Serves 4 Ingredients 3-4 medium potatoes, pared and sliced 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced 115g pound fresh shiitake mushrooms (Welsh!) 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1 cup whipping cream 2-3 Tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley
Instructions 1. Butter a shallow baking dish. 2. Layer the potatoes, onions and shiitake mushrooms. 3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. 4. Pour cream over the top. Cover with lid or foil. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. 5. Remove the foil or lid and bake 30 minutes longer or until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened and is creamy and smooth. 6. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.
Spring greens are sweet, tender, full of flavour and packed with vitamins. They are delicious steamed or stir-fried and need quick minimal cooking.
Spring Greens with Onion & Garlic
Instructions 1. Wash the spring greens, trim the ends off the tough stalks, shred finely. 2. Steam for about 5 minutes until the stalks are tender. 3. While the greens are steaming, sauté a finely chopped onion in oil or butter until soft, add a crushed clove of garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. 4. Add the drained greens and stir well, season with sea-salt & freshly-ground black pepper. Serve with a knob of butter and, as an optional extra, a sprinkling of freshly-grated parmesan cheese.
Stir-Fried Greens with Ginger & Garlic
Instructions 1. Wash the spring greens, trim the ends off the tough stalks, shred finely. 2. Finely chop an onion, a clove of garlic and some fresh root ginger. 3. Heat a little oil in a wok or frying pan, fry the onion until soft, add the ginger and garlic and fry for a couple of minutes. 4. Add the greens and cook quickly until tender. 5. Season with shoyu or tamari and sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.
Spring Greens with Garlic and Soy Sauce
Instructions 1. Chop two whole greens cross-ways into strips of 1cm or less. Chop almost down to the stump. The stems and leaf ribs are the sweetest bits. 2. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy bottomed pan over a high heat. Peel and lightly crush the garlic with the back of a knife. Keeping the cloves whole will avoid burning. Cook in the oil for just about 20 seconds and add the greens before the garlic browns. Cook for about 2 minutes turning constantly in the oil. 3. Add two or three shakes of soy sauce, cook for a further 15 seconds and serve.
Swede can be used in so many different ways! They can be roasted, boiled, steamed, stir-fried, mashed or stewed, added to roast potatoes, roasted with leeks and onions. You can add them to curry, beef stew, savoury pies, hearty soups (like sausage and bean), and fancy purees! They take longer to cook than potatoes (25 minutes to boil), so add them first in soups and stir-fries. Here are more ideas:
Purée - puree equal parts of boiled swede and potato (or carrots, butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potato…) with salt, pepper, milk or some cooking liquid and a big pinch of brown sugar. Drizzle with melted butter.
Apple bake - mash 1 cooked swede with 2 apples (add the peeled apple pieces to the water during the last 5 minutes of boiling the swede). Add 3 tablespoons butter, a pinch of ground nutmeg and salt and pepper. Spoon into a casserole dish, cover with buttered breadcrumbs, and bake uncovered at 170°C, 325°F, gas 3 for 20 minutes.
Chips - slice the swede into finger-width discs. Slice across each disc to make thin chips. In a single layer, sauté the chips in a thin layer of olive oil (or deep fry in vegetable oil) in a large frying pan - or oven bake tossed in oil until they are just beginning to brown. Drain on a kitchen towel and salt lightly.
Gratin - quarter 1 swede and slice it thinly. Par-boil the swede for 5 minutes and pat dry. Layer in a casserole dish with equal parts of other par-boiled root vegetables, or thinly sliced raw potatoes. Sprinkle with a little flour, 2 handfuls of grated cheese, salt and pepper – then pour over a mixture of milk and cream (about 500ml total). Cover and bake at 180°C, 350°F, gas 4 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 minutes more to brown.
Soup - softly cook 3 bacon slices in a covered soup pot. Add 1 chopped swede and equal parts of potato or sweet potato, cover with water and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Puree, season with salt and pepper, mix in 100ml cream, and serve topped with more fried bacon pieces.
Swede with caramelised Onions
A great side dish to go with rich meats like lamb and pork. Serves 4-6, or increase the amount by adding cubed potatoes or carrots to the swede.
Ingredients 5 tablespoons butter 800 g onions, halved, thinly sliced 1 swede, peeled, cut into medium bite-sized cubes 1 ½ tablespoons honey
Instructions 1. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. 2. Add the onions and cook them gently until they are brown, stirring frequently. This should take about 4-5 minutes. 3. Meanwhile cook the swede in a large pot of boiling water for about 20-25 minutes, until it is tender. Drain it well. 4. Melt the remaining butter in a large frying pan over medium-low heat, add the swede and cook it until it is heated through. 5. Drizzle honey over the top and stir in the onions. 6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Roasted vegetables with cardamon
Serves 6-8 Ingredients 400 g carrots 400 g parsnips 400 g Swede 150 ml extra-virgin olive oil 4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed 1 tbsp honey Salt and pepper
Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 200C/ 400F/ Gas Mark 6. 2. Peel all of the vegetables. 3. Quarter the carrots and parsnips lengthways. 4. Cut the Swede into chunks. 5. Heat the olive oil in a roasting tin and add the vegetables, turning them to coat well. Roast for around 30 minutes, turning a couple of times. 6. Add the crushed cardamom pods and honey to the vegetables. Turn to coat evenly. 7. Return to the oven and bake for a further 30 minutes until the vegetables have browned. Don't let them lose their shape! 8. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
we are an organic food and grocery shop, based in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, South Wales - which being just 10 minutes from the end of the M4 and central to the Amman and Towy valleys is easily accessable.
we deliver organic food and groceries in the South Wales area (SA post code area - Swansea, Llanelli, Neath, Ammanford, Llandeilo, Pontardawe, Ystradgynlais) throughout the week - anything from an organic veg box to a whole range of organic food and other organic produce that can be selected from the list opposite.
