Would you like to know exactly what food is at its best when and cook more in tune with the seasons? Produce that is in season is certainly fresher (for starters it is not flown thousands of miles to your supermarket shelves) and tends to be so much tastier too. We’ve selected 3 delicious recipes for you to try out from the ‘Grown in Britain Cookbook’ plus there’s a 20% discount on the book for especially for My Nametags customers…
All three recipes have ingredients that are at their best in throughout the month of June. Enjoy!
SUMMER PEA SOUP WITH MINT GREMOLATA
Serves 6 Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 25 minutes variation This is lovely made with fresh peas, pods and all, but if time is short or they’re not in season, you can use 450g (1lb) frozen ones. The gremolata adds a sophisticated touch and a lovely flavour, but you can omit it and serve the soup just with the swirl of single cream on top.
1 Soften the onion in the butter gently for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the remaining soup ingredients, apart from the cream. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, part-cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes until the peas and potato are really soft. Discard the mint.
2 Purée the soup in a blender or food processor. Pass through sieve to remove the pod and pea skins. Taste and reseason, if necessary. Either reheat or chill.
3 Meanwhile, thoroughly mix together the gremolata ingredients. Ladle the soup into bowls. Add a swirl of cream and sprinkle with a little of the gremolata.
Ingredients
For the soup
1 onion, finely chopped
30g (1oz) butter
1 potato, roughly chopped
550g (11⁄4lb) peas in their pods, roughly cut up
1.2 litres (2 pints) chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp caster sugar
A sprig of fresh mint
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
A little single cream, to serve
For the gremolata
2 tbsp finely chopped
fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 garlic clove, very
finely chopped
GRILLED RED BREAM WITH SPICE RUB
Atul Kochhar – A critically acclaimed chef and restaurateur, Atul is chef-patron of Benares restaurant in London. His was the first Indian restaurant in Britain to win a Michelin star. “This is very much my kind of dish when I want to entertain, but also to sit and chat with my friends. I love coming up with new combinations of spices, and the spice rub here is a particular favourite. Try sea bass or John Dory as an alternative fish.”
Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 6–8 minutes
1 Mix all the ingredients for the spice rub together and season with salt.
2 Line a baking sheet with foil and place the fish fillets on it, skin-side down. Brush the spice rub over the fish. Place under a hot grill for 6–8 minutes, until cooked through and lightly golden. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
3 Meanwhile, mix together all the ingredients for the tomato salad. Serve the fish with the salad and some lemon wedges.
Ingredients
4 red bream fillets, about 150g (51⁄2oz) each
Lemon wedges, to serve
For the spice rub
3 tbsp walnut or olive oil
4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 tsp lemon juice
1 small green chilli, very
finely chopped
For the tomato salad
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
11⁄2 tsp walnut or olive oil
1 tbsp walnuts, toasted in
a dry frying pan and then
lightly crushed
Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
RHUBARB AND CUSTARD ICE CREAM
Serves 4–6 Preparation time 30 minutes, plus chilling and freezing time
Variation You can add some grated fresh root ginger or the zest of an orange if you want to enhance the flavour, but it’s perfect with just the tartness of the rhubarb and the vanilla-tasting custard.
1 Gently stew the rhubarb with 60g (2oz) of the sugar and 2 tbsp water in a covered pan until really tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Purée in a blender or food processor. Leave to cool.
2 Beat the egg yolks, remaining sugar, and salt in a large bowl with an electric beater or balloon whisk until thick and pale. Heat the milk and cream until hand hot and stir into the mixture with the vanilla. Put the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and stir with a wooden spoon until the custard just coats the back of the spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clear line. Remove from the pan and leave to cool.
3 When the custard is completely cold, mix with the rhubarb purée and freeze in an ice-cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s directions. Or, pour into a shallow freezer-proof container with a lid, and freeze for about 2 hours until frozen around the edges. Beat well with a fork to break up the ice crystals, freeze for a further 2 hours, beat again, then freeze until firm. The ice cream is best eaten fresh but can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 week and taken out 15 minutes before serving to soften slightly.
Ingredients
450g (1lb) forced rhubarb, cut into short lengths
225g (8oz) caster sugar
5 egg yolks
175g (6oz) caster sugar
Pinch of salt
450ml (15fl oz) milk
150ml (5fl oz) single cream
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
BOOK OFFER
Grown in Britain has over 200 delicious recipes from a number of well-known organic and soil association supporters including Sophie Grigson, Jonathan Dimbleby and Trudi Styler. A striking visual food calendar shows you what’s in season when.
To buy ‘Grown in Britain Cookbook’ for the special offer price of £11.99 including free p&p (RRP is £14.99). To order call the DK Bookshop on 0845 130 7778 and quote the reference code MNTGBC or visit www.shop4online.co.uk/MNTGBC (The offer is subject to availability. Customers should allow up to 28 days for delivery. Offer open to UK residents only).
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