Spinach

Hi everyone,

This week our bags have lovely Spinach which is a great fast food. After a thorough wash (it can be very gritty), you destem the leaves then pack them in a pot and steam them in the water left clinging to the leaves. Cooking will take about 2-3 minutes then you can serve it straight up with a knob of Butter or a drizzle of Olive Oil. For a really delicious sidedish sauté a few chopped cloves of Garlic in Butter then throw on the Spinach, mix everything together well and serve. For a maincourse add some cream and Parmesan and you’ve got a very quick pasta sauce. This week’s recipe is a pasta dish but without the cream as I’m sure that we’d all like to hit the beach at some stage this year…………..

spinach

Pasta with Spinach, Garlic and Black Olives (for 3-4 people)

You’ll need:

250-300gr Spinach (about what you have in your bag this week)
5 Cloves Garlic
Butter
Olive oil
Handful of stoned Black Olives roughly chopped
Pasta (whatever you like)
Parmesan Cheese

First of all stick on the kettle for the pasta (this dish is fast) Wash and destem your spinach then roughly shred it. Stem the leaves as described above then wring out any water with your hands as soon as it cools down.
While the Spinach is cooling stick on the pasta.
Chop the Garlic then gently sauté it in a large knob of Butter and some Olive Oil. When the Garlic has softened (don’t let it change colour as it’ll start to burn very quickly after that) add the Spinach and toss well to make sure it all gets coated in Butter and Garlic. When the pasta is cooked drain it and mix into the pasta adding some more Butter and Olive Oil aswell as a couple of tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan and the Olives.
Season with Salt and Pepper and serve immediately.

Spinach is, of course, fab in all kinds of salads and sambos.Try it with sundried Tomatoes, toasted Pinenuts and Goat’s Cheese or with Walnuts and Feta. Dress with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar and serve with a simple Omelette or some fish.

Hope you enjoy these recipes,
Have a great week,
Sarah

Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Hi everyone,

This week we have one of my most favourite things in the world – Purple Sprouting Broccoli (in all the bags)  so if you’re planning on entertaining at home this week get ready to impress!

Purple Sprouting Broccoli is a rarer variety of the more typical kind and it’s very special. As well as being lovely to look at (makes a lovely centre piece for any dinner table) it’s deliciously tender and like all Broccoliand is a superfood to boot.

You can eat almost all of it including the stalks only discarding the bigger, tougher leaves. Like all special varieties simplicity is often the best way to go. Steam it and serve dressed in Sea Salt and your finest Olive Oil or some melted Butter or, if you want to go all out, a Hollandaise sauce.

Last night I tried it two ways – one very simple – steamed then pan-fried with bread crumbs and another more complicated with Cous Cous, Goat’s Cheese and a sundried Tomato Pesto. Both were delicious. There’s about 300gr in your bag and each recipe needs about 150gr so you can try them both. Be sure and cook it very soon though as it’s at its best now……….

Pan-fried Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Bread Crumbs - perfect for picking at while you drink a glass of wine and contemplate your next course…

You’ll need:

150gr Purple Sprouting Brccoli

Olive Oil

Butter

2 Tablespoons Breadcrumbs

Wash the Broccoli and break it up into pieces you can eat without having to attack it later with a knife and fork. Steam for about 3 minutes until tender but not soft and mushy -you want some bite in it. Heat about 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil and a knob of Butter in a pan then throw in 2 scant tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Allow the breadcrumbs to turn a pale golden brown but be careful they don’t come anywhere near burning then throw in the Broccoli. Toss for about 2 minutes then serve immediately with a little Sea Salt.

Pan-fried Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Cous Cous*, Goat’s Cheese and Sundried Tomato Pesto.

You’ll need:

The Pesto (This quantity will give you more than you need but it’s really impossible to make less unless you have a tiny blender and you’ll be glad you have the extra as it’s great in pasta and sambos)

8 sundried Tomatoes preserved in Oil,

2 Tablespoons Pinenuts,

1 crushed clove of Garlic,

a pinch of Sea Salt,

4 Tablespoons of Water and blast in your blender until smooth.

2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

The Rest

150gr Purple Sprouting Broccoli

1 cup Cous Cous

1 small Onion

Olive Oil

2 Rounds of Goats Cheese

Start by making the pesto – place all the ingredients except the Parmesan in a blend and and blast until smooth. Stir in the Parmesan then taste and correct the seasoning if necessary then set aside.

Prepare the Purple Sprouting Broccoli for cooking as described above leaving the stalks a little bigger than before and set aside.

To prepare the Cous Cous toast 1 cup over a medium heat on a dry frying pan until the grains turn golden. Then, add 1 cup of hot water, stirring well to ensure all the grains cook for about a minute. Then, turn off the heat and continue stirring until all the water has evaporated and the Cous Cous is cooked through. To this add half an Onion finely chopped and keep stirring to allow the Onion to warm through. Season with Salt, Pepper and a dash of your nicest Olive Oil then cover and set aside.

To put the dish together divide the Cous Cous between 2 small oven-proof dishes then top with the pesto (about 2-3 Tablespoons per dish should be loads. Top with a round of Goat’s Cheese about 1mm thick. Steam the Broccoli as described above and when it is done place the Cous Cous and Goat’s Cheese under the grill and toast until golden. While the Cheese is toasting heat a dash of Olive Oil on the pan and toss the Broccoli over a medium heat for a minute or two. Just before you take it off turn up the heat slightly and add a dash of Balsamic vinegar. Toss quickly then remove from the heat. Season with the tiniest pinch of Salt before serving on top of the Cous Cous alongside the Goat’s Cheese. Garnish with a few toasted Pinenuts if you’re feeling that way inclined but don’t worry if you’re not.

* Originally I wanted to make this dish with a base of Polenta slice but I didn’t have any. If you do it works very well too.

Have a great and hopefully sunny week,

Sarah

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