Foodlover Magazine March 2020 - Issue 72

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ISSUE 72 • £1.75 WHERE SOLD • WWW.FOODLOVERMAGAZINE.COM

GGEST

Birthday

cake

Easter Bakes FOR LITTLE COOKS

masterclass

Happy u s ł o y a d h t Bir MENU

Pasta bakes

3 ways with pesto

Eat seasonal FROM Field to Plate Gut health recipes

And much more

TASTY TREAT Our clotted cream is delicious. We cook it slowly and gently to create it’s famous crust on top and silky texture below. It is the perfect addition to so many recipes from curries to cakes but perhaps tastes best of all when you have a few moments to yourself for a treat ……

FOR MORE SERVING SUGGESTIONS AND RECIPES,

VISIT WWW.TREWITHENDAIRY.CO.UK/RECIPES

PUBLISHER Lindsay Moulin lindsay@foodlovermagazine.com EDITOR Alex Coles editor@foodlovermagazine.com

Welcome FOODLOVERS! Understandably this is such an unprecedented and uncertain time for us all, so it feels a little strange to say that this issue is one for celebration. FOODLOVER is 8 years old this month and so we’re marking the occasion with a simply gorgeous birthday cake masterclass from an artisanal bakery in Bristol (38). They’ve given us some top tips for baking and decorating a professional-looking cake right in the comfort of your own home kitchen!

CONTRIBUTORS Heather Brown & Jade Ellis ACCOUNTS & MARKETING SUPPORT Julie Cageao accounts@bridgecmedia.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER James English FRONT COVER IMAGE Mini Striped Easter Cheesecakes, P43 Courtesy of Lakeland PUBLISHED BY BridgeCom Media Ltd THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER® T: 01458 224555 www.foodlovermagazine.com Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this publication FOODLOVER® shall not be made liable for any inaccuracies therein. The opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor.

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One small silver lining to the times in which we’re living is that it’s giving us all a chance to reconnect with our family and enjoy mealtimes together. We’ve got plenty of recipes in this month’s issue that are great for getting members of the family involved, including pasta bakes (p32), Kid’s Easter bakes (p42) and appreciating the versatility of pesto too (p36).

We’ll also be hearing from an expert about the importance of gut health (p28), along with some healthy, nutritional meals you can make in minutes (p21). Not forgetting our Field to Plate feature that will give you some ideas on how to cook some of our spring seasonal favourites (p7). Plus, much more!

twitter.com/ FOODLOVERmag FRIENDS OF:

Alex Coles, Editor

editor@foodlovermagazine.com

Did you know that FOODLOVER Magazine is free to read online?

Head over to our website www.foodlovermagazine.com or download the FOODLOVER app to access the digital magazine. You can also find us posting on social media at:

A @FOODLOVERmag B @foodlovermag E@foodlovermag V@foodlovermag

Use #foodlovermag to share your recipes, ideas and comments with us!

LIFESTYLE

Tinkture Rose Gin is a light, delicate gin with a hint of citrus whilst juniper and coriander provide a complex depth and warmth. The colour is a gorgeous golden amber that changes to beautiful pink when mixed with tonic. A classic ‘London Dry’ style gin, with one key purpose – to let the rose sing! With sustainability in mind, the unique bottles are designed to be refilled and reused and are original oldstyle chemistry bottles with custom-engineered springs and seals. When you’ve emptied the bottle, you can buy refill pouches to top them up – genius! www.tinkture.com

Recognised by the Slow Food UK movement as one of the nation’s great ‘forgotten foods’, Quicke’s Whey Butter combines milk from their grass-fed cows with whey cream from the cheesemaking process in Devon.

Each curl is finally hand patted into shape, using traditional wooden butter pats and is a lovely addition to any table. www.quickes.co.uk

EDITOR’S Made with real Belgian chocolate and some wonderful crowdpleasing fillings, Little Choc Pops certainly taste as good as they look. With four core flavours: Biscoff, Peanut Butter, Marshmallow Fluff and Salted Caramel, there’s something to cater to every taste and special occasion – and they land on your doorstep sweetly wrapped too. www.littlechocpops.co.uk

Picks

These dehydrated fruit powders from Liberty Loves can be a healthy substitute for sugar and other artificial sweeteners in a variety of recipes and bakes. Not only are they versatile and pack a punch of Timorous Stand, fruitiness, but they also contain valuable vitamins andBeasties mineralsCake too. Use them£45, on desserts, www.shop.roh.org.uk ice cream, smoothies and sauces for wonderful flavour. www.liberty-loves.co.uk

FOODLOVERMAGAZINE.COM | 5

LIFESTYLE

Flamingo Egg Cup, £22, www.redcandy.co.uk

Renshaw Ready to Roll Icing Pastels Bundle 5 Pack, £7, www.hobbycraft.co.uk

Delicate Spring Pastels

Kip & Co Marble Magic Linen Apron, £49, www.antipodream.co.uk

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KitchenAid Artisan 175 Stand Mixer Pistachio, £499, www.lakeland.co.uk

Blue Souvenir Tea Towel from the Royal Opera House shop, £12, www.shop.roh.org.uk

IN SEASON

This month, FOODLOVER has caught up with the Richards, a Dorset family that has tended to the land around Kingston Lacy for 150 years to find out about food, farming and making the most of some gorgeous spring lamb.

P

amphill Dairy is a farm shop, butchers and parlour café.

Originally a milking site, the Richards converted Pamphill in the 1980s to make it the muchloved hub for authentic Dorset produce it is today. Proudly supporting local businesses, it’s called home to a variety of on-site artisans.

In the last year, the butchery has seen a lot of change with the addition of a new manager

Ed, who has over 30 years’ experience, and his son Oliver who is keen to continue the family tradition. Together they are passionate about providing the best in local produce and are proud to offer friendly service and expert advice.

FRESH INGREDIENTS, STRAIGHT FROM FARM TO PLATE Spring lamb is available from early spring until

the summer. It’s very tender and is lighter in flavour than autumn lamb as it hasn’t had as much time to graze. If you’re not a fan of very flavoursome lamb, then spring lamb is the best type for you. The best cuts of lamb depend on the cooking method; for roasts, the best cuts are leg, rack of lamb and rump. Whereas if you’re looking for something to pop in the oven to cook low and slow we recommend going for shoulder, breast and shanks.

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IN SEASON

Butcher’s tips for prepping lamb

adds flavour ❤ Go for bone in cuts wherever possible; the bone from drying it nt preve and keeps the meat tender and helps out.

redistribute ❤ Rest your lamb after cooking to let the juices juicy. and moist it inside the meat and keep out how ❤ You can eat lamb from rare to well done so work accordingly. you like your meat and tweak the cooking times

LET’S GET COOKING Our favourite way to cook lamb is low and slow. This is what will result in a crispy skin and tender, fall-apart meat. We’d recommend using a shoulder for this, but you can do it with a leg too.

2kg shoulder of lamb 2 onions, sliced 3 carrots, sliced 2 celery sticks, sliced 4 cloves of garlic, peeled Fresh thyme FOR THE MARINADE: 6 cloves of garlic Zest of 1 lemon Bunch of rosemary, remove the stalk and discard 4 anchovies Third cup of olive oil Black pepper

3 Using a sharp knife, score the outside of the lamb and get stuck in rubbing the marinade in really well, pushing it into the score marks.

1 For a shoulder of lamb this size, preheat the oven to the highest it will go.

4 Place the onions, carrots, celery sticks and garlic into the base of the roasting tin with any leftover rosemary and some fresh thyme. Pour a couple of glasses of water into the tin and place the lamb on top of the vegetable base. This base will form your gravy so it’s important you add the water so the veg doesn’t burn. Tightly cover the tin with foil.

2 First make a marinade for the outside of the meat; in a blender add the garlic, lemon zest, the rosemary, anchovies, olive oil and plenty of cracked black pepper. The anchovies act as salt in this marinade, so you don’t need to add any extra salt.

5 Put the roasting tin in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 170C/Gas 3 and cook for around 4 hours, you’ll know it’s done when you can pull the meat apart with two forks and it has a pulled pork consistency. We like to take the foil off for the last

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30 minutes to allow the skin to really crisp up.

6 Take the lamb out and rest it under some foil for 20 minutes. While it’s resting use the vegetables and pan juices to make your gravy.

Using a stick blender blitz up the vegetable mix to thicken, adding some stock if you need more liquid, or flour if it looks too loose.

7 Get creative with adding flavouring and tastes as you go; a bit of mint sauce, some cranberry jelly, Worcestershire sauce, fresh herbs and roasted garlic are all great elements you could trial adding in.

Words and recipe from the folks at Pamphill, for more details visit www.pamphilldairy.co.uk

IN SEASON

Lamb ROAST LEG OF HERDWICK LAMB WITH MINT SAUCE SERVES 4-6

1.5-2kg leg of lamb 8 small sprigs fresh rosemary 2 tbsp honey 25g butter, melted 150ml dry cider Salt and ground black pepper FOR THE MINT SAUCE: A large handful of fresh mint leaves 1 tbsp caster sugar 3-4 tbsp cider or wine vinegar 2 tbsp boiling water

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.

2 Using a sharp knife, make small cuts in the leg of lamb and insert the rosemary.

3 Mix the butter and honey together with some salt and pepper and pour this over the leg of lamb. Put into a roasting tin, pour the cider in and

cover loosely with tin foil.

4 Roast the lamb between 1.25 and 1.5 hours (allowing 20 minutes per 500g and 20 minutes extra).

5 When half-cooked, remove the foil and baste frequently with juices from the roasting tin for the remaining time.

6 Remove the joint from the oven, lift the lamb onto a warmed serving plate, cover loosely with foil and leave to stand for 20-30 minutes.

7 For the mint sauce, finely chop the mint leaves and mix with the sugar in a small bowl.

Add the boiling water and stir well until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the vinegar to taste and leave the sauce to stand for half an hour before serving.

Flavours of England: Roasts by Gilli Davies, published by Graffeg Limited Photography by Huw Jones

ROASTED LAMB WITH WALNUT SALSA SERVES 6

FOR THE LAMB: 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary 900g boneless leg of lamb FOR THE WALNUT SALSA: 75ml walnut oil 4 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped 6 anchovy fillets, minced 10g fresh parsley, chopped

10g fresh mint, chopped 1 tbsp green peppercorns in brine, drained and minced Zest and juice of 1 lemon 125g walnut pieces, coarsely chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/ Gas 5.

2 In a small bowl, stir the Dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil and rosemary to make the marinade.

3 Place the lamb in a roasting tin and rub the marinade over the entire surface of the lamb.

4 Roast the lamb on the centre oven shelf for 1-1.5

hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 52C, at the thickest point, for medium rare. Roast longer for your desired cooking degree.

5 Allow the lamb roast to rest for 30 minutes before slicing.

6 For the walnut salsa, combine the walnut oil, capers, anchovy fillets, parsley, mint, peppercorns, lemon zest and juice and walnut pieces in a medium sized bowl and spoon over the lamb slices to serve. www.californiawalnuts.co.uk

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IN SEASON

Plaice

PLAICE WITH LEMON & PARSLEY BUTTER SERVES 2

Put dinner firmly in its plaice with tender grilled fish fillets topped with melting lemon and herb butter and served with garlicky spinach and nutty seasonal new potatoes on the side.

500g potatoes 50g butter, room temperature Handful of flat leaf parsley 1 lemon Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 2 shallots 1 garlic clove

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1 tbsp olive oil 2-4 plaice fillets, depending on how large they are 100g baby leaf spinach

1 Scrub the potatoes (no need to peel them), chop them into bite-size chunks and add them to a pan. Pour in enough cold water to cover the potatoes by 4-5cm and bring to the boil, then simmer for 10-15 mins, until the potatoes are tender.

2 Meanwhile, scoop half the room temperature butter into a small bowl. Finely chop the parsley, leaves and stalks, and add it to the butter. Grate in the lemon zest.

Add a pinch of salt and pepper

and mash together with a fork.

Set aside.

3 Peel and finely chop the shallots. Peel and thinly slice the garlic.

4 Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Slide the shallots and garlic into the pan. Add a little salt and pepper and fry for 3-4 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened.

5 While the shallots fry, set your grill to high. Line a baking tray with foil and lay the plaice fillets on top. Dot the herb butter over the plaice. Slide the fish under the hot grill and cook for 4-5 mins,

until the butter is bubbling, and the fish is cooked. It will flake easily when pressed with a fork.

6 Add the baby leaf spinach to the pan and cook with the shallots for 2-3 mins, stirring to wilt it.

7 When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and tip back into the pan. Add the remaining butter and a pinch of salt and pepper and roll the spuds around until coated.

Divide the potatoes and spinach between a couple of plates. Top with the plaice fillets and serve with wedges of the remaining lemon on the side. www.abelandcole.co.uk

IN SEASON

New Potatoes

Peter Adams from RHS Garden Rosemoor in Devon, gives us an insight into how they grow these little gems in their gorgeous gardens.

Lifting new potatoes is one of the many pleasures of growing your own food, the rich earthy fragrance as you raise them from the ground, followed by their wonderful unrivalled flavour in the kitchen, fresh from where they were grown.

The gardener often refers to new potatoes as ‘first earlies’, they are the first potatoes to be planted around late March and they will be the first potatoes to be lifted later in the season. Potatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow and at harvest, the feeling of sinking the garden fork into the soil and bringing those fresh home-grown potatoes to the surface is one of the most rewarding.

PREPARING THE GROUND Growing is easy, although a little preparation a couple of months in advance is needed, it's best to buy seed potatoes from a garden centre where they will be certified as disease-free, rather than choosing to grow what is sprouting at the back of the kitchen cupboard, bought from the supermarket a few weeks ago and forgotten about.

You can lay them out in trays, although old egg boxes are even better, somewhere light and cool but frost-free to begin a process of ‘chitting’. This is where you promote short yet strong stumpy shoots to grow to give them a head start when they’re planted out into the garden. Your potatoes will appreciate a fertile, rich soil, so adding organic matter such as manure or garden compost to the plot in advance is beneficial.

PLANTING UP In late March, mark out your plot and lay you potatoes out in rows, allowing 12 inches between each potato and around 30 inches between the rows, planting your potatoes about 6 inches deep. Soon you will see strong shoots beginning to emerge, and it’s important to protect them from the frost by earthing up – a process by which you draw soil up to cover the emerging shoots. Continue this process of earthing up for as long as there is a risk of frost and you still have enough soil between the rows to draw up. Don’t worry about continually covering the leaves, the potatoes will have enough energy stored to keep growing.

WARM POTATO, RADISH & BEAN SALAD WITH EGGS, OLIVES & SAFFRON MAYO DRESSING SERVES 2

2 tbsp capers 1 pinch saffron 500g new potatoes 2 eggs 1 bay leaf 100g radishes, quartered 125g French beans, halved 1 tbsp cider vinegar Small bunch of chervil Small bunch of parsley 1 tsp Dijon mustard 50ml mayonnaise 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 60g olives, halved

1 Place the capers in a mug of cold water to soak. Mix the saffron with 1 tbsp of hot water in a small bowl and leave it to steep.

2 Give the potatoes a scrub. Cut small ones in half and larger ones into quarters. Fill a large pan with cold salted water. Add the potatoes, eggs and bay leaf. Bring to the boil. After exactly 6 minutes from the moment of boiling, remove the eggs. Pop in a bowl and cool quickly in cold running water.

3 Once you have removed the eggs, keep the potatoes cooking until they are tender to a knife tip, then drain them and leave to one side to steam dry and cool a little.

4 Put a frying pan on to heat.

Add the cider vinegar and 3 tbsp water. Add the radishes and beans with a good pinch of salt. Cook on a high heat, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes, until the liquid has reduced to nothing.

They should be partly cooked but still have a slight bite to them.

Remove from the heat and keep to one side.

5 Drain the capers and coarsely chop them with the chervil and parsley leaves. Peel the eggs when cooled.

6 To make the dressing, mix the mustard, mayonnaise and half the garlic with the saffron water. Mix well and season. Add more garlic to taste.

7 Mix the warm potatoes with the radishes, any reserved good radish tops, beans, olives, herbs and capers. Divide between 2 plates and top each with a cut egg. Artfully spoon over the dressing. www.riverford.co.uk

By the time we are into May it's usually safe to allow the potatoes to grow away happily, keeping them well watered in drier conditions, of course if you don’t have a lot of room, potatoes can be grown in pots and containers, following a similar process.

TIME TO HARVEST Now for the fun bit, the harvesting, there are many thoughts on when you should harvest your potatoes, but for first earlies it is generally late June into July, usually about 100 days from planting, when the first flowers begin to open. Pull back a little soil to expose a few potatoes, if they are around the size of a hen’s egg, they are good to go. Carefully push a garden fork down the side of the rows and ease it up under the crop to encourage the potatoes to the surface. Carefully pick them up and place them in an awaiting container to take straight to the kitchen to be enjoyed.

The skins of new potatoes are soft, especially when brought straight from the garden, so a good wash in clean water is all that is needed before cooking, no need to peel them.

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IN SEASON

JERSEY ROYAL, LENTIL AND FETA BURGERS SERVES 4

500g new potatoes, scrubbed and halved if large 3 tbsp oil 6 spring onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 150g canned green lentils, drained 200g feta cheese crumbled 50g sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped 20g parsley, chopped 1 tsp dried oregano 3 tbsp polenta FOR THE SLAW: 150g young kale, stems removed and leaves shredded 1 small carrot, grated Half a small red onion 25g mayonnaise 10g umami paste TO SERVE: 4 burger buns 2 small avocados, peeled, stoned and mashed with 1 tsp lemon juice 2 cooked beetroot, sliced

potato mixture and set aside to cool.

3 Once cool enough to handle, add the lentils, feta, tomatoes, parsley, oregano and some black pepper. Taste before adding more salt as the feta is salty.

4 With wet hands shape the mixture into 4 burgers. Put the polenta on a plate and coat the burgers. Cover and chill for 20 minutes.

5 To make the slaw, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Chill until required.

6 Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan. Cook the burgers for 6-8 minutes until golden on the outside and hot in the middle. Split the burger buns, fill with the beetroot slices, some avocado, a burger each and serve with the slaw. www.jerseyroyals.co.uk

1 Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the new potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes until tender. Drain and roughly crush with the back of a spoon.

2 Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a frying pan, add the spring onions and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir into the

SEASONAL VEGETABLE PIZZA

Top Tip You can freeze these burgers at the end of step 3. Layer with greaseproof paper and place in a freezer proof box. Defrost before cooking.

SERVES 4

FOR THE BASE: 500g strong white flour plus extra for dusting 1 tsp easy blend yeast Half a tsp sugar FOR THE TOPPING: 300g new potatoes, sliced thinly 75g asparagus spears, trimmed 250g ricotta cheese 2 smoked garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 75g mange tout, sliced 75g peas, defrosted if frozen 100g grated mozzarella 15g parmesan cheese, freshly grated 50g pea shoots

1 In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar with half a tsp salt and 400ml tepid water. Mix into a dough, tip the dough out onto the work surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and

12 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER

elastic. Return to the bowl, cover loosely with a tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until it has doubled in size.

2 Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the potatoes and simmer for 5-6 minutes until just soft. Add the asparagus for one minute, then drain and refresh in cold water. Beat the ricotta and garlic together and set aside.

3 Preheat the oven to fan 200C/ Gas 7. Dust a couple of baking trays with a little flour. Divide the dough into 4 and roll out or hand stretch as thinly as you can.

4 Spread with the ricotta mixture, top with the potato slices, asparagus, mange tout and peas. Then scatter over both the mozzarella and parmesan cheese and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden and the base is crisp.

Serve hot, drizzled with extra olive oil and the pea shoots. www.jerseyroyals.co.uk

IN SEASON

Rhubarb

SPICED GAMMON STEAKS WITH HONEYED RHUBARB SERVES 2

Celebrate the start of the organic, outdoor rhubarb season with this succulent, sizzling fruity pairing.

2 gammon steaks 1 tsp rapeseed or olive oil 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger Crushed seeds from 3 cardamom pods 1 star anise, finely ground 2 tbsp honey 1 tbsp unsalted butter 3-4 sticks of rhubarb Juice of 1 orange or 150ml orange juice A light dusting of fresh thyme leaves

1 Let the gammon steaks come up to room temperature.

2 Peel and finely chop the ginger and put it into a small bowl. Mix in the ground cardamom and star anise. Thinly slice the rhubarb and set it to one side.

3 Pop a large frying pan on a high heat and warm it until smoking hot. Brush the

gammon steaks with a little olive oil on both sides. Carefully press the steaks into the hot pan.

4 Sprinkle a pinch of the ginger and spice mix over the uncooked side of the steaks. Once the side facing the pan is golden (about 5 mins), turn the gammon over, spiced side down, to cook for another 5 mins.

5 Add the ginger and spice mix to the cooked side of the steaks. Drizzle over plenty of honey and crack over some black pepper and cook for another 5 mins or so.

6 When both sides of the gammon steaks are golden, and the fat along the edge has crisped up, lift them out of the pan. Pop onto a couple of warm plates to rest.

RHUBARB &ORANGE MARMALADE MAKES 1.5 L

1kg oranges 1kg trimmed rhubarb, roughly chopped 1.3kg granulated sugar

1 Peel the oranges and slice the rind thinly.

Squeeze the oranges until you have 375ml juice.

7 Once you’ve removed the steaks, gloss the pan with the butter. Add the rhubarb, any remaining ginger/spice mix, the orange juice, and the remaining honey. Cook until the rhubarb has picked up some colour and looks glossy.

2 Combine the rind, juice, rhubarb and sugar in a saucepan and stir over a high heat, without boiling, until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil then continue to boil uncovered for about 45 minutes or until the marmalade gels when tested.

8 Serve the gammon steaks topped with the honeyed rhubarb, garnished with a scattering of fresh thyme leaves.

3 Pour the hot marmalade into hot sterilised jars and seal immediately. Label and date jars once cooled.

www.abelandcole.co.uk

www.lakeland.co.uk

FOODLOVERMAGAZINE.COM | 13

IN SEASON

Asparagus

SPRING VEGETABLE PAD THAI SERVES 2

1 pack rice noodles Sunflower oil 30g fresh coriander 1 bunch asparagus Half kohlrabi 1 red pepper Handful of spring greens 3 spring onions 2 red chillies 2 garlic cloves Piece fresh ginger 25g roasted salted peanuts 200g marinated tofu 1 egg 1 pack tamarind paste 2 tbsp tamari 1 lemon Salt

1 Boil a kettle of water. Fill a pan with the boiled water and put it on the hob.

Add the pack of noodles.

Cook on a low simmer for 10 minutes, until tender, stirring for the first 1 minute to prevent them from clumping.

2 Once ready, rinse under cold water to stop them from sticking. Wash and shake the fresh coriander dry. Wash the asparagus.

Snap off and discard the tough base of the stalks.

Chop the rest into 3-4cm lengths.

3 Peel and halve the kohlrabi. Using just one half of it, slice it in into thin half-moons, then into matchsticks. Wash, deseed and chop the pepper into thin strips. Wash and finely slice the chillies, using 1 or 2, keeping the seeds in too.

4 Peel and finely chop or crush 2 garlic cloves.

Peel and finely grate the ginger. Chop the peanuts.

Cut the tofu into 2cm squares. Roughly chop the coriander leaves. Crack the egg into a bowl and lightly beat the white and yolk together.

5 Squeeze the juice from the lemon. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok or large frying

14 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER

pan, to a medium heat.

Add the garlic, ginger and chilli(es). Fry for 1 minute, stirring to prevent the garlic from burning. Turn up the heat.

6 Add the asparagus, shredded greens, kohlrabi, pepper and tofu. Fry for 1 minute. Add the noodles, one third of the pack of tamarind and half the tamari. Add about 4 tbsp of water and stir for 1 minute.

Turn down the heat.

7 Push the ingredients to one side of the pan.

Add the egg and stir for a few seconds so it starts to scramble. Add most of the spring onion and most of the coriander and stir.

Remove from the heat.

Taste and add lemon juice and more tamari and/or salt if needed.

8 Divide between 2 serving bowls. Garnish with the peanuts and the rest of the onion and coriander. www.riverford.co.uk

SALMON AND ASPARAGUS FRIED RICE WITH LEMON AND FRESH DILL SERVES 4

4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided 1lb salmon fillet, skin removed, cut into bite-size cubes Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 8 ounces asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch lengths 1 medium sweet onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups cold cooked rice Zest of 2 medium lemons Quarter cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tsp kosher salt Quarter cup chopped fresh dill 1 lemon, cut into wedges

1 Heat 3 tbsp of butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Allow to cook until the milk solids turn golden brown and the butter smells nutty.

Add the cubed salmon, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté for approx 5 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate.

2 Add the asparagus to the butter in the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring only occasionally, until it begins to brown.

Transfer to the plate with the salmon.

3 Heat the remaining tbsp of butter in the sauté pan over mediumhigh heat. Add the onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté until tender for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add the rice and sauté until warmed through and softened, then continue sautéing until the rice seems firm again for about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt to taste.

Add the salmon and asparagus to the pan and stir until heated through.

4 Divide among plates and garnish with fresh dill. Serve with lemon wedges.

Fried Rice by Danielle Centoni, published by Sasquatch

YOUR SQUARE Shopping / Eating / Leisure / Events / and so much more!

Brewery Square boasts a selection of shops, eateries, leisure facilities and fun events for the whole family.

Our vibrant Square is set in the regenerated brewery complex within the heart of Dorchester town centre.

brewerysquare.com

LOVE LOCAL

Become a Better BAKER We hear from expert baker, Heather Brown on some of the science of baking and the top tips she’s picked up during her career. Plus, she’s given us a delectable recipe for scones too!

W

hen you simplify baking down, it's just a series of combinations of a small group of ingredients: fat, sugar, liquid (eggs/water/ milk), flour and a raising agent of some kind. Simply varying these ingredients results in a series of different bakes – which is remarkable! For example, a cake is equal parts butter, sugar, eggs and self-raising flour. Biscuits are equal parts fat and sugar to double the amount of flour. Cookies are double the amount of sugar to fat and flour.

Basic bread is flour, yeast, a little sugar and water. Pastry is flour, fat and water (where the ratio of flour to butter varies the pastry type).

Recipes differ to add in flavour and vary texture, but these ratios largely remain the same.

It is so easy to look at Instagram and feel the pressure to bake the ‘perfect’ item but when I realised how simple it is, I relaxed into experimenting with ratios and tweaking to add in all kinds of tasty flavours.

My mum has been baking for as long as I can remember and learnt her way around the kitchen from her mum, but my mum recently baked a cake with double the amount of flour than she should have done (by mistake). Rather than throwing the ‘ruined’ cake away, my Mum and Dad still enjoyed what she baked because the result was actually a very large biscuit! Still completely edible – and tasty – just

16 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER

not quite what she’d had in mind.

There are two things that can greatly help the success of a bake; heat and air bubbles. Most raising agents start becoming active when they touch moisture so for bread, this allows the bread to rise and creates those lovely air bubbles and the yeast gets to work beautifully when placed in a warm place.

For cake, the best place for this reaction to happen is when the cake is in the oven. So, ideally as soon as the flour is folded into the rest of the ingredients, carefully put the mixture in your tins and then straight into the oven. This allows the cake to rise, creating the tiny air bubbles needed to keep the cake tender and light.

Opening the oven door too quickly (which shoots a whole load of cold air into the oven) or knocking the trays as you move them, can work against those delicate air bubbles and cause bakes to sink. So, once you have created those little air pockets, they need to be treated gently until they have been fully baked.

Scones, however, can be quite resilient because they are designed to be soft on the inside, but quite crusty on the outside, especially when fresh from the oven. Just be aware of over handling when cutting the shapes. This recipe includes some fresh fruit to compliment all the cream and jam that inevitably will get loaded on top. Yum.

HEATHER’S SCONES MAKES 8-11

8oz self-raising flour 2oz butter (soft) 2oz caster sugar Milk Egg to glaze Fresh raspberries and blueberries

1 Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper and preheat the oven to 180Fan/Gas 6.

2 Add the flour and sugar to a large bowl. With your hands, add in the butter and rub it between your fingertips until the butter is worked in and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

3 Add the fresh fruit and mix through. Then pour in milk a little at a time. Stir the mixture with your hands and continue to add the milk until the mixture forms a soft dough. You don’t need to knead the dough.

4 Tip out onto a floured surface.

Gently press the mixture so that it is about 1 inch thick. Using a cutter (or just a knife), cut out the scones and place on the lined trays. If you want the scones to rise straight up, don’t twist the cutter as you press it into the dough.

5 You can reform the dough and repeat the cutting until all the dough is used up.

6 Beat the egg in a small bowl with a fork and then brush over

the top of the scones. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. You can leave them to cool, but they do taste fantastic straight from the oven. www.heather-brown.com

Baker's Tip

The secret to making scones is to do it quickly, working the dough as little as possible and cooking them straight away.

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ALPHA FOODIE’S RASPBERRY AND COCONUT CAKE SERVES 10-12

This cake is like a Victoria sponge with a twist. It pairs homemade raspberry jam filling with a whipped coconut cream frosting smothered over a delicious coconut and vanilla cake. A delicious, simple celebration cake!

CAKE SPONGES: Half a cup brown sugar 200g butter, softened Half a cup coconut milk 4 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups plain flour 1 tbsp baking powder Pinch salt 1 cup desiccated coconut CAKE FILLING: 2 cups coconut cream 1 cup homemade raspberry jam

CAKE DECORATION: Coconut cream Shredded coconut Edible flowers

1 Start by mixing the softened butter and sugar and whisk until the sugar is well incorporated.

2 Add the coconut milk, eggs and vanilla extract and whisk again.

3 In a separate bowl, mix the flour together with the baking powder and salt. Then fold the dry ingredients into the wet.

4 Add the desiccated coconut and fold again.

5 Spread the mixture into greased tins and bake for approx 35-40 minutes at 170Fan. You can either use a larger and smaller pan for a layered final cake, or you could divide the mix between two 8inch/20cm same-size pans, so you don’t have to slice it down the middle to add the filling.

6 The cake sponge is ready when it becomes lightly golden. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then take it out of the tins to completely cool down.

7 If you didn’t use separate pans, carefully cut through the middle of the cakes to split the cake in half.

8 Whisk the coconut cream to make it light and fluffy.

9 To assemble the cake, spread the raspberry jam onto one of the sponges, then cover it with some coconut cream and place the second sponge on top.

10 Cover the whole cake with coconut cream. Sprinkle with shredded coconut. To make it extra pretty, arrange some edible flowers on top. www.clarencecourt.co.uk

Baker’s Tip Try greasing and sugaring your pans for a firm candied outer layer. Grease your pan as normal, then toss sugar in the pan to coat the sides completely.

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CANNOLI MAKES 20-22

150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 1 tbsp lard 2 tsp white wine vinegar 3–4 tbsp sweet wine 1 egg white, plus extra for brushing 1 tsp caster sugar Vegetable oil, for frying Salt FOR THE FILLING: 1kg ricotta 400g icing sugar 50g candied pumpkin, diced 80g chocolate, chopped 2–3 tbsp white rum TO DECORATE: Vanilla flavoured icing sugar 4–5 shelled pistachio nuts, slivered YOU WILL NEED: About 20 metal cannoli tubes for shaping the dough. These are available from most kitchenware stores.

1 First, make the filling. Press the ricotta through a sieve into a bowl,

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then add the icing sugar and beat with a wooden spoon. Add the candied pumpkin, chocolate, and rum and mix well. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 12 hours.

2 Make the dough. Sift the flour with a pinch of salt into a bowl.

Add the lard, vinegar, wine, egg white, and sugar and mix well to form a firm dough. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and let stand for 30 minutes.

Baker’s

3 Cut the dough into 2–3 Tip pieces and roll each out on a Unless your recipe says lightly floured surface. Cut otherwise, always let ingredients out 20–22 squares or stamp such as eggs and butter come up to out rounds with a fluted room temperature before you start pastry cutter. Put a cannoli baking.

You can always give eggs tube diagonally across each a hand by running them square or across each round, under warm water. wrap the dough around it and seal by brushing with a very small amount of beaten egg white.

4 Three-quarters fill a frying pan or skillet with vegetable oil and heat.

Add the cannoli, seam side down, a few rolls at a time, and cook,

turning once, for a few minutes, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, then let stand until cool

enough to handle. Remove the metal tubes and fill the cannoli with the ricotta filling just before serving.

5 Dust with icing sugar, if preferred, and decorate at the ends with the pistachio slivers.

The Silver Spoon Classic, published

by Phaidon

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PEAR AND BLACKBERRY PIE SERVES 12

FOR THE RICOTTA PASTRY: 150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 30g butter 1 tbsp caster sugar 3 tbsp ricotta cheese Zest of 1 orange FOR THE PEAR AND BLACKBERRY FILLING: 4 pears 250g blackberries 1 tbsp cornflour 1 tbsp agave syrup 1 tbsp dried semolina or couscous 1 egg, beaten 1 tbsp clear honey Juice of 1 orange

and mix to a dough. Roll the pastry into a ball and flatten to a patty, then wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2 While the pastry is chilling, peel, core and slice the pears. Put them in a bowl with the blackberries. Dust with the cornflour and toss everything together, then drizzle over the agave syrup and mix once more.

3 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking paper.

4 Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 30cm circle and put it on the prepared baking tray. Scatter the base of the pastry with the semolina – this will help absorb any juices and prevent the pastry from having a soggy base. Pile the fruit in the centre of the pastry and

bring the sides of the pastry up around the fruit.

This doesn’t have to be neat – you want it to look rustic so if the pastry does crack, just patch it up.

5 Brush the outside of the pastry with a little beaten egg. Bake for 30 minutes until the fruit has softened but has not gone mushy and the pastry is cooked and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

6 Meanwhile, put the honey and orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 2 minutes until syrupy. Brush this over the cooked pie before serving.

Guilt Free Baking by Gee Charman, published by Watkins Media

1 To make the pastry, put the flour in a large bowl, then rub in the butter, using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, then use a fork to break the ricotta into the mix. Add the orange zest, then gradually add about 1 tbsp water, a drop at a time,

Baker's T ip

quires If your recipe re you only whole milk but you can have skimmed, sp of melted always add 2 tb substitute. butter to it as a

FOODLOVERMAGAZINE.COM | 19

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PINT GLASS BREAD MAKES 1 LOAF

A little oil is helpful when making bread, for a smoother dough and a crispy crust, and any oil works. You can make this bread with supermarket valuerange bitter, but it also works very well with cider.

PERFECT FOR BRUNCH!

2 pint glasses of plain flour, plus extra for dusting 1 pint glass of warm beer 1 tsp dried active yeast 1 tsp sugar Pinch of salt Oil, for the dough and greasing

1 Tip the flour into the bowl then use the bottom of your glass to make a well in the flour.

2 Pour half the beer into the pint glass and microwave it for 40 seconds to warm it through.

Warming it helps wake up the yeast granules so your bread can rise. Top up with the rest of the beer – too hot and the yeast will die. You want it to be pleasantly warm, not scalding.

3 Pour the beer into the middle of the flour. Add the yeast, salt, sugar and a dash of oil and mix well to make a dough. Mix briskly until the dough comes together – if it is cracking, add a small amount of water. If it’s tacky, add a shake of flour.

4 Flour your work surface generously, then tip the dough onto it and start to knead it. Drive your knuckles into the dough to stretch it away from you. Fold it over from the back to the front.

Turn it around a bit. Repeat. There’s no real wrong way to do it, just work out what feels right for you.

Oil your hands, then knead for 5–10 minutes.

5 Pop it back into the bowl and cover it with cling film or a clean tea towel. Pop the bowl somewhere warm and leave it for an hour, or overnight for a tangy bread that’s a bit like a sourdough and really rather lovely – the beer and yeast ferment, and it’s delicious.

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6 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.

Dust the work surface with flour and tip out the dough onto the work surface. Roughly mould the dough to your preferred loaf shape.

Take a knife and score three slashes into it about a centimetre or so deep.

7 Dust the top with some of the worktop flour and stick the bread straight onto the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hour.

8 When the hour is up, open the oven door, grab a tea towel and remove your bread. Turn it over and tap its base – if it sounds hollow, it’s done. If you’re unsure, insert a sharp knife in the middle and see if it comes out clean.

9 Leave it to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then slice it and enjoy.

Cooking on a Bootstrap by Jack Monroe, published by Bluebird

Did you Know...?

Irish folklore says that bake rs must score th e top of their uncooked loav es because it lets the fairie s out!

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Healthy Meals in Minutes

After a long or busy day it can be tempting to reach for quick and easy dinner options that might not have the best nutritional value. Before you reach for the bad stuff, here are a few recipes that won’t take too long to whip up and your body will thank you for it. What’s more, many of these are also great to prep for lunch the night before too!

MUSHROOM AND CHICKEN KETO SALAD SERVES 4

Cooked up in only 5 minutes, this Mushroom and Chicken Keto Salad is the perfect light meal, served with a delicious chive and lemon dressing for an extra kick!

FOR THE SALAD: 200g baby chestnut mushrooms, halved

6 chicken thighs, trimmed of fat 2 tbsp olive oil 150g mixed leaf salad 1 stick celery, finely sliced 1 small red onion, finely sliced 10 radishes, finely sliced 1 avocado, peeled and sliced 50g blanched almonds, chopped FOR THE DRESSING: 100g low fat mayonnaise 2 cloves garlic, crushed 20g fresh chives, finely chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice Freshly ground black pepper

the celery, onion and radishes and add the avocado.

1 Finely slice the chicken into small strips.

4 Mix the dressing ingredients together with 2-3 tbsp water, until you reach a pouring consistency.

2 Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the chicken and mushrooms.

Fry for 3-4 minutes until the mushrooms are golden and the chicken is cooked through then set aside to cool.

5 Add the mushrooms and chicken to the salad, drizzle on the dressing and finish with a sprinkle of almonds. www.justaddmushrooms.com

3 Place the salad leaves onto a large serving plate. Sprinkle over

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CHOCOLATE CHIA PUDDINGS

DON’T FORGET DESSERT...

SERVES 4

Chia seeds are a great way of thickening and enriching a dish. Dark chocolate adds a sophisticated note, while shop-bought custard ensures this deliciously rich and creamy pudding is quick and easy to make.

500g light custard 100ml whole milk 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out 30g good quality cocoa powder 50g dark chocolate, roughly chopped 1 tbsp granulated sweetener 4 tbsp chia seeds 180g raspberries

1 Pour the custard and milk into a saucepan and add the vanilla pod and seeds, cocoa powder, dark chocolate and sweetener.

2 Place over a medium-low heat, whisking gently until

the chocolate is completely melted – this will only take a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the vanilla pod.

3 Add the chia seeds to the chocolate mixture and whisk again until well combined.

4 Divide half the raspberries between 4 small jars or glasses. Spoon the chia mixture into the glasses and place in the fridge for 2 hours to chill.

5 Pile the remaining raspberries on top of the puddings to serve.

Lose Weight & Get Fit by Tom Kerridge, published by Bloomsbury

Health Fact Chia seeds are full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, protein and fibre – which all help stave off hunger. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants which help you to recover after a workout too.

ALMOND CHICKEN SERVES 2

Knock up this fresh chicken twist and add fluffy basmati rice as a quick and easy midweek treat.

1 medium onion 1 clove of garlic 1 tsp curry powder 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp ground almonds 2 chicken breasts 150g basmati rice 2 tsp fresh coriander 150g natural yoghurt

1 Heat oil in a frying pan and soften the onion, add the garlic and curry powder then cook on a moderate heat for 5 mins.

2 Chop the chicken into 2cm thick strips and add to the pan. Brown off for 5-6 mins then turn the heat down low and add the almonds, stirring gently.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the yoghurt.

3 As this is cooking, boil the rice until fluffy.

3 Serve the chicken with the rice, and garnish with chopped coriander. www.yeovalley.co.uk

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GLUTEN & DAIRY FREE

10 MIN COLOURFUL RAMEN SERVES 1

This tasty ramen is incredibly simple to make, roughly taking 10 minutes and it is absolutely packed full of colour and flavour.

1 tbsp olive oil Half a small red onion, diced 1 small garlic clove, crushed Half a thumb sized piece of ginger, thinly sliced 400ml veg stock 3 broccoli florets, sliced in half 3 chestnut mushrooms, sliced 1 small carrot, peeled lengthways 50g fine rice/glass noodles Juice of half a lime 1 bok/pak choy Handful fresh parsley (optional) Red chilli sliced (optional) Pinch sesame seeds (optional) 1 tsp tamari (optional)

1 Firstly, prepare the veg as instructed in the ingredients list.

2 Put a small pot on a medium heat with the olive oil, red onion, crushed

garlic, ginger and a pinch of black pepper for 1 minute until sizzling.

3 Pour in the veg stock then add the broccoli, mushrooms, carrot and bring to a boil for a couple minutes.

4 Add the noodles, tamari (if you wish), lime juice and stir. Boil for a further minute.

5 Now turn off the heat and add the bok/pak choy and place the lid on the pot and let sit for a couple minutes to steam the bok/pak choy.

6 Simply pour the soup into a deep bowl and side with fresh parsley, fresh lime and top with sliced chilli and sesame seeds. www.healthylivingjames.co.uk

Top Tip You could easily prep this delicious ramen and store it in a large glass jar overnight in the fridge to take to work the next day – just reheat it in the microwave!

Find all your favourite recipes and new ones to try on

www.foodlovermagazine.com HANDMADE MOUTH WATERING PRESERVES

A @FOODLOVERmag B @foodlovermag E@foodlovermag V@foodlovermag

www.waterhousefayre.co.uk See our website for stockists

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TOFU AND VEGETABLE SOUP SERVES 4

4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 3 tbsp peanut oil 150g tofu, cut into cubes 4 baby courgettes, thinly sliced on an angle 2 spring onions, thinly sliced on an angle 1 carrot, thinly sliced on an angle 50g soybean sprouts 50g baby spinach 3 tbsp soya sauce 40g coarsely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

1 In a small saucepan, combine the ginger and 500ml water and bring it to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, then turn off the heat and strain the water, discarding the ginger.

2 In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.

Add the tofu, courgettes, spring onions, and carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the flavour to develop.

3 Add the ginger-infused water, the bean sprouts, and the spinach and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the soya sauce.

4 Ladle into individual serving bowls, garnish with the peanuts, and serve.

The Vegetarian Silver Spoon, published by Phaidon

D I S C O V E R | E AT | S H O P | S TAY | C E L E B R A T E

Welcome to Symondsbury Estate, set in the beautiful Dorset countryside just a stone’s throw from the Jurassic Coast. Join us for lunch. Browse our shops.Visit the gallery. Explore our fabulous walks and bike trails. Relax and unwind in our holiday accommodation. Celebrate your wedding day... ... Isn’t it time you discovered Symondsbury Estate?

+44 (0)1308 424116 www.symondsburyestate.co.uk The Estate Office Manor Yard, Bridport, Dorset DT6 6HG

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MASALA OMELETTE WRAP SERVES 1

50g grated cheddar cheese Half tsp ground coriander Half tsp ground cumin 1 tsp chopped fresh coriander 2 tbsp vegetable oil Quarter red onion, finely sliced 1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced 2 eggs Pinch of salt 1 chapati 1 tbsp tomato chutney

1 Preheat your grill. Mix the grated cheese, ground coriander, ground cumin and fresh coriander and set aside.

2 Put the vegetable oil in a small non-stick frying pan and set over a medium heat. When hot, add the red onion and red chilli and fry for 4 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.

3 Whisk the eggs lightly with a fork, then pour into the pan and give everything a quick mix. Season with the salt and cook gently until the eggs are just set, then sprinkle the cheese mixture on top of the eggs and place under the grill. Grill for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and golden.

4 Take your chapati and spoon on the tomato chutney, then carefully slide the cooked omelette out of the pan and on top of the chapati.

Roll tightly, slice in half at an angle and serve immediately.

Mowgli Street Food by Nisha Katona, published by Watkins Media

FULL OF FLAVOUR

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Biodiversity farming with Trewithen Dairy Trewithen Dairy work in harmony with the landscape and wildlife around them.

Here they let us in on some of the things they do to encourage biodiversity at their farm and within the community around them

W

e are very lucky to work in an amazing part of the world here in Cornwall. We buy our milk from farming families within 25 miles of our dairy in the Glynn Valley and naturally, both animal welfare and the environment are at the heart of what we do.

BIODIVERSITY IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE We have always considered biodiversity as an essential part of looking after our local environment. Biodiversity is a huge topic, but here we’re going to give you an example of practical

ways that small changes at our farm can make a big difference.

A couple of years ago our Chairman Bill Clarke met with Doctor Grace TwistonDavies from Exeter University to discuss the decline in pollinators. Grace and her team had produced an innovative software programme called ‘Bee Steward’ which was created to help plot the topography of a farmland and pinpoint the best positions to plant bee friendly pastures.

Bee friendly pastures means moving away from single seeded fields such as rye grass and planting biodiverse grass swards including herbal leys. Herbal ley is a complex seed mix of grasses, legumes and herbs which create a range of benefits to the health of livestock and the fertility of the soil.

BEE-ING RESPONSIBLE Introducing a range of different grasses not only ensures the livestock benefit from greater nutrition in the pasture, but also allows more

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species such as insects to thrive. Bees love clovers and many of the other legumes that are abundant in herbal leys. As pollinators they have one of the most important jobs on the farm in helping to develop and maintain healthy pastures – the healthier the pasture, the greater the range of insects it attracts.

Insects in turn attract small mammals who subsequently attract a wide range of birds and so it goes on. It was clear to us that the Bee Steward programme and its benefits would be of great interest as we look to create greater biodiversity on the farms for the future.

Soil health is also an area we are also keen to develop. Herbal leys create complex root systems which help to support good bacteria in the soil and provide greater nutritional value for livestock in the pasture they eat. In addition, these root systems hold in water like a sponge, helping to prevent flooding and run off from the land.

BIODIVERSITY IN THE FARMING COMMUNITY It’s clear that biodiversity can have many additional benefits other than simply the wide range of species it supports. The issue is that farms are businesses, and so need to ensure that they can recoup any investment in changes to their farming processes and dairy farmers need to know that making biodiversity changes won’t significantly deflate their future productivity.

Through a series of meetings, a team of like-minded businesses were brought together.

They are the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, the National Trust, Lanhydrock Estate, The Duchy of Cornwall, Duchy Nurseries and Kelly’s Ice Cream. Working together we set

“Using the Bee Steward technology, we can identify areas to develop herbal ley meadows and research their effects in reversing the decline of bumblebees, whilst measuring their effect in creating better pastures for dairy cattle” up The Fowey Valley Bumble Bee Project to establish a corridor along the Fowey Valley in Cornwall.

Using the Bee Steward technology, we can identify areas to develop herbal ley meadows and research their effects in reversing the decline of bumblebees, whilst measuring their effect in creating better pastures for dairy cattle. The project is up and running and has been fully funded for the next 5 years by the

Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation.

Our hope is that through the science of Bee Steward and detailed field research (literally!) of project managers from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, we hope to create the blue print for farmers all over country to create more biodiverse landscapes on their farms backed up by the confidence of the results of this innovative 5 year research project. Wish us luck!”

FOODLOVERMAGAZINE.COM | 27

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Go with Jade Ellis, a Nutritional Therapist, suffered with IBS for several years, and lead her to discover the power of nutrition and a passion for helping others on their own health journeys.

S

he believes in the premise that everyone is individual in their needs of optimum nutrition, and we should be treating the whole person, not only an isolated set of symptoms. Here we speak to her a bit more about her work and how we can all improve our own gut health.

Can you tell us what ‘gut health’ actually means?

Gut health actually refers to the balance of microorganisms that live in the digestive tract.

Our gut flora can become damaged by high sugar or intolerances to gluten in the diet, high consumption of processed foods, antibiotic use or chronic stress.

How can we feed our good bacteria and avoid dysbiosis?

Dysbiosis occurs when the bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract goes out of balance, leading to a wide range of symptoms of digestive disturbance. The most important way in which we can feed our beneficial gut bacteria, is by consuming a wide range of brightly coloured vegetables and fruits, which contain polyphenols – special plant compounds contained in the skin of plants. These bright colours generously feed good bacteria in your gut. Make sure to choose vegetables and fruits with deep, dark red, purple and green colours!

What are the best foods and nutrients we can include in our diet to promote good gut health?

Including various probiotic-rich foods in your

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diet will contribute to good gut health. You can add in kimchi or sauerkraut to your salads, or consume fermented soy products like miso and tempeh.

Consuming adequate fibre is also imperative for a healthy gut. A good tip is to make sure at least half of your plate is vegetables. A serving of legumes such as chickpeas, black beans or lentils can act to feed the good bacteria in your gut and are incredibly rich in zinc, magnesium and iron.

Magnesium is an important mineral for the gut, as it has been known to assist in relaxing the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract, therefore promotes healthy bowel movements.

To increase magnesium in your diet, include dietary sources such as chickpeas, soybeans, tofu, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, cocoa and dark leafy greens.

What are the differences between pro and prebiotic foods?

While probiotics and prebiotics sound very similar, they actually have very different roles within the gut. Prebiotics are types of dietary fibre and can alter the composition of organisms in the gut microbiome, feeding your friendly gut bacteria. Prebiotic fibre exists in foods such as bananas, onion, garlic, leeks, asparagus, oats, apples, flaxseeds and artichokes.

Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria, which are naturally created by the process of fermentation in foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, and yoghurt. Probiotics are also taken as supplements that are supposed to colonise your gut with health-boosting

microorganisms. According to various studies, the gut actually contains as many as 1,000 different types!

How can our gut affect the rest of our body?

Our gut health is the foundation of our overall health. It allows us to extract and absorb nutrients, houses the majority of our immunity, fights infection and gets rid of toxins.

The gut helps build and boost the body’s immune system, and around 70% of our immune function is actually located in the gut!

Approximately 95% of our ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter serotonin, is located within the gut. The gut, has even been called a ‘second brain’, and researchers are finding evidence that irritation in the gastrointestinal system may send signals to the central nervous system that trigger mood changes.

What are some of the best mood boosting foods?

There are many various types of mood boosting foods. Most importantly, Omega 3 fatty acids which are primarily in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines. They contain fatty acids called DHA and EPA, which are known to be very beneficial for brain function. However, they can also be found within algae oil, derived from seaweed, which is a vegan alternative to fish oil.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, as our bodies cannot make it on their own. It is converted to 5-HTP, which is used to make serotonin, and then produces melatonin, the sleep hormone. Tryptophan rich foods consist of turkey, eggs, salmon, spinach and dairy products. Research has shown that anxiety, tension and feelings of nervousness were higher when the participants had low tryptophan levels.

Finally, what’s a quick and easy food swap you’d give to someone who is just starting to think about their gut health?

To begin to boost your gut health, a quick and easy food swap is to switch the white refined carbohydrates for whole grains, legumes, squash and sweet potatoes. The variety will benefit the gut microbiota and boost the friendly bacteria within the gut. Adding in legumes, will boost your fibre, protein and provide phytonutrients, resulting in a high nutrient dense diet and a happier and healthier gut!

Words & photography and recipe below by Jade Lauren Ellis, Nutritional Therapist, NT DipCNM, mBANT, rCNHC www. jadelaurenellis.co.uk

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ALL-THE-GREENS RISOTTO SERVES 2

This mouth-watering risotto is a great vegetarian option, high in vitamin C, high in folic acid and provides 2 of your five a day.

1.5 tbsp olive oil plus extra for drizzling 80g leek, diced 1 vegetable stock cube with 500ml boiling water (plus extra water if needed) 2 cloves garlic, crushed 200g risotto rice 1 courgette, coarsely grated 150g cavolo nero, leaves left whole or finely sliced 50g grated vegetarian hard cheese 50g unsalted butter

1 Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Gently cook the leek for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then make the stock.

2 Add the garlic and risotto rice to the pan and heat through, stirring continuously for 1 minute.

GUT HEALTH SMOOTHIE

3 Add half the stock, stir thoroughly. Set a timer for 15 minutes for cooking the rice (or for the recommended pack cooking time minus 2 minutes).

4 Cook the courgette separately in the remaining olive oil, then add to the risotto pan when the timer says 10 minutes to go.

Stir the rice continuously to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan (turn down the heat if needed).

5 Anytime the rice gets too dry, add a little more stock, but not too much at a time. If it bubbles too much turn down the heat a little. Add the cavolo nero when the timer says 5 minutes to go.

6 When the 15 minutes are up, taste test the risotto. It should be al dente, not completely soft. If it’s ready, turn off the heat, stir in most of the cheese and the butter, stirring in gently until deliciously creamy.

7 Serve immediately, adding a sprinkling of cheese and a final drizzle of olive oil onto each individual plate.

Developed by Pixie Tuner for Discover Great Veg

This smoothie recipe is so quick and easy to make, and the ingredients are incredibly beneficial for a healthy gut. It is packed with plant based fibre, healthy fats, omega 3s and the important minerals zinc, magnesium and iron. The toppings are optional, and you can use it as a blank canvas to swap out and add what your heart desires!

1 frozen banana 1 pear Quarter avocado 1 tbsp ground flaxseed 1 cup coconut milk (or any preferred plant milk) Handful of spinach Handful of kale TOPPINGS (OPTIONAL): Chia seeds Blueberries/raspberries Sliced banana Coconut flakes Crushed almonds

Gut Benefits Garlic is a potent antimicrobial food that is useful for tackling gut infections. The antioxidantrich ingredients make this a nourishing soup for lowering inflammation and supporting healing.

1 Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth, which will take about 2–3 minutes.

2 Then, add to a bowl and add toppings as desired. Using a frozen banana makes the consistency thick and creamy, so you’re able to add as many toppings as you want! www.jadelaurenellis.co.uk

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RESTORATIVE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP SERVES 2

This low-carb healing soup uses strips of courgette instead of regular noodles.

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 400ml chicken bone broth 1 tsp coconut oil 2 spring onions, sliced 1 celery stalk, diced Half red chilli, deseeded and diced 1 garlic clove, crushed (optional) 200g tinned chopped tomatoes Half red pepper, deseeded and diced 1 tsp tomato purée Pinch of smoked paprika Half tsp ground cumin 1 courgette 1 handful of coriander leaves, chopped Sea salt and ground black pepper

1 Put the chicken breasts in a saucepan over a medium-high heat and pour over the broth.

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the chicken to continue cooking in the stock for a further 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the broth and leave to one side. Reserve the broth.

2 Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan and cook the spring onions, celery, chilli and garlic, if using, for 2–3 minutes until the celery is soft. Add the tomatoes and reserved broth, and add the red pepper, tomato purée and spices. Cook over a low heat for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

3 Use a spiralizer to create courgette noodles or use a sharp knife to cut the courgette lengthways into thin slices and then into thin strips. Shred the chicken and add it to the pan followed by the noodles. Simmer for 1–2 minutes until the courgette noodles are just soft. Season to taste and serve topped with coriander.

The Gut Health Diet Plan by Christine Bailey, published by Watkins Media

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COD WITH MEDITERRANEAN HERB DRESSING SERVES 2

A fresh, herby dressing brings out the delicate flavour of cod, which is served with a simple roasted pepper and onion salad.

2 boneless cod fillets, about 120g each, with skin Half red onion, thinly sliced 1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves 1 roasted red pepper, cut into chunks 30g pitted black olives, cut into halves 1 tsp coconut oil Sea salt and ground black pepper

FOR THE HERB DRESSING: 1 tbsp capers 1 small anchovy 1 garlic clove Pinch of dried chilli flakes 1 tbsp mint leaves 1 tbsp coriander leaves 1 tbsp parsley leaves Pinch of stevia or xylitol, to taste 1.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 To make the dressing, put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, then blend to combine.

2 Put the fish in a shallow dish and pour over half the dressing then leave in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes.

3 To make the salad, put the remaining ingredients, except the oil, in a small bowl and mix well. Leave to one side.

Gut Benefits Cod is a source of easy-todigest protein and, perhaps surprisingly as it is not an oily fish, it also contains omega-3 fats. Vitamin D and selenium, a trace mineral that helps to protect cells from damage, are also present in cod.

4 Preheat the grill. Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat.

Add a little salt and pepper to the pan, then lay in the fish, skin-side up. Cook for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Grill for 4 minutes or until the skin blisters and the fish is cooked through. Serve the cod with the salad and the remaining dressing drizzled over.

The Gut Health Diet Plan by Christine Bailey, published by Watkins Media

LOVE LOCAL

CHICKEN AND CAVOLO NERO TAGINE SERVES 4

This tempting tagine is high in protein, low in fat and a source of fibre. It offers 3 of your 5 a day and is high in vitamin A too.

2 tbsp olive oil 200g chicken breast, cut into large cubes, skin removed 1 onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp ground cinnamon 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp ground coriander 2 tsp paprika Half tsp chilli flakes 200g carrots, cubed 250g butternut squash, cubed 1 tin chopped tomatoes 1 vegetable or chicken stock cube 1 tin chickpeas 50g dried apricots, chopped 100g cavolo nero, sliced 200g couscous Fresh coriander

Want extra protein? Serve with natural yoghurt.

1 Heat the oil in a tagine dish or heavy-based flameproof casserole dish. Fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the dish and set aside.

2 Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes.

3 Add the garlic to the dish along with the spices. Stir for 1 minute.

4 Add the chicken, carrots and butternut squash. Stir for 1 minute.

5 Add the chopped tomatoes along with a can full of water, and the stock cube. Leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the squash and carrots are quite soft.

6 Drain and rinse the chickpeas.

Add these, the dried apricots, and cavolo nero to the dish and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Season to taste.

7 Serve with couscous cooked as per packet instructions and fresh coriander.

Developed by Pixie Tuner for Discover Great Veg

A garden for all seasons Including: Themed family school holiday activities Rose Festival in June & July Rosemoor Flower Show (August) Apple Festival (October) Glow – Winter Illuminations (November – January) Great Torrington, Devon, EX38 8PH Your visit supports our work as a charity RHS Registered Charity No. 222879/SC038262

FOODLOVERMAGAZINE.COM | 31

COOKING COMPANION

Pleasing

Pasta

Bakes

Pasta bakes are such a lovely, simple and tasty dinner idea the whole family can share. One of the best things about these warming dishes is that you can throw in bits and bobs of veg in the fridge that may have seen better days and it all just adds to the flavour!

RIGATONI CAKE This simple pasta bake is fun to make. You stand the cooked rigatoni upright in a sandwich cake pan and when it comes out of the oven it looks like a pasta cake! Simply made with tomato sauce and cheese, it is great for kids’ parties, but equally good to make at any time. A loose-bottomed, springform cake pan is best for getting the pasta bake out easily.

SERVES 4-6

Butter, for greasing Breadcrumbs, for lining the pan 325g rigatoni pasta Handful of basil leaves, finely chopped 250g mozzarella, cut into small cubes 50g grated parmesan Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE: 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, left whole and squashed

2 x 400g tins of chopped plum tomatoes Half a handful of basil leaves, plus extra to serve Sea salt

1 Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the base and sides of a 20cm round, loose bottomed, springform cake pan with parchment paper, then grease with butter and coat with breadcrumbs.

2 To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and sweat for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and basil leaves, and season with salt.

Cover with a lid and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Discard the garlic at the end.

3 Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and mix with the chopped basil, half of the mozzarella, some black pepper, half of the tomato sauce, and half of the grated parmesan.

Leave to cool slightly until you

32 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER

can handle the pasta.

4 Place the rigatoni standing upright in the prepared pan until you have filled the entire thing. Pour over the remaining tomato sauce, scatter with the remaining mozzarella, and sprinkle with the remaining grated parmesan.

Bake in the hot oven for 25 minutes, until golden.

4 Remove from the oven, leave to rest for 5 minutes, then carefully remove the pan, slide onto a plate, and serve, sprinkled with basil leaves.

Gennaro's Pasta Perfecto! By Gennaro Contaldo, published

by Interlink Books

BIG BIG CANNELLONI SERVES 4

FOR THE FILLING: 1kg ricotta cheese 1 tsp olive oil 70g grated parmesan cheese 1 tbsp fine salt 2 tsp pepper 3 tbsp olive oil 4 slices of guanciale or bacon, cut into 1cm cubes Half a squash, cut into 1cm chunks 200g oyster mushrooms, wiped clean and stalks trimmed 200g pasta dough 1 egg yolk, beaten (optional) 2 small dill sprigs, to garnish salt and pepper FOR THE BÉCHAMEL SAUCE: 70g butter 70g plain flour 1 tsp pepper Half tsp salt 1 tsp grated nutmeg 1l milk

1 To make the filling, mix the ricotta, olive oil, parmesan, salt and pepper together.

Pour this mixture into a piping bag and set aside in the refrigerator.

2 Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat and fry the guanciale for 5 minutes until crisp. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside in a bowl.

3 Wipe the frying pan clean, add another 1 tbsp of the olive oil over a high heat and sauté the squash for 10 minutes – it should still have some bite. Season lightly with salt and pepper then set aside.

4 Wipe the frying pan clean again then heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil over a high heat and sauté the mushrooms for 7 minutes. Season and set aside.

5 Next, prepare the béchamel sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat for 2–3 minutes. Add the flour and mix with a whisk until you have a thick paste.

Add the pepper, salt and nutmeg, then pour in the milk, a little at a time, whisking continuously. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside.

6 Preheat the oven to 170C. If your oven is not a steam oven, place a bowl of water inside. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pasta dough to 1–2 mm thick.

Cut the rolled-out dough into four even rectangles, 25cm long by 10cm wide.

7 With the longest edge of each rectangle facing you, pipe the filling in a thick band along the lower half of the dough, leaving a 2cm border at the top edge. Brush the top edge with beaten egg yolk or water.

Roll up the cannelloni from bottom to top, then seal the dough by pressing with your fingers. Place the cannelloni on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and cook in the preheated oven for 6 minutes.

8 Remove from the oven. Pour the béchamel sauce over the cannelloni.

Increase the oven temperature to 200C/ Gas 6 and bake for 3 minutes.

9 Place the cannelloni in the centre of a long serving plate. Scatter the guanciale, squash and mushrooms over the top and sprinkle with dill and pepper.

Big Mamma Cucina Popolare: Contemporary Italian Recipes, published by Phaidon

GNOCCHI ALLA SORRENTINA SERVES 4

500g gnocchi 400ml smooth tomato pasta sauce (see below for sauce) 120g grated parmesan cheese, plus 30g to garnish 200g mozzarella, cut into 1cm cubes Few basil leaves, to garnish Salt and pepper FOR THE SAUCE (MAKES 750ML): 3-4 tbsp olive oil 250g cherry tomatoes 500g tinned peeled tomatoes Salt and pepper

1 First, make the sauce. Add the olive oil to a large heavy-based pan. Heat for 3 minutes and add the fresh tomatoes. Crush a few of the tomatoes with the back of a spoon to release their juice.

2 Using a hand blender placed directly in the can, purée the canned tomatoes and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.

3 Gently simmer for 1 hour on a low heat, stirring occasionally. For a less runny consistency, continue to cook for a further 1 hour. Season to taste.

4 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the gnocchi for about 3 minutes or until they rise to the surface.

5 Drain and put the gnocchi into the pan with the tomato sauce. Reheat over a high heat, stirring continuously, for 3 minutes.

6 Remove from the heat, stir in the parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Transfer everything to a baking dish and arrange the diced mozzarella on top with the remaining parmesan. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and has begun to form a crust.

7 Remove from the oven, garnish with the basil leaves and serve immediately.

Big Mamma Cucina Popolare: Contemporary Italian Recipes, published by Phaidon

FOODLOVERMAGAZINE.COM | 33

COOKING COMPANION

SEAFOOD LINGUINE IN A PARCEL SERVES 4

400g clams, cleaned and soaked 300g mussels 2 tbsp olive oil 3 garlic cloves, peeled Pinch of dried oregano 350g dried linguine 400g tin of chopped tomatoes 1 tbsp chopped basil Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Scrub the shellfish separately under cold running water and pull off the ‘beards’ from the mussels.

Discard any with damaged shells, and any that do not shut when sharply tapped.

2 Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan, add 1 garlic clove and the oregano. Add the clams and cook over medium–high heat for 3-5 minutes, until the shells have opened. Remove the pan from the heat and discard any clams that

remain shut.

3 Put the mussels into a medium pan, pour in 150ml water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, for 3-5 minutes, until the shells have opened. Remove the pan from the heat and discard any mussels that remain shut.

4 Lift out the clams and mussels from the pans, reserving 1 tbsp of the clam cooking juices. Remove most of the clams and mussels from the shells and set aside.

5 Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7. Cook the linguine in a large pan of salted, boiling water for 8–10 minutes until tender but still firm to the bite, and then drain.

6 Heat the remaining oil in a medium pan. Add the remaining garlic and cook, stirring frequently for a few minutes until golden brown, then remove and discard.

Add the tomatoes, linguine, shellfish, chopped basil, and

reserved cooking juices, and season with salt and pepper. Mix well, then spoon the mixture into the middle of a large sheet of aluminium foil. Fold the foil

over and seal the edges. Put the package on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

The Silver Spoon Classic, published

by Phaidon

Cooks Tip Steaming food inside a sealed parcel enhances the flavours. With this dish, the pasta absorbs the sauce and becom es infused with the taste of seafood. When cooking the pasta, it needs to be very al dente—preferably under cooked—as it will contin ue to cook in the parcel while it is in the oven.

Choose food as it should be.

CHOOSE RIVERFORD. Choose organic. Choose food that hasn’t flown. Choose packaging collected from your door. Choose wildlife. Choose reducing food waste. Choose flavour. Choose a business owned by its staff.

Choose a fair deal for farmers. Choose living life on the veg.

Ethical organic veg. Delivered. riverford.co.uk/chooseveg

34 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER

COOKING COMPANION

BUCKWHEAT LASAGNE WITH BROCCOLI SERVES 8

FOR THE PASTA: 100g buckwheat flour 200g 00 flour 3 eggs FOR THE FILLING: 1kg broccoli florets 1 savoy cabbage, cored and chopped 2 tbsp butter 2 shallots, thinly sliced 120g ricotta cheese 50g grated parmesan cheese 1 tsp grated nutmeg Half tsp salt Pepper FOR THE BECHAMEL: 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp plain flour 475ml milk 100g Emmental cheese, diced Grated parmesan, to taste Salt and pepper TO ASSEMBLE: Butter, for greasing 1 tsp olive oil Salt and pepper

1 First, make the pasta. Sift both types of flour together directly onto a clean work surface, form them into a mound, and make a well in the centre.

Break the eggs into the well and use a fork to gradually combine them with the flour until a dough comes together. Knead the dough until smooth, wrap in cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes.

2 Now, make the filling. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes, or until bright green but still crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the broccoli to a colander to drain. Repeat with the cabbage.

3 In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook gently for a few minutes, then add the cabbage and broccoli. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Remove from the heat and let cool, then stir in the ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg, and salt and season with pepper.

4 For the béchamel, melt the butter over medium heat then add the flour and stir, cooking for about 1 minute until the flour has

browned slightly. Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously. Continue cooking the sauce until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Add the Emmental then remove from the heat and season with parmesan, salt, and pepper.

5 Roll out the pasta, cut it into sheets and let dry for 20 minutes. Meanwhile bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the olive oil, then add the pasta a few pieces at a time.

When they rise to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and spread them out flat on a clean kitchen towel.

6 Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a large baking dish with butter.

7 Place a layer of pasta in the bottom of the prepared baking dish, cover with half the vegetables, then spread with a third of the béchamel sauce. Repeat, ending with the béchamel. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. Serve hot.

The Vegetarian Silver Spoon, published by Phaidon

FOODLOVERMAGAZINE.COM | 35

COOKING COMPANION

3 Ways

with Pesto

Whether you’re adding it to pasta or drizzling it across a bowl of fresh soup, pesto adds a gorgeous umami punch to so many dishes. From paninis to roasted vegetables, beany stews to bruschetta, the modest blobs of verdant green certainly elevate the flavours with which it’s paired.

36 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER

COOKING COMPANION

EXTRA MATURE CHEDDAR & PESTO PINWHEELS MAKES 20

1 packet of puff pastry 1 jar of pesto 200g grated extra mature cheddar

1 Roll out the pastry, it’s a little easier to handle if it's coming up to room temperature. Lay it landscape and spread the pesto

HOMEMADE PASTA FOR PESTO SERVES 4

4 large eggs 400g 00 pasta flour 1 jar of pesto TO FINISH: Fresh rocket Parmesan Black pepper

1 Place the eggs and pasta flour into a food processor. Pulse a few times until it comes together like thick breadcrumbs. If it’s looking quite dry add a tiny splash of water or olive oil and pulse a couple more times.

PESTO FLATBREAD PIZZA MAKES 1

200g spelt flour 2 tsp baking powder Salt to taste 200g yoghurt 4 tsp pesto Handful sundried tomatoes Handful chopped artichokes 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded 1 courgette, cut into ribbons 1 avocado, sliced 1 ball mozzarella, shredded Extra virgin olive oil

1 In a bowl add the spelt flour, salt and baking powder and stir through. Add the yoghurt in small amounts stirring as you go to form a soft pillowy dough.

generously over the pastry before sprinkling the cheddar over the top.

2 Tightly roll the pastry up lengthways so that the crosssection is a tight spiral.

3 Cut the pieces into 1.5cm slices and place on an oiled baking tray.

4 Place in a warm oven at 160C for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. www.quickes.co.uk

2 Tip the dough out on a clean work surface and knead well for a few minutes until it feels springy and quite firm. Shape the dough into a disc and wrap in cling film, and then place in the fridge to rest for around an hour.

3 The dough is now ready for you to roll and shape as you prefer.

Cook the fresh pasta in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain it (reserving a little of the cooking water) and add it to a large bowl.

4 Finally, mix in your choice of pesto. Finish with grated parmesan and a sprinkling of black pepper, and top with fresh rocket too. www.clarencecourt.co.uk

2 On a floured work surface, split the dough in half and begin rolling the first ball of dough to your desired thickness depending on whether you prefer a thin or thick crust.

3 Place on a baking tray and top with a couple of tsp of pesto and scatter your desired amount of sundried tomatoes, artichokes, chicken, courgette ribbons and mozzarella, and pop into a preheated oven for around 15-20 minutes at 180C until cooked through and crispy on the edges.

Season with a little salt and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Recipe by Neleta Winter, www.nourishflourishnutrition.co.uk

PESTO This gorgeous recipe is going to soon become a firm favourite. After you’ve made it once, you’ll always have a jar on the go!

Third cup of mixed pistachios, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds 30g mint leaves 30g coriander leaves 30g flat leaf parsley 1 garlic clove Half a cm red chilli, chopped Salt Extra virgin olive oil

1 In a food processor, add the herbs, nuts and seeds along with the garlic, chilli, salt and extra virgin olive oil and blitz until you get a nice rough consistency.

2 Adjust the oil and salt to desired taste, then decant into a sterilised jar to store.

3 Feel free to use whatever nuts, seeds or herbs you have to hand to make it your own.

Recipe by Neleta Winter, www.nourishflourishnutrition.co.uk

FOODLOVERMAGAZINE.COM | 37

COOKING COMPANION

Birthday Cake Masterclass To celebrate FOODLOVER’s birthday issue, the team at ANNA Cake Couture in Bristol have given us some top tips for creating the most gorgeous birthday cake we’ve ever seen!

WE LOVE CAKE! For us a love of baking came from our desire to eat something delicious – it's about dealing with all the burnt edges and wasted ingredients that come with tweaking recipes, so it’s very important to sit down at the end with a cup of tea and a large slice of cake.

It's about discovering new ways to achieve flavours and certain textures, creating something new and exciting or just perfecting the most delicious chocolate ganache to sandwich between your favourite sponge to finally end up with a cake that tastes as good it looks, if not even better.

So be patient, enjoy and embrace all the errors that you've made previously to come out with the most delicious baked goods you've dreamed of, especially when it's still warm from the oven.

LEMON & RASPBERRY BIRTHDAY CAKE 150g butter, softened 150g caster sugar 3 eggs 150g self-raising flour Zest of 1 lemon Squeeze of lemon juice Handful of raspberries Sunflower oil for greasing FOR THE JAM: 50g caster sugar 50g raspberries LEMON BUTTERCREAM: 300g butter 450g icing sugar 1 tbsp lemon curd (or more if you like it zingy!)

1 To start with, preheat oven to 160C and line your cake tins with greaseproof paper – a little sunflower oil will help the greaseproof stick to the sides of tins.

2 Cream together the soft butter with the caster sugar using a paddle until pale and fluffy. If

38 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER

you don't have a stand mixer, you can use an electric whisk – making sure your butter is at room temperature or a little warmer will allow the eggs to be more easily incorporated in the next step.

3 Add the 3 room temperature eggs into the butter and sugar one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one.

4 Then sieve the self-raising flour into your batter and start to mix on a very slow setting – otherwise you will have a flour explosion!

5 Carefully and slowly mix in the zest of 1 lemon to the batter.

6 Divide your cake batter mixture between two 5" tins and spread out evenly to the sides, sprinkle around 6 raspberries over the top of each tin and push them into the batter with the end of a spoon so they end up sitting in the middle of the sponge.

7 Pop into your preheated oven for 30 mins.

8 To check whether the cake is done, poke it in the centre with a skewer. If the skewer comes out clean your cake is baked!

Another tip to tell if its baked is to gentle push down on the centre of the sponge with your (clean) fingers, the sponge should spring back when ready.

If it doesn’t spring back, give it another couple of minutes in the oven.

9 Once baked (carefully) tip your cakes out onto a wire rack to cool, but don’t turn your oven off just yet!

10 Whilst your cakes are cooling you can make the first bit of your filling – the jam.

11 This is our super easy jam that will transform your birthday cake to the next level! Place the raspberries with a squeeze of lemon juice into a shallow baking tin and in a separate baking tin pour the sugar,

then pop them both into the oven for 10 mins.

12 After 10 mins remove from oven, tip the hot sugar over the hot raspberries and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved. It may be easier to stir together in a bowl but saves on the washing up if you do it in the tray! Tip into a clean container and pop into the fridge to cool and set.

13 While the jam is setting, we can make our lemony buttercream. Start with slightly softening the butter in the microwave, making sure not to melt completely.

14 Beat your softened butter with the icing sugar using a paddle on a slow speed for 5 minutes, making sure to scrape down the sides of your bowl to catch any lumps of butter.

15 Then, beat on a high speed for 2 minutes, at this stage your buttercream should be pale and fluffy.

16 Add a tbsp of lemon curd to your buttercream depending on how lemony you would like your buttercream you could add another.

17 Once the cakes have completely cooled it’s time to assemble. Start by trimming off the top dome crusts of both of your cakes so they are nice and level and ready to start stacking.

18 Then using a bread knife cut each cake horizontally in the middle so that you end up with four layers of sponge.

Line up your four layers on the counter, using the crusts for the top and bottom layers of the cake.

19 With one layer on your plate, rustic chopping board or cake stand, layer the jam on the top of each of the other three layers.

20 Using a large spoon or a scoop, place 1 scoop of buttercream onto your bottom jamless layer, currently on plate, and spread evenly.

21 Place the next layer of sponge on, jam facing down and repeat with the buttercream until you have assembled all 4 layers. Your cake from the bottom should be sponge, buttercream, jam then another layer of sponge.

Place in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to firm up before covering.

22 Cover the cake with the rest of your lemony buttercream, if you wanted to add a little bit of colour to your buttercream mix in a little bit of your jam depending on colour preference.

23 To decorate the cake, you can cover the top with a pile of fresh berries or leave it bare and go for the minimal look.

24 Our personal favourite would be to do little blobs of lemon curd or buttercream around the top, and then top each one of these with another raspberry to create a halo type effect.

25 Sieve a little bit of icing sugar on top of your cake to give it an extra special finish.

Leave in the fridge for 1 hour to set & then it’s time for candles and to tuck in!

Baker’s Tip You can change out the raspberries for any type of berry and swap the lemon for another zesty fruit. Maybe use blackberries and limes, or for something a little simpler use a tsp of vanilla essence instead of the lemon.

ABOUT ANNA CAKE COUTURE ANNA Cake Couture is a cosy café and bakery located in the heart of Clifton Village and is one of the best places to eat cake in Bristol. Delve into delicious cakes and a cuppa and watch our team of cake designers at work – it’s quite something to see!

For us, wedding cakes is where it all started and is still at the core of what we do here in Clifton. So, whether you’re looking for a wedding cake, just somewhere to grab a cuppa and a macaron, or maybe fancy sitting down for an afternoon with a good friend and a cake, we've got it covered.

Recipe and words by the team at ANNA Cake Couture, visit the website on www.thisisanna.co.uk, Photography by Fran and Evoke Pictures

PROMOTION

Puddings, Bakes and Treats for Easter Find all the creative recipes you need this Easter on Lakeland's blog...

W

ith the long Easter weekend almost upon us, Lakeland has packed their blog with everything you’ll need to make the most of the holiday.

From cooking the perfect roast, to creating homemade cakes and sweet treats – even the kids can get involved with a fun project or two. Hop on over to blog.lakeland.co.uk and discover lots more ways to make this Easter one to remember.

EASTER BUNNY BREAD ROLLS Straight from raiding the vegetable patch, these carrot-toting little bunnies are on a mission… to add a charming (and tasty) little twist to your Easter table. Perfect for nibbling on before the main event, or as a nod to savoury at an Easter-themed afternoon tea, they’re sure to start a ‘how did you make those?’ conversation whenever they hop onto a plate.

EASTER EGG CHOCOLATE PUDDINGS Fancy rustling up a speedy pudding? Then try this super-quick recipe, where an all-in-one sponge mixture is topped with chocolate hazelnut spread and crushed mini chocolate Easter eggs – yum!

EASTER SIMNEL TRAYBAKE Fancy rustling up a speedy pudding? Then try this super-quick recipe, where an all-in-one sponge mixture is topped with chocolate hazelnut spread and crushed mini chocolate Easter eggs – yum!

LEMON SHORTBREAD EASTER BITES Crisp, crunchy little shortbread shells, filled with citrusy lemon curd and sprinkled with daisies – these mouth-watering, bitesized treats make a daintily delicious addition to any Easter or afternoon tea table, and they’re really easy to make.

JAMAICAN EASTER SPICED BUNS Traditionally served with cheese, these rich, fruit-packed, spicy buns make a tasty teatime treat or supper snack.

FOR MORE CREATIVE IDEAS VISIT blog.lakeland.co.uk

COOKING COMPANION

Li�le Coo�

SPRING BAKES We're celebrating Easter and have some fun bakes to get your little ones excited.

EASTER CHOCOLATE BARK MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Keep Easter bright with this colourful chocolate bark recipe. It makes a great gift and is easy for the kids to get involved.

150g dark chocolate 150g milk chocolate 300g white chocolate Pink food colour gel Violet food colour gel 10 chocolate mini eggs Pastel coloured sprinkles

1 Place the dark, milk and white chocolate into separate microwave-safe bowls.

2 Heat each bowl in the microwave for short periods of 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate is smooth and melted.

3 Divide the melted white chocolate between 3 bowls and add 2-3 drops of food colour gels to two of the bowls. Stir, and add more drops for a stronger colour.

4 Take a large baking tray and line it with baking paper. Gradually spoon on the different chocolates one tbsp at a time.

Once all the chocolate is on the tray, take a cocktail stick and swirl it through the chocolate to create a marbled effect.

Gently tip the tray from side to side to ensure the chocolate sets over an even surface space.

5 Decorate with the chocolate eggs and sprinkles. Leave to set in a cool place, or in the fridge, then break up to serve. www.oetker.co.uk

42 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER

COOKING COMPANION

MINI STRIPED EASTER CHEESECAKES SERVES 6

So cute, and very impressive for guests, these no-bake cheesecakes are a lovely multi-coloured Easter treat.

25g butter 1 sachet powdered gelatine 350g cream cheese 1.5 tsp vanilla extract 2-3 drops of yellow, pink and blue food colouring 6 digestive biscuits, finely crushed 80ml just-boiled water 80g caster sugar 120ml double cream TO DECORATE: 100ml double cream Sugar-coated mini chocolate eggs

CHOCOLATE & ORANGE GINGER TART

ALLERGY FRIENDLY

CRUST: 300g gluten-free ginger nut biscuits 3 tbsp liquid coconut oil 2 tbsp cocoa powder FILLING: 1 tbsp orange oil 230g dark chocolate 220ml coconut cream Pinch of sea salt

CRUST: 1 Blend the biscuits and cocoa powder until you have crumbs.

Add the coconut oil and blend again until combined.

2 Pour into your tin and press down firmly with your fingers creating a crust with a dip in the centre for the filling.

3 Pop in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

FILLING: 4 Pour the coconut cream into a saucepan, add the salt and turn the heat on low. Stir until it starts to simmer. Add the orange oil and stir together.

5 Break the chocolate into chunks and add to the cream.

Keep stirring until the filling thickens.

1 Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Remove from the heat and mix in the biscuit crumbs, stirring to coat. Divide between six of the spaces in a mini loose-based sandwich tin and press down with the back of a spoon to give even layers then chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

2 Sprinkle the gelatine powder over the just-boiled water in a small jug.

Stir well and leave to dissolve into a clear liquid for 5-6 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract together. In a separate bowl, whip the double cream until it holds its

shape, fold into the cream cheese mixture and slowly pour in the gelatine liquid, stirring it thoroughly.

4 Divide the mixture into three equal portions in separate bowls.

Add 2-3 drops of yellow food colouring to one bowl, pink colouring to the second and blue to the third, taking care not to add too much, and mix until the colour is evenly combined.

5 Share half the yellow mixture between two of the holes containing the biscuit bases, half the pink between two more, and half of the blue into the last two. Carefully spread out into even layers, trying not to get the mixture up the sides of the tin.

6 To make your cheesecakes multi-coloured, add a second layer of contrasting colour to each hole.

Level the tops of the cheesecakes by drawing a knife across the surface of the mini sandwich tin. Chill for 1-2 hours.

7 Carefully turn out the cheesecakes by pushing the bases upwards from underneath.

8 To decorate, whip the double cream until it holds its shape, then spoon into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe swirls on top of each cheesecake, then fill the centre of each swirl with mini chocolate eggs. Keep chilled until ready to serve. www.lakeland.co.uk

6 Fetch your crust from the fridge and gently pour in the filling. Give the tin a gentle tap to remove any bubbles. Pop in the fridge for 4 hours to set. Enjoy! @aaroncaldervegan for www.nomochoc.com

FOODLOVERMAGAZINE.COM | 43

COOKING COMPANION

BUNNY BITES MAKES 12

RAINBOW FLOWER COOKIES MAKES 40

These cookies are quick and easy yet look wonderfully colourful on any Easter spread.

FOR THE COOKIES: 125g unsalted butter (softened) 125g caster sugar 1 egg yolk Half tsp vanilla extract 250g plain flour 1.5 tsp baking powder FOR THE DECORATION: 1 sachet egg white powder 300g icing sugar Quarter tsp vanilla extract Hundreds and thousands

1 Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Put the butter and caster sugar in a bowl and whisk until pale and creamy. Whisk in the egg yolk and half tsp vanilla extract.

2 Sieve the flour and baking powder in and carefully combine to make a mixture that resembles a crumble topping. Using your hands, bring the mixture together to form a firm dough. Turn on to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and pliable.

3 Roll out the dough to a thickness no greater than 5mm. Using a 5cm wide flower shaped cutter stamp out approx 40 cookies, re-rolling the dough as necessary. Arrange on the prepared baking trays, prick lightly with a fork and chill for 30 minutes.

4 Ten minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 180C/160Fan/

44 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER

Gas 4. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until firm and very lightly golden around the edges. Leave to cool on the baking trays for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

5 Once the cookies are cool, they are ready to ice. Make up the egg white powder with 10 tsp warm water. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add the remaining vanilla extract and the blended egg white.

6 Carefully combine the wet and dry ingredients together to make a soft, spreadable icing and beat until smooth and glossy.

7 Working on one flower at a time, spoon 2 tbsp icing into a small piping bag fitted with a no.2 size plain piping nozzle. Pipe a line 1mm from the edge of one third of the cookies.

8 Next, spoon three quarters of a tsp of the icing into the centre and gently spread it to fill the centre, tapping gently to make an even layer and release any air bubbles.

Add a little more icing if necessary to achieve a smooth, well-covered surface.

9 Sprinkle with hundreds and thousands and place back on the wire rack whilst you ice the remaining cookies.

10 The icing will be firm enough to serve after 1 hour. For a firmer set, leave the icing to dry for 4 hours – this icing will not dry out to a crisp but will become more solid the longer it is left to dry. www.oetker.co.uk

125ml olive oil 115g muscovado sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon Half tsp ground ginger 55g cup crushed walnuts 55g sultanas 225g carrot, peeled and grated Zest of 2 oranges 150g self-raising flour 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 25g butter 115g cream cheese 85g icing sugar Zest of 1 lemon Half tbsp lemon juice

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/ Gas 6. Put the oil, sugar, spices, walnuts, sultanas, carrot and half the orange zest into a bowl. Stir, then add and beat together the flour, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.

2 Pour the mixture into 12 cupcake cases, approximately 1 tbsp in each and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until lightly golden. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, to make the icing, put the remaining ingredients (reserving some of the zest) into a bowl and cream together.

Spread 1 tbsp of icing on each bunny bite, then decorate with the remaining orange zest.

The Big Book of Quick, Easy Family Recipes by Christine Bailey, published by Watkins Media

COOKING COMPANION

Design an Easter Egg Grab your pens and pencils and get creative this Easter! Can you design your very own cracking Easter egg?

ICED LEMON & LAVENDER BISCUITS MAKES 24

FOR THE LEMON & LAVENDER BISCUITS: 50g butter 2 tbsp golden syrup 2 tbsp lemon juice 175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting Half tsp baking powder Half tsp cream of tartar 60g granulated sugar 1 tsp dried edible lavender Zest of 1 lemon Drop of skimmed milk (optional) FOR THE LEMON ICING: 50g icing sugar, sifted 2 tsp lemon juice Few drops of lilac food colouring (optional) Few lavender sprigs, chopped (optional)

1 Put the butter, syrup and lemon juice in a saucepan over a low heat until the butter has melted. Mix the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, granulated sugar, lavender and lemon zest in a bowl.

2 Pour the melted butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix to a smooth dough, adding a drop of skimmed milk, if necessary. Roll the

dough into a ball, flatten slightly, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for up to 20 minutes.

3 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4 and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out to 1cm thick. Use a 5cm round pastry cutter to cut out 24 biscuits, re-rolling any off cuts.

4 Put the biscuits on the prepared baking tray and bake for 12 minutes until they start to turn golden brown and begin to become firm to the touch. Leave to cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5 Meanwhile, put the icing sugar in a small bowl and the lemon juice in a separate bowl. Gradually mix the juice into the icing sugar, a drop at a time, to create a paste slightly thicker than double cream so that it can stick to the biscuits.

Add a little food colouring, if you like. Drizzle the icing in lines across the biscuits and sprinkle with chopped lavender. Leave to set for 10 minutes before serving.

Let’s bake pretend!

Mixer Set from Le Toy Van, £39.95, letoyvan.com

Guilt Free Baking by Gee Charman, published by Watkins Media

FOODLOVERMAGAZINE.COM | 45

WINFOODIEPRIZES WIN a copy of The Bristol and Bath Cook Book A celebration of the area’s food and drink scene with over 40 recipes contributed by a varied selection of restaurants, bars cafés and food producers including Pinkmans Bakery, The Fish Shop and Castle Farm in Midford. No matter whether you’re a novice in the kitchen or a budding master chef, this book has recipes to suit all tastes.

Closing date: 29th April 2020

WIN 1 of 3 sets of miniatures from Wicked Wolf Gin Wicked Wolf handcraft their awardwinning gins in the rolling hills of Exmoor.

Their botanicals are individually distilled and then expertly blended on the banks of the picturesque River Lyn in North Devon with the gin being filtered at each stage of the production process, producing a smooth, full-bodied and elegant spirit. We have 3 sets of 4 beautiful miniature gins to give away, simply enter our competition to be in with 1 of 3 chances to win these gorgeous drinks.

Closing date: 30th April 2020 TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING THESE FANTASTIC PRIZES, visit www.foodlovermagazine.com/competitions or write to us stating which competition you would like to enter and including your address and telephone number to: FOODLOVER COMPETITIONS, Marralomeda, Kingweston Road, Charlton Mackrell, Somerset, TA11 6AH. Tel: 01458 224555. See individual competitions for closing dates.

46 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER

Established in 2015, Wicked Wolf® Gin, is the first gin distillery on Exmoor.

Wicked Wolf Exmoor Gin™ is our original premium gin. It uses the combination of 11 exotic botanicals producing complex layers of citrus and pepper notes finely balanced with the distinct flavours of juniper and coriander. Hibiscus, lemongrass, cardamom and kaffir lime leaves have been artfully blended with these traditional aromatics creating a full-flavoured, smooth gin.

‘Wicked Wolf®’, ‘Exmoor Gin™’ and ‘The Spirit of Exmoor®’ are trademarks or registered trademarks of ‘The Old Chapel Brendon Limited’ registered in the UK.

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