Crunchy delights
Nicola Galloway shares an easy gratin and a crumble – and both use breadcrumbs.
Late winter can be a lean time on the produce front. Although the slow-growing winter produce is starting to catch up as the days lengthen. In a few weeks spring will arrive and with it faster growth of all things green – including the weeds!
Warming meals are still on the menu while the evenings are cold and dark. Today I share two crunchy crumbed recipes. A creamy savoury gratin using the first of the fennel bulbs from the garden that has finally reached a harvestable size. Then an apple crumble, because really it is the ultimate winter pudding, with flavours inspired by a classic apple strudel.
Both recipes use breadcrumbs, a pantry staple and one that is easy to make at home. Here is a quick guide – per cup use about 3 slices of bread (can use gluten-free).
First cut away any tough crusts (this will depend on the age of the bread). Lightly toast the bread slices, then cool completely in a toast rack. Roughly tear the toasted bread then place into a food processor, blending into breadcrumbs.
Fresh breadcrumbs are best used fresh. Or they can be frozen in a ziplock bag for 3 months. They can also be dried on a tray in a cooling oven (or set to 50C) for 1 hour. Store dried breadcrumbs in a sealed container in the pantry and use within 3 months.
Leek and fennel gratin
This vegetable side uses two wonderful vegetables that I find abundant at this time of year. Fennel bulbs are a garden staple as they seem to thrive in my garden climate, self-germinating around the garden when I leave a few plants to flower into their fabulous yellow umbrella plumage. I have noticed the price of leeks has come down in recent weeks at the vegetable shop (of course this will be somewhat locational), and are of a good size. I use the whole leek, the white part and green tops so nothing is wasted. The importance is in carefully washing the leek first to remove any dirt inside the layers. To do this, I cut the whole leek lengthways, down the middle, then hold under a gentle stream of water while washing carefully.
I served this gratin alongside fresh pan-fried fish and a tray of roasted vegetables including yams, parsnip, cauliflower and brussels sprouts.
Comb the catalogues
Seedlings in punnets are convenient and quick, so why go to the bother of sowing from seed? Because the range you can grow from seed is amazing and watching them germinate and grow is so satisfying. Plus, dipping into a seed catalogue is a marvellous way to spend a rainy afternoon.
The new Kings Seeds catalogue is out now. The pictureperfect veges and mouth-watering descriptions had me planning a dream garden 10 times the size of my inner-city plot, bursting with luscious veges with not a snail or psyllid to be seen.
These are just a few of veges that caught my eye.
Cucumber Crunchy is a small snacking cucumber that’s thin skinned, sweet and crisp. It’s seedless too, if it’s isolated from the pollen of different cucumbers. Sow a few plants every three weeks from late spring to early summer for a continuous harvest.
Lettuce Red Gem (organic) can be harvested as baby leaves or allowed to mature to a upright rosette of colourful leaves with a crisp, juicy texture. Ideal for smaller families with limited garden space.
Greenfeast peas are a wellknown and reliable variety. Although they are dwarf plants, they do grow to 90cm so need a trellis to scramble up. Plant a short row every couple of weeks for snacking.
Squash Butter Baby (organic) are a convenient size for smaller families as the fruit are about 15cm long and weigh 300-600gms. The vines are resistant to powdery mildew and the fruit store well.
Tomato Rosella has large trusses of 15gm pink to purple fruit with firm tasty flesh and few seeds – ideal for eating fresh or turning into rich dark red tomato paste. Give it a stake or trellis as it is an indeterminate variety that grows to 2mhigh.