Recipe: Swede Rostis with Wild Garlic, Kale & Mint Tzatziki

I love this dish - the ingredients are somewhat surprising for breakfast (swede and kale, anyone?!) although granted it’s also a perfect brunch, lunch or supper recipe. Based on springtime seasonal ingredients, the deeper flavours of the swede set off beautifully against the mixed spice; and the tangy wild garlic, roasted kale and mint are a light and zingy accompaniment - as is the sorrel on top which can be substituted for any other leaf or herb you have available.

Recipe: Swede Rostis with Wild Garlic, Kale & Mint Tzatziki

Serves 4 as a breakfast / brunch (makes approx 12 small rostis / 3 rostis per person) or serves 2 as a main

Ingredients:

For the rostis

• 300g swede, washed & grated

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard

• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for frying

• 1 tbsp tamari (or soy) sauce

• 1 tbsp flour (can use gluten free if required)

• Cornish Sea Salt & cracked pepper

For the tzatziki

• 200g yogurt (or dairy free alternative)

• 50g kale, chopped into small pieces

• Handful wild garlic

• 2 sprigs mint

• Splash of olive oil

• Cornish sea salt

Optional, to garnish

• Small handful sorrel leaves

• Finely chopped fresh chilli

Method:

1. Heat oven to 180C.

2. Prepare the rostis: grate the swede and place in a mixing bowl along with the finely chopped onion. Add the rest of the rosti ingredients and stir so well combined then set aside.

3. Spread out the finely chopped kale on a baking tray, drizzle over olive oil, sprinkle with salt, give the tray a shake then place in the oven for approx 5 minutes so kale turns a vibrant green then just starts to brown. Remove tray from oven and kale set aside to cool. Turn the oven right down so set at warming temperature and place the baking tray back inside.

4. Finely chop the wild garlic and mint, and add to a bowl along with the yogurt and cooled kale. Add a glug of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, mix well.

5. Place a large glug of oil in a frying pan and warm at a medium heat.

6. While oil is warming, bring the bowl with the rosti mixture beside the frying pan and use a desert spoon to take a spoonful in the palm of your hands, squeeze it together to create a ball then flatten between your palms. Place in frying pan then repeat, leaving space to flip each rosti with a spatula. Depending upon the size of your saucepan you will likely cook the rostis in 2 to 3 batches.

7. Cook each rosti for approx 3 - 5 minutes each side, until turning dark golden in colour. Flip with a spatula when one side is cooked and repeat other side. When the first batch are cooked, place them on the baking tray and put them back in the oven to stay warm until all are ready.

8. When final batch are cooked, serve rostis on plates with a dollop of tzatziki and garnish with fresh sorrel leaves

Autumn Recipe: Blackberry Sorbet

This recipe was shared in Drift Magazine Volume 6

I love the simplicity of this seasonal recipe, encouraging us out to forage for blackberries then with just a few ingredients and a few minutes on the cooker, it takes very little prep time. As it needs a few hours in the freezer it’s also a great one to prepare in advance for pudding the next day, just remove from the freezer approx half an hour before eating.

Image by John Hersey

Recipe: Blackberry sorbet

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 400g blackberries

• 150ml water

• 3 tbsp local honey

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1 vanilla pod, haven both ways

• 6 mint leaves to decorate

Method:

• Place all ingredients except mint in a saucepan and gently heat, simmer for a couple of minutes then remove from heat.

• Allow to cool in the saucepan, then remove the vanilla pod.

• Place the mixture in a food processor and blend for a couple of minutes.

• Pour from food processor through a sieve to remove the pips, into a jug.

• Pour into a container and place in freezer overnight.

• Remove from freezer to soften half an hour before eating.

• Serve with a sprig of mint.

Autumn Recipe: Blackberry Jam, Sugar Free

Blackberry season is well and truly here - the time of year when there’s a role reversal and the kids are pressuring me to head out for a walk for some hedgerow snacks!

Blackberry jam is a seasonal staple in our household, but this year I wanted to try a sugar free version. I normally try to cook processed sugar free, and jam is one of the exceptions I make, mainly for the preservative qualities. But with the kids (and me) not having consumed much processed sugar during lockdown - eating almost exclusively from home - I was reluctant to start feeding them 50/50 fruit/sugar jam - not least because the rest of the sugar free cooking we do will suddenly seem less tasty!

This simple recipe is a variation of my blackberry compote, just simmered a little longer and with more chia seeds added at the end to absorb the liquid and create the ‘jam’ texture. The same recipe makes a beautiful compote with a little less cooking and half the amount of chia seeds. So far we’re our family are loving it spread thick on toast, or paired with yogurt as a pudding.

I may well still make some jam with sugar to see us through the winter, but for now this recipe is proving popular for breakfast ad beyond. I’d love to know your thoughts - I hope you enjoy!

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Recipe: Blackberry Jam, Sugar Free

Makes 2 small/medium size jars of jam

Ingredients:

• 600g blackberries, washed

• 4 tbsp honey (local if possible)

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• Few gratings fresh ginger (or 1tsp dried ginger)

• 3 tsp chia seeds

• 1tsp vanilla extract

Method:

• Begin by preparing your glass jars, washing and sterilising.

• Place blackberries, honey, cinnamon and ginger in a pan and add a splash of water.

• Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, checking and stirring regularly, until there is just a small amount of liquid left around in the pan.

• Remove from heat, add chia seeds and vanilla extract. Stir well and leave to cool.

• When cool place in glass jars.

Keeps for approximately one week in the fridge.

Recipe: Spring Smoothie Bowl

My all-time favourite breakfast is a bowl full of smoothie - cramming in all the goodies such as seasonal veg or leaves from the garden, fruits - whether picked fresh, delivered or frozen - with plenty of nuts and seeds to boost the density and depth of flavour. Topped with muesli and perhaps some fresh fruits if I have to hand, it is my go-to.

Our smoothie bowl is different every day according to what’s in the larder, fridge, freezer and garden - and the joy of smoothies is that they are so utterly versatile - so mix things up and in so doing use up any leftovers or what you have to hand.

The forget-me-not flowers that add a pop of colour to the bowl grow easily in many of our gardens at this time of year felt like a poignant reminder - let’s not forget this time we’re in right now during lockdown, let’s commit to learn from it and try to hold onto any positive changes it has invoked in our lives.

Spring Smoothie Bowl

Makes approx 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup (approx 130g) frozen berries

• 1 stalk rhubarb, chopped into small pieces

• 2 chard leaves, roughly torn or chopped

• Handful spinach or other greens

• Handful flaked coconut

• 2 tbsp yogurt

• Small handful raisins

• Handful nuts - any you have available

• 1 tbsp seeds - any you have available eg linseed, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, chia

• Few shavings fresh ginger

• Few leaves fresh mint

• 200ml boiled water (boiled water helps to soften the frozen berries)

• 100ml almond milk (or other milk of your choice eg cows, coconut)

• Optional: muesli to sprinkle on top

• Optional: fresh fruits for on top

• Optional: edible flowers such as forget-me-nots to decorate your smoothie bowl

Method:

• Place all ingredients in a blender and whizz up until smooth

• Serve with optional toppings such as muesli, fresh fruits and edible flowers