Runner Beans With Toasted Almonds and Lemon Thyme...

Back at the end of April my husband and I took a trip to West Malling Kent to walk around Manor Country Park and visit the local farmers market. While strolling through the lovely little streets we spotted a plant sale. We were on the look out for tomato plants but it was the runner bean seedlings that caught our eye. There were only 4 left so we bought the lot! They cost us a whopping £2.40. Not a bad considering we are already on our 4th crop of runner beans.

As it was our wedding anniversary a few weeks ago I wanted to make a really special meal. I sautéed the runner beans in butter and added some minced garlic and lemon thyme from our garden. I added toasted flaked almonds toward the end of cooking and sprinkled a few on top just before serving. We had this as a side to dish to grilled fillet steak and a jacket potato.

Luna Raye’s Runner Beans With Toasted Almonds and Lemon Thyme
(serves 2 as a side dish)

Ingredients

Handful of fresh runner beans (ideally from your own garden!)

1 Tbsp salted butter

1 clove garlic minced

1Tbsp chopped lemon thyme

2-3 Tbsp toasted flaked almonds

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a small pan add the flaked almonds and gently toast them over a low heat (this should take 2-4 minutes)

When the almonds are toasted set them to one side

Wash and trim the ends off runner beans (My beans didn’t need to be de-stringed but if you need to de-string your beans use a sharp knife and carefully go down each side of the bean)
Slice the beans diagonally into thirds (or bite sized pieces)

Melt butter over moderate heat in a frying pan or wok and add the beans

Toss the beans around in the butter so they are coated

Add the minced garlic and chopped lemon thyme

Toss everything around again and stir occasionally for 6-8 minutes

Add ¾ of the toasted almonds and stir again

When everything is mixed together, add to a serving dish and top with the remaining toasted almonds

Enjoy!

Runner Beans With Toasted Almonds and Lemon Thyme

NOTE: I learned something very important about runner beans (and all beans in general) I had no idea that they should NEVER BE EATEN RAW. Thanks to this very informative post I have put an end to my practice of nibbling the beans straight from the vine. Always always cook your beans! They contain a poisonous lectin called Phytohaemagglutinin which can cause nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhea and in some cases even affect blood pressure and breathing.

A Perfect Summer Meal: Luna Raye’s Light and Ea...

Summer has well and truly arrived. For the past few weeks the sun has been shining everyday and it has been hot, hot, hot! This lovely weather has worked wonders on my garden and everything seems to be thriving (which makes a change from last years disappointing efforts.)

There is an abundance of herbs and I have been incorporating them into as many of my meals as I can. Last night I had a craving for pasta. Sometimes you just can’t beat a bowl of spaghetti served with a nice chilled white wine.

Although I am growing tomatoes, they haven’t started to bear fruit yet so I bought some plum tomatoes from a greengrocer that specializes in local Kent produce. I also bought a few chestnut mushrooms. Once I had assembled those ingredients I went out into the garden to collect some herbs. I decided on Parsley, Coriander, Sage and Lemon Thyme.

It was a very light and refreshing meal and the flavour of the herbs came through beautifully. I really love being able to use ingredients from the garden and I can’t wait until we can use our own tomatoes!

So here is my recipe for a perfect summer meal:

Luna Raye’s Recipe For Light and Easy Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Herbs from the Garden.

Ingredients

Spaghetti (I used enough for 2 people approx 160 – 200 grams).

9 Plum Tomatoes cut roughly into chunks (Cherry Tomatoes also work well. What’s important is that they are fresh).

9 Chestnut Mushrooms sliced ( I like mine a bit chunky but they can be sliced thinner if you prefer).

A selection of Fresh Herbs preferably from your garden! I used Curly Parsley, Coriander, Sage and Lemon Thyme. I used approximately about 4 Tablespoons of the chopped mixed herbs.

Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese.

Directions

Cook the pasta in lightly salted water according to the package directions.

While the pasta is cooking roughly chop the tomatoes and slice the mushrooms. Set them aside.
Roughly chop the herbs and also set aside.

When the spaghetti is al dente drain it and do not rinse. The idea is to keep a small amount of the cooking water in the pot.

Put the spaghetti back in the pot and add the tomatoes, mushrooms, herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
Mix well and transfer to serving bowls.

Add some freshly ground pepper and parmesan cheese to taste.

Enjoy it out in the garden with some chilled white wine!

NOTES:

For ages whenever I cooked pasta I would add a wee bit of olive oil to the water which I thought would prevent the pasta from sticking together. This was not only rather costly it can actually impair the flavour of the dish. The pasta becomes oily and is unable to absorb any sauce.

I also remember being told that it was important to rinse cooked pasta after it’s been drained. This isn’t a good idea either. Rinsing pasta cools it down which means it stops the pasta from absorbing sauces. This can also impair the over all flavour of the dish.

Rinsing also washes away any starch that is left on the pasta. This starch is important for thickening sauces, so it’s beneficial to always reserve some of the cooking water from your pasta.

I first tried this technique when I made Nigella Lawson’s Linguine with Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushrooms and it was wonderful.

Here is a great article by Shirley Corriher on How To Cook Pasta Properly.

Light And Easy Pasta With Fresh Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Herbs

The Abundant Garden.

The Joy of Local Produce: Apple and Rhubarb Crumbl...

Since my husband or I don’t know how to drive, much of the Kent countryside has remained a mystery to us. There simply are some places we can’t get to via bus or train. As for cycling, I wouldn’t feel comfortable on the small winding country roads.

When Jessica was here she rented a car and we were able to do some exploring! One of the highlights was discovering farmer’s markets and the many farm shops selling local produce. One such farm shop was in a lovely little town called Hadlow in Tonbridge. The shelves were full of home made pickles and jams. There was loads of fresh produce as well and some beautiful rhubarb caught our eye.

We bought a few goodies and made our way home! Unfortunately, our plans for an apple and rhubarb crumble didn’t materialize while Jess was still here. I ended up making it the day after she flew back home. I have to say it was delicious (sorry Jess!)

So here it is:

Luna Raye’s Scrumptious Farm Shop Apple and Rhubarb Crumble.

Ingredients

3 large cooking apples peeled, cored and chopped into chunks.

3 medium sized rhubarb stalks, cut into chunks.

½ cup of sultanas.

2 Tablespoons ground All Spice.

50 grams unsalted butter.

3 Tablespoons brown sugar.

Splash of water.

For the Crumble Topping

150 grams of flour.

50 grams cold unsalted butter.

50 grams granulated sugar.

2 Tablespoons crushed pecans or walnuts.

Directions

Place unsalted butter in a saucepan and add the chopped apples.

Mix in the brown sugar and all spice and coat the apples.

Add a splash of water if you need more moisture.

After 5 minutes or when the apples start to soften, add the rhubarb and sultanas and mix all together.

When everything is nice and soft add to a large oven proof dish.

Directions for the Crumble Topping

Add the flour and granulated sugar into a bowl.

Cut the cold unsalted butter into chunks and gradually add to the flour and sugar mixture.

Use your hands to mix the butter in. You should end up with a mixture that is similar to bread crumbs.

Add the pecans to the crumble topping before spreading over the apple and rhubarb mixture.

Place in the oven preheated to 180 and cook for 30 – 45 minutes.

Serve with a drizzle of cream or a scoop of ice cream and enjoy!

Scrumptious Apple and Rhubarb Crumble

Good Friends, Sunshine And Olive Tapenade....

As we get older it can become difficult to maintain friendships. There always seems to be something getting in the way of us reaching for the phone or writing a card or letter. Social networking sites don’t really help matters either. Sure we can ‘see’ what our friends have been up to, and keep tabs on their profile but it isn’t the same. It isn’t meaningful communication.

I met my best friend Jessica when we were 16 and had just finished an exam. We walked home together and talked about all sorts of things. A few days later she surprised me by giving me a call and inviting me to a David Bowie concert. It was the beginning of an extremely special and wonderful friendship that has lasted for the better part of 23 years.

Over the past 5 years however it felt like we were starting to drift apart. We both live on different continents and it was becoming increasing difficult to find the time to visit one another. Family commitments and work pressures also played their role, but somehow we managed to keep our friendship going.

I was absolutely overjoyed when I got a message from Jess saying that she was coming over to the UK to visit. It had been far too long! We had a wonderful time together and it really felt like no time had passed at all between us. The weather was on our side and we went for long walks in the country, explored farmers markets, visited some of Kent’s most exciting attractions (sadly we didn’t make it to Tea Pot Island in Maidstone – that has been saved for the next visit!) and hung out in the garden drinking wine and eating good food. We also had a short break in Bruges which gave us the opportunity to explore a wonderful city together. The food was excellent and I can’t say enough about the beer – delicious!

One of the first nights she was here, Jess prepared a wonderful little appetizer for us to eat in the garden. I had never had Tapenade before and I can’t believe how easy it is to make. This is definitely something to enjoy with good friends and good wine. Don’t forget to make a toast to the beauty of true friendship.

Jess’s Friendship and Sunshine Tapenade

Ingredients:

1 x 250 gram container of pitted Kalamata olives (you can use any kind of olives – just make sure they are pitted before you put them in the blender!).

1 clove of garlic.

Drizzle of Olive oil (mixture should be slightly moist and easy to spread).

Pinch of sea salt.

Black pepper to taste.

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a blender and mix well.

Spread on baguette slices and gently warm in the oven.

Serve with red wine in the garden and enjoy with good friends!

Jess’s Friendship and Sunshine Tapenade

Organizing Your Weekly Shop....

Saturday is the day we normally do our weekly shop. It’s a good day to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables as there is farmers market nearby. For the other bits and pieces we need we visit our local supermarket.

During the week I make a note of items that need to be restocked. This helps to make sure I don’t forget anything (believe me I need all the help I can get!). I also always check that I have the ingredients for some simple no fuss suppers. Things like;

Pasta: for macaroni and cheese or another simple pasta dish.

Butter Beans or Pot Barley: for soup.

Rice: for egg fried rice.

Baked Brown Beans: for beans on toast.

Self Raising Flour and chocolate chips: for easy bake cookies.

I also like to research at least 2 new recipes and buy the ingredients for them. That way we have the option of either cooking something new OR  if we are feeling tired we can put together something tasty and homemade very quickly.

One of the recipes I am going to make this week is from All Recipes. It’s for a wonderful looking dessert – Lemon Possets.

I will let you know how they turn out!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

750ml (1¼ pints) double cream

200g (7 oz) caster sugar

3 lemons, juiced

3 tablespoons additional double cream to serve

Preparation

In a saucepan over medium high heat, stir together 750ml cream and sugar. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Pour into serving glasses and refrigerate until set, about 5 hours. Pour a little more cream over the tops just before serving.