Cottage Cooking Club Month of March

It's the 28th of the month and time once again for the Cottage Cooking Club to come together. We are a group of international blogger's that collectively post our pictures and experiences as we cook along with two of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's cookbooks. The books are, "River Cottage Every Day" and "Love Your Leftovers". Our group is meant to be a project aimed at incorporating more seasonal dishes in our everyday cooking. Andrea of The Kitchen Lioness is our dedicated founder and will be leading us on our newest adventure, this time it’s a six month stint. The goal is to cook and share as many recipes from either cookbook of our choosing. Currently we are in month two and I prepared 4 recipes.

Spiced Fig Compote with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

The first recipe I started with was the Spiced fig compote. Here dried figs were soaked in water and then drained. The liquid was reserved and then the figs were added back in along with some brown sugar, honey, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon stick and a peel of an orange. This flavorful mixture was cooked down until a syrup consistency was achieved. I served this fruit dessert warm with vanilla bean ice cream. Hands down my all-time favorite from all of the recipes I've tried from Hugh's cookbooks…. Nirvana!


Roasted potatoes with lemon and thyme was another favorite. For this dish I used fingerling potatoes but any variety would work. The actual recipe used rosemary but thyme, basil, oregano, za’atar or even herbs de province would be another great choice. I baked these potatoes on a large sheet pan in under an hour. Chicken, pork or sausage could be added making this a one pan meal.

Tuna Pasta and Arugula Salad

The third recipe is from “Love Your Leftovers”, Cookbook, the chapter Launchpads for Leftovers. This section is really a guideline based on adaptable ingredients that can be transformed into complete meals. Ingredients like bread, eggs, grains and lettuces make good bases. I had some plain sea shell pasta leftover that I combined with pole caught canned tuna. Chives, green onions, celery, lemon juice and a little mayo was combined and served on top of a bed of fresh arugula and avocado. This made a lovely satisfying lunch.

Wild Rice Salad with dried cranberries, celery and pecans
The fourth and last recipe was from the chapter Launchpads as well. Here I had leftover wild rice and added celery, green onions, roasted pecans and dried cranberries. This was served with a robust red wine vinaigrette mixed with Dijon and parsley, another delicious lunch.

These recipes have been adapted from the "River Cottage Every Day" and "Love Your Leftovers” by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

To see what recipes the other members chose for this month, head over to the LYL post for March 2017 on the CCC website, by clicking here.

Comments

  1. Everything was good, but the reduction of the fig sauce was absolutely the best. Possibly the best sauce you have ever made. Don

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  2. I love the figs with the ice cream. That would make a great dessert right now. I also like the roasted potatoes. Lots of good looking food Cheri.

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    1. Thanks Gerlinde, my husbands uncle used to have a fig tree, we all treated them like gold.

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  3. That fig compote looks amazing. Would be my favourite as well.

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  4. Everything looks very tasty, Cheri. That wild rice salad is my favourite though.

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  5. Those figs look spectacular! All the dishes do, actually, but they're the standout for me. Fun read -- thanks.

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  6. I really love the looks of that wild rice salad!

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  7. These are some lovely recipes - I am especially intrigued by the figs!

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    1. Thanks David, it was a great month cooking the CCC recipes again.

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  8. Amazing, Cheri You are simply amazing. D

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  9. Oh that fig compote is calling my name! What a wonderful, easy and delicious combination with the vanilla bean ice cream. Perfect!

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    1. Thanks Tricia, can't wait for the fresh ones to come out, sometimes they are hard for us to get.

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  10. Yes, that fig compote sounds amazing---especially over ice cream!!

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  11. I especially love your fig compote, looks really decadent. Perfect plate up and photo!

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    1. Thanks Emily, it's nice to be cooking together again.

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  12. The wild rice looks like such a yummy ride of soft, crunchy sweet and savory. And the figs and ice cream do look and sound like nirvana!! P.s. Your husband is lucky to have a wife who makes gourmet dishes with leftovers =)

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  13. A lovely bit of variety, I like the sound of that rice salad in particular.

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    1. Thanks Caroline, we don't have wild rice often but everytime we do we love it.

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  14. Great recipes, Cheri! I too, love the look of the ice cream and fig compote :)

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  15. The figs look so good! I am a big fig lover, though I usually start with fresh. Time to expand my horizons!

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    1. The fresh are my favorite too, just much harder to get, Thanks Inger!

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  16. Love all of these! The figs would be perfect for Passover. It is quite common to serve a fruit compote for dessert. And let's see...I've already been through three dremel bits and going to plan b tomorrow! Manservant is supposed to come up with that one after a trip to Home Depot tonight!

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    1. Wow! 3......lol, wish you the best, it's much harder than it looks, thanks Abbe!

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  17. Figs are so yummy. I think I only started eating them maybe the last two years. I'm thinking I'm going into my third season with them but I'm not for sure. Either way, yum.

    Happy Cooking to you, with a great big side of boogie boogie.

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    1. Lol, you are so funny, hope you are having a great week.

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  18. Wow - you have absolutely sold me on that spiced fig compote. It looks amazing, and I'll be trying it soon!

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    1. Thanks Beth, out of the 4 recipes, this was my favorite. Hope you are having a great week.

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  19. Everything looks good but I'm another fig supporter. And I like that you started with desert.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Thanks Amalia, I prefer my sweets early in the day;)

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  20. Love seeing all these recipes you make. Everything looks wonderful; I'm particularly craving a wild rice salad now!

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  21. Everything looks wonderful! The fig compote, especially, and I could work that wild rice salad into my lunch routine regularly! I think next month, I'll focus a little more on Love Your Leftovers - there are so many great ideas in that book, too.

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  22. Every dish looks so tasty! I have some leftover wild rice right now that I was wondering what to do with. And those potatoes? Yum!!

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