I was lucky enough to be a fully paid-up participant on the Plot to Plate course on Sunday. Actually taking part in an event at the farm rather than working at it was a true pleasure!
We all had a wonderful day with Jo Ingleby from Bath’s Vegetarian Cookery School. We harvested carrots – purple, yellow and orange ones – broad beans, salad leaves, herbs, fennel, strawberries, raspberries and the best new potatoes I have ever tasted. We turned these in to Broad Bean Bissara, Fresh Basil and Hazelnut Pesto, Fennel and Carrot Tangine and Fresh Herb Cous Cous with green beans, along with making a fabulous salad with lettuce (picked half an hour before we ate it), carrots, fennel, marigolds and nasturtiums.
We made our own flatbreads, some cooked on the gas hob, some in our cob oven, and herb focaccia all cooked in the cob oven – very rapidly! The best thing about it - we got to eat all of these tasty delights with the vegetables harvested, in most cases, no more than a couple of hours before and just a few food feet involved.
This was the first course and I think all those who came will agree with me it was a fantastic insight into the delights of seasonal cooking with wonderful fresh produce, taught in such an engaging and friendly way learning loads throughout the day. We’ll be working with Jo again on more seasonal plot to plate events so look out for details.
Alison Belshaw, Project Manager
Recipes
With the warm weather upon us, our thoughts turned to tapas and meze. Little plates of simple appetizers from around the Mediterranean that are perfect for enjoying in the sunshine, accompanied by something cold to drink.
Allioli
This garlic and olive oil sauce can simply be spread on bread or served as a dip with a selection of raw vegetables. Make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature before preparation. Crush 6 fat cloves of garlic and 1 tsp of salt in a pestle and mortar until you have a smooth paste. Add just a drop of a good olive oil (you’ll need about 175ml in total) and continue to pound until the oil is thoroughly incorporated. Continue adding the oil drop by drop until an emulsion begins to form. If you add the oil too quickly, the mixture will not emulsify. Stop adding oil once you have a thick emulsion. This sauce should not be chilled before serving.
Patatas Bravas
There are many different versions of this dish in Spain, but they have one characteristic in common – the potatoes are always spicy hot. Peel about 750g of potatoes and cut into bite-sized pieces before frying in 60ml of olive oil in a heavy frying pan until the potato pieces are lightly coloured on each side. Season with salt and black pepper before turning the heat to low, covering the pan and leaving to cook for 20 mins, shaking the pan halfway through. Turn up the heat and sprinkle the potatoes with 2 tsps of sweet paprika and 1/2tsp of cayenne pepper. Stir well to coat. Mix together 30ml of red wine vinegar and 2tsps of tomato puree and pour it into pan – stand back, it will spit. Cook for another 2 mins, stirring constantly until the potato pieces are well coated with a thick spicy sauce – there should be no liquid left in the pan.
Baba Ghanosh (Lebanese puree of grilled aubergine).
Grill 3 large aubergines under a hot grill for 20mins, turning frequently until the skin is blackened and blistered all over. Cover with a clean tea towel for 10mins then peel of the skin. Squeeze the juice out of the flesh to remove excess moisture. Using a food processor or blender, puree the aubergine flesh with 2 large garlic cloves, the juice of 3 lemons, 150ml of tahini paste, salt to taste and ½ tsp of ground cumin. Check the balance of flavours – you may need more salt or lemon. Garnish with black olives and enjoy.
