Crunchy courgette pickle recipe!!

Ingredients

• 500g courgettes
• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp non-iodised salt

For the pickling liquid

• 500ml cider vinegar
• 140g golden caster sugar
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp celery seeds
• ½ dried chilli, crumbled
• 1 tsp ground turmeric

Method

1. Thinly slice the courgettes using a sharp knife, mandolin or slicing blade on a food processor. Put in a bowl with the shallots and sprinkle over the salt. Cover with ice-cold water, stir to dissolve the salt and leave for 1 hr. Drain the courgettes thoroughly and pat dry using kitchen paper or tea towels. If they stay too wet, the water will dilute the pickling solution.
2. Meanwhile, put the pickling ingredients into a pan and bring to a simmer. Bubble for 3 mins, making sure the sugar has dissolved, then leave to cool until warm but not hot. Add the courgettes and stir.
3. Scoop the mixture into 2 x 500 ml sterilised jars. Seal and leave for a few days in the fridge. Kept chilled, these will keep for a couple of months.

Kohl rabi and marrow – tasty twosome recipes!!

Well, the chicken’s defrosting and here are the side dishes choices for tomorrow’s roast:

Marrow curry (from BBC Good Food Magazine, Sept 13)

1. Bring pan of salted water to boil and simmer a whole, peeled marrow cut into large chunks for 5-7 mins
2. Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in large, shallow pan, and fry 2 tsp black mustard seeds and 1 tsp cumin seeds until they start to crackle
3. Add 1 large finely sliced onion, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp chilli powder and 1 tsp ground coriander to mustard and cumin seeds and fry for 10 mins until soft and starting to brown
4. Add marrow to onion and spices and cook for 5-10 mins until the liquid has evaporated and marrow is really soft
5. Smash marrow with a wooden spoon to lightly crush
6. Serve seasoned with juice of 1/2 lemon and small pack of chopped coriander.

Roast kohl rabi with parmesan (from allrecipes.com)

1. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Cut the kohlrabi into 1/4 inch thick slices, then cut each of the slices in half. Combine olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi slices in the olive oil mixture to coat. Spread kohlrabi in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally in order to brown evenly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven to allow the Parmesan cheese to brown, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

More talking turnips!! Even turnip recipes

Well, the recipes are flooding in?! Thanks very much to Gail from Earth Doctors Ltd for this pickled turnip recipe!! Do let us know if you try any of the recipes and what your feedback is. I mashed them with sweet potato last week – quite pleasant, just remember to cut the turnip smaller than the sweet potato as they take longer to cook.

Pickled Turnips

You can dial down the amount of garlic, but I like the slightly aggressive flavor of the slices in the brine. Use whatever white salt is available where you are, but avoid fine table salt as it’s quite unpleasant and bitter. Grey salt will discolor the brine.

For those who like to tinker, although these are usually served as they are, a few sprigs of fresh dill, or dill flowers, in the brine will take them in a different direction. A hot pepper will add some zip.

3 cups (750 ml) water
1/3 cup (70 g) coarse white salt, such as kosher salt or sea salt
1 bay leaf
1 cup (250 ml) white vinegar (distilled)
2-pounds (1 kg) turnips, peeled
1 small beet, or a few slices from a regular-size beet, peeled
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1. In a saucepan, heat about one-third of the water. Add the salt and bay leaf, stirring until the salt is dissolved.

2. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, add the vinegar and the rest of the water.

3. Cut the turnips and the beet into batons, about the size of French fries. Put the turnips, beets, and garlic slices into a large, clean jar, then pour the salted brine over them in the jar, including the bay leaf.

4. Cover and let sit at room temperature, in a relatively cool place, for one week. Once done, they can be refrigerated until ready to serve.

Storage: The pickles will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. They’ll be rather strong at first, but will mellow after a few days. They should be enjoyed within six weeks after they’re made, as they tend to get less-interesting if they sit too long.

Turniplicious!! A brilliant turnip recipe!

Well, it looks as though the turnips are going to keep coming so here’s a couple of recipes from Carol Klein’s book ‘Cook Your Own Veg‘.

Turnips in garlic sauce – serve 4

Ingredients:

2 handfuls baby turnips or a few old ones

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves

sea salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 bunch parsley, chopped

Method:

Peel turnips if coarse, and cut in to quarters. Steam or blanch in pan of boiling salted water for a few minutes

Heat oil in a heavy pan with a lid, add turnips. Simmer gently with lid on for about 8 mins.

Smash and peel the garlic and grind to a paste with some salt. Add vinegar to garlic paste and when turnips are tender add to turnip pan.

Stir to blend the liquor and sprinkle over the parsley.

Stir-fry turnips – serves 2

Ingredients:

6 baby turnips

3 spring onions

2 garlic cloves

1 small red chilli

1 x 5cm (2in) piece fresh root ginger

2 dessert spoons vegetable oil – ideally groundnut

soy sauce (tamari or light)

Method:

Top and tail turnips and cut into fat flakes

Slice onions and peel and thinly slice garlic

De-seed chilli and slice into thin strips

Peel ginger and slice thinly

Heat oil in a wok and add onion when beginning to smoke

After 1 minute add garlic, chilli and ginger

Add turnip before garlic changes colour

Splash in enough soy sauce to stop from burning and serve as soon as turnips are crunchingly edible (approx 4 mins)

Courgette recipes

Thanks to Sandra Rusby for sending in these recipes – give them a go and let us know how you get on!

COURGETTE SOUP

1.5 kg courgettes, chopped                        1 tbsp torn basil

1 garlic clove peeled                                   2 tbsp crème fraiche

1litre stock                                                     50g  Parmesan, grated

1 tbsp finely chopped mint                         salt and pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

•  Soften the courgettes in the olive oil for about 15 – 20 mins, adding the garlic halfway through.
• Add stock and season. Simmer about 6 minutes.
• Liquidise – if freezing do so at this stage.
• Before serving, reheat and add herbs, crème fraiche and Parmesan

COURGETTES WITH CRUNCHY CHEESE TOPPING

2 large courgettes, halved lengthways                150g cherry tomatoes

75g marscapone                                                      1 clove garlic crushed

75g double Gloucester cheese grated                 50g bread, crumbed

•  Preheat oven to 200C Gas 6
• Cook courgettes in boiling water 5 mins, drain
• Mix tomatoes, mascarpone and garlic together and place in ovenproof dish.
• Place courgettes on top and season to taste.
• Mix cheese and breadcrumbs together and sprinkle over courgettes.
• Bake 15 mins.

COURGETTE TEA BREAD

1 large egg                                                                 1tsp ground cinnamon

125ml sunflower oil                                                 175g soft dark brown sugar

175g courgettes, grated (medium blade)            75g sultanas

150g wholewheat flour                                           75g walnuts, chopped

½  tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

•  Preheat oven to 180C/gas 4. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.
• Beat egg and sunflower oil together.
• Sift flour, baking powder, bicarb and spices together and add sugar, sultanas and walnuts.
• Add oil and egg mixture and mix to a thick batter.
• Pour into prepared tin.
• Bake for about 1 hour, or until skewer inserted into centre comes out cleanly.
• Cool in tin 10 mins then turn out onto cooling rack.