Sauted Mushrooms with Wild Garlic.

In a little oil and butter fry some sliced up mushrooms and season.
When the mushrooms are just cooked add some wild garlic leaves, shreded or whole and serve when the garlic leaves have wilted.
I served this as an  accompaniment to steak but it could easily be served on toast as a meal in its self.

Plaice with Lemon and Parsley Sauce.

Heat some oil and butter on a med heat in a pan.
Put the plaice in skin side down and cook for 3/4 mins. Turn and cook for another 2/3 mins on the other side (You will be able to tell when it is cooked through as it will be white all through).
Keep warm in the oven while you make the sauce.
In the pan you cooked the fish in add more butter (stir in a little flour if you like a thick sauce) deglaze the pan with a small glass of white wine stirring all the time and add a good squeeze of lemon juice.
Reduce to the desired consistency and add finely chopped parsley.
Pour the sauce over the fish and serve.

Minestrone Soup

Finely chop carrots, onion and celery and on a low/med heat soften in some oil in a large saucepan.
Season generously with salt and pepper.
Add water to 3/4 fill the pan and add a few finely diced potatoes. Bring close to a boil and reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and cook for a few hours (use a heat diffuser if you have one). The idea is not to boil or simmer the water but to create a great stock.
If you have any parmesan rind now is the time to add it - this gives the soup a deep flavour and its better than throwing it away!
Add a good amount of tomato puree (or chopped tomatoes) and add the rest of your veg. Anything in season is good  - I used leeks, shreaded cabbage and red pepper, but any fresh seasonal veg will work - courgettes, green beans etc.
About 20mins before serving add pasta of your choice - I used broken up spaghetti and adjust the seasoning if you need to.
When the pasta is cooked add chopped parsley and serve.

Save the Scottish Wild Cat.

Please follow the lin below to sign a petition to save the scottish wild cat which is on the verge of extiction.
Thanks.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/356/348/002/save-the-scottish-wildcat/

Wild Garlic & Lemon Sauce.

A very quick and simple but very tasty sauce that goes with most meats and chicken.
Place a handfull of wild garlic leaves, the zest of half a lemon and its juice into a blender.
As the leaves etc are blending add extra virgin olive oil to the desired consistency.
Season with a little salt & pepper and serve.

Leek and Mushroom Risotto.

Get a saucepan of chicken (or veg) stock warm.
In a pan sweat off some chopped leeks in oil. When they are softened and risotto rice (I find half a tea cup is enough for one), and stir around to coat the rice.
Add half a glass of white wine and cook off the alcohol and season.
Adjust the heat and add a small amount of the warm stock. Keep adding small amounts of stock as the rice cooks and absorbs it, stirring regularly.
While the risotto is cooking chop some mushrooms and cook in another pan on a low heat with some garlic until softened.
When the rice is cooked through - around 15-20mins and the last of the stock is just asorbed take off the heat and mix in the mushroom and chopped parsley. Stir in grated parmesan and alow to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Spring in January!

Cow Parsley

 Well the first signs of spring are here, yet we are still in mid-winter!!!
I have been noticing cow parsley sprouting everywhere in the last few weeks, which I supose is fairly normal now days when we have a very mild spell in dec/jan as are winter flowering primroses, but yesterday we had our first daffodill come into flower and to top that I have also seen Lords and Ladies (you may know them as Cuckoo Pint) leafs sprouting which I have never seen this early before.

Lords and Ladies

Primroses

And people still deny global warming!! these kind of things were a rarity twenty or thirty years ago now they are common place almost every winter - spring flowers in january two months too soon and again no "winter" in december!
I also today noticed that the first rhubarb is beginning to sprout - a month too early too.

Daffodills 13.01.13