FLOWER POT KITCHEN: SPANISH TAPAS, JAMON SERRANO, MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE, CHORIZO IN RED WINE, MANCHAGEO CHEESE, SMOKED DUCK BREAST, SMOKED TROUT, CHICKEN LIVER PATE, FRESH BREAD AND MANTEQUILLA BUTTER

16 Jun 2012

SPANISH TAPAS, JAMON SERRANO, MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE, CHORIZO IN RED WINE, MANCHAGEO CHEESE, SMOKED DUCK BREAST, SMOKED TROUT, CHICKEN LIVER PATE, FRESH BREAD AND MANTEQUILLA BUTTER

SO QUICK AND SIMPLE AND A WONDERFUL LUNCH THANKS TO ALL THOSE FABULOUS PRODUCERS THAT GIVE US WONDERFUL JAMON SERRANO AND CHORIZO FROM ESPANOLA WITH LOVE

MOST LOVELY PORK AND BEEF MEATBALLS IN A RED WINE TOMATO
SAUCE WITH ONIONS, GARLIC, PAPRIKA AND CAYENNE

CHORIZO PAN FRIED AND FINISHED OFF IN A RED WINE AND TOMATO REDUCTIONWITH SMOKED PAPRIKA AND CAYENNE

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE MEATBALLS
225g twice ground chuck steak beef

225g twice ground prime pork belly

1 shallot fine diced

1 clove garlic fine diced

2 tins of Italian plum tomatoes chopped
100ml red wine

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 pinch cayenne pepper

ooil and knob of butter
Salt and pepper

To make the tomato sauce, take the onion and garlic and gently pan fry in some ooil and butter until soft, not coloured, add the red wine vinegar, red wine and the sugar, simmer and reduce a little now add the plum chopped tomatoes and simmer for five minutes, add the cayenne and paprika and season to taste, blend to a smooth consistency, take out half of the sauce and leave to one side, this is for the chorizo dish, leave ticking over just under a simmer.

To make the meatballs mix both meats together by hand, season well, with these cuts of meat no added flavour is needed, as the meat itself is full of flavour. Take a golf ball size of meat and firm together in to a ball, sear in batches the meatballs in ooil and add to the gently just simmering tomato sauce to cook for approx 20-30 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. The tomato sauce should be nice and thick and pulpy, if not remove the meatballs and reduce the tomato sauce till thick, re-add the meatballs and serve.

CHORIZO IN RED WINE & TOMATO SAUCE
Take the chorizo and gently pan fry both sides, no ooil needed as the chorizo has plenty once both sides are seared, add to the tomato sauce that you have left to one side from the meatballs recipe, I do like to add any of the left over cooking juices too for extra flavour.

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LIFE MY PASSION

Welcome to my daily life of cooking, one winters day many years ago my family and I were all inspired by a back to back rainy day of River Cottage this got us to stop talking about and start actually doing, suddenly three weeks later eight vegetable beds were dug, greenhouse erected and our first vegetables were propagating, this was the start to raising and growing our own food, our fabulous son Oscar changed our path in life which lead us to sell our small thriving restaurant of 10 yrs and to start our new life (Terrifying!) a life of the self sufficient in touch with nature and seasons, taking a step back and looking forward to a slower change of pace and making the most of every moment.

My passion for cooking was stronger than ever and having time at home with Oscar I found I had a new direction and I was no longer striving for perfection, I was suddenly very passionate for the enjoyment of the other side of food, something I had not realised, being the Chef/Cook and every other duty of your own small restaurant made me see that I never actually took time to cook what I wanted!

So there I was muddy boots and hands digging deep in more than one sense and I found myself transported back in time to where everyone grew some of their own food, it is a wonderful world with a real sense of achievement and loss, Slugs Snails and Caterpillars! But thats another story! Childhood memories of summers when I lived with my grand parents reminded me of so much that I had learnt about the make do and mend generation that I had forgotten.

Now as a family we love our free wild food days where we gather what nature has provided, have gone from being mini mini garden urban small holders, who did raised pigs at home because we could not wait to find land and supporting ourselves from our garden to now owning a very small farm that allows us to grow more vegetables for the whole of our family and neighbours, raise our own gorgeous Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, (Sausages!) and pets! Dorset Down sheep, chickens for eggs and pet goats! Suddenly having large quantities of produce started to wake up the Cook in me!

The Cook was awake that part of me that wants to cook for the masses and I found myself setting up Flowerpot Kitchen, a Farmers Market Stall, I wanted to use our honest raised meats and make old fashioned pork pies, rabbit pies and game pies from the local game keeper along with old fashioned techniques and the best hot water crust pastry. This in turn grew to a small cottage industry from home weekly supplying three farm shops and a deli along with also attending three farmers markets A few years later there came a time when my son Oscar's health changed and it was an easy decision to stop.

I still hold the occasional pop up 40 seater restaurant or gourmet lunch which we do for local charities for the love of sharing food and to remind that Cook in me why I love our go slower self sufficient life!

So here I am sitting amoung the vegetables watching the chickens loving that every season nature teaches me something new and that nature is in charge! She has taught me to just go with it and grow. Give it a try from a tray of salad on your windowsill to a few tomato plants it all counts.