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Discover the best of British…

The British apple season is upon us and it’s time to enjoy some fantastic flavours fresh from the tree.

New in this week are the outstanding Discovery Apples. They range in size and colour but that’s all part of their Great British charm. Rosy cheeked and with a hint of tartness, they are absolutely packed with flavour, crunch and refreshing juice.

They were ‘discovered’ in the late 1940s by a fruit farm woker who planted some pips of Worcester Pearmain (a 19th century variety) crossed probably with Beauty of Bath. As a seedling the Worcester Pearmain strawberry tinged apples, this explains the Discovery’s occasional hint of beautiful strawberry flavour.

Find out more about Discovery apples here.

Discovery Apple Salad with Walnuts

Serves 4
5 large Discovery apples or 8 smaller ones
2 handfuls shelled walnuts
2 bunches mache
2 bunches red chard
350g Stichelton
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
pinch of sugar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 finely diced shallot
pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the 2 vinegars in a small bowl with the mustard and a pinch of sugar. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly until emulsified. Stir in the shallots and add a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

Core the apples and cut into rough chunks. Mix with the leaves and walnuts, then dress with vinaigrette. Finish with some nice chunks of Stichelton.

Traditionally the 21^st of June marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere, known as the summer solstice. From now until well into September we will enjoy some of the year’s most exciting fruit which so desperately needs the sun to really thrive.

After the long winter months where apples, pears and citrus fruits are bountiful, spring brings purity and freshness into the kitchen with its vegetables yet its fruit never really inspires. Only the first early summer cherries can compare to the first fresh peas – the variety, quality and flavour of summer fruits is beyond anything in the yearly fruit & vegetable calendar.

Now is the time for cherries…they are phenomenal, very large and sourced from Moissac in France where we feel the best cherries are grown. Nothing beats a bowl of ice-chilled water filled with cherries – their season is short so take advantage. Our Italian melons, particularly the ones from Mantova, are out of this world.

Stone fruit is just beginning and although not at its peak worth enjoying…flat peaches are the best, followed by white and then yellow peaches all sourced from southern Italy. Apricots are amazing right now – again we source them in France as nowhere else compares. France also brings us the special Mara des Bois strawberry, highly prized by chefs for their flavour reminiscent of wild strawberries. Closer to home we have the first proper British strawberries.

We urge you to compare our fruits with those found in supermarkets and markets today…Natoora will rekindle your memories of how fruit used to taste when you were growing up.

On your marks, get set…grill!

From the 31st May to 6th June, it’s National Barbeque Week, so what better excuse to get grilling (weather permitting!).

To celebrate, we’re giving away our new mini bbq box – free* with any order!

To get your free box…
1. Order before 13th June
2. Enter code NATBBQ

*Terms and Conditions:

Offer can only be redeemed once per address or account holder. Valid until 13th June 2010. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer except price discounts. No cash alternative. We reserve the right to refuse or restrict orders.

This year we have lots of new exciting flavours to explore with our expert butcher Moen and Sons:

- beef burgers made with quality Scottish steak
- award winning hand-made sausages
- Moroccan spiced lamb koftas
- delicious porchetta steaks

There’s much more in our special BBQ shop.

Recipe: BBQ Spatchcock Chicken

1.2kg Spatchock Chicken
Water or Beer to baste
2 Lemons to serve

For the Marinade:
4 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Paprika
2 Garlic Cloves
Juice and zest of a Lemon
Salt and Pepper
OR instead try Busha Browne’s Jerk Sauce

If you are making your own marinade, mix together 3 tbsp oil, crushed garlic cloves, the zest and juice of a lemon and the paprika. Add some salt and pepper and brush over the skin of the chicken.

If using one of our ready made marinades, follow the pack instructions.

Leave to marinade in the fridge for 40 minutes.

Once your barbeque is nice and hot, cook the chicken on each side for 5 minutes in the middle of the barbeque. Then move to the side for a gentler heat and continue cooking. Turn regularly and baste in between with some water or beer.

To check if it’s cooked, pierce the fattest section (between the thighs and breast bone). The liquid should run clear and the flesh should be white.

Now take it off the heat, cover in foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes. Serve in portions with a drizzle of lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Celebrating this nutritious leaf

This week our favourite peppery green is in the limelight – beautiful, fragrant, intense watercress. If ever a leaf deserved a bit of attention, it’s this fantastic salad! Watercress is absolutely jam packed with nutrients, with over 15 vitamins and minerals and more vitamin C gram for gram than oranges.

British and French watercress is fantastic at this time of year, harvested from pure spring water for that uniquely refreshing taste.

Looking for your watercress fix?

Add it to home-made mayonnaise and serve with fish.
Try it in Jane Clarke’s asparagus and San Daniele salad.
Get refreshed with our courgette and watercress soup.
Or read on to find out how to make a delicious watercress sauce.

Recipe: Watercress Sauce

Delicious with fish

25g Butter
2 Shallots
1 Stick of Celery
1/2 Glass Dry White Wine
75ml Vegetable Stock
1 Bay Leaf
150ml Double Cream
170g Watercress

Melt the butter and add the shallots, finely chopped. Add finely chopped celery and fry gently until tender (about 3 minutes).

Add the wine, stock and bayleaf and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

Pour in the cream and chopped watercress. Heat through and season with salt and pepper.

If preferred, liquidise before serving.

This is fantastic drizzled over salmon, cod or other white fish.

It’s national honey AND national bread week this week so get spreading…

Rich, gooey honeys and outstanding quality breads…not that we need any excuse to tuck into these delights, but this week marks both national bread week and national honey week so what better time to get spreading!

	Poilane Breads Poilane bread is old fashioned, handmade and thick crusted. They bake the sourdough in an oak-fired oven and use carefully selected ingredients and traditional bakery know-how! From £2.35
	Honeys We have a fantastic range of honeys to tempt you. From floral lavender honey to fragrant orange honey and of course traditional English set, you can have a different flavour every day of the week! From £3.15/jar

Recipe: Cinammon French Toast

2 Organic Free-Range Eggs
300ml Milk
2 tbsp Caster Sugar or Vanilla Sugar
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
4 Sliced White Bread
50g Butter
2 Oranges
Icing Sugar for Dusting
Drizzle of Clear Honey
Double Cream to serve

Beat the egg, milk, sugar and cinammon until thoroughly combined. Soak the sliced bread in the mixture. While you wait, peel and slice the oranges.

Now melt the butter in a frying pan, add the bread slices and fry for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown.

Arrange the orange slices, top with toast and dust with icing sugar. Finally drizzle over some honey and cream or custard if you prefer.

Today we’ll all be out celebrating the biggest event of the year…National Garlic day! This wonder bulb really deserves a day of it’s own. Think of all the benefits eating garlic has…

Helps to fight off colds and flu
Lowers blood cholesterol levels
Repels vampires
Cures warts and can even be used as a treatment for acne
Used for toothache

Of course, it also tastes really great! For real garlic fans out there, try our pickled garlic recipe below or click here to get garlic shopping!

Recipe: Pickled Garlic

Get your garlic hit with this mellow recipe

2 Garlic Bulbs, Cloves seperated and peeled
125ml White Wine Vinegar
125ml Dry White Wine
1 Dried Chilli
1 Sprig of Thyme
1 Sprig of Rosemary
1 Bay Leaf
10 Mixed Peppercorns
2 tsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Pickling Salt (or use plain table salt)

Place everything except the garlic into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Gently boil for 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Return to the boil then cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Leave to stand at room temperature for 1 full day.

After this time, bring to the boil again, then transfer to a jar. Leave to cool before covering tightly with a clean cap. Store in the fridge for 5 days before eating. It should then keep for months!

In need of some inspiration for Mother’s Day?

Mum’s everywhere are probably looking forward to a bit of rest and a big treat on Sunday 14th and we have a few ideas up our sleeve to help make sure that happens…

Thanks to home foodie and blogger Beth Sachs of Jam and Clotted Cream, we have created two delicious recipe boxes for hard-working mums. Inside you’ll find all the main ingredients to create a delicious treat…

	Mother’s Day Brunch Box (even the kids can help with this one!) All the ingredients to make Spanish style scrambled eggs, sweet rhubarb muffins and home-made pear and apple smoothies. £42.95/box
	Mother’s Day 3 Course Recipe Box Treat your mum to a 3 course meal at home! For starters is a refreshing endive, pear and roquefort salad followed by succulent lemon roast chicken and sides. Dessert will be tangy rhubarb and ginger crumble (plus a bottle of prosecco!) £89.95/box

Recipe: Rhubarb Delight

Serves 4

16 Thin Stalks of Rhubarb
200g Caster Sugar
2 Tbsp Water
200g Mascarpone
180ml Double Cream
2 Tsp Finely Grated Orange Rind
2 Tsp Gelatine
60ml Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
2 Blood Oranges (optional)

First wash the rhubarb, scrubbing away any dirt. Cut away the leaves and white part of the stalk, then slice into 3cm pieces.

Heat a medium pan and add the rhubarb with 100g of the caster sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to the boil, simmer and cover for 10 minutes until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool, then refrigerate.

Now in a small heatproof jug, add 1 tablespoon of water and sprinkle gelatine over the top. Stand the jug in a pan of simmering water, stirring the liquid until the gelatine is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange juice.

Beat the mascarpone with 100g caster sugar until smooth. Add the cream and orange rind and beat until. Then beat the warm gelatine mixture into the mixture until combined.

Now the rhubarb is cooled, dived the mixture into eight serving glasses. Divide the creamy mixture evenly over the rhubarb and refrigerate for 3 hours or until set.

Serve decorated with fresh orange segments.

Don’t be put off by this winter wonder, you’ll get all the help you need at Natoora…

Some people love chocolate. We love artichokes. They are one of the great things about winter and well worth trying this month. They come in all shapes, colours and sizes and are absolutely delicious.

Since you are unlikely to have seen these delights on the supermarket shelves, they might appear a bit daunting (especially the spiky variety!), so this week we thought we’d take the time to explain a bit more about these winter wonders…

The Good and The Bad: To check if the artichoke is good, it needs to be firm and not speckled, and the leaves well attached to the heart. The stalk also has to be firm.

The Heart of the Matter: There’s alot of peeling away to get to the tender heart, but it’s definitely worth the effort! See our recipe below for a step by step guide.

Bearded Beauties: Sometimes they have a “beard” inside the heart that needs to be removed before cooking with the help of a sharp knife.

Tender Hearts: The first 4 cm of the stalk is absolutely delicious so do not throw away, but make sure to remove the outer strings by scraping with a knife, or by peeling the outer part.

Storage: They will keep in a plastic bag in the fridge for 5-6 days. You can take out the outer leaves and cut the top, wash thoroughly, blanch in water with some lemon and freeze. Or see our artichoke preserving masterclass to make your own deli delights.

Recipe: Stewed Mammole Artichokes

Serves 4

8 Mammole Artichokes
1 Clove of Garlic
1 Lemon
2 Tbsp Chopped Mint
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
50g Breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp Chopped Parsley

This is how they do it Rome!

First you’ll need to prepare the artichokes.
1. Remove the tough outer leaves.
2. With a very sharp knige, cut the top so that you are left with the tender part only.
3. Cut the stalk leaving only 4cm.
4. Put the artichoke upside down and press it down with your hand so that the leaves will separate (you will need to stuff them later, this way you can access the center of the artichoke).
5. Put them in a bowl with cold water and the juice of a lemon (to prevent discolouration).

Now finely chop the garlic and mix with the chopped mint, parsley, breadcrumbs and a little olive oil. Drain the artichokes of excess water. Using a teaspoon, stuff the mix into the artichokes.

Heat some oil in a pan. Then put the artichokes in the pan, head side down. Lightly fry for a few minutes, and drizzle with olive oil. Add enough water to cover the first half of the artichoke, then add salt and cover.

After half an hour, check with a fork. If it’s tender, it’s ready! Serve immediately and drizzle with the juice from the pan. This is a fantastic accompaniment to meat, cheese or eggs.

It’s pancake day today and we can’t wait to get flipping!
We always look forward to pancake day at Natoora. It comes at a time of year when citrus is at its best so what better way to flavour these doughy delights than with fresh oranges and lemons.

Shrove Tuesday arose through the need to use up food that were forbidden during Lent. So what will we be stuffing in ours this Tuesday…?

Large Sicilian Oranges: Make your own crepe suzette with these sweet, juicy oranges, sugar, butter and of course, some Cointreau.
Rhubarb: Our fantastic forced rhubarb from Yorkshire will be fantastic stewed with sugar and generously dolloped inside a fresh pancake.
Amalfi Lemons: The real classic, just squeeze over and add sugar or even better, try with Ricotta in our recipe below.
Hazelnut and Chocolate Spread: Rich, chocolatey spread, even better when a little melted.
Blueberries: Leave for an hour with brown sugar and creme di cassis and you’ve got heaven in a bowl.
Pears: Roast and serve with vanilla cream or ice cream.

It might not go in a pancake, but also well worth a try this week is the amazing wild pink radicchio. It is only around for a couple of weeks so make sure you don’t miss out. So beauitful it is just as at home on display as it is for eating!

Lemon and Ricotta Pancakes

Serves 4

1 Lemon
200gr Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Egg, Beaten
200ml Semi-Skimmed milk
200g Ricotta
1 knob Butter
Icing Sugar (to dust)
250g Mixed Berries

Mix the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Make a well in the middle, then pour in the egg and a bit of milk. With a wooden spoon, gradually draw the flour into the liquid until you have a smooth batter. Mix in the rest of the milk and the juice of half the lemon. Beat in the ricotta.

In a large, non-stick frying pan, add the butter. Heat and swirl the butter aroud to cover the bottom. If there is any extra, tip out the excess and reserve. Here we are making 3 or 4 pancakes at once, so spoon in tablespoons of batter, spaced well apart.

Cook on a medium heat for a couple of minutes until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip over with a fish slice and cook for a couple more minutes until golden. Set aside and repeat until all the mixture is used up.

To serve, top with berries, grated lemon zest and a sprinkling of icing sugar.

A wide variety of flavours can be unlocked with our range of peppercorns..

Ah what would any chef do wthout a good selection of spices? We know very well that anyone remotely interested in learning how to cook needs at least two things: a good cook book to start with and a cupboard full of spices to boost the flavours (or hide the occasional mistakes).

That’s why at Natoora we have decided to widen our already rich selection of spices and cooking ingredients! Pepper is the most popular and most widespread spice in the world, so let’s concentrate on it and some of the new varieties from Steenberg’s Organics:

Organic Green Peppercorns: Fresh, light and fruity, these are whole peppercorns which have not ripened fully. Ideal with red meat and salmon.
Organic Black Peppercorns: Strong and pungent, these are some of the finest you will find on the market.
Organic Pink Peppercorns: Sweet, delicate and pungent at the same time, they beautifully pair with fish but are really a berry!

Happy Eating!

Katherine