ingredients
200g new potatoes
2 eggs, boiled
150g runner beans, stringed and sliced
40g radishes, trimmed and sliced
1 robust lettuce (little gem or webb's)
salad cream
method
cook the potatoes until tender, drain
cook the runner beans for 6 minutes or so (they can also be steamed above the potates)
half the eggs
break the lettuce into leaves
toss all of the vegetables together and serve with the salad cream on the side

Tags: salad

This is another salad where you can (mostly) just grab ripe stuff from the garden.
Ingredients
new potatoes, halved and cooked for about 8 minutes
sliced runner beans (cook on a steamer over the potatoes)
feta cheese, cubed
sliced sun-dried tomatoes
chopped mint
honey salad dressing
method
mix the ingredients together and serve
notes
Avoid the stringy, older runner beans.

Tags: vegetarian, salad

ingredients
650g new potatoes, halved lengthways if large
2 tablespoons pesto
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 cherry tomatoes
175g can salmon
200g sliced green beans or runner beans
couple of handfuls of spinach, baby or torn up

method
put the potates in a pan of boiling water and simmer until tender (8 - 10 minutes). I steam the green beans over the potatoes.
mix the pesto and olive oil to form a dressing
halve the tomatoes and mix with the drained and flaked salmon
drain the potatoes and green beans and tip into a salad bowl with the spinach (give it a stir)
scatter the tomato and salmon mixture over the top
season with salt and pepper
drizzle the pesto and oil mix over the top and gently toss everything together

notes
Lovely. Especially when made with vegetables fresh from the garden

Tags: salad

Mashed potato is pretty easy really (take 1½ kg of potatoes, peel and simmer in salted water until tender. Drain and mash with butter), but you can tart it up a bit with some extra ingredients.

garlic
Take three garlic bulbs (less if you want), and slice the tops off. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap in tin foil and roast in the oven for 50 minutes or so. Mix into the mash and serve.

parmesan
Grate parmesan into the mash just before serving. Gives it a nice zing.

mayonnaise
Substituting mayonnaise for butter in the mash makes an interesting change. This goes well with salmon.

Tags: vegetarian

Gill and I have been watching a BBC program, The Victorian Farm, where three people are recreating the life on a Victorian farm. Fascinating stuff, made more interesting that we sit in the Victorian part of a 400 year old house watching it. A house that was once four cottages (hovels), probably lived in by farm workers.

Last week the program featured a pie called “Fidget Pie”, possibly named after its shape. I looked up the recipe on the web and tried it:

Ingredients
3 - 4 medium potatoes, peeled and finely sliced
2 onions, sliced
2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 pieces of sweetcure gammon, derinded and cut into strips
1½ oz butter
2 teaspoons brown sugar
salt and black pepper
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 fl oz pork or vegetable stock
8 oz shortcurst pastry
Milk or beaten egg to glaze

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180C
Lightly fry the potates, onions and apple until just golden. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Put the gammon into the pan and lightly fry in the remaining fat.
Layer the gammon and potatoes, onions and apples into a 2 pint pie dish, seasoning with sugar, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Pour on the stock.
Cover with the pastry (leave a hole for the steam). Glaze with milk or egg.

Bake for 30 minutes, reduce the temperature to 170C and bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until the pie is golden brown.

NOTES: In the program, Ruth Goodman made a hot water crust pastry that covered the whole pie (like a pork pie). She said that cheap metal pie dishes didn’t exist until later in the Victorian period. I liked the taste (very simple, the nutmeg gave it an interesting twist),

Tags: main meal

This makes enough for two.
Ingredients
2 large courgette
2 medium sized potatoes
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
creme fraiche
chopped parsley
Method
Peel and chop the potatoes. Cube the courgettes and add them to the potatoes. Add the chopped onions and enough water to easily cover them.
Add a good handful of chopped parsley.
Add vegetable stock and appropriate amounts of salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes or so.
Blend using a hand blender. Take some of the liquid and combine with a couple of teaspoons of cornflower. Add the thickened liquid back into the blended soup.
Heat on a low heat for another 5 minutes.
Add creme fraiche and serve with chunks of crusty bread.

Tags: soup

I found this recipe on the web, but now I've lost it. I changed it anyhow, so here's my best memory of it.
ingredients
6 eggs, beaten
a couple of medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
as much spinach as you like, stalks removed and chopped into small pieces
a small onion, sliced
parmesan cheese
olive oil
method
heat the oven to 180C
par boil the potatoes until more or less soft
meanwhile, saute the sliced onion in the olive oil
add in the potatoes and cook for a while
throw in the spinach and cook for a couple of minutes (it wilts quickly)
put all of the ingredients into an ovenproof dish
grate some parmesan cheese over the top and pour on the egg mixture
put into the oven until set (10 to 15 minutes)

Tags: vegetarian, main meal

This is from Jamie's "Jamie at Home" book, on page 189. I've changed it around a bit. I tend not to cook the potatoes for more than a few minutes. I've also added "sausage balls" (remove the skin from sausages and roll them into balls).

Tags: Jamie Oliver, main meal

I was wondering what to do with a lovely cabbage that I'd bought. I came across various recipes, but this is my variation.

Ingredients
1½ pounds potato
½ pound cabbage, with the heart removed and cut into ½" strips
1 large onion
garlic
parsley
milk
butter

Method
Peel and boil the potato for 10 minutes or so and then mash.
Meanwhile, gently fry the onion and garlic in butter and then add the shredded cabbage.
After a couple of minutes, add water and bring to the boil.
When the cabbage is cooked, drain, add the parsley and season for taste.
Add in the potato and milk.
Heat gently, stirring it all together. The mixture should be "loose".

Tags: vegetables

Ingredients
2 large onions, peeled and cut lengthways into 4 pieces
2 sweet red peppers, cut lengthways into 4 pieces
12oz carrots
12oz potatoes
12oz other root vegetables (swede is good)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
several tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon rosemary

Substitute whatever root vegetables you have around so long as you keep the onions and peppers.   Some cellery goes fairly well too.
Method
Peel and cut all of the vegetables into 2cm square pieces.
Heat the oil in a saucepan (I use a wok) and add the root vegetables, garlic and rosemary.  Add some salt and plenty of black pepper.   Toss occasionally to prevent sticking and coat everything with the oil and herbs.    Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F.
After a few minutes, add the onions and red peppers and cook for a little longer.  
Transfer to a greased baking tray (make sure that there is enough oil) and put into the top of the oven for an hour or so.  Quite how long it takes depends but I like them quite well done.  They go well with Sunday lunch.

Tags: vegetables

Ingredients

1 lb. sweet potatoes (or plain white potatoes)
1 egg
2 tbsp. flour plus additional for coating
Salt
2 tsp. ginger (opt.)
Oil for frying

Method

Quarter potatoes, put in large pot of salted water, bring to boil and cook until tender, approximately 15 minutes. Cool and peel. Mash potatoes until smooth. Add egg, 2 tablespoons flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix good. Add ginger. Heat 1/2" oil in frying pan to 375 degrees. Flour hands and shape potato mixture into patties about 2" round. Coat with flour and fry until brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towel.

Tags: vegetarian

This recipe comes from the original (and best) Crank's cookbook. This amount makes about 6 ramekins.

Ingredients

10oz wholemeal shortcrust pastry
¾ lb Potatoes
1lb onions
3 tablespoons oil
1 oz butter or margarine
Chopped parsley
4 oz grated cheese
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tablespoon milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7.
Line about 6 ramekins with the pastry. Boil or steam the potatoes until tender. Chop the onions finely and saute in the oil until really soft. Add together the onions, potato, parsley, most of the cheese, garlic, milk and season well to taste.
Leave to cool a little and then fill the pastry cases with the mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and then bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until they are golden.

Tags: vegetables, vegetarian

I found this on a web site and had a go. The photograph is not very good (I'll replace it next time I make this). They turned out really full of flavour and would work for a dinner party.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
50g butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 or 4 large potatoes peeled and chopped into 2" chunks (ok 7cm)
About a litre of vegetable stocks
Good lot of thyme

Method

Heat the oven to 200ºC/fan 180ºC/gas 6
Heat the oil and butter in a large roasting tin. Add the garlic and cook over a medium heat for a couple of minutes.
Add the potatoes and coat in the garlic, oil and butter
Pour the stock over the potatoes and season with salt, pepper and thyme. Bring to the boil and transfer to the oven.
Cook for 40 - 45 minutes or until tender.
Transfer to the stove top and cook over a medium heat until all of the stock has been absorbed, then they're done.

Tags: vegetables

Ingredients

6 russet potatoes, peeled
5 tablespoons butter (divided use)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 ears yellow corn (kernels sliced from cob)
3 ounces queso fresco or San Pedro Cheese (Lucky Layla Farms, Plano) - not easy to get in the UK, I used cheddar.
Milk - enough to make the mash smooth
Salt, to taste

Method

Place potatoes in large pot and cover with water. Bring water to boil. Reduce to simmer; cook potatoes for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain.

Place potatoes in large bowl and mash by hand for homestyle (slightly lumpy) mashed potatoes, or with an electric mixer for smoothness.

Bring medium sauté pan to medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. Add garlic and sauté until very light brown, about 1 minute.

Add shallot; sauté for 1 minute. Add corn kernels and sauté for 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and add mixture to mashed potatoes. Fold in cheese. Stir to combine well; taste for seasoning.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) butter. Add melted butter.

Slowly add up to 1 pint half-and-half, stirring well so consistency is not too thin. Add salt to taste, and stir.

Keep warm until served. Makes 4 servings.

SOURCE: Dean Fearing, Fearing's Restaurant (Austin, Texas, USA)

Tags: vegetables