Sunday Kitchen: Wild Garlic Pesto with Homemade Gnocchi

SUNDAY KITCHEN

'Sunday Kitchen' a new weekly blog which, as you guessed it, will be posted every Sunday!  It will feature all things related to food, cooking, kitchen and growing your own - Ideal for all ‘kitchen geeks’! 

This week I will be introducing a Cook Book that should take pride in all cooking enthusiast kitchen.

‘Forgotten Skills of Cooking’ by Darina Allen is one of our favourites, and most used cookery book in our kitchen.  It has over 700 recipes; and covers everything from soups, salads, smoking/curing fish and meat, preserving home grown veg/fruit, and recipes for delicious sweets and cakes. It also features a section on foraging and recipes to accompany foraged goods.

This week we will be focusing on recipe taken from this book, and using the foraged ingredient- Wild Garlic. It's currently  in season and is one of mine, and my friend’s favourite recipes :)

Wild Garlic Pesto

Wild garlic pesto is great on bruschetta, pasta, or mixed through boiled potatoes as a salad. I really enjoy it with homemade gnocchi so I have also included the recipe for homemade potato and ricotta gnocchi.  (Great meal for vegetarians)Enjoy!

To Make 2x 225grams jars.

Ingredients:

50 grams wild garlic leaves

25 grams pine nuts

1 clove of garlic

170mls- 225mls of olive oil

40 grams parmesan cheese

Salt and sugar to taste.

*I also like to add a handful of basil leaves.

*For a variation, other than pine nuts, try alternatives. I have previously used almonds and walnuts- both add a unique and delicious twist to this already yummy pesto.

Method

      

     wash & dry wild garlic leaves

      1.        Whizz the wild garlic leaves, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil in food processor or mortar and pestle.

      2.        Remove to a bowl and grate parmesan cheese.

      3.       Taste and season.

      4.       Store in sterilised jars (how to sterlize jars). 

*Each time you use pesto clean the top and sides of the jar and top up with more olive oil. Pesto also freezes well, but avoid adding parmesan cheese until it has been defrosted.

Potato and Ricotta Gnocchi

Serves 4-6 as a main course or 8 as a starter

Ingredients:

1 large baking potato (approx 300-450grams) 2 eggs 125 grams ricotta cheese 25 grams Grana Pandano cheese or Parmesan 375 grams of plain flour Salt and pepper to season
Method       1.      Boil and mash potato- leave to cool slightly       2.      Add eggs, salt and pepper mix till light a fluffy       3.      Combine ricotta, cheese and flour. Then knead on a lightly floured surface until it’s a smooth ball of dough      4.      Roll dough into sausage like shape approximately ½ inch thickness and then cut into 1 inch segments.  Press thumb into each segments and lightly dust with flour. (At this point if you wish to freeze them place them on a tray lined with baking paper and place into freezer, once semi frozen you can place them into freezer bags.)        5.      Boil salted water and drop gnocchi into the boiled water (I do it in batches as not to over crowd). When they rise to the surface gnocchi is ready.   6.      Drain and stir through wild garlic pesto, add a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts, grated parmesan cheese and garnish with wild garlic flower (also edible!!) served with a side of tomato, herb and pumpkin seed salad

*Variation- add grilled/baked/roasted chicken pieces!

*If you have a recipe you would love to share on our blog please email us on forageuk@gmail.com tell us a little about yourself & the recipe and please add some photos. You will be notified by email when your recipe will be posted. TY :)

Home again..

Back from a wedding at the weekend, the dogs found the best spot in the house :) We're all down with a nasty bug this week, so will be having a bit of downtime.

Shabby Shed

We've had a busy few weeks over Easter and spent quite a lot of time  working in the garden and starting a few internal renovations. The poor potting shed and surrounding flower bed has been a bit neglected over the last couple of years - leaking roof, and generally looking a bit depressed:

And now, just as if Gok Wan himself had given the old scrubber a high five and a 'You Go Girl!!!' 30 Min make over, she's brighter, bubblier and ready to date :)

Go on, give us a Twirl..

The ladder was lying around unused in another part of the garden - and given a splash of paint, adds a nice feature and ideal spot for growing plants and strawberries later in the season.

Visit to Costwolds- Hidcote Boyce

What we did on the weekend!
The quiant cottage we stayed in- just mind your head!!
Letter Box cottage

 

The local views of Hicote Boyce.

Our day out to the main attraction of Hidcote - Hidcote Manor Gardens

And finally my favorite!
It's spring......

Figolli -Maltese Easter cake/biscuit

Figolli  -Maltese Easter cake/biscuit

When my brother and I were young , Easter was not about getting excited receiving copious amounts of chocolate Easter eggs, instead it was eating ‘Figolli’ a Maltese Easter cake.

Since having a child of my own and living away from my Australian/Maltese family – it’s become more important for me to carry on the Figolli tradition for my own family (..but mostly, because it’s delicious!).

Ingredients;

300gram self-raising flour

200grams caster sugar

200grams butter

2 Eggs

Zest of 1 lemon and juice

Icing sugar for dusting

Milk (if dough is too dry)

FILLING;

Strawberry jam (or whatever flavour you prefer)

250 grams ground almonds

½ teaspoon almond essence

100grams sugar

100mls of water

Method

Rub butter into the flour. Beat eggs lightly and mix with sugar, lemon juice and zest.

Combine egg mixture with flour and butter. Form into a dough and if to dry add a little milk. Place into the fridge until ready to use.

For the filling; mix sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to boil. Add essence and simmer for a few minutes.  Then add ground almonds and stir well. Once fully combined remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Pre-heat oven at gas mark 4/ 180 C/ 350 F.

Roll out pastry and cut to 2 identical shapes (I used the bottom of a cake tin- also you could make small individual cakes by using cookie cutters).

Spread a thin layer of jam and on top of that the almond filling. (I press the filling flat using finger tips.)

Place the second layer of pastry on top and seal the edges together, also rub the edges with water to create a complete seal.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Leave to cool and then decorate with a sprinkle of icing sugar.

 

If you are feeling really adventurous decorate with royal icing and Easter eggs!

River treasures

With the warm weather, we've spent a couple of afternoons in the river and started to come across small fragments of pottery, some with beautiful detailed prints. There must have been a Victorian tip up-river, and these have been washed down over time.

With a bit off buffing up, they could make unique pieces of jewellery :)Which will be added to our Forage Etsy store soon!

Dress complete!!! (Final entry)

I have completed my dress- with little/minor mistakes on the way (all part of the learning experience).

From the previous post all that left to do was the zip and hem.

I attached and secured the zip in place, without too many difficulties!

Finally I measured and secured the hem with a slip stitch.

The dress is complete and it actually looks like a dress!!!

The pattern does ask for a belt and I did cut out fabric for belt but thinking about it, I doubt I would actually wear a matching fabric belt. 

So below is the dress with a belt I would wear and possible shrug.

I haven’t actually tried the dress on, though it’s my next thing to do and to make any final alterations before my friend’s wedding.

So what do you think?

Thanks for all your support and comments.