MUSHROOMS OF THE DAY

Fairy Ring Champignon


Alot of mushrooms have to be cooked this is one of them

Alot of mushrooms have to be cooked this is one of them
Cap: 2–5cm. Convex then flat with a central boss when mature,
wavy margin. Tawny to ochre, paler when dry.
Stem: 4–7cm by 0.3–0.5cm. White to cream, tough and fibrous.
Gills: Distinctly beige, broad and spaced widely.
Flesh: Very thin, cream.
Spores: White.
Habitat: Short grass, lawns, parks, pasture. Often in rings.
Frequency: Very common.
Season: Spring to autumn.
Warning: Must be cooked!

Field `Mushroom

Cap: 6-10cm. white and silky,fibrous, often with browner fibres in the centre, rounded then flat, cap skin overhanging.
Stem: 5-8cm by 1-2.5cm. spindle- shaped and not bulbous at the base.
Ring: Simple and fragile
Gills: Pink from very young, then brown as the spores mature
Flesh: Turns slightly pink when damaged
Spores: Dark brown.
Habitat: Grassland, usually in rings.
Frequency: Common
season: Summer to autumn

PIMMS O CLOCK

With weather like this it must be time to sit down in the garden and have a drink!

Ingredients

50ml of pimms 
one glass of mint ice cubes
British strawberry's
Lemon & Lime
Borage flowers
Elder flowers
Elderflower cordial 10ml (I will post recipe for this very soon)
Lemonade


The only hard bit about this is having one glass!

Ice cubes

• Chop some mint and put in the ice tray with water and freeze

Pimms

• Mix the elder flowers and a few mint leafs, 10ml of elderflower cordial and mix
• Make layers of strwberry's, lemons, lime and ice
• Top up with lemonade and a few Borage flowers stir and drink!

Enjoy! 

SEA BEET AND RICOTTA QUICHE

After a rainy day I thought a quiche would go down well at our BBQ that moved in to the kitchen due to the weather.

Ingredients

Good handful of sea beet
5 x Free range eggs
150ml of cream
A few blobs of Ricotta
Nutmeg
Salt
Pepper 
1tbls red wine vineger
3 small onions (or 1 big onion)
Chopped chives





For the tart case I am using pre-made pastry...

• Pre heat the oven to 190c
• Roll out pasty on a floured bored and line the greased tin, leaving the excess pastry overhanging
• Dot the pastry with a folk and line with baking paper, fill with beans or rice

• Place on a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes
• Take the beans out and egg wash the whole case, returning to the oven for 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it so that it does not puff up - if so prick a hole and push down with your hands.
• Once the tart case is cooked go around the top of the tart ring cutting the excess pastry away
• Turn the oven down to 180c

Filling

• Start by heating a pan with a splash of olive oil (not too hot, don't want to color the onions)
• Slice the onions into thin strips and add to the warm pan
• Cook the onions for about five minutes til they start to soften and add 1tbls of red wine vinegar
• Sweat off for about five more minutes still not coloring until soft to bite

• Now bring a pan of water to the boil
• Give the Sea Beet a good wash under the cold tap

• Chop the sea beet into rough squares and blanch in the boiling water for 2 minutes
• Take the sea beet out and run under cold water to stop it going brown, drain off and dab the water off with a clean tea towel
• In a bowl mix 5 free range eggs, 150ml of double cream, a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg
• Place the Sea Beet, onions and Ricotta, and a sprinkle of fresh chopped chives in the tart case, pour over the egg mix

• Place in the middle of the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes till golden on top

 ps... I can give you a recipe for short crust pastry, if any one wants it just ask! 

PASTA DOUGH

 Yummy pasta dough.

So as I said in the last blog here is the pasta recipe ...

Wild garlic pesto pasta

375g Pasta flour ( Plain flour works fine).

9 Egg yolks (Free Range)

1 Whole egg (Free Range)

1 Tbls of cold water

1 Tbls of olive oil

1 pinch of salt

• Whisk all the wet ingredients together in a bowl.
• Place flour and salt in a bowl, make a well in the middle.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the well and mix flour from the out side in.
• Remove from bowl onto a floured surface and kneed until a smooth dough is formed , it should spring back when you pinch it.
• Wrap in cling film and allow to rest in fridge for twenty minutes.

• now roll your pasta out very thin folding it back on its self and rolling it out agen if you have a pasta roller this is a lot better but I don't so old school rolling pin it is.

WILD GARLIC PESTO PASTA

WILD GARLIC PESTO PASTA WITH A  FORAGED HERB SALAD

The Pesto.

• 100g mixed chopped nuts 
• 60g wild garlic (ramsons)
• 150ml olive oil
• 30g Grated Parmesan or veggie Parmesan from Bookhams or Waitrose   
• salt and pepper to taste

First cut the stalks off the end of the wild garlic leaves, then just go over all of the leaves with a knife, rough chop and put in your kitchen blender.

Add the grated Parmesan, olive oil and mixed chopped nuts to the blender and pulse in short blasts until it is a good consistency. season with salt and pepper and put to one side.  Easy!

 
Salad and dressing

• 1½ tbsp of Tewkesbury mustard
• 1tbsp of clear honey
• 1tsp of balsamic vinegar
• 150ml of olive oil
• 1tbsp of wholegrain mustard 

Whisk the tewkesbury, honey and vinegar together then slowly poor in the oil, whisking the whole time, then whisk in the wholegrain mustard.

For my salad I picked Three sided garlic aka leek , wild fennel, penny wort and a few bits from my garden - chives and parsley.  You can add any salad leaves you have in your fridge or garden.  Just mix your salad and enough dressing to coat the leaves.

Now for the hard bit... take one pack of good quality pasta, cook, and add the Wild garlic pesto as you would any other pesto - then eat !  Alternatively, make your own pasta, like I did... recipe to follow

SWEET POTATO AND WILD GARLIC HUMMUS

WILD GARLIC

• 246g 1 can of drained chick peas
• 25g Tahini
• 60g wild garlic (ramsons)
• 250g peeled and diced sweet potato
• 1tsp of dried thyme of few sprigs of fresh
• olive oil
• Maldon sea salt and fresh ground black pepper 

 Why sweet potato ?... Well I tried some beet root hummus few weeks back and decided I wanted to try out other veg hummus and I love sweet potato so I had a go!

Pre heat your oven to 200c. Peel and dice your sweet potato to about a 1cm dice, make a tin foil bag and add a splash of olive oil the thyme and a pinch of salt, close the foil bag and place on a tray in the oven for 30mins.

Meanwhile in a blender put your chick peas, I used organic ones from my local wholefood shop Fruits of the Earth also add your tahini and rough chopped wild garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper and a good glug of olive oil, at this point you don't want it to wet as the sweet potato has a lot of moisture. blitz it till a nice smooth texture and put to one side.

Purée

If you want you can just add 1tbl spoon of lemon juice and a splash more olive oil and have wild garlic hummus.


Wash your mixer out and add the sweet potato, it should now be soft and brake up in your fingers.
blitz in to a Purée (very smooth texture) and chill in the fridge.

The last part just mix the sweet potato and chick pea together,  adjust seasoning and enjoy with a picnic on the beach.
 

RAZOR CLAMMING WITH ALICE BLOGG

Last week me and Alice Blogg went on a very successful razor clamming trip.

First I stopped off to pick up a bucket and some salt,
Then off I went to meet Alice.
We then walked around looking for the key hole where you will find the razor clam. we found a few cockles on our walk.

When you find the hole which looks abit like a key hole pour some salt down it and wait for the magic.

This was my first time and I thought it was amazing. you have to try it !

                          MY FIRST RAZOR CLAM FROM .... SOME WHERE

 

Thanks Alice

Ps.. They have to be over 10cm if not put them back