WARM DISHES FOR COOLER DAYS
The leaves are turning colour - those still left on the trees after the recent winds - and the temperature is definitely falling with them, so here are some lovely warming recipes for Autumn.
I made these indoors, I have to admit, but we have recently sold a lot of our Outdoor Hobs, which will no doubt be used on Bonfire Night and on those lovely cold and crisp days which really bring the joys of Autumn to mind.
One bowl of charcoal will barbecue for up to 4 hours, but if you pop the pot on, you can cook for up to 7 hours - believe me, I experimented in the Springtime ( remember the snowy April we had?). The seasons really do seem topsy turvy these days.
We should all be doing whatever we can to minimise the impact of climate change and in our own way, we are trying to make a difference with our cookware range - we don't use anything other than iron, wood and flax oil for the pans, we make sure that you can restore the surface and replace most of the parts, but most of all these are built to last - they are durable and get better with use and age. Sustainable materials, low component miles and a complete contrast to the concept of "disposable" product, with built in obsolescence
Anyway, enough of the philosophy - on with the cooking..............
Baked beans
500g haricot or cannellini beans, soaked and cooked
1 tblsp oil
1 tblsp black treacle
2 tsp grain mustard
4 cloves garlic
1 tblsp brown sugar
½ tsp cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
2 tins chopped tomatoes
250 ml water
Salt and pepper to taste
Warm the oil in a casserole dish over a medium heat and add the chopped garlic. Cook gently for a couple of minutes. Don't let it burn or it will taste very bitter. Add all the other ingredients, except the beans and stir well to mix. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and then add the beans.
Cover with the lid and simmer for at least a couple of hours, but they will be even better after 5 or 6 hours. You can do this on the hob, on the slow cooker base (use the LOW) setting or on the charcoal base of the Outdoor Hob
These are fantastic on toast, with baked potatoes, with sticky sausages or chuck in some chorizo, chunky bacon pieces or chestnuts to make an even more sustaining meal.
These sausages were added to a pile of caramelised onions and then I stirred in a large dollop of marmalade to make a very sticky and tangy glaze.
Pumpkin and cashews
2 tblsp oil
4 cloves of garlic
2 heaped tsp cumin seed
2 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
750g squash or pumpkin (peeled and seeded weight), cut into chunks
Juice of 1 orange
100g cashew nuts
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
Dry sherry
Pre-heat the oven to 180ยบ C/gas mark 4
Crush the garlic with the salt and cumin to make a paste.
Warm the oil in a cast iron casserole and add the garlic paste, cinnamon and paprika.
Cook gently for a minute, then stir in the squash or pumpkin. Stir well to coat with the spice mix.
Add the orange juice.
Put the casserole in the oven and roast for approx 25 minutes.
Meanwhile heat 1 tblsp oil and a knob of butter in a frying pan
When the butter foams, add the sliced onions and cook over a medium heat til soft and beginning to turn colour.
Add a splash of dry sherry and continue cooking until sticky and caramelised.
Remove the casserole from the oven and scatter the cashews on top - return to the oven for a further 5 minutes to heat the nuts.
Serve the pumpkin and the onions on top of a bed of cous cous.
This would also work well as an accompaniment to roast chicken or roast pork, particularly with some buttered kale or spinach.
If you like these recipes, have a look on the website for more details of the pots and pans I used.
The Outdoor Hob is a fantastically versatile charcoal powered barbecue and outdoor slow cooker, which you can use all year round.
The cast iron casserole has a 4 litre capacity and is great on the hob and in the oven - I use mine for so many thing from curries to crumbles, risotto to rice pudding
The spun iron frying pans have a completely natural flax oil finish, which gets better and better the more you use them.
© Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2015
