The John Murray Show Vegetable Plot

MURRAY'S SOUPS, STEWS AND SALADS COMPILMENTS OF CATHERINE FULVIO OF WWW.BALLYKNOCKEN.COM

MURRAY'S SALADS

Broadbean, Bacon and Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

Serves 4
200g shelled broadbeans, blanched
200g bacon lardons
200g baby spinach leaves, washed and trimmed
100g rocket, washed and trimmed
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
For the dressing
75g blue cheese
4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 lemon, juice
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. To make the dressing, place all the ingredients into a food processor and blender until smooth.
2. Heat a frying pan and fry the bacon until crispy. Set aside.
3. Place the spinach and rocket on a serving platter, sprinkle over the broad beans and parsley.
4. Drizzle over the dressing.
5. Top with bacon lardons and serve.

Summer Oriental Salad

Serves 4 - 6
For the salad
2 tbsp unsalted peanuts, chopped
¼ head Chinese or ¼ iceberg lettuce
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
100g grated carrot
3 spring onions
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
A small bunch fresh coriander
Sunflower oil, for frying
For the salad dressing
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 lime, juice only
2 tsp Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
3 tbsp sunflower oil

1. To prepare the salad heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the peanuts until golden. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
2. To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a jug and whisk. Check for seasoning and adjust to taste with extra Thai fish sauce or lime juice.
3. Shred the Chinese leaves or iceberg lettuce. Mix with the red onion, carrots, spring onions, mint, coriander and enough dressing to coat. Sprinkle with the peanuts and serve.

Gema’s BBQ Marinade for Chicken

Serves 4
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp pepper
5 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 lg tbsp tomato ketchup
4 lg tbsp mayonnaise

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and marinade the chicken escalopes for up to 12 hours in fridge. BBQ on medium direct heat until cooked through fully.

Ballyknocken Vietnamese style BBQ Marinade

Makes about 120ml
This is great for Beef.
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp medium dry sherry
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lime, juice and zest
Combined all the ingredients in a bowl. Cut the beef into strips. Mix all the ingredients and add to the beef. Refrigerate for 1 hour minimum.

Mango Salsa

Serves 4
1 roasted red pepper, drained and diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 ripe mango, diced
½ red chilli, diced
Juice and zest of 1 lime
Small bunch of coriander, chopped
To make the salsa, simply place all the salsa ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

MURRAY'S MARINADES

Teriyaki

A small piece of grated ginger, 6 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp mirin, 3 tbsp sake and 1 tbsp caster sugar. Good for salmon, chicken, steak.

Moroccan

Mix 4 tbsp harissa, juice of 2 lemons and 3 tbsp olive oil. Good for lamb.
Citrus and Herb
Roughly chop bunch of parsley and basil. Mix with the juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon and 3 tbsp olive oil.
Great with fish and chicken

Tandoori

Mix 300ml natural yoghurt, 2 tbsp garam masala, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 finely chopped onion and 1 clove garlic – crushed.
Good for fish,chicken and lamb

Hot, sweet and smoked
Mix 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 chopped red onion, 4 tbsp olive oil, 1tbsp honey and the juice of 1 lemon. Good for lamb.

Broadbean, Bacon and Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Serves 4

Our organic vegetable garden here at Ballyknocken Cookery School provides us with fabulous produce through the year including my favourite - edible flowers.

200g shelled broadbeans, blanched
200g bacon lardons
200g baby spinach leaves, washed and trimmed
100g rocket, washed and trimmed
1 tbsp parsley, chopped

For the dressing
75g blue cheese
4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 lemon, juice
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. To make the dressing, place all the ingredients into a food processor and blender until smooth.
2. Heat a frying pan and fry the bacon until crispy. Set aside.
3. Place the spinach and rocket on a serving platter, sprinkle over the broad beans and parsley.
4. Drizzle over the dressing.
5. Top with bacon lardons and serve.

Warm Potato and Leek Salad
Serves 4

Let’s face it, we all love potatoes, even for a BBQ. And there is nothing nicer than a good comforting warm potato salad served at a BBQ.

500g waxy potatoes, diced
2 leeks, thinly sliced
100g chorizo, sliced
1 tbsp chives, chopped
3 tbsp hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the dressing
4 tbsp sour cream
75ml mayonnaise
1 tbsp dill, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the diced potatoes in a steamed and cooked until tender.
2. In the meanwhile, prepare the dressing by whisking together the sour cream, mayonnaise and dill. Check for seasoning. If you feel that the dressing is too thick, stir in a little milk.
3. Heat a frying pan with the oil and sauté the leeks until softened and golden and keep warm.
4. In the same pan, fry the sliced chorizo until crispy.
5. To assemble, place the warm potatoes in a bowl, sprinkle over chives, add the leeks and the chorizo.
6. Drizzle over the dressing and gently toss.
7. Spoon onto a serving platter and sprinkle with chives and hazelnuts. Serve immediately.

Feta, Glazed Maple Carrot and Shallot Salad
Serves 4

Irish carrots are possibly the best in the world – well, I think so! Make full use of them – they are not just for boiling…!

500g carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into lengths
12 small shallots
12 cherry tomatoes
4 slices ciabatta
Salt and freshly ground pepper
200g of your favourite salad leaves (cos, mizuna, mint leaves and rocket)
150g feta cheese, crumbled

For the glaze
4 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 tsp thyme, chopped

1. Whisk all the glaze ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Place the carrots, shallots, tomatoes and slices of ciabatta onto a roasting pan.
3. Pour the glaze over the vegetables and ciabatta.
4. Roasted for about 30 minutes until golden. The ciabatta will be ready in about 15 minutes, keep an eye on it. Remove the ciabatta toasts and allow to cool slightly. Roughly chop the toasts to form croutons.
5. Arrange the leave in a shallow serving dish, place the carrots, shallots, cherry tomatoes on top, drizzle over the roasting juices and sprinkle over the croutons and the feta. Serve immediately.

MURRAY'S SOUPS

Spicy Spinach and Coconut Milk Soup
Serves 4
A popular soup at the guest house, we often get asked for the recipe.

2 onions, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
½ red chilli, finely sliced
2 tsp red curry paste
400g spinach, washed and trimmed
800ml chicken stock
400ml coconut milk
3 tbsp sunflower oil

Naan bread to serve
4 tbsp natural yoghurt to garnish

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onions, potatoes and chilli, sauté until softened.
2. Add the curry paste and cook for about 1 minute, stirring from time to time.
3. Add the coconut milk and chicken stock, bring to the boil.
4. Add the spinach leaves. Remove from the heat and blend until smooth.
5. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Serve in bowls and spoon a tbsp of yoghurt in the centre and a slice of naan bread on the side of the bowl.

Turnip, Potato and Smoked Bacon Soup
Serves 6

Turnip and smoked bacon is a wonderful combination, this makes a delicious soup for a dinner party. And it freezes really well too.

6 spring onions, finely sliced
2 tsp thyme, chopped
150g rindless smoked bacon, chopped
1 turnip, peeled and diced into 1cm
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1cm
1.75litres chicken soup
2 tsp dijon mustard
4 tbsp cream

1 tbsp parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp sunflower oil

1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, add the spring onions and thyme, sauté for about 2 minutes, add the bacon and sauté until cooked but not crispy.
2. Add the potatoes and turnip, cover well with the stock and bring to the boil.
3. Continue to simmer until the potato and turnip are fully cooked and soft.
4. Add the Dijon and using a hand blender, puree until smooth.
5. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
6. Ladle into soup bowls, stir in the cream and sprinkle over the parsley.
7. Serve with crusty bread.

MURRAY'S STEWS

Braised Shoulder of Lamb with Red Wine and Cannelini Beans
Serves 6

This is one of the recipes from my book – Catherine’s Italian Kitchen and a firm family favourite.

1 tbsp olive oil
1.3kg lamb shoulder, trimmed, boned and tied and stuffed with pine nuts, lemon zest and parsley
3 large garlic cloves
2 rosemary sprigs
100g smoked pancetta, diced, 1 – 1 ½ cm
1 onion, finely diced
3 carrots, finely diced
3 celery sticks, finely sliced
1 leek, finely sliced
150ml red wine
300ml lamb stock
400g can chopped tomatoes
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
400g cannelini beans drained and rinsed
Salt and ground black pepper
Potatoes or warm crusty bread to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and brown the lamb on all sides. Remove from the pan and leave to stand until it is cool enough to handle.
2. Meanwhile, cut the garlic cloves into quarters. When the lamb is cool enough, make twelve deep incisions all over the meat. Push a piece of garlic and a small piece of rosemary into each incision.
3. Add the onion and pancetta to the saucepan and sauté for about five minutes. Then add the carrot, celery and leek to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes until soft, then transfer to a large casserole cooking pot. Stir the red wine into the cooking pot.
4. Add the stock and chopped tomatoes to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Add the thyme and bay leaves, submerging them in the liquid. Place the lamb on top, cover with the lid and simmer on a low heat for 1 ½ hours. Using a meat fork or tongs, turn the lamb half way through.
5. Stir the beans into the vegetable mixture and warm through, or until the lamb is cooked and tender.
6. Remove the lamb from the cooking pot using slotted spoons, cover with foil to keep warm and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Moroccan Vegetable One Pot
Serves 4

By adding the dates, the favours are sweet and spicy. The students in our cookery school love this one and it is an easy one pot.

2 onions, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp harrisa paste
3 carrots, sliced
3 medium potatoes, diced
6 dates, stoned and chopped
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
400g tomatoes, diced (or 1 can chopped tomatoes)
500ml vegetable stock
2 tsp honey (or to taste)
200g tinned chickpeas
100g broccoli, diced into florets
1 tbsp sunflower oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 tbsp flaked almonds, lightly toasted
3 mint sprigs, chopped for serving
4 lemon wedges for serving

1. Heat the sunflower oil in a large casserole, add the onions and cook until softened.
2. Stir in the garlic and the harrisa and cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the carrots, dates, potatoes, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, diced tomatoes, stock and honey. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas and simmer for about 5 – 7 minutes. Stir in the broccoli and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Check the seasoning.
5. Remove the bay leaves and the cinnamon stick, sprinkle over the mint and the flaked almonds. Serve immediately with a lemon wedge, rice or couscous.

Provencal Fish Stew
Serves 4

Whne we think of “stews”, we always imagine big, hearty dishes but it is also possible to make a light stew, which is prefect as a summer stew or as a main course for supper.

700g skinless fillets of haddock and or salmon, cut into bite-size pieces
4 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
Bouquet garni made from bay leaves, thyme, parsley, and orange peel
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1litre fish stock
100ml white wine
200ml double cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

8 slices French bread, toasted and rubbed with a clove of garlic

1. Heat the oil in a casserole dish, add the onion, red pepper and sauté until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute.
2. Place the potatoes on top followed by the sliced tomato. Cover with the fish stock and add the bouquet garni. Place the lid on the casserole and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Place the fish on top, season with salt and pepper, cover again and simmer for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the fish in cooked and the potatoes tender.
4. To serve, carefully place the fish in the deep bowls.
5. Remove the bouquet garni and stir the cream into the potato mix, check for seasoning. Ladle the vegetables and the sauce around the fish.
6. To serve, place the French toast around the casserole.

To follow John Adamson's blog, visit www.helpmegarden.ie