freezing so I want a cold weather casserole. I’ve found a jointed rabbit, which is something of a rarity. You either don’t get it at all or it comes whole, complete with head and fur, which I’m not prepared to deal with.

3tbsp olive oil

100g streaky bacon, cubed

1 rabbit, cut into 8 pieces, plus the liver

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 can chopped tomatoes

150ml dry white wine

Sprigs of thyme & rosemary

1 bay leaf

Salt & pepper

12 green olives

Juice of ½ a lemon

It’s not the end of the world if you don’t get the liver but it’s extra good if you do. This is undoubtedly French, but I’m not sure exactly where from. Ardeche, I think. A note on the ingredients: The rabbit has bones in, so the olives might as well have the stone in. These things are only ever a problem if they take you unawares. The bacon should be dry cured – otherwise it will leach water, and you start with it, so you may as well start well. The tinned tomatoes should be really good Italian ones – the juice will be much richer if they are, and the wine should really be French but I’m using Gavi.

Lots of browning to start with. First the bacon. Once they are verging on crisp, remove them, and add the rabbit joints to the same oil until they are nice and brown. Again remove and add the onion and garlic. Add more oil if it needs it. I do wish the boy would stop saying “poor bunny” mock wistfully, every time he passes - he doesn’t feel this way about beef, pork or lamb.

When the onion is soft, pop the rabbit and bacon back in, give it a stir. Add the wine, herbs, salt & pepper and the tinned tomatoes. If it’s not quite covered, swirl the tomato tin with a little water and pour it in, which will also get any extra tomato juice out.

Simmer for 1 ½ hours which is enough time to listen to half an audio book with the boy. We’ve gone for Frankenstein – his choice, not mine. He may end up listening to part 2 on his own.

Obviously it’s had a stir or two, but now add the olives and leave the lid half on so the sauce thickens a little. 15 minutes or so. This is the gross bit: crush the liver with 2 tbsp of the sauce and add it in with any juice. Squeeze in the lemon juice. I think the olives and lemon give it a nice freshness. Let it simmer for a final 5 or 10 minutes. A tsp of thickening granules might not hurt.

We’re having it with buttered potatoes, and in tribute to Mister Bunny, some steamed baby carrots. And the Gavi.

The boy likes. It’s rustic, meat on the bone for nibbling and lots of flavour.

Italian Red Cabbage Slaw

This recipe came with the organic box. I had to try it and we both really like it. It helps with my mission of getting some raw veg into the boy every day. It’s also nice to do something different with red cabbage.

½ a red cabbage

1 orange, zest and juice

A splash of Balsamic vinegar

A decent drizzle of olive oil

A pinch chilli powder

Sea salt & black pepper

A few slices pancetta

Parmesan for shaving over

6-10 sage leaves

I’ve reduced the sage from the original recipe, which suggested 12. Ours are home grown and quite strong. I’m also using smoked bacon lardons as we don’t have pancetta – about 200g in deference to the boy who is a dedicated carnivore.

Shred the cabbage and put it in a large bowl. Mix in the orange zest and then the juice. Always zest first, then juice.

While you’re shredding, fry the bacon/pancetta until it starts to get crisp. When you take the piggy bits out add the chopped sage leaves to the hot oil for a few seconds.

Add the bacon and sage to the cabbage and orange mix, and sprinkle in the balsamic and olive oil and season well. Give it a really good mix and decide which it needs more of. As it’s not mixed in mayonnaise everything stands out a bit more sharply.

Shave some parmesan over and give it a final mix.

Classic Cream of Tomato Soup

I love cream of tomato soup on a cold evening. There’s nothing like Heinz, and opening a tin is so easy, but making your own is quite special. There’s a market seller on the high road who has some really ripe ones going cheap. The recipe is pretty much the Jane Grigson classic.

1/2kg ripe tomatoes

100g chopped onion

125g chopped young carrot

Bouquet Garni

1l chicken stock

Salt & pepper

300ml single cream

Chopped chives or basil

(Possibly a little nutmeg)

Simmer the vegetables in 900ml of the stock until tender. The tomatoes don’t need peeling but I’m quartering them. The bouquet garni goes in too. This can vary but I like Elizabeth David’s combination of parsley stalks, a squashed clove of garlic, a sprig of thyme and a piece of dried orange peel wrapped in bay leaves and tied up with thread. (French Provincial Cooking is one of my favourite cook books).

Once the veg is tender, remove the herb parcel and pass through a mouli on the finest blade, or if you don’t have one, just sieve it. Add the salt and pepper and the last 100ml of stock. No idea why you hold this bit of stock back but I trust JG.  Taste and see if a little sugar wouldn’t improve it. If the tomatoes aren’t absolutely ripe, it might need it.

Clean the pan and pour in the cream. Bring it almost to the boil and slowly pour in the tomato stock, stirring frequently. (If you prefer this as a chilled soup, just pour the cream into the soup stir and chill – I’m of the opinion that cream based soups don’t work that well cold though – your call).

As a variation JG suggests some nutmeg – I think just a tiny scrape would be nice (from a whole nutmeg, never powdered). A pinch of smoked paprika might be  nice alternative. Check the seasoning again, especially if you have added sugar, and garnish with the chopped herbs. I prefer chives. Basil and tomato go together really well but it can overpower this soup. JG suggests serving this with watercress sandwiches made with thickly sliced bread and plenty of salted butter and the watercress absolutely crammed in. The boy (also known as the Sandwich Monster) couldn’t agree more.

Blue Cheese & Poppyseed Crackers

I’ve been ill so I haven’t wanted anything more than soup for a few days. It’s been tinned – Heinz, Baxter’s or Campbell’s. Of his own volition, the boy has made me these biscuits to have with them. I’m sharing his recipe.

150g plain flour

100g cold butter, chopped

150g full fat blue cheese, crumbled

1 ½ tbsp. black poppy seeds

Flaky sea salt

On the rare occasions he bakes the boy likes to use the weighing scales he inherited from his grandma, with their seemingly random set of weights. It’s made of white enamel with a generous bowl and a plate on the other side to place the counterweights on. In this case for the flour he will need one of the 4oz weights, a 1 oz weight and a ½ oz weight. When he adds the butter he swaps things around and uses both the 4 oz weights and the 1oz. With the cheese crumbled in, it’s just the 1lb weight. What a hassle but he does it so sweetly, making sure it balances exactly.

Obviously this is a rough guide, given his clunky apparatus, but the joy of cooking is that you use your hands and just adjust according to what you need. As we are British, the boy has used Blue Stilton, though Roquefort or Gorgonzola would be good. It absolutely stinks!

Process the flour, butter and cheese – this is probably where you know what might need adjusting. Roll it into a log about 4cm in diameter, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge. After you have listened to Vaughan William’s Lark Ascending, (about 12 minutes), unwrap and roll the log in a plate of poppy seeds. Slice into 5mm rounds and sprinkle the slices with salt.

Bake at about 200c for 15 minutes. These are particularly good with cream of chicken soup or cream of celery soup.

The Boy's Home Made V8

This is the boy’s version of V8 juice. You’ll need a juicer. It makes a small jug full.

12 ripe tomatoes

2 celery stalks

4 carrots

2 small beetroot

A handful each of spinach, lettuce, flat-leaf parsley & watercress

A good pinch each of salt, white pepper and mild chilli powder

A good squeeze of lemon juice ( about ¼ lemon)

The tomatoes are the main part so they need to be good. Obviously if you use organic veg you will really taste the difference – especially with the tomatoes, celery and carrots.

Our juicer has 2 speeds and slow suits soft things like tomatoes best. Juice these first. Turn it up to high and juice the parsley, spinach and watercress. This is because they don’t give out much juice and the other harder ingredients will carry any remnants through the blades. I like it with a healthy amount of parsley.

Still on high speed juice the carrots, lettuce and beetroot. The beetroot will make this drink purple, so it won’t look like V8. I suppose you could use white beetroot but I quite like a purple drink.

The boy usually decants this from the jug that comes from the juicer into a clean glass jug, and skims off any foam so it looks better.  Depending on how juicy the tomatoes are, he sometimes has to decant these first and then mix the rest in. You could sieve it  first to get it extra smooth – and you can – but I think this robs it of essential fibre. If this is going to be good for you, you might as well go for it. Add ice cubes if you like.

Now the seasoning – a really good couple of pinches of flaky sea salt are essential to bring out the savoury nature of the drink. We think pinches of white pepper and mild chilli powder work really well, but make sure it’s the mild kind, otherwise it will drown the other flavours. Finally a good squeeze of lemon, stir and serve immediately before it loses it’s goodness.

You’re getting Lycopene, vitamin A, iron, vitamin C, Beta-Carotene, vitamin B6, Riboflavin, magnesium, potassium, zinc and goodness knows what else

Indian River Soup

I’m not well and I just want some soup with good bread and butter. The boy is cooking though I keep padding out from the bedroom with the instructions. Indian River runs through Florida and I found this recipe in a much loved old American cook book. I imagine this soup was served as an appetiser in elegant hotels along the river. It’s light and it’s what I’m after.

1 can Italian tomatoes, with their juice

1 carrot, grated

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

Rind of 1 lemon

6 whole peppercorns

3 cups chicken broth

½ cup vermouth

2tbsp sugar

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp white pepper

½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Rind of 1 orange, cut into 1/4 inch thick strips, or ideally using a zester

2tbsp chopped parsley

Combine the tomatoes, carrot, onion, bay leaf, pepper corns and lemon rind in a pan and bring to the boil. No frying, so nothing for him to burn. As you know I think Cirio tomatoes are the best- we’re using chopped ones as whole ones are often canned under ripe, to help them keep their shape.  He’s trying to cheer me up and playing John Adams’ Naïve & Sentimental Music on the CD player. It’s working. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Pass it through a Mouli on the finest blade, taking out the peppercorns and cloves first, or sieve.

Put the liquid back in the pan and add the chicken broth. Ideally this would be fresh but we don’t have any so he’s using a Knorr stock pot. Pour in the vermouth. We have the strangely named Noilly Prat in the house. Once it comes to the boil, stir in the salt, pepper and orange juice. Strip the rind from the orange before you juice it as it will be easier.  Get the boy to check it for salt and pepper to see if it needs more. It often does.

Garnish with the orange strips and parsley; though make sure the parsley is really finely chopped. 

Sweetly the boy has served this in a large tea cup with a salty pretzel. The rest of it is going in the fridge, as it is just as good chilled. 

Albanian Liver

I can understand why the boy is unsure about this, but it is good. The secret to cooking liver is not to do it well done like his mum did. Cook it on a high heat so it’s crusty and brown on the outside and tender and pink in the middle and he loves it.

450g lambs liver

2tbsp plain flour

1tbsp paprika plus more to garnish

A good glug olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

200ml thick Turkish yoghurt

Salt & pepper

Slice the liver to get the longest strips you can – about 2cm wide. Mix the flour with the paprika, salt and pepper. I’m using smoked paprika, though I’m also adding a pinch of cayenne. Coat the liver very well. There is a little bit left over, which the boy’s cat gets. Much purring.

Heat about 4tbsp oil in a heavy based pan and fry the floury liver strips. You will need to do this in batches but for no more than three minutes so they don’t overcook and get tough. Let them rest which will bring them closer to warm, rather than hot, which is what you want.

Fry the onion in the same pan, increasing the heat to brown them. You will need more oil and stir it a lot scraping the flour from the bottom. You want the onion to brown.

Make a salad of chopped tomatoes, cucumber, shallots, sliced black and green olives (two thirds black, one third green) and chopped flat leaf parsley and mint. It’s dressed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon, and seasoned.

Serve the livers covered with the onions and with a big spoonful of yoghurt on top. Sprinkle over more paprika (I’m using the sweet kind this time) and a drizzle of oil. The boy has found some fresh French bread so we’re having that with it.

Turns out he really does like liver. He insists this is not like liver though.

Pear Brandy

Oh, I’m looking forward to this, although it will be at its peak next Christmas, rather than this.

1 70cl bottle brandy

750g pears

5tbsp runny honey

1 vanilla pod

5 cardamom pods

A 3 inch cinnamon stick

The boy likes the idea of laying things down for future years as much as I do. I would have used pears from the tree in the garden but we had a really big storm last week and the tree is looking pretty barren. So they are shop bought. We have also bought a 1 litre kilner/mason jar.

A Bach cantata or two on the CD player would work here .I'm thinking number 125, with its haunting countertenor aria. Top and tail the pears, quarter them and cut out the cores. Place a fifth of them in the jar. Add a tbsp of honey. Repeat until all the pears and honey are layered in. Tuck in the vanilla pod. I’ve cut ours into 3 to spread the love a bit. Tuck in the cardamom and cinnamon. Let the Bach do its magic.

Pour in the brandy and make sure everything is covered. We’re using a really cheap supermarket budget brand. I want it to take on the flavours of the honey, pears and spices so there is really no point in using a premium brand.

Give it a shake. Try to forget about it. In a year’s time strain it through muslin. Happy Christmas 2014! Apart from drinking it, the boy thinks a spoonful over a bowl of vanilla ice cream would work. I can’t believe he’s planning what he wants to eat over a year away.That said  I think a shot in a cup of dark coffee on a new year's day would be great. Either way I know I will still want to be listening to the Bach.

Jerk Chicken Rolls

This is a favourite of the boy’s. He wants me to make enough for today and tomorrow. You can, of course, make your own jerk seasoning, but I remain convinced that Walkerswood is about as close to authentic as you can get

6 Chicken thighs, skin on, bone in

1/3  jar Walkerswood hot & spicy jerk seasoning

1 Scotch bonnet chilli, roughly sliced

Juice of 2 limes

1tbsp thyme leaves

1 tub good quality coleslaw

4 ciabatta rolls, or a baguette

Caribbean hot pepper sauce

Coriander leaves to serve

Slash the chicken to the bone and place in a large bowl. Squeeze the lime juice over and toss well. I’ve kept the chilli in big bits. I want it to heat the whole thing up but also want to give the boy the chance to pick the chilli out as it does not always agree with him. Add the jerk seasoning and a handful of fresh thyme leaves and massage it all together.

Leave for at least 2 hours, turning occasionally. Get the grill as hot as it will go and cook the chicken until it’s done. I would do this on the barbeque if it wasn’t raining! Every time I turn it I spread on another tablespoon of the marinade. You’re looking for it to be cooked through, with burned bits all over.

Toast the ciabatta rolls, lightly. Put some coleslaw in each. Shred the chicken from the bone, including the crispy skin. Stuff it in the roll and give the meat a light shake of hot pepper sauce and a few coriander leaves before closing.

Wrap in a paper napkin and hand one to the boy along with a can of Red Stripe beer. We’re having a side salad of shredded cabbage and carrot, sliced green peppers, peeled and sliced cucumbers and quartered tomatoes, with Ranch dressing.

He’s even happier knowing there enough for another one for tomorrow’s lunch box.

[If you do want to make your own jerk marinade, this is the version I make: 25g onions, 2 scotch bonnet chillies, 50g fresh ginger, ½ tsp ground allspice, 15g thyme sprigs, 1tsp black pepper, 120ml white wine vinegar, 120ml dark soy sauce. Roughly chop the onion, chillies and ginger. Take the leaves off the thyme. Whizz in a food processor until you have a thick paste]

Turkish Biber Dolmas

I love Dolmas. It needs small green peppers and the right sized pan to hold them upright. In Wood Green restaurants it is hard to find dolmas that don’t include meat. Not that I have anything against meat, and the boy would certainly prefer a meat version. But I am looking for something simpler.

16-18 small green peppers

4 tomatoes sliced

¼ glass olive oil

1tsp salt

Rice filling

1 glass rice

6 onions, finely chopped

¾ glass olive oil

1 large  tomato

25g pine nuts

25g currants

1tbsp finely chopped mint

22bsp finely chopped dill

½ tsp pepper

1tsp salt

2tsp sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

1 lemon

This looks like a lot of ingredients, but if you can find the right peppers it makes a fairly easy Monday night supper. I was thinking it needed stock, but given the flavours of the ingredients, clearly not. The peppers should be small enough that you can wrap your hand around one.

There is an easy going comedy from the 1960s on the radio. It is actually quite funny. Have discovered we have raisins not currants so am just swapping them around.

Wash the rice with warm water and drain it. Put the oil, onions and pine nuts in a large pan and cook to soften. Add the salt. Cook slowly over a low heat for about 20 mins. Add the drained rice and stir it around for another 10 mins. Chop one tomato and add it to the pan. Add the currants, pepper, sugar and ¼ glass of warm water. Stir it well and cover and simmer for 12 minutes. This is sometimes not enough water so keep an eye on it and top it up if you need to.

Once it’s cooked and the water is absorbed, add the spices and chopped herbs. Leave it to rest in its own steam for half an hour. I cover it with a tea towel.

The small peppers come from a Turkish grocer. They are paler green than what we usually think of as green peppers. Cut the tops of and remove the seeds. Stuff loosely with the rice mixture. Make ‘lids’ from the sliced tomatoes and put them on top. The tricky bit is getting them to stand up in a pan. They need to be fairly firmly packed so the boy is called into service to help stand them up while I pack them in. Put a few thin slices of lemon over the top of the dolmas.

Sprinkle with salt and olive oil. Pour in ¼ glass water and cook on very low heat. Until the peppers are tender. Probably 45 minutes or so. Again check to make sure they don’t dry out. Let them cool and serve them just warm with a big spoonful of thick yoghurt.

Just because this is veggie, doesn’t mean the boy gets away without a salad. Chopped tomatoes onion and cucumber shredded red cabbage and lots of flat leaf parsley. A squeeze of lemon juice over the top and a pickled chilli to garnish. A wedge of flat bread won’t go amiss for mopping up the rice that spills from the dolmas along with the warm yoghurt.

Baked Creamed Spinach

This is lovely stuff. The boy has second helpings which is a rarity with any vegetable.

A glug of olive oil

A knob of butter

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 rip juicy tomato (if not manageable, fish 2 out of a tin)

1 whole nutmeg

450g frozen spinach

150ml single cream

50g breadcrumbs

50g gruyere cheese, grated

Salt and pepper

We’re having this with lamb chops. The boy is cooking the lamb in the griddle pan while I’m making the spinach. I tell him I need  a 15 minute head start though. Start with getting the grill as hot as it will go. Meanwhile, put the oil and butter in a frying pan and the onion. Once it softens add the garlic. Give it 5 minutes and then chop the tomato and add it to the pan, Give it a good grate of nutmeg.  Spinach and nutmeg are good housemates.

When it’s all soft, add the spinach. As it’s frozen it will halt the cooking for a while. Once it’s melting, add the cream. Give it another scrape of nutmeg and some salt and pepper. The boy is pointing towards the mint sauce we made from the garden mint. He’s right; It needs to come out of the fridge. I love the half sure, half unsure look on his face.

Put a lid on the spinach pan and give it another 5 minutes on a really low heat. When it’s cooked it goes into an ovenproof dish. I’m transferring it with a slotted spoon so not too much water ends up in the final dish. The breadcrumbs go on top – in this case from a ciabatta roll that the boy didn’t manage to turn into a sandwich. It helps that it’s day old. The cheese is grated on top.

Pop it under the grill until the breadcrumbs and cheese are golden. The boy presents the lamb chops. We’re there. A relaxed meal with some Schubert piano music on the CD player. I love the Moment Musicaux no. 2. Perfect for a relaxed late lunch with a little too much wine.

Poached Eggs with Avocado & Chorizo

I think cooking is the best way to show someone that you love them. I’m making this because I do love the boy and never tire of saying it. It’s for his lunch and besides, I’m determined to master poached eggs.

4 soft cooking chorizo

2tbsp coriander leaves

3 small ripe Hass avocado

Juice of 2 small limes

4 organic free range eggs

2 small seeded baguettes

Skin the sausages and chop them or attempt to. Mine are sort of squashing so it’s a half chop, half crumble affair. Fry them off in a dry pan. They will leach off loads of lovely red oil. Add the coriander and give it a quick stir and then remove from the heat. I don’t want them to cook. Give it a quick grind of pepper.

Peel and stone the avocadoes. These are the world’s most nuisance ingredient. They are impossible to buy ripe and so you need to plan at least 3 days in advance what you’re going to cook. These were destined for guacamole but I’m glad I love him enough to make this instead. Lightly mash them with a fork and squeeze on the lime juice. See if it needs some salt. I think a pinch of cayenne is what it is really crying out for.

Poach the eggs. I’ve bought 6 as I will break at least one of them. They need to be very fresh. Put a splash of vinegar into a pan of rolling water and give it a stir, to create a cyclone. Don’t do more than two at a time. Key is having something suitable to fish them out with. I’ve found that a spaghetti server works very nicely. Drain them well on kitchen paper, and if you’re me, cut off any frilly bits to tidy them up. You do want the yolks still soft though. Work quickly so they don’t get cold.

While the eggs are cooking, do all of the following: Lightly toast the seeded baguettes. These are baguettes because you want a lot of crunchy crust. Though I do think bagels are worth a try one time.

Make some coffee in the cafetiere. I think white cups and white side plates but I’m probably getting over excited here.

Spoon some chunky avocado on to each slice of toasted baguette. Sprinkle on the chorizo.

Finally top each slice with a perfect poached egg. Sprinkle with salt and white pepper. Call the boy down to lunch.

Spaghetti with Garlic & Mushroom Sauce

It’s been a long day and we’re both tired. The boy has even got into his David Beckham pyjamas. He looks so handsome. This needs to be quick and easy.

250g spaghetti

360g mushrooms

90g butter

4 spring onions. Chopped

3 cloves garlic, sliced

60ml dry white wine

300ml chicken stock

1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1tbsp cornflour

1tbsp water

2tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

Get your priorities right and open the wine first. We have a bottle of Gavi in the fridge. It’s nice to have a mix of mushrooms in this but we just have chestnut mushrooms as there was a double helping in this week’s organic box. I would like to go mushrooming one day and pick my own, though I’ll need a guide or take my River Cottage book.

Get a pan of salted water on the boil and cook the spaghetti in the usual way. It should happen at about the same time as you make the sauce.

Heat the butter in a sauté pan and add the spring onions, garlic and mushrooms. I was tempted to use smoked garlic but have decided to use a strong variety instead, to cut through the buttery pasta. Once all is soft, add the wine. Burn off the alcohol and pour in the stock and Worcestershire sauce.

When it’s boiling, stir the cornflour into the water (called slaking, which is a wonderful word!) Pour it into the sauce, which will thicken it up. Give it a really good stir so the flour cooks and thickens the sauce evenly.

Drain the spaghetti and toss it in the sauce. Sprinkle on the chopped parsley and some black pepper.

Bowls, forks, wine. Done.

Smoky Sausage & Veg Stew

The boy isn’t keen on the sound of this when I told it was veg stew. We have some cavalo nero in the veg box and it’s too good to waste. He warmed to it when I changed my mind and suggested a spicy sausage and vegetable stew.

The ingredient list is based on what we have in the fridge and the cupboard – apart from the sausages which I had to go out and buy especially. Didn’t mind the shopping trip as I wanted to get some really good bread to have with it.

70g smoked bacon lardons

6 thick decently flavoured sausages

Olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper

1tsp ground cumin

¾  tsp chilli powder

3 good handfuls chopped Cavolo nero (though would sub for kale, cabbage, greens)

½ Green pepper

1 bottle passata (usually 750g or so)

4 or 5 leftover roast potatoes (We had these but tinned boiled potatoes would work)

½ tsp smoked paprika

2tbsp sour cream to serve

Any additional veg you have would I’m sure, be welcome. So would chorizo.

The sausages I’ve gone for are a Harissa infused pork variety. So start with a big frying pan and fry off the bacon and sausages with a splash of oil. Cook on a high heat to brown it rather than cook it through, as it will cook further in the stew. The reason I cook, rather than give the boy the recipes is that he will think a high heat means “the hottest you can get it” and will fill the house with black smoke.

Once brown (or nearly brown, or brown in places), set aside. Cut each sausage into 4 pieces. The cat wants a piece of sausage. The harissa isn't going to be good news so he's having a couple of bacon lardons.

Add the onion and green pepper to the same pan so it picks up the meaty flavours. Once soft, tip into a deeper pan. Stir in the cumin, chilli powder and smoked paprika. A good grind of fresh pepper would be good too.  I wish I’d added some garlic but too late now.

The boy has chopped the greens for me. I’ve asked him to treat it has two vegetables and give me two piles – one of chopped stalk and one of roughly chopped leaves. The stalks go in for a minute . Then add the passata. As always use a decent one. I always add another 3 inches of water to the empty jar and swirl it go get all. Then add the chopped leaves and give it a good stir. It shouldn’t be too thick if you’ve added the water to the empty passata bottle.

Add the roast potatoes – they will break up of their own accord. I think potatoes work best here but if you have cooked pumpkin or squash, use that instead. If not, tinned potatoes would be okay. The sausages and bacon goes back in now. Pour in all the juices they have leached.  Despite the spices, give an indiscriminate twist of salt.

Warm it all through. Check the thickness and add little more water or bubble for another minute or so. Serve with a tablespoon of sour cream

I’ve warmed the bread in the oven so the butter will melt on it. I thought that even if the boy only had the stew as an excuse to get the bread and butter it would have been worth it. Turns out I needn’t have worried.

Butter Beans & Chard

This is a side dish we’re having with pork chops. I think it would work equally well with crispy skinned chicken though. The boy agrees with this and thinks we don’t have crispy skinned chicken nearly often enough.

1 x 400g tin butter beans

1 handful Swiss chard, leaves only, stems removed

A healthy glug of olive oil

A splash of white wine

1 red chilli, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

½  a lemon, zest and juice

A splash of Balsamic vinegar

Chop the chard leaves, chop the garlic, chop the chilli. Rinse the butter beans.

Heat the oil in a pan and gently cook the chilli and garlic. Add the chard and give it a good stir. Pour in the beans, including the starchy water they come in, which will thicken it.

Add lots of salt and pepper and the lemon juice and zest. I’m adding a splash of Pinot Grigio and a very small dash of Balsamic. The boy is pouring the rest of the wine into glasses before I can use too much of it.

He thinks this is far too much fuss over what he calls “posh cabbage.” He just wants to know if I’m going to get the pork chop fat nice and crispy. I am.

Get him to taste once the alcohol has burned off. It often needs a little more chilli, which can be a good brand of chilli powder. This needs to sing, and should have a sharpness and heat to contrast with the fat in the pork chops. You could buy fat free pork chops but why would you?

British Raj Cucumber Salad

This is from a book about the British Raj. The book says cucumbers were native to northern India and that the rainy season varieties were the best. As it is always the rainy season in Britain, I’m assuming the kind we usually get will be good.

1 cucumber

1 onion

¼ inch ginger

1 green chilli

1 salt spoon pepper

Vinegar

Peel the cucumber and slice it. This came with the organic box so I might as well make the most of it.  Sprinkle with salt to draw some of the water out. The recipe recommends pushing a plate down on the cucumber to speed this up. Pour away the water that gathers. It doesn’t suggest that you get rid of the salt, but I think you should give the slices a wipe with some kitchen towel.

Slice the onion into thin rings. Red onion is preferable. Mince the ginger and chilli. The ginger and chilli is what makes this really interesting.

Mix the cucumber with the ginger and chilli and sprinkle the pepper over. No idea what a salt spoon is but assume it’s tiny. Maybe 2 big pinches of pepper. I think white pepper.

Layer the onion rings on top and sprinkle with vinegar. A whole onion seems a bit too much so adjust as you see fit. I’m using white wine vinegar.

The boy thinks this would be nice as a picnic salad with egg mayonnaise or cheese and tomato sandwiches. I think he sees all food as falling into one of three categories:

 1) A Sandwich.

 2) A potential sandwich filling.

 3) Something that would be nice to have with a sandwich.

Pumpkin & Sweetcorn Chowder

Pumpkin soup is the boy’s favourite. I’m not working today and he is working from home so I want to make him a nice lunch. I’m not sure where in the US this recipe is from but I like to think it’s from the cold north east. I know it’s not long since I last made a chowder, but these rainy, windy days are just right for it. Sweetcorn is the perfect partner to the pumpkin.

500g pumpkin, peeled and deseeded

1 large can sweetcorn

4 rashers streaky bacon

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 litre chicken stock

8 small potatoes, cubed

1tsp salt

½ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp white pepper

250ml single cream

250g cheddar cheese

The worst part of this recipe is peeling the pumpkin and cutting it into chunks, with the fibre and seeds removed. Rub the pieces with oil and bake in a hot oven (190g) for 35 minutes. Put Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony on the kitchen CD player.

The boy is busy working in the study but the cat has joined me in the kitchen. He’s not used to these non-meat-based recipes that I’m making for the boy, though he appreciated the bacon rind. I'm soft so I have fried them for a minute for him. The wind and rain are keeping him inside. He seems to like the Mozart though.

Get a big pan out. Chop the bacon and fry it until crispy. The cat looks interested but he’s had all he’s getting. Scoop it out of the pan and add the onion and pepper, and cook until soft. Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, thyme and stock. The boy has been sent to pick some thyme from the pots on the patio. The stock is made with Knorr stock pots.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked. I’ve gone for Yukon Gold potatoes which are floury but not too much so. They will break down nicely but not disappear.  Add the pumpkin and corn. Give it another 10 minutes.

Put through the medium blade of a Mouli. Put it back in the pan and add the cream. Check the seasoning. I almost always find it wants more pepper. Put the bacon back in and pour into bowls and sprinkle over the cheese.

Serve it straight away while it is still thick and unctuous (What a great Dickensian word unctuous is!)  Have it with warm soda bread and salted butter. Ideally warm enough so the butter melts. I can’t think of a better way to show the boy I love him. 

The Bullshot

I’ve long been intrigued by the Bullshot - the boy loves them. It’s perfect for taking on long winter walks in a flask. This version comes from a North Yorkshire ‘shoot’ and is interesting as it is very specific about the ingredients and uses sherry rather than vodka. It makes a lot! I would scale it right down but this recipe is epic so I’m giving it as it stands.

2 x 400g cans Heinz oxtail soup

5x 415g cans Baxter’s Beef consommé

1 x 200ml Schweppes tomato juice  or V8

2tbsp Geo Walker Mushroom ketchup

A few drops Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

A few drops tabasco

A pinch each cayenne pepper and Paprika

Mix all of the above and leave it overnight. Before your walk, bring it up to a simmer. Stir in a heaped tbsp. Knorr beef bouillon paste and a twisted forkful of Marmite. This is a bit of a parade of brand names but they got to be where they are for a reason. Trust me, I’m a market researcher. The only one I’m not convinced about is the Schweppes tomato juice. I’m assuming the pinch of cayenne is a huge pinch, given it’s going into nearly 3 litres of broth. Similarly the ‘few drops’ of condiment.

The author then suggests Crofts Original Sherry to taste, but gives no idea how much. I think quite a lot given the amount of broth this is going into. Frankly this can’t be less than half a bottle – and then some. Interestingly this doesn’t use vodka. Into flasks it goes.

I think I prefer the ever dependable Sarah Raven’s recipe. She served it at her wedding which took place one January. I like that thoughtfulness. It comes in more manageable portions. This is the version the boy and I take for our Boxing Day walk.

330ml tinned beef consommé

1tbsp lemon juice

Celery salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Tabasco to taste

175ml vodka

Heat the consommé and add all the seasoning. I tend to use Campbells.  I’m happy to see the lemon juice here. Lots of Tabasco I think. Finally add the vodka – one with higher alcohol content will work best as there will be a bit of evaporation – Absolut or Stolichnaya would be good.

Finally a version I’m really not sure about, that I came across in The Guardian. It’s a cold version which it describes as “The Marlon Brando” of cocktails. The recipe serves one which doesn’t seem right so I have doubled it up. If I have to try this the boy has to too.

180ml beef consommé

90ml vodka

A good dash Worcestershire sauce

A good dash Tabasco

A squeeze of lemon

Black pepper

The Consommé needs to be pretty much zero fat. Baxters qualifies.  Put in a shaker with ice. Give it a shake and then strain. Pour over more cracked ice. This is meant to have more alcohol than a bloody mary. I think a really decent squeeze of lemon is the only way this would work for me.

The Bloody Bull combines pretty much equal amounts of consommé, vodka and tomato juice, and again can be served hot or cold. Naturally it needs all the extras -Worcestershire, Tabasco, lemon juice etc. If having it cold, tomato juice doesn’t like being shaken, so stir it. I’ve seen some exciting recipes that include ‘creole spice mix’ or “Essence” as it Is sometimes known, and a pickled okra garnish. I’m not attempting to find pickled okra (though I would love to)

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

This recipe suggests lime juice as well as lemon juice It’s 175ml tomato juice, 120ml beef bouillon, 100ml vodka, Stir in ½ tsp of Essence 2tsp lime juice, 1tsp lemon juice, 1 ½  tsp Worcestershire sauce, a shake of hot sauce, a shake of celery salt, a twist of black pepper . This version actually sounds appealing, The “Essence” will keep in a screw top jar.

Preserved Salsa

We both like dipping kettle chips in salsa. I say dipping, but mean loading them up. This isn’t the fresh pico di gallo kind. It’s preserved, to keep us going through winter. You can buy it anywhere but this is made from the last of this year’s tomatoes. We don’t have quite enough so we have added a few ripe vine tomatoes from our local Turkish grocer. We’re also using scotch bonnet peppers as we like it spicy, though it will calm down in the jar.

2kg ripe tomatoes

4 green peppers

1 large onion

3 cloves garlic

4 scotch bonnet chillies

A handful chopped coriander, stalks included

2bsp salt

1tsp cumin

1 litre vinegar

1tbsp sugar

The only painful part is peeling the tomatoes.  Cut a cross into each one and pour boiling water over. The skins should split and shrink back so you can peel them. Send the boy to the compost bin with the skins. Deseed the chillies- they will be hot enough and they will add a fruity flavour to the salsa.

Roughly chop the onion, garlic, pepper, chillies and coriander and place in the food processor. Whizz to break everything up and add the tomatoes. Blitz again but keep it chunky.

Pour into a pan along with the cumin, salt, sugar and vinegar. Stir and bring to the boil. It needs to reduce to salsa thickness. Maybe an hour.

Once it’s done ladle into sterilised jars and wait to hear the satisfying pop as the jars form a vacuum.

We both like fresh salsa and this is different, but equally good.  It’s perfect for watching black and white films on a rainy February afternoon. The boy likes It as a base for bruschetta, before topping with fresh tomatoes. Either way, having half a dozen jars in the cupboard to see us through the cold months is a comfort. Highly recommended for watching DVDs of Casablanca or Citizen Kane with a bowl of salt and black pepper kettle chips for scooping.

Coriander & Pecan Pesto

I think this recipe is Australian. It’s wonderful, though it means getting the food processor out.

450g ricotta and spinach tortellini

½ cup chopped coriander leaves

1tbsp chopped coriander stems

½ cup firmly packed basil leaves

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1tbsp pine nuts

1/3 cup pecans

2tbsp grated parmesan

½ cup olive oil

The boy has coffee and The Spectator. We fancy an early lunch. Put the pasta on to boil. This would be equally nice with plain tagliatelli.

In a dry pan, toast the pine nuts, and then the pecans. Process the coriander leaves, stems, basil, garlic, nuts and cheese. While it’s blitzing, slowly pour in the oil until you get a sauce consistency. Get it really smooth.

Drain the pasta, and spoon the sauce over generously. I think another sprinkle of grated parmesan wouldn’t go amiss.

The boy likes “bowl and fork” meals and is very pleased with this. I ask him what he thinks is in it and interestingly he can’t work it out.

Burmese Dry Chicken Curry

This is from a 20 year old Sophie Grigson book. I don’t cook much chicken. I’m alone in finding it unexciting but the boy loves it. This isn’t even my sort of curry as I prefer a lot of sauce. However it intrigued me so I have given it a go.

2 onions, roughly chopped

5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1cm ginger, chopped

2 sticks lemongrass, chopped

3 red chillies chopped

2tsp fish sauce (Nam Pla)

1tsp turmeric

4tbsp oil

1 chicken, jointed

4 cardamom pods

4tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Salt and pepper

Make a paste from the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chillies, fish sauce, turmeric. I’m using our mini processor though I’m amazed at how much noise it makes. Let it scream away at top volume until you have a smooth paste.

Heat the oil in a sauté pan or deep frying pan, and start to fry off the paste. Add the chicken pieces. I asked the butcher to do this for me, though most supermarkets will happily do it for you these days. There is no excuse not use good chicken that has had a happy life here. Stir it well so the paste covers it and doesn’t stick to the pan.

The chicken should give this enough juice but I add a splash of water anyway. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes or so. Give it a stir from time to time.

Bash the cardamom pods and remove the seeds. Stir them in, along with the coriander leaves.

Serve with rice.This has an unusual taste - more like Thai food than a curry. But it's good. The boy is happy to be having chicken.  I’m always amazed at how much meat he manages to gnaw off a chicken bone. We joke that he has vampire teeth.

Ham & Parsley Terrine

I’ve been wanting to make this for the boy for ages. It looks so elegant. It’s like a terrine, except the ham is in pieces, rather than minced. It’s traditionally made in France for Easter, but better late than never.

1kg really decent ham

1 onion

4 cloves

2 pigs trotters

2 carrots

1 leek

1 celery stick

125g parsley leaves, finely chopped, stalks reserved

1 bay leaf

2 fresh thyme sprigs

1 bottle chardonnay, preferably French

3 shallots, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic. Finely chopped

Black pepper

The boy is out and I’m deliberately making this while he isn’t home. He will love it but I don’t want him to see me putting in the pigs’ trotters. They’re easy to find these days. Our supermarket has them and they are unbelievably cheap.

Cover the ham in water, in a deep casserole dish  and cook for 30 minutes. Drain it and rinse it. This will get excess salt out.  I’m thinking Verdi’s Falstaff will bring the right amount of happy heartedness to this dish, so on the CD Player it goes. Put the ham back in the casserole and add the trotters, carrots, leek, celery, parsley stalks, thyme, bay and wine. Season well.

Simmer for up to two hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ham and cut it into large pieces, about finger sized. Bring the stock back up to the boil and reduce it down to just over half a litre. Strain it and let it cool. This is where the magic happens, as it starts to become jelly. Mix the shallots, garlic and parsley in a bowl. The finer it’s chopped, the better.

I was about to throw the pigs trotters out, but the boy’s cat has been waiting patiently and is now purring majestically. He wins. I think only a cat could navigate all those bones. He’s in heaven. The boy doesn’t notice that his cat isn’t interested in his dinner when the time comes. It’s our secret.

In an oiled loaf tin, place a layer of ham, followed by the shallot and parsley mix. Add some of the carrot from the ham’s cooking water, finely diced, Layer it up. Ham/Parsley mix/Ham/Parsley mix.

Pour over the cooled stock. Refrigerate for 48 hours so the ham is suspended in parsley-green gelatine.  The boy will be amazed something so elegant can be cooked at home. Its white and green layers do look good. Cut into thick slices with a very sharp knife. Traditionally this would be served with a mustard vinaigrette spooned over.  This is how we’re having it, along with a radish salad and  some crusty French bread and Breton butter. He doesn’t seem curious about how the jelly was made. Just as well, as I really don’t want to tell him about the trotters.