'Taste of the Farm' recipes from Flourish

Lulu Cox went from the kitchen of Rochelle Canteen to the fields of Flourish Produce where she’s been volunteering during lockdown. She’s generously shared two simple delicious recipes below, along with her diary for a week at Flourish which you can read here.

Broad Beans & Berkswell

Ingredients

• A handful of fresh, raw and young broad beans, in their pods

• A slab of berkswell, (at room temperature )

• Chilled white wine, with floral notes

I first read a variation of this recipe in Rachel Roddy’s incredible Four Quarters Cookbook. If you don’t already know it, I highly recommend this book. 

I’ve omitted Pecorino for Berkswell – a delicious salty, hard, sheep’s cheese from the West Midlands. I bought this from Neal’s Yard, who are famous for championing British farmhouse cheeses. Coronavirus has significantly affected the cheese making industry, so now is a great time to support them whilst indulging in their wonderful products!

I repeat – allow your cheese to come to room temperature, and ensure your wine is chilled. Then enjoy popping freshly podded beans into your mouths, in between relishing chunks of Berkswell and gulps of wine! 

Confit Wet Garlic & Goats Curd on Toast

Ingredients

Confit Garlic

• 400ml x Olive Oil

• 4 x Wet Garlic Bulbs 

• 2 x Bay Leaves 

• 4 x Black Peppercorns 

To assemble 

• 80g x goats curd

• 1 handful of picked mint leaves, finely sliced 

Preheat Oven 150 degrees. Trim your wet garlic, and place into a wide based saucepan. Cover with olive oil, and add the rest of the ingredients. You are using a fair bit of olive oil here, but fear not – you’ll be left with a delicious garlicky oil that can be stored and used again.  

Place your pan on the hob and allow the oil to come to the boil, when it’s up, place a cartouche on top and into your preheated oven. Allow to gently cook for 20-30 minutes, or until your bulbs, when poked with a metal skewer are soft. Allow to cool. 

Toast your sourdough and then liberally spread the goats curd on top. Gently hold the bulb end of the garlic and , using the tip of a sharp knife split it lengthways down the middle. (Imagine it’s a vanilla pod !) Scatter the finely and gently sliced mint on top. It’s important to use a sharp knife, as herbs bruise very easily. Your aim is to delicately slice through with as little contact as possible. 

We enjoyed this with a simple green salad, and rainbow chard from the farm. A perfect lockdown lunch, celebrating ingredients from Flourish & Neals Yard Dairy.