ALLIUM URSINUM

I was in Valvona's a couple of weeks ago when I spotted bags of wild garlic. If I'm perfectly honest, aside from them bringing back childhood memories of summers spent in France playing in the woods, I wasn't entirely sure what I'd do with them and so I left them where they were. However, they played on my mind ever since so I returned last week to buy some. Of course, on that occassion they didn't have any and so I thought I had missed my chance this year. That is until yesterday when I popped in to buy a wee panettone to munch on the way home - there they were again. So this time I grabbed two lots and wandered home in the sunshine, taking surreptitious sniffs at their glorious garlicky fragrance all the way...

Wild garlic leaves - or ramsons - are long and glossy and look similar to that of Lily of the Valley, though eating the poisonous latter isn't to be recommended as this can apparantly lead to death. Lovely. So the moral of the story is: if in doubt, rub the leaves. If your fingers smell of garlic, you're safe.

After giving the matter of what to do with them some thought and a touch of research the obvious choice was to make a pesto. If like me you adore anything garlicky and a have a wee penchant for a good homemade pesto, you will love love love this. In fact to be prefectly frank, even if you have a general fondness for garlic you'd do well to get yourself out of the house and track down some of these wild leaves because this pesto is good enough to eat on it's own with a spoon. Although I'm not sure your loved ones will thank you for it afterwards.


WILD GARLIC PESTO
Serves 2 garlic lovers or 4 lightweights

(I'm afraid these are more of my vague measurements - adjust to taste)
50g wild garlic leaves
a tiny wee sprinkle of Maldon sea salt
50g pine nuts (or however much you fancy)
inch lump of parmesan, chopped into bits (ditto)
a good slug of olive oil (ditto)

Give the leaves a good rinse and dry (a salad spinner is useful here), and cut away the thickest part of the stalks.

Chop the leaves up fairly finely and put them in a pestle and mortar. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of Maldon (don't over do it or the pesto will be horribly salty - just enough so that the tiny crystals grind into the leaves), and pound away with the pestle until the leaves start to mush a bit and your olfactory senses are given a right old treat.

Add the pine nuts and parmesan and continue to pound and grind until the mixture resembles pesto - add the olive oil as you go along and taste test all the while.

If you decide to make this - and I really hope you do - this is the point at which you swoon and wish you'd made more.


This pesto was to accompany simply baked trout fillets (or really, the trout accompanied the pesto...), but I needed to make something else to go alongside it. As the pesto utilised the garlic leaves in their raw form, I thought it would be nice to make something which involves cooking them, and that's when I thought of dolmades. I'm not the biggest fan of dolmades normally, mainly because of the texture of the vines leaves which are traditionally used to wrap them - they can sometimes be a little chewy and stringy. I thought the delicate texture of the wild garlic leaves would be a perfect substitute and the mild flavour when cooked would lend itself well to these little parcels.

Now, at this point I think it's important to say that if you're planning a quick fuss free dinner, dolmades is not the way to go. They're a bit fiddly. However, they were delicious, went superbly with the trout and pesto and I'll definitely make them again. Just not when I'm falling over with hunger.





WILD GARLIC DOLMADES
Serves 2 - 3

16 good sized wild garlic leaves, washed
100g bulgar wheat
200g good vegetable stock
2 shallots
8-10 olives
8-10 sun dried tomatoes
handful fresh mint
handful fresh parsley
squeeze lemon juice
slug olive oil
1 teaspoon harissa

Rinse the bulgar wheat and place in a bowl, pour over the stock and cover. Leave for 30 minutes.

Blanch the wild garlic leaves in boiling water and refresh immediately in a bowl of iced water. Set aside.

When the bulgar wheat is tender, strain off any remaining stock if necessary.

Finely shop the shallot and gently cook in a little olive oil until translucent. Chop the olives, sun dried tomatoes, mint and parsley and add to the bulgar wheat along with the shallots.

Add a squeeze of lemon, a slug of olive oil and season to taste. Loosen the teaspoon of harissa with a little hot water (about a tablespoon) and add to the mixture. Mix well.

Take two wild garlic leaves and lay shiny side down, slightly over lapping. Straighten off the stalk ends.

Place a spoonful of the bulgar wheat mixture in the middle of the leaves at the stalk end and fold over once, tucking the sides in as tightly as you can. Roll up into a neat sausage-shaped parcel, ensuring that there are no gaps. Repeat this process until you have eight.

Place the dolmades in a steamer (I very slightly oiled the bottom of mine so that they wouldn't stick), and steam for 15-20 minutes.

These would also be good with a little crumbled feta or halloumi added to the bulgar wheat.

A heady and aromatic dinner - needless to say, I apologise in advance to anyone who will have the misfortune to find themselves in close conversation with me tomorrow.

COCOGHURT

Tonight was one of those evenings when I got in from my run and just couldn't be bothered to cook anything. So it was a wholemeal pitta stuffed full of vegetables and tuna I'm afraid - very gourmet indeed.

However, I did buy three juicy mangos today and one of them in particular was just begging to be eaten this evening so that's exactly what I did. I spruced it up with a yoghurty concoction which really doesn't merit the writing of an actual recipe but it consisted basically of this:

a dollop of Total greek 2% fat yoghurt

a wee chunk of pure creamed coconut, softened with a TINY bit of freshly boiled water - and I really do mean TINY - just enough to make it into a thick paste

a wee dribble of Belvoir organic ginger cordial (because that's what was in the fridge but if you've got a jar of stem ginger in syrup the syrup from that would be just grand)

The measurements are deliberately vague because it's a real 'to taste' number, but I just mixed it all together and plonked it on the sliced mango and I'm telling you this because it was very tasty. It would be good also if the mango was brushed with honey and caramelised under the grill... but I was far to impatient for any of that tonight.

The greek yoghurt is the essential bit because it's nice and thick - although plain fromage frais would be good too. Oooh, but the best thing in the world to do with plain fromage frais is to ladle Banania by the heap-load into it - DElicious - if you're ever in France, or know anyone who is, buy Banania. It's the greatest thing ever.

Anyway...

Trust me, I tried to make this look good, I honestly did but it just wasn't playing the game. So against my better judgement here is a picture of said gingerycoconutyyoghurtymango. It tasted better than it looks.

GROWING UP

Well I do believe there seems to be some progress. Not much I grant you, but a little. We appear to have new leaves. How very exciting.

THIS ONE'S FOR CHEF MD!

I have just been very pleasantly surprised to find a comment on my previous Warm and Nutty Cinamon Quinoa post - from none other than the author of Chef MD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine himself, Dr John La Puma.

I am thrilled - and very flattered - that he took the time to look at my blog, and contrary to what I thought, his Chef MD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine is indeed available to buy in the UK from Amazon.

It's definitely on my shopping list...

THIS ONE'S FOR RACHEL

I came across a recipe on 101 Cookbooks last night that I just could not resist. At the risk of looking as though I search other food blogs for ideas and then simply regurgitate them as my own, I simply had to share this one with one with you.

I am a masive fan of quinoa. Whilst not technically a grain, quinoa can be used as a substitute for nearly any grain in cooking. Actually the seed of a leafy plant, quinoa’s relatives include spinach, beetroot and Swiss chard.

It's beneficial properties are seemingly endless: a good source of dietary fibre and phosphorus, high in magnesium and iron, easily digested, rich in protein (12%-18%), iron, potassium and other vitamins and minerals, and unlike wheat or rice, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete food.

And perhaps most importantly it is delicious, with a delicate and slightly nutty flavour, making it a great alternative to cous cous or white rice. I eat this frequently but when I do I always use it in savoury dishes - cooked in a little stock and mixed with roasted vegetables, as an accompaniment or in fact as a dish in itself with a tomato salad on the side, say.

So when I saw this recipe on 101 Cookbooks from Chef MD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine (which unfortuantely seems to only be available in the USA) I knew immediately what I'd be having for breakfast this morning.

WARM AND NUTTY CINNAMON QUINOA adapted from that published on 101 Cookbooks

Serves 4

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup milk

1 cup water

2 cups fresh blackberries or blueberries

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped nuts, toasted (I used almonds, but pecans or walnuts would be good too)

honey to taste

Combine milk, water and rinsed quinoa in a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

While the quinoa is cooking, lightly toast the nuts in a dry non-stick pan.

When most of the liquid is absorbed turn off the heat, cover and stand for 5 minutes.

Stir in the cinnamon, berries and some of the nuts, reserving some berries and nuts for serving.

Serve in a bowl with the remaining nuts and berries on top. Drizzle over honey to taste.

I usually eat porridge in the morning but I think after today, quinoa is going to be making a regular appearance at my breakfast table.

BANK HOLIDAY BLISS

So here we are, at the end of a lovely sunny bank holiday weekend. Spent with friends, it's been quite eventful.

Friday night saw the start of the weekend in Glasgow with Carrie, who was visiting from London where she is a Features Writer for a Wedding glossy. She seems to be always jetting off to some glamorous destination on a press trip - having recently returned from Safari in South Africa, she spent last week in Paris and is off to the Seychelles next week. I, of course, am not jealous AT ALL.

Another perk of her job is to road-test 'wedding nights' in the country's swankiest hotels, and this is a perk which she often shares with friends. Last Easter weekend we stayed in a suite at the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge, where we laughed our heads off during a very long and entertaining dinner in their Michelin Star restaurant Foliage. It was a veritable battle to get through the seemingly endless plates of food - not because they were bad, but perhaps stuffing our faces with cakes at Laduree an hour before our dinner reservation wasn't the best idea in the world. Indeed the food was extraordinary, but the service was even more so. I will never forget the running commentary which accompanied every one of the many courses and bottles of wine, and the waiter who was so attentive he walked me to the ladies room and then ran to the table after me when I tried in vain to get back without him noticing.

This year, she invited me along to stay in Glasgow's Hotel du Vin at One Devonshire Gardens. I've been fortunate enough to stay and eat there before and have always enjoyed it so was looking forward going again. Dinner was included and the food was undoubtedly very good, but we couldn't help but snigger at the 'air' (aka foam) gracing nearly every dish.

I decided to have a 'just one' drink with dinner, having been tee-total for the past few weeks in preparation for the Bupa Great Run Edinburgh 10k. A bottle of wine later and a declaration of that old 'in for a penny...' chestnut, I saw fit to consume my body weight in alchohol and ended the evening at 2.30 on Saturday morning, watching Super Nanny in the massive bed and nursing a Gin and Tonic... oops. Needless to say, after a breakfast of eggs benedict to soak up the offending alchohol, Saturday was spent cursing my stupidity and drinking copious amounts of water in a vain attempt to correct my wrongs.

Despite my spectacularly ill-timed fall off the wagon and subsequent hangover-from-hell, I ran in the aforementioned race yesterday and it was quite an experience. Edinburgh is a hilly city and the weather was warm and humid so it was a challenge, and Friday night's antics certainly didn't help. However it was great fun with a real sense of achievement at the end. Rowan, Alex and Richard cheered me on at the finish line and we celebrated afterwards over lunch in The Ship on the Shore in Leith. Needless to say, I won't be drinking between now and the next race on the 18th. No really...

I was flicking through the May issue of Olive magazine in the hotel in Glasgow when I came across a recipe for Chicken Baked with Globe Artichokes and Lemon. Now having already previously waxed lyrical about my obsession with chicken and lemons, I won't be a bore, but adding artichokes into the mix? Hello! I'm there! I love artichokes. When I was little my Mum used to simmer them in a big pan of water and serve them whole with bowls of vinaigrette containing chopped boiled egg. I still love to dip the leaves into this gloopy mixture before scraping off the sweet flesh with my teeth. And those beautiful chargrilled and marinated artichoke heart antipasti that the Italians do so brilliantly - I could happily eat by the bucket load. So it was a bit of a no-brainer really when I considered what to make for dinner tonight.

We are so lucky in Edinburgh to have Valvona and Crolla, a fantastic and renouned Italian specialist food shop and wine merchant (and purveyor of particularly good aforementioned chargrilled artichoke hearts). The smell alone is as good a reason as any to pay a visit and if you're feeling at all weary, a trip to Valvona's will almost certainly lift your spirits. There I found some beautiful little purple artichokes nestling amongst the vegetables and a lemon so huge and regal with it's glossy leaves intact I couldn't resist it.

I think people are often put off using artchokes because of the perceived amount of preparation required but it's really quite easy. For this recipe you need to cut off the stalk flush with the base, pull off the tough outer layer of leaves and trim the remaining ones with scissors. Cut off the pointed top, cut into quaters and remove the indigestible choke. Place in a bowl of cold water with the juice of half a lemon to stop it from going brown.

The recipe was so straightforward that I used it rather as a guide rather than a step by step set of instructions. In a nutshell: I took 4 small onions cut into wedges and layed them in the bottom of a large casserole with a couple of lemons cut into quarters, 4 garlic cloves which had been squashed and the prepared artichokes, then topped this with a good slug of white wine and a drizzle of olive oil. I then placed the chicken on top - cleaned, seasoned, stuffed full of lemons and with a little butter pushed carefully between the skin and flesh on the breast to keep it moist. Into the oven at around 190 degrees for about 20 minutes per 500g plus 30 minutes.

When the chicken was ready I placed it aside to rest, drained some of the lemony juices to eat with the chicken and stirred a handful of chopped parsely through the vegetables in the pan. Served simply with a basic green lettuce to mop up the sticky juices it was a delicious end to the day.

No dessert tonight but I must just tell you about my new favorite thing - The Ginger People's Original Ginger Chews from California. I came across these by chance on a recent trip to Beets (to buy more Clipper Chamomile and Lavendar tea - another fixation of mine) and frankly I think I need to go back and buy their entire stock. They. Are. So. Good. If like me you love the fiery taste of a good strong ginger beer and the warming sensation as it slides down your throat, you'll love these. Good for nausea too, they are are the bees knees.

FAST FOOD

For some people the notion of coming home after a day's work and then spending the whole evening in the kitchen is nothing short of hideous. I couldn't disagree more. For me, cooking is the ultimate stress relief (unless of course I'm making Chocolate-Tart-Topped-With-Soft-Meringue) and the source of complete catharsis. What better way to switch off from the pressures of the outside world than to lock yourself in your kitchen and create?

That said however, there are definitely times when speed is called for; when the rumble in your belly is louder than your desire to potter and you need to come up with the goods quickly.

After this evening's run I needed to eat. Fast. Fortunately I had pre-empted such a situation and had some beautiful crevettes in the fridge waiting for me. A popular dish in this household, this has got to be one of the easiest and quickest way to prepare these little creatures.

Serves 2

tablespoon of olive oil

2 red birds eye chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped

2 fat cloves of garlic, finely chopped

16 large crevettes from a good supplier

a glass of good white wine - I use a Sancerre and drink the rest with dinner...

a handful of parsley, roughly chopped

In a shallow pan, very very gently heat the chillies and garlic. The idea is to flavour the oil and soften the garlic - not to fry it. Keep an eye on this as the garlic can burn easily - whisk the pan off the heat if it heats up too fast. If the garlic burns it becomes acrid and you'll need to start again!

When the garlic has started to soften and smells delicious and sweet, add the crevettes.

As they start to change from grey to vibrant orange, move them around a little. You don't want to over-cook them, just allow them to colour evenly. This should take very little time.

At this point, add the wine. Allow the wine to come up to a gentle simmer, then place a lid on the pan and allow the crevettes to cook for a minute or so - no more.

Throw in the parsley and you're good to go.

We eat this out of the pan with our hands like heathens and mop up the juices with crusty bread. The first couple will definitely test the heat sensitivity in your fingers but I promise - you won't care.