Wild spring garlic

Gipsy Spread and I went down to the woods today being sure of a big surprise. We were off to harvest this year's seasonal supply of wild garlic. It grows in reckless abandon in the woods behind Mother in law Spread's house and it also sells for ridiculous prices at Borough market which I am not going to pay.


You can spot, if not smell the wild garlic, also known as 'bear's garlic', 'stinking Jenny' and perhaps more aptly for this blogger 'gypsy's onions' close to or amongst blubells. It has broad leaves with small white flowers. When picked and smelt it is reminiscent of garlic and has a pungent peppery flavour.


If you want to try and find it, make sure to pick and crush a leaf to check for the old familiar smell of garlic. It usually grows between April and June, however the young leaves which are currently available before flowering are the best.

It is delicious raw in salad, simply wilted and also made up in pesto or in a fresh crisp frittata with sweet fresh peas and goats cheese!

 

Wild garlic, green pea and goats cheese fritatta

I have a secret location in Hampshire for the foraging of wild garlic every April. When the flowers blossom, you can't mistake the smell of fresh garlic that eminates. So, as we were in the locale this weekend to build Mother in Law Spread's green house, we ventured off to secure some of this seasonal gem. We had it last night for dinner in a mixed leaf green salad beside the tortiglioni caponata and then again for brunch today in a fabulous wild garlic and goats cheese fritatta.

What you will need
50g wild garlic
1 onion
6 eggs
150g cooked green peas
100ml milk
80g goats cheese log
Fresh parsley


Firstly, slice the onion and saute in some oil to soften for 5 minutes.


Meanwhile, mix together the eggs and milk, seasoning well.


When the onions have softened, add the wild garlic which will wilt like spinach, next add the cooked green peas and pour over the egg mix.

Lastly, top the the frittata with slices of the goats cheese and parsley and cooked on a medium heat for about 5 minutes until the bottom has cooked.

Finish the top off under the grill at a medium heat for another five minutes.

Serve with a crisp green salad.

Tortiglioni with caponata

The classic Sicilian sweet and sour dish of caponata can be served in so many ways and cooked well in advance of the chosen method of delectation, as it only gets better with time. So, with some left over, or rather extra caponata from yesterday's batch, tonight, it was served as a deliciously sweet and tangy sauce for our pasta. This was a much needed hearty dish for dinner, after a day in the sun building Mother in law Spread's green house for her.


What you will need
2 aubergines
1 onion
2 sticks celery
2 cloves of garlic
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
2 table spoons balsamic vinegar
1 tea spoon chilli flakes
1 table spoon tomato puree
50g sultanas
2 table spoons capers
50g green olives
1/2 tea spoon dried oregano
Tortiglioni pasta
Fresh parsley to serve


Begin by cubing the aubergine and thinly slicing the onion and celery sticks. Heat some oil in a pan and soften the onions, aubergine and celery with some salt for 5-10 minutes.


When the aubergine has cooked through, add the crushed garlic and the chopped tomatoes


stir through the balsamic vinegar, chilli flakes, tomato puree, sultanas, capers, olives and oregano. Reduce the stew for a further 10 minutes.


Meanwhile, cook enough tortiglioni for four. When cooked, drain and stir through the caponata.

Serve with either parmesan or some rounds of nutty goaty, goats cheese.

Caponata

This dish is a classic from Sicily which showcases the magnificent vegetables of the Mediterranean gloriously. It couples them with tangy capers and olives then honeyed saltanas to form a sweet and sour, stew, sauce or side dish. Mother in law Spread had prepared a giant batch of it in anticipation of visitors, including ourselves and we partook in sampling the dish gratefully.


What you will need
2 aubergines
1 onion
2 sticks celery
2 cloves of garlic
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
2 table spoons balsamic vinegar
1 tea spoon chilli flakes
1 table spoon tomato puree
50g sultanas
2 table spoons capers
50g green olives
1/2 tea spoon dried oregano
Fresh parsley to serve


Begin by cubing the aubergine and thinly slicing the onion and celery sticks. Heat some oil in a pan and soften the onions, aubergine and celery with some salt for 5-10 minutes.


When the aubergine has cooked through, add the crushed garlic and the chopped tomatoes


stir through the balsamic vinegar, chilli flakes, tomato puree, sultanas, capers, olives and oregano. Reduce the stew for a further 10 minutes.

Serve the stew hot with some crusty bread or cold the next day as tapas. Alternatively, stir through pasta and top with parmesan.

Wild garlic pesto

Wild garlic is fabulous used in place of other leaves such as spinach and rocket. It can also replace the basil and garlic combo in this really simple, fresh and seasonal pesto. It is also a great way of preserving the wild herb if your haul this season has been plentiful like mine. Raw wild garlic has quite a kick, with the pungency softening when cooked, so use sparingly.


What you will need
50g wild garlic
30g pine nuts
30g parmesan cheese
80ml olive oil


Simply place the garlic, pine nuts and parmesan cheese into a blender and slowly add the oil through neck of the  blender. Alternatively crush the garlic and pine nuts in a pestle and mortar then stir through the finely grated parmesan. Dean well with salt an pepper.

Serve tossed through pasta on bread as bruschetta.

Store in the fridge topped up with more olive oil or freeze in plastic.

Antenna Diner, Crystal Palace, London

It finally happened. We decided to visit the newest addition to the Crystal Palace triangle tonight for dinner. The very aptly named Antenna American diner. Apt, because Crystal Palace holds an antenna; we also have a local gem called Antenna studios and the local rag is known as the 'Transmitter'. Anyway I digress. Gipsy Spread and I were truly excited to try out this new addition to our local food landscape. We have seen the queues for a breakfast table at the weekends since it opened on the 14th February 2014.

We arrived about 7.30pm on a Thursday evening and were seated promptly in a booth; just as I had wanted, as you can only reserve these if your party has a minimum of 6 diners. The decor is classic 1950's american milkshake bar with vibrant pinks and candy-stripe greens, along with iconic circular images on the wall of Miami at the time.

We had, of course checked the menu out online before we arrived and there were two veggie burger options for me, this was of course if I didn't want the vegetarian mac n cheese. Gipsy Spread though was like a pig in woopsy with about 10 choices of burgers or 'dogs, all served with fries and coleslaw. We went traditional. I had the chickpea, bean and halloumi burger, whilst Gipsy Spread opted for the chilli cheese dog, but hot dang, with a strawberry milkshake.

 

 

 

The restaurant is a classic American style diner, not fine dining and our meals reflected this. My burger was great, there were whole chickpeas amongst the bean pattie and it was topped with grilled halloumi and served in a bap on a bed of rocket. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

 

Gipsy Spread's chilli dog, had a smoked wiener, with good quality cheddar cheese and a beef chilli that resonated with heat. We both enjoyed the crisp and classic fries, as well as the fresh and light coleslaw, which the waitress added jalepenos to for me.

 



There is no alcoholic drinks menu, but Gipsy Spread was keen to try the ice cream milkshake anyway and it did not disappoint. There appeared to be fresh strawberries in there with the ice-cream. Sadly, with no wine to be ordered, there wasn't anything for me other than mineral water... I really hope this changes.


Regardless, the food was great. We got exactly what we paid for, with excellent and friendly service, just what I expect from 'the triangle'. The bill came to £24 without service, and with service, this was still a fantastic experience and great value. We'll definitely come again. The waitress advised us that the breakfasts are fantastic and we did not need much more convincing.

Courgette, ricotta and pine nut lasagne

This is a very easy school night dinner and really satisfying and hearty. It will ensure you get a few of your five a day, as I believe passata can count towards one. It is also a great way of highlighting the humble courgette, the baby of marrows by teaming with creamy rich ricotta, tangy tomato and nutty salty cheddar.


What you will need
600g courgette
1 onion
9 sheets of lasagne
3-4 cloves garlic
250g ricotta cheese
1 tea spoon dijon mustard
60g cheddar or parmesan
600g pasatta
1 tea spoon fried oregano
1 tea spoon chilli flakes
2 table spoons of pine nuts


Firstly, begin by grating the courgettes (this should only take a couple of minutes), finely chopping the onion and crushing the garlic. Mix the three together, seasoning well with salt and pepper.


Next, stir in the ricotta cheese, mustard and pine nuts.


Now prepare the tomato sauce by mixing together the passata, chilli flakes and oregano.


Finally begin to layer up. One layer of lasagne sheets, half the the courgette mix and then a fifth of the passata. Repeat one more time, finishing with a top layer of lasagne sheets and 3/5 of the passata.

Finish with the grated cheddar cheese and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 45 minutes.

Serve with a fresh green salad and possibly some garlic bread if you are really starving. Gipsy Spread had a couple of pork steaks with his.

Sweetcorn khadi (curry)

A really simple, but robust vegetarian curry or shak as we would call it at home, is made using the spicy and tangy gram flour based kadhi as a sauce. It works in perfect harmony with honeyed sweet-corn. It can also be made either with kernals or cooked baby corn or corn on the cob. Mums all over Gujerat will be knocking this dish up as a quick after school/work dinner for the family this week.


What you will need
Khadi
300g sweetcorn (frozen or tinned is fine).


Firstly, make up the Khadi, mixing together the yoghurt and gram flour with water and adding to the tempered spices (cloves, mustard and cumin seeds and asaefetida), before topping with the curry leaves, ginger, garlic and chilli.


Season the kadhi with plenty of salt and the sugar and add the sweetcorn.

Reduce the sauce for 10-15 minutes. Serve simply over rice or with some rotlis

khadhi (spicy gram flour soup/curry)

Khadi is a spiced yoghurt and chickpea sauce. It is often eaten simply with rotlis or over rice and is a daily staple in Gujerati houses. I remember the sour, spicy and pungent smell catching the back of my throat whilst doing home work on the kitchen table as a child. I will often go home and greedily devour a bowl of kadhi like soup if it's on offer. It is also usually found as part of the Gujerati thali and I think it illuminates the genius of vegetarian cooking from this region of India.


What you will need
4 large table spoons of yoghurt
1 large table spoon of gram flour
1/2 tea spoon cumin seeds
1/2 tea spoon mustard seeds
2 cloves
1 pinch asafoetida
5 curry leaves
1/2 tea spoon grated fresh ginger
2-3 finely chopped green chillis
1 crushed garlic clove
1 tea spoon sugar
400ml water


Whisk together the yoghurt and gram flour with 400ml of water, ensuring no lumps.


Heat some oil in a pan and add the cumin, cloves and mustard seeds when hot. Add the asafoetida when the seeds begin to pop, then pour over the yoghurt and gram flour mix.


Finally, stir in the curry leaves, ginger, garlic and green chilli and sugar for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Serve hot. This dish is also fantastic as a rich base for a curry. Watch this space for the sweetcorn kadhi.

Beer battered halloumi and pea puree

Saturday night in with the Voice finale on the box called for some good old British take-away fare. There is nothing more satisfyingly hearty and delicious than fish and chips. Of course, I was not going to have fish, so I replaced the fish, or rather the protein part of the dish with halloumi. It was also not bought in, but rather cooked at home. 


My approximation of mushy peas took the form of a simple, but fresh pea puree accompanied by giant roasted potato wedges with the skin on; all the nutrients being in the skin (and also they're less fatty, as let's face it, I was frying cheese!). With dinner sorted, we prepared to be amazed and surprised by the winning act on the show.

What you will need

For the battered halloumi
1 pack of halloumi cheese

35g plain flour

35g cornflour

1 tea spoon baking powder

1/2 tea spoon turmeric

50ml beer

50ml sparkling water

 

 

For the pea puree

150g green peas
Fresh mint
Fresh lemon

Combine the flour, cornflour, baking powder and turmeric in a large bowl, season, then spoon 1 table spoon onto a plate and set aside. Gradually pour the beer and water into the bowl, stirring with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth, lump-free batter. Leave to rest for 30 mins while you prepare the chips and halloumi.

Slice the halloumi into six large slices. Roll each slice in the reserved tumeric flour, before dipping in the batter and then frying in hot oil for 2-3 minutes until crisp and browned on both sides. Drain on kitchen roll.

Meanwhile cook the peas in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain and blend into a puree. This can be as thin as you like and even passed through a sieve, however, I wanted mine quite chunky in lieu of actual mushy peas. Squeeze over a tea spoon of lemon juice, season with plenty of salt and pepper and stir through.


Serve the fried halloumi with the pea puree and whichever type of 'chip' you have opted for.

I truly feel there should be a national campaign with chip shops to offer this dish to us vegetarians as a standard alternative to fish with chips; because no, I don't want a spring roll or a caribbean vegetable pattie - give me some fried cheese please!