Recipes

If like me, you love nothing more than a good sausage, then this is the recipe for you! I love it with some seasonal locally sourced veg (Glastonbury market has an excellent organic veg stall courtesy of Somerset Organic Link) and something full bodied, rich and red. You can always substitute the meat for veggie sausages too. Just the job for those chilly winter nights.

Somerset sausage and potato casserole

Ingredients

15ml/1 tblsp vegetable oil
8 large Cumberland sausages
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 leek, sliced
1 large waxy potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 onion, chopped
15ml/1 tblsp plain flour
300ml/ 1/2 pint Somerset dry cider
1 red skinned eating apple, quartered and chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
Method

1. Heat the oil and fry the sausages for 5 minutes.
2. Using a slotted spoon transfer the sausages to a casserole dish.
3. Add the celery, onion, leek and potato to the oil and fry for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the flour and continue to cook for 1 minute.
5. Gradually add the cider then pour over the sausages with the apple. Season to taste.
6. Cover and cook for 50 minutes.
7. Serve
8. Scoff

Delicious! You use an apple in that recipe but I would like to know if anyone knows wher I could get some Morgan Sweet apples to buy in the Autumn, my mum loves them as whe she was evacuated during the war to Weare, the farm she lived on had a Morgan Sweet orchard and they have a great sense of nostalgia for her. Seems they are hard to come by though, but they do have dual use as an eating apple and cider making apple.

As it is Shrove Tuesday, here is my delicious recipe for vegan pancakes (although no doubt by now anyone who likes pancakes will have gorged themselves already):


2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoon sugar (or agave syrup as I prefer)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups soy milk or water
   (optional: dash of cinnamon)

Directions:

Lightly mix all ingredients in a large bowl; leave 5-10 minutes to rise.

It is important only to mix the batter enough to blend all the ingedients, and don't really thrash it or mix too violently, as this will make the pancakes tough. Stir it all again and then leave for another 5 minutes, then mix again.

Cook on a medium medium-high in a lightly oiled pan till golden, and toss or turn with a spatula midway through.

Serve immediately with sweet or savoury toppings - my favourite is lemon juice and maple syrup.

Serves: 4

Here's a lovely little tastebud tickler my foodie friends - something to have you licking those lips and swooning with delight. Some good old fashioned snackie comfort food - see what you think:

Cheese and Apple Toast (serves two)

Toast one slice of bread per person
Grate 4oz strong cheddar cheese
Peel a sweet eating apple and chop into small cubes

Put the grated cheese and diced apple into the bowl and mix together well, add a sprinkle of blck pepper and a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard. Butter the toast and pile on the cheese and apple mixture. Place in a hot oven or unde the grill for about 8 - 10 minutes. The apple will soften and begin to caramelise as the cheese melts.......