I have the pleasure and honour of writing recipes for the Cornish Food Box and this is my first using vegetables provided by them. I have known the Cornish Food Box since they started as a business and remember going into their first shop when they first opened.  Two sisters with a vision of making a business out of what they believed in, to supply the community with locally grown food. High risk but with a lot of purpose, their passion, hard work and dedication to the cause of supporting local businesses and local food suppliers has made them a great success.

As a hub for locally sourced food  they are able to conveniently supply me with local food as it comes into season and the produce that comes through their doors. Over the years the diversity of ingredients from Cornish growers seems to be increasing which is great especially for me and my blog !! Still no Cornish Cumin though!

So this is my first post.  However, due to the Bank Holiday weekend I actually ended up popping into the shop and  grabbing some ingredients, so this recipe uses some ingredients that differ from your box if you came to us from their newsletter.  However from next week on, i’ll be sticking to the vegetables from their box.

Swede Or Cornish Turnip ?

So the swede if used in a Cornish pasty can,  apparently, be called a turnip since a Brussels ruling.  I’m not sure if this is true or not as I think that’s up to the Cornish Pasty Association . Anyhow a turnip is quite different to a swede with a turnip being white , smaller and not possessing  such an earthy flavour as a swede.  In this recipe I have been inspired by the Chinese cooking of turnips which are often steamed.  This also works well with swede however it is rarely done.  Steaming brings out the sweetness and should be steamed until its nice and soft.  If its steamed alongside meat, especially pork, in the same dish it takes on the juices of the meat and is a perfect accompaniment.

The Recipe

Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients

• Cauliflower
• Cornish Sea Salt

Cut the cauliflower florets loose and mandolin the heads into a bowl which will create a rice like consistency

Pour the cauliflower into a baking tray and season with salt. Put into the oven at 200 Degrees C. In my opinion this is the best way to cook cauliflower rice. Roasting it brings out the most flavour and makes it nutty in taste. Just don’t over cook it, it should take about 10 – 15 minutes.  I am just using plain cauliflower rice for this recipe but after you can season with flavourings, herbs to your taste. It is really nice just on its own in this recipe though as the pork has a lot of flavour.

The Pork

Ingredients

• Pork Loin
• Cornish Sea Salt

I use pork loin for this as it has some fat on the outside. Cut the pork into bite-sized chunks and season with salt.  I cut the pork fat off and cube it then add it with the rest.

The Vegetables

Ingredients

• Swede / Cornish Turnip
• Purple sprouting Broccoli
• Chives
• Wild Garlic
• Pak Choi

 

Dice the swede into small chunks about 1cm by 2 cm. They cant be too big as they will take too long to cook and we want them to take about 20 minutes. Finely chop the chives and the stem and leaves of the wild garlic. Combine them all into a bowl with the cubed pork and diced swede.

The mix

Ingredients

• Cornish Kombu Seaweed
• Splash of Coverack Artisan Malt Vinegar
• Good splash of Cornish Rapeseed Oil
• Salt
• Good splash of water

Blend about half a piece of Cornish Kombu seaweed so its powdered  and add to the mix along with a splash of vinegar, oil and salt. You want the mixture to be moist with the oil and water.  If you don’t have a blender then you can just add the seaweed to about half a cup of hot water, leave it for 5 minutes  and add it all to the mix. Put the mix into a bowl that will fit into your steamer and cook for 20 – 30 minutes. The mix is ready  when the turnips are soft with no bite, this will be after the meat has cooked. The vegetables and meat should release its juices and will complement the flavourings of the mix to make a delicious broth .  Once its  cooked  remove the mix and steam the broccoli and pak choi.

Plating Up

You can either add the cauliflower rice to the bowl along with the pak choi and the broccoli  or serve it onto a plate and decorate it with the veg. Garnish with fresh chives, finely sliced sprouting broccoli  stems and fresh wild garlic.

 

Once cooked this dish’s flavours will come from the natural flavourings of the pork, fresh herbs and seaweed. There should be plenty of broth in the bottom of the mix after steaming, this broth will be enhanced by the seaweed  whilst not tasting of seaweed. The seaweed adds a umami taste that will keep you going back for more.  The taste is flavoursome, natural, deep, fresh and lively. Its a dish that feels good for you. Please make sure you don’t overcook the broccoli or Pak Choi  as they add a really nice difference in texture to the dish.

I hope you enjoy the dish, please let me know if have any questions or need any tips.

Whealfood x

 

 

 

 

 

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