After a 3 hour drive to Dorset with Elinor from Beach Hut Cook (who very kindly drove us there and back in her fabulous yellow mini!) we checked into our hotel, had an early dinner of pan-fried cod with a chickpea ratatouille, then an early night (8 uninterrupted hours for me!) and up at 6.30am for a very good full English breakfast washed down with tea, then onwards to Devon and River Cottage HQ.

We were both so excited to be invited to this VIP event for food bloggers by River Cottage and Foodies100.  The chance to see first hand how the farm operates and to sample the food.

We were transported from the farm entrance by tractor which was brilliant, Miss ND would have loved it, to say it was bumpy is a huge understatement but it really started the day on a great note with lots of laughing and hanging on to our seats!

We were greeted with a campfire and to go over the day’s itinerary from the relative comfort of a yurt.  Then it was coffee and pastries and time to network and have a little wander around this amazing space before starting the day’s activities.

Our first session was a Baking Soda Bread and Butter making session in the well-equipped River Cottage Cookery School with Group Head Chef Gill Meller.

The River Cottage Cookery school hosts 1, 2 or 4 day classic cookery courses covering a range of techniques and skills from baking breads, cakes and pastries to fish and shellfish cookery to specialist courses with more specific interests or dietary requirements covering anything from gluten-free baking to vegetarian cookery, cheese making, curing and smoking meats!  There is so much more to do at River Cottage, from dining to fairs, festivals and even weddings, check it all out here.

I make soda bread frequently as I have a mild yeast allergy, this bread, however, was made with Spelt flour, a flour I have in my larder but never used to make soda bread.  I shall be posting my version in another post (we still have a huge amount apples from our trees to cook with and blackberries in the freezer from our garden) along with another attempt at making butter.

The bread was packed with apples and blackberries (which we picked ourselves from the bushes outside), oats, goats cheese, fennel seeds, black pepper and honey.  We then attempted butter making, very much easier than I ever thought (if you use a mixer!) and the buttermilk that was squeezed out of the butter used as the liquid for our bread.  

I buy butter and buttermilk every week, but I think I may be making more of my own butter now!

Our next session was food photography styling with the lovely Lucy Heath who gave us a lot of inspiration for ideas and how to present our shots for the different social media platforms.  She laid out a lot of food props for us to have a hands-on session to try to replicate some of her ideas.  I love food photography, always learning so this was a real treat for me.

Lunch was then served in the barn, along with the amazing menu, it was a chance to relax and chat with like-minded food bloggers, food does have a way of bringing people together.

Our first course was a beef ravioli or leek and goat’s cheese ravioli for the vegetarians, freshly made silken wholemeal pasta with a beautiful basil pesto, served on a bed of ratatouille, leeks, thyme and garlic.  

River Cottage Beef Ravioli

River Cottage Leek, Goat’s Cheese Ravioli

This was served with delicious roasted corn on the cob and their freshly baked bread which had a crunchy crust with a pillowy soft centre that I slathered with lashings of butter!

Dessert was local foraged damsons with fennel meringue and the best icecream I have ever tasted, made that very morning, infused with salted caramel, coffee beans and Madagascan vanilla. I definitely need the recipe for that!

Our final session was a tour of the farm including the kitchen garden.  Will, the head gardener regaled us with his extensive knowledge of River Cottage’s certified organic farm and the vegetable kitchen garden where we found some unusual herbs and learnt about their methods of composting, crop rotation and harmonious planting.

We also saw some of the farm animals, notably the Black Pigs and the laying Chickens.  As a born and bred city girl (who now lives in the coastal/countryside) I loved seeing these creatures roaming relatively free and being treated with the utmost respect.

Throughout the day the River Cottage staff kept us well topped up with tea and coffee and to end the day we were treated to gorgeously soft (and moreish! I had 2!!) chocolate truffles with a final coffee to keep us going on the long journey home.

Thank you to River Cottage HQ and Foodies100 for the generous hospitality and putting on such a wonderful day of events and food!  I will definitely be revisiting.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Quinoa Vegetable Stuffing is a highly nutritious, extremely filling lunch or supper dish.  You can roast the Butternut Squash ahead of time, make the stuffing, assemble and pop back in the oven to warm through.

Butternut Squash is rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants. The beautiful orange colour of the butternut squash delivers an abundance of powerhouse nutrients known as carotenoids.  Rich in vitamin A in the form of beta carotene, its seeds are also rich in protein, healthy fats and zinc. Butternut Squash contains a good amount of fibre, potassium and magnesium. It is also a good source of Vitamins B1,B2, B6, Folic Acid, E, Calcium and Magnesium, and a rich source Vitamin C, Potassium and Manganese.

I roasted the Butternut Squash in Pukka Organic Ghee on recommendation and was not disappointed with the results, tasted so very buttery and soft.

The vegetable rich stuffing has added protein from the Quinoa to balance the meal with health giving properties of garlic, paprika and cumin make the dish tasty and nourishing.

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Yum

Roasted Butternut Squash with Quinoa Vegetable Stuffing

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients

• 1 medium - large Butternut Squash
• Ghee
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon Paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground Cumin
• 1 large carrot, blended or grated
• 1 large courgette, chopped or spiralised
• 2 tablespoons Tomato purée
• 200g approx passata
• Black Pepper
• 50g approx Quinoa, cooked
• 50g Mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Cut the Butternut Squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds.
2. Score the Butternut Squash diagonally to around 1cm depth.
3. Dot with as much Ghee or butter as necessary.
4. Roast at 160C for around 45 minutes until the Butternut Squash is buttery soft.
5. Gently fry the red onion and garlic until soft.
6. Add the Paprika and Cumin and fry for around 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the blended Carrot (I used my blender blade to finely chop the carrot).
8. Add a couple of tablespoons (or so) of water to the pan and place a lid on to steam them until softened.
9. Add the Courgette and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
10. Add the Tomato purée and Passata, stir in well and cook for a few minutes.
11. Season to taste with black pepper.
12. Add the cooked Quinoa to the Vegetable mixture and combine well.
13. Place the Quinoa, Vegetable mixture onto the roasted Butternut Squash, add to the scooped out holes and along the middle.
14. Sprinkle the grated Cheese evenly along the whole length of the Quinoa, Vegetable mixture.
15. Return the completed Butternut Squash to the oven and bake for around 10 minutes at 160C until the cheese has melted.

Notes

Cook Time includes 45 minutes roasting Butternut Squash, which can be roasted ahead of time and set aside.

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When Miss ND started school last September I was concerned about many things, one of them was what was she going to eat at school.  I know they will teach her reading, writing and arithmetic (although they are probably called something else these days!) and many other things but her health and wellbeing was most important to me especially as she had barely turned 4.

I read the school menu and  wrote over 1000 words for a post about it but have a lot of respect for the school cook, so it still sits in my drafts folder.  It wasn’t the improved Jaime Oliver school lunch experience I had hoped for but Miss ND loves her food and will try anything once.  So for the first school year she had school lunches and came out at 3.05pm so hungry that she hoovered up the snack box I made for her daily.   I wasn’t best pleased to hear about the small portion sizes and the time allowed to eat their food. Miss ND has a very healthy appetite and we all know that the little ones need time to eat and hopefully finish their food without getting indigestion or a stitch, I remember those!

The menu changes around October time for winter fare but I’m not holding my breath for any improvement (but would love to be surprised!) so I will be tackling the Lunchbox from September.  Believe me I don’t need the extra stress this may provide but replacing the days she really doesn’t like anything on the menu twice a week will be a start.  She is so excited to take one of her many lunchboxes in, to a 5 year old it is like a mini picnic with foods she enjoys.

Last  week I attended a bloggers event in London hosted by Making Sense of Sugar, along with Pediatric Nutritionist Ana-Kristina Skrapac and Chef Manju Malhi.  you can read about the event here. 

It was useful to brainstorm about food choices and the struggles we are facing when sending in a Lunchbox
into school.  I know how to balance a meal and I also know what nutrients my child needs to grow and have enough energy to last through the school day but it’s also about packing a lunchbox with food that she likes too (and has time to eat!).  I want to see that lunchbox empty at 3.05!  

Here are my girl’s (mummy approved) recommendations, we’re starting with simple but healthy choices:

– Sandwiches with oat bread, butter or coconut oil (she loves coconut oil), filled with flaked tuna mixed with crème fraîche and black pepper or egg and watercress or cheese and cucumber.   Wraps would just unravel at this point and I always overfill them, maybe next year! 
– Frittata – freshly made the night before (with added hidden vegetables) and lunch for mummy too!
– Pasta salad, tossed in coconut oil (she loves it straight from the spoon!) with flaked tuna and diced cucumber.
– Carrot and Cucumber batons with homemade hummus (always have some on the go, so easy to make).
– Cheese, Cheddar, Gouda, Edam in any form, sliced, blocks, etc.
– Fruit pot, apple, blueberries, grapes (nothing that turns to mush with a bit of lunchbox shaking, e.g. raspberries!)
– Banana – bananas contain around 50% naturally occurring fructose, as well as glucose, sucrose and maltose. But they also contain valuable potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and manganese as well as good amount of vitamin C.  Bananas are even a source of omega 3!
– Greek yogurt with berries/banana, etc
– Homemade bars and balls – nut free versions (recipes coming soon) or if pressed for time Organix Carrot Cake bar.
– Plain Popcorn (we love).
– Savoury homemade muffins, with bacon and cheese or sweet potato or courgette and goats cheese (these are sugar free too).

Balanced, filling and easy to eat in the allotted time!  That’s the plan anyway, 

As the colder months approach I will want to send in hot food but if our school does not have any reheating facilities I either have to send in a flask or think again.

I would love to hear what your children love to see in their lunchboxes too!

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Summer definitely has arrived here and living by the coast means that every weekend the beaches and cafes will be full to bursting, all good for the town’s economy, not so good for us to find a spot to eat or park!

One of the best things about the warmer months is eating outside, I especially love sharing a meal with Mr ND in the garden in the evening, it’s a good time to catch up on our day and relax once Miss ND is fast asleep.

Weekend lunches alfresco are also a favourite here, usually something light and not too time-consuming to make.  I roasted the Salmon the day before as it was to be eaten cold and the rest was a matter of making the rice and Quinoa and chopping the other ingredients.  I made a delicious marinade for the Salmon and a beautifully piquant but citrusy dressing for the salad.

Roasted Salmon Jewelled Rice and Quinoa Summer Salad

Salmon Marinade

1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon maple syrup
cayenne chilli, deseeded and chopped (I used around half of a small one)
around 1 inch of Ginger, finely grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of one Lime

Mix all the ingredients together and pour the marinade over the salmon and leave to marinate for around 30 minutes in the fridge.  Spoon marinade over the salmon once or twice during the 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C fan.  Roast the salmon for around 20 minutes until cooked through, I like it slightly crispy around the edges and do roast for a little longer if necessary.

Let the salmon cool, then refridgerate until needed.

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Jewelled Rice and Quinoa Summer Salad

I used 250g Long grain with wild rice and around half a cup of Quinoa both cooked in vegetable stock in separate pans.  Once cooked, let both cool, then combine and set aside.

My ingredients for the salad component were:

4 large Spring onions, thinly sliced
4-6″ Cucumber, diced
Half a medium red Pepper, diced
4 medium radishes, thinly sliced
2 fresh Apricots, chopped
1 large orange, chopped
seeds from 2 Pomegranates

Salad Dressing

Juice of 1 large orange and 1 lemon
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 generous teaspoon Dijon Mustard
freshly ground black pepper to your taste

Mix ingredients together in a small jug and stir well.

Combine the cooked rice and Quinoa with the salad ingredients and spread onto a large serving plate.  Chop the cooked Salmon into small cubes and dot around the plate.   Once served, pour dressing over the individual servings.  Tuck in!

I was delighted to receive a gift of cheese and biscuits from the Cheese Market recently and with summer upon us I decided to use some of it for this easy Blue Cheese and Broccoli pasta sauce.

The Cheese Market specialise in artisan cheese from specialist producers, most of which use milk from their own farms or the local area.  There is a huge selection of cheeses and related cheese gifts and for something a little different a Cheese wedding cake!

Mr ND does not do green vegetables easily unlike myself who eats Broccoli for breakfast some days!  This was a good way to infuse some into his green vegetable-less diet!

I do love cheese and in a pasta sauce, when melted, just divine.  The crème fraîche gives a little lightness to the sauce, use half fat if you like it even lighter.

Oxford Blue Cheese and Broccoli Pasta Sauce

Serves 2 – this recipe can be doubled up successfully

Prep Time:  15 minutes  Cook Time:  20 minutes

Ingredients

200g approx dried pasta

150g -200g Broccoli, steamed
125g Blue cheese, rind removed and chopped
100ml crème fraîche (half or full fat)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
grated lemon zest
black pepper

Method

Cook the pasta in boiling water, I used Fusilli Gigante, any sauce will cling well onto its curves.  Drain once cooked and set aside.

Blend the steamed Broccoli with a touch of water until you have a loose green purée.

Place the blue cheese and crème fraîche into a saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring continuously until you have a lovely blended, smooth sauce.  Add the lemon juice and zest along with plenty of black pepper.

Add the green Broccoli purée into the cheese sauce and stir until well combined.

Pour the sauce over the pasta and serve immediately.  Add more black pepper as desired.  We added a glass of Chenin Blanc and ate al fresco in the Saturday sunshine last weekend.