The Cottage Smallholder

 
Whenever we find a free range duck on offer we squeeze it into the freezer for a really special meal. Last weekend Danny roasted a duck and served it with a blueberry and plum sauce. Superb. Incidentally we usually cook fruit with the duck to make a sort of instant sauce. This time he roasted Read More »

Simple boiled rice, such as good basmati, or a dish like frittata can be a joy, especially if you add a little something to lift it above the ordinary. In my wilder years, I learned to cook by trial and error after accepting a position in a Chelsea, London household even though I did not Read More »

 
Ever since I saw the Compassion in World farming videos we have only been buying free range pork. These videos expose the terrible conditions that many factory farmed pigs live in and whenever I reach for a cheap pack of pork I remember the images and quickly pass by. Buying free range pork can be a bit alarming as it is expensive. Read More »

 
I had a yearning for spaghetti and meatballs yesterday. I have no idea why as I don’t think that I’ve ever eaten this dish in my life but somehow the combination appealed. I spent a morning in the kitchen creating the sauce. My challenge was to use as many dehydrated ingredients  as possible and some Read More »

 
“The best way to test whether spaghetti is done is to throw it against the TV screen. If it sticks it’s done.”
Oliver was rather wild at that point and not finding a TV close to hand tossed a strand of spaghetti against the kitchen window. It stuck momentarily and then peeled off, worm like, dropping Read More »

 
Danny bought some pork shoulder steaks this week. He wanted to try out a pork, mushroom and cream recipe that he had found at the local supermarket.
“The pork is sautéed in a pan. I don’t feel confident as I reckon that it should be fillet.”
He was right – the pork was chewy and disappointing.
It wasn’t Read More »

 
“Would you like goose risotto tonight?”
“Oh yes please!”
We eat a lot of risotto at the cottage. The perfect easy comfort food.
What I didn’t mention was the age of the goose. I’d found some last week in our freezer left over from Christmas 2008. It looked a bit stringy and unappetising so I hid it from Read More »

 
This is my all time favourite prawn recipe. Quick and easy to make and a deluxe treat. And there’s the rub. Prawns are expensive so whenever we see North Atlantic prawns on sale we grab them and bung them into the freezer. Where they wait in limbo to finally be teamed with squid and guzzled Read More »

I reckon that the best risottos contain a range of textures as well as combination of flavours, This risotto hits the mark on both fronts. We scoffed the lot – even I had seconds. But this could easily feed four, with a starter and a crisp green salad. As it only uses one duck breast Read More »

Danny snaked back from the post run last night holding a Waitrose curry aloft. Like the Olympic torch.
“£3.99 down to £1.49. We couldn’t make it for that price,” he beamed.
Danny is a chicken Korma sort of guy. He doesn’t like hot, spicy food.
“But you only eat mild curries and this is a Vindaloo – look, Read More »