Call

Recipe recommendations

No-dig inspired

Each month I'll share one of my favourite recipes to this page, focusing on the ingredients that are ready to pick that month.

Be sure to share and tag your triumphs @bishopstrowhotel

 

Darren Stephens, Chef-Gardener

September 2024

COURGETTE AND BASIL BREAD

Most keen growers I speak to either struggle with courgettes, mainly due to slug damage, or have so many they don’t know what to do with them. If you are in the latter group then this is a lovely way of utilising them. I served this with hummus and garden crudités at our harvest dinner at Bishopstrow with some lovely feedback.
450g courgettes
2 tsp salt
125g plain flour
125g spelt flour, whole wheat
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sodium bicarbonate
1 tsp salt
4 spring onions finely sliced
30g basil roughly chopped
100g of grated cheddar
2 large eggs
170g buttermilk
Grate the courgette and mix with 2 tsp of salt and leave to sit in a colander over the sink for 30 mins. Squeeze the courgette to release all the excess liquid and set to one side. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients until well combined. Add the courgette, basil, spring onion and cheddar and mix together lightly. Separately whisk the eggs and buttermilk together. Then fold the buttermilk and egg mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing only until just combined – any more and the bread could turn out tough. Fill small loaf tins three-quarter way full and bake for 45 minutes at 180C or until a small knife inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool completely before removing from the loaf tin.

August 2024

FIG LEAF PANNA COTTA WITH RASPBERRIES, WHITE CURRANTS AND HONEY

We have two big fig trees in the river garden along the south-facing wall. We planted them two years ago now and I’m hopeful of some fruit later this year. In the meantime, we can utilise the leaves of which they have plenty. Along with our raspberries which we have just started to pick

Serves 6

 

Panna cotta

1 litre double cream

4 fig leaves

160g sugar

3 gelatine leaves

 

Warm the cream till just below boiling point, add the fig leaves, and remove them from the heat. Leave the leaves to infuse overnight.

Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until bloomed. Strain the leaves out of the cream and bring back to a boil with the sugar, stirring to dissolve. Remove from the heat to cool slightly. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine and add to the cream, whisking to dissolve it completely. Pour into moulds and set overnight.

Once set dip the mould into warm water and tip.

June 2024

PAN ROASTED CARROTS WITH CARROT TOP SALSA VERDE, BABY VEGETABLES AND SEARED SQUID

Serves 4

I recently did a cooking demo at the Bath Foodie festival and of course, I was showcasing all the abundant produce from our kitchen garden. The star of the show is the whole carrot with the squid in more of a supporting role.

1 bunch of young carrots with tops

30g parsley

30g mint

4 spring onions sliced fine

20g capers

1 lemon

Olive oil

1 tsp Sriracha

5 pickled chilli peppers and their liquid

180g cleaned squid, tubes sliced into rings and tentacle halves

100g roasted and salted pistachios chopped

1 bunch baby beetroot cooked and peeled

Baby courgettes

 

Cut the young feathery green tops from the carrots, and discard the thicker stems and older leaves. Wash well and dry. Chop the carrot tops, parsley and mint together and add the spring onions, capers, zest of a lemon, sriracha, chopped chilli and two tablespoons of its liquid. Stir in enough olive oil to bind it and season. It should be bright and bracing.

Heat a heavy pan on medium heat and slice the carrots in half if quite large or leave whole if small. Lay the carrots in the pan with some olive oil so they sizzle and caramelise, they will need about 15 minutes to cook through.

Put the carrots to the side when cooked and turn the heat up high on the same pan. Season the squid well and add to the pan when very hot with a glug more of olive oil. Toss and shake the squid in the pan, it should take no more than two minutes to cook. Finish with a good squeeze of lemon and add to the carrots and mix with the carrot top salsa verde and let marinade for a few minutes.

Any other vegetables can be added to this bright dish, I utilised baby heritage beetroots and very young courgettes with their flowers.

Arrange the dressed vegetables and squid around a plate and sprinkle with the pistachios and another drizzle of olive oil.

February 2024

GRILLED PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI, ROAST GARLIC AND PECERINO EMULSION WITH HERBS AND WALNUTS

One of my top ways to enjoy brassicas is by quickly blanching them, then finishing on the char-grill. Their sturdy texture and rich flavour make them a perfect match for bold flavours, like this new favourite dressing of mine. For me PSB rival asparagus for anticipation and taste and is the hi-light in the garden over February and March. We also have savoy cabbages in the garden that work great in this salad too.

 

1 large bulb of garlic

1tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp white miso paste

2 egg yolks

1 lemon juiced

50g pecorino grated

250ml neutral flavoured oil

Sprigs of dill chervil and mint 

Large handful of walnuts

Sprouting broccoli lightly blanched for 30 seconds 

 

To make the dressing wrap the garlic bulb in tin foil and bake for 20 mins at 180C or until it is soft to the touch. When cooled remove the foil and slice the very top off and proceed to squeeze the caramelised cloves out of its roasted shell.

Add this to a food processor along with all the ingredients except the oil. Blend till all have been combined and with the motor running slowly pour in the oil. It should emulsify together to form a Caesar-style dressing.

To take the walnuts to another level they are candied. For this simply boil 200g of water with 200g of sugar and add the walnuts. Simmer for 1 minute then drain them. While still warm bake on a tray at 160C for 8 mins until toasted and shiny. Sprinkle with salt to finish.

With a char grill set to the point of smoking, very lightly dress the broccoli in oil and press on the grill to leave bar marks.

Dress the broccoli with emulsion and plate up topping with the nuts and herbs

Book a...

Arrive
Depart
Adults
Children
Why book direct?

The best way to get to know us better is by booking direct and if knowing us isn’t incentive enough, well we will also throw in:

Full use of the spa facilities**

**Treatments are charged as taken