Vegetable

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.
Elizabeth David’s CaponataBy Ben Watson

Along with Tuscan Panzanella, Sicilian Caponata is a good way of pulling any mezze or antipasti style meal together and, as such and given how long it keeps, should have a berth in everyone’s fridge through the summer. Most people don’t see caponata as a pickle but it ticks most of the boxes and will keep for at least a week in the fridge. For an even longer life, put it in a jar, press down to get the air bubbles out and pasteurise to a core temperature of 72degC for twenty minutes. 

Baba GanoushBy Ben WatsonWhether grilled, charred or cooked on an open-flame, 'smokiness' is what defines this classic mezze dish. There are many ways to skin an aubergine and it seems to be the fiddlier and messier, the better the result.
Rowley Leigh’s CaponataBy Ben WatsonTraditionally a Sicilian dish, caponata can be found in numerous variations of chopped aubergines, celery, capers and with older versions that even include cocoa powder. Although, this could be a step too far. Last July, chef Rowley Leigh hosted a Summer Feast with us and he opened with his classic caponata recipe served alongside our charcuterie.
Rainbow Goodwill PieBy Ben WatsonLoosely based on a combination of Anna Jones’s Christmas Goodwill Pie and Dan Lepard’s amazing rough puff pastry with a bit of our nut roast mix thrown in for good measure. OK; as I’m really coming clean, the inspiration for our nut roast  comes from Felicity Cloake in the Guardian. Wherever it comes from, the stuffing adds a few Christmas flavours to the mix and makes it a bit more celebratory.
Pumpkin (squash) TirshyBy Ben WatsonThis Moroccan style dip traditionally calls for pumpkins - but we know they really mean butternut squash! In Ben's version, he's toned down the spices  to allow the combination of sweet squash and sour preserved lemons to really sing. The original recipe suggests serving with olives and feta cheese but we think it really works with dukkah and olive oil.
Spicy Squash & Apple ChutneyBy Ben WatsonIf you ordered from us at Christmas, hopefully you will have already enjoyed our 'Happy Christmas Chutney' . Born out of an abundance of butternut squash from the veg farm, we thought it was pretty good. So good in fact, that it can be enjoyed year round, so we've renamed it Spicy Squash and Apple Chutney. The squashes are still around for a good month or so, so why not give your own version a try?
Fabulous French Onion TartBy Ben WatsonNot to be confused with Quiche Lorraine, French Onion tart really is what it says. Onions. With a bit of cream, cheese and eggs. But don't let the apparent simplicity fool you - it is a real treat, especially if enjoyed al fresco. In fact, it really comes into its own served at picnic hamper temperature. There's a bit of room to get creative with the pastry too.  A few fresh thyme leaves, a little Dijon mustard and even a splash of wine all add a little je ne sais quoi.
Vegan Bagna CaudaBy Ben WatsonBagna Cauda (literally warm bath) is a Piedmontese dip, traditionally made with garlic and anchovies. A chance delivery of some rather overpowering smoked anchovies got me thinking about it and, as it's largely a dip for raw vegetables, this vegan version was born. Whilst not technically Piedmontese, it is pretty good with vegetables, bread and all manner of 'dippable' things nonetheless.
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