August Take Four

We've been having a 'grow your own' frenzy here at the Wealden Times office. The only issue is the courgettes! We have them coming out of our ears. So if you're in the same predicament, check out some of our favourite corgette recipes!

Courgette Noodle Salad

What you'll need...

● 1 jar marinated green olives ● 3 beetroots, peeled and cut into segments ● a handful of baby spinach ● a bunch of fresh thyme ● 100g almonds with skin on ● 200g Greek feta, chopped ● 8tbsp extra virgin olive oil ● 2-3tbsp red wine vinegar ● some edible flowers (we used nasturtiums) if you have them growing in the garden ● a spiraliser ●

What to do...

1. Preheat oven to 200˚C

2. Peel and cut the beetroots into segments and place on baking tray. Scatter with thyme and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 15 minutes until slightly caramelised

3. Put aside until ready to use. Place the almonds on baking tray and toast lightly in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, watching to make sure they don't burn. Set aside until ready to use, and then chop roughly. Cut the olives in half

4. When ready to serve, assemble your salad. Spiralise the courgettes, place in a serving dish, sprinkle with pepper and salt, add the washed and dried baby spinach, beetroot with all the roasting juices, olives, almonds and feta cheese

5. Drizzle with the vinegar and olive oil, season to taste

6. Decorate with edible flowers and serve

Thai Spiced Courgette Fritters

What you'll need...

● 2 medium courgettes ● 4 spring onions finely chopped ● 2 beaten eggs ● 2 heaped tbsp plain flour ● 1-2 tsp green Thai curry paste ● 1 stick lemongrass finely sliced (or juice and zest of 1/2 lime ● 1 small handful coriander finely chopped ● 1 tsp fish sauce or soy sauce ● ready made sweet chili dipping sauce to serve ●

What to do...

1. Grate the courgettes and squeeze out some of the liquid (place in a colander or sieve and push a saucer down on top) This will help the fritters stay crispy

2. Add the other ingredients but save half the coriander as a garnish. Combine thoroughly

3. Form the mixture into patty shapes and saute in a little oil until crisp and golden. Serve with sweet chilli dip

Courgette Pesto and Goat's Cheese Tart

What you'll need...

● 1 pack ready rolled puff pastry ● 2-3 medium sized courgettes sliced finely, however you like ● 1 large onion sliced ● 100g soft goat's cheese ● 75g pine nuts (a good handful) ● 1/2 jar of pesto ● 8 halved cherry tomatoes or 3 medium sliced ● 1 egg beaten ● dried oregano to sprinkle on top ● 

What to do...

1. Saute the onion in a little oil until soft. set the onion to one side and either gently fry the courgettes in the same pan as the onion, or griddle them to get a nice charred stripe effect. Leave to cool

2. Meanwhile roll out the pastry and score a line 1cm in from the edge all the way around with a knife (this will give you a 'lip' that will hold the contents of the tart as it bakes) Place the pastry onto a baking tray and spread the base with pesto

3. Add the onion and then layer the courgettes over. Top with goat's cheese, sliced tomatoes and pine nuts

4. Brush the edges of the tart with the beaten egg (drizzle any that's left over the tart)

5. Add a sprinkle of dried herbs and place in the oven for about 25 minutes at gas 4/180˚C

Ultimate Courgette Cake

What you'll need...

● 250g self raising flour ● 250g caster sugar ● 200ml vegetable oil ● 150-200g (2 smallish) courgettes finely grated ● 1tsp vanilla extract ● 3 large eggs ● 100g plump sultanas (optional) ● grated zest of a lime ● 

For the lime curd (makes around 1lb)...

● 1 medium sized egg ● 2 egg yolks ● 2 limes, juice and grated zest ● 150g unsalted butter ● 250g caster sugar ●

For the cream cheese frosting...

● 100g cream cheese ● 50g softened butter ● juice of 1/2 a lime ● 150g icing sugar ● 75g pistachios to decorate ● 

What to do...

1. Preheat oven to gas 4/160˚C. Line / grease 2x7" sandwich tins

2. Beat the eggs and sugar together until moussey, then add all the other ingredients-I normally add the dry ones first, then the courgettes and the oil. Combine everything (carefully with a spoon rather than whisking) and pour into cake tins. Bake for approx 35 minutes, depending on your oven

3. While the cake is baking and cooling make the frosting by beating cream cheese, butter, lime juice and icing sugar together. Spread lime curd filling over the bottom half of the cake, sandwich together, then spread a generous amount of frosting over the top and sprinkle with chopped pistachios

For the lime curd...

1. Melt the butter and sugar together first and then combine the other ingredients carefully and keep stirring briskly (I use a wooden spoon) until the mixture starts to thicken

2. As this happens gradually, so test as you would with jam by putting a little on a saucer and checking the consistency. Store in a sterilised jar

Recipes: Jo Arnell and Lucinda Hamilton

Photos: David Merewether

For more recipes visit our website

July's Take Five

Tea Party Treats

We pick some of our favourite recipes from over the years that we think will make the perfect selection of tea party nibbles!

Butternut squash and chilli chestnut rolls

What you'll need...

● 1 small butternut squash ● 500g Saxby's puff pastry ● 1/2 red chilli ● 1/2 tsp five spice ● 1 tsp ground ginger ● 50g soft brown sugar ● 150g roasted chestnuts ● 1 egg whisked for egg wash ●

What to do...

1. Peel and cut butternut squash into cubes, then roast in a little oil together with the sugar and five spice mix, allow to cool.

2. Finely chop the chilli and chestnuts, and mash together with the butternut squash and ginger.

3. Roll out the puff pastry into long thin strips and place a little of the mixture in the centre of the puff pastry, brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash and fold over to form a roll.

4. Brush lightly with egg wash before placing tin the oven to cook, until golden brown.

Recipe: Tony Boyle
Photos: David Merewether

Marshmallows

What you'll need...

● 1tbsp icing sugar ● 125ml hot water ● 1 tbsp cornflour ● 25g sachet gelatine ● red food colouring ● 2 free range egg whites ● 500g granulated sugar ●


What to do...


1. Sift together the icing sugar and cornflour in a bowl. Grease a 20cm (8in) square shallow cake tin with a little vegetable oil, then shake some of the icing sugar and cornflour mixture to coat the tin. Set aside.

2. Pour the hot water into a bowl, sprinkle the gelatine on top and stir gently until the crystals dissolve. Add 2-3 drops of food colouring to the gelatine and mix thoroughly. (Pink is traditionally used but you can use whichever colour you like)

3. Put the egg whites into a food processor and set aside. Put the granulated sugar into a medium saucepan and add 250 ml of water. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. In the meantime, turn on the food processor and mix the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Boil the sugar mixture until it reaches 121C, the hard ball stage- when a small amount of mixture is dropped into water it will form a ball that holds its shape. Take the pan off the heat.

4. Pour the gelatine into the pan of syrup, stirring continuously until the gelatine is thoroughly mixed with the syrup. Turn the food processor back on and carefully pour the syrup onto the beaten egg whites. Continue mixing until the mixture turns thick and bulky but is still pourable. If you lift up the beater, a ribbon of marshmallow should remain on the surface for a few seconds before sinking back down into the mix.

5. Pour the marshmallow into the prepared tin and leave to set in a cool place for approximately 1 or 2 hours (do not refrigerate)

6. Dust a chopping board or work surface with the remaining cornflour and icing sugar mixture. Butter a sharp knife and carefully ease the marshmallow mixture out of the tin and onto the board. Sift any extra icing sugar and cornflour over the marshmallow if necessary. Cute the marshmallow into cubes. 

7. Store in an airtight tin lined with baking parchment or grease proof paper for up to one week. You can freeze marshmallows- they will only take a minute or two to defrost.

Recipe: Nicki Trench
Photos: David Merewether


Lunch Frittata

What you'll need...

● 8 large eggs ● small bunch of spring onions or 2 medium onions ● some cooked, cubed potatoes (quantities depend on the other vegetables used) ● a red pepper ● a courgette or two ● mushrooms ● green beans (precooked) ● peas ● a handful of chopped parsley ● oregano ● olive oil ● salt ● optional cubed pancetta ●

What to do...

1. Use a heavy based, or non-stick, medium sized frying pan for this recipe. If you're splashing out and using pancetta, fry it gently until it starts to crisp and then soften the onions and uncooked vegetables in the bacon fat for 5 minutes or so. Or use a little olive oil and add the cooked potato.

2. Meanwhile crack the eggs into a bowl and beat together, then pour over the vegetable mixture and cook gently until the egg starts to set- no mixing, or you'll scramble the eggs- and keep the heat low or the bottom will burn.

3. When the mixture's been cooking for around 15 minutes, place the pan under the grill and cook to the top, to make sure the frittata cooks all the way through.

4. Serve warm or cold!

Recipe: Jo Arnell


Goat Cheese Tartlet with Thyme and Roasted Red Onion

What you'll need...

● packet of filo pastry ● 60g butter, melted ● 6 sprigs of thyme, stripped ● 1 red onion, chopped ● 200g goat cheese ● 250ml double cream ● 2 eggs ● 2 egg yolks ● salt and pepper ● 2 mini muffin tins ● 

What to do...

1. Preheat the oven to 170C

2. First roast the chopped red onion in a little olive oil and black pepper till soft.

3. Make the filo tartlets by painting one sheet of filo pastry at a time with melted butter, then cut the sheets into 5cm squares. Next sprinkle half of them with thyme, salt and pepper and place the unseasoned squares on top at an angle, and mould them into the muffin tins. Cover the tins with clingfilm to stop the pastry drying out while you make the remaining tartlets. 

4. For the filling, blend the goat cheese, double cream, eggs and seasoning. Put some roasted red onion in the base of each tartlet and spoon the goat cheese mixture on top with a sprig of thyme.

5. Bake for 10 minutes, check and return if they need to cook for longer, then serve warm. 


Recipe: Juliet Bidwell
Photos: David Merewether


Eton Mess Cake

What you'll need...

● 150g self raising flour ● 150g softened butter ● 150g caster sugar ● 1/2 tsp vanilla essence ● 2 eggs ● 1 tbsp milk ● 75ml double cream ● small punnet of strawberries ● 

For the meringue...

● 2 large egg whites ● 100g caster sugar 1/2 tsp vinegar ● 

What to do...

1. Pre-heat oven to gas 4/180C. Fill a cupcake tin with 12 cases.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together, gradually add the eggs and flour, then milk (a little at a time) until it reaches dropping consistency.

3. Divide the mixture into the 12 paper cases and bake for approximately 15 minutes. Check towards the end of this time- they should be a light golden brown.

4. While the cakes are cooling, wash, hull and roughly slice the strawberries, whip the cream and break up the meringue into pieces about the same size as the strawberries.

5. Once the cakes are cooled, scoop out the centre of each (you can use the cake 'scoops' and add them to the topping or save them to make a trifle base). Pile cream into the middle and top with meringue pieces and strawberries.

For the meringue...

1. Line a flat baking tray with baking parchment and preheat oven to gas 1/ 140C

2. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then gradually add the sugar, a little at a time. beating in between until it's incorporated and the mixture looks glossy and holds stiffly on a spoon (don't over beat)

3. Add the vinegar if using (it's supposed to help the meringue's texture). Spread the mixture thickly over the baking sheet and bake for approximately 40 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave them to dry out in the oven over night. 

Photos: David Merewether

For more recipe inspiration, pop to our website...

Simple Summer Fare

WT picks out a few of their favourite recipes for summer time! 

 

No one want's to be slaving over a hot hob in the summer. So here are a few recipes we love to give you some inspiration for the parties, picnics and BBQs to come...

 

Feta, Watermelon and avocado salad

Watermelon is amazing in a salad, bringing a gorgeously sweet crunchiness. Combine that with salty feta and ripe avocado and you have a feast that's as lovely to eat as it is to look at.

What you'll need...

• 500g watermelon
•  salad leaves (lamb's lettuce, rocket or baby leaves)
• 2 avocados, peeled, stoned and cut into small chunks
• small bunch of radishes, halved
• 100g sun-dried tomatoes
• 150g feta, cut into small cubes
• juice of 1 lime
• 2tbsp olive oil
• a few sprigs of mint
• salt and black pepper

What to do...

Cut the watermelon into chunks, removing the peel and seeds. Do this over a bowl to catch the juice and set the juice aside.

Put the salad leaves in a bowl or on a serving platter and add the watermelon, avocados, radishes and feta.

Whisk together any watermelon juice with the lime juice and olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Drizzle this dressing over the salad and garnish with a few sprigs of mint.


Davina's 5 Weeks to Sugar-Free is published by Orion Books at £16.99. www.orionbooks.co.uk
Photographs: Andrew Hayes-Watkins Recipes: Davina McCall


Thai spiced courgette fritters with sweet chilli dip


These small, spicy morsels have a tangy kick and make delicious finger food for a summer garden party.

 

What you'll need...

• 2 medium courgettes 
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped 
• 2 beaten eggs 
• 2 heaped tbsp plain flour 
• 1-2 tsp green Thai curry paste 
• 1 stick lemon grass, finely sliced (or use juice and zest of ½ a lime) 
• 1 small handful of coriander, finely chopped 
• 1 tsp fish sauce (or soy sauce) 
• ready made sweet chilli dipping sauce to serve  

What to do...

Grate the courgettes and squeeze out some of the liquid (place in a colander or sieve and press a saucer down on top) this will help the fritters stay crispy.

Add the other ingredients, but save half the coriander as a garnish. Combine thoroughly. 

Form the mixture into patty shapes and sauté in a little oil until crisp and golden. 

Serve with sweet chilli dip.


Photographs: David Merewether Recipes: Jo Arnell www.wealdentimes.co.uk
 

 Summer Tomato and Horseradish Salad


For this salad it's great to try and get a whole mixture of different tomatoes, at room temperature, nice and ripe. Let them sunbathe on the window ledge if need be! Try and get hold of fresh horseradish – give your greengrocer a challenge to get some in.

What you'll need...

• 4 large handfuls mixed tomatoes
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• good-quality red wine vinegar
• ½ clove garlic, grated
• 2 teaspoons fresh horseradish, grated, or jarred hot horseradish
• 1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely sliced

What to do...
 

Cut the bigger tomatoes into slices about 1cm/½ inch thick. You can halve the cherry tomatoes or leave them whole. Then sprinkle them all with a good dusting of sea salt. Put them in a colander and leave them for 30 minutes. What's going to happen here is that the salt will draw the excess moisture out of the tomatoes, intensifying their flavour. Don't worry about the salad being too salty, as a lot of the salt drips away. 

Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and dress with enough extra virgin olive oil to loosen (approximately 6 tablespoons), and 1–2 tablespoons of vinegar, but do add these to your own taste. Toss around and check for seasoning – you may or may not need salt but will certainly need pepper. Add the garlic. Now start to add the horseradish. Stir in a couple of teaspoons to begin with, toss around and taste. If you like it a bit hotter, add a bit more horseradish. All I do now is get some finely sliced flat-leaf parsley (stalks and leaves) and mix this into the tomatoes. Toss everything together and serve as a wonderful salad, making sure you mop up all the juices with some nice squashy bread. 

This salad is fantastic with roast beef, goat's cheese or jacket potatoes. And to be honest, even if you put these tomatoes in a roasting tray and roasted them with some sausages scattered around them it would be nice.

Recipe: Jamie Oliver www.jamieoliver.com



Baked Beetroot with Horseradish Creme Fraiche and Spring Onions


Juliet Bidwell provides the inspiration to spice up our side dishes and present a delicious meal with a tantalising twist...

 

What you'll need...

• 3 medium raw beetroots, washed (One could substitute cooked beetroot for this dish, which also reheats well.)

• 3tbsp crème fraîche

• 3tsp horseradish

• 2 spring onions, sliced

• 2tbsp chopped chives

• salt and pepper

What to do...

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C

Wrap each beetroot in foil, place in a roasting tin and bake for 90 minutes, or until cooked.Leave to cool, then peel and slice the beetroot. 

Mix the crème fraîche and horseradish together, stir in the spring onion and chives and season.Spoon over the beetroot and pop into a hot oven for 10 minutes in order to heat through.

Photographs: David Merewether
Recipes: Juliet Bidwell 

For more recipe inspiration pop to our website or grab the latest copy of Wealden Times!

WT's Take Five

  WT's Top Five Eat Green Recipes  

As part of the weekly countdown to the Midsummer Fair and Priceless People Wellbeing Festival this year, we're focusing on all things nutritious and delicious. So here are 5 of our favourite recipes so far and a cheeky ticket discount code for our lucky foodie readers, so you can come along for just £6.50!

1. WT's Helen recently purchased a Nutri Ninja and is having endless fun inventing new recipes for smoothies, soups, dips and dressings. Here's one of them...

The Blossom Blend...

What you'll need:

● spinach ● half an avocado ● 1 lime ● fresh ginger ● mint leaves ● 1 small pear ● cucumber ● chia seeds ●

● Slice up the avocado, cucumber and pear into smaller pieces and place in the blender along with the spinach

● Using a tea spoon, scrape off the peel of the ginger root and cut into chunks

● Squeeze in the lime juice and pop in the mint leaves and finally add a tablespoon of chia seeds

● Add the desired amount of water and wizz away until smooth and creamy

2. Over the last few years ethnobotanist James Wong's scientific and labour saving approach to edible gardening has garnered critical acclaim, landing him his own BBC series Grow Your Own Drugs and publishing contracts for numerous books. WT is delighted to announce that James Will be appearing at Wealden Times Midsummer Fair this June where he will be talking about his brand new book Grow For Flavour, sharing tips and tricks to supercharge the flavour of homegrown harvests. Here is one of our favourites, also featured in the April issue...

Roasted Beetroot and Lentil Salad...

What you'll need:

● 1kg small 'Detroit Dark Red' and 'Burpees Golden' beetroots, peeled ● 1 red onion ● 1 tbsp honey ● 2 tbsp unfiltered olive oil ● 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar ● salt and pepper ● 250g precooked beluga lentils ● 1 handful of beet leaves ● juice and rind of 1 orange ● a few sprigs of mint and dill ● 100ml creme fraiche ● 

● Cut the beetroot and onion into quarters. Arrange in a roasting tin and drizzle over the honey, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Do not toss them together as the red beets will stain the yellow ones. Season with salt and pepper. 

● Roast the beetroot in a preheated 200 ˚C / gas mark 6 oven for 45 minutes until tender

● Spoon the lentils onto a plate and arrange the beet leaves around them. Top with the roasted beetroot, drizzle with the orange juice and scatter over the herbs and orange rind

● Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and extra oil and vinegar. This salad is a match made in heaven with goats cheese or grilled mackerel. 

3. Yoga and nutrition teacher Julie Montagu is on a mission to prove that absolutely anyone can revolutionise their diet to take a giant leap towards long-lasting health. Known as the Flexi Floodie, Julie’s workable approach to incorporating nutrient-rich superfoods into manageable meals has led her to produce her first cookery book Superfoods which showcases nourishing dishes made with unrefined, wholesome ingredients to boost energy levels, lower cholesterol and balance blood sugar levels. Julie will be explaining how

to super-charge your lifestyle to eradicate the bad and introduce the good at this June’s Wealden Times Midsummer Fair’s Priceless People Wellbeing Festival on Friday 5 June.

Coconut and Almond Quinoa with Stewed Plums...

What you'll need:

● 170g quinoi ● 600ml coconut milk (or any plant based milk) ● 2tsp ground cinnamon ● 1tsp vanilla extract ● 4tbsp almond butter (or any other nut butter) ● 6 medium plums ● 100g coconut palm sugar ● 240ml water ● 1 cinnamon stick ● raw honey for drizzling ● desiccated coconut for sprinkling ● 

● Combine the quinoa and coconut milk together in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract, cover and simmer on a low heat for 15-20 minutes

● Meanwhile, make the stewed plums. Cut the plums in half, remove the pits, them cut the plum halves into chunks. Combine the coconut palm sugar, 240ml water and cinnamon stick in a saucepan over a medium to high heat and bring to the boil. Add the plums and continue to cook until the plums are tender. Once tender, use a fork to slightly mash. 

● Once the quinoa is cooked but still a bit runny, put it in 4 bowls and stir in 1 tablespoon of almond butter per bowl. Top with the stewed plums, a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of desiccated coconut. 

4. Self confessed chocoholic, Davina McCall has documented how she has banished processed sugar from her life. Her 5 weeks to sugar free book offers tips and sumptuous recipe ideas that are easy and approachable, even with a busy household! Davina has become one of Britain's most recognisable faces and has now sold over 1.5 million copies of her chart topping workout DVDs and raised over 2.6 million for sport relief! Davina will also be appearing at the Midsummer Fair and Priceless People Wellbeing festival to talk about her sugar free journey and offer advice.



Bean Salad

What you'll need:

● 400g green beans ● 400g can of borlotti or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed ● 200g cherry tomatoes, halved ● 1 small red onion, diced ● half a cucumber, diced ● juice of half lemon ● 2 tbsp olive oil ● half tsp mustard ● half tsp honey ● handful of fresh basil leaves ● parmesan cheese shavings ● 

● Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the green beans and cook them for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh them under cold water

● Put the green beans, canned beans, tomatoes, red onion and cucumber in a bowl and mix them together. Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard and honey in a small jug and pour this over the salad

● Scatter over some basil leaves and shavings of Parmesan cheese just before serving



5. WT reader Stéphanie Castelain loves this salad because of the beautiful combination of green and yellow, two wonderful colours that nature can offer us. The crisp, roasted almonds mix well with the tenderness of the broccoli.  The calendula petals add the sunshine touch to the lovely flavour  of the brown basmati rice and fresh goat cheese. See more of her recipes on her blog www.lecomptoirdestephanie.com



Popcorn Salad

What you'll need:

● 1 cup of brown basmati rice ● about 200g of broccoli (only the heads) ● 30g of chopped almonds ● 60g of fresh goat cheese  1 head of a calendula flower ● 1 lemon ● olive oil ● coconut oil ● mustard ● salt ● pepper ●

● Prepare the rice by cooking it following the given instructions on the package (typically you have to wash it first and then cook it for about 40 min).

● Wash carefully the broccoli and steam them for a couple of minutes (10-15 min).

● Heat a pan on a medium heat and add a teaspoon of coconut oil. When the oil is melted add the almonds and roast them until golden brown. Set aside. 

● When the rice is cooked, drain it, rinse it. Once cooled, put it in a dish and add the broccoli. 

● Add in to the dish the fresh goat cheese that you have either diced or crumbled. (I served it aside as my son doesn’t like it) Top the mix with the roasted almonds and dress with the calendula petals.

● Next, prepare the seasoning by mixing 5 table spoons of lemon juice, 8 table spoons of olive oil, one teaspoon of mustard, salt and pepper. Add the seasoning to the salad.


"You will have a wonderful dish with green from Nature and some sunshine rays. Ideal to lift up your mind and spirit."

See below for an exclusive foodie discount code!

Priceless People Wellbeing Festival: Thursday 4th June, Friday 5th June and

Saturday 6th June at Hole Park, Rolvenden, Kent TN17_4JB 9am–4.30pm

Tickets: Advance booking: £7.50* On the gate: £8.50 Exclusive 3- Day Pass: £17

Online Tickets: www.wealdentimes.co.uk/events. Ticket hotline: 01580_713915**

For further information contact Georgina Toynbee and Helen Barton on 01580_714705

*Advance booking price available until 31/05/2015 **Tickets purchased via phone will incur a 50p admin fee

Exclusive Foodie Discount Code - fbloggers15
(ends 30/04/15)