For a foodie, what could be nicer or easier than a bottle of special oil as a gift? This tastes great and looks really pretty in the bottle. Simply add sprigs of thyme and rosemary along with chillies of different sizes, a peeled clove of garlic and some peppercorns to the bottles before topping up with some extra virgin olive oil. Make sure to prick the chillies before they go in so they release their spice into the oil. …
preserves
Kale Pesto
How to Grow Sprouts
Growing your own bean spouts is surprisingly easy to do. All you need is a couple of jam jars to make loads of healthy, nutritious bean sprouts to add to salads and stir fries. Mung bean & lentil sprouts can be done together in the same jar and take about 3 or 4 days depending on the warmth of the kitchen. Alfalfa takes a day or two longer so is best grown in its own jar….
Borlotti Bean humous
Beetroot tzatsiki
A vibrant colour like no other with a velvety rich creamy texture and taste. Vegan beetroot tzatsiki is a great alternative to the Greek cucumber version in Summer. You could serve it on toast, as a sauce or with a bunch of crudités for a party. The garlic flavour isn’t too strong here but feel free to add more if you don’t have your friends round!…
Basil Pesto
Toasted nuts and seeds
Toasted seeds and nuts are great as a crunchy, healthy addition to salads and soups. They take no time to make and keep well so make a jar at a time. We really enjoy them sprinkled in our salads in Summer – they bring the whole thing to life and give a wee boost of protein!…
Garden Pesto
Everyone loves pesto made with basil and pine nuts in its traditional form, but as pesto literally means ‘pound’ or ‘ground’, you can just chuck the basil version out of the window – especially at this time of year when it is not in season – and blitz up something else that’s green. We make our pesto from just about anything at any time of the year – spinach, sorrel, rocket, coriander, parsley… whatever! You also don’t need pine nuts or parmesan – you can vary the nuts and leave out the cheese altogether. Serve with pasta, spread on toast, with new potatoes, or as a salad dressing… the options are really endless. Here’s what we did this week – a bunch is a small handful!
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Lemon Curd
Zing up your spring and your taste buds with this tangy lemon curd. It’s good on toast or a scone and a spoonful into yoghurt makes a quick and easy dessert. Even better, it’s used in our scrumptious lemon tart. …