A Quiche with a Difference
Ingredients
225g short crust pastry
1 onion, chopped
2tbsp olive oil
1red pepper, chopped
500g spinach, washed, lightly steamed and drained
Seasoning
4 eggs
300ml single cream
150ml milk
Grated nutmeg to taste
100g Gruyere cheese, grated
Method
Line a 10” flan case with the pastry. Gently sauté the onion in half of the olive oil and remove to the pastry case. Sauté the pepper in the remaining oil and add to the mix, along with the lightly steamed and drained spinach. Beat the eggs, cream, milk, nutmeg and seasoning together and pour this over the mixture, sprinkle the gruyere cheese on top.
Bake on the floor of the roasting oven, until the quiche is golden brown and set in the middle.
Rocket Soup
Ingredients
Peel and chop about 1lb of potatoes
Peel and chop a large onion
12 oz watercress, washed and chopped
1 clove garlic
1 or 2 chopped carrots
Seasoning
11/2 pints vegetable stock
A large fist of Rocket leaves
½ pint double cream, seasoning
Method
Simmer all together until soft. Add a little more liquid if necessary. Liquidise and adjust the seasoning then add the cream to serve. Light the blue touch paper and stand well clear.
Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Eggs
To feed four people, take 8 eggs and beat them, adding two table spoons of single cream and some seasoning. Take a large dollop of the best butter and slowly melt in the frying pan on the simmering plate of your AGA Cooker. Transfer to the hot plate and pour in the egg, and with a wooden spoon, agitate the egg mixture to prevent it from sticking. When it starts to cook, watch very carefully. The mixture needs to be quite moist and creamy and scrambled.
Decorate your best plates with chopped parsley, the scrambled egg and folded pieces of smoked salmon. Cut large lemon wedges and serve on warm plates with hot buttered brown toast to hungry people who are dying to open their presents, but must wait, until Susan comes home!
Cream of tomato soup
Ingredients
1 large courgette
2oz of butter/oil
1 large carrot
One clove of garlic
5lbs of tomatoes
1 large onion
1 tbsp of marmalade
½ pot of sour cream
¾ pint of vegetable stock
Handful of coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Chop the onion and sweat it until soft on the Aga in a saucepan with the butter or oil. Chop the tomatoes, carrots and courgette into bite-sized chunks, finely chop the coriander and add to the mixture.
Stir the tomatoes and vegetables and add the crushed garlic and a tablespoon of marmalade.
Add the vegetable stock and season. Place the saucepan into the simmering oven for an hour. Check occasionally and add more stock if the consistency appears to be too thick.
Once the mixture is reduced to a pulp, sieve it to remove any rough vegetable matter and the tomato skins.
Put the soup back into the saucepan and place on a low heat. Add the sour cream and stir. Serve piping hot with a sprinkle of grated parmesan and a warm crusty bread roll laden with butter.
Betty’s Exotic Beetroot Soup
Serves up to 6 people
Ingredients
1tbsp of oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
500g (1lb) cooked beetroot, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tsp red Thai curry paste
1 (400ml) can of cocoanut milk
300ml (½pt) chicken or vegetable stock
Juice of ½ a lime
Garnish
2tbsp of coriander
Sliced red chilli
Spring onion tassel
Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan on the simmering plate. Add the onion and stir on the heat. Cover and transfer to the simmering oven for about 10 minutes to soften the onion.
Add most of the beetroot to the onions and stir in the Thai paste. Fry for a few minutes on the boiling plate. Add the cocoanut milk and stock and season with salt and pepper to taste, bring it to the boil, cover and then transfer it to the simmering oven for about five minutes.
Blend the mixture in a food processor until smooth. Put it back into the pan, add the beetroot and lime juice and adjust seasoning if needed.
Ladle into warm serving dishes and garnish with the coriander, red chilli and spring onion tassel.
Damson, Cob Nut and Walnut Mincemeat
A special recipe from Sara-Jane Brough from the Ludlow Jam Pan
Ingredients
1kg of damsons
2 – 3 oranges and juice
500g sharp apples, peeled cored and grated
600g mixed fruits such as sultans, dates, apricots and raisins
100g marmalade
250g Demerara sugar
2tsp ground ginger
½ nutmeg, grated
50ml Limencello or ginger wine
100g nut, walnuts, hazelnuts or cob nuts
50ml brandy
Method
Place the damsons in a saucepan and add the orange juice.
Stew gently until soft and mushy, this will take around 15 minutes.
Leave to cool then pass the mixture through a sieve. You should have around 750ml of puree.
Add all the other ingredients to the puree except the brandy.
Place the mixture in the oven and bake at around 140C for one hour stirring every 15 minutes.
Add the brandy and put into warm sterilised jars.
Seal and store in a cool, dark place for at least one month.