CORN ON CORN

This is a dish from our Sweetness of Summer Feast. It’s really the perfect segue from cucumbers to squash; the fresh, crisp early crops and the sweeter, denser flavours that come later on. I think the corn harvest is bittersweet - it is one of the highlights of the summer, but also marks a shift in the late season.

Serves 4 people

Polenta
200g course polenta
750mL corn stock (see below) or water
250mL full fat milk
100g unsalted butter, cubed
100g strong Cornish Gouda cheese, grated
Salt and black pepper

Corn
3 corn on the cob
100g unsalted butter, soft
6 large sprigs of rosemary, finely minced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
120mL corn stock (see below)
¼ lemon, juiced

Begin by making your corn stock. Remove the kernels from the cob and keep for later.

Roughly chop the cobs themselves and place in a pot. Cover with at least 1 litre cold water and a pinch of salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 40 minutes then strain and keep the water.
Compost the used cobs.

Now onto the rosemary butter. Combine the minced garlic, rosemary and soft butter, and mix well. Set to one side.

Begin making the polenta; to a heavy based pan, add 750mL corn stock, the milk, a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Once boiling, add the polenta in a long stream, whisking continuously.
Turn down the heat and cook as per the packet instructions, usually around 30 minutes. You will need to stir it every few minutes to prevent sticking. Taste the polenta - it should be smooth. Add a little more corn stock until a thick porridge consistency is achieved.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the grated cheese and the cubed butter. Cover to
keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan until hot and then add the corn kernels. Toast them in the pan until they are lightly charred. You will need to toss them and do a little bit of scraping to prevent
them burning too much; use a wooden spoon for this. Once they are ready, add 120mL corn stock and toss in the pan. Add the herb butter and toss together so the corn starch, stock
and herb butter emulsify to create a delicious creamy sauce. Correct the seasoning with salt,
pepper and a little lemon juice.

To serve, plate the wet polenta first then spoon over the creamy, toasted corn. Enjoy!

PICKLED CARROTS WITH TARRAGON

Our favourite way to capture the sweetness of baby carrots to use all year round.

500g baby carrots
300mL dry cider
200g cider vinegar
50g caster sugar
50g honey
1 star anise
Black peppercorns
Salt
Fresh tarragon

A pickling liquid is something that must be tasted; the spices can change to one’s preference.

Put all ingredients except the carrots and tarragon into a pot and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, peel the sweet, new season baby carrots and split into quarters, lengthways.

Sample the pickling liquid and adjust the spice and seasoning to suit your taste. Add the carrots and simmer for two minutes or so before adding the tarragon. Put into hot, sterilised jars. Store in a cool place.

Serve as a nibble or add sweetness and crunch to salads.

WATER KEFIR

To make a batch of water kefir you need to have some water kefir grains. These are known as a SCOBY, a Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast.  Water kefir is just one of many names for this culture, that in the restaurant we use to ferment a sugary liquid to which we add lemon and a little dried fruit to bring a fruity flavour to the finished sparkling drink.

The term grains is purely to do with the appearance; there are no actual grains used in the process. It is also important to remember that milk kefir and water kefir grains are not the same. Their appearance is similar, but for this recipe we require water kefir grains.

 Making your own water kefir is a fun and simple process. As with all preserving and fermenting, it is beneficial to collect all your equipment and ingredients before starting and important that your fermenting vessel and other equipment has been cleaned well. 

Caring for your grains requires a little work; if keeping them in a jar in the fridge it is good to add a teaspoon of sugar every three days to keep them ticking over. If they are happy, then they will multiply so share them with friends and family. Having a weekly rhythm is useful when making kefir; we make it twice a week for the restaurant, meaning we have a super sparkly drink with a slightly sour tang, like a lemonade with more funk. The finished kefir will store for about a week in the fridge with the flavour becoming more sour each day.

 We would like to say a huge thank you to Naomi Devlin for sending us our starter grains. The recipe we use in the restaurant is an adaptation from her wonderful book, Food for a Happy Gut, a super guide for healthy gastronomy and a constant source of inspiration. Naomi recommends for newcomers to kefir to indulge in small glass or 2 each day then slowly increase the quantity you drink over a week as the probiotic can cause a little bloating for some people and has a cleansing action on the liver for others. People with no digestive issues can probably consume as much as they like.

Ingredients
1L warm, unchlorinated  water (our tap water on the farm is fine, but you can use filtered water if you are concerned about your own; heavily chlorinated water kills off the grains)
2 tbsp water kefir grains
3 tbsp organic cane sugar
a slice of organic, unwaxed lemon
2 unsulphured apricots (alternative dried fruit can be used resulting in different final flavours)

Equipment
1.5L fermentation crock or glass jar with lid or cheese cloth
1 whisk or wooden spoon
2x 750mL or equivalent swing top glass bottles
1 measuring jug
1 funnel (for bottling)
1 small sieve
1 jam jar for storing grains

Begin by cleaning your equipment. This can be done by simply washing everything in hot soapy water and rinsing well. Then fill and boil the kettle and slosh the boiling water over all the equipment. Allow everything to cool to room temperature and then get started immediately.

Once the equipment is ready, pour the warm water into the fermenting vessel, add the sugar and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Then add the kefir grains, dried fruit and lemon slice and gently mix for a few seconds. Place the lid on loosely, or secure the cheese cloth with an elastic band. This ferment is not reliant on oxygen, but it will begin to produce gas, so it’s good to allow some kind of release. We only cover ours to prevent foreign bodies climbing inside and floating amongst the grains.

Leave the jar to ferment at room temperature for up to 48 hours. The longer the ferment the more sour it becomes. We find that 24 hours fermentation before bottling is perfect for us. The trick is to have a little taste along the way. The drink won’t yet feel carbonated, but you can decide on the acidity you prefer.

Once you are happy with the flavour, it’s time to bottle. Using a clean spoon, fish out the now rehydrated fruit and the lemon. Carefully pour the grains and liquid through a sieve and into a clean measuring jug. The grains can now be stored in your jar, making sure they are covered with water and fed every two or three days with a teaspoon of sugar. Leaving the grains in the same solution without the addition of sugar will eventually kill them, so look after them and keep making fresh batches of kefir.

Carefully pour your kefir into your clean bottles using the funnel. Seal the bottles with the swing tops and leave at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Check the fizz by opening a bottle every few hours. Don’t leave too long at room temperature otherwise the bottles may explode; I am know this from personal experience!

The kefir can be enjoyed as it is or mixed, as we do with a little homemade fruit or herbal cordial. Enjoy!

CHARRED CABBAGE WITH FRIED BROWN RICE & SAUERKRAUT

2 large pointed cabbages
1 tbsp fennel seeds
150mL dry white wine
100mL unsweetened apple juice
50mL olive oil
20g unsalted butter
1 lemon (cut in half)
1 tbsp natural yoghurt
3 tbsp red cabbage sauerkraut
400g cooked rice
salt

Begin by splitting the cabbage into quarters lengthwise. Salt the cabbage well and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile heat a quarter of the olive oil and butter in a frying pan until the butter begins to foam, add the sauerkraut and fry for five minutes or so. Add the rice and reduce the heat to low. Stir the rice every few minutes with a wooden spoon until it becomes crisp. This mixture should be crunchy and savoury.

Heat another frying pan until hot, add the cabbages and char on the two cut sides. Do the same to the lemon. Add the fennel seeds and toast briefly, then add the white wine and apple juice.

Reduce the liquid until it becomes syrupy and add the remaining olive oil. Turn down the heat and place a lid on the pan; cook gently until the cabbage is tender. This will take around ten minutes. When the cabbage is soft, squeeze the juice from the lemon and remove from the pan. Add the yoghurt and combine.

Plate the cabbage and spoon over the crispy brown rice.

RUNNER BEAN PICKLE

1.8kg runner beans (weighed after trimming and slicing into thin strips lengthwise)
1.4kg onions (peeled and finely chopped)
1.6L cider vinegar
80g cornflour
3 heaped tbsp. toasted mustard seeds
2 tbsp turmeric
1kg demerara sugar
300g molasses
salt

To begin, put the chopped onions into a preserving pan or large casserole or saucepan with 275mL of the vinegar. Bring them up to simmering point and let them simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the onions are soft.

Meanwhile, cook the sliced beans in boiling salted water for 5 minutes, then strain them in a colander. Add them to the onions once you've shaken off all the water.

Combine the cornflour, mustard and turmeric in a small bowl with a little of the remaining vinegar – enough to make a smooth paste – then add this paste to the onion mixture.

Pour in the rest of the vinegar and simmer together for 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar and molasses (keep stirring until they dissolve) and continue to simmer for a further 15 minutes.

Pot the pickle in warmed, sterilised jars, and seal and label when cold. Keep for at least a month before eating.