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A berry nice time to pick your own fresh fruit
and veg
You would be a fool not to try my delicious gooseberry pudding, says Clare Latimer
There is an abundance of homegrown summer fruit and vegetables in our countryside. It’s the perfect time for the summer holidays when you can drive to ‘pick your own’ farms, go to farmer’s markets or just buy at your local greengrocers. This is also a good time of year to support local produce as opposed to fruit and vegetables flown from half way round the world.
A fantastic ‘pick your own’ farm is one in Enfield called Parkside where they have strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries and blackcurrants and also have French beans, onion, beetroot, spinach, broad beans and courgettes.
You can always call them on 020 8367 2035 to find out the crops of the day and where they are but it is a great day out and there are lovely pubs near by to also make your trip memorable.
Majorcan Tomato Soup
This was a great favourite with my family when we had a house in Majorca. It was served as a main course for lunch after jumping in and out of the pool and staring at the magical mountains.
After this we would tuck into a platter of Spanish cheeses and fresh figs off our tree. After a couple of glasses of the local wine a siesta would then be compulsory.
Ingredients
100ml of olive oil;
Four to five large spring onions, including the green parts, chopped;
Three large cloves of garlic, chopped;
One tablespoon of finely chopped parsley;
Four large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped;
One heaped teasspoon of mild paprika;
Some salt;
200g shelled peas;
500g of artichokes;
Meat stock or water;
One bunch fresh spinach, shredded;
300g of thinly sliced white bread.
Method
Heat the oil in a casserole dish and soften the spring onion and garlic, then add the parsley and tomato. When it has thickened, add the paprika and season with salt.
Stir in the peas, and the artichokes, with the outer leaves removed to reveal the pale inner leaves, then cut in half and the hairy choke scooped out. Cover with good meat stock if you have it, otherwise with water, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, then add the spinach and cook for five minutes more. Arrange the bread in a heated earthenware dish. Pour on the broth from the vegetables and leave for a couple of minutes to let the bread soak up the liquid. Check the seasoning and finally, arrange the vegetables on top, sprinkle with good virgin olive oil and serve.
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