Hello everyone,

 

I'm looking through our large windows onto the back garden with a heavy frost on the ground. The bird feeder is alive with small birds, tits, finches, sparrows, robins, chaffinches and blackbirds. We also get regular visits from a great and a lesser spotted woodpecker. We had a visit this week from a woman from RSPB, responsible for the Turtle Dove Conservation Project locally. She was looking for ideal habitats for turtle doves and thought that Nethergong was perfect. We get turtle doves visiting every year and this year we are going to put down special seed for them, provided by RSPB. I'll keep you posted.

 

Some of you may know that our resident birdwatcher has been keeping a log of birds he has spotted at Nethergong. He's up to 114 species and still rising. If you want to look at some fabulous photos of our barn owls and other birds go to www.ngbirding.blogspot.com 

 

In your boxes.................

Even though the weather has turned cold again, the winter veg is still abundant. We've even found some baby spinach from Steve Parsley to lighten up the root vegetables. I hope you like the recipes I've found to transform your swedes and parsnips!

 

Recipe 1: Swede and Parsnip Bake - serves 8

1 medium swede (about 600g), peeled and cut into chunks

500g parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks

25g butter, plus a little extra

4 tbsp golden syrup

200g fresh breadcrumbs

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbsp olive oil

2 thyme sprigs, leaves stripped

Method

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, and add the swede chunks. Boil for 3 mins, then add the parsnips and boil the lot for 12 mins more or until tender. Drain well, then tip both together into a pan or bowl and mash well with the butter. Stir in the golden syrup, three-quarters of the breadcrumbs and the eggs with plenty of seasoning. Transfer to a baking dish and smooth the surface. Toss the remaining breadcrumbs with the oil, seasoning and thyme leaves, then scatter over the mash. Dot with a few knobs of butter. The dish can now be covered and chilled for up to 48 hrs, or frozen for up to a month – defrost completely before baking.

 

To serve, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 and bake for 40 mins or until piping hot and the crumbs are crisp 

 

Recipe 2: Fish Pie with Swede and Potato Topping - serves 4

 

500g floury potato, cut into chunks

1 medium swede (weighing about 600g/1lb 5oz), cut into chunks

200g tub low-fat soft cheese with garlic and herbs

150ml vegetable stock

4 tsp cornflour, blended with 2 tbsp cold water

650g skinless, boneless cod, cut into large chunks

100g cooked peeled prawn

1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

 

Method

Cook the potatoes and swede in boiling water until tender (about 20 minutes).

 

Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5/fan 170C.While the potatoes and swede cook, put the soft cheese and stock into a large saucepan and heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon, until blended and smooth. Now add the blended cornflour and cook until thick.

 

Stir the fish into the sauce with the prawns and parsley. Season with some pepper.

 

Tip the mixture into a 1.5 litre/2¾ pint baking dish. Drain the potatoes and swede, mash them well and season with black pepper. Spoon the mash over the fish to cover it completely. Bake for 25-30 minutes until piping hot, then transfer to a hot grill for a few minutes to brown the top. Serve with frozen peas or sweetcorn