Parsnips in the Summer

So the next book from my bookshelf is 'Organic' by Sophie Grigson. It's about ten years old and was co-written with her then hubbie William Black. Half the book is about organic farming and food and is quite interesting. The rest of the book is a selection of recipes that they feel highlight the best of organic produce but of course they can be made with non-organic ingredients but don't tell Sophie.

I had some Glamorgan sausages in the freezer, and as they are made with potato I didn't want a potato accompaniment  but was fancying something sausage and mash-ey, so thought the Spiced Parsnip and Cashew Gratin would fit the bill nicely. I wasn't sure if I could get parsnips in August but there they were, really nice sweet young English ones, so apparently you can!

Sophie peels, cores and slices parsnips thickly, and boils in salted water until just done. I added sweet potato in equal quantities because I fancied them and thought it might make the dish a bit more summery. Then she sautes an onion in oil and butter until soft, and adds a teaspoon each of mustard seeds, fennel seeds and two of cumin, and cooks until the seeds start to sizzle. I didn't use fennel seeds (as I didn't have any) but added a little turmeric instead. Sophie put the boiled vegetables into a gratin dish, and layers the onion mixture on that. I thought it might be nicer to mix the onion through the vegetables.
Its then topped with the cashews, breadcrumbs and grated cheese and baked or grilled. We ate this with a green salad and the sausages. Delicious.

Festival Fun and a Little More Simon

I have been fortunate enough to have been festivalling at Camp Bestival for the last few days so exchanged my kitchen for a camping gas stove, supernoodles and very overpriced underwhelming festy food but then I guess that's the whole point! Saying that, the amazing Kerstin Rodgers did have a Supper Club at the festival with this lovely sounding menu that was reportedly really delicious, and we'll definitely be booking our table for next year:


Starters
Deep fried courgette flowers
Deep fried elderflower fritters
Asparagus mimosa
Stuffed day lilies

Main Course
Salmon wrapped in vine leaves with rice
Gratin dauphinois with wild mushrooms

Local Dorset cheeses

Desert
Local ice cream with candied rose petals
Bergamot posset

Yum eh? And a very cool Midnight Sitting. Missed out there!

Before we went though I managed to explore Mr Hopkinson's recipes a little more. I forgot to look up a recipe before going shopping, but remembered a Smoked Haddock rice dish: I couldn't get Smoked Haddock so I bought some Smoked Cod instead, and I thought what I remembered was Kedgeree like in style so I bought some eggs and decided to wing it from the fridge with the rest of the ingredients. When I got home I looked for the recipe and found that in fact there wasn't one in the book at all but that I had seen him make it on his show. Oops. Anyway I printed from the internet Smoked Haddock Pilaf, but used my cod instead, some homemade garam masala (pretty much all the curry spices I like: cardomon, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper, cinnamon stick ground in a spice grinder) and finished it off with finely diced red onion instead of spring onion, and fresh parsley instead of coriander, not because I think it's in any way similar but because that's all I had in the fridge. It was very delicious, and I ate far too much of it, and had the leftovers for breakfast the next morning.

My final foray into this book, because it really is too meaty and creamy for me in the main, was driven by having picked up a pack of samphire the previous day. I adore this lovely sea vegetable, especially with salmon, and so decided on Grilled Salmon, Sauce Verte and Fennel Salad, substituting the salad for the samphire and some new potatoes. Simon griddles the salmon to give it a really crispy skin, I put it in a really hot oven, having rubbed the skin with oil and seasoning, and it worked pretty well too. The sauce is made in the style of aioli: for two portions, whisk an egg yolk, at room temperature, with half a clove of crushed garlic, and a pinch of salt, until it begins to thicken. Then whisk in 1/4 to 1/2 a pint of oil in a thin, steady stream, alternating with the juice of half a lemon. Simon uses olive oil, I like a mix of olive and sunflower or else it can be a bit strong and bitter. Whisk until you have a lovely thick sauce. Then to finish, blanch a big handful of flat parsley leaves, and the same of watercress leaves, in boiling water, drain, rinse in cold water, squeeze dry in a tea towel and chop really finely, with an anchovy fillet, a few mint leaves and basil leaves, and add this to the sauce with a big squeeze of lemon and some seasoning. There is something so satisfying about making your own mayonnaise. It is so much nicer than the bought version. So I served this lovely sauce with my salmon, sauteed my samphire gently in a little unsalted butter, tossed in some boiled new potatoes, and delicious it was too. Thanks Simon, you were lovely. I might come back again soon.