Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and Me: A chef’s stories and recipes from the land

Roasted Asparagus with Blood Orange Aïoli

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2. Snip the ends off the garlic cloves. Put them on a small oven tray, drizzle them lightly with olive oil and roast them in the oven for 10-15 minutes until they are soft. Once they are done, squeeze the flesh from the skins.

Put the blood orange juice in a small pan and heat gently until reduced by half Leave to cool for a few minutes.

For the aïoli, put the roasted garlic, egg yolks, egg and dill in a food processor and blend for 1 minute. With the motor still running, pour in the olive oil very slowly until the aïoli is very thick. Gradually add in the blood orange juice until you are satisfied with the colour and flavour and you have a dipping consistency. Season with a little salt and pepper. Taste the aïoli and add a little lemon juice if you wish.

Turn the oven up to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard. Lay the asparagus on an oven tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt. Roast in the oven until just tender and lightly browned, but still crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Serve immediately with the blood orange aïoli as a dip.

Sprouting Broccoli with Leek and Shallot Farrotto

‘Farro’ is the common name in Italy for a very old wheat variety. It is sometimes translated as ‘spelt’, though some references suggest it is not the same grain but a similar and equally ancient variety. It is often sold in a semi-pearled state, which means that most of the husk has been polished off. This makes it very useful for making a rustic but strongly flavoured risotto-style dish, hence the name ‘farrotto’. It needs long, slow cooking, longer than the 20 minutes the pack might say, to get a rich, creamy finish. I like to make it with a lot of onion, both for flavour and texture.

The intense flavour of sprouting greens makes a great match for farrotto, as indeed do mushrooms. The recipe calls for a hard sheep’s cheese, and I generally use Cratloe Hills, from County Clare, whenever I need that tangy sweetness. Italian Pecorino or Spanish Manchego would be good too.

Bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan then turn down the heat and keep at a low simmer.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and cook the leeks, shallots and garlic for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Add the herb leaves and the farro, and cook again for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to toast the grains. Add the wine, lower the heat and simmer for approximately 5 minutes until it has been absorbed. Pour in a ladle or two of hot stock and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has been absorbed. Carry on adding stock in this way until the grains are soft and chewy. This may take 40-50 minutes.

As the farrotto nears the end of its cooking time, heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a pan and cook the sprouting broccoli, red onion and chilli for 2 minutes over a medium heat. Add the tomatoes and the remaining olive oil, and cook for 2 minutes more. Then add a few tablespoons of stock and some salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.

When you are happy with the texture of the farrotto and all the stock has been absorbed, stir in the butter, cheese and some salt and pepper. Serve the sprouting broccoli with the farrotto, pouring the juices from the pan over each portion.

Sesame and Ginger Chinese Broccoli on an Oyster Mushroom Omelette

Preheat the oven to 140°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1.

Fry the mushrooms and garlic in a little oil for a minute or two, then stir in the coriander and a pinch of salt. Set this aside.

Heat a little oil in a wide shallow pan, and put in the Chinese broccoli, ginger, soy sauce, stock or water and the sesame oil. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

At the same time, heat an omelette pan over a high heat, and brush it with oil. Lightly beat the eggs with the water and season with salt and pepper. Pour half into the pan, leave it for a few seconds until the edges begin to solidify, then lift the cooking edges and tilt the pan to allow the uncooked egg to flow underneath. Scatter half of the cooked mushrooms over one half of the omelette, fold the uncovered side over and slide the omelette on to a plate. Keep this warm in a low oven while you repeat the process with the remaining eggs and mushrooms.

Cut each omelette in half to make four portions. Use tongs to place some Chinese broccoli on each, then spoon the juices over the top.

Black Kale with Sweet Peppers, Olives and Smoked Cheese Polenta

I use smoked Gubbeen, a semi-hard cheese, to flavour the polenta because it is so delicately smoked. If using a stronger cheese, you may want to reduce the quantity.

For the polenta, bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan, then whisk in the maize and a large pinch of salt. Reduce the heat and simmer over a very low heat, stirring often, for 20 minutes until the polenta has a thick consistency, like that of mashed potato. Stir in the cheese, butter and sage. Season with black pepper and some more salt if needed. Serve immediately or keep the polenta warm by placing the saucepan over a slightly larger pan of simmering water.

Remove the stalks from the kale and discard them, then slice the leaves into strips. Quarter the peppers, remove the seeds and pith and slice the flesh about 5mm (1/4in) thick.

Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan, add the kale and cook over a medium heat until it has shrunk: 2-3 minutes. Add the peppers, chilli, garlic and olives, and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Add the stock or water and a large pinch of salt, cover loosely with baking parchment and simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Check occasionally to make sure the dish is moist, adding more water if necessary. Just before serving, add a generous splash of stock and a tablespoon of olive oil.

Spoon the polenta on to serving plates or shallow bowls. Serve the kale and its pan juices over the polenta.

Cime di Rapa with Sweet Pepper and Fried Hazelnut Gougères

This recipe works with any strongly flavoured greens. Gougères are usually baked choux pastries, but in this instance the dough is deep-fried.

For the gougères, put the flour and hazelnuts in a food processor. Put the water and butter in a pan and bring to a boil. Start the food processor and pour in the hot water and butter, beating it in for 30 seconds. Add one egg and beat until fully incorporated, then add the second egg and repeat. Finally, beat in the cheese and some salt and pepper. Transfer the batter to a bowl.

Heat some vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or heavy-based saucepan to 170°C(325°F). If using a pan, test the oil by dropping in a little of the batter. If it floats and begins to colour in a minute or so, turn the heat down to hold the temperature.

Meanwhile, in a large wide pan, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat. Add the cime di rapa, red pepper, garlic and ginger, and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add the sherry and the 2 tablespoons of water and simmer for 5-7 minutes more, until the greens are tender. Add a little more olive oil and water at the end to ensure that the dish is moist. Season with a little salt and pepper.

While the vegetables are cooking, take a heaped teaspoon of the gougère batter and, using a second spoon, slide it into the hot oil. Repeat with some more batter, to cook as many gougères as possible without overcrowding the oil. Fry them for 4-5 minutes, turning once if necessary, until the gougères are browned. Keep the cooked ones warm while you fry more batches.

Serve the cime di rapa in its juices, surrounded by some of the fried gougères.

Red Russian Kale with Orange and Nutmeg

Remove the thicker stalks from the kale and discard them. Chop the kale coarsely.

Heat the olive oil in a wide pan, toss in the kale and cook over a medium heat for about 2 minutes until it has shrunk and become glossy. Add the vegetable stock or water, the orange zest and juice and the nutmeg. Cover with baking parchment, lower the heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes until the kale is soft. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Asparagus with Pine Nuts, Red Onion and Capers

This highly flavoured side dish is also excellent with a light dusting of finely grated hard cheese. In fact, adding some cheese and salad leaves makes it a great warm salad for a first course.

Snap the tough ends off the asparagus spears and cut the spears in half widthways. Steam the asparagus for 3-4 minutes until just tender.

While the asparagus spears are cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the red onion for 1 minute over a medium heat. Add the pine nuts and capers and cook for 1 minute more. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Put the cooked asparagus in a serving dish and scatter over the onion mixture.

Warm Couscous Salad with Watercress, Avocado and Citrus-marinated Feta

This salad can be served as a simple lunch, as part of a buffet, barbecue or picnic, and it even makes a nice starter, in which case the recipe will make 6–8 portions.

For the feta, whisk together the olive oil, lemon, orange and lime juices and all the zest. Pour over the feta in a small dish, turn to coat the cheese, cover and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours.

Put the couscous in a bowl with a large pinch of salt and stir in 280ml (9 1/2fl oz) warm water. Leave for 10 minutes, then fluff up the couscous with a fork.

Heat the olive oil in a large flat pan or wok and cook the spring onions, garlic, spices and chilli for a minute, then add the couscous and stir for a minute or two to warm it through. Remove from the heat and stir in the herbs, cherry tomatoes, watercress and avocado.

Serve the salad with some of the feta and its marinade scattered over and around each portion. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice.

Black Kale and Aubergine Spring Rolls with Ginger and Tamarind Dipping Sauce

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Remove the stalks from the kale and discard them. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and drop in the kale. When the water comes back to the boil, remove the kale, drain and cool it in a bowl of cold water, then squeeze out all the water. Dry the kale fully with kitchen paper or a tea-towel so that the spring rolls do not become soggy, then chop into thin slivers about 3cm (1 1/4 in) long.

Toss the aubergine in olive oil and arrange in a single layer in an oven dish. Cover loosely with baking parchment and roast in the oven for 15 minutes, checking and tossing occasionally to ensure the pieces are fully cooked and lightly coloured. Mix the tomato purée, soy sauce and sugar together and stir them quickly into the cooked aubergine.

While the aubergine is cooking, make the tamarind sauce. Put the tamarind and water in a small saucepan, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Press the liquid through a sieve and return it to the pan with the rest of the ingredients. Simmer again for a further 10 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. Sieve again to remove the ginger and chilli, and leave the sauce to cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine the kale, aubergine, spring onions, chilli and spices to make the spring roll filling. Lay a sheet of spring roll pastry on a worktop with one corner facing you. A quarter of the way up, put one and a half tablespoons of filling in a line (not to the edge) and brush the edges of the pastry with water. Fold the bottom corner over the filling and roll the spring roll to just beyond the halfway point, keeping it as tight and even as possible. Fold in the sides and continue rolling. Repeat with the rest of the pastry sheets and filling.