This is Somerset --
I do not make New Year Resolutions – because I always break them. I do, however, at the beginning of every year give myself a good talking to, I know it sounds rather eccentric, but I find it does work.
My big aim this year is to really make an even more concerted effort to reduce waste which came about after I decided to give my refrigerator a good "sort out", I was, to say the least, rather horrified. I have also promised myself that from now on when I make a shopping list I stick to it.
I think this is probably a great failing for many of us when we do the weekly shop, and find ourselves tempted by the Bogofs and special offers.
I have failed on that one already as this week I found some delicious leeks on offer and could not resist – but I think with good reason as I find them as versatile as the onion but with a much sweeter and unique flavour which goes particularly well with pork, poultry and fish.
Ham and leek soup
Ask your local butcher if he has any inexpensive ham trimmings.
225g ham trimmings; four leeks; 50g chestnut mushrooms; 225g spinach; two carrots; 2cm root ginger; 1½ litres chicken stock
Cut the ham into small dice. Trim and clean the leeks and thinly slice. Wipe and thinly slice the mushrooms. Remove any tough stalks from the spinach and roughly chop the leaves.
Using a vegetable peeler peel the carrots, discard the peel, then use the peeler to cut really thin strips of carrot.
Peel and finely chop the root ginger.
Bring the stock to the boil and add the carrots and mushrooms, and bring back to the boil. Add the ham and cook over a moderate heat for five minutes. Add ginger, spinach and leeks and continue to cook for a further five minutes. Ladle into warm soup bowls and serve with chunks of crusty bread.
Scallops with leeks
This is a Marika Hanbury Tenison dish, which she chose to serve as a main course with baby new potatoes and broad beans, and it was truly memorable.
Eight large scallops with coral; six medium leeks; 150g rindless bacon rashers; 40g butter; 1tblspn olive oil; 150ml dry white wine; 1tblspn plain flour; 150ml double cream or crème fraiche; two egg yolks; salt and freshly ground black pepper; pinch of ground mace
Trim and clean the leeks and cut into 1cm slices. Separate the red coral from the white flesh of the scallops, and thinly slice the white flesh. Keep the corals whole. Cut the bacon rashers into very thin strips – no more than a cm wide.
Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and add the bacon and cook over a medium heat, stirring, until cooked. Add the leeks to the pan and continue to cook, stirring from time to time, until the leeks are soft. Carefully add the white slices of scallop and cook, over a low heat, for just two minutes. Pour in the wine and raise the heat so that the wine bubbles for just a minute.
Meanwhile bat the egg yolks with the cream (or crème fraiche).
Add the red coral to the scallop and leeks, and sprinkle over the flour and stir lightly. Stir in the cream and egg mixture, season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a good pinch of mace and stir gently, over a low heat, until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Serve immediately. Reported by This is 16 hours ago.
I do not make New Year Resolutions – because I always break them. I do, however, at the beginning of every year give myself a good talking to, I know it sounds rather eccentric, but I find it does work.
My big aim this year is to really make an even more concerted effort to reduce waste which came about after I decided to give my refrigerator a good "sort out", I was, to say the least, rather horrified. I have also promised myself that from now on when I make a shopping list I stick to it.
I think this is probably a great failing for many of us when we do the weekly shop, and find ourselves tempted by the Bogofs and special offers.
I have failed on that one already as this week I found some delicious leeks on offer and could not resist – but I think with good reason as I find them as versatile as the onion but with a much sweeter and unique flavour which goes particularly well with pork, poultry and fish.
Ham and leek soup
Ask your local butcher if he has any inexpensive ham trimmings.
225g ham trimmings; four leeks; 50g chestnut mushrooms; 225g spinach; two carrots; 2cm root ginger; 1½ litres chicken stock
Cut the ham into small dice. Trim and clean the leeks and thinly slice. Wipe and thinly slice the mushrooms. Remove any tough stalks from the spinach and roughly chop the leaves.
Using a vegetable peeler peel the carrots, discard the peel, then use the peeler to cut really thin strips of carrot.
Peel and finely chop the root ginger.
Bring the stock to the boil and add the carrots and mushrooms, and bring back to the boil. Add the ham and cook over a moderate heat for five minutes. Add ginger, spinach and leeks and continue to cook for a further five minutes. Ladle into warm soup bowls and serve with chunks of crusty bread.
Scallops with leeks
This is a Marika Hanbury Tenison dish, which she chose to serve as a main course with baby new potatoes and broad beans, and it was truly memorable.
Eight large scallops with coral; six medium leeks; 150g rindless bacon rashers; 40g butter; 1tblspn olive oil; 150ml dry white wine; 1tblspn plain flour; 150ml double cream or crème fraiche; two egg yolks; salt and freshly ground black pepper; pinch of ground mace
Trim and clean the leeks and cut into 1cm slices. Separate the red coral from the white flesh of the scallops, and thinly slice the white flesh. Keep the corals whole. Cut the bacon rashers into very thin strips – no more than a cm wide.
Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and add the bacon and cook over a medium heat, stirring, until cooked. Add the leeks to the pan and continue to cook, stirring from time to time, until the leeks are soft. Carefully add the white slices of scallop and cook, over a low heat, for just two minutes. Pour in the wine and raise the heat so that the wine bubbles for just a minute.
Meanwhile bat the egg yolks with the cream (or crème fraiche).
Add the red coral to the scallop and leeks, and sprinkle over the flour and stir lightly. Stir in the cream and egg mixture, season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a good pinch of mace and stir gently, over a low heat, until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Serve immediately. Reported by This is 16 hours ago.