Food in the UK!

These are some of my favorite Autumn recipes.

· 75g Butter

· 2 white Onions, finely chopped

· 4 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced

· 1 tsp chopped Thyme

· 1 tbsp chopped Rosemary

· 200g Chestnuts, fresh or frozen, thinly sliced

· 100g Trompette de Morte Mushrooms, well cleaned and picked over

· 100g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced

· 200ml Madeira

· 1.5 litres chicken or vegetable stock, or water

· 1 tsp tarragon

· 1 tsp chopped Parsley

· Method

1. Melt the butter in a large heavy-based pan, and cook the onions, garlic, thyme and rosemary in it until the onions are translucent, about 5-10 minutes.

2. Add the chestnuts and cook lightly for a further 5 minutes. Stir in both types of mushrooms and cook for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the Madeira and reduce by two-thirds. Add the stock or water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Finish with salt and pepper, to taste, and scatter over the chopped tarragon and chopped parsley

• loaf ciabatta bread
• 1 clove Garlic, peeled
• Olive oil

For the toppings

• 1 large Aubergine
• 2 courgettes, thinly sliced into half moons
• 2 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
• Squeeze lemon juice
• 1 chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• small handful Mint
• 1 ball sheep's milk Ricotta cheese
• small handful Basil
• Pecorino cheese

• Method

  1. For the crostini: preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4.
  
  2. Cut the ciabatta into slices about 1cm thick and toast them in the oven for 10 minutes. When they are golden, drizzle them with olive oil and rub the top of each slice with the clove of garlic.
  
  3. For the toppings: heat 2 lightly oiled frying pans. Add the aubergine to one and the courgette to the other. Cook stirring occasionally.
  
  4. After 4 minutes add the garlic to the courgettes and a squeeze of lemon juice.
  
  5. In the pan with the aubergine, add the chilli, a splash of balsamic vinegar and roughly tear the mint over it.
  
  6. Cook both pans until the vegetables have softened and browned. Top half of the crostinis with the aubergine mixture. Spread the other half with the ricotta and top with the courgette mixture. Tear a little basil over the top and grate over some shaving of pecorino cheese

Love,Sophie