Combining her love of food and farming with teaching, well-known foodie Charlotte Pike shares some of her favourite recipes with Farmers Guardian.
Hailing from a farming family in Devon, Charlotte Pikes passion for food started early. Since training at the world-famous Ballymaloe Cookery School, Ireland, in 2014, her cooking career has blossomed and she now has five bestselling cookbooks under her belt.
Running cookery classes for all ages, Charlottes pop-up Field and Fork School aims to engage and excite its students in food, right from the farm to the plate.
She says: I am deeply passionate about cooking from scratch with seasonal, British ingredients and I love nothing more than sharing my knowledge and expertise to help others do the same.
"It makes complete sense for us all to enjoy fresh, local, seasonal ingredients in cooking and I base my home cooking on these principles. I look for the freshest seasonal fruit, vegetables, meat and fish when shopping and base my menus around what looks good.
"Not only does this offer variety and good value for money, but I am supporting British farmers. British dairy products are second to none and they add so much flavour to dishes. Im always on the look-out for great farmhouse butter and cheeses, as there are so many to choose from and enjoy.
Three cheese and thyme souffl
Three cheese and thyme souffl
Serves two as a main, four as a starter
Ingredients
25g butter
250ml double cream
250ml whole milk
125g plain flour
6 medium eggs, separated
100g goats cheese, crumbled
200g gruyre cheese, finely grated
125g parmesan cheese, finely grated
Generous pinch of salt, cayenne, freshly ground black pepper, and nutmeg
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Method
Preheat the oven to 200degC and brush the bottom and sides of a 12-inch shallow oval dish with melted butter.
Put the cream and milk into a saucepan to warm gently.
Melt the butter, add the flour and cook for a minute or two. Whisk in the cream and milk, bring to a boil and whisk until the sauce thickens. Leave to cool slightly. Add the egg yolks, goats cheese, gruyre and most of the parmesan, reserving some for the topping. Season with salt, cayenne, freshly ground pepper, and nutmeg.
Whisk the egg whites stiffly and fold them gently into the mixture to make a loose consistency. Spoon into the prepared dish, scatter the thyme leaves over the top and sprinkle with the reserved parmesan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes (nine-11 minutes for individual souffls), or until the sides and top are nicely puffed up and golden - the centre should still be creamy. Serve immediately with a green salad and some good bread.
soup
Celeriac and apple soup with crispy bacon and thyme
Serves six
Ingredients
For the soup:
1 small head of celeriac, peeled
1 large floury potato, peeled and cubed
3 eating apples, peeled and cubed
20g butter
Sea salt and black pepper
1 litre hot chicken stock
150ml double cream
For the topping:
6 rashers smoked back bacon, sliced into thin strips
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Method
Place the cubed celeriac, potato and apple into a large saucepan with the butter. Turn the heat to a moderate level and allow the fruit and vegetables to soften very gently. Season well with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken stock and simmer for about 15 minutes until the celeriac and potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, place the strips of bacon into a pan and fry gently until crisp and a rich brown colour.
Keep warm, once cooked.
Blitz the soup in small batches using a liquidiser blender. Place in a large bowl once blended. Stir in the cream and blitz in batches again. Once each batch is blended, I place the soup back into the large pan. When the soup has been blended a second time, gently reheat in the pan over a low heat.
Ensure the soup never boils, as this will destroy the flavour.
Check the seasoning and serve in warmed bowls, topped with strips of bacon and some fresh thyme leaves.
Any leftovers will happily keep in the fridge for up to five days. This soup also freezes very well.
lemon pots
Lemon cream pots with baked rhubarb
Serves six
Ingredients
425ml double cream
125g caster sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
For the baked rhubarb:
4 sticks of rhubarb, cut into 5cm-ish pieces 150g sugar (feel free to adjust if more is needed, or less is preferred)
Method
Bring the cream and sugar to the boil in a pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for one to two minutes. Add the lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Pass through a fine sieve and set aside to cool for five minutes.
Skim off any air bubbles from the surface and pour into six serving glasses, ramekins or individual serving dishes. Transfer to the fridge for at least two hours, or until set.
For the rhubarb, preheat the oven to 180degC/Gas Mark 4.
Take a large oven proof dish and lay the rhubarb slices in the dish in a single layer, sprinkle over the sugar and then cover with foil.
Bake in the oven for between eight and 15 minutes until just tender. Keep watching, as after eight minutes, as it can turn into a mush if you leave it just a couple of minutes too long. The rhubarb is cooked when a sharp knife can be inserted in the stalk without meeting resistance. Set aside to cool.
Serve together when ready.
