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Curried Beef Pasties - Cowshill Farm

Dolmades - Mario, The Miners Arms, Whitecroft

Venison stew with Liquid velvet - St Anne's Vineyard

Rhubarb date chutney - Four Seasons Foods

Asparagus cream pasta - Smarts Cheese

Camembert & Pear Quiche - Maggies Cheese

Strawberry and Cucumber Salad - Crooked End Farm

Honey & Cider Baked Ham - Severn Cider

Imam Byaldi with tzatziki and wilted spinach - Holly from The garden Cafe, Lydbrook

Squash stuffed with mushroom & goats cheese filling

Oyster Mushroom Soup - Ragmans Lane Farm

Duck with blackcurrant gin - Madgetts Farm

Curried Beef Pasties from Cowshill Farm

Makes: 6 Oven Temp: Gas mark 4-5, 180c, 350f

225g (8oz) Cowshill Farm lean minced beef
1 onion
100g (4oz) cubed, peeled sweet potato
50g (2oz) peas
30ml (2tbsp) curry paste
30ml (2 tbsp) Claire's Kitchen mango chutney
1 x 500g pack puff pastry
1 x Pendrose egg

Method:
In a non-stick pan, dry fry the minced beef, onion and potato until browned.
Add curry paste, mango chutney and peas for 2-3 minutes.
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to approx 38cm x 38cm (15 x 15 inches). Cut the pastry in half lengthways and cut each half across to make six pieces.
Divide the mince mixture between the six pieces then brush with a little beaten egg. Fold in the corners of the pastry over each piece and seal edges with a fork.
Place on a baking tray and brush pasties with beaten egg.
Cook for 20 minutes.
Serve with local fresh salad.

Enjoy a pint of Freeminer or Kingstone Ale with your pasty!

Dolmades – Stuffed Vine leaves

Ingredients:

20 / 40 Vine-leaves

1lb Ground Beef

½ Cup White Rice

1 Egg

Fresh or Dried Mint & Parsley

Lemon Juice

Salt & Pepper Seasoning

Passata / Tinned Tomatoes

2 / 3 Large Onions

Vegetarians – You can use just rice and herbs or soya based mince for added body.

Method:

Place the minced beef, rice egg, mint and parsley in a large bowl with seasoning and knead until thoroughly mixed. Having warmed the leaves in water to soften them lay them flat in preparation to roll.

Fold the mixture into the leaves ensuring the meat is completely sealed. Slice onion and lay at the bottom of the pot to ensure the dolmades do not stick. Arrange the dolmades fairly snugly into the pot and cover with tinned tomatoes or passata. Wrap a plate in foil and lay over the top. Simmer for 2 hours (check that the rice is cooked!!)

About the Leaves

Grape leaves are best picked from Grape Vines in the Spring while they are still tender. They can be washed and frozen between layers of waxed paper and will keep for a year. They are also available from continental shops and in jars. Smaller leaves tend to be more tender but bigger ones are quicker! Boil grape leaves until they are soft, but not tender. The time will depend on the leaves. Fresh ones will only take a minute. Leaves in jars with brine will only need a couple of minutes.

Venison stew with liquid velvet - St Anne's Vineyard

Ingredients:

Method:

Lightly coat 500gm of cubed stewing venison with seasoned flour, then fry gently in 2tbsp of oil. When browned, remove from the pan, and add a little more oil, then add 1 large onion, roughly chopped, 2 sliced carrots, and half a swede, peeled and cut into cubes.

Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes, and then add the meat back to the pan, stir, and add 500 mls of stock.

Bring to the boil, and put in the oven at 150 degrees centigrade for one and a half hours checking from time to time and adding more stock if necessary. 20 minutes before the end of cooking time add a small wine glass of Liquid Velvet

Remove from the oven , check the seasoning, and add 1 tbsp of redcurrant jelly, stir well and serve with seasonal vegetables.

Rhubarb date chutney - Four Seasons Foods

Ingredients:– makes about 5lb

Method:
Put the onions in a large pan with the ginger and vinegar. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the rhubarb, plus 2 tsp salt to the pan and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 mins until the apples are tender.

Stir in the rhubarb and cook, uncovered, until the chutney is thick and jammy, about 15-20 mins. Leave the chutney to sit for about 10-15 mins, then spoon into warm, clean jars, and seal. Label the jars when cool.
Keep for at least a month before eating.

Asparagus cream pasta - Smarts Cheese

Ingredients:

1 bunch Hilter Fruit Farm asparagus,
142ml tub Sainthill Farm double cream,
2 garlic cloves, peeled, but left whole,
50g Smarts Harefield Cheese (half grated, half shaved)
250g tagliatelle pasta.

Method:

To prepare the asparagus, cut off and discard the woody ends, then neatly cut the tips away from the stalks. Keep the tips and stalks separate. In a small saucepan bring the cream and garlic to the boil.
Take off the heat, remove the garlic, then set the pan aside.

Cook the stalks in boiling salted water for about 4-5 mins until tender, drain, then tip into the cream with the grated cheese. Blitz with a hand blender until smooth.

Cook the pasta according to pack instructions, then throw in the tips 2 mins before the end of cooking time. Gently reheat the cream, drain pasta, then tip into a bowl with the cream. Toss, divide into pasta bowls, top with cheese shavings and serve.

Camembert & Pear Quiche - Maggies Cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan. Add the onions, vinegar and a pinch of salt, cover and allow to caramelise, approx 30 minutes.

3. Place the pears in a separate saucepan with a little bit of water, cover and cook over low heat until soft.

4. Grease and line a round pastry tin. Press the dough into the pastry tin to cover the sides as well.

5. Spread the caramelised onions onto the pastry and top with camembert. Arrange the cooked pear slices on top of the onions and cheese.

6. Whisk together the cream and eggs, add the thyme and the remainder of the salt. Pour into pastry and bake for 40 minutes.

*This is a delicious recipe, perfect for a picnic in the Forest.

Strawberry and Cucumber Salad - Crooked End Farm

Serves 4

Cold vegetarian accompaniment

Ingredients:

Method:
1. Place the strawberries, basil, vinegar and sugar in a large mixing bowl and toss to coat. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
2. Add the cucumber, lemon juice salt, and pepper to the chilled strawberry mixture and mix gently until well combined. Serve immediately

Honey & Cider Baked Ham - Severn Cider

3.5/4 kg Cowshill Farm shoulder of ham
1 gallon Severn Cider
2 cups dark rum
Whole cloves
1/2 cup pure Forest of Dean runny honey
1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1. Remove the rind and all but a thin layer of fat from the ham. Place the ham in a large baking dish or bowl. Cover with the cider and add 1 cup of the rum. Let stand at room temperature overnight.
2. Preheat an oven to 300°F. Remove the ham from the cider mixture. Reserve the cider mixture. Make diagonal cuts through the fat on the top of the ham to form a 1 1/2-inch grid. Stud a whole clove in the middle of each diamond. Place the ham on a wire rack fitted into a roasting pan. Add the marinade to the pan until it reaches the rack, but not the ham. Bake for 1 1/2, hours, basting every 20 minutes. Add more cider to the pan as needed.
3. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Combine the honey, brown sugar, and remaining 1 cup rum in a bowl. Whisk together to thoroughly combine. Spoon all of the glaze onto the ham, completely covering the surface and grid crevasses. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let stand for at least 15 minutes or up to 45 minutes before carving and serving.

Imam Byaldi (roasted Aubergine with raisins and pine nuts ) with tzatziki (cucumber and mint and yoghurt) and wilted spinach.

A VEGETARIAN FEAST & garden café classic! - Holly from The garden Cafe, Lydbrook

(this meal is vegan without the tzatziki) (feeds 4)

Slice two Aubergines in half and slice the insides diagonally. Brush the insides and outsides with good olive oil and season.

Roast inside down in a roasting tray on a medium heat for half an hour. When soft, scoop out the insides and save the skins. In a separate pan fry onions and raisins. add FRESH thyme. after 5 mins add the scooped out aubergine pulp, add a good pinch of salt and freshly milled black pepper. now add a tin or two of good quality chopped tomatoes (red wine optional here) Add fresh bay leaf.

simmer in a large based pan with a lid for a further ten minutes. Add a hefty pinch of good quality Hungarian paprika (optional)

Pre heat oven to 200 and scoop your mixture into the four aubergine skins. toast pine nuts and sprinkle ontop.

add a good crunch of fresh black pepper and fresh thyme. roast in oven for half hour. Serve with basmati rice, tzatziki and spinach

Tzatziki

chop garlic and mint finely. Juice the lemon getting rid of any pips. mix together with the yoghurt, adding oil at the end. garnish with fresh Dill or paprika.

Wilted spinach

heat two teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil in a oan . Chop one clove of garlic roughly. When pan is smoking add a big handful of fresh spinach. after 20 seconds add the garlic after another twenty after tossing in the pan - serve

Squash stuffed with mushroom & goats cheese filling Serves 4

Method:
Split the squash lengthwise, remove seeds, and bake, face down, on a non-stick tray or on a tray sprayed with non-stick spray for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until tender.
While the squash are baking, sautè mushrooms, onions and garlic with salt and pepper until onions are soft.
Drain well and combine with the remaining ingredients.

Brush the inner flesh of the roasted Squash with one tablespoon of honey. Stuff with goat cheese filling and place back into oven and bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Oyster Mushroom Soup - Ragmans Lane Farm

4 tablespoons Netherend butter
1/2 pound oyster mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 large onion
1 cup cubed peeled potatoes
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of ground mace
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Pinch of dried thyme
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup dry Orchards Cider

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan. Cook the mushrooms and onions for 3 minutes or until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan and slowly cook the potato cubes for 10 minutes or until tender. Gradually stir in the milk. Add the salt, pepper, mace, Tabasco, and thyme.

Allow this to come to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks with the Orchards Cider and slowly blend the mixture into the soup pan.

Add the onions and mushrooms and heat almost, but not quite, to a boil. Taste to correct the flavouring.

Ragmans Lane inoculate poplar logs with Oyster mushrooms. Oyster mycelium is particularly vigorous, and will colonise the log very quickly producing prolific amounts of mushrooms under the right conditions. We have found that cooler weather prompts fruiting. The logs will fruit in spring and autumn. Once purchased, keep the log in a damp shady area of the garden watering the log in dry spells throughout the summer.

Duck with blackcurrant gin - Madgetts Farm

Ingredients:

Method:

Fry duck breasts in olive oil for 3 minutes each side with shallots

Pour on gin and stock and heat through.

Remove from heat

Remove ducks from sauce and put in hot oven gas 7/200˚C for 15 –20 minutes.

When duck is cooked. Reheat sauce and add blackcurrants.

Pour around duck and serve.

Instead of traditional Christmas pudding, try something lighter:-

Hillbrooks Luxury Christmas Pudding Ice cream

Serve with a bottle of local Compton Green Wine and finish off with a pot of fresh James Gourmet Coffee