Marvellous Marrow

So, long time no post. Life threw us a bit of curve ball which knocked us for 6 rather a lot for rather a long time. But we're getting there.

And yummy food like this certainly helps. 

But first a bit of backstory:

A few weeks ago we went on a very long overdue holiday to Crete and ate the most delicious food. Luckily we also did a lot of walking, but I digress.  Several of the dishes said they had courgette in them but I felt sure it was actually marrow rather than courgette.  I decided I seriously liked marrow! 

So, returning home I spotted a marrow on the weekly shop and eagerly popped it into the trolley, having no idea how one actually cooks marrow. 

It's languished in the fridge ever since but tonight, rather than a quick soup after the gym I suddenly fancied getting fancy with the marrow! And, like pretty much every meal I've cooked/assembled since our hols, it was going to be Greek inspired. 

It needed to be really rich but light, full of herbs and garlic and super nutritious. 

So, here's what I did. The usual caveats about my shunning of specific measurements apply!

Ingredients:

Olive oil

Half a marrow, chopped, skin on

Few handfuls pre cooked puy lentils

Few handfuls kale

Pinch chilli flakes 

2 great big fat cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Half tin chopped tomatoes

Handful fresh thyme

Squeeze lemon juice

Sea salt and black pepper

Feta cheese 

Buckwheat (soba) noodles ( these have a lovely nutty taste and are nice and healthy and only take 4 mins to cook, but you can use any pasta / noodles)

So, here what I did with it all!

1. Heat nice big drizzle olive oil in sauté pan and add marrow. After a while add the garlic and the chilli flakes. 

2. Sprinkle in the lentils and the thyme. 

3. Add the kale and leave it all to jiggle about in the pan a bit for a while, then add the tomatoes. Just enough to coat the pieces, not so it's swimming in it. 

4. Season with the salt and pepper and add the lemon juice. 

5. Meanwhile cook the noodles according to instructions (don't forget the  cold water rinse bit). 

6. Add the noodles into the pan and mix together. 

7. Pop into some bowls and crumble the feta over the top. Finally add another drizzle of good quality olive oil and a final crack of black pepper. Then enjoy!

Took about 20 mins tops start to finish. Mmmmmm, soooo nice. Even if I do say so myself!

Oh, and did you know, the marrow is actually just an overgrown courgette!? They just pick them later. Well I never. 

Peaches and cheese

Today sees a new twist on the whole fruit and cheese combo.  This time I do know where I got the inspiration and that's my new cookbook, which like every new cookbook I buy (um, lots), is now my most favourite cookbook in the world ever.  It's Hemsley and Hemsley - the art of eating well and I love it. Well, I love looking through it, have yet to make anything from it!

Anyway, today whilst flicking through I spotted a salad with peach and goats cheese. I didn't stop to read the recipe but whilst out shopping I decided all I wanted to eat for lunch was indeed a peach and goats cheese salad.  So I made it up. 

My version went like this:

Rip up some butterhead leaves and chuck on some chopped up nectarine ( I remembered I don't like the furriness of peaches!), chuck on some soft goats cheese, drizzle on some of the yummy honey, mustard dressing mentioned in an earlier post, dry fry a few pine nuts til nice and brown and chuck them on too. Just for good measure I also drizzled on some basil flavoured olive oil and some walnut flavoured olive oil and served with some heavenly focaccia from Waitrose. 

O. M. G. I don't like to blow my own trumpet but it was delish. The dressing was so lovely and unctuous and hints of the basil and walnut flavours added a lovely fresh, grassy, earthy dimension to what could have been quite sweet and flat otherwise. 

Can't believe I used to run a mile at the thought of fruit in savoury dishes before! (I still draw the line at duck a l'orange and sultanas in curries tho. Bleurgh.)

Having eaten it I checked the Hemsley and Hemsley recipe to find it really quite different to mine and involving peas, red onion, courgettes and mint - one to try another day!