Recipe recommendations
No-dig inspired
Each month I'll share one of my favourite recipes to this page, focusing on the ingredients that are ready to pick that month.
Be sure to share and tag your triumphs @bishopstrowhotel
Darren Stephens, Chef-Gardener
October 2024
CHOCOLATE BROWNIE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
Inevitably we are left with a carved-up pumpkin or two after October 31st or maybe you have some winter squash and you want to try something different with it. This is a baked cheesecake made with pureed pumpkin and chocolate brownie as a base instead of the classic biscuit base. I've also added chocolate-dipped honeycomb because more is more!
Chocolate brownie base
110g butter
225g caster sugar
70g dark chocolate
2 eggs
50g plain flour
20g cocoa powder
50g pecans
Grease an 8” spring form pan and double wrap the outside of the pan in foil.
Melt the butter and chocolate together slowly and cool to room temperature. Whisk the eggs and sugar together till airy. Fold in the chocolate mixture to the eggs and then sift in the flour and cocoa powder and add the nuts. Line the base of the spring form pan with the brownie mixture, this wants to be fairly thin about 3cm or deeper if you like, there will be enough mixture. Bake for 20 minutes at 180C and leave to cool.
Pumpkin cheesecake
225g cream cheese at room temp
425g pumpkin mash smooth at room temp
4 eggs
150g caster sugar
100g brown sugar
60g sour cream
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1tsp Vanilla extract
Salt 1/2 tsp
In a large bowl beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, sugars, sour cream, vanilla, flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt and beat until combined and no clumps remain. Set aside.
Pour cheesecake filling over the brownie base and place the pan in a baking dish. Place on oven rack and pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the pan. Bake until cheesecake is slightly jiggly in the centre, for about 45mins at 160C
Turn the oven off, prop open the oven door, and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the pan from the water and unwrap the foil. Refrigerate cheesecake until totally chilled, at least 4 hours and up to overnight
September 2024
COURGETTE AND BASIL BREAD
Most keen growers I speak to either struggle with courgettes, mainly due to slug damage, or have so many they don’t know what to do with them. If you are in the latter group then this is a lovely way of utilising them. I served this with hummus and garden crudités at our harvest dinner at Bishopstrow with some lovely feedback.
450g courgettes
2 tsp salt
125g plain flour
125g spelt flour, whole wheat
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sodium bicarbonate
1 tsp salt
4 spring onions finely sliced
30g basil roughly chopped
100g of grated cheddar
2 large eggs
170g buttermilk
Grate the courgette and mix with 2 tsp of salt and leave to sit in a colander over the sink for 30 mins. Squeeze the courgette to release all the excess liquid and set to one side. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients until well combined. Add the courgette, basil, spring onion and cheddar and mix together lightly. Separately whisk the eggs and buttermilk together. Then fold the buttermilk and egg mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing only until just combined – any more and the bread could turn out tough. Fill small loaf tins three-quarter way full and bake for 45 minutes at 180C or until a small knife inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool completely before removing from the loaf tin.
August 2024
FIG LEAF PANNA COTTA WITH RASPBERRIES, WHITE CURRANTS AND HONEY
We have two big fig trees in the river garden along the south-facing wall. We planted them two years ago now and I’m hopeful of some fruit later this year. In the meantime, we can utilise the leaves of which they have plenty. Along with our raspberries which we have just started to pick
Serves 6
Panna cotta
1 litre double cream
4 fig leaves
160g sugar
3 gelatine leaves
Warm the cream till just below boiling point, add the fig leaves, and remove them from the heat. Leave the leaves to infuse overnight.
Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until bloomed. Strain the leaves out of the cream and bring back to a boil with the sugar, stirring to dissolve. Remove from the heat to cool slightly. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine and add to the cream, whisking to dissolve it completely. Pour into moulds and set overnight.
Once set dip the mould into warm water and tip.
June 2024
PAN ROASTED CARROTS WITH CARROT TOP SALSA VERDE, BABY VEGETABLES AND SEARED SQUID
Serves 4
I recently did a cooking demo at the Bath Foodie festival and of course, I was showcasing all the abundant produce from our kitchen garden. The star of the show is the whole carrot with the squid in more of a supporting role.
1 bunch of young carrots with tops
30g parsley
30g mint
4 spring onions sliced fine
20g capers
1 lemon
Olive oil
1 tsp Sriracha
5 pickled chilli peppers and their liquid
180g cleaned squid, tubes sliced into rings and tentacle halves
100g roasted and salted pistachios chopped
1 bunch baby beetroot cooked and peeled
Baby courgettes
Cut the young feathery green tops from the carrots, and discard the thicker stems and older leaves. Wash well and dry. Chop the carrot tops, parsley and mint together and add the spring onions, capers, zest of a lemon, sriracha, chopped chilli and two tablespoons of its liquid. Stir in enough olive oil to bind it and season. It should be bright and bracing.
Heat a heavy pan on medium heat and slice the carrots in half if quite large or leave whole if small. Lay the carrots in the pan with some olive oil so they sizzle and caramelise, they will need about 15 minutes to cook through.
Put the carrots to the side when cooked and turn the heat up high on the same pan. Season the squid well and add to the pan when very hot with a glug more of olive oil. Toss and shake the squid in the pan, it should take no more than two minutes to cook. Finish with a good squeeze of lemon and add to the carrots and mix with the carrot top salsa verde and let marinade for a few minutes.
Any other vegetables can be added to this bright dish, I utilised baby heritage beetroots and very young courgettes with their flowers.
Arrange the dressed vegetables and squid around a plate and sprinkle with the pistachios and another drizzle of olive oil.
February 2024
GRILLED PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI, ROAST GARLIC AND PECERINO EMULSION WITH HERBS AND WALNUTS
One of my top ways to enjoy brassicas is by quickly blanching them, then finishing on the char-grill. Their sturdy texture and rich flavour make them a perfect match for bold flavours, like this new favourite dressing of mine. For me PSB rival asparagus for anticipation and taste and is the hi-light in the garden over February and March. We also have savoy cabbages in the garden that work great in this salad too.
1 large bulb of garlic
1tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp white miso paste
2 egg yolks
1 lemon juiced
50g pecorino grated
250ml neutral flavoured oil
Sprigs of dill chervil and mint
Large handful of walnuts
Sprouting broccoli lightly blanched for 30 seconds
To make the dressing wrap the garlic bulb in tin foil and bake for 20 mins at 180C or until it is soft to the touch. When cooled remove the foil and slice the very top off and proceed to squeeze the caramelised cloves out of its roasted shell.
Add this to a food processor along with all the ingredients except the oil. Blend till all have been combined and with the motor running slowly pour in the oil. It should emulsify together to form a Caesar-style dressing.
To take the walnuts to another level they are candied. For this simply boil 200g of water with 200g of sugar and add the walnuts. Simmer for 1 minute then drain them. While still warm bake on a tray at 160C for 8 mins until toasted and shiny. Sprinkle with salt to finish.
With a char grill set to the point of smoking, very lightly dress the broccoli in oil and press on the grill to leave bar marks.
Dress the broccoli with emulsion and plate up topping with the nuts and herbs
