Here is a recipe using Brussels sprouts which is ideal for a winter lunch or supper.

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 14 cleaned Brussels sprouts
• medium onion peeled & chopped
  
• 4 rashers of bacon chopped
• rapeseed oil for frying
• black pepper

Method:

• place the sprouts in boiling water & par-boil until just crunchy (about 8 minutes)
• drain the sprouts
• as the sprouts are cooking, fry the onion and bacon until crunchy in the rapeseed oil
• add the partly cooked sprouts to the frying mixture, and stir in for about 3 minutes
• grind some black pepper over the mixture
• serve!

Time: about 15 minutes from start to finish

We used Bridget sprouts & Woburn Country Foods black back bacon as it gave it a sweet, smoky flavour.

Served with a baked potato, it was a great Sprout Supper!

Celeriac and apple mash

We had this yesterday during a conference at Chatsworth House. It went well with the beef cobbler – and would be the perfect accompaniment for game.

Ingredients for apple and celeriac mash:

2 Bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 small celeriac – about 500g, peeled and cut into chunks
knob of butter
Caster sugar to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• Add the apple and celeriac chunks to a large pan of boiling, salted water.
• Boil for 8-10 minutes until tender.
• Drain.
• Mash, until smooth, with a potato masher or ricer, adding the butter and some ground black pepper.
• Taste and add a little caster sugar if the mixture is a bit tart

This recipe for apple and celeriac mash is a quick and easy recipe, ideal for the colder months.

The main thing you need to pickle onions is plenty of time, otherwise it is quite straightforward!

pickled-onions-pink

• most people use shallots for pickled onions
• make a brine solution by dissolving 8oz of salt in 4 pints of water
• skin the onions – using a stainless steel or silver knife – as they will discolour
• cover the onions in a cold brine solution for at least 24 hours. Place a dish over the top of the onions to make sure they are covered with brine. The brine draws the water out of the onions & makes them crispy.
• drain the onions from the brine
• fill a clean, sterilised jar with onions & cover with spiced pickling vinegar

pickled-onion-jars

The spiced pickling vinegar can be of any flavour & it is worth trying a few different ones.

It is possible to buy spiced pickling vinegar, or you can make your own using a different vinegar (cider, wine, raspberry vinegar etc) & add your own combination of spices. Pre-mixed pickling spices can be found in supermarkets, or you can add your own combination of chillies, ginger, pepper, mustard seeds etc..

Topper-pickled-onions

It is very easy to pickle onions, just time consuming! But a jar of home-made pickled onions is a treat – or an excellent gift or Christmas present.

This Green tomato chutney recipe is a great combination of apples, shallots and green tomatoes. It is cheap & easy to make if you grow your own apples, shallots and green tomatoes. It is also a way of using up the damaged, pecked or wind blown apples.

green-tomatoes

Ingredients for 5 or 6 500kg jars

• 1.5kg green tomatoes
• 1 kg cooking apple
• 450g shallots
• 450g sultanas
• 450g demerara sugar
• juice of 2 lemons
• 50g root ginger
• 50g salt
• 25g mustard seeds
• 1.75litres wine vinegar
• 2 red chillies

chutney-green-tomato

Method

• cut up the tomatoes
• peel, core and chop the apples
• peel and slice the shallots
• crush the ginger with a rolling pin
• halve the chillies
• place the ginger & chillies in a muslin bag, tie it securely & place in the preserving pan, & add all the other ingredients
• put the pan on a gentle heat & stir until the sugar has dissolved
• then simmer for about two hours without the lid on the pan
• when there is no more runny liquid, and the chutney is creamy and thick, remove the muslin bag
• pour into warm, sterilised jars, cover, seal and label
• keep for 2 months to allow the flavour to develop

This recipe for green tomato chutney will make a good Christmas gift.