Celery, Apple and 'Anster' cheese Soup

Recipe;

3 onions - peeled and chopped

6 heads of celery - washed and chopped

6 - 8 eating apples - peeled and sliced

6 pints chicken stock

500g Anster cheese - grated

Saute all the vegetables, but do not allow to brown

Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil, then simmer, with a lid on the pan, until the vegetables are tender

Add the cheese, and stir until it is beginning to melt and combine with the other ingredients

Blend the soup with a dash of cream, and serve sprinkled with freshly chopped chives

Oatmeal soup and conversation with Mike Small

Mike Small from the Fife Diet Project highlighted some of the issues around what is and isn't available in Fife and the impact of this on health, climate change and the communities we live in. We ate an oatmeal soup with the conversation.

Oatmeal soup recipe

Oatmeal Soup (suggested by Mike Small)

1 large onion.
1 piece turnip.
¾ pint milk.
1 carrot.
1 leek..
1 oz. oatmeal.
1 pint white stock.
Seasoning.
Chopped parsley.

Put the chopped vegetables in a pan with a little oil and toss them in it until clear.

Add the oatmeal and fry with the vegetables for a few minutes.

Add the stock. Simmer for an hour. Add parsley and seasoning.

Just before serving, add the milk and re-heat.

The trick is to finely chop or dice the vegetables...

SIMMERED VENISON WITH WALNUTS AND POMEGRANATE

A NICHOLA FLETCHER VENISON RECIPE

SIMMERED VENISON WITH WALNUTS AND POMEGRANATE

The concentrated pomegranate flavour adds exactly the right balance of sweet and tart so typical of Persian cooking. If you can’t get hold of pomegranate juice, use really tart fruit jelly. Walnuts were so highly regarded that they were reserved for the kings of Persia; once they were taken to Greece, they became the food of the gods, so voluptuous is their oil. When minced and slowly simmered, they make a fabulous accompaniment to venison; it’s deliciously rich and festive.

Serves 6

900g (2 lb) diced venison haunch or shoulder

600ml (1 pt) venison or other stock

1 onion

150g (5 oz) freshly shelled walnuts

1 litre pomegranate juice (or 2-3 tablespoons tart jelly)

Juice of 1 lemon (optional)

Method:

If using pomegranate juice, put it in a wide pan and boil it down until only 3 or 4 tablespoons of syrup remain. It will be reduced by the time the meat has cooked. Chop the walnuts into small crumbs. Fry them gently in a teaspoon of oil, stirring for about fifteen minutes until they darken, then draw them off the heat.

Fry the onion in oil till golden brown, then add the meat and brown that too. Add just enough stock to cover the meat, cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Then add the fried walnuts and simmer for another 30 minutes, topping up with stock if necessary.

Then stir in the pomegranate paste (or jelly) and continue to simmer until the meat is tender (about another 30-45 minutes, longer for shoulder). Season with salt and pepper, adding lemon juice if necessary to increase the note of tartness. Serve with steamed spinach and plain or saffron rice. For festive sparkle, strew some jewel-like pomegranate seeds over the rice.

© Nichola Fletcher

From Nichola Fletcher’s Ultimate Venison Cookery £20.00. Signed copies available from www.seriouslygoodvenison.co.uk

Duck soup and conversation with the Fletchers - 31st January

The Fletchers contribute to a wide ranging discussion on meat production and consumption, bringing in issues of health, the environment, animal welfare, government support (or lack of), taste and cost.

The duck soup suggested by Nichola was made from local ingredients including a wild Fife duck and for my first duck soup was apparently very good (I had assistance from a meat eater).

Duck soup (false moustache optional) recipe

1. Roast a duck for about an hour then take off the flesh and put to one side to cool. Keep covered and refrigerate once cool.

2. Put the carcass plus two onions, two carrots, stick or two of celery, fresh parsley, a couple of bayleaves, pinch of thyme (fresh f you have it) in a pot, cover with water and simmer for 3 hours until reduced to a stock.

3. Chop celeriac and carrot into cubes and fry in oil (plus a bit of the duck fat saved after roasting)

4. Add roasted meat, stock and a handful or two of pearl parley and lentils. Boil until the barley is soft.

5. Enjoy with some homemade rolls