This quick and healthy pizza is perfect for weeknight meals and oh so deliciously gourmet!

Ingredients:
4 slices Aubergine
1 small shallot/onion, diced
1 bunch Spinach, chopped
1 Tsp Olive Oil
5 or 6 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp tomato sauce
1 Small amount of Crumbled Goat Cheese
1 whole wheat Pita Bread or Flatbread (I used a high protein/low fat whole wheat pita)

Method:
Preheat oven to 150 Degrees C
In a frying pan, fry the aubergine slices and shallot / onion in olive oil until slightly browned.
Spread the tomato sauce on the flatbread, folllowed by the aubergine shallots, and tomatoes.
Top with the spinach and the goat cheese.
Put in the oven for about 5 or 6 minutes, let cool, and enjoy!

Ingredients

800g/1lb 12oz cooking apples, peeled, cored, cut into small chunks

3 tbsp raisins

1 large orange, juice and zest

50g/2oz unsalted butter

100ml/3½fl oz water

100g/3½oz caster sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

large handful of fresh breadcrumbs

For the pastry

50g/2oz unsalted butter, melted

4 sheets filo pastry

icing sugar, for dusting

double cream, to serve
Method
For the filling, soak the raisins in the orange juice and zest.

Cook the apples in a pan with the butter, water and sugar for 8–10 minutes, or until the apples have softened slightly, but still retain their shape.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the cinnamon, raisins and juice and the breadcrumbs and stir to combine (the breadcrumbs will bind everything together). Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

For the pastry, brush the baking tray with a little of the melted butter, spread out one sheet of filo on the baking tray, and brush with some more of the butter. Repeat the process with all four sheets, placing them on top of each other, brushing with melted butter each time.

Spoon the apple mixture along the middle of the pastry and roll up, longest side first, into a parcel, seam-side down. (If you like, you can scrunch up some extra filo pastry to make a decoration for the top.)

Brush all over with the remaining butter and bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes, or until the top is crisp and golden-brown. (Check the strudel after 10 minutes; if it is browning too quickly, reduce the heat a little. )

Dust with icing sugar and serve with double cream.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
4 asparagus spears, chopped
5 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the shallot and garlic until softened but not browned.
Add the asparagus, tomatoes and vinegar and cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes, or until the asparagus is tender. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To serve, place the asparagus and tomato stir-fry into a serving dish

(Good sprinkled with goat cheese )
Serves 4 as a side
A drizzle of olive oil
2 handfuls chopped mushrooms
½ medium onion, chopped
1 bunch spring greens, stemmed, torn into pieces
A splash of chicken or vegetable stock

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onions.
Sauté for 5 mins.
Add the spring greens. Stir for 1 min.
Add the stock, cover and cook for about 5 mins till the greens are wilted.

This is a sweet, sharp and slightly peppery pickle, with an amazing pink colour. Try it with fish, with meat (it’s lovely with lamb) and even with bread and cheese.

Ingredients

• 250g radishes (one bunch from the Van), trimmed, cut into 0.5cm / ¼in thick slices
• ½ lemon, zest and juice
• ½ orange, zest and juice
• 2½ tbsp sugar
• 25g butter/marg
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• water, to cover

Method

1. Place all the ingredients into a wide shallow pan along with enough water to almost cover the ingredients.Bring up to the boil
2. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 35 minutes, stirring from time to time, until all the liquid has reduced down to a few tablespoons of rich syrup and the radishes are very tender. Serve warm (it reheats very well too)

Ingredients:
400g penne
500g bunch asparagus , each spear trimmed and cut into 3 pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
200g cherry tomatoes , halved
good handful basil leaves
grated Parmesan , to serve

Method:
1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Boil the pasta in salted water.
2. Put the asparagus into a roasting tin, then toss with the oil. Roast for 10 mins, stir in the tomatoes, then cook for 5 more mins.
2. Drain the pasta, then add to the roasting tin along with the torn basil leaves and seasoning. Stir well until everything is glistening, then serve in bowls, with grated Parmesan.

Ingredients:-
good knob of butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large leeks , total weight about 450g/1lb, thinly sliced
500g packets penne rigate or your favourite pasta shape
200ml tub crème fraîche
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
125g packet English blue cheese , roughly diced
8 sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and thinly sliced
225g bag baby spinach leaves

Melt the butter with the oil in a large pan, tip in the leeks and splash in a little hot water. Cover and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until no longer squeaky.
While the leeks are cooking, boil the penne in salted water according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, tip the crème fraîche and mustard into the leeks, add three-quarters of the cheese and season well. Stir until the cheese melts. Take off the heat.
Drain the pasta, reserving the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the sauce and stir, adding enough cooking water to make the sauce coat the pasta. Stir in the spinach, a big handful at a time, until it wilts, splashing in a little more water if needed. Toss in the remaining cheese and serve.

This tasty curry comes from Debbie Fowler – thanks Debbie!
•    1 cauliflower, cut into sprigs
•    4-5 large leaves of spring green, thinly sliced
•    1/2 red cabbage, thinly sliced
•    2 tomatoes, chopped
•    1 onion, chopped
•    2 – 3 cloves garlic, chopped
•    extra virgin olive oil
For the curry paste:
•    1/2 tsp garam masala
•    1/4 inch piece ginger
•    juice of 1/2 lemon
•    sea salt
•    a few peppercorns
•    1/4 tsp mustard seeds
•    1/2 tsp mild chilli powder
•    drop of olive oil
•    1 tsp cardamon seeds
Grind all the ingredients for the curry paste in a pestle and mortar. Place the cauliflower, spring greens and red cabbage in a large pan of cold salted water and bring to boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes and then drain. In another large pan heat the olive oil, add the curry paste and fry for a minute. Then add the onion and garlic and soften, then add the tomatoes and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the rest of the vegetables to the curry mixture and cook for a further 5 minutes. In the meantime, cook some white or brown rice. You can add 3/4 tsp tumeric and a little crushed ginger to the rice and then serve with the curry.

Nadia our great supporter at the Farm and Veg Van gave us this wonderful  recipe for our Farm Spring Greens – They are on sale at the Veg Van today – grab these freshly picked greens before they go!

Ingredients
•    8 large spring green leaves
•    125g cous cous
•    2 large onions, peeled and sliced
•    175g carrots, peeled and diced
•    2 tbsp olive oil
•    50g hazelnuts, chopped roughly
•    1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
•    2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
•    3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
•    4 cups vegetable stock
•    2 cups rice

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C/ 400°F/ Gas Mark 6. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and blanche the leaves for about 1-2 mins until they soften a little.

Prepare the cous cous according to the directions. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onions and fry for 3-5 mins.

Add the hazelnuts and fry for 5 mins.

Add the garlic, carrots, cous cous, coriander and parsley to the pan and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Divide this stuffing between the green leaves.

Spoon the mixture into the centre and then fold the sides of the leaves over the filling. Roll this up to enclose all of the stuffing completely. Secure with cocktail sticks if they refuse to stick properly.

Place rice and stock in a casserole dish and the parcels in a single layer and bake in the oven for 30-40 mins until the rice has absorbed all of the stock.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaf, stems removed and chopped
4 teaspoons olive oil
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar (or sucanat)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C. Place everything but the cauliflower in a large bowl and stir to mix. Next, add the cauliflower and combine well with the seasoning. At this point you can allow the mixture to marinate for up to 24 hours (refrigerated in an airtight container) if you like. – But it’s not necessary!

2. Spread the mixture onto a large ungreased oven dish, scraping all of the herbs and spices onto the cauliflower. Bake for about 15 minutes.

3. Turn the cauliflower over and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned and very tender. Remove and serve.

This dish is so good that I’ve been known, to eat an entire batch of this at one time! Don’t be like me…share the goodness.

This is a great side dish for any special occasion and can be prepared in advance. Simply toss all of the ingredients together and marinate overnight. Pop it into the oven half an hour before dinner, and there go you! Simple elegance.