Our first recipe by Karl (a veg box subscriber)

Chargrilled Courgette and Sweet Potato Bake with Tomato Ragu

Ingredients

2x large onions finely chopped 

8x cloves of garlic finely chopped 

2x 400g Tins chopped tomatoes 

A small bunch of fresh thyme tied

3x birds eye chillies

A good glug of your best Extra virgin olive oil 

A pinch of sugar 

Salt and pepper

1 large or 2 medium courgettes chargrilled 

1 large sweet potato chargrilled 

Olive oil for brushing 

Salt and pepper 

Grated Cheese to cover after layering ( I used a vintage cheddar but vegan cheese would be good to keep the recipe vegan )

Method

For the tomato ragu sweat the onions until translucent, add garlic and cook for 2 mins, add tomatoes and bring to the boil. Add the tied thyme and turn down to a gentle simmer and cook for 1hr to 1 and a half hours until rich and most of the moisture has evaporated…take out the the thyme bundle…and taste…season with a pinch of sugar and salt and pepper…add the olive oil and stir. Layer the vegetables with the ragu and top with choice of cheese and bake for 30mins at 180’C

    • One of our volunteers favourite plum recipe….not her own…but courtesy of Jamie Oliver!

    Plum Tarte Tartin

    600g ripe mixed-colour plums

    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    120ml maple syrup

    320g sheet of all-butter puff pastry (cold)

    Method:

    1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7.
    2. Place a 26cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan on a medium heat.
    3. Halve and destone the plums, add to the pan with 30ml of water, and cook for 1 minute.
    4. From a height, sprinkle over half the cinnamon, then evenly pour over the maple syrup.
    5. Place the pastry over the plums, using a wooden spoon to push it into the edges of the pan, and trimming off any excess to patch up little gaps, if needed.
    6. Bake at the bottom of the oven for 16 minutes, or until golden and puffed up.
    7. Making sure you use oven gloves to protect your hands, confidently and very carefully turn the tarte out on to a plate bigger than the pan.
    8. Dish up with nice round scoops of ice cream, sprinkle over the remaining cinnamon from a height and drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil before serving.

    Posted on by Kim Evans.