3 Gathering-Worthy Recipes From Top Gardener Sarah Raven
All products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however we may make commission on some products.
I first wrote my introduction to this book 20 or so years ago and it remains as true now as it was then. This book is all about the pleasures that fruit and vegetables can give you; its aim is to put them at the centre of every meal. It’s also a practical guide to all that is wonderful in the edible plant kingdom, with more than 450 recipes using the vegetable garden – or a good seasonal market or greengrocer – as both their source and inspiration. It’s not a vegetarian book, although it contains plenty of recipes that have nothing but vegetables in them.
At university, like so many before me and since, I read Elizabeth David over and over again, and I cooked with her books to hand in a tiny house I used to rent in the mountains of the Auvergne. Then, to support myself through medical school in London, I waitressed at The River Café, which has done so much to bring the Italian culinary tradition into the English mainstream. These influences moulded me to a way of cooking that is based on really good ingredients and that focuses on taste rather than appearance. Fruit and vegetables lend themselves to simplicity; the less you do to them, the better. Food cooked this way is alive with the flavour of its raw ingredients.
A great bonus of eating local, seasonal food is that your diet will never be repetitive. As the seasons unfold, old favourites recur and new opportunities present themselves. And, for the most part, there’s no need for it to have travelled from the other side of the world. In the winter, there are almost as many delicious possibilities as there are in summer.
I have poured enormous amounts of myself and my life into this book. I think of it as a compendium of everything I’ve loved in the garden and the kitchen over the last 15 or 20 years. I’m hoping that you will cook your way through it and that, over the years, you’ll have a good time doing so. But I have a further ambition for you, too. If you’re lucky enough to have access to any outdoor space, growing fruit and vegetables is a wonderful thing to do. It can’t be claimed that growing your own food is not time-consuming but it is, I think, a way to be happy, involving a little thinking, some physical work and some creativity. Harvesting and cooking from the garden is one of my greatest pleasures in life.
Inspired? Here are three recipes to try at home
Sage & Squash Soufflé
These twice-cooked soufflés are a lovely orangey colour and, with the goats’ cheese and sage, have a fantastic flavour. They can be prepared ahead and will rise again when you bake them a second time, which makes them ideal for a party.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6. Butter or oil 4 ramekins. Cut the squash into 2 halves, scrape out the seeds, add the butter and sugar to each half and season well. Cover lightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, until the squash is really tender. Spoon out the flesh and blend to a purée. Leave the oven on.
Bring the milk to the boil with the bay leaf and the mace, and leave to infuse for a few minutes off the heat. In another pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes and then gradually add the hot milk, stirring continuously. Allow to simmer very gently for another minute or two. Transfer this mixture to a bowl and add the squash purée, chopped chilli, sage and goats’ cheese. Mix well. Add the egg yolks and mix thoroughly to combine. Check the seasoning.
In another bowl, whisk the 3 egg whites until stiff and dry, and fold very carefully into the squash mixture with a large metal spoon. You must retain the lightness of the egg white.
Spoon into the ramekins and place in a baking tin. Add about 2cm boiling water to the tin and bake the soufflés in the oven for about 15 minutes, until they are puffed up and just firm but not too brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. They can now be left, covered, in the fridge until you need them.
Again, preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6. With a sharp knife, ease the cold soufflés out of the ramekins and put them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Dust the tops with freshly grated parmesan and re-bake until they have risen and browned.
Roast Parsnips Rolled in Parmesan
These are crunchy and sweet, and great with any meat or stew, to eat with an aperitif, or as a first course dipped into crème fraîche flavoured with dill and/or chilli jam.
Preheat the oven to 190ºC/Gas mark 5 and put an oiled baking tin in it to get really hot. Peel the parsnips and cut them into wedges, then steam them for 10 minutes.
Mix the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan. Dip the hot parsnips in the seasoned flour, then into the beaten egg and lastly roll them in the breadcrumb mixture.
Put the parsnips into the preheated oven in the oiled baking tin and roast for about 35 minutes, until tender and golden brown.
Cranberry Tart With Hot Toffee Sauce
This is a great pudding for eating at any time when you have lots of people to feed. It has a good balance of sweet and sour. You can swap cranberries with rhubarb. Serve with crème fraîche.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas mark 4. Grease a 20cm-diameter springform cake tin.
Put the cranberries in a non-stick pan with the orange juice and zest and mix well in the tin. Cook them for about 3-4 minutes, until the cranberries pop.
Put the just-cooked cranberries into the prepared cake tin. Sprinkle with half the sugar and the pecans, and mix well.
In a bowl, beat the remaining sugar with the egg and mix very well (for 4-5 minutes) until the mixture pales and leaves a trail as you whisk. Add the flour and melted butter to make a smooth batter. Pour this over the cranberries in the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes.
To make the toffee sauce, heat the sugar, butter and cream together until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is bubbling. Take off the heat and serve warm. This makes generous quantities of sauce and you may have some left over for ice cream the following day. Serve the tart warm with the hot toffee sauce and crème fraîche.
Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook was published on 31st August and can be ordered here.
DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at info@sheerluxe.com.