STARTER
Asparagus ‘Margarita’ pizza
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 x packets British asparagus tips
2 x tbsp olive oil
2 x cloves garlic
2 x 400 tins chopped plum tomatoes
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tsp sugar
1 vegetable stock cube 50ml water
1 x 290g pizza base mix
2 x 150g mozzarella balls, roughly chopped
Extra olive oil and mixed herbs
Sea salt & black pepper
Method
1
Rinse the asparagus tips and pat dry.
2
Preheat the oven to 200˚c.
3
Heat the olive oil, chop the garlic finely and add to the oil, cooking for ten seconds, do not brown. Add the tomatoes, herbs, sugar, stock cube, water and seasoning and cook over a medium heat for 15 – 20 minutes or until reduced to a thick sauce.
4
Make two pizza bases following the instructions on the pack and leave to prove for ten minutes.
5
Spread tomato sauce on pizza base, top with mozzarella and asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with mixed herbs and seasoning. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown
6
Drizzle with chilli oil if desired and serve with a large green salad.
MAIN
Asparagus, haddock and smokey bacon fishcakes with herby mayonnaise
Serves 2 adults and 2 children
For the fishcakes you’ll need:
1 bunch British asparagus
25g butter
2 rashers streaky smoked bacon, diced
500g mashed potato
500g cooked haddock, flaked
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped chives
Sea salt & black pepper
Pinch nutmeg Flour and 2 beaten eggs
200g fresh breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil
For the herby mayonnaise you’ll need:
4 tbsp mayonnaise
4 tbsp chopped fresh herbs e.g. parsley, chives, basil, tarragon
Juice of ½ lemon
Sea salt and black pepper
Method
1
Clean the asparagus and trim any white ends or peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut the tip off each spear and reserve. Chop the rest of the spear into small pieces.
2
Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the asparagus and bacon for 2 minutes, allow to cool slightly and remove with a slotted spoon. Add to the mashed potato and haddock. Add the egg yolks, mayonnaise, parsley, chives, seasoning and nutmeg and combine together.
3
Divide the mixture into 6, shaping it into patties with your hands. Dust each cake with flour, dip in beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs, re-shaping if necessary. Refrigerate for 1 hour, 2 if possible.
4
Mix the mayonnaise ingredients and set aside.
5
Pour ½ inch of vegetable oil into a heavy based frying pan and place over a moderately high heat. When the oil is hot, add the fishcakes and cook for 4 minutes each side until golden brown, basting with oil to brown the sides.
6
Remove the fishcakes from the pan and place on a warm plate. Add the asparagus tips to the hot pan and fry for 1 minute.
7
Serve the fishcakes with the pan fried asparagus, a little wilted spinach and the herby mayonnaise.
DESSERT
Banoffee or fruit ice cream pots
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tub good quality vanilla ice cream
1 Mars Bar, chopped
100ml double cream
Sliced banana
And/or fruit compote or coulis
Method
1
Melt the Mars Bar and cream together over a low heat and stir to combine.
2
Scoop the ice cream into dishes.
3
Top with the chocolate sauce and bananas or fruit compote as desired.
Asparagus ‘Twiglets’
Ingredients
1 bunch British asparagus
Approx 4 sheets filo pastry
Melted butter 1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp aioli (garlic mayonnaise) or your favourite dip
Method
1
Clean the asparagus and trim any white ends or peel with a vegetable peeler.
2
Preheat the oven to 180ºc.
3
Cut the filo pastry into squares slightly shorter than your asparagus.
4
Brush with melted butter and roll each asparagus spear in a square of filo.
5
Place spears on a baking sheet and brush lightly with melted butter, sprinkle half the spears with poppy seeds and the other half with sesame seeds.
6
Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until golden brown.
7
Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly on a wire tray and serve with the dip.
