April

What's in season April – Radish, Rhubarb, Prawns

Delicious recipes for you to try at home Dates for your diary!

Best in Season

All about…..Radishes The radish (Raphanus sativus) is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family that was domesticated in Europe, in pre-Roman times. They are grown and consumed throughout the world. Radishes have numerous varieties, varying in size, colour and duration of required cultivation time. There are some radishes that are grown for their seeds; oilseed radishes are grown, as the name implies, for oil production. Radish can sprout from seed to small plant in as little as 3 days. Radishes are round to cylindrical with a colour ranging from white to red. A longer root form, ideal for cooking, grows up to 15 cm (6 in) long, while the smaller, rounder form is typically eaten raw in salads. The flesh initially tastes sweet, but becomes bitter if the vegetable is left in the ground for too long. A handful of radishes contain just 5 calories, making them a great healthy snack whether you are dieting or just counting the calories. Radishes can also help dieters reduce portion sizes thanks to the crunch factor. Radishes are not only low in calories, they also are also a source of vitamin C and folic acid. And you'll also find potassium, vitamin B6 and iron in these healthy little round capsules. Raw radishes are rich in a particular digestive enzyme called Diostase. So apart from the fact that you've already got fibre and water with other important minerals and vitamins rolled in, these crunchy vegetables can also help improve your digestive health. So what are you waiting for grab yourself a handful of this crunchy little gems!  

Try this recipe at home – bon appétit!

Ingredients For the relish 350g tomatoes, chopped 3 red onions, finely chopped 1 cucumber, deseeded and diced 200g red radishes, quartered For the dressing 3 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp mustard seed 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard juice 2 limes 2 tsp caster sugar 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped handful mint leaves, shredded Method 1)  To make the dressing, heat the oil in a pan, then throw in the mustard seeds

and cook until they start to pop. Tip the seeds into a bowl and allow to cool. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients to the bowl and whisk everything together.

2)  Add the tomatoes, onions, cucumber and radish to the dressing, stir to coat, then allow to stand at room temperature for 10 mins before serving.

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Crunchy Radish and Tomato Salad (serves 8)

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RECEIPE

All about…..prawns There are thousands of different species of prawn, but tiger, king and North Atlantic are the most commonly sold in the UK. They are fished in both the ocean and fresh water, and are farmed as well as wild. Most of them have a narrow, tapering body, under which the tail is curled, and long, whiskery antennae. The body is encased in a brittle shell, and all types have ten legs. When raw, they are bluey-grey or, in the case of the smaller varieties, almost translucent. When cooked, the shells turn pink and the sweet, meaty flesh turns white tinged with pink; brief cooking is essential, otherwise the flesh will become tough. As with other types of crustacea, prawns fished in cold waters tend to be more flavourful than those from warm waters. Although anatomically incorrect, the part of the prawn eaten, the meaty body, is referred to as the tail. The very small shellfish referred to as shrimps are prawns, too - the term shrimp just indicates their diminuitive size. Fresh prawns, whether raw or cooked, should smell fresh and clean, not fishy, and should look moist. Avoid any that look dry or that have broken or cracked shells Prawns can be bought raw or cooked. They can be used in the same way and in the same kind of dishes, though cooked prawns can be eaten cold as they are. When raw, they are blue-grey in colour (and are sometimes called green prawns). Tiger or king prawns, which are big and juicy, are the types most commonly sold raw, either whole in their shells, or with their heads removed (if the latter, they are called prawn tails). The North Atlantic prawns are smaller and are also sold raw, usually whole. When cooked, prawns turn pink. Tiger and king prawns are both available cooked, often with their heads and shells (aside from the very end of the shell) removed. North Atlantic prawns are also sold cooked, either whole or headless; if headless, they tend to be shells-off, too (aside from the very end of the shell).  

All about…..prawns You can find pink and brown varieties of shrimp, and they are sold ready cooked. Ready-peeled ones are the best to go for, as it's a fiddly job to do. If the prawns are shell-on, you'll need to peel them. This can be done before or after cooking, but peeling them after cooking makes for a juicier, more flavourful prawn. Prawns are rich source of Selenium which helps to prevent the growth of cancer cells in the body thus it helps in preventing cancers in the body. They are a rich source of Omega 3 Fatty acids which is very good for heart. It helps in widening of lumen of the arties by removing bad cholesterol from the inner walls of the arteries. Thus it helps in reducing the blood pressure which in fact make the heart work less and helps in circulation. Fatty acids are also helpful in fighting against diseases like Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Also it is very good for the liver too. Since prawns are very rich source of calcium it is thus very good for teeth and bones. Vitamin E is found in good quantities in Prawns so it is very good for the skin as Vitamin E is used not only in treating various skin diseases but also gives a glow to the skin. Prawns are rich source of Vitamin B in particular B12, which is very useful not only in keeping memory sharp but also is very good for cardiac health and also is needed by arteries and veins to work properly. High in protein and low in calories, make these little critters a good option for keeping a healthy diet.  

Try this recipe at home – bon appétit!

Ingredients 1 large free-range egg 250ml ice-cold water 100g plain flour 25g cornflour ½ tsp salt Vegetable oil for frying (enough to half-fill your wok) 20 (about 200g) raw peeled king prawns, (defrosted if not using fresh) 4 tortilla wraps Large bunch of watercress 200g Greek yogurt mixed with 2 tbsp mango chutney 4 lemon wedges Method 1)  Beat the egg in a bowl and stir in the water. Gently whisk in the flours and

salt until just combined, but still lumpy. 2)  Heat the oil in a wok to 180°C or until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown

in 25 seconds. Dip the prawns in the batter, then cook in the oil, a few at a time, for 2-3 minutes until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

3)  Fill each tortilla with 5 tempura prawns, a handful of watercress and a dollop of the mango yogurt. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over.  

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RECEIPE

Tempura Prawn Wraps with Mango Yoghurt (serves 4)

All about…..Rhubarb ıBotanically, rhubarb is a vegetable (it's related to sorrel and dock) but its thick, fleshy stalks are treated as a fruit, despite their tart flavour. Rhubarb grows in two crops. The first, which arrives early in the year, is forced, grown under pots, particularly in what's known as the 'rhubarb triangle' around Leeds, Wakefield and Bradford. Its stalks are watermelon pink, with pale lime green leaves, and it is the more tender and delicately flavoured of the two. The second, called maincrop rhubarb, is grown outdoors, and arrives in spring. Its stalks are a deeper red, tinged with green, and its leaves a brighter green. It has a more intense flavour and a more robust texture than forced. All rhubarb is too tart to be eaten raw, so should be cooked with plenty of sugar. It goes well with both ginger and strawberries. Why Rhubarb is Good to Eat •  The natural sugar is low and contains some oxalic acid which makes rhubarb

unpleasant to eat until cooked. Even then, it can taste bitter unless sugar is added.

•  When you eat rhubarb, your teeth may sometimes feel ‘furry’. That’s not harmful, but it shows that acids are forming a complex with calcium so it can’t be absorbed. Rhubarb only ‘tie up’ their own calcium, and they don’t have any effect on the calcium from other foods

•  They are a good source of dietary fibre •  They supply some vitamin C, as well as

small quantities of other vitamins •  Without added sugar, 100g has only 95kJ.

When stewed with sugar, a cup of rhubarb has 500kJ.

 

Try this recipe at home – bon appétit!

Ingredients 350g fresh rhubarb, cut into 4cm lengths 200g caster sugar 1 tsp ground ginger 125g unsalted butter few drops natural vanilla extract 2 medium eggs, beaten 175g self-raising flour

Method 1)  Cook the rhubarb with 75g/2¾oz of the sugar and the ginger over a gentle

heat for 2-3 mins until just starting to soften. Remove from heat. 2)  Grease a 900ml pudding basin. Put butter and remaining sugar in a bowl

and cream together. Stir in vanilla extract, then beat in eggs, a little at a time. Sift in flour and carefully fold into the mixture.

3)  Spoon rhubarb into the bottom of the basin, then spoon the sponge mixture on top and level off surface.

4)  Butter a piece of greaseproof paper slightly bigger than the top of the pudding basin. Make a pleat in the centre and secure over the top of basin. Repeat with a piece of foil, then secure the whole thing with string. Place in a pan half filled with simmering water. Cover and cook for 1½ hrs, checking regularly that the pan does not boil dry. Remove cover, invert the pudding onto a plate, then carefully lift off the pudding basin. Serve with crème fraîche or single cream.

Rhubarb Steamed Pudding (serves 6)

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RECEIPE

Dates for your diary! EASTER WEEKEND

3RD - 7TH APRIL Easter is the time for holidays, festivals and a time for giving chocolate Easter

eggs. Easter is the oldest and most important Christian Festival, the celebration of the death and coming to life again of Jesus Christ.

On Good Friday Hot Cross Buns are traditionally served and on Easter day

Simnel cake is baked.

THE BNY MELLON BOAT RACE 11TH APRIL

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race on the Thames is one of the worlds longest running sporting events, and one of the most popular on the London

sports calendar.

ST GEORGES DAY 23RD APRIL

St George is the patron saint of England. His emblem, a red cross on a white background is the flag of England and part of the British flag. Like England,

every country in the UK has its own patron saint.