Thursday, October 29, 2015

The Cottage Cooking Club - October Recipes

The month of October marks the eighteenth month of our international online cooking group, The Cottage Cooking Club. As a group, recipe by recipe, we are cooking and learning our way through a wonderful vegetable cookbook written in 2011 by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, entitled „River Cottage Everyday Veg".

One of the declared aims of our cooking group is to make a decided effort to use as much regional, organic and also seasonal produce as is reasonably possible.

This month I prepared seven of the ten designated recipes. I will write about each dish in the order in which I prepared them.

My first recipe for this October post is the colorful Beetroot with walnut and cumin (page 113) from the chapter "Raw Assemblies“.




Instead of grating the raw beetroot and let it sit in the marinade for a good thirty minutes, I used thin slices and let them macerate for a good two hours before serving - I used two types of beets here - the chioggia beet aka the candy stripe beet as well as the red beets. Although the slices of beets sit in a lovely marinade of freshly squeezed lemon and orange juice, and receive a nice sprinkling of bashed local walnuts and toasted cumin seeds and a topping of fresh chives, they most definitely retain their deep earthy flavor. A very pretty, not-your-everyday-type of side dish or appetizer. Elegant and special.




For the second recipe this month I chose the Orecchiette with chickpeas and cavolo nero (page 261) from the chapter "Pasta & Rice". This recipe has become my go-to recipe for a rather quick and easy pasta dish. It is such a versatile base recipe with but a few good ingredients. 

This dish makes my home crowd extremely happy every time I prepare it. The first time I made this (you can take a look here), I used spring arugula and a fun-shaped pasta called "Ufo pasta". This time a used some Creste di gallo pasta from my Italian market, fresh spinach, chickpeas, banana shallots (this is the largest variety of shallots and slightly milder than other types of shallots). rose garlic (my favorite garlic) and a good pinch of freshly ground cumin. Nice flavors and I must say that pasta mixed with chickpeas and greens is also very satisfying, no additional grating of Parmigiano Reggiano required.




The third recipe that go my attention this month was the Porotos granados (page 146 ), from the chapter „Hefty Soups“. This traditional Chilean squash and bean stew is a rather hearty dish, perfect for this time of year. Other than an onion, garlic, Spanish sweet smoked paprika, fresh oregano, cannellini beans (in my case), homemade vegetable stock (page 130), a bay leaf from my garden, butternut squash, French beans, and corn, all you need is freshly ground black pepper, sea salt and a really good appetite.




Lots of veggies here and lots of color to please the eye - pure comfort-food in a bowl and a nice change from traditional heavy stews. It actually does gain from preparing it well in advance and giving the different flavors a chance to deepen and for the stew to thicken.




The fourth recipe has a very tasty Asian touch - nice for those fall veggies. Grilled aubergines with chili and honey (page 340) from the chapter "Roast, Grill & Barbecue" - this is a recipe that I had been looking forward to preparing for the longest time as the diversity in flavors seemed to be very appealing to me. And I was not disappointed.




The combination of peeled and grilled aubergine slices, local runny honey, lemon, chili and fresh thyme is very nice and full of contrasts that pleased my palate - next time I would love to serve this dish as part of an Asian inspired spread.




The fifth recipe was Garlic and caraway (fall) greens (page 372) from the chapter "Side Dishes". Another one of those very versatile and easy recipes that I so enjoy from this book, this time a side dish. And a variation of the Steamed veg with a hint of garlic that I prepared in June of last year using French beans, broccoli, freshly shelled peas, broad beans and green asparagus (you can take a look here).- how seasons can seriously change the appearance and taste of dish!




The greens I chose for my October version were Brussels sprouts and sweetheart cabbage, a seasonal, mild and tender cabbage that is wildly available at this time of year. We really liked both versions and I believe this would be also great with some left-over greens. 




Adding lightly bashed caraway seeds to your greens, especially cabbage, is said to aid digestion - we eat quite a bit of caraway around here (especially in Bavaria) but I do realize that it is somewhat of an acquired taste.




Recipe number six this month was the Basil and mozzarella tart (page 216) from the chapter "Store-Cupboard Suppers". If  you really need another argument why you should always make sure to keep some fresh or frozen good-quality ready-made puff pastry at the ready, than this tart is it.




Loaded with the well-known ingredients of an Insalata caprese, this tart really showcases that simple is often best. I have prepraed this recipe smore times than I can count. For the October line-up, I chose some deliciously tangy buffalo mozzarella, beefsteak tomatoes and fresh basil - heaven. And this tart works equally well with goat´s cheese, some type of blue cheese, Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano. And do not forget to have fun with the different herb options - use thyme or rosemary or even chives here - oh, the possibilities. For my goat´s cheese and thyme version of this tart, please take a look here. And for my mozzarella and thyme version, take a look here. As you probably guessed it, we are seriously addicted to this tart recipe.




Last but not least, the seventh recipe for the month of October was the Cauliflower and chickpea curry (page 27) from the chapter "Comfort Food & Feasts".




For this curry you should go the extra mile and use freshly ground spices, not a ready-made curry powder, although, of course, that is an option for this recipe. Add freshly grated ginger, ground coriander, cumin, dried chili, garam masala (typical ingredients for a garam masala are black peppercorns, mace, cinnamon, cloves, brown cardamom, nutmeg, green cardamom). and some star anise and you will delighted with the depth of flavor that all these warm spices lend to this dish.




I decided to serve some basmati rice with yellow and black sesame seeds alongside - to make this a more substantial dish.




Then some oven-roasted chickpeas for some extra crunch and as a little nibble - not bad, if I may say so myself. 




In summary, another month full of wonderful vegetable dishes – this month we were delighted to enjoy a number of hearty fall recipes, main courses as well as side dishes or appetizer) for lunch and dinner. What can possibly be better than to cook with seasonal ingredients even at this time of year.




Please note, that for copyright reasons, we do NOT publish the recipes. If you enjoy the recipes in our series, hopefully, the wonderfully talented and enthusiastic members of The Cottage Cooking Club and their wonderful posts can convince you to get a copy of this lovely book. Better yet, do make sure to join us in this cooking adventure.

To see how wonderful all the dishes from my fellow Cottage Cooking Club members turned out this month, please visit here. They would all appreciate a visit!

21 comments:

  1. Hi Andrea, love that you added little edible flowers to some of your dishes, so beautiful. I made the eggplant and chili dish too and it was well received by all. I have noticed that most of Hugh's recipes are really very simple but his use and combination of certain spices and flavors is what makes everything taste so special. Thank you for all you do.......Take care!

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    1. Dear Cheri, glad that you enjoy Hugh´s recipes - there is a definite sytem to his recipes - just the other day I mentioned to my dear hubby that having cooked round about 150 of Hugh´s recipes I should be able to detect with my eyes closed amongst a whole range of cooked dishes the one´s from his River Cottage series...
      Thank you for the lovely comment and for participating again this month!
      Andrea

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  2. Hello Andrea, so wonderful to see you and your posting. Your photos are, as always, exceptionally beautiful and so professional, I'm running out of ways to say this my friend without sounding insincere, when I have such genuine compliments for your outstanding work! Your dishes look sensational and appetizing. Was so happy to see you won the BBQ contest and read about your fabulous trip! So exciting. See you over the month! Talk to you later. Big Hugs to You.

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    1. Peggy, thank you so much for your wonderful comment - you certainly made my Wednesday evening - I always appreciate comments on my pictures as they take quite some time to plan and set up. I try to balance the colors and flavors of the many dishes throughout the month and after four weeks just hope for the best when I put the CCC post together.
      I believe we agree on the Chilean stew - it was wonderful with some rice and made for a wonderful fall dinner!
      Andrea

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  3. Your dishes look lovely as always Andrea. I find that Hugh's recipes usually result in naturally colourful and pretty dishes but your floral and herb garnishes add a special touch. I especially love what you did with one of my favourites from the month, the beet salad. The slices of candy stripe and red beets are just beautiful. I'm looking forward to November's choices.

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    1. Dear Zosia, all those herbs and flowers are fun to add and since I take most pictures in our garden, they are often the first bright things I notice around me - despite all those bright veggies.
      Thank you for your kind comment!
      Andrea

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  4. Everything looks beautiful, Andrea, and I'm now wishing I'd made more of this month's dishes, especially the eggplant. I loved the sides you chose to serve with the cauliflower and chickpea curry and I agree that it's always best to grind and mix your own curry powders fresh - it makes all the difference. I'm looking forward to seeing what November's selections will be. :)

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    1. Thank you very much for your wonderful comment - there is always next month to make more of Hugh´s dishes and I always do encourage you all to make other dishes from the book that we previously made (if you are so inclined and if you have the time). Be that as it may, I believe we will have one more make-up month before we finish cooking our way through this lovely cookbook.
      Andrea

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  5. Your post made me smile on a Friday afternoon (and the tuna sandwich I had for lunch is nowhere near as appealing as that cauliflower/ chickpea curry or that tart!)

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    1. Cher, that sounds so nice - thank you! although I like a tuna sandwich once in a while, I must confess that I much prefer Hugh´s recipes these days. Maybe you will have the time to join us at the beginning of 2016 for our next River Cottage/Cottage Cooking Club adventure - we would love to have you join us. I miss reading your witty blog posts every Friday!
      Hope the girls are well and that you have settled in nicely in your new home!
      Andrea

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  6. aww Andrea what lovely and wonderful look all. I love yours pictures always are amazing !!! Love all.
    And especialy love the salad Insalata caprese..
    I know how this is but is sad sometimes can´'t have the recipes, but I understand Andrea !!

    Hugs!!!

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    1. Dear Gloria, if you do need the recipe for the Tomato, mozzarella tart, I will gladly send it to you of course - but you can also find the recipe here with goat´s cheese instead of mozzarella which is a variation of the main theme: http://www.foodwise.com.au/recipes/tomato-thyme-and-goats-cheese-tart/
      If you need any other recipe, please do not hesitate to contact me: andrea@thekitchenlioness.de
      Have a wonderful weekend!
      Andrea

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  7. Andrea , another amazing post . I am awestruck when I see all the work and effort that you put into them. I am so happy for you that won the BBQ contest .
    Hugs Gerlinde

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    1. Gerlinde, lieben Dank! Der Grill-Wettbewerb war ein wenig stressig und ich bin ganz froh, dass das Leben jetzt weiter geht - aber herzlichen Dank für die Glückwünsche! Und auch für das wunderbar liebe Kompliment!
      Herzliche Grüße nach Santa Cruz - wie ist denn bei euch das Wetter zur Zeit?
      Andrea

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  8. Hi Andrea, I'm so happy to be reconnecting with my blogging friends. As always, the care you put into the preparation and the presentation of each recipe is so inspiring. I love your use of flowering herbs. Alas, we had a hard frost that killed off the foliage of my herbs for this year. Everything looks amazing. You have a lucky family!

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    1. Betsy, so glad to see that you have joined the CCC again and that you and Howard liked the wonderful dishes that you prepared during the month of October. We are extremely lucky this week with respect to the warm fall weather, I most certainly hope that it will keep up this way for a while still.
      All the best and "see" you very soon,
      Andrea

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  9. Hallo! These all look so beautiful, Andrea - good lead in with the beets, as the Chioggia beets are spectacular! I think the recipes that appeal most to me are the grilled eggplant with honey (such a unique combination of flavors), the mozzarella and basil tart, and the cauliflower and chickpea curry - they all just made me hungry at 6:00am! :) Your photos, as always, are just beautiful. Liebe Grüße! David

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    1. David, glad that you enjoy those veggie dishes - there is such an abundance of produce still available around here that it proves hard to decide where oh where to get started with these CCC posts.
      Liebe Grüße nach Tucson,
      Andrea

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  10. Just a lovely presentation this month, Andrea. Well, I expect nothing less. Between your and Teresa's write-ups of the Cauliflower and chickpea curry, I definitely need to go back and try again. I just purchased black sesame seeds so will go with the rice and sesame seeds, both black and yellow and will also roast some chickpeas, just for me. Everyone has liked the Grilled aubergines with chili and honey so that will be on my long to-do list also. Everything looks delicious. You are an inspiration, every week, every month.

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    1. Dear Mary, the Cauliflower and chicpeas curry was nice but it was even nicer with the rice and the oven-roasted chickpeas - it needed a bit of something I believe and chickpeas are not always the most attractive of legumes, they seem to need spices to atract attention at our house.
      So lovely of you to drop by - I shall visit your latest blog post during the day today - I am off veggie shopping for those November dishes - starting with the Parsnip and ginger soup today (more spices there).
      Many hugs,
      Andrea

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  11. Andrea, every month when I come over to visit your blog I wonder how it is that people aren't in the Cottage Cooking Club, unless they just really don't like vegetables. I mean, everything looks wonderful, healthy (in the best way possible), and inviting! I also love coming upon your photos on Facebook as they give a nice spot of color and beauty. I'm looking forward to that parsnip-ginger soup!!

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