Wednesday, March 1, 2017

The Cottage Cooking Club - February 2017 Recipes


With some delay we are breathing new life into The Cottage Cooking Club. Over a period of six months, once a month 8on the 28th), members and guest bloggers will post their pics and comments of and on the food that they cooked from River Cottage Every Day – "RCED“ (for all) and/or River Cottage Love Your Leftovers - "RCLYL" (optional). Both cookbook are by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.




The recipes will not be chosen by me, participants will choose as many OR as little as they want each month, make one soup or ten dinners or three desserts, whatever they prefer. Then they put together one post at the end of the month and let the rest of the group know what they think of the dishes that they prepared. Are they worth trying? Do the recipes work as written? Any suggestions on changes?

Together, as a group, we will cook as many of the recipes from the book(s) as we will manage during a six-month period - so no matter whether we have cooked all recipes from the book(s) or just a fraction, we will conclude our activities - as far as these two book are concerned - at the end of July 2017.




For my February post, I started with one of my favorite light lunches – a quiche/savory tart. There is one on page 328 called „Gill´s poached Leek and Blue Cheese Tart“, and Hugh names this tart to be a „River Cottage classic“.

Other than switch to goat cheese, I did not tinker with the recipe. Make this one, it is a winner, we loved it. The leeks are available year round but are particularly nice during the colder months and they become really tender and sweet when cooked with butter and water prior to being added to the pastry shell. Other than the cooked leeks, there is cheese and eggs and cream – what is not to like about that?! Oh, I did add some of my beloved herbs, chives and Italian parsley to the filling.




The second recipe had to be a treat, of course, for some reason February was the month of treats. On page 384 there is Hugh´s recipe for „Easy Rich Chocolate Cake“. And what an indulgence that is. I love what Hugh says about this cake „Everyone should have a little black cake in their culinary wardrobe, and this is mine“. Now this is mine too.




With 8 ounces (225 grams) of deep dark good-quality chocolate (70%), same amount of butter, eggs, sugar, ground almonds and very little flour (I always use spelt flour), this is a wonderful recipe. I have made it three times since I first laid my eyes on it and every single person that tried it, loved it.




The third recipe is nothing spectecular but I like the fact that it was included in this book. On page 339 there is a rather simple recipe for „Apple Compote“ or apple sauce that we should all have in our recipe repertoires. With just two ingedients, this is ceratainly a great way to use those apples that have been lingering in your fruit bowl or in the fridge or wherever you keep them for a while now – personally, I like to add a healthy dose of Ceylon cinnamom to mine and if the apples are not too juicy to begin with, I also add a generous splash of natural apple juice. Other than that – this is a nice recipe to know.




The fourth recipe has become a staple in our house ever since I have made this (identical recipe) for the first time from River Cottage Every Day Veg. The recipe for „Beet and Walnut Hummus“ on page 127 is perfect this time of year with beets being widely available.

With toasted fresh walnuts, dry-fried and ground cumin seeds, bread crumbs, garlic, lemon juice, a mild olive oil, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and tahini (that versatile sesame seed paste) - to lend an extra layer of flavor – this is certainly a different kind of hummus. So vibrant, so delicious and one of my favorites. I like to serve the beet and walnut hummus as a starter, dip-style, with warmed tortilla triangles. If you are a beetroot lover and if you are looking for a different and eye-catching recipe to try, then this hummus is for you.




The fifth recipe for this month were the „Green Beans and Tomatoes“ – another recipe that is identical to the one found in River Cottage Every Day Veg. My kids adore this dish – in winter I always use good-quality canned tomatoes, in summer fresh garden tomatoes that I will peel beforehand. And I like to always add a good pinch of Italian peperoncini to the olive oil – to give this dish that extra kick. A bit of spice never hurt green beans and tomatoes.




Recipe number six is another treat and THE reason why one should not hesitate to buy this book. I know there is a ton of red beet chocolate treat recipes out there but this one is simple and utterly delicious, our kids love these „Chocolate and Beet Brownies“ on page 397.




Moist and with a slight tinge of burgundy, not too sweet and a never-fail-recipe that is wonderful as is but made even better (if I may say so myself) with the addition of a thin layer of unsweetened crème fraîche and poppy seeds.




Go ahead, make it, you know you want to.




My seventh recipe for this post was the "Beet and Cumin Soup with Spiced Yogurt" (page 274). This comfort-style soup definitely tastes like a true River Cottage recipe - the flavors are familiar and comforting and we enjoyed this burgundy, earthy winter soup.




Again, if, like us, you enjoy beets in every imaginable way, you should try the soup while beets are widely available and reasonably prized in winter (at least around here). The Spiced Yogurt is a wonderful element of the soup but you should not limit its uses to this soup, drizzle it on rôtisserie chicken or serve with pita bread and veggies.




Last but not least, the "Honey Whole-Wheat Cake" (page 386) is a must if you are looking for a comfort-style cake with the definite taste of honey. Make sure to use a mild variety of local runny honey (if possible) that you enjoy, or it will overpower the cake.




It is worth noticing that the recipe calls for whole-wheat flour and ground almonds (I left the skins on) and according to my experience if you want a more pronounced taste of almonds, you could toast them before you process them to make your own almond meal. You can also make this recipe with spelt flour and 2 teaspoons of baking powder as well - I tried it and it works.

What I really liked was serving this cake warm, with some Greek yogurt and fruit (whatever is in season) alongside. You can re-heat a slice and enjoy it as breakfast cake (very fashionable these days) as well. The ground almonds keep this teatime treat moist for a day or two (well, if it lasts that long).




In conclusion, I hope that my post will convince you to join us for a month or two or even the remainder of the six-months, who knows, there is still time...For more info, pls go to The Cottage Cooking Club site here.

So far, I (family also) have enjoyed cooking from RCED - the tastes feel comforting as many of the flavor compositions are similar and identical to the RCEDV that we cooked from what now seems like a lifetime ago.

To me, springtime always feels like the right time for new hope and fresh projects!


19 comments:

  1. Lovely lovely dishes you made! Some of which I am hoping to make too! My February dishes by Hugh were thoroughly enjoyed by me and hubby!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Emily, thank you very much! Springtime is always so inspiring and there is some sunshine, even in the afternoons. I needed a bit of a fresh outlook on things and I am glad that we are back on track with The Cottage Cooking Club!
      So glad to read that you and hubby enjoyed the recipes that you prepared this month!
      Thank you for your kind words,
      Andrea

      Delete
  2. I love all your selections for this month!I'm especially curious about the beet brownies - they look so luscious and rich, especially with crème fraîche. I think it's been far too long since I made a savoury tart. Yours is a fabulous inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Teresa, so good to hear from you - I am glad that I got my act together and cooked and posted this month because we really do enjoy the flavors and dishes that River Cottage recipes exude.

      The Brownies are a total MUST try - sooo good and healthish to boot. And, yes, the savory tart is very, very good and so simple and the recipe does leave some room for personal interpreations such as a different kind of cheese and lots of fresh herbs.
      Thank you for your comment, my friend!
      Andrea

      Delete
  3. I just love all the dishes you made. I especially liked the leek tart and the chocolate cake. Hab ein schönes Wochenende!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liebe Gerlinde, the tart is certainly worth making - it is a bit sweet from the leeks, a bit salty from the cheese and overall light and just wonderful for lunch.
      Ganz liebe Grüße nach Santa Cruz,
      Andrea

      Delete
  4. Oh, boy, there was a lot of delicious food on your menu last month! I don't know if I can pick a favorite!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much, Liz, actually, I am glad I managed to make more than one dish from the book. And I am looking forward to making more this month.
      Thank you for stopping by, my friend!
      Andrea

      Delete
  5. Gorgeous
    Delectable
    Dishes.
    I love that egg tart!
    Wish I could have some w/ a BIG glass of cold milk.
    xxx from MN.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Kim, thank you for all your kindness, my friend!LOving your considerate comments and your thoughtfulness!
      Sending hugs your way!
      Andrea

      Delete
  6. As always your dishes look amazing Andrea. The leek tart really appeals to me, as the leeks are so delicious and fresh this time of year. It's nice to cook together as a group again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheri, so very grateful to have you onboard The Cottage Cooking Club! Thank you for being part of our online cookbook again! I`ll be over for comments on the weekend!
      Until then,
      Andrea

      Delete
  7. what yummy and lovely recipes dear Andrea!!
    xoxox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is very sweet of you, my friend, thank you very much!

      Delete
  8. Oh my, ich koennte alles auf einmal essen, es sieht soooo lecker aus. Eigentlich hatte ich mir geschworen, kein weiteres Kochbuch zu kaufen... aber diese Gerichte machen mich total an :-))))) Sei lieb gegrüßt aus dem ploetzlich winterlichen Frederick!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liebe Wally, das ist unglaublich lieb von dir! Ganz herzlichen Dank! Ich habe mir eine Auszeit genommen, mal etwas weniger gepostet aber umso mehr gekocht und gebacken und mich dabei auf Instagram konzentriert weil das immer so nebenbei geht, ein Bild posten, liken, noch mehr liken und fertig. Aber mit dem Kochclub geht´s wieder los, mit neuen Ideen und Inspirationen und ich freue mich darüber!
      So, es ist jetzt gegen 9:00 Uhr morgens in Bonn und es schaut nach Frühling aus!
      Sei ganz lieb gegrüßt!
      Andrea

      Delete
  9. Wow - some beautiful recipes, Andrea! I am really attracted to all the beet recipes - especially the beet-walnut hummus. SO glad to be seeing all Hugh's wonderful recipes again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear David, as you know we come from a very beet-loving nation - but even I did not believe that my kids would go for beet soup, beet brownies and beet hummus - it seems that life can teach an old dog new tricks after all.
      Liebe Grüße nach Arizona!
      Andrea & Co.

      Delete
  10. Nice recipes...everything looks so good...I want to try the chocolate beet brownies...and the beet soup...

    ReplyDelete