A Year in my Fenland Kitchen

When my girls were small, we would often stay with my mum in the West Country, usually at the end of the long summer holiday, just as August slipped away into September. Long, slow days, bathed, it always seemed, in soft summer light. Little people are creatures of habit and a walk along the length of Warmley Brook, to the local wildlife centre for pond dipping and a drink in the café was always a must. The brook was at the bottom of a steep hill and following its course took you past the church, perched high up on a mound, where mum and dad now lie buried, over stiles, and through ancient woodland, with a steep, rocky bank on one side and the babbling brook a constant companion on the other. Invariably, we took a container or two in which to collect blackberries. Maybe it’s the hunter/gatherer instinct buried deep in our DNA, but foraging of any sort is always accompanied by a frisson of excitement. With a handy stick to beat back the worst of the thorns, the containers soon filled up...

 June 21st 2023: the summer solstice. The garden is blooming and the sun is hot. Time to enjoy our meals: breakfast, lunch and supper in the garden. Here's a recipe for a beetroot and halloumi burger, a delicious plant based alternative to a regular burger. 100g bread 1x400g chickpeas, rinsed and drained 250g beetroot 1 clove garlic handful fresh parsley 1 tbsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp salt ground black pepper 1 egg 1-2 tbsp oil for shallow frying To assemble: 250g halloumi cheese 6 brioche burger buns lettuce mayonnaise or relish of choice Peel and halve the beetroot and steam or microwave until tender. Place the bread into a food processor and whizz to form breadcrumbs. Transfer to a large bowl. Place all remaining burger ingredients into processor and whizz again until just mixed. It's nice to have a few chunky bits in the mixture to give texture. Add to bowl with the breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Shape into 6 patties and chill in fridge for about 30 minutes. Heat oil in pan ...

    I have a book on my bookshelf, one of many now, which has been with me for decades. A book which has moved house with me over the years; packed into a box, along with other volumes, to re-emerge into its new position, on a new shelf, in a new home. Firstly in halls of residence at university, then in a rented flat when I started my first job. Next, after I was married, it found a spot on a shelf in our first home. For a while, it was relegated to a box in the attic when space was at a premium, but for the last 15 years, it has been on the bottom shelf of a wall of bookshelves in our little snug. The book in question is Good Housekeeping's New Basic Cookery. A certificate glued inside the cover states it was awarded to a young girl in her second year of secondary school as Eaton House prize. The young girl was me; the prize was for all round achievement for the previous year. I was asked what sort of book I would like as my prize and I requested a cookery book. To be honest...

Saturday May 6th 2023: London resonates to the beat of a hundred drums and the clatter of a thousand horses' hooves on the ancient cobbles. Ranks of soldiers in their crimson uniforms fill the streets, the vanguard to the golden carriage carrying King Charles and the Queen Consort to their coronation. Even watching on tv, the sense of momentous occasion is palpable. In Westminster Abbey, scene to so many royal occasions, the awe inspiring music fills the cavernous space, reverberating through the rafters. Whatever our views on the place of the Royal Family in the 21st century, it's a day for rejoicing in community, friendship and all things good. The following day, Sunday, the country celebrates with street parties. Sandwiches, crisps, sausage rolls and cake; fizz, beer and endless cups of tea; the British afternoon tea! And my own contribution for a celebratory tea at home, some buttermilk scones with cream and jam; jam first of course!  

  The seasons change imperceptibly; 3 steps forward, 2 steps back. One day the sun warms our faces and we smile, our bodies noticeably relaxing; the next day the bitter wind bites at our cheeks and we huddle inside winter coats. This is how we inch slowly through Spring and towards Summer, step by step. And so it is in the kitchen. Spring produce mingles with the last of the Winter harvests. Over the Easter weekend when the sun made a welcome appearance, Mr D and I went foraging for wild garlic, in shady woodland along the river. Each year, in early Spring, we visit the same favourite spot, where swathes of glossy green leaves clothe the bank, filling the air with their pungent fragrance. I gathered just a small basketful and with the addition of a few extra ingredients made a delicious salsa. 30g wild garlic 30g fresh parsley 2-3 tsp Dijon mustard 200ml extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp cider vinegar 40g capers, rinsed Chop the parsley and wild garlic in a blender. Add 1/2 tsp salt an...

 Today marks the Spring Equinox here in the uk.   From now on we can look forward to lengthening days and as from next weekend, when the clocks go forward, lighter evenings. There are daffodils, primroses and hellebores flowering in the garden; and on the allotment, buds on the plum tree and forced rhubarb nearly ready to pick.  But, despite the signs of spring outdoors, in the kitchen we are still very much in winter produce mode. If the recent shortages of certain vegetables, such as red peppers and tomatoes, has taught me one thing, it is to make the most of the seasonal winter vegetables available. And so here is a recipe for a smooth and velvety soup, using a winter vegetable, grown not that far from here in the Lincolnshire Fens; a classic combination of cauliflower and cheese turned into a soup. Wishing you all the joys of spring! Speak soon  Annie  x

The sun was beckoning,  and so, on the spur of the moment, we got in the car and drove the 3 or 4 miles up the road for a walk around the village of Thorney. Parking on a grass verge, we opened the gate into the first field.  Unusually for the fens, there were sheep; we are more used to seeing acres of wheat, sugar beet, potatoes and carrots in this part of the world, rather than livestock, especially the woolly kind.  The sheep looked up from feeding on their bale of hay, eyes fixed on us with an unwavering gaze: staring, some might say rudely in our direction. Had they been children, undoubtedly, they would have been admonished with a whispered "It's rude to stare", but these were sheep and after a few minutes, deciding that we were no threat, they turned away and resumed eating. We walked the length of the field and out onto a rough track, then turned across another field to the right.The wind was fierce and biting, as is often the case in the flat fens; it burned our ...

The weather has a feel of Spring here today and the evenings are gradually lengthening, so here's a grain based salad, hearty enough for a February supper, but also light enough to make a lovely lunch as the weather warms up. It uses bulgur wheat, a wholegrain, rich in minerals, vitamins and fibre, which also happens to be easy to cook. I've topped the bulgur wheat with prawns, but alternatives, such as cooked chicken, feta cheese or roasted vegetables would be delicious too. The dressing uses fresh pesto, a fave of mine at the moment. I used bought pesto for ease and convenience, but do try to get fresh from the fridge section of the supermarket, as I think the taste is infinitely better than the version that comes in jars. The full recipe is below should you wish to try it. Happy cooking! Speak soon. Annie x

 My first cup of coffee of the day is always instant coffee from a jar: kettle hastily boiled, powder spooned into cup, a quick stir and a splash of milk. And always in the same special cup; a handmade mug with cheerful red spots bought from a lovely shop in Cambridge. It's a drink to be sipped quickly, as I feed the cat, load the washing machine and wipe down the worktop. Later in the morning is the time to enjoy a more leisurely cup, either sitting in a favourite café, indulging in some people watching or at home, sitting cosily at the table, flicking through a magazine or reading a few pages of a book. But a cup of coffee ( or tea, if that is your preference) invariably tastes better with a piece of cake! Years ago, I might have chosen a slice of something rich and creamy, but nowadays, I prefer my cake to be plain: rich with nuts and fruit rather than buttercream....wholesome even! I like to think the following recipe for a date and walnut loaf is relatively healthy, at least f...

 In the midst of the darkness of winter, Nature blesses us with citrus fruit in the most vibrant of colours, pink and yellow grapefruit, lemons ....and oranges: diminutive mandarines and tangerines, knobbly Seville oranges for the most delicious marmalade and, my favourite, the blood orange, freckled with red splashes on its peel and with the distinctive ruby red flesh. The blood orange's colour is due to a pigment called anthocyanin, which develops in the fruit due to low overnight growing temperatures as during the Mediterranean autumn and winter. Not only do they look so pretty, I think they are the sweetest and juiciest of the orange family.  I had some ricotta leftover in the fridge and decided to make a ricotta cake flavoured with vanilla and orange, perfect to serve with some beautiful blood oranges steeped in a spiced syrup. The recipes are below. I left the peel on the oranges, but, of course, remove it if you prefer. Sending best wishes from my corner of the world to...

So we here we are, a couple of weeks into the new year and, in an effort to cheer up the grey, gloomy weather, I have been cooking all the comfort foods; pasta, soups ....and baking bread. Looking back through my posts, I realise that soups feature quite regularly, but I make no apologies! Soups are nourishing, comforting and delicious. So here is another soup recipe, this time for Tomato and Lentil soup. I made this soup, first at home and then with a group of children at the Home School club our granddaughters attend. The children were enthusiastic helpers and enjoyed chopping the onion, smelling and grinding the spices and then tucked into a bowlful each, along with some of the parents, around a large table at lunchtime. On a slightly different note, I have recently become interested in the work of  Tim Spector , a renowned scientist who has done a lot of research lately into the gut microbiome and the effects it has on our health. I find it a fascinating topic and one which is ...

 It's the first Sunday of Advent and Christmas is fast approaching. Here in my Fenland Kitchen, sprouts are on the menu and I'm reminding myself that the, sometimes maligned, Brussel Sprout is not just for Christmas! So let's give them some love!  Rule number one is not to boil them into submission. Overcooking results in an unpleasant smell and is possibly the reason a lot of people claim that they do not like sprouts. Steaming or stir frying are the way to go ... or roasted as in this  recipe  by Love&Lemons. Alternatively, Brussel Sprouts are delicious raw and make a lovely salad. I hope you will enjoy this  recipe with a hint of sweetness from the apple and cranberries and agree that sprouts can be delicious! Speak soon. Annie x

...November is the pearl-grey month, the changeling between warm crimson October  and cold white December... These words are from a poem entitled  'A Poem for November' written by Alison Uttley of Little Grey Rabbit fame. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Little Grey Rabbit, she is the main character in a series of much loved children's stories, published between 1929 and the 1970s. The stories tell the tale of Little Grey Rabbit and her friends, amongst them, Hare, Squirrel, Speckledy Hen, Wise Owl and Fuzzypeg, and their everyday life in their woodland home. They are charming stories, told with great affection for the community of woodland creatures and beautifully illustrated by Margaret Tempest. Alison Uttley was born in Derbyshire at Castle Top farm near Cromford and had a deep love of nature as is evident in her writings. Apart from her prolific storytelling, she was also notable for being awarded a scholarship to study at Manchester University, where in 190...