Winter

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.
WinterCategories
All CategoriesMain IngredientBeefChicken and poultryGameLambMuttonPorkSausageSeafoodVegetableMealDinnerLunchSeasonAutumnSpringSummer  WinterSweetDessert
Carbonnade FlamandeBy Redpost MediaYou might think that a beef bourguignon becomes Carbonnade Flamande when you substitute red wine for beer but there's a bit more to it than that. Vinegar, sugar and mustard, combined with the richness of the slightly reduced beer gives a whole new ‘agrodulce’ dimension that’s guaranteed to knock your socks off. Serve as a casserole, as a pie with a pastry crust or, best of all, with a crusty topping of stale, mustard and jus infused bread. Be warned - it's all in the timing. Get it right, and it's not hard, and you're walking through the culinary pearly gates.It’s equally good with venison or other cuts of beef. Adjust the cooking times accordingly.Normally, I’m a great believer in padding our stews with plenty of veg but, here, the flavours are so intense that it’s best to treat it as a celebratory blow out or just serve less. Turnips might work but the only thing I’ve found that really adds to a carbonnade is a few sticks of celery, thickly sliced. Lots of recipes call for mushrooms but, for me, neither taste or texture work. 
Curried Parsnip SoupBy Redpost MediaA sweet, spiced and tasty soup to serve for lunch or as a starter with chunky bread.
Vegetable Harira soupBy Redpost MediaNot real harira but lovely nevertheless. The mixture of veg, grains and pulses, spices/sauces and salty lemon really works.
Poor Man’s TagliataBy Redpost MediaThe joys of a thick, BBQ’d and sliced on the bias, ‘Italian Tagliata’ style steak are worth striving for. Knock it into shape (literally) and it makes a fantastic, thick steak.
Broth of GodBy Redpost MediaStocks and broths are wonderful creations that we all should be making more of – not just because of their organoleptic qualities, but because it’s wasteful not to and if we’re going to go on enjoying meat, nose to tail cooking has to be the way to go.
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.
CassouletBy Ben Watson

In the past I’ve been a little snooty about the duck confit and opted for a bit of mutton or lamb but I have to admit that I've changed my mind. 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.

The number of times you break the crust and stir in the bread crumbs is also the subject of some debate. A slightly wet, rather than claggy, cassoulet is much easier, and more enjoyable, to eat so stirring once, followed by a light sprinkling of crumbs before the final  bake is perfect.

Its not exactly traditional because it brings a bit of smokiness into the mix but our Montbeliard sausage would also a good addition.

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