We've been at my family home in the countryside for 2 weeks now, well ever since the Coronavirus began making its way through London, we thought it was safer to hole up here for a little while. Last week, I had lots of rescheduling and diary organisation for next year. This week has been quiet. It's all rather unsettling for everyone but I'm not going to be focussing on the bad. Instead, I'll be here, keeping spirits up, posting lots more on the blog, there will be moodboards, recipes, perhaps a few flower tutorials, updates of my paintings (hopefully getting better) and photos and news of our days in the country.
I'm starting today with my first recipe! This is a tasty dish from the land and using ingredients that hopefully most people will have in the larder.
Yesterday morning, Lex and I got up and out at sunrise to pick wild garlic from the woodlands. It was the perfect morning, the sun was warm, it was crisp with frost and so fresh. We wandered from the house down past the stream and into the woods where the ground was scattered with wild garlic leaves.
I had every intention of cooking a delicious wild garlic risotto but alas, we had no aborio rice in the cupboards and as we're only making obligatory trips to the shops, I had to think of another idea. So I hunted through the cupboards at what we did have: cheese, eggs, flour, fresh lemons from the farm shop and leftover chorizo from last nights supper. So we made a delicious pasta dish, Lettie helped me on the pasta making, the technique we decided on really took an age, so just a note: to save time, use a pasta machine or dried pasta.
I really hope you enjoy it!! I hope it's nice to read something a little different from me too, I'll still be posting flower updates but it's been lovely for me to speak about my other loves. There will be lots more over the coming days!! Anyway, I'd love to hear what you think and how you get on with the cooking so pop me a message in the comments below!
Sending lots of love and kisses at this time,
Poppy xx
Homemade wild garlic pici with goats cheese and chorizo breadcrumbs
For the pasta
140g plain flour
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
For the pesto
2 large handfuls of wild garlic
60g parmesan cheese
Olive oil
1 1/2 lemons
Salt
Pepper
For the breadcrumbs
Stale bread
Pepper
Chilli flakes (to taste)
Chorizo/salami/bacon or not at all
We're going to start with the pasta. On a clean surface, place the flour in a mound. At the top of the mound, make a little well. Add the eggs and a pinch of salt to the well. Slowly whisk the eggs and the flour will begin to work in with it. Keep whisking until it forms a dough then knead with the heal of your hand. Knead for 20 mins then wrap in cling film or a beeswax wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
Meanwhile, blitz up the stale breadcrumbs and finely chop up the chorizo. Add the chorizo to a hot frying pan and fry until golden. Add the breadcrumbs to the pan with lots of pepper, a little salt and the chilli flakes, enough to taste, and a good drench of olive oil. Fry it all together until it's a dark golden brown colour then set aside in a pretty bowl but keep the pan, we'll use this later!
Add the wild garlic leaves, 1/2 cup of olive oil, parmesan, zest of one of the lemons, juice of 1 1/2 lemons, salt and pepper to the blender and blitz together. Leave aside to wait in the wings whilst we start on our pasta.
Unwrap the pasta dough, cut little chunks about 2cm wide and roll with your hands into a long lace, elongating it until it's roughly 3mm wide. This is the time consuming bit, you can always use a pasta machine or dried pasta to speed this up a little. Add the pasta to a pan of boiling salty water and cook for a 2-3 minutes. I like my pasta pretty chewy so you can always cook longer if you like it softer. Warm the old chorizo pan slightly then spoon the pasta and a little of the water into the pan with the pesto from the blender and toss together adding a little of the pasta water if you'd like it looser and more saucy! Serve with the crunchy breadcrumbs and a little goats cheese to crumble over. Bon Apetite!
