rosie ramsden's pumpkin, feta and pine nut filo layer

One of the many fall outs from Milo’s party, other than the huge bag of recycling, the cupboard full of crisps and sweets and outbreaks of overtired tears, is the unexpected glut of pumpkins in the house.

Normally these would just end up as soup as everybody likes it and it’s easily freezable, however an Ana-fuelled trip to IKEA means we need to off-set rugs with as frugal a week as possible, so hold on to your hats for a full week of squash-based fun!

Tonight’s dinner was actually pre-planned as I was allowing for using up the carved pumpkins from Hallowe’en: An experimental pumpkin and feta pie. However despite this being on the weekly recipe list, we still don’t seem to have any eggs, garlic or enough lemon.

Even so, I’m mildly surprised how well it turns out, particularly as I went rogue and used up some crème fraiche in place of the eggs (I was thinking bulk), and I don’t think I used enough oil on the filo pastry:

Despite the claggy nature of the Feta, the lemon zest such as there was worked hard to cut through the stodge, and the pumpkin was sweeter and lighter. I can see where the garlic might’ve helped lift it, mind. All-in-all a great success although we’ll see how Milo fares with it after school tomorrow, and I think next time a green salad would be an excellent accompaniment rather than the beans.

sources
pumpkin, feta and pine nut filo layer - Rosie Ramsden, Delicious, October 2013, p66

the hairy bikers stuffed peppers

As some of you may know, stuffed peppers are the bane of my life: They look like they're going to be amazingly tasty - and generally they are, sort of - but they are the very acme of pfaffage. Hours are spent roasting, skinning, de-seeding, stuffing, re-roasting, and at the end of it all, all you can taste is feta.

Luckily tonight *somebody*, having spent most of December and November cooking for me, has ideas above her station and inspired by their new weight-loss bible is embarking on the good ship Getting Really Cocking Annoyed With Peppers. She won't make that mistake again.

As ever, the end result is pretty blinking tasty, with the obligatory feta getting a run for it's money with the crispy, museli-esque topping of sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, chopped and blanched hazelnuts (she really enjoyed that bit) and breadcrumbs. We will definitely be having it again, especially if Ana cooks it again.

Wine Time
Obviously we're on a mini-detox diet ahead of going to glorious Canada, so we won't be drinking during the week. But, if we were to be eating this again - maybe next week when our will has collapsed, I'd go with something like a Pinot Gris, a French Sauv or even a Riesling. It's the salty, pungent cheese you need to balance here, with some acidity for the salad dressing. Or maybe just several litres of refreshing, healthy water.

sources
stuffed peppers - Dave Myers & Si King, The Hairy Dieters. I don't know what page.

puy lentils, tomato & feta

I'm not sure even in my wildest Good Life fantasies (which are obviously always going to be Margot-centric), did I ever think I'd end up having so many lentil-based dishes in my armoury. I've got recipes with them stewed with sausages, chicken soup, as dhal, roasted with parsnips in a salad, as a base for roasted fish - the list goes on! This week we stumbled on a rather tempting little salad in one of those pull-out mags you get in Waitrose, simply involving green beans, cheese and roasted tomatoes.

It's a fairly simple affair, and remarkably quick to put together (if you discount the roasting time), but if I've learned one thing it's to ignore the picture. Although I didn't, of course:

The lentils are nice and earthy, and the roasted tomatoes add a sweetness which is more than matched by the crisp beans. However, the massive wedges of Feta are almost entirely, mouth-claggingly indigestible. On re-reading the recipe I realise they've chosen to zhuzh up their picture with artfully placed cheese, drizzled with oil, whereas in fact the recipe stipulates 'small cubes'. Small cubes. It makes all the difference.

Wine Time
Assuming you've got your cheese portion control correct, this is still quite a mouth-filling, hefty meal, which requires something pinpoint sharp to cut through the rich flavours. I'm going to go with a Vouvray, which is fleshier than a Sauv, with some underlying sweetness even in the driest version, all of which balance the heft of the meal, but with the necessary acidity to combat the clag. Whatever we had got lost in the battle with the fermented sheep milk.

sources
puy lentils, tomato & feta - Waitrose Early Summer Harvest 2012, p21

hugh's stuffed peppers with new potatoes, feta and pesto

Another day, another stuffed pepper recipe - and another one from St Hugh no less!

To be honest, once Ana has crowbarred me out of Milo's bed at half eight, I'm not really in the mood to cook anything. Particularly as this recipe's cooking time clocks in at about an hour and a half - yet is still the quickest thing we've got on the menu this week, and I'm even less enthused with the discovery we've got no pesto. Something I think you'll agree, which is pretty key to this dish.

However you should never underestimate the inspirational effect of knocking together some homemade pesto. Basil and garlic bashed, I'm ready to slather the potatoes and feta in green gloop and bake the peppers, and you know what? It's pretty bloody good!

It's a pretty good variation on the usual cheese and carb stuffing, hearty enough to take the edge of today's frost, and I'm secretly a little bit pleased with the pesto.

sources
stuffed peppers with new potatoes, feta and pesto - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Veg Everyday!, p256

feta and mint tabbouleh with crispy chorizo

Despite the jolly blue spoon-wooden spoon-green bowl vibe in the image, I've got a right cob-on by the time I get home today. There are a number of possible reasons (Milo waking up in the night, having a pint with the boss at lunchtime, annoying people on the roads) but none I can categorically pin the blame on.

By the time I get home, Ana's halfway out of the door on her way to Nursery Book Club and I'm less-than-inspired to cook anything. Or indeed watch anything, listen to anything or read anything. All I'm good for is knocking up enough salad for two plates tonight (for me) and lunch for all tomorrow:

(Not really) Interesting aside: This time I made it, at Ana's insistence, with cous cous. Not that she ate it, when she returned, drunk, at midnight, which wasn't bad given she hadn't actually finished the book, and didn't want to go.

Food of the Milos
Breakfast: We're up late today, so he only had milk before nursery, and then really eat anything at Julia's - some porridge and a cracker with some pate;
Lunch: Fish Pie (although he didn't eat the peas), followed by custard;
Dinner: Tonight Ana gets creative and the two of them make Leon's chicken nuggets, mini broccoli and sweetcorn. It's a massive success!

sources
feta and mint tabbouleh with crispy chorizo - Delicious, May 2011, p23
chicken nuggets - Leon: Naturally Fast Food, p168