I prefer to be a little haphazard and care-free in the kitchen, so I do apologise if the recipes you might find in this blog are messy and imprecise. Like most things in life you have to feel it, go with your gut instinct when you find yourself hunched over a bowl armed with a whisk. Have fun cooking and enjoy the act of making something from scratch. Be proud of yourself and don't be afraid to make a mess, it's just dinner after all.
I love that Spring in here and all the veggies are so lovely and fresh. So, today I had a Spring feast of homemade split pea soup with homemade crusty bread for dipping. I spent the morning in the sun-filled kitchen with my mother-in-law and together we made the best ever pea soup. I have to admit I had never had pea soup before today and I always thought that I hated peas! But, I have to say it was amazing. I've had two bowls today.
And for afters I ate a large portion of rhubarb and apple crumble drizzled in cream. YUM!
So, if you wanna try these lovely treats here are the recipes.
Jax and Helen's Split Pea Soup
250 g dried green split peas
2 small white onions
3 rashers of smokey bacon
2 sticks of celery
2 medium carrots
6 or so baby new potatoes
8 c vegetable stock (pr enough to cover the vegetables)
1 bouqet garni (3 sprigs of thyme and a bunch of curly parsley and 1 bay leaf)
What you need
1 good chopping knife
1 saucepan to soak the peas in
1 large saucepan to make the soup in
1 wooden spoon to stir
1 hand blender
1 ladle
Directions
* Soak the dried peas overnight or for at least 8 hours, then rinse and set aside to add to the soup later
In a large saucepan fry up the bacon and the onions on a medium to high heat until the onions go translucent (fry in a combo of butter and olive oil)
Next add the celery and the carrots and fry until a bit soft
Add in the potatoes and the peas
Then cover in the veg stock and boil for a few minutes
Season to taste (remember that the bacon has loads of salt, I only added fresh cracker pepper)
Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 1 hour
Take the soup off the heat and hit it with a few pulses from a hand blender until the soup is a nice thick consistency
To serve
Ladle 2 scoops into a bowls and drizzle fresh cream over the top
Best with fresh baked crusty bread (recipe to follow)
Crusty Bread
This is a cheat as we have a Panasonic Bread Maker in the house and all you have to do is bung everything into the machine and press a button.
1 tsp yeast
400 g strong flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 tsp salt
50 g oats
350 mls water
Bakes in the machine for 4 house and this included that mixing and proving
Jax and Hel's Fab Rhubarb Crumble
Ingredients
6 stocks of fresh rhubarb
1 small sweet eating apple
1/4 c water
1/3 c sugar for the filling
3 oz cold butter
6 oz self raising flour
2 oz oats
6 oz caster sugar
What you'll need
1 good chopping knife
1 medium pyres baking dish
measuring scales
1 bowl to combine crumble mixture
Directions
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5 or about 375 degrees
Wash and cut the rhubarb and apple (leave the skin on) into cubes
Place the fruit in the pyrex dish and cover in the 1/3 c of sugar (I used a mixture of caster, preserving and brown sugar) and add the water
Next make the crumble mis by using the tips of your fingers to combine the flour and butter together until you have a light, sand like mixture
Then add in the oats and use fingers to mix
Next add the caster sugar to the mix
And pour over the rhubarb and apple
Pat the mix into the fruit
Place in the middle of the oven and cook for 40 minutes or until golden brown on the top with fruit syrup bubbling over the crust
To serve
Best with cold cream poured over the top
Next time I promise to take better pics and not to eat almost all the crumble.
Enjoy! x
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