FLOWER POT KITCHEN: CREAMY ALFREDO CARBONARA

15 Jan 2013

CREAMY ALFREDO CARBONARA

There are two ways to make this dish, both are super quick but one requires virtually no effort. A very versatile recipe too, as you can add mushrooms and white wine to create a completely different meal.

(serves 4)

SUPER QUICK NO EFFORT RECIPE

Ingredients

4 portions of pasta

600ml double cream

200g of medium grated cheddar

50g grated parmesan

1/4 tsp grated nutmed

White pepper

Fresh black pepper

Salt

200g ham torn

chopped parsely to finish

QUICK COOK GUIDE

Put a pan of salted water on to boil. While the pasta is cooking approx 11 minutes, heat the cream to just a simmer, add the cheese and stir till melted, season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, stir in the ham and then the sauce is ready to go. This is a rich sauce and very filling.

ALMOST TRADITIONAL CABONARA RECIPE
STILL A QUICK RECIPE
Ingredeints
4 portions pasta
3 tbsp ooil
1 onion fine fine chopped
1 garlic clove fine chopped
1 pack thin pancetta fine chopped
200ml double cream
4 egg yolks
2 tbsp chopped parsely
Salt and pepper to taste
150g fresh grated Parmesan

QUICK COOK GUIDE
Put a pan of salted water on to boil and place a serving bowl in the oven to keep warm. While the pasta is cooking approx 11 minutes, gently pan fry in ooil the onion and garlic fry gently until soften, not coloured.

Remove the onion and garlic from the pan and place in a large bowl, then in the same pan fry the pancetta and then add to the onions and garlic. Now while the pasta is still cooking in a bowl mix the cream, egg yolks and parsley together, season lightly with salt and pepper and add to the onion and pancetta mix.

Pre-heat your serving bowls.

As soon as the pasta is cooked immediately drain, and then add the pasta to the bowl of cream, yolks, pan fired onions and pancetta and toss, the heat of the pasta will cook out the egg yolks, check for seasoning and finish off with fresh Parmesan and parsley. Serve immediately pre-heated bowls.

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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.