Author: Anna @ Camera & Clementine

Garden Salad with Elderflower Vinaigrette

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The peak of the growing season is upon my garden. I am now able to harvest more that 2 or 3 bits of produce from the plot at any one time, as this Garden Summer Salad demonstrates perfectly. This is a salad to be proud off, as everything ( eggs-cept the eggs, get it?!) has been grown or harvested by me. The olive oil, is strictly not our own, but is from our friends own olive grove in Italy, and as they put it- is 3 times Extra Virgin Organic olive oil, and it tastes heavenly too. The peas, potatoes, dill, salad leaves, cucumber, and edible nasturtium flowers and corn flowers were all picked this morning, in preparation for lunch. I love how you can tuck into a portion of food, knowing that is was growing barley an hour ago, cool right?     The peas are an exciting rare variety called Champion of England, dating from the 1840’s and are from The Real Seed Company, an innovative British family business who see the soil as a living organism …

Panzanella – Italian Summer Sour-dough Salad

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Panzanella – Italian Summer Sour-dough Salad Its hot! And its gorgeous outside! And when it’s hot for days on end, my tastebuds always hunger for light ‘salady’ type foods, that are fresh, aromatic and seasonal. This ‘salad’ could almost be called a de-constructed Bruchetta,  and is an absolute winner if you are hungry rather than peckish, as the bread is already inside the dish. The chunky sour-dough soaks up all the rich olive oil and vinegar, and combined with fresh tomatoes from the garden, you have yourself the perfect salad. _______________________________________ Serves 4 1 organic loaf of sour dough bread or ciabatta 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 750g ripe tomatoes, halved 100ml organic extra virgin olive oil 2tbsp white wine vinegar 10 or so basil leaves salt and pepper   ___________________________________ Combine the halved tomatoes and garlic in a bowl, with the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix well using your hands to release the flavours. Stir well, then leave the salad for 10 minutes, to infuse. Meanwhile chop the bread into cubes, and lightly fry …

Strawberry Rhubarb Summer Cordial

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This year has so far been a top year for berries. My strawberries have produced a bumper crop of delicious deep red fruit. However…just as they were 1 or 2 days away from perfection, something began to ‘nibble’ them. And after a close inspection I found a mouse hole, right in the middle of the strawberry patch! A great home indeed! Lovely warm straw, and plenty of fresh berries on the door step, well I couldn’t blame them really! But, I wasn’t going to leave the remaining crop to the greedy mouse, so I picked every ripe berry and had enough to have with meringues and make a summer cordial too. Paired with my last remaining rhubarb, this is summer preserved in a bottle. _____________________________________ Makes 1.5 litres 300g  strawberries,  roughly chopped 3 sticks of rhubarb, washed and chopped 300g caster sugar 2 lemons, juice and zest of 1 liter water _______________________________________ Tip the fruit into a heavy-based pan alongside the lemon zest and pour over the sugar. Simmer over low heat  for 10 minutes …

Pumpkin Seed Pesto Pizza with Yellow Squash and Goats Cheese

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  Pumpkin Seed Pesto Pizza with Yellow Squash, Goats Cheese and Dill My garden is thriving, as the summer is at last here for definite! I’ve got various salads, including hot and peppery rocket, butter lettuce, chard, spinach..to name a few. And of course dill, which I use as a salad ingredient most days. Freshly picked, nothing beats the aromatic flavour of dill. It adds depth and contrast to this pizza, and is a match made in heaven with goats cheese. This pizza came about as Al Fresco dining was on the cards last week, as it had been a hot afternoon, and the promise of a warm evening was guaranteed! But after the decision had been made that pizza was on the menu, I realized I didn’t have my store cupboard staple – Pesto. But as I mentioned above, my rocket and spinach was doing well, so I quickly threw one together. The lack of pine nuts didn’t put me off, I just substituted them with pumpkin seeds, they do the job nicely! Here’s …

Roasted Cherry Tomato and Aubergine Bruschetta with Rocket

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  Roasted Cherry Tomato and Aubergine Bruschetta with Rocket   Its hard to beat freshly picking your own salad leaves, and rocket is at the top of the list for flavour and bite.  Last spring my good friend and ‘Bridesmaid to be’ sent me a packet of wild rocket seeds, and being a lover of variation, I sowed them beside my already thriving lettuce’s. Well, 12 months later and the rocket is still thriving, having survived the mild winter, it is looking and tasting better than ever. Add rocket to these warm and juicy bruschettas,  and you have a match made in heaven, with the sweet tomatoes,  and lovely fresh pepper punch from the rocket. I like my bruschetta oily and warm with lots of garlic, so if you are like me, dont hold back on the organic extra virgin olive oil. ________________________________________ Serves 4 as a starter or 2 for lunch   250g grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 6 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp sugar 1 tbsp oregano 2 cloves garlic, …

Rhubarb and Ginger Gin Fizz

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You can’t but marvel at nature, especially whilst cooking fruits like the colourful rhubarb. It is always a joy to create impressive looking dishes and drinks all done with nature-powered colourings. I have rhubarb popping up in my garden, and I’m on my second harvest already, so I thought a little celebratory drink to mark the arrival of spring is in order! _____________________________________ Rhubarb and Ginger Gin Fizz Syrup: 200g sugar 200 ml water 150g finely chopped rhubarb 1/2 vanilla bean, pod split and scraped 1 thumb of fresh ginger, finely chopped Mixers: 100ml gin 100ml rhubarb syrup 150ml prosecco or other sparkling wine a squirt of lemon juice crushed ice to serve 4 sprigs of rosemary __________________________________ To make the syrup: Combine all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook gently until the fruit is soft and the liquid has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. Pour and strain the liquid into a large bowl. Pour the hot syrup into a sterilized glass …

Super Green Spinach Smoothie

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  I don’t know about the rest of the world, but here in Scotland, its still cold and wet. April is said to be the rainiest month, and my garden is living proof. I’ve not seen the sky for 10 days straight, just a drab grey cloud cover. In which case, now’s a good time to devour some extra vitamins – the green way! A super green spinach smoothie to boost your immune system, and get you lean and mean for spring time! Helping the spinach become more palatable, is sweet pear and tangy kiwi, delicious yoghurt and fragrant vanilla. Once blended, its best to drink the smoothie immediately. __________________________________   Serves 2 1 large handful of spinach (50g) 1 kiwis 2 bananas 150ml pear juice 2 tbsp natural yogurt ¼ vanilla pod, scraped a dash of lemon juice _________________________________ Chop the banana and kiwi into chunks and pop them in the freezer for 30min. (they do the job of ice cubes) Place the spinach and pear juice into the blender, and blitz until smooth. …

Pear and Marzipan Tartlets with Lemon Marmalade

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Spring seems to come and go, this past week. But there are sure signs of its increasing presence, with the hedgerows turning light green and the daffodils standing tall in full bloom. Spring will triumph once again! And if you feel like you are just sitting around waiting for spring to really get going, then I’ve got just the recipe if you’ve got a bit of time on your hands.   These little pear and marzipan tarts are a perfect afternoon treat, for friends and family to enjoy on a grey day. ______________________________________________ Makes 8 tarts For the pastry 225g plain flour 100g butter 80g sugar 1 large free range egg ½ lemon, zested Frangipane filling 170g sugar 170g ground almonds 50g marzipan 1 tbsp flour 1 large free range egg 1 tsp almond extract ½ lemon, zested Plus 3-4 pears, sliced 2 tbsp almond flakes 5 tbsp lemon marmalade, heated ____________________________________________ Add the cold butter and flour to a food processor and blitz to bread crumbs. Add the sugar and egg, and blitz until just …

Baked Breakfast Eggs with Courgettes and Dill

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When I get a new piece of kitchen equipment, such as these pretty little turquoise ramekins, Im always looking for an excuse to use them. And what I most often use ramekins for, are to make delicious and easy baked eggs. Yum! You can never have to many eggs in your larder, and Im lucky enough to have friends with hens, so I know exactly where these tasty eggs are from. This dish can either be a lazy morning breakfast for guests, or a hassle free dinner, if your not overly hungry. I like to add a bit of chilli or spinach, but for this recipe I’ve chosen courgette and dill. Serve with some hearty sourdough bread to scoop out the sill runny yolk! _________________________________________________ Makes 4 portions 4 organic eggs 4 tbsp cream 1/2 a courgette, sliced a few springs of dill 1 tbsp olive oil a knob of butter salt and pepper to taste ______________________________________________ Preheat the oven to 170°C and put the kettle on to boil. Butter the ramekins and place a …

Rhubarb and Champagne Custard Tart

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I am to be married! My gorgeous boyfriend of almost 4 years popped the question last week, and I am over the moon! My head is filled with table decor ideas, seating arrangements, menu plans and honeymoons, and when you have an occasion to celebrate, I say – bring out the Champagne! So in the name of happy engagements, I share with you this delicate, subtle and oh so gorgeous Rhubarb and Champagne Custard Tart. This tart does very well for any special occasion, as it looks like a plate of pink and peach coloured jewels. It’s very delicate in its flavours, aided by the creamy custard and light champagne and rhubarb jelly glaze. ________________________________________________ Pastry 225g plain flour 110g butter 80g sugar 1 large egg 1 tbsp ice cold water, if needed Custard 550ml milk 50ml double cream 1 vanilla pod 4 egg yolks 30g sugar 2 level tsp cornflour Topping Syrup: 200g sugar 200 ml water 150g finely chopped rhubarb 1/2 vanilla bean, pod split and scraped 1 thumb of fresh ginger, finely …