recipes from our Cafe & Deli
A selection of our recipes for you to try. Shop in our Deli for your key ingredients or may be grow and use your own, with seeds and plants from our Garden Centre.
ingredients
4 tbsp olive oil
3kg lamb neck fillet, cut into 5cm cubes
4 large onions, sliced
8 garlic cloves, crushed
thumb sized piece fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch saffron, soaked in a little warm water
for 10 minutes
750ml lamb stock, hot
2 cinnamon sticks
4 preserved lemons, rinsed, halved
handful fresh parsley, chopped to serve
lamb tagine with preserved lemons and olives
serves 12
Heat oil in a large, heavy based tagine or casserole, over a high heat.
Season the lamb, then fry in batches for 6-8 minutes until golden brown all over. Remove and set aside.
Turn down the heat to medium, add the onion, garlic and ginger and fry for 10 minutes until softened.
Stir in the flour and fry for 1-2 minutes
Dry-fry the coriander and cumin seeds in another pan until fragrant, then grind in a pestle and mortar
Add the ground spices to the tagine or casserole dish and fry for 1-2 minutes.
Return the lamb to the pot, along with the saffron water.
Cover with the stock, add the cinnamon, bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
Uncover and simmer for further 15 minutes until the lamb is tender.
Allow to cool completely and freeze in a sealed container if you are cooking this dish in advance; defrost thoroughly before proceeding to the next stage.
If not, add the preserved lemons and olives and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Season, stir in the parsley and serve. Perfect with plain or spiced rice pilaf.
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ingredients
435g tin unsweetened chestnut puree
125g soft unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp dark rum
6 large eggs, separated
250g melted dark chocolate
50g castor sugar
25g muscovado sugar
pinch of salt
22cm springform tin, greased and lined.
chocolate chestnut cake
Pre-heat oven to 180oC/Gas mark 4
Beat chestnut puree with butter
Add vanilla rum, egg yolks and melted chocolate, blend well
In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt until foamy
Add the castor sugar gradually to form stiff, glossy peaks then sprinkle the muscavado over and fold in
Gently fold the egg whites into the chestnut mix
Pour into the tin and bake for 45 minutes until the cake has risen and is firm on top
Cool in the tin for 20 minutes and then turn onto a rack .
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ingredients
450g sweet potatoes
450g pumpkin
55g butter
1 large onion, sliced
5cm piece root ginger, peeled & chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
860ml stock
150ml double cream
salt & pepper
coriander leaves to garnish
sweet potato, pumpkin & ginger soup
Serves 4
Peel & slice sweet potatoes
Remove pumpkin skin, scrape away seeds and pulp/chop the flesh
Melt butter in large saucepan. Add onion and fry over low heat until softened
Add ginger and coriander and fry for few minutes
Stir in the sweet potato and stock, season with salt & pepper & bring to boil
Lower heat, partially cover and simmer for 20-30 mins until vegetables very soft
Puree soup in a blender or food processor
Poor back into the cleaned pan with the cream and reheat gently, without boiling
Pour into warmed bowls, serve sprinkled with coriander.
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ingredients
200g chorizo suitable for cooking
75ml fino sherry
olive oil
chorizo al jerez - chorizo with sherry
Serves 4
Cut chorizo into bite sized pieces
Place frying pan over medium heat and add few drops of olive oil
When pan starts to smoke, add chorizo and fry, turning quickly so both sides are crispy
Add sherry and leave for few seconds for the alcohol to burn off
Transfer to dish and serve immediately with lovely crusty bread.
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ingredients
12 large free range eggs
9 fl oz double cream
Sea salt and black pepper
4 plump garlic cloves crushed
1 butternut squash about 900g
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp tamari
225g baby spinach
handful of chopped walnuts
butternut squash, spinach & walnut frittata
Serves 6
Preheat the oven to 220oC 425oF gas mark 7
Mix the eggs, cream, seasoning and garlic
Peel and chop the butternut squash into 1inch chunks. Baste in Olive Oil and tamari. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until tender golden and crisp at the edges.
Transfer the squash to a non stick frying pan and on a medium heat add the spinach to the squash and stir until wilted.
Add the egg mixture and let the egg begin to set, cut into the frittata allowing the uncooked egg to fill the gaps and keep moving about until all the egg is set, moving the pan gently side to side.
Add walnut pieces to soft top. Remove from heat.
Leave to cool.
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ingredients
4 pheasant breasts minced
8oz minced belly of pork
1 medium onion very finely chopped
1 fat garlic clove crushed
2 tbsps chopped flat leaved parsley
2oz parsley
1 small egg
1 rounded tablespoon seasoned flour
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
For the sauce
1 rounded tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 shallot chopped finely
1 crushed garlic clove
2 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper
pheasant meatballs in smokey tomato sauce
Serves 4-6
Pre heat oven to 140°c
In a bowl place the minced meats, chopped parsley, onion, garlic and breadcrumbs. Add the egg ,salt and pepper
Combine everything using your hands or a fork
Then take small pieces of the mixture and roll into small balls
Lightly coat in seasoned flour
Heat olive oil in a pan and brown the meatballs a few at a time.
Now make the sauce
Heat the oil, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and paprika
Stir in tinned tomatoes, season with salt and pepper,
Bring to simmering point and cook gently for about 20mins
Add the meatballs and transfer to a shallow oven proof dish, cook for 40 minutes until cooked through
Serve with garlic mashed potatoes, creamy polenta or noodles.
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ingredients
110g/4oz butter
2 medium onions
560g/11/4lb peeled squash deseeded and cut into small chunks
3 courgettes trimmed and sliced
1.1 litres/2 pints stock
3 tbsp pesto
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
to garnish
4 tbsp creme fraiche
1 tbsp toasted pinenuts
handful fresh basil leaves or chopped parsley
squash and courgette soup with pesto and creme fraiche
Serves 6
Melt the butter in a large saucepan
Add the onions and cook over a low heat for 5-7 minutes until soft and lightly golden
Add the squash, courgettes and stock, bring to the boil
Lower heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are soft
Liquidise the soup in batches in a food processor or blender retaining a slightly chunky texture
Return soup to pan with pesto and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with creme fraiche, pinenuts and herbs.
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ingredients
450g butternut squash peeled and deseeded
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
For the batter
170g plain flour
a large pinch of salt
2 eggs
425ml milk and water, mixed half and half
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
butternut squash toad in the hole
Pre heat the oven to 220oC/425oF/gas mark 7
Make the batter: sift the flour with the salt into a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Break the eggs into the well, add a little of the milk and mix with a wooden spoon or whisk.
Gradually add the rest of the milk, drawing in the flour, until the mixture reaches the consitency of thick cream. Stir in the thyme and set aside
Slice the squash
Put the oil into a small roasting tin and heat on top of the stove.
Add the onion and cook over a low heat until soft
Increase the heat and add the squash, toss for 2 minutes
Pour in the batter and bake in the pre heated oven for 30-40 minutes until risen and golden brown
Serve immediately with tomato relish or salsa.
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ingredients
3 quinces, well washed
80g butter
½ cup light honey
¼ cup water
quince baked in honey
Pre heat the oven to 150˚c.
Halve but do not peel quince, remove pips and core from each with a spoon, making a neat hollow.
Select a gratin dish to hold quince halves snugly and grease with a third of the butter.
Arrange quince halves with hollows uppermost.
Divide honey and remaining butter between hollows and pour water gently around sides.
Cover with foil and bake for at least 3 hours until quinces are soft and a rich red.
Serve hot or warm with hollows filled with honey juices and thick or clotted cream.
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ingredients
50g butter
2 medium onions chopped
750g courgettes
1 garlic clove chopped
2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
2pts chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
150ml natural yogurt and
2tbsp chopped chives to garnish
chilled courgette & rosemary soup
Serves 4
Melt the butter in a pan and add the onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring, then add the courgettes.
Cook for a further 5 minutes and add the garlic, rosemary , stock , salt and pepper
Simmer for 25 minutes.
Allow to cool then liquidize
Chill in the fridge for several hours.
Swirl a little yoghurt into each bowl of soup and sprinkle with chopped chives to serve.
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ingredients
1 egg
2 tbsp caster sugar
250g tub of mascapone
225g brioche slices
500g ripe but firm apricots, cut in half, stones removed
4 tbsp demerara sugar
apricot brioche tart
Serves 6-8
Pre heat oven 180C/350F/Gas 4
Lightly grease a shallow ovenproof dish
Whisk egg and castor sugar together in a bowl , add the mascapone, whisk until smooth
Arrange brioche slices in a single layer in the dish , spread the mascapone mix over the brioche
Arrange apricots on top, sprinkle with demerara sugar
Bake for 30-35 minutes until custard is set and golden
Serve immediately with crème fraiche and dust with icing sugar.
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