Good morning,

Similar ingredients to last week but mixing it up a bit with different techniques and accompaniments.  Palmerston asparagus, Brydone's creamy jersey benne potatoes, Cardrona merino lamb, Ettricks radishes, Anne Robertson's happy eggs, Beanos bread and Ocho chocolate roasted cocoa flakes to finish! I am sure you will all get inspired with this varied and delicious menu.

Come by the mobile kitchen to say hi and of course get a taste of the best of local, seasonal products from the market.

ASPARAGUS FRITTATA

Serves 2

10 spears asparagus, ends snapped off 4 large free-range eggs 1 tsp fresh thyme or marjoram leaves roughly chopped Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 Tbsp butter 50g grated parmesan cheese 2 Tbsp crème fraiche Olive oil

Method Preheat oven to 200C

Break the eggs in a bowl and lightly beat, season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1-2 tablespoon of oil in a large oven-proof frypan 18- 20cm. Add the asparagus and cook over a moderate heat until the asparagus starts to lightly colour, sprinkle over half the thyme or marjoram and a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. Remove the asparagus and set aside.

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and bring back to a moderate-high heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter, tilting the pan to cover the surface. When the butter starts to froth add the egg mixture and almost immediately add the crème fraiche. Push the mixture carefully from the outside of the pan into the centre using a wooden spoon. When you see the frittata beginning to set, leave it alone so it forms a base. Arrange the asparagus, remaining marjoram, parmesan and a sprinkle of seasoning. Drizzle over a little olive oil and place in the preheated oven for a minute or two.

Remove from the oven. A good frittata must have a crisp edge and slightly runny in the centre. Loosen the frittata from the pan with a spatula and serve warm with a little more parmesan if desired.

 

BUTTERED RADISHES ON TOAST

I sometimes get stuck on what to do with these spicy pink morsels. This recipe works well on toasted bread and works well teamed up with sweet prawns or creamy avocado.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1 bunch radishes (about 8-10), cleaned, root ends trimmed

25g unsalted butter, room temperature

4 slices good quality bread (baguette, ciabatta)

1 lemon, juice

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving

Few sprigs fresh dill or fennel leaves

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C

Place the bread on a baking tray and bake until golden and crisp. Remove and cool slightly.

Grate radishes on the coarser grate edge and then squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Mix the grated radish with the softened butter, pinch salt and cracked pepper, add lemon juice to taste and mix with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Mix well together to form a spreadable mixture.

Spread the mixture onto the bread or serve in a dish alongside the bread, scatter over the dill leaves and drizzle over a little more oil.

SLOW ROASTED LEG OF LAMB, MOROCCAN STYLE

Cardrona merino lamb is up there with the best in the world and it really needs very little attention as the juicy, flavoursome meat does all the talking. But today I am spicing it up a little with a middle eastern inspired marinade . Slow cooking until the meats falls from the bone and now ready to serve with anything you desire.

Serves 4-8

Ingredients

Lamb

4 Tbsp pomegranate molasses

1 tsp ground cumin

juice 1 lemon

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 onion, roughly chopped

Butterfly leg of lamb, weighing about 1.6kg, lightly scored

For the salad

Handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, mint and coriander leaves

100g bag watercress

1 red onion, finely diced

1 tsp sumac

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp pomegranate molasses

Sea salt flakes

Method

Heat oven to 160C

In a small bowl, mix the molasses with the cumin, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Scatter the onion over deep roasting tin. Place the lamb on top of the onions. Pour the marinade over the lamb. Rinse the bowl out with about 200ml water, then pour it around – not over – the lamb.

Cover the dish with a lid or tin foil.

Roast the lamb, undisturbed, for 3 hrs, then remove the lid or foil and continue to roast for 30 mins to give the lamb colour.

When the lamb has had its time, pour off the juices, remove as much fat as possible, then pour the juices back over the lamb.

To make the salad; gently toss all the leaves, onion and sumac together. Mix the oil, molasses and pinch of salt together and pour over the salad. Toss to combine and serve alongside the lamb. A salad like this works so well combined with the warm lamb and juices.

 

JERSEY BENNES WITH GREEN HERB BUTTER SAUCE

When the potatoes are this fresh and new to the season I really don’t like to do much to them except serve them with butter and salt. However this herb butter is delicious and enhances the potatoes, as you don’t want to lose their delicate flavour.

Serves 5-8

Ingredients

1 kg new potatoes, washed well and scraped if desired

100g unsalted butter

good handful watercress and rocket

1 Tbsp fresh tarragon and chervil – parsley, mint, basil, dill or fennel work well also

2 gherkins, finely chopped

1 Tbsp good quality capers, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil

freshly cracked pepper

pinch salt

Method

Place the potatoes in a good size pot with a generous pinch of salt, cover with water and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender.

Whilst they are cooking, bring a medium size pot to the boil. Quickly plunge the rocket and watercress into the water for only a few seconds. Remove immediately and lay flat on a clean dry cloth to cool down.

In a food processor add the softened butter and blend until pale and creamy, add the rocket and watercress, all the herbs and blend again until well combined and green looking. Season to taste.

Remove from the processor and mix through the gherkins and capers. Put aside until the potatoes are cooked.

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain well and put into serving dish and spoon over this fragrant, fantastic green butter.

 

ROASTED COCOA FLAKE BISCUITS

 

Liz at Ocho chocolate is always busy creating delicious ideas with her chocolate and chocolate by-products. Her roasted cocoa flakes are delicious and could be utilised in so many dishes. I liked these little biscuits and they would sit proudly on the Christmas table.

Makes 24

40 g soft, unsalted butter

¼ cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

100 gm plain flour

50g roasted cocoa flakes (ocho)

1 tsp baking powder

Icing

1½ cups pure icing sugar, sieved

30 ml espresso coffee

15 gm butter

2 Tbsp Roasted cocoa flakes (ocho)

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, add the egg and beat until smooth. Stir in milk, vanilla, flour, cocoa flakes and baking powder and mix until smooth. Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm-diameter nozzle and pipe 1.5cm-diameter rounds onto baking paper-lined oven trays.

Bake until golden (12-15 minutes), cool for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the icing, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until smooth and just warm. Add four biscuits at a time to icing and, using a fork, turn to coat, drain excess icing, then place on a wire rack over a tray, put a small pinch of cocoa flakes on top. Store in a single layer in an airtight container.

Biscuits will keep for up to 1 week.

Alison would like to thank the following vendors for their outstanding produce

OCHO CHOCOLATE – roasted cocoa flakes

CARDRONA MERINO LAMB - butterflied leg of lamb

ARDROSS PALMESTON ASPARAGUS – fresh asparagus

ANNE ROBERTSONS EGGS – organic eggs

BRYDONE ORGANICS – jersey benne potatoes

ETTRICK GARDENS – radishes

BEANOS BAKERY – freshly baked breads