Download Recipe

• 650g cubed lamb
• 25g pearl barley
• 1 onion - finely chopped
• 3 celery sticks - cut into chunks
• 225g carrots - cut into chunks
• 25g margarine
• 150ml cider
• 150ml stock
• salt and pepper
• Thyme - fresh or dried

Simmer the barley in a small pot for about 10 minutes then drain.

In a large pot melt the margarine and slowly cook the vegetables for 7 minutes. Add the lamb and stir.

Stir in the cider and stock, adding the seasoning and thyme and then the barley. Cover and cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve with tatties, or add potatoes and extra stock to the recipe.

Download Recipe

• 1 medium to large cauliflower
• 80g grated cheese (choose your favourite or mix them up) plus extra for the end
• 1 pint milk
• 40g plain flour
• 40g butter
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to season

First off, the cauliflower. I prefer to steam all my vegetables - I think it helps them retain their flavour and of course, keeps as much of the goodness in as possible. So, set your steamer pan going with some water.

Cut the cauliflower up into medium to large pieces, all about the same size so they cook fairly evenly. Place the cauliflower into your steamer and place on top of the water, with a lid on, for about 4 minutes. Then, turn off the heat and leave alone.

In the meantime, place your flour, milk and butter into a saucepan over a low heat. Whisk with a balloon whisk as your ingredient come up to temperature until you have a smooth liquid. Simmer for about 5 minutes, continually whisking gently.

Then, add your cheese and a little salt, pepper and grated nutmeg (all to your own taste) and whisk gently until all the cheese has melted.

Transfer your cauliflower to a shallow oven-proof dish, and then pour the sauce over. Top with a bit more grated cheese (I am a fiend for lots of cheese!) and a little more grated nutmeg.

All the above can be done earlier in the day if you like. Then, when you are ready to serve, pop the cauliflower cheese into the oven at about 180 degrees Celsius, until golden brown on top.

• Fresh Broad Beans
• Knob of butter
• Salt and pepper to season

These are best off totally simple. Firstly pod the beans and discard the shells. Then, cook for 2 minutes in lightly salted boiling water. Drain, then stir through some melted butter. Season with salt and pepper then you’re done. I could almost eat them as a meal in themselves.

Serves 4

• 2 large potatoes
• 2 large carrots
• 100g broad beans
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Handful fresh parsley
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 leek (if you have any) - otherwise, spring onions
• 2 sticks celery (optional)
• 1 litre vegetable stock with ½ teaspoon yeast extract

Peel the potatoes and chop into 1cm cubes.

Peel the onion and chop finely. Peel and crush the garlic.

Scrub or peel the carrots and chop into small pieces.

Remove the broad beans from their pods.

Slice the leek and wash thoroughly, to remove any grit. If using spring onions, chop off the roots and slice the whole spring onions roughly.

Wash and chop the celery, if using.

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the potato, onion and garlic and sauté (covered) for 10 minutes.

Add the carrots, leek / spring onions and celery (if using) and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add the broad beans and the vegetable stock. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes, until the potatoes and broad beans are soft.

Add the parsley and salt / pepper (to taste).

Depending on which style you prefer – blend with a hand blender for a few seconds or (the way we prefer as we can see our vegetables) serve straight away with crusty bread.

Cake Ingredients

• 290g grated courgette
• 2 large eggs
• 125 mild olive or other mild tasting oil
• 150g caster sugar
• 225g SR flour
• ½ (half) tsp of BP and ½ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Topping Ingredients

• 200g cream cheese
• 100g icing sugar
• Juice and zest of one unwaxed lemon (or lime or orange!)

Thanks goes to Rosie Howes of Newton Abbot - one of our most loyal customers - for this recipe. This is Sam’s favourite kind of recipe with short and sweet instructions!

Cake Instructions

Bung all of the cake ingredients into bowl and mix.

Bake at 180°C for 30 mins in two sponge tins.

Topping Instructions

Make a bog standard butter icing.

I have sandwiched the two with a really good lemon curd and used topping to cover entire cake, a bit O.T.T but yummy!

Sweet and succulent, sugar snap peas are the result of crossing English peas with snow peas and you eat them whole, pods and all–no waste, just tons of great springtime taste.

They are in season right now and many of you have been enjoying them in your boxes for a couple of weeks. Here are 5 delicious, easy ideas to keep you going!

1. IN THE RAW with a dip of 1 cup plain yogurt, 1/3 cup crumbled feta, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns.

2. FLASH FRIED Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or pan. Fry chopped chilies (as per your preference) for 1 minute and add the peas. Toss for 2 minutes until glossy.

3. BLANCHED AND TOSSED with buttered egg noodles, parsley, and garlic.

4. ROASTED with olive oil and sea salt until crisp-tender and lightly browned on the edges; drizzle with a few drops of toasted sesame oil before serving.

5. TOSSED WARM WITH FRESH PESTO and toasted pine nuts.

Let us know if you have any other ideas which we can add to the list!

Preparation Time: 20 Mins Cooking Time: 50 Mins Serves: 6

If, like us, you are running out of ideas for the onions in your boxes then you will love this tasty tart which is lovely with buttered new potatoes and salad. We have to confess to having used a recipe from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s book, The River Cottage Year, but we are sure he won’t mind!

Pastry Ingredients

• For the pastry – or if in a hurry use ready made pastry – why not!
• 100g butter
• 200g plain flour
• pinch of salt

Filling Ingredients

• 1kg onions
• 50g butter
• 1 tbsp olive/sunflower oil
• 3 egg yolks
• 200ml double cream
• 100g gruyère cheese grated
• nutmeg

Rub together the pastry ingredients with just enough cold water to bring the mixture together. Line a 20-23cm tart tin with the mixture then place greaseproof paper over the top and fill with dried beans. Cook at 200°C for 15 mins. Remove the paper and beans and cook for a further 5 mins. Heat the butter and oil in a large pan adding finely sliced onions. Cook gently, stirring regularly until tender.

Beat the egg yolks with the double cream then combine with the onions and cheese spreading it over the pastry case. Cook at 190°C for ½ hour.

So many of you have called us asking for ideas of what to do with the Khol Rabi that we thought we would include it in our recipe this week. Some customers have said they made a Kohl Rabi Dauphinoise which was delicious so that is another idea – anyone who has a recipe for this let us know and we will add it to the website!

• 1 kohl rabi
• A couple of small carrots
• 1 or 2 potatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• a thumb of grated ginger
• 1 can of tomatoes
• Half a 125ml pot of crème frâiche
• Water to dilute
• Spices to taste (we mixed up 1 tsp turmeric, ½ tsp chili powder, 2 tsp ground coriander seeds and 1 tsp ground cumin seeds)

Firstly sauté the onions, garlic, ginger in some oil for a few minutes. Add in the spices and cook for a couple of minutes. Add all the root veg, diced and throw in the kohl rabi leaves, and any other edible greenery you might have (eg kale, shredded). Sweat the veg for about 10mins and then add the can of tomatoes, the crème frâiche (or you could use yoghurt), and some water. Season to taste. Let this whole mixture simmer for half an hour.

If you have some coriander in any shape or form - add it in, since it has a fantastic flavour.

Serve with basmati rice (any rice really but basmati is Sams favourite). Remember this is just a guide. Really, any root veg can be used, in any quantities. You could also cut down in the quantity or variation of spices if you prefer a milder curry.

• 2 large kohlrabi
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp oil
• 3 - 4 medium shallots (small onions)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 ½ - 2 ½ tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ - ½ tsp red chili pepper flakes
• ¼ cup peanuts
• 2 - 3 tbsp coriander, chopped

Peel and cut kohlrabi into 1/8” slices then stack them and cut into julienne 1/8” slices.

Put the slices into a bowl and add 1 tsp salt. Mix into kohlrabi and let sit 20 minutes in a colander over the sink. You will notice that liquid will be released. This will make the kohlrabi very crunchy.

In the meantime, peel the shallots and slice them finely. Put oil in a frying pan and fry the shallots until they are lightly browned and crispy. Put them on a paper towel to drain.

Take the kohlrabi rinse it quickly and drain it. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can. You can also do this in a tea towel over the sink which is easier.

Place kohlrabi in a bowl.

Take the peanuts and put them in a small pan and dry roast them on medium heat. You need to stir them so they don’t burn. When they are beginning to roast add the red chili flakes and keep stirring or moving the pan with the handle. The chilies will adhere to the peanuts because of the oils. Put them onto a plate to cool and then crush them with the side of a knife or in a mortar and pestle until they resemble small chunks not paste!

Chop the coriander and add all the rest of the ingredients to the bowl, reserving a tablespoon of the peanuts to garnish on top. Mix and top with the remaining peanuts.

• 450g shortcrust pastry – cheat and use ready made or make your own!
• 350g cooked, shredded Spring pointed Cabbage
• 310g new potatoes, scrubbed and sliced (don’t peel – we think it loses the flavour!)
• 110g Gruyère cheese (not too strong so the kids should like this)
• 375ml single cream
• 3 Eggs – free range if you can
• black pepper
• freshly grated Nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out the pastry and use it to line a greased 23-25 cm tart tin with a removable base.

Chill the pastry case for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, then line with greaseproof paper or foil and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove baking beans and paper or foil, then bake the pastry case for a further 5-10 minutes to dry out, without letting it brown.

To make the filling, squeeze as much water as you can out of the cabbage with your hands. Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling, salted water for about 4-5 minutes until just tender. Drain thoroughly. Mix together the cabbage, potato and all but 2 tablespoons of the Gruyere. Beat the cream with the eggs and season generously with salt, freshly ground pepper and grated nutmeg.

Place the tart tin on a baking sheet. Fill the pastry case with the cabbage and potato mixture, smoothing down. Pour in the cream mixture and sprinkle the remaining Gruyere over the surface.

Carefully transfer the tart, on its baking tray, to the oven, and bake for about 35-45 minutes until just set and lightly browned on top.

Serve warm or at room temperature with salad.

Beetroot is underappreciated as a vegetable in this country and lots of people are put of at the thought of preparing it. Roasting beetroot in its skin takes away much of the hard work and also stops your hands getting stained. This is a wonderfully light winter salad that won’t fill anyone up but is sooooo good for you!!

Roast Beetroot with citrus dressing

Serves 4 For the citrus dressing

6 raw scrubbed beetroot 1 large shallot 2 garlic cloves 2 tbsp white wine vinegar few fresh sprigs thyme 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice 175ml extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp chopped fresh chervil ¼ tsp finely pared lemon rind ¼ tsp finely pared orange rind salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Place beetroot, garlic and thyme in a roasting tin and drizzle olive oil, tossing until well coated. Roast for 1 ½ hours until beetroot feel tender, removing and discarding the garlic and thyme once they start to brown too much.

Meanwhile, make the citrus dressing. Place shallot in a shallow non-metallic dish with the vinegar, lemon and orange juice and a pinch of salt. Mix well to combine and then allow to macerate for 30 minutes. Whisk the extra virgin olive oil into the dressing and stir in the chervil, lemon and orange rind. Season to taste.

Leave the cooked beetroots until just cool enough to handle, then peel and cut into slices. Add the citrus dressing, tossing to coat, then leave to cool completely, turning the slices occasionally to allow the dressing to penetrate. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the dressing for 24 hours in the fridge.

Allow the beetroot and dressing to come back to room temperature and serve, spoon over any remaining dressing.

You will want to make this recipe time and time again – trust our mum!!!

• 1 butternut squash, peeled • 225 g peeled potatoes • 1 free range egg yolk • 125 g plain flour • Salt and pepper to taste • 125 g butter • 2 tbsp fresh sage leaves • Parmesan shavings to serve

Cut the squash and potato into small cubes and steam gently over simmering water until tender. Once cooked, mash together in a clean pan. Place over a low heat for a few seconds to ‘dry out’. Transfer to a bowl and allow cooling.Work in the egg yolk, flour, 1/2tsp salt and pepper slowly. Mix together to form a sticky dough. Spoon the gnocchi mixture into a piping bag (like the one you might use for icing) and fit it with a large plain nozzle. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. When the water reaches a rolling boil, cook the gnocchi in batches. Pipe about 12 bits of the mixture into the water, cutting them from the end of the nozzle with a sharp knife. Once the water returns to the boil simmer for around 11/2 minutes until the gnocchi start to soften around the edges. Remove and then cook the next batch in the same fashion.Next melt some butter in a frying pan, add the sage leaves and fry gently until the butter turns golden. Immediately add the gnocchi and stir over a low heat for around 30 seconds making sure all the gnocchi is covered in the sage mixture. Serve immediately on bowls and sprinkle generously with Parmesan shavings.