Leek and Mushroom Gratin

3 – 4 good-sized leeks
100g (4oz) medium sized mushrooms – white or chestnut
50g (2oz) butter
25g (1oz) plain flour
275 ml (½ pint) milk
50g (2oz) grated cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Method
• Trim and wash the leeks and cut into thin..ish slices.
• Put in a saucepan with the butter and sweat gently until the leeks are starting to soften – don’t allow them to brown or they will be bitter.
• Wipe, trim and slice the mushrooms and add them to the leeks.
• Continue to cook very gently until the leeks and mushrooms are soft – a few minutes.
• Add the flour and mix in well. Allow the flour to cook before adding the milk – don’t let it brown.
• Gradually add the milk and bring to the boil. Add the seasoning to taste.
• Pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish and sprinkle the cheese on top.
• Put under the grill and cook until the top is golden brown.
• Serve as a supper dish with fresh crusty brown bread or as an accompaniment to a main meal.

Leek and Stilton Flan
For the pastry For the filling
175 gms (6 oz) plain flour 3 medium leeks(trimmed, washed, and sliced)
75 gms (3 oz) butter 3 good-sized cloves of garlic – finely chopped
6 tsp. cold water (approx) 3 medium eggs
Pinch salt sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 Tablespoons milk
110 gms (4oz) blue stilton cheese
40gms (1½oz) butter
Method
• Prepare the pastry – sieve the flour and salt the work the butter into the flour until the texture is like fine breadcrumbs.
• Add enough cold water to ensure the mixture binds ( approx.1 tsp for every oz of flour but, a little more may be needed – don’t add too much water or your pastry will be hard and tough)
• Roll out the pastry fairly thinly, to line a flan dish or suitable plate (grease or oil well before putting the pastry into it). Trim. ( If you have added too much water the pastry will shrink when cooked).
• Bake the pastry case ‘blind’ – without filling – in a fairly hot oven – Gas 6 or 200°C for 15 - 20 minutes until the pastry is golden.
• In the meantime, ‘sweat’ the leeks and garlic in the butter until soft – don’t allow them to brown.
• Beat the eggs, seasoning and milk together in a bowl and grate the cheese.
• When the pastry is cooked, remove it from the oven and fill the flan with the cooked leeks. Add the egg mixture and top with the grated cheese.
• Return to the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Lower the heat and continue to cook until the filling has set and the topping cheese is golden.
• Serve with a mixed salad and onion marmalade.
Note
This dish can be served hot or cold, is good for a main meal or in small slices as a starter, or for a picnic.
Stilton can be replaced by cheddar, gruyere or any other suitable ‘melting’ cheese.

Leek and Potato Soup
3 good-sized leeks – trimmed, washed and sliced( a personal taste – I like some of the green part in as well
About ½ kilo (1lb) potatoes – use fairly floury potatoes,(I’am using Sarpo Mira or Sarpo Axona)
2 – 3 good sized garlic cloves – peeled and chopped
1 litre ( 2pints) vegetable or chicken stock
A good tablespoon of butter
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Chopped parsley or coriander
A few spoonfuls of single cream
Method
• Melt the butter in a large pan and sweat the leeks and garlic, until soft – don’t allow them to brown.
• Wash and peel the potatoes then cut into smallish chunks.
• Add the potatoes and seasoning to the pan and stir in with the leeks.
• Add the stock and seasoning and bring the soup to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until all the vegetables are well cooked.
• Put the soup through a blender or ‘mash’ well to ensure all the ingredients are broken down. Correct the seasoning to your taste.
• If you wish you can add the cream and stir in well OR pour a little cream to each bowl as a decoration to each dish before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley or coriander. Enjoy!
• This soup freezes well but is best fresh.

Helen’s Pumpkin and Coconut Soup
A totally delicious soup from my friend – Helen Yates
1 medium sized pumpkin or squash
A little olive oil
 1 stalk of lemon grass
A tin of coconut milk
1 litre (2 pints) vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
• Peel and roughly chop the pumpkin or squash.
• Drizzle with olive oil and roast but don't let it go black.
• Remove from oven and put in a large saucepan with a bruised stalk of lemon grass.
• Cover with a light vegetable stock and simmer until the pumpkin flesh is really soft.
• Remove the lemon grass and liquidise the pumpkin and stock, if it looks too thick add a touch more stock.
• Put the lemon grass back in and add a tin of coconut milk, then heat gently. Remove the lemon grass before serving.
• Serve with hot crusty bread – delicious!

Butternut Squash Soup
1 Medium to large butternut squash ( well this depends on the average you have produced on your plot)
 2 Large potatoes ( the floury variety)
1 litre ( 2 pints) chicken or vegetable stock
1 medium Chilli pepper ( my choice is for Joe’s Long, I find them reliably medium hot even in cool years)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Finely chopped coriander
 2 – 3 cloves of garlic
150 ml ( ¼ pint double cream) if you wish you can add milk to deduce the fat content.
A dollop of crème fraishe to garnish.
Method
• Wash and cut the squash in half lengthways. Remove the seeds.
• Peel the garlic cloves and put them in the seed spaces of the squashes to raost.
• Roast the squash – oven 180ºC no 5 gas for 25 to 30 mins.
• In the meantime, wash, peel and cut the potatoes into cubes.
• Put the potatoes into a large saucepan with the stock, chilli and seasoning and bring to the boil. Simmer gently.
• When the squash is cooked and soft, scoop it (with the roasted garlic), into the saucepan. Bring to the boil then simmer gently for 10 minutes or so to blend the flavours.
• Put through a blender or blitz with a hand blender until smooth. If you don’t have electronic equipment, just mash the ingredients well.
• Correct the seasoning to taste and serve.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and a dollop of crème fraishe
• Serve with hot crusty brown or white bread.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Roasted Potatoes – this recipe came from Philip Drew, but I can’t find his original so this is my take on his idea
1 – 2 medium onions - red onions for preference – peeled and cut into chunks
½ kilo suitable roasting potatoes – washed, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 medium butternut squash – sliced, peeled and deseeded then cut into chunks
1 garlic bulb – separate the cloves and skin them
A good dollop of top quality olive oil
A good sprinkle of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Some sprigs of rosemary
Method
• Prepare the vegetables.
• Heat the oil in a roasting pan until hot - 200ºC, No 6 gas
• Toss the prepared squash, onions and potatoes in the hot oil.
• Add the seasoning, herbs and garlic and return to the oven.
• Cook for a further 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are golden brown and crunchy ( this will depend on the size you have cut them.
• Serve immediately with any roast meat or with a nut roast.
Note – an excellent choice for Christmas dinner.

Squash or pumpkin and Chicken Breast Parcels
This is a low fat main dish par excellence, but very, very tasty and satisfying.
Per person you will need:
1 chicken breast – without skin – left whole
3 slices of butternut squash (1cm thick - ½inch) skinned and sliced – OR - use the flesh from a range of squashes or pumpkins instead with excellent results
1 piece of fruit – a pear, apple or peach / nectarine – washed and sliced – leave the skin on.
3 – 4 medium mushrooms – wiped and sliced
3 – 4 mini tomatoes or one regular sliced
Herbs – be generous (my choice is for a mixture of lemon thyme, tarragon and marjoram with parsley, but do use you own favourites)
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
A knob of butter – if you must!
Method
• You will need a sheet of tinfoil or greaseproof paper for each portion. Spread it out and add the prepared ingredients – it really doesn’t matter what order you add them to the pile.
• Season well and add your chosen herbs.
• Close the parcel and put in an oven proof dish.
• Bake in a preheated oven 180ºC, No 5 gas for about an hour.
• Remove from the ‘parcel’ onto the plate and serve with mashed or baked potatoes and green vegetables.
Note This makes an excellent supper party dish wrapped in greaseproof paper where each guest has their own parcel.
• The flavouring ingredients can be changed – spices and chillies, peppers, curry spices, a different range of fruit, grated lemon or orange rind, etc. You can put sliced or tiny potatoes into the parcel. They will take longer to cook and will absorb the juices from the ingredients making a drier dish but, the upside is that the whole dish is cooked together.