Sunday, February 28, 2016

The Cottage Cooking Club - February Recipes


The month of February marks the twenty-second 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 seasonal produce as is reasonably possible.

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

My first recipe for this February post is the Mushroom ragout with soft polenta (page 57) from the chapter "Comfort Food & Feasts“.




This was a recipe that I had been looking forward to for a long time. Soft, creamy polenta topped with a ragout of earthy musrooms. My kind of food in February. I stayed true to the recipe but as I am not such a huge fan of instant polenta, I used regular polenta that takes a bit longer to cook. The infused milk for the polenta contains a bay leaf and thyme, peppercorns, onion, garlic. Once the polenta has finished cooking, you add butter, chopped rosemary and Parmesan – an irresisitible taste as is.




For the topping you will need mushrooms, garlic, more thyme, red wine, mushroom stock, pepper and salt to make the most flavorful mushroom ragout. Creamy and hearty, polenta makes a great alternative to mashed potatoes or pasta and served topped with this richly flavored ragout it is a vegetarian main dish – then all you need to enjoy this lovely meal is to pick up a pretty spoon, dig in and enjoy!




My second recipe this month was the Lentils with beetroot and feta (page 237) from the chapter „Store-Cupboard Suppers“. An easy, substantial side salad with lentils, wedges of sweet, earthy beets, some cubes of salty feta and a lovely dressing of mild olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.




If you are a lentil lover, and of you appreciate the taste of red beets - this is a great recipe to keep in mind for fall or winter time. You can always stock some lentils (just make sure they are the type that is best used for salads) and feta are readily available in the cold months – I can easily see this salad as part of a buffet spread, in a lunchbox, or as tasty office break fare.

You should keep the beets separate until you are ready to eat, as they do tend to bleed into the salad. Another tip to keep in mind is that if you run out of time you can always use pre-cooked, vacuum-packed beets in this recipe instead of roasting them. You might loose some of the earthy flavors that you get when freshly roasting the beets but there are enough tasty components in this salad to guarantee a delicious outcome.




The third recipe in February was the Apple and blue vinny toastie (page 204) from the chapter of "Bready Things". With grated tart eating apples, Gorgonzola dolce, a bit of mayonnaise, some salt and pepper this is certainly a different kind of topping for some toasted country bread.




This is a toastie that I would definitely only serve to peole that appreciate the distinct taste of blue cheese or Gorgonzola – the combination here works surprinsingly well. Again, just chose your taste testers well.




Recipe number four this month felt like an old friend. After having made the Tomato, thyme and goat´s cheese tart in July 2014 (here), the Basil and mozzarella tart in October 2015 (here) or the Blue cheese and chives tart in December 2015 (here), it was time for yet another fabulous variation, the Rosemary and pecorino tart (page 216) from the chapter of „Store-cupboard suppers“.





The main recipe has become a family favorite, my go to recipe for those days when I am looking or a quick, no fuss, savory fare with easy to find ingredients that can be assembled in a flash. So, this recipe is another example of how handy store-bought, good-quality puff pastry can be. Add some thinly sliced tomatoes (even if they are a bit out-of-season these days), some thinly sliced garlic, pepper, salt, a bit of good olive oil and bake. Then add some chopped rosemary and grated some lovely, sharp Pecorino Romano – I opted for shavings of Pecorino instead of grating it. For the looks, of course. Failing Pecorino you can also use Parmigiano Reggiano to great effect here. It tastes just as wonderful in this recipe.




The fifth treat this month was much-anticipated Sweet potato and peanut gratin (page 63) from the chapter „Comfort Food & Feasts“. The kids love sweet potatoes and although they are not grown around here, we can nowadays find them in many grocery stores and at the green grocers. No matter which way I prepare them they always seem to get eaten – this is truly a great veg to serve to the younger crowds even if they do not enjoy vegetables in general.




Sweet potatoes can be cooked in similar ways to the potato but cook much more quickly. You can bake, mash or roast sweet potatoes, or use them in vegetable soups and casseroles. Alternatively, you can add them to risottos, pasta dishes and curries. But Hugh´s recipe is a whole other category it seems. With one kilo of sweet potatoes, a bit of heat from the chilis, garlic, double cream, crunchy peanut butter, lime zest and juice, salt and pepper – this is really reminiscent of the sauce I serve alongside my chicken satays. Rich, creamy and addictive! We loved this gratin!




Not your every day type of side dish but the kids got their fill of sweet potatoes and I got to show off my lovely vintage gratin dishes that I found at a wonderful flea market the other day. The old lady that sold them to me for a song, just shrugged her shoulders and said that she did not have a clue what to do with them! And the moment I saw them I was thinking of this sweet potato gratin that I was planning on making as small individual gratins and serve them in exactly these dishes. Sometimes things just seem to fall into place...




The next recipe on my list was the White bean salad with tomatoes and red onions (page 240) from the chapter „Store-Cupboard Suppers“.




A fresh, wintry salad with white beans (soaked overnight or the canned variety), red onions, tomatoes and a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper – to which I added a mixed salad of baby spinach and Swiss chard. The greens stood up well to those other hearty ingredients - they were really nice in combination with red onions, beans and tomatoes.




To cut the sharpness from the raw onion, I soaked the thinly sliced red onion in ice cold water for a few minutes before I drained the slices well and added them to the salad. A nice substantial bistro kind of salad that had a lot of flavor. It can easily be served for lunch or as dinner with just a nice hunk of country bread alongside.




Recipe number seven was the lovely and easy Potatoes and „deconstructed pesto“ (page 222) from the chapter „Store-Cupboard Suppers“.




A truly nice combination of cooked fingerling potatoes, loads of fresh basil, freshly squeezed lemon juice and plenty of shredded Parmesan. What on earth is not to like about this dish. There is the ease of preparation, the short list of ingredients, the extremly simple recipe and the immense „waftability factor“ that you get while preparing this. Not to mention the fabulous taste. We loved it. A keeper.




The last recipe I tackled this month was the one that the kids kept begging for all the time. The older girls desperately wanted to bring the DIY „pot“ noodles (page 248) from the chapter „Store-Cupboard Suppers“ to school – so I took a few liberties with the veg but I most certainly kept with the theme when I made these.




I used soba noodles here that I pre-cooked, drained and added to the jars first. Then it was peas, carrots, corn, napa cabbage and chives - for the flavor I opted out of the boillon cubes and added sliced spring onions, slices of fresh ginger, crushed chili flakes, lime juice, low-sodium soy sauce, pepper, sea salt, and a few drops of toasted sesame oil.




When I prepared these for the lond day at school, I packed some spare lime wedges and a bit of soy sauce alonside a flask with hot water and some cute, girlish chopsticks - the girls loved, loved this recipe and are asking for seconds and thirds...and we loved eating the "left-overs" at home. Fun. Delicious. Versatile. Healthy. And a genius idea to start with.




In summary, we loved each and every dish this month - the kids went crazy for the potato gratin and the noodle pots, we enjoyed the salads and the tart a tad more...all were really happy in the end.




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 make sure to take a look at their personal links and to do so, just visit here.



38 comments:

  1. Andrea, every month I comment on the gorgeous photos and this month is, of course, no different. What I'm enjoying, too, about seeing your CCC posts each month is watching the light change in your photos as the seasons unfold. I can see that sharper edge to the light that comes with winter, giving everything a crisp quality that highlights slightly different hues in the veggies than in other seasons. I love your photos! Sounds like you had a great month food-wise and I love that whole story about the gratin dishes--a treasure for you that someone else totally dismissed! Lucky!

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    1. Katie, thank you so much! What a kind and thoughtful comment! Love those nice words with respect to my photos! Those gratin dishes were a lucky find indeed. And I might just find a few other good uses for them.
      So glad you still enjoy our Cottage Cooking Club adventures!
      Andrea

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  2. Andrea,
    you are an artist. I just LOVE clicking into your warm, delicious world. Truly.
    Did I ever tell you that I ADORE polenta? My daddy makes it w/ red sauce and chunks of pepperoni!

    xxx

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    1. Kim, polenta with red sauce and chunks of pepperoni sounds amazing - next time your Dad prepares this wonderful sounding dish, please let me know...I am sure that your Dad is an amazing cook!
      Thank you for your kind words, dear friend!
      Andrea

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  3. I ditto everything that the Professor said about your photography only she says it much more succinctly. #photoalwaysplendid About those do-die-for vintage gratin dishes, chirp. chirp. You do have an eye, Andrea. Of course I noticed the knife, fork and spoon in your pictures, all vintage and all different but such a lovely touch. I really am having a problem this winter with making too much food and despite making 1/2 recipes, I cannot consume it all. I have the lentil/beet salad and toastie all set to roll out. Would love to borrow your taste testers and I would not make them try the Apple and Blue Vinny Toastie (I assume they weren't fans). As always, you're a miracle worker. I so enjoy watching you roll out your posts every week. Oh, by the way, always love the Weck jars.

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    1. Mary, dear friend, what a lovely comment! Thank you so much! Getting wonderful comments like yours are quite the motivation! Me and my props...I just cannot stop myself when I find some really nice ones - if I continue at this speed, we shall need a bigger house. I understand with respect to the amount of food - I am just glad that I have enough eager taste testers for all those dishes that I prepare each and every month for the CCC. And I would be more than glad to share some of my lovely taste testers with you! That sounds like a fabulous idea to me!!!
      Many hugs & kisses from all of us!
      Andrea & Co.

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  4. Your food and photos are phenomenal as always Andrea. I loved the mushroom ragout but would have preferred regular polenta (instant has its applications, but not here). And I love that you fortified the simple bean salad with all of those fresh greens - I would love a plate of that now.

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    1. Zosia, I did use regular polenta and was quite happy with the outcome. Finally, an excuse to indulge in polenta again, I love that stuff and my favorite Italian store carries the most wonderful array of different polenta meals. And those hearty/sturdy greens were really a nice compliment to those beans and other ingredients of the salad.
      Thank you for your kind comment and your participation in The Cottage Cooing Club,
      Andrea

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  5. Andrea....you are pretty amazing! I wish I would have been able to make more. And the one thing I wish I had made, now that I'm looking at everyone's entries...is the mushroom polenta! Yours looks fantastic! What great comfort food! Your photos are beautiful. Thank you for making me feel welcome and for all you do for this wonderful group. I'm already looking forward to next month! : )

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    1. Anne, so nice to have you onboard. Hope you will enjoy cooking with all of us at The Cottage Cooking Club! This is a group of wonderfully talented bloggers and I am quite "proud" (if I may so so) of each and every one of them! The polenta should probably be added to your "to do list" - it is one flavorful dish that I enjoyed tremendously!
      "See" you soon!
      Andrea

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  6. I agree with everyone about everything, especially your photos. You style your food so beautifully. I wish that were close enough to enjoy eating at your table. I think Hugh should hire you to photograph the recipes in his next book. Yours are so much more better than the ones in this book. I love your new gratin dishes, especially the cute tops. Isn't it fun to discover the perfect find? After seeing your version, I want to add so many of the recipes you made to my "to do" list. One thing I want to know -- did the noodles stay hot after sitting for 10 minutes or did you (and the girls) find they cooled off. I want to figure out how to keep them hot. Any suggestions welcome. Have a great week, my friend!

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    1. Betsy, first off, thank you so much for your wonderful ccompliment with respect to my photos! My pictures are important to me and my blogging and add substantially to the fun of running this blog of mine. With respect to the noodles. I chose a different type of noodle (soba or mie noodles will be fine) and pre-cooked them (rather al dente so they would not turn to mush), drained them very well before adding them to the jars. If you keep the very hot water separate in a flask (the ones that I usually use for my tea) and add the water a good 5 minutes before you plan on eating, then close the lid of the jar and eat them there and then, you will be fine. Otherwise, the dish will get cold rather quickly, that´s true. Hope that helps!
      Andrea

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  7. I very much want to try the polenta - it looks so beautiful! The rest of the dishes look beautiful, too. I especially love your story about finding the gratin dishes. I'm glad they've found a home with someone who knows just what to do with them! I hope the birthday weekend is unfolding beautifully.

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    1. Teresa, what a lovely comment! Thank you so much - I was a tad bit exhausted after the weekend but I will be fine now and comment on all those wonderful posts that I have missed! Those gratin dishes look pretty in my vintage cupboard and I am quite happy that I brought them home. Aren´t these finds just the best?!
      Thanks so much for your support of The Cottage Cooking Club - I really appreciate it!
      Andrea

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  8. Schoene Fotos von außergewöhnlichen Zutaten wieder ins rechte Licht gerueckt. Das macht Appetit! Nudeln mit Gemüse im Glas finde ich super, werde ich definitiv demnächst in den Picknickkorb packen... Ganz liebe Grüße!

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    1. Wally, die "DIY" noodle pots werden dir/euch gefallen - sind sehr praktisch und so vielseitig - alles was man noch braucht (außer den wohl gefüllten Gläsern) ist heißes Wasser und Besteck/Chopsticks.
      Danke für deinen lieben Kommentar und herzliche Grüße,
      Andrea

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  9. Hi Andrea, wow! you went to town, your pictures are all so lovely, by looks alone everything is beautiful and tasty. The polenta and bean salad were my favorites this time. Although had I made more I probably would of loved them as much. Take care and thank you for all you do.

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    1. Cheri, glad you enjoy my pictures and the lovely dishes that you chose to make for yourself and your hubby!
      Thank you for your continued participation in The Cottage Cooking Club.
      Andrea

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  10. You've been busy once again Andrea. Everything looks delicious. If I had to choose it would be between the polenta and the white bean salad. YUM!

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    1. Scott, these two dishes were quite delicious - we really enjoyed them - but there is always so much to choose from that it is sometimes hard to decide which one was the best.
      From the look of all your pictures on fb, you had an amazing time in France and the UK - how nice that you got to spend time with your adorable grand-children.
      Thank you for your kind comment,
      Andrea

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  11. I love those vintage gratin dishes. Just lovely! You've made me wish I had tried the deconstructed potatoes. I'll need to get to that one soon. What lucky kids to have such a great lunch to bring to school.

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    1. Jora, the deconstructed potatoes now rank among my favorite go-to recipes - love the ease and the taste and evertyhing about this dish.
      Thank you for your wonderful comment!
      Big fat hugs for Charlotte & baby Miriam!
      "See" you soon,
      Andrea

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  12. Hello Dear Andrea, yet another sensational month for you and beautiful photographs as well. I love your DIY jars with the pre-cooked soba noodles. I've been observing the results as I go down the CCC list and it seems you may have a good solution for the best variation, and for ramen noodle lovers as in my house the home made variety is certainly an improvement in both quality and chemical additive reduction. The potatoes looks delicious and do the sweet potatoes which I look forward to preparing the the month ahead. I loved the apple toastie though I substituted cheddar which as I'm sure you know is a good combination in any event. Hope all is well and see you soon! Big Hugs over the water to you!

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    1. Peggy, these DIY noodle pots seem to be a genius idea - so versatile, so colorful and so very delicious. The girls went crazy over them and we will be trying out a few different variations in the future. We will see where that takes us!
      Thank you for your very kind comment with respect to the dishes and my beloved photographs!
      "See" you very soon,
      Andrea

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  13. Each one of these recipes looks truly wonderful. I am most attracted to the apply and blue vinny toasties - not sure why, but I could really enjoy one of them right now. Thought of you yesterday when my friend, Patrician, posted a photo of herself in front of the cathedral in Köln. Reminded me of our special time together that beautiful day last summer. Liebe Grüße aus Tucson. David

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    1. Dear David, the reason why you might be craving the above Apple and blue vinny toastie might be because it it is a nice and different combination of flavors that works surprisingly well - just not for the young taste testers.
      Thanks for the nice comment - I am convinced that we will meet again in Cologne some day!
      Liebe Grüße,
      Andrea

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  14. The lovely presentation of Hugh's recipes in real life! And I love all the props, cutlery and serving vessels you showcased. You are simply amazing!

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    1. Emily, thank you for your wonderful comment! Glad you enjoy all my props and things!
      Andrea

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  15. Andrea - I love the noodle pots. My family would love them. Thanks for posting:)

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    1. Geraldine, thank you very much! The noodle pots are a genius idea actually.

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  16. Andrea, these recipes are terrific! I can't wait to try that divine-looking fingerling potato salad and I know my kids will love the "pot noodles"! Really great idea! Thanks for sharing these beautiful dishes :)

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    1. Marcelle, glad that enjoy Hugh´s recipe s- I do not know whether you have the book - if not, please let me know if you need a recipe, I will gladly send it to you!
      Andrea

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  17. Lovely, lovely, lovely…only you can make vegetables look so beautiful when cooked. Oh how I love the sweet vintage gratin dishes, they are a real treasure. I'm glad they sound a welcoming new home where they will be appreciated.

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    1. Karen, I believe there is this saying about "one man´s trash is another man´s treasure"...isn´t it amazing how things work out sometimes.
      Thank you for your kind comment,
      Andrea

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  18. The lentils with beetroot and feta is the one for me!

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  19. Andrea - your food always looks delicious, but I am particularly struck by the polenta dish. That is a work of art!

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    1. Cher, so very kind of you! Thank you very much - loved that dish but then it is hard to go wrong with polenta and a mushroom ragoût in my book....

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