Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and Me: A chef’s stories and recipes from the land. Denis Cotter
| FOR THE EGG ROLLS |
|---|
| 500g (18oz) medium asparagus spears |
| 500g(18oz) spinach |
| 2 tbsp tomato pesto, see recipe on page 227 |
| salt and pepper |
| 6 large eggs |
| 3 tbsp milk |
| 1 tsp chopped fresh chives |
| olive oil |
| 200g (7oz) Durrus or other semi-soft cow’s |
| milk cheese, thinly sliced |
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. For the
sauce, chop the beetroot into small dice and put in a
large saucepan with the water. Bring this to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Blend the beetroot and water to a fine purée, pass this through a fine sieve, and return to the pan. Add the balsamic vinegar, bring it to the boil and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly. This may take 20-30 minutes. Leave the sauce to cool, when it will thicken some more.
Snap the tough ends off the asparagus spears. Slice any fat spears in half lengthways. Blanch the spears by dropping them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until tender but still crisp, then cool them in a bowl of cold water.
Drop the spinach into boiling water for 2 minutes or until soft, then drain and cool it in a colander under cold running water. Squeeze the spinach dry and chop it very finely. Stir in the tomato pesto and season with salt and pepper.
Beat the eggs and milk lightly together in a bowl, season with salt and stir in the chives. Heat a heavy or non-stick 15cm (6in) frying pan over a low heat and brush it lightly with olive oil. Pour in enough of the egg mixture to make a very thin omelette, and cook it until set but only lightly coloured on the bottom. Flip the omelette over and cook the other side for 1 minute, then remove from the pan. Oil the pan again and repeat. The mixture should make eight omelettes or egg rolls.
Lay an omelette on a work surface and place a layer of cheese across the middle. Place some asparagus pieces on top to cover the cheese evenly. Then press some of the spinach mixture on to the asparagus. Fold over the omelette from the near end first, then the top, to make a tight roll. Repeat with the rest and place the egg rolls, seam-side down, on an oven tray lined with baking parchment. Brush the tops lightly with olive oil. Place the egg rolls in the oven for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is just beginning to melt. Drizzle some of the beetroot sauce on each of the serving plates and place the egg rolls on top. Serve the rest of the sauce in a jug at the table.
New Zealand Spinach, Puy Lentils, Fennel and Sheep’s Cheese on Tomato Crostini
Because New Zealand spinach holds its shape so well, this looks good enough to be served as a starter, but it also makes a nice light lunch or late night snack.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Cook the lentils in boiling water for 12-15 minutes until tender but firm. Rinse briefly under cold running water to stop the cooking, but leaving the lentils warm.
To make the crostini, brush the bread lightly with olive oil on both sides, place it on an oven tray lined with baking parchment and bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes until crisp on both sides but still a little soft in the middle. You may need to turn the bread slices once during cooking to get an even finish on both sides. Leave for a few minutes to cool to room temperature, then spread a little tomato pesto on each one.
| Serves 4 |
|---|
| 60g (2 1/4oz) Puy lentils |
| 800g (1 3/4 lb) New Zealand spinach |
| olive oil |
| 1 medium red onion,halved and thinly sliced |
| 1 fennel bulb, quartered and thinly sliced |
| 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped |
| salt and pepper |
| 1 lemon, to squeeze over the finished dish |
| 60g (2 1/4 oz) Cratloe Hills, Pecorino or otherhard sheep’s cheese |
| FOR THE TOMATO CROSTINI |
|---|
| 4 slices day-old sourdough bread |
| olive oil |
| 2 tbsp tomato pesto, see recipe on page 227 |
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, drop in the spinach and cook for 1 minute. Drain well.
At the same time, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and cook the onion, fennel, garlic and lentils for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Place one of the crostini on each plate and put the spinach mixture loosely on top. Squeeze some lemon juice over each portion. Coarsely grate or thinly shave the sheep’s cheese and sprinkle it over.
Artichoke, Asparagus and Quail Egg Salad with Citrus Dressing
Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut each spear in three, then bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and drop the asparagus into boiling water to cook for 1 minute. Cool under cold running water briefly, then drain well.
Pull off the outer leaves of the artichokes until only the paler, less green flesh is visible. Cut the leaves across below the tops. Trim the stalk with a knife and discard the tough outer skin to reveal the tender edible part at the centre. Cut the artichokes into quarters and scoop out any hairy choke. Drop the artichoke quarters into water with a little of the lemon juice. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the artichoke pieces and cook for 5-7 minutes until just tender. Cool briefly under cold running water and drain well.
| Serves 4 |
|---|
| 16 medium-sized asparagus spears |
| 4 small artichokes |
| juice of 1 lemon |
| 12-16 quail eggs |
| juice of 1/2 orange |
| finely grated zest of 1 orange |
| 200ml(7floz) olive oil |
| 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives |
| salt and pepper |
| 200g(7oz) rocket |
Cook the quail eggs by dropping them into boiling water for just 1 minute, then cool them in a bowl of cold water. Peel the eggs carefully – the yolks should still be soft.
Make a dressing by whisking or shaking together the orange and remaining lemon juice, the orange zest and the olive oil.
Toss the asparagus and artichokes together with the chives and enough dressing to coat the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Place some rocket on four plates and share out half of the vegetables on top. Scatter on some more rocket and top with the rest of the vegetables. Cut the tops off the eggs, and tuck them into the salads. Drizzle some