7 Easy Warming Winter Recipes ❤️🧄🫚 🌿🍲

Winter tends to be 'slow down' time in the garden but if we have a few organic vegetables left from summer plantings, we can still enjoy cooking some warming, wholesome and tasty dishes, usually during January and February. Whether its something different for breakfast, a mid-morning treat, lunch, afternoon tea or dinner, you might like to try one or two recipes from below. Over winter I'm often in the vegetable garden, spotting bird visitors, mindfully planning next year's garden and checking what vegetables are still available. Although it's relatively bare now (compared to the main growing season), there are still a few leeks, purple brussels sprouts, spinach, parsnips and quite a few herbs under fleece in good condition, which I can cook with. I love to use freshly picked herbs, along with some favourite spices to jazz things up when its cold outside. They make vitamin-packed additions to home cooking, adding natural vibrant colours, flavours and textures. If you're in the garden at this time of year, carefully unearth leeks and parsnips only when icy conditions have abated. Don't lift your vegetables from the soil through the ice as you run the risk of tearing and breaking them. Soil structure can also be damaged too during the lifting process if the ground is still icy. And remember, you've taken a long time to grow and nurture your organic food! 

Here below are a few tried and tested tasty recipes to enjoy during January and February.....

Leek and Potato Soup with Sage Croutons 

Ingredients  Large potato, 3 or 4 harvested leeks, 2 garlic cloves, few sprigs of fresh sage, thyme, parsley and a couple of bay leaves tied together, wrapped in a muslin pouch, (or buy one), a stock cube or stock powder. Water as required. Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation Wash and peel potato. Chop up into small cubes, place into a small bowl of water. Chop off top and bottom of leeks, (compost tops and bottoms). Cut each leek lengthways and swish under a cold tap to remove soil residues. Check all grit and soil is removed. Finely slice leeks then rinse in a colander and drain. Oil and lightly saute garlic slices in a soup pan for a couple of minutes then add sliced leeks. Fry gently for 4 -5 minutes then add diced potato. Stir in crumbled stock cube or powder. Add bunch of herbs. Add a litre of cold water to pan, heat to boiling, then simmer for 40 minutes until soup mixture is soft. Add more water if needed. When cooked, remove herb pouch and use a hand blender to make soup. Put to one side when blended. Chop some day old bread into small cubes. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small frying pan. When hot, add bread cubes, keep turning them in the pan until crisp, (watch them as they can burn easily!). Add a teaspoon of very finely chopped sage to pan and carefully stir into the bread cubes. Remove from heat, drain on kitchen roll. Serve soup hot, sprinkle with sage croutons, add salt & pepper to taste. Enjoy! 

More winter recipes coming soon! 

Carole's All Year Round Cheese Scones

Puy Lentil Casserole with Herby Dumplings

Spicy Vegetable Soup with Pasta

Toasted Sourdough Slices with Olive Oil, Sea-salt, Toasted Seeds and Organic Honey 

Humpty Dumpty Poached Eggs on Crumpets with Parma Ham and Wilted Spinach

Stir-fried Far East Brussel Sprouts with ginger and toasted almonds