Hampshire breed sausages with puy lentils

I'd thought the term 'Snorker' to be an oft-used colloquialism for the

sausage around these parts. However, upon mentioning to friends that I was

"Gonna buy some good snorkers at the weekend", i think it was assumed

that I was referring to either a) some kind of bizarre sub-aquatic

enterprise, or b) an acquisition altogether more saucy, perhaps

warranting a Sid James-esque cackle as I left the shop. As it happened

I was just going to the butchers to get some bits for lunch, but such

is the way. Serves 2.

4 Hampshire breed sausages

200g Cooked puy lentils

1 Red onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Fresh thyme, stalks removed

2tsp Dijon mustard

4tbsp Olive oil

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

A small bunch of spring onions

1 Pop your sausages under the grill. Gently soften the garlic, chilli,

onions and thyme in a pan, stir in the lentils and turn the heat off.

2 When the sausages are just about ready, spoon the mustard into a jam

jar, then add the olive oil, lemon juice and zest. Season, shake well and stir

into the lentils, along with the spring onions. Serve

with the cooked snorkers.

Lashings of ginger beer

Elderflower cordial

It’s the first port of call for many when the elderflowers emerge each year, and for good reason. I’m working on some unusual ways of using elderflower with meat at the moment (stick with me here), but for the moment here’s a recipe for the classic cordial.

For a quick and refreshing cocktail, mix 1 shot of vodka, a splash of elderflower cordial, mint leaves, sliced cucumber and ice in the bottom of high ball glass, then top up with soda water. It's a quencher.

Elderflower cordial

25 Elderflower heads

2kg Granulated sugar

3 Pints boiling water

1 Unwaxed lemon

1 Unwaxed orange

50g Citric acid

Add the sugar to large bowl/pan and pour over the boiling water. Stir to dissolve, then add the zest and juice of the lemon and orange. Give the elderflowers a little shake outside to get rid of any bugs, then stir into the sugary syrup. Cover with a cloth and leave for 24 hours. Strain through muslin and decant into sterilised bottles*.

* Make them strong bottles. One of mine exploded once; it was not in the slightest bit amusing.

Orecciette with braised rabbit, wild fennel and red clover flowers

I couldn’t resist adding a few red clover flowers to this dish, in a (my sister would suggest sick) nod to Thumper’s favourite nibble in Bambi. His enthusiasm was well founded, they have a gentle pea-like flavour. Making your own orecciette is rewarding and theraputic in equal measure; it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it. Serves 2.

For the Orecciette

200g Semolina

100g Plain flour

Warm water

1 Rabbit, jointed

2 Bay leaves

A Few sprigs of thyme

A Few black peppercorns

Chicken stock

2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Large red onion, finely chopped

1tsp Wild fennel seeds

Salt and pepper

A small bunch of flatleaf parsey leaves, roughly chopped

Wild fennel fronds

A few red clover flowers

Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

1 Mix the semolina and flour together in a large bowl. Add the water slowly, bringing everything together until you have a firm dough. Knead on a floured work surface for 10-15 minutes, at which point the dough should be nice and elastic.

To shape, flour your hands and roll out a small, marble-sized ball of dough. Place in the centre of your palm and gently flatten with your thumb, pulling away slightly at the end to create a curled ‘ear’ shape. Pop your orecciette onto a floured tray.

2 Heat the stock in a shallow pan with bay, peppercorns and thyme. Add the rabbit, topping up with a little water if necessary to just about cover the meat. Braise for about an hour, taking care that the water doesn’t boil. When the rabbit is tender, remove from the stock and set aside to cool. Strain the stock through a sieve, then pour back into the pan. Top up with a little more water, bring to the boil and add the orecciette.

3 Remove the rabbit meat from the bones, then heat a slosh of good olive oil in a sauté pan. Soften the garlic, onion and fennel seeds, before adding the rabbit to warm through. When the pasta is soft and to your liking, kill the heat on the stock and remove the ears with a slotted spoon.

4 Stir the pasta into the softened onions and rabbit, along with a couple of ladels of stock and some roughly chopped parsley. Season, then serve with parmesan, wild fennel fronds and red clover flowers (chive flowers are good too if you’re sans clover).

For more fresh pasta recipes, Giulia Scarpaleggia is curating this month's pasta themed Monthly Mingle. See below for more information...

http://en.julskitchen.com/fresh-pasta/fresh-pasta-monthly-mingle-lets-make-it-the-italian-way

http://www.whatsforlunchhoney.net/2006/04/my-monthly-mingle.html

Violet and lime granita

This dessert is simple, refreshing and quick to make. Sharpness of lime adds spirit and a gentle, almost melancholy violet hue cools the scorched reds of a hot summer’s day. Perfect for an alfresco supper at dusk, or spooned into paper cups for the younglings.

2 Cups of Water

1 Cup of Violet sugar

Zest and juice of 4 Limes

Heat the water in a pan, add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Squeeze in the lime juice, then allow to cool. Strain, pour into a container and freeze overnight. To serve, scratch at the frozen surface with a fork and scoop into chilled glasses.

Ganmodoki

Shot for BBC Good Food Magazine, May 2011 issue

Recipe: Julie Frankland

Prop styling: Jo Harris

Food styling: Kate Calder

Ramson butter