Recipes

At the Farm Shop we don’t treat cooking as a precise science, nor are we trying to give a comprehensive list of recipes. These are some of our favourite dishes and we hope you’ll give some of them a try. They’ve worked for us on countless occasions but that doesn’t mean, with a bit of imagination and a few tweaks, they can’t be improved. Good luck.
Risi e Bisi e Runner BeansBy Redpost MediaIn it’s pure Venetian form, Risi e Bisi is a wet risotto of rice (obviously), smoked pancetta (usually), the best chicken stock and the freshest, sweetest garden peas. It’s a lovely dish – light but comforting. However nothing is sacred so we’ve beefed it up with chicken meat, brown basmati rice and runner beans.  The old Doge of Venice would be turning in his grave, particularly with the brown basmati rice, but it works and he should have tried it.The suggested quantities will make enough to feed an army so scale back accordingly, unless you’re planning an invasion. When I made it, I did have a lot of mouths to feed and it was equally good the next day.
Baked Butternut Squash RisottoBy Redpost MediaSquash risotto is real comfort food, can be cooked in advance and is amazingly easy. Finishing in the oven might seem strange and it almost changes the dish from risotto to gratin but bubbling butter and cheese and a slight crust is irresistible. The Worshipful Company of Risotto Makers would probably issue a Fatwa and have me sleeping with the fishes at the idea but that’s because they didn’t think of it. You can do it all in advance, it even freezes well and you can definitely re-heat it the next day – almost from frozen. I have even spread it on toast.
Beef, Cabbage, Apple & Horseradish SoupBy Redpost Media

a.k.a. Austerity Soup

Is much a stew as a soup but, either way, it’s a robust and easy dish that doesn’t need constant attention. The beauty of shin is that it goes through a sudden damascene transformation from unchewably tough to mouth-wateringly tender in a matter of moments. It just takes some time to get there. The apple and horseradish adds a sweet piquancy which, when added at the end maintains its freshness.
Confit Duck CassouletBy Ben WatsonIn the past I’ve been a little snooty about the duck confit and opted for a bit of lamb. But now that we know it isn’t going to kill us, I have to admit that it does bring a certain unctuosity to the party so it’s quack quack all round. Ham hock isn’t traditional either but as the excellent Felicity Cloake pointed out in The Guardian, it replaces both the cured meat and pigs skin so it’s oink oink there too.
Uncle Vito’s Meatball SauceBy Ben WatsonWhy anyone wants to eat boring old Spaghetti Bolognese when they could be eating this beats me. This is the kind of food they all sat around eating in The Godfather, which probably explains why they were all so fat, (except you, Vito).The key ingredient is a good high meat content, fairly spicy, Italian meatball. We make one with pork, bacon, fennel seeds, and a little chilli and garlic, which is brilliant for this recipe.
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