Get the most from your home-grown produce and cook up your vegetables. There’s little so satisfying as eating food you’ve cultivated yourself. Take inspiration from our recipe blog posts and see what our friends and contributors have created from their own gardens and allotments.


Greek Salad Omelette

by | January 18th, 2021 | Tomato recipes

Greek Salad Omelette

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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 371 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g feta cheese
  • 12-18 medium eggs 3 per person
  • 1 handful parsley leaves finely chopped
  • 1 large red onions sliced into wedges
  • 1 handful freshly chopped tomatoes
  • 1 large handful potted black olives
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat the grill on high and heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan.
  • Crack 3 eggs per person into a large bowl, whisk and add in the chopped parsley, salt and pepper and give the mix a final whisk. Add the onion to the pre heated frying pan and fry on a high heat for about 4-5 mins until brown. Add in the chopped tomatoes and olives and cook for a further 1-2 mins.
  • Turn the heat down from high to medium and add in the egg mixture. Cook in the pan, stirring as the eggs begin to set (partially cooked, but runny in places). This should only take about 2 minutes. Roughly crumble the feta in the pan, then place under the pre-heated grill for 5-6 mins until the omelette is golden on top. Remove from the grill and serve from the pan.

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcal
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Tomato Soup Recipe

by | January 18th, 2021 | Tomato recipes

Tomato Soup

Tomato Soup

Thompson & Morgan
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Soup
Servings 4
Calories 123 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 kg fresh tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 2 tsp tomato purée
  • 1.2 litres hot vegetable stock

Instructions
 

  • Wash your tomatoes and cut into quarters. Peel the onion and carrot and chop into small pieces. Cut the celery roughly to the same size
  • Heat the oil in a large pan over a low heat. When hot, add the onion, carrot and celery and mix together. Keeping on a low heat, cook the vegetables until soft. This should take roughly 10 minutes. Stir during cooking so they cook evenly and do not stick to the pan.
  • Once the vegetables are soft, add the tomato purée to the pan, then stir in to coat the vegetables. Add in your tomato quarters, a good pinch of sugar and a some black pepper. Roughly tear 2 bay leaves and add to the pan. Mix together, pop the lid on the pan and leave to cook over a low heat for 10 minutes. Make sure to stir ocassionally to help break up the tomatoes.
  • After the 10 minutes, slowly pour and stir in the hot vegetable stock to mix it with the vegetables. Leave the lid off and put the heat on full and bring to the boil. Once bubbling, turn the heat down to low and put the lid back on the pan. Gently simmer for 25 minutes, making sure to stir a few of times throughout.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and carefully take off the lid. Remove and throw away the pieces of bay leaf from the soup. Transfer the soup to a blender, but do not fill to the top to allow the soup to be properly blended. Blitz until the smooth, then pour the into bowl large enough to hold all of the soup. Repeat the process until all the soup from the pan has been blitzed.
  • Allow to cool and freeze for up to 3 months or pour back into the pan and reheat over a medium heat until the soup begings to bubble. Taste and season as necessary. If you want to darken the colour of the soup, simply add some additional tomato puree, 1-2 teaspoons and stir. Decant into bowls and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 123kcal
Keyword soup, tomato, tomato soup
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Turnip chutney recipe

by | January 12th, 2021 | Chutney recipes

Some small yellow turnips

Turnip chutney

Allotment Garden
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 lb turnips
  • 1 lb apples
  • 1 lb onions
  • 8 oz sultanas or dates
  • 8 oz sugar
  • ½ oz turmeric
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1 oz salt
  • 1 pinch cayenne or black pepper
  • 1 pint vinegar

Notes

If you find yourself with an unexpected glut of something unusual, join John Harrison over at Allotment Garden where his wife Val has a fantastic collection of preserves. When it comes to successful chutney, they remind us that the produce used can be less than perfect (misshapen or damaged fruit and veg is fine), but the quality of the vinegar is vital. John says the vinegar “must have an acetic acid content of at least 5%.”
We loved this old-school recipe for turnip chutney to spice up a plate of cold meats. Visit Allotment Garden for the full method.
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Tomato chutney recipe

by | January 12th, 2021 | Chutney recipes

A jar of chutney, surrounded by tomatoes, cheese and biscuits

Tomato chutney

The Marmalade Teapot
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 kg tomatoes
  • 2 onions
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 250 g soft light brown sugar
  • 300 ml cider vinegar
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp mustard seeds

Notes

Tomatoes are delicious, easy to grow, and packed with antioxidants. Gluts of tomatoes can be preserved in lots of ways, but Katie’s chutney is one of the finest. Over at The Marmalade Teapot, this gorgeous tomato chutney is one of her most popular recipes. “It’s great with cheese, in sandwiches, salads or even tossed through some pasta,” she says. For the full method, visit The Marmalade Teapot
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13 superb soup recipes

by | October 9th, 2019 | Gardening Posts, Recipes

Hand ladling out soup from a pot into a bowl

Try out these delicious plot-to-bowl recipes
Image: Chainupong Hiporn

Homemade soup isn’t just good for the soul – it’s a healthy, wholesome and cost-effective meal that makes excellent use of homegrown veg. 

If you’re taking part in this week’s Big Soup Share, or you’re looking for new ideas to fill your family’s soup bowls and lunch flasks, check out some of our favourite bloggers’ recipes for inspiration…

 

Beetroot Soup

Kev at An English Homestead grows such beautiful chioggia beetroot that it’s almost a shame to blend them. His velvety red soup is a feast for the eyes as well as a vitamin-packed winner on a cold winter’s day.

Borage Leaf, Pea and Garden Mint Soup

At The Seasonal Table, Kathy & Tom use borage as a companion plant alongside tomatoes. The fact that the cucumber-flavoured leaves make a beautifully light and delicious soup is an added bonus. Top with a fresh hen’s egg and serve with crusty bread – sensational.

Carrot and Saffron Soup

Come November, Milli at the Crofters Cottage is looking forward to harvesting ‘Jaune d’Obtuse’ carrots that range in colour from almost white to a vibrant yellow. Her beautifully delicate-flavoured soup is simply divine.

Nettle Soup

“Nettle soup isn’t rocket science,” says Janie, dismissing a disappointing celebrity chef’s version to come up with her own. Want a good excuse to let weeds run riot in your garden? This iron-rich bowl of green goodness is it! See Hedgecombers for the recipe.

Celeriac and Hazelnut Soup

Celeriac can be expensive to buy but it’s easy to grow. Blitzing to a silky consistency, this ugly root veg is perfect for winter soups. Over at The Veg Space, Kate’s festive flavour combination would make the ideal starter for Christmas dinner…

Image: chomplearn

Creamy Avocado Soup

Served warm rather than hot, Shaheen’s “delicious blanket of green velvet lushness” combines the flavours of Mexican guacamole in an exciting new way. Homegrown onions, tomatoes and chives raise it to a new level. See Allotment 2 Kitchen for the recipe.

Wild Garlic and Farro Soup 

Over at Recipes from a Pantry, Bintu loves foraging for wild garlic. Her soup is the ideal way to warm up after a brisk winter walk in the woods – just think nutty farro, garlicky greens, lemony tahini and sweetness from toasted almonds and pomegranate seeds.

Roasted Roots Soup

Roasting only improves the flavour of root vegetables, enhancing their earthy sweetness, say Sophie & Ade from Agents of Field. For the ultimate bowl of comfort soup, this is the recipe for you.

Marrow 'Tiger Cross' F1 Hybrid from Thompson & Morgan

Image: Marrow ‘Tiger Cross’ F1 Hybrid from Thompson & Morgan

Marrow Soup

Marrows make for a silky smooth soup, say Maria & John at Allotment Garden. But if you’re looking for texture, simply add some cooked rice or soup pasta – along with a generous dash of chilli sauce to turn up the heat.

Sweet Potato, Green Lentil and Spinach Soup

Fancy a comforting and hearty soup that’ll help you get to your five-a-day in one sitting? Try Jacqueline’s sweet potato, green lentil & spinach recipe. Check out Tinned Tomatoes for this amazing recipe.

Curried Brussels Sprouts Soup

Don’t like Brussel’s sprouts? You’ll be surprised what a difference a little garam masala makes! Blended until smooth, Annabelle’s high fibre soup is full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to see you safely through winter. Visit The Flexitarian for the recipe.

A leek and potato soup with croutons

Image: grafvision

Vegan Leek and Potato Soup

Leek soup is one of Lucy’s favourite homemade wintertime treats – especially if it’s made with fresh, flavoursome leeks and onions that she’s grown herself. See her easy recipe over on The Smallest Smallholding.

Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke and Sweet Chestnut Soup

Nic says “there’s nothing better than soup…to warm your cockles when your heart’s feeling chilly, for whatever reason.” A glut of Jerusalem artichokes required her to get creative, but you’ll want to plant more when you’ve tasted this soup! Visit dogwooddays for the recipe.

That’s it for now. We hope you like our favourite soup recipes and you’ve bookmarked some to try later, and if you’re planning on planting out some ingredients, check out our veg plants range. Learn how to grow your own root veg to make more home grown soups at our carrot and parsnip hub page. Let us know if you’ve come across anything that we’ve missed. We’re especially keen on soups that use edible pumpkin innards…!

Grow your own summer drinks recipes

by | July 5th, 2019 | Gardening Posts, Recipes

People sitting around a table in the summer

Enjoy sharing homegrown food and drinks this summer 
Image: Jack Frog 

There’s nothing more satisfying than sharing fresh, homegrown produce with friends and family on a warm summer evening. Except, perhaps, relaxing with a cool sundowner to properly enjoy the garden you’ve spent all year working on!

We asked green-fingered bloggers to tell us their favourite homegrown summer drinks recipes. From light and refreshing cordials the whole family can enjoy, through to something a little stronger to keep you warm as the sun goes down, here’s how to distil a glut into a glass.

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