The week ahead in the UK, looks great for being outside and enjoying the sunshine – perhaps eating a meal in the garden for a change of scene is a good way to manage the ‘lockdown’ here.
The Menu for May Week 4 is superb! With a Shopping List and Pantry List linked.
We have some interesting recipes with a number of different parts to them for cooks who want to experiment with taste (e.g. a sauce, herb salt and main dish).
Hopefully you will be ale to share your cooking experience with other members of the family to obtain a consensus about the flavours, whilst enjoying time together.
The Ragu (an Italian meat sauce) is an inspiration from Tuscany where I spent a week on a cookery course. The meat sauce is mouthwatering and can be used with either rice or pasta.
One of the ‘Taste Buds’ has shared his delicious Suffolk Mud Recipe (a vinaigrette), which can be used with the Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto with Roast Vegetables, salads and râpées carrots.
When preparing the Stuffed Aubergine dish, don’t forget to allow for an hour’s start in order to make the homemade Salsa Sauce and Aromatic Salt. Both can be kept for up to 10 days or longer and can be used with a variety of other recipes.
One of my favourite Sunday brunches or light evening meals is Baked Camembert. This time I have simply added some white wine and rosemary sprigs. This main meal, or starter, is fantastic with a bottle of chilled white wine. We have enjoyed the really reasonably priced Phantom River Sauvignon Blanc (a Chilean white) from Sainsbury’s (£5:00) or if you are feeling more flush Arghé Pinot Grigio 2018 (£8.99) from Majestic Wines is a stunning tasting suggestion.
I have also looked for and added some simple yet delicious meals, for those of you with really hectic lives and young children or where eating times are varied. Trout with Anchovy Sauce is a ‘one-pot dish’ and the ‘oven baked chips on the side’ are always popular with kids.
Carrot Coriander and Parsnip Soup is easy to make. It is nutritious and an outstanding way to encourage children to eat healthily.
Who can resist a ‘Shallot Leek and Halloumi Tart’?
This is made with halloumi cheese, only because the suggested goats cheese was out of stock when I tired to source this at the beginning of the lockdown. I bought ‘grilling cheese’ hoping it would do. When I got home and opened the packaging, the ‘grilling cheese’ was very much like halloumi and so I adjusted the ingredients given in the original recipe, as it tastes great! My ‘Taste Bud’ loved it, especially the chewy experience. Spreading the halloumi straight onto the pastry then adding the rest of the ingredients and baking ensures this is a quick, chewy and easy tart to make.
I hope you enjoy making all the recipes this week and will share your photos on Possum’s Pantry Facebook.
Possums Pantry & the Taste Buds 