Lemon Posset and Almond Madelines

Completely unseasonal but devine..... this is a beautiful recipe for the simplest of desserts.

Serves 4

Lemon Posset
4 lemon juiced (grate some of the skin first)
250g caster sugar
500ml double cream

Almond Madelines
75g warm melted butter
3 eggs
80g suger
40g almonds
80g plain flour (I used spelt flour and I thought it was wonderful)


Lemon Posset

1. Bring the sugar and lemon juice to the boil for 2 minutes. Add your lemon zest here.
2. In a separate pan boil the cream over a gentle heat.
3. Add the lemon mixture with the cream.
4. Pour into serving dishes - Martini glasses are great but some espresso cups are ideal.
5. Set in the fridge for 2 hours.

Almond Madelines

1. Whisk the egg and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Sieve the almonds and flour together.
3. Gradually fold the flour mix into the egg mixture.
4. Pour in the warm butter carefully
5. Scoop the mixture into buttered and floured moulds.
6. Cook at 175C for 10 - 12 minutes until golden brown.

Squash Farrotto with Kale and Local Cheese

I have a new name for my spelt risotto - farrotto, coined from Denis Cotter's book 'Wild Garlic, Gooseberries ... and me'. I have been experimenting with spelt for a time now, trying to find a local, sustainable alternative to rice. Spelt is the ancient variety of wheat that happens to grow well in the west country (UK). It is well suited to our wet climate; compared to the hotter east where most of our cereal products are grown. I would like to see much more spelt grown around here. Currently the only spelt you can buy is from Sharpham Park, based in Somerset. Look for the pearled spelt for making this farrotto.

Serves 2/3

1 butternut squash
3/4 mug of pearled spelt
Vegetable stock (about a litre)
1 onion chopped finely
2 garlic cloves chopped finely
Kale chopped and sliced (I tried to hazard a guess at the amounts and really it is up to you and whether you like kale or not)
Local strong sheeps cheese (Wootton Organic Dairy Little Ryding)
Couple good slugs of olive oil

1. Heat up you oven to 200 degrees.
   
2. Peel and cut up your squash into 2 cm cubes.
3. Place squash into a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil (you can use rapeseed oil as a local alternative) and pop in the oven to cook for about 45mins to 1 hour.
4. Take that chopped onion and gently fry in olive oil.
   
5. Heat up your vegetable stock in a separate pan.
6. When the onion is slightly brown and soft add you pearled spelt ensuring that the spelt does not stick (get that wooden spoon out).
7. Gradually add the vegetable stock letting the spelt soak up the liquid. Now spelt takes so much longer than normal risotto rice (20 mins)..... just be patient.
   
8. Towards the end of the cooking add the cooked squash.
9. Meanwhile in a frying pan gently fry the garlic and add the kale - cook for about 5-8 minutes.
10. Your farrotto should now be succulent and good. Hopefully you would have infused the spelt in the squash flavours.
11. Cube your sheeps cheese.
12. Take the farrotto off the heat and add the sheeps cheese.
13. Serve the farrotto with a generous helping of the cooked kale and garlic.
14. Depending on you tastes you might need some extra parmesan.