TOMATOES & WILD SALSA VERDE
You can still make this delicious even if the herbs are bought. But Liz Knight is an avid forager who shared her recipe with me. I use flank of beef – bavette steak – for this recipe. It can be cut in half and then sliced against the grain once cooked.
Serves two
Salsa verde is 200g/7 oz.
Kate Humble (pictured), shows us a few simple recipes taken from her new book.
- 50g (1¾oz) sorrel
- 25g (1/2 oz) bittercress or rocket
- 25g (1/2 oz) chickweed or spinach
- 25g (1oz.) mint leaves
- 25g (1/2 oz) ground elder or parsley
- 25g (1oz.) spring onions
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 40g (1½oz) drained capers
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3tsp Dijon mustard
- 100ml (3½fl oz) olive oil
- Cider vinegar
The rest
- 250g (0.9 oz.) Mixed tomatoes
- Olive oil
- A few chives
- Salt and pepper
- 2 steaks, each 150-200g (5½-7oz)
Chop the spring onions, garlic, capers, and herbs and place them in a bowl. Mix the mustard, salt and sugar together. Stir to mix. Mix in the olive oil. Add 1 TBSP of vinegar. Taste and add more vinegar until oil and vinegar are balanced.
Adjust the seasoning – adding more sugar or salt if necessary. It should be bright and zesty but not too sharp. If stored in an airtight container, it will last up to three days in the refrigerator.
Cut your tomatoes into slices and place them in a dish. Add oil to the tomatoes and then snip off the chives. Salt and pepper to taste.
The steak can be cooked on a grill or on the stovetop. Heat the skillet. Season the meat really well (but don’t use oil as you will just fill your kitchen with smoke) and place in the hot pan or over the coals.
Cook for 2-3 minutes each side – you want it charred on the outside but still pink and luscious inside. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving with salsa verde, tomatoes, and a good red wine.
ROASTED FISH WITH PARMA HAM & PEA PURÉE
I’ve probably cooked this for everyone I know – it requires almost no preparation, cooks quickly, looks mildly impressive and leaves practically no washing up.
Serves two
- Oil
- 2 pieces of fleshless fish, such as salmon, cod, or haddock.
- 4 pieces of Parma Ham or Speck
- Salt and pepper
- Chilli flakes (optional)
- Peas frozen in 400g (1/4 oz).
- A dollop of crème fraîche
- 2 roast garlic cloves (see tips at the bottom).
- One handful chopped chives
- Lemon wedges
Preheat your oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7. Place a small amount of oil on a baking sheet and cover it with kitchen paper. Make sure you check your fillets for pinbones. Wrap each fish filet in two slices of ham and leave the ends exposed.
Sprinkle the oil on top of the fish and coat it with oil. Bake for between 8-10 minutes, or until fish is cooked and ham is crispy.
Meanwhile, heat the boiling water to boil. Add the frozen peas and let them cook in the pan for about 3-4 minutes. Drain, add the crème fraîche and roasted garlic, and season.
Blitz with a hand blender to a not-too-smooth purée. Mix in the chopped chives. Keep some aside for garnish. The fish should remain warm for at least 30 minutes before it is done.
Divide the pea purée and the fish fillets between 2 plates. Sprinkle the remainder of the chopped chives on top.
PRAWN & SPINACH CURRY
Sometimes a quick curry bowl is all you need on a cold winter night. This is fresh, tasty and light. It’s great with brown rice, which you can get in microwaveable packets.
Serves four
- Rapeseed oil
- 1/2 onion, cut finely in half-moons
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- One large, thumb-sized ginger piece. Peeled and grated.
- Ground coriander: 1 tbsp
- Ground cumin – 1 tbsp
- ½tsp ground turmeric
- 200ml (7fl oz) coconut milk
- Fresh or frozen vegetable stock, 125ml (or 4fl oz),
- 600g (1lb 5oz) raw prawns
- Juice and zest 1 unwaxed lemon, with extra juice for garnish
- 250g (9oz) baby spinach
- Salt and pepper
- A few fresh coriander flowers, chopped
- Serve brown rice with lime wedges
In a large saucepan, heat a tablespoon of oil on medium heat. Stir in the ginger, garlic, and onion and let them cook on medium heat for approximately 4-5 minutes. Add the spices to the pan, stirring them well. Continue cooking for one more minute. Bring to a boil the coconut milk, and then simmer on low heat for about 2 minutes.
Stir in the lime juice, zest, and prawns. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. Place the chopped spinach in a bowl and let them sit for at least a minute to wilt into the curry.
Mix, then season. Pour the mixture over brown rice. Add the remainder of the chopped coriander.
SODA BREAD FOR EVERY SEASON
I love goulash, that Hungarian staple, and the soda bread which I make in the autumn is a homage to the warmth of goulash’s roasted peppers and the smoky intensity of paprika. My seasonal variations can make the recipe adaptable.
One loaf
- 250g (9oz), mixed spelt & rye flour
- Wholemeal flour 250g (9oz)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1tsp sodium bicarbonate
- 2tsp smoked paprika
- 100g (3½oz) roasted red peppers from a jar, finely chopped
- 300ml (10fl Oz) buttermilk or 150ml (5fl Oz) milk, and 150ml (5fl Oz) natural yogurt.
- Oil for Greasing Variations (replacing flours and paprika)
Spring
- Each plain or wholemeal flour is 250g (9oz).
- Use only ½tsp salt
- Finely chopped chives, parsley and a bunch of green onions
Sommer
- Each plain or seeded loaf of flour is 250g (9oz).
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Basil leaves from one stem
- 60g (2¼oz) sunblush tomatoes
Winter
- 400g (14oz) self-raising flour
- Salt can be omitted
- 50g (1¾oz) oats
- Black treacle 3 tbsp
- You can use only 200ml (7 oz.) buttermilk.
Preheat your oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/ gas 6. Combine all of the dry ingredients and combine them in a bowl. Combine the dry ingredients with the roasted peppers. Mix well. Add buttermilk/milk/yoghurt mix (or other variations) to the bowl and stir. Finally, stir in the treacle.
Tip onto a greased baking tray, shape into a round loaf and cut a deep cross on top. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until the bottom is hollow.
PINK GRAPEFRUIT WITH ROSE PETALS, STRAWBERRIES & MINT
Although I like grapefruit as is, macerated strawberries make a great strawberry salsa.
Serves two
- 200g (7oz) strawberries
- ½tsp rose water
- 2 tsp of caster sugar
- Optional: A couple of fresh rose petals
- Mint leaves, 2 stems
- 2 pink grapefruit
Cut the strawberries into small pieces – quarters or eighths, depending on their size. Sprinkle the strawberries with sugar, rose water, rose petals, half the mint, as well as the rose water, and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. Slice the grapefruit into rounds by peeling and removing all pith.
Spread the grapefruit slices out on a plate. Add the strawberries to the top. Sprinkle the mint over the strawberry mixture and add a few rose petals.
Enjoy as it is for a snack or this would make a rather lovely, light pudding, perhaps served with a strawberry sorbet or (less light, but nonetheless worth considering) a very dark chocolate mousse.
SWEDISHYELLOW SPLITPEA SOUP
This was the first time I tried it while on board a Norwegian ship. The Swedish crew included the cook and most importantly the cook were all predominantly Swedish. There are various recipes for this soup to be found, but this one comes courtesy of my dear – and thoroughly Swedish – friend Anders and has been passed down through his family for generations.
Serves four
- 500g (2 lb) yellow split beans
- 2ltr (3½pt) ham stock
- 300g (10½oz) ham
- 1 finely chopped onion
- A few sprigs of thyme (or ½tsp dried thyme)
- 1 bay leaf
Overnight, soak the yellow split peas with lots of water. Drain the yellow split peas from their floating shells. (Not all yellow peas need soaking, so you might be able to miss this bit out – check the instructions on the packet.)
Once you are ready to heat, add the stock and the peas into a large pot along with the chopped or shredded ham, the onions, bay leaf, and thyme.
Bring to the boil, remove the foam that forms on the surface, and then let it gently simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If the soup is too thick, you can add water to get the consistency you like, but Anders’s family likes it fairly thick, as do I. It’s more stew than soup.
HONEY LEMON DIZZLE CAKE
My friend Penny Johnstone’s lemon drizzle has made many a guest at my farm swoon, so it didn’t need tinkering with, but she was intrigued by my idea of adding local honey. We tried it – and I think the bees would have been proud.
Serves 10.
- Butter, softened to 225g (8oz), and extra for greasing
- 8 oz granulated sugar 225g
- 100g (3½oz) runny honey
- 275g (9¾oz) self-raising flour
- 2 tsp baking flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1tbsp milk
- Two large, unwaxed, lemons. Juice of one.
It’s pouring.
- Take 1 lemon and muddle it.
- 70g (2½oz) runny honey
- 35g (1¼oz) caster sugar
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4, and grease and line a roasting tin – about 30 x 20 x 5cm – with baking paper. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to combine them. Then, pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake the cake for about 35-40 minutes or until it is a little smaller from the sides and the center of the pan. Let cool on a wire rack in the tin.
Let it cool down before adding the drizzle. In a small saucepan, heat the honey and lemon juice. You should prick the cake with a fork about twelve times.
The caster sugar should be added to the warm batter. Pour the mixture slowly over the cake and allow it to soak in between bites. Let cool. Once it has sunk in, cut and serve. In the rare event that you still have some, this will be frozen.
The Home Cooked These Recipes Are From The Farm by Kate Humble Publication will follow Gaia 3 February, £25. © Kate Humble 2022. To order a copy for £22.50 Call mailshop.co.uk to order books or visit mailshop.co.uk/books 020 3176 2937. No delivery charges to the UK orders over £20. Offer valid until 13/02/2022.