Butter bean tomatoes

Large tomatoes the size of a baked potato are what I use, but a few smaller ones can be used instead. In that case I would swap the butter beans for a smaller pulse, such as haricot beans. If you have some mixture left over then put it around the base of the tomatoes in the dish, then scoop it up and serve it alongside the tomatoes. Serves 4 as a main dish.

olive oil
onion 1 medium-sized
garlic 3 cloves
bay leaf 1
beefsteak tomatoes 4
chopped tomatoes 400g can
butter beans 400g can
red-wine vinegar 1 tbsp
basil leaves 8 large

Warm a couple of glugs of olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Peel and finely chop the onion and let it cook in the olive oil for 10 minutes or so, until soft and pale. Peel and finely slice the garlic, then add to the onion with the bay leaf and continue cooking for 5 minutes, until all is fragrant.

Slice the tops off the beef tomatoes and reserve. Loosen the inside of each tomato with a small knife, then, using a teaspoon, scoop the seeds and flesh out without tearing the skins. Put the empty tomato shells on a baking sheet. Chop the insides of 4 of the tomatoes and add to the onion mixture together with the canned tomatoes. (You can use the insides of all the tomatoes, but you may find yourself with too much stuffing.) Season generously with salt and pepper then leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4.

Stir the butter beans, drained of their liquid, into the mixture. Add the vinegar and basil leaves, torn or shredded. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes. Spoon the mixture into the tomatoes. Top with their lids. You will have too much mixture, so spoon it around the tomatoes. Bake for 40 minutes, until they are on the verge of collapse.

Recipe by Nigel Slater in the Guardian.

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1½ tbsp paprika
• 1½ tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 x shoulder of lamb, trimmed and cut into 5cm/2in chunks (about 1.1kg/2½lb meat in total)
• 2 large onions, grated
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp argan oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 570ml/1 pint tomato juice
• 2 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 115g/4oz dried apricots, cut in half
• 55g/2oz dates, cut in half
• 55g/2oz sultanas or raisins
• 85g/3oz flaked almonds
• 1 tsp saffron stamens, soaked in cold water
• 600ml/1 pint lamb stock
• 1 tbsp clear honey
• 2 tbsp coriander, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  
  
  1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2.
  
  
  2. Place the cayenne, black pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon into a small bowl and mix to combine. Place the lamb in a large bowl and toss together with half of the spice mix. Cover and leave overnight in the fridge.
  
  
  3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of argan oil in a large casserole dish. Add the grated onion and the remaining spice mix and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes so that the onions are soft but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic for the final 3 minutes
  
  
  4. In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining oil and brown the cubes of lamb on all sides then add the browned meat to the casserole dish. De-glaze the frying pan with ¼ pint of tomato juice and add these juices to the pan.
  
  
  5. Add the remaining tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, apricots, dates, raisins or sultanas, flaked almonds, saffron, lamb stock and honey to the casserole dish. Bring to the boil, cover with a fitted lid, place in the oven and cook for 2-2½ hours or until the meat is meltingly tender
  
  
  6. Place the lamb in a tagine or large serving dish and sprinkle over the chopped herbs. Serve.

Very tasty tagine. Tomatoey but very good.

Recipe by Anthony Worrall Thompson from BBC.

Courgette and leek frittata

Ingredients:

• 3 medium courgettes
• 1 leek
• An onion
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup of cheddar
• 3 rashers of bacon
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Fry up the potatoes in butter. In a separate pan fry up the leeks, bacon, courgettes and onion in a separate pan. When the potatoes are cooked, arrange them over the base of the pan and remove the rest. Layer the veg and bacon mix with the remaining potatoes and the cheddar. Whip the eggs with seasoning and pour over the top. Put a lid on the pan and cook over a medium heat until the egg is set and cheese melted.

Chevre and thyme roasted gem squash

Tomme de Chevre and thyme-roasted gem squash is a simple recipe for squash stuffed with creamy potatoes, topped with goat's cheese and baked in the oven. This is really warming comfort food - if you like stuffed marrow you will love this vegetarian stuffed squash.

Serves 4 as a starter
Ready in 1¼ hours

Ingredients

• 150ml double cream
• 100ml milk
• 1 garlic clove, bruised
• 4 fresh bay leaves
• 300g King Edward potatoes, cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 fennel, halved and sliced
• 4 gem squash
• 175g Tomme de Chevre cheese (from Waitrose or Tesco), roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

Method: How to make thyme-roasted gem squash

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan°160C/gas 4. Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan, add the garlic and 2 bay leaves and season well. Add the potatoes and fennel, slowly bring to the boil, and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender. Remove from the heat and lift out and set aside the bay leaves.

2. Slice the tops off the squash and remove and discard the seeds inside. Season well. Stir 100g of the goat's cheese into the cream mixture along with the thyme. Divide the filling among the squash cavities, then top each with the remaining goat's cheese and a bay leaf.

3. Wrap each squash in baking paper, then wrap tightly in a double layer of foil. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil, open out the baking paper and return to the oven for 10 minutes, until bubbling. Set aside to cool slightly before serving.

A Channel 4 recipe

Buttery Leeks or Cabbage

From the Abel and Cole website:

Sometimes we forget how good the simple things can be. If you're working with fresh organic veggies, you don't need to get all elaborate. A dab of butter and a pinch of salt is sometimes all you need, like here. This works gorgeously with leeks and cabbage. Or both. Prep time: 5 mins Cooking time: 10 mins Serves: many or few

• A head of cabbage or a couple of leeks
• A few pats of butter
• A little splash of olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Shred the cabbage into 1-2cm thick ribbons, or cut your leeks into 1-2cm thick rounds. Place a frying pan over medium heat. Add a splash of olive oil and a dab of butter. Add your veggies just when the butter starts to froth. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper over. Gently cook, adding a bit more butter and/or oil, until the veg is nicely softened and has a glossy, vibrant shine. Taste and season further, if needed. Serve alongside meat, fish or pile into a jacket potato and top with cheese.

Pink Pancakes

From the Abel and Cole recipe site, recommended by Rebecca Catterall.

Beetroot for breakfast may feel like sunbathing in the rain but on a really warm day! Makes about 6 medium-sized pancakes (a perfect breakfast for 2)

• 1 egg
• 1 mug of plain white or wholewheat flour
• 2 heaped tsp of baking powder
• ¾ mug of apple juice
• ½ mug of finely grated raw (or cooked) beetroot
• ½ tsp of mix spice
• Olive oil
• Butter and honey, to serve

Whisk the egg until frothy. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Pour in the apple juice. Give it all a good whisk. Fold in the beetroot and spice. Warm a frying pan over high heat. Brush on a bit of olive oil. Drop in dessert spoonfuls of the pancake batter into the centre of the pan. Grab a spatula. As soon as the pancake starts to bubble up in the centre, flip it over and cook for 2 minutes or so, until cooked through. Don't be tempted to press the pancake down in the pan as it cooks as this will press out all the lovely air bubbles that make it nice and fluffy. When all your pancakes are cooked, add a dot of butter on the top of each, and then serve with a drizzle of honey and a nice cuppa.