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Asparagus and Chervil Soup

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

2 leeks
3 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 litres good chicken stock
2 baking potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
1kg asparagus, washed
A handful of chervil
425ml double cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions
Remove the outer leaves of the leeks and finely slice. Wash thoroughly and leave to drain. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the leeks until very soft. Add the stock and potatoes, increase the heat slightly, return to the boil and cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, trim the asparagus stems, discarding any tough ends. Slice off the tips from 20 pieces of asparagus and set aside for another dish. Slice the asparagus stems and remaining tips into 2cm pieces and add to the potatoes. Boil for a further 7 minutes or until tender.

Strip the chervil leaves from their stems. Add the stems to the soup. Liquidise and strain. Finely chop the chervil leaves and stir into the soup with the cream. Season to taste and thin with water if wished. Garnish with chervil leaves. Serve hot or cold.

If serving cold, you can garnish the soup with ice. Line a shallow baking dish with cling film, and cover with a very thin layer of water. Freeze. Lift off the film, break into large pieces and scatter in the cold soup.

Parsnip & Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Onion Compote

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

For the onion compote
splash of olive oil
25g/1oz butter
1 tsp brown sugar
4-5 onions, thinly sliced
splash of balsamic vinegar
For the soup
1 tbsp olive oil
15g/½oz butter
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 tsp thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
675g/1lb 8oz Jerusalem artichoke, peeled, sliced and kept in acidulated water
675g/1lb 8oz parsnip, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp runny honey
850ml/1½ pints chicken stock (vegetarians can substitute vegetable stock)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
220ml/8fl oz double cream
To garnish
50g/2oz crème fraîche
sprigs of fresh chervil

Cooking Instructions

  1. First make the the onion compote. Gently heat the oil, butter and sugar in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook with the balsamic until reduced and golden.
  2. For the soup, heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan or stockpot until melted.
  3. Add the onion, thyme, garlic, artichoke, parsnip and honey and cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
  4. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are just cooked through.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir in the cream.
  6. Once cooled slightly, carefully ladle the soup into a liquidiser (you may need to do this in two batches) and blend until smooth.
  7. Place a spoonful of the onion compote into the centre of each soup plate. Pour the soup around the onion, then garnish with a teaspoon of crème fraîche and a sprig of chervil.

Creamy Broad Beans

Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 10:11AM
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Ingredients

500g/1lb 2oz broad beans, podded
herbs, chopped eg chives, chervil and summer savory
150ml/5fl oz double cream
1 egg, yolk only
5 tbsp stock
caster sugar, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Boil the broad beans for 2 minutes, drain and pop them out of their skins.

  2. Put into a saucepan with some chopped chives, chervil and summer savory, moisten with stock and add a touch of caster sugar, salt and black pepper. Boil until the liquor has almost disappeared.

  3. Beat an egg yolk with double cream, add to the beans and warm through until the cream has slightly thickened. Do not re-boil.

Celeriac Soup

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

¼ celeriac, peeled and sliced
small handful of fresh herbs, including parsley, chervil and chives
120ml/4fl oz double cream
120ml/4fl oz hot vegetable stock
For the yoghurt
55g/2oz Greek yoghurt
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Cooking Instructions

  1. Bring a medium pan of water to the boil and cook the celeriac for 8-10 minutes, or until tender.
  2. Drain the celeriac and transfer to a food processor. Pulse the celeriac with the fresh herbs and cream to form a smooth liquid/purée.
  3. Pour in the hot vegetable stock to the blender and blend again until smooth and creamy.
  4. Return the soup to the pan and re-heat for a few minutes.
  5. Ladle the soup into a bowl to serve.
  6. Place the yoghurt, garlic and mint into a small bowl and mix together until combined.
  7. Serve a spoonful of the yoghurt on top of the soup.

Cream Cheese and Beetroot Stack with Beetroot Salsa

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

For the cream cheese and beetroot stack
250g/9oz cream cheese
½ lemon, juice only
1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
25g/1oz dill, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cooked beetroots sliced into five ½cm-thick rounds

For the beetroot salsa

½ lemon, juice only
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cooked beetroot, finely chopped
1 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chervil
1 tbsp finely chopped dill
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions

  1. To make the cream cheese and beetroot stack, place the cream cheese, lemon juice, red onion, dill and salt and freshly ground black pepper into a large bowl and mix together well.
  2. Place 1 beetroot round in the centre of a plate, place 2 tbsp of the cream cheese mixture on top, then place another beetroot round on top.
  3. Repeat this layering process three more times to create a stack.
  4. To make the salsa, place the lemon juice and olive oil into a bowl and whisk together. Add the beetroot, onion and herbs, season, to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix together.
  5. To serve, spoon the salsa around the stack.

Lettuce Soup

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

50g Butter
8 Spring onions, trimmed and chopped
6 small butterhead lettuces
800ml chicken stock, or half milk, half stock
small bunches soft herbs, (mint, basil and chervil)
good squeeze lemon juice
2 tbsp double cream

Cooking Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan and sweat the spring onions for about 5 minutes, until completely soft.
  2. Trim the base off each lettuce then slice or tear it and add it to the buttery onions. Heat the lettuce until it wilts and softens in its juices.
  3. Add the herbs and warm stock. Season and blend to a smooth soup using a stick blender or in a food processor. Taste and add lemon juice, seasoning and add the cream if you want to use it.
  4. Serve either hot or cold.

Serves: 4

How to Dry Herbs

Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 10:51AM
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Whether you grow your own herbs, or bought more from the market than you can use at one time,
drying herbs can be an easy and practical way to store them for later use.  

Below is a list of many common herbs that can be air dried using the following simple instructions.

Harvesting
There are a wide variety of herbs that can be dried, and of course they all have different recommended stages at which they should be harvested. To make it easy for you, a chart that shows this information is available by clicking on How to Harvest Herbs

Using a very sharp knife or garden scissors cut your stems.  Do not pick them as it will cause bruising on the stem and a place for decomposition to start.  Leave an extra inch or two at the bottom of your herbs for bundling. Harvest your herbs in the late morning when all the dew has had a chance to dry. This helps to prevent mildew. Visually inspect the herbs.  Remove any bugs or damaged leaves or flowers with your sharp knife before drying.

Bundling

Open Method
Using a rubber band near the cut end of the herbs, gather 5 to 7 stalks together and attach together. You want your bundled end to be very secure as stalks shrink during the drying process. Yet you want the other end loose enough to ensure air flow through out the bundle.
*Note:  Green Onions and Garlic are hung by the tops with the bulbs hanging down.  The tops can be braided together for hanging.

Anise
Basil
Bay Leaves
Celery Leaves
Chervil
Chili Peppers
Chives
Cumin
Dill
Fennel
File Powder (Sassafras)
Garlic
Green Onions
Marjoram
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Savory
Tarragon
Thyme

Drying
Hang your herbs by the rubber band or string onto your drying rack. Drying times vary from a few days to a couple weeks.  You will know your herbs are dry when they crumble easily.

Locate your drying rack in a dark warm room, garage or walk in closet.  Or you may place your herbs in a covered porch or patio if herbs are bundled in paper bags even out side under a shade tree will work if you are willing to bring them inside every evening.  Your goal is to keep herbs out of direct sunlight yet in a place with good air circulation.

Your herbs are dry when the leave easily crumble.  

Seeds will be released during the drying process place newspaper under your drying rack to keep seeds off the floor and to make gathering easier for next years garden.  

If you dried your herbs by the bag method your seeds should be already collected for you in the bottom of the bag. Simply cut the sides off your bag where the wholes begin. Fold the bottom of your bag together.  Tape your bag closed and label your bag for easy storage and planting next spring.

Storing
Store your herbs in small glass jars with tight fitting lids.  Keep the jars out of the light, away from heat and out of your refrigerator.

Creamed Tagliatelle with Kale & Broad Beans

Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 10:31AM
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Ingredients

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 200ml/7fl oz double cream

  • handful fresh kale, chopped

  • 2 tbsp white wine

  • handful fresh parsley, chopped

  • handful fresh chives, chopped

  • handful fresh chervil, chopped

  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 100g/3½oz green tagliatelle

  • 3 tbsp broad beans, out of their pods, inner membrane removed, blanched

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

  2. Place the garlic into a small square of aluminium foil and loosely seal. Place into the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes, or until the garlic is soft. Remove the skins, then place the garlic flesh into a saucepan. Pour in the double cream and bring to the boil.

  3. Blanch the kale in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain well and add to the pan with the cream. Add the wine, chopped herbs and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer gently for 3-4 minutes. Add a splash of boiling water if the sauce is too thick.

  4. Cook the tagliatelle in boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain and add to the pan with the sauce. Stir well to coat.

  5. To serve, stir in the broad beans and pile the tagliatelle into a serving bowl.