WHITE BEAN AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Ingredients
For the soup:
2 400g tins white beans rinsed
1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 kg (2lb) butternut squash, seeded each half cut into wedges
4 tablespoons good olive oil
2 onions finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½" dice
2 sticks celery, cut into ½" dice
1.5 litres/ 3 pints vegetable stock

For the Parsley Puree:
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon maldon sea salt
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
4 tablespoons good olive oil
4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
lemon juice to taste

Our recipe this week is courtesy of Antony Worrell Thompson, try it out with some of his Rock Salt Ciabatta Croutons for a warm, filling, lunchtime snack!

Method
Place your squash in a roasting tray and roast in the oven preheated to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4 oven with 1 tablespoon olive oil for about 45 minutes or until the squash has softened and caramelised. Remove the flesh from the skin.

At the same time, heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions, carrots, celery, 6 cloves garlic and sage and cook over a medium heat until the onions are soft but not brown. Add the stock and bring to the boil, simmer for 20 minutes. Add the roasted squash and half the beans and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Place the soup in a liquidizer and blend until smooth. Return to the saucepan, add the remaining beans, stir to combine. Season to taste.

For the parsley puree, add the garlic with the sea salt to a blender with the parsley and blend until smooth, then add the olive oil, the Parmesan and the remaining parsley. Add lemon juice to taste.

Serve a teaspoonful of parsley puree in each bowl of the hot soup.

Preparation & cooking: Overnight and 1½ hours
Made in advance: Up to 24 hours
Freezing: Yes
Serves: 4-6

CATHEDRAL CITY’S VEGETABLE LASAGNE

Ingredients
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
2 courgettes, chopped
225g mushrooms, sliced
30ml olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
10ml dried oregano
800g chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree
salt and pepper
350g fresh lasagne
3 tbsp Cathedral City Mature Grated

For the Béchamel sauce
60g butter
60g flour
salt and pepper
pinch nutmeg
500ml milk
125g Cathedral City Mature Grated

Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C, 375°F, Gas Mark 5.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, onion, peppers and courgettes and fry for 1-2 minutes, until soft. Add the herbs and fry for another few minutes. Add the mushrooms with the tomatoes, tomato puree and seasoning to the pan. Bring to boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime make the béchamel sauce. Melt butter in saucepan, add flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Blend until smooth. Stir over heat for 1 minute, gradually adding the milk, stir until sauce boils and thickens. Reduce heat and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add grated Cathedral City cheese, stir until it melts. Set aside.

Spread a small amount of the tomato sauce in the base of a 2.8 litre oven-proof dish. Cover with a layer of lasagne and a layer of vegetables and top with a layer of béchamel sauce. Continue layering this way until all the ingredients are used up.

Finish with a layer of béchamel sauce and sprinkle with the remaining Cathedral City cheese. Bake for 45 minutes or until the lasagne is piping hot and well browned. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

DUCK BREAST WITH REDCURRANT AND RED WINE SAUCE

Ingredients
Bag of Florette Crispy Salad
2 duck breasts
2 shallots finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
Pinch of fresh thyme, finely chopped
5 cherry tomatoes chopped in half
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Glass of red wine
30g butter
55g red currants (or 3 tbsp redcurrant jelly)

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4.

Slash the fat on the duck breast and then sear it on both sides in a very hot pan.

Remove it from the pan and place in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain off any excess fat from the frying pan. Put in the shallots, garlic, thyme and tomatoes and cook for a minute or two.

Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar and red wine. Add the butter and redcurrants and reduce the sauce for a couple of minutes.

Remove the duck from the oven to rest, and then slice on the diagonal. Serve with the sauce drizzled over it and some crusty French bread.

Serves 2

In the Goddess Spotlight

Jane and Jeremy Hooper winners of BBC 2's ‘The Restaurant’, last week opened their restaurant Eight at the Thatch in Thame, Oxfordshire. In partnership with star of the show French chef Raymond Blanc we are sure it will be a fantastic success.
For booking information visit www.thethatchthame.co.uk

SPICED APPLE AND CRANBERRY CHOCOLATE ROULADE

Ingredients
150g plain chocolate
3 tbsp water
4 large eggs, separated
100g Fruisana Fruit Sugar

For the filling;
2 small bramley apples
100g cranberries
50g Fruisana Fruit Sugar
½ tbsp ground cinnamon
200ml double cream
Chocolate leaves

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C(electric)/160°C(fan), 350°F, Gas Mark 4.

Break the chocolate into pieces and place with the water in a saucepan, over a gentle heat to melt.In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks and Fruisana until creamy and thick. Then whisk in the warm melted chocolate.

In a clean grease free bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff and then fold into the egg yolk mixture.

Pour the mixture into a greased and lined swiss roll tin 20 x 30cm (8 x 12 inch).

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until evenly risen and firm to the touch. Then remove from the oven.

Leave to stand in the tin for 10 minutes then cover with a clean tea-towel and leave for 4 hours (to allow it to set and become pliable).

Peel and slice the bramley apples and place in a saucepan with the cranberries, cook until softened. Stir in the Fruisana and the ground cinnamon. Leave to cool.

Whip the double cream until firm and then stir in the apple mixture.

Turn the roulade onto a piece of greaseproof paper lightly sprinkled with Fruisana. Carefully remove the lining paper.

Spread the cream mixture evenly over the roulade and roll up like a swiss roll. Store in the fridge until required.

FABULOUS VANILLA FAIRYCAKES

Ingredients

150g Caster sugar

150g Self raising flour

150g Butter or soft margarine (room temperature)

3 Medium eggs

2 tsp Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract

150g Icing Sugar

Water to mix

You will need: 24 Paper cake cases & 2 Fairy cake baking trays

Method

Place your paper cake cases into your trays and leave to one side.

Cream your butter and sugar together in a bowl until the mixture turns white and fluffy. Slowly add beaten eggs and vanilla extract while whisking continuously. Sift the flour into the mix and then carefully fold in until it is all combined.

Spoon mixture into cases and bake at 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4 for 20-25 minutes until spongy to the touch and golden brown. Leave to cool.

Meanwhile mix your icing sugar with a little water until smooth a quite thick.

To serve spread a little icing onto the cooled fairy cakes and finish with a topping of your choice, e.g. Chocolate sprinkles.

FRUITS OF THE FOREST TART

Ingredients
100g pkt hazelnut kernels, toasted
300g (10oz) plain flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
Grated zest of 1 lemon
75g (3oz) icing sugar
1 large egg yolk
120ml (4fl oz) Filippo Berio Olive Oil
1 tbsp lemon juice

500g frozen Black Forest fruits
4 tbsp berry fruit cordial e.g. raspberry, fruits of the forest
2 tbsp cornflour
Icing sugar for dusting

Method
Put the frozen fruits into a large bowl, pour the cordial over then leave to thaw and marinate overnight.

Place the nuts in a food processor with half of the flour and chop finely. Add the remaining flour, cinnamon, baking powder and lemon zest and pulse to mix. Finally, add the egg yolk, olive oil, lemon juice and 5 tbsp warm water and pulse until the mixture comes together. Lightly knead the dough then divide into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other. Knead the large portion into a smooth round then roll out and line a 23cm (9 in) metal flan tin, trim the excess from the edge then place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Gather up the trimmings and add to the other portion of dough and knead together, wrap and chill.

Meanwhile, strain the fruit juices into a pan, blend the cornflour with 2 tbsp water, then add to the juices. Bring to simmer and stir until completely thickened. Pour over the fruit and fold together, allow to cool.

Heat oven to 190°C, 375°F or Gas Mark 5.Spoon fruit filling into the pie crust. Roll out the remaining dough quite thickly and, using a sharp knife or fluted edge pastry wheel, cut 10 strips about 1.25cm (1/2in) wide. Carefully lift five strips, and place evenly spaced across the fruit, give the tin a turn and lay the other five across the first five to make a lattice pattern. Trim the edges and press the pastry onto the base.Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Cool before removing from the tin, dust with icing sugar before serving.

Serves 8 -10
Preparation: 45 minutes, plus marinating and chilling
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes

ROAST PEACHES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Ingredients
For the peaches:
4-6 ripe peaches
40g unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons caster sugar

For the Sauce:
1x 100g bar Divine White Chocolate
175ml milk
1 Vanilla Pod
3 Large Free Range Egg Yolks
20g caster sugar

Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6 and grease an ovenproof dish.

With a small sharp knife make a small nick in the skin of each peach right at the top. Put the peaches in a large heatproof bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover, leave for 10 seconds. Remove the peaches one at the time and peel off the skins. Roll the peaches one at a time in the melted butter and then in the sugar and stand them upright in the oven dish. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes until golden and soft but not falling apart. Remove and leave to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: break up the chocolate and melt gently. Remove from the heat and leave to cool until needed. Put the milk into a pan, split the vanilla pod and add to milk then heat the milk until it steams then remove from heat.

Put the egg yolks and sugar into a heatproof bowl and beat well with a wooden spoon until very pale. Pour on the hot milk stirring constantly. Remove the vanilla pod and scrape some of the seeds onto the egg mixture. Pour the mixture back into the pan and heat gently over a low heat until it thickens slightly. Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in melted chocolate.

Serve the peaches slightly warm with the warm sauce poured over.

In the Goddess Spotlight

Market Kitchen 8.00pm on UKTV Food
“Sponsored by Waitrose, Market Kitchen is a daily food magazine series on UKTV Food, presenting viewers with expert and entertaining new takes on how and where to find, enjoy and cook the very best fresh, seasonal food. ”

SPANISH ROAST LAMB

Ingredients
1.5 kg (3 ½ lb) leg of lamb
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 cloves of garlic finely sliced
1 wineglass of dry white wine
300 ml (½ pint) of water
2 tablespoons of wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon

Potatoes (the quantity just depends on how much you want to cook with the lamb)
1 or 2 large onions
4 or 5 whole garlic cloves (or add less if you don't want such a strong garlic flavour)

Method
Preheat the oven to 230°C, 450°F, Gas Mark 8.

Rub the lamb with half of the olive oil, season it with salt and pepper and rub the thyme over the surface of the lamb. Let the lamb sit for an hour to absorb the flavours.

Peel and cut the potatoes into slices about 1cm thick and place on the bottom of a roasting tin. Slice the onions and mix them with the potatoes and peel the garlic but leave the cloves whole and add to the potatoes and onions.

Put the white wine, water, vinegar and lemon juice into a pan and bring to the boil.

Next make some slits in the leg of lamb and put some slices of garlic into them and then rub the lamb with the rest of the olive oil. Place the lamb on top of the potatoes, onions and garlic and pour about half of the liquid over the meat.

Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 190ºC, 375ºF, Gas mark 5 and continue to roast it. Baste with the remaining liquid from time to time. If the potatoes soak up too much of the liquid you can make more.

For cooking time allow 15 minutes per 450g (1lb) if you like your lamb pink and 25 minutes per 450g if you like it well done in the manner that the Spanish like it!

Traditionally in Spain this would be served along with the potato that is cooked with it but you might choose to serve it with some roast potatoes and vegetables of your choice.

Serves 4-6