Preparing Vegetables

Asparagus

To prepare:
Cut off the hard bases from the stalks. tie them into little bundles with the heads all facing one way:

To Cook:
Simmer in salted water for ten to 15 minutes drain all water off thoroughly. Gently saute in a pan of Butter and virgin olive oil (mixed) on a low heat for 5 – 8 minutes (You can add a crushed garlic if you want to and I want to)

Broad Beans

To prepare:
Shell the beans and soak in salted water for 10 minutes.

To Cook:
boil in salted water for 20 – 30 minutes. (you could also add flavour by incorporating various spices and sauces to the beans) e.g adding a little “tabasco” or “chillii” bucks ’em up somewhat. If you don’t like spice try them laced with pure butter sprinkled with fresh ground peppercorn. Or eat them boring and plain “with “nowt added”.

French or Runner Beans

To Prepare:
Top and tail beans, remove “string” if necessary, thinly slice or leave whole if small

To Cook:
Cook in boiling salted water for 15 minutes, drain thoroughly toss in heated virgin oil finish with a sprinkle of freshly ground peppercorn

Beetroot

To Prepare:
Wash gently but thoroughly (take care not to damage skins)

To Cook:
Cook in boiling salted water ¾ – 1½hours

Broccoli

To Prepare:
Wash well cutting of the extreme outside leaves and the long part of the stalks

To Cook:
Cook in boiling salted water for 10 – 15minutes. Drizzle with pure melted butter or warmed virgin olive oil

Brussel Sprouts

To Prepare:
Remove outer leaves, trim and cut a cross in the stalks, wash in salted water allow any “visitors” to emerge

To Cook:
Cook in boiling salted water for 10 – 15 minutes (do not overcook they taste nice crunchy) Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with ground peppercorn

Cabbage

To Preapare:
Remove the outer leaves, cut in four triangular pieces, carefully cut out the stalks. You can then cut them into wedges or shred finely. Cooking time will be affected by your choice here

To Cook:
Cook in boiling salted water for 10 minutes if shredded (15 if wedges) take care not to overcook the cabbage should be a full green colour and slightly crunchy. Drizzle with butter or virgin olive oil

Carrots

To Prepare
Clean the carrots well, if small,consider leaving skins on, if large peel them and wash them Top and tail each carrot, depending on their length, cut each one into two or three. Then, with a sharp knife on a chopping board slice each into three pieces, cut the pieces into batons.

To Cook:
Shallow fry in virgin olive oil until soft on the outer and crispy in the middle, remove from the oil and sprinkle with a little celery seed.

Cauliflower

To Prepare
Remove the excess outer leaves and cut off the base of the stalk. Cut into sprigs or quarters or cook whole

To Cook:
Cook in boiling salted water (if its whole make sure its covered completely). Cook for 20 – 30 minutes. If its sprigs cook for 10 – 15 and if its quarters cook for about 15 – 20. Take care not to overcook because it will go soggy and tasteless

Celery

To Prepare
Divide, wash well and seperate stems, trim nthe ends and cut into the required size

To Cook:
Cook in boiling salted water for 15 -20 minutes. Or make up some instant gravy slightly thicker than the instructions on the pack add a little liberal dose of red wine (if you are not driving) place the celery in a oven proof dish, pour over the wine sauce and cook in the oven for 20 minutes on 175ºF (80ºC)

Corn-On-The-Cob

To Prepare
Strip off the outer green leaves. Keep a couple for effect. Stip off any silky strands thoroughly wash in salted water (the cob that is, not yourself)

To Cook
Cook in boiling salted water for 25-35 minutes according to size. Based with hot melted butter.

More to come soon!