Ren Behan - Author Wild Honey and Rye

Food Writer

Blog Event

Simple and in Season May Round Up

Finally I’m back with a round up of all the lovely entries for Simple and in Season May/Spring. A new round is open now for June, with lots of inspiring entries coming in already. At 40 weeks pregnant, there’s now very little space between my bump and the laptop, so please forgive the efficient nature of this round up!

Entries 1-6
Entries 1-6

1. First past the post was Kellie from Food to Glow who sent across her delicious Deconstructed and Reconstructed Rhubarb and Fruit Crumble with the option of using spelt flour, wholemeal flour or a gluten-free mix along with oats.

2. Next, Sally from My Custard Pie in Dubai used bulbs of fennel and rocket from the last market of the season to make a Lentil, Fennel, Orange, Chicken and Rocket Salad. 

3. Ceri from her blog Natural Kitchen Adventures made a Wild Garlic and Amaranth Tabbouleh – move over quinoa!

4. Ros from the More Than Occasional Baker used seasonal British asparagus to make Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Quiche.

5. Choclette from The Chocolate Log Blog used nettles to make some delicious Nettle, Lemon and White Chocolate Cupcakes.

6. And the team at Pro Ware Kitchen (helped by Luna the dog) made a wonderful Thai Red Curry Soup using up pak choi from their veg box.

Entries 7-12
Entries 7-12

7.  Kellie from Food to Glow came back to us with a beautiful supper of Quick and Spicy Crab Parcels (with a vegan option) – using in-season crab.

8. Andrea from Shabby Chic paired two of my favourite things asparagus and halloumi cheese to create her dish of Grilled Asparagus with Halloumi and Myrtle Berry Oil.

9. Elizabeth over at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary made a super-comforting dish (which I could eat right now!) of Hidden Cauliflower Cheese Pasta Sauce, served with tagliatelle using cauliflower from her veg box.

10. Charlene at Food Glorious Food used Granny Smith’s apples to make her Pork Chop Bake.

11. Vanesther over at family food blog Bangers & Mash made a Wild Garlic Pesto Tear and Share Bread – perfect for the World Cup this weekend!

12. Whilst the very clever Laura from How to Cook Good Food made a stunning recipe of Spaghetti with Fresh Herbs using pea shoots, homegrown leaves and a selection of pretty, fresh herbs.

Entries 13-18
Entries 13-18

 

13.  Camilla from Fab Food 4 All made a Slow Cooked Pulled Lamb with White Wine and Root Vegetables – gorgeous recipe.

14. Sudha at Spicy, Quirky and Serendipitous made Asparagus with Garlic and Soy Sauce.

15. Aniko at Multiculti Kitchen made a refreshing Peach, Rosemary Blossom and Rhubarb Iced Tea – perfect for our warmer weather.

16. Camilla over at Fab Food 4 All came back to us with her Quick One Punnet Strawberry Jam recipe.

17. Elizabeth at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary also came back with another impressive recipe for a Rhubarb and Saffron Yogurt Cake.

18. And Alida at My Little Italian Kitchen showed us her step-by-step Colourful Fruit Tart or Crostata Di Frutta.

Simple and in Season 4
Entries 19-27

19. Katie at Feeding Boys and a Firefighter is part way through her Weight Watchers Step into Summer Challenge and sent across her Creamy Tagliatelle with Bacon, Asparagus and Tomato – using British asparagus.

20. Vohn over at Vohn’s Vittle’s made a bright and colourful Wild Garlic and Hazelnut Pesto.

21. Anneli at Delicieux made a pretty Layered Chicken and Avocado Salad with Lime and Coriander.

22. Nadine at Juggle Mum made and sent in her Vegetable Ribbon 3 Cheese Pasta, also known as her Pasta Fakeaway.

23. Nazima at Franglaise Kitchen firstly sent in her Jasmine Rice Pannacotta and Rhubarb  Cardomom Compote – well worth a visit.

24. Secondly, Nazima at Franglais Kitchen linked up her Spiced Apple and Rhubarb Hand Pies – for mini hands.

25. Mireille from Chef Mireille’s East West Realm in NYC made a Rajasthan Watermelon Curry – a great way to use up a big watermelon.

26. And Mayuri from Mayuri’s Jikoni joined in with her Garlic Chilli Mogo – using a vegetable I’ve never used before – fresh mogo.

27. To follow up, Mayuri from Mayuri’s Jikoni also send across her Eggless Upside Down Mango Cake – delicious!

Simple and in Season Badge

All of which bring’s May’s Simple and Season to a bountiful close. I’m looking forward to visiting June’s entries already – baby permitting!

LINK UP HERE WITH YOUR POSTS FOR SIMPLE AND IN SEASON JUNE 

A huge thank you to everyone for joining in!

 

Simple and in Season March

Thank you to all of you who entered and supported Simple and in Season February – there were some lovely seasonal creations, which I’ll be rounding up very shortly. In case any of your are super-keen, here’s the link up for March. This month, I’ve already been busy roasting my rhubarb (forced rhubarb is now in season in the UK) – look out for rhubarb from Yorkshire for the best variety. My own entry for the month will be coming up very soon – I’ll be sharing my roasted rhubarb and ginger curd pancakes, in time for Shrove Tuesday. March is a really exciting month for fresh produce, as spring is hopefully allowed to provide us with a change to some of the hardier winter veg we’ve all be eating. Look out for blood oranges, purple sprouting broccoli, spinach and spring onions, as well as hake and lemon sole, if you’re a fish lover.

Rhubarb

Simple and in Season is monthly seasonal food blog event. This is a community event, open to anyone with an active blog. All you have to do is to write a blog post with a recipe incorporating any seasonal ingredient. It doesn’t matter where you live in the world, you can link up by telling us about anything that is seasonal to you – savoury or sweet. The event will stay open until Monday 31st March, after which there will be a round up and a new link opened for April.

Simple and in Season

This month’s winner (chosen by my kids) will win a copy of Save with Jamie: Shop Smart, Cook Clever, Waste Less. Don’t forget, you can also keep up with my weekly blog posts over on JamieOliver.com for extra inspiration!

Enter your link here:

 

HERE’S A QUICK RE-CAP ON THE GUIDELINES:

  • All you have to do is come up with a dish using any seasonal produce you like (savoury or sweet) post it on your blog, add a link to this post mentioning Simple and in Season and linking to www.renbehan.com and then manually add the link to your post in the box below (via Simply Linked)
  • This round will run up until 31st March 2014. I will pick a winner shortly after (excluding myself obviously) and will include a round-up post including everyone who has entered.
  • You can take inspiration from anywhere – adapt a recipe from your favourite cookbook, try something from a magazine, make up your own creation or share a family favourite. The usual rules apply when using someone else’s recipe, please either get permission from the author to post it or adapt it in some way stating how/why you’ve changed it.
  • Include any seasonal produce you fancy including fruit, veg, herbs, meat or fish.
  • Link as many recipes as you like. You can link posts entered into other blog events or carnivals as long as it involves a seasonal food item (and fits in with their rules).
  • The linky-up is open to anyone, anywhere. I’m happy to post prizes abroad and although it will be nice to feature as much British produce as possible, it will be interesting to see what’s in season elsewhere.
  • By entering your link, you are giving me permission to add your photograph to the round-up. I will link back directly to your post when I include you.
  • If you have questions or problems, email me or leave me a comment in the comment box at the bottom of the post.
  • If you are on Twitter, tweet your link adding the hashtag #simpleandinseason or add me @RenBehan and I will re-tweet it.

There’s are lots more blog events that you can link up to, the more the merrier. Find out more at The Food Blog Diary.

Happy Seasonal Cooking!

Family Friendly Fridays: March Blog Event on Fabulicious Food!

March is my favourite month of the year! Something to do with birthdays and lots of cake…

I’m really looking forward to a new round of Family Friendly Fridays on Fabulicious Food! – I’m enjoying exploring some new blogs and so far, there have been some wonderful recipes.

Congratulations to Jenny who won the February event.

Family Friendly Fridays

LINK UP YOUR MARCH RECIPES/POSTS HERE:

A quick re-cap on the guidelines:

  • Link up any post/recipe that fits in with a ‘family friendly’ theme by the last day of the month by adding the URL to the linky tool above (any problems please contact me)
  • In your post, link to this page and feel free to use the badge (code on the sidebar to the right)
  • By entering your link, you are giving me permission to add your photograph to the round-up. I will link back directly to your post when I include you.
  • N.B Recipes do not have to be for kids, but they can be! You could also link up a Sunday lunch recipe for your folks, a super-easy supper for your friends, weekend cooking or family projects.
  • You can link posts entered into other blog events or carnivals as long as it fits in with their rules
  • The linky-up is open to anyone, anywhere.
  • There will be a prize, the winner will be chosen randomly.
  • If you are blogging about a recipe from a book or magazine, don’t copy and paste – please be aware of copyright.

Don’t forget, if you add the hashtag #FamilyFriendlyFridays I will re-tweet any that I see.

If you have any questions or problems, email me or leave me a comment in the comment box at the bottom of the post.

This month’s winner will receive a copy of Grow It, Cook It with Kids by Amanda Grant – just in time to start planting in April!

Previous Rounds:

January (Winner: Fish Fingers For Tea)

February (Winner: Jenny Eatwell’s Rhubarb and Ginger)

I look forward to visiting your posts!

Family Friendly Fridays: February Blog Event on Fabulicious Food!

Thank you to everyone who linked up their family-friendly recipes throughout January – you can see the round-up here. Today I’m pleased to opened up a new round of Family Friendly Fridays – a blog event here on Fabulicious Food! – to run alongside Simple and in Season. 

My aim is to post a family-friendly recipe each Friday, but you can link yours up at any time. Your linked posts can be sweet or savoury, as long as they encourage a sit down or a nice family supper or snack. Think short-cut suppers, one-pot meals, easy baking, child-friendly projects…

LINK YOUR FAMILY FRIENDLY RECIPES UP HERE:

To encourage you all this month, on offer is a signed copy of My Daddy Cooks – the brilliant family cook book by Nick Coffer! The current round runs up until 29th February 2012.

Feel free to use the badge (code on the sidebar to the right) and don’t forget to include a link to this post in your post as well as remembering these guidelines:

  • Please make sure your recipe is family friendly/easy to make (N.B it does not have to be specifically for kids, but it can be! It could also be a Sunday lunch recipe for your folks or a super easy for your friends, weekend cooking or family projects)
  • Grab the badge from my sidebar and add it to your post with a link to this post
  • Please enter your posts either to Family Friendly Fridays OR Simple and in Season to avoid duplication
  • Add your post manually to the linky above (any problems contact me)
  • The event runs until the last day of the month. I will be posting a recipe every Friday, you can link up/publish your post at any time throughout the month.
  • By entering your link, you are giving me permission to add your photograph to the round-up. I will link back directly to your post when I include you.
  • You can link as many recipes as you like as long as they are recent or new posts (published within the last two months). 
  • You can link posts entered into other blog events or carnivals as long as it fits in with their rules.
  • The linky-up is open to anyone, anywhere. I’m happy to post prizes internationally.
  • There will be a prize, the winner will be chosen randomly.
  • If you add the hashtag #FamilyFriendlyFridays I will re-tweet any that I see.

If you have questions or problems, email me or leave me a comment in the comment box at the bottom of the post.

I look forward to visiting your posts!

Simple and in Season Winter Recipe Link Up

Welcome to another round of Simple and in Season. Each month I wonder whether it will be the last, but with 45 entries last month, which I had to split into savoury and sweet in the round-ups, I am encouraged to keep going and open up a new round! Thank you to everyone who took part last month.

Next weekend, the clocks will go back in the UK which means that the days will seem even shorter, light will be at a premium and I’m sure we’ll all be eager to make warming winter food!

My apple tree is laden with apples and my neighbour’s tree has pears, so I’ll be busy baking! This week I’ve made the cake that’s featured on the cover of BBC Good Food magazine – a really yummy Spiced Toffee Apple Cake  that I’ll be posting about soon – perfect for Bonfire Night, or really any night!

At this time of the year, you’ll also find lots of squash, beetroots and  winter cabbages. I’ll also be hosting a Crock-Pot giveaway too this month and am looking forward to sharing a few slow-cooked soups and stew recipes too, mmm.

And, if you are preparing food in advance for Christmas, feel free to link-up too – maybe you’re making fruit liqueurs…?

Anyway, as always, I’ll look forward to seeing what’s in season wherever you are around the world – so many of you have been submitting so many really inspirational stories and recipes.

Don’t forget, if you are on Twitter, you can Tweet Me and I will Re-Tweet any links I see – @RenBehan 

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Simple and in Season June Round-Up and Winner!

I can’t quite believe that the second month (June) of ‘Simple and in Season’ here on Fabulicious Food has been and gone and that we are already linking up to the third month (July) of seasonal recipes. 

Once again, picking a winner proved to be the toughest bit, although it was very enjoyable clicking through to all the posts and exploring your seasonal recipes. I was really astounded, particularly by the variety of seasonal produce used. I’m pleased to announce that June’s winner is Melanie from Sharky Oven Gloves who not only graduated from St Andrew’s University in Scotland, but also declared it ‘Pimm’s O’Clock’ by making a very seasonal ‘Strawberry Pimm’s Jam’ adapted from BBC Good Food.  Congratulations Mel, not least for graduating! A set of colourful Joseph Joseph food preparation bowls are on their way to you.  Scroll down to see Mel’s entry.
So, here is the round-up for June, but please keep your creative entries coming for July and link them up here
The lovely Working London Mummy kicked off June’s seasonal recipe link-up with ‘Baked Cod with an Olive Crust and Stuffed Courgette‘ recipe, which I loved. Nazima combined her own recipe for seasonal stuffed courgette with an Aldo Zilli fish recipe – and had the pleasure of meeting the man himself earlier on that week!
Next, the lovely James Brewer from Back to the Chopping Board shared a seasonal recipe for ‘Asparagus and Ricotta Tart with Lemon and Mint,’ making excellent use of locally picked British asparagus.
DSC_0461
 
We received two entries from Taste Space all the way from Canada. Janet linked-up an amazing looking ‘Carrot and Roasted Red Pepper Soup’ which looked so comforting, yet so light. A second, truly beautiful entry also followed called Blueberry, Mango Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing – thank you so much.
The opening line in the post from Chez Cayenne – Recipes from a Spicy Vegetarian Kitchen – made me giggle, “Squirrels are jerks” referring to the fact that firstly, they ate her cauliflower and then then ate her squash seedlings. Still, she managed to share a recipe for ‘Rigatoni with Summer Squash, Vegan Sausage and Breadcrumbs,” which, well, made me want to try vegan food! Thanks for entering.
Next, another vegetarian recipe, this time from The Casserole Queen who found an easy way to make ‘Mashed Avocado Sushi’ sushi. I’ll definitely be giving this one a go.
vegetable sushi
Shaheen at Allotment 2 Kitchen made a ‘Green Pasta Loaf’ with the chard and perpetual spinach coming from her own yard. What a creative recipe! Thank you for sharing.
Another post from Toronto, this time Torview entered her ‘Swiss Potato Pancake Rosti’ which is really easy to make, looks delicious and I’m sure tastes yummy too.
Shu Han from Mummy I Can Cook entered a really recipe for Saag Aloo adding seasonal new potatoes called ‘Spinach Curry with Jersey Royal Potatoes‘ which I think I’ll be making tonight for supper. The colour of the spinach in this dish is so vibrant and is simply stunning.
Well timed for Father’s Day, R&R from Tadka Pasta made ‘A Puffy Pie for Peachy Dad’ which was adorable and very clever, using seasonal peaches. They then followed this up with a second entry called ‘Cool Cantaloupe Salsa’ which also looked delicious. Thank you for sharing twice!
The gorgeous Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes who also kindly keeps the Food Blog Diary featuring all of these wonderful blog events made a recipe from Annabel Langbein’s new book The Free Range Cook called ‘Blueberry Crumble Cake.’ This is actually my favourite cookbook of the moment and I WILL be making this cake soon with seasonal blueberries. Thanks for linking up, Jacqueline. 
 
Ahh, the lovely Sally from My Custard Pie in Dubai linked up a great recipe using okra, brilliantly entitled ‘I will not ever never eat an okra,’ when some okra arrived in her seasonal Bumble Box veg box. I love Sally’s posts and beautiful photographs. Go and check them out!
crispy okra
Next, a gorgeous recipe for ‘Devon Cream Tea with a Twist’ came from Laura at How to Cook Good Food. I love the idea of using seasonal strawberries and baking your own rolls for cream tea sandwiches!
 
A very beautiful and unusual recipe came from Dancing Veggies called ‘Zucchini Fritters and Cucumber Sauce’ making great use of seasonal courgettes/zucchini.
MeLikey UK made and entered a beautiful ‘Broad Bean, Mint and Feta Salad’ taking seasonal broad beans and pairing them with Crispy Sea Bass. MeLikey also told us that in Italy, many people carry a broad bean in their pocket for good luck!
Marija at Palachinka made ‘Royal Cherry Cakes’ and since cherries are currently in season in the UK, I would encourage everyone over here to give these a go! Adapted from a Serbian magazine, Sale & Pepe, the cherry cakes are served with a sour cherry sauce.
Marija then wowed me with her truly delicious looking ‘Red Currant Pie’
Both of these entries look truly wonderful. Thank you Marija.
Royal Cherry CakeRedcurrant Pie
Katie Bryson over at Feeding Boys and a Firefighter made ‘Father’s Day Chocolate Beetroot Brownies’ making fine use of the seasonal beetroots in her allotment. I have tried chocolate cake with beetroot in the past and have to say I loved it, so I will definitely be trying these. Thank you Katie for linking up. They look truly decadent yet easy to make. I love the plate!
**WINNER**
Mel, over at Sharky Oven Gloves not only managed to graduate from St Andrew’s University but also managed to make this lovely jam using seasonal strawberries called ‘Strawberry & Pimm’s Jam‘ adapted from BBC Good Food making her this month’s very worthy winner. I agree Mel, it must be Pimm’s O’clock! Congratulations!
SGD at Cook-a-Doodle-Do made ‘Mango Kulfi’ using seasonal mangoes which looked divine, I will definitely give this a go over the summer. Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe.
Clare, over at The Vegetarian Experience shared another vegetarian recipe called ‘Aubergine and Red Pepper Creamy Rigatoni,’ which looked yummy and also used my favourite type of pasta. Thanks for entering this one Clare!
Finally, I was inspired to link up a seasonal Polish Potato Salad recipe given to me by my mother. We would always eat this salad at home at parties and other family occasions and it is a great way to make good use of seasonal new potatoes.
Once again, thank you to everyone who entered. I look forward to all the entries for
July’s Simple and in Season.

‘Simple and in Season’ – June Blogging Event – Now Closed

Thank you to everyone who entered June’s ‘Simple and in Season’ event on Fabulicious Food! Look out for a round-up and winner announcement soon

‘Simple and in Season’ – June ideas 

As I hope May’s round-up demonstrated there really are no hard and fast rules of what counts. We’ve seen some wonderful British asparagus recipes already and there will still be some asparagus to be devoured in June so keep those recipes coming! Likewise, new potatoes, particularly Jersey Royals are at their very best and so hopefully some of you will link some tasty recipes using those. Carrots are also in season which are perfect partners for peas and broad beans. You may also find beetroot, celery, rocket and watercress and of course, owing to some glorious spring weather there is an abundance of British berries to be feasted upon and even elderflowers to be foraged if any of last month’s posts inspired you.

If you are entering from other parts of the world, I can’t wait to see what seasonal treats are around wherever you may be!

LINK UP YOUR SEASONAL RECIPES HERE –

To re-cap –
  • All you have to do is come up with a dish using any seasonal produce you like (savoury or sweet) post it on your blog and add a link to your post in the box below via Simply Linked
  • The second round starts today and runs up until the end of June. I will pick a winner on 1st July
  • You can take inspiration from anywhere – adapt a recipe from your favourite cookbook, try something from a magazine, make up your own creation or share a family favourite. The usual rules apply when using someone else’s recipe, please either get permission from the author to post it or adapt it in some way stating how/why you’ve changed it
  • Include any seasonal produce you fancy including fruit, veg, herbs, meat or fish
  • Link as many recipes as you like. You can link posts entered into other blog events or carnivals as long as it involves a seasonal food item (and fits in with their rules)
  • The linky-up is open to anyone, anywhere. I’m happy to post the prize abroad.
  • If you have questions or problems, email me or leave me a comment in the comment box at the bottom of the post
This month’s prize is this gorgeous nest of 6 food preparation bowls from Joseph Joseph –
Joseph Joseph Nest 6 Food Preparation Bowl Set (Multi-colour)
I really don’t think any of you need additional inspiration, but in case you want to know what’s in season here are my favourite websites –
  • What’s in Season (a great website with an A-Z picture guide of what’s in season)
  • Eat the Seasons (tells you what’s good this week, eg jersey royal new potatoes, asparagus etc)
  • Well Seasoned (more about what’s in season including seasonality charts)
  • British Peas and Beans (featuring A Taste of Summer with tons of inspiring recipes)

Please fell free to use the badge below (right click & copy) to add to your posts.