RECIPES SEASONED WITH NOSTALGIA

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House Manager, Joshua Oakes, Perpignan 

I spent the early part of my life in the South of France, near Perpignan where my Dad worked as a ‘vigneron’ (vinegrower). It was the most idyllic place to grow up as a boy. Plenty of outdoor space where the imagination can run wild! The summer was undoubtedly the best time of year for a host of reasons, not least the bountiful fresh produce yielded by the land. My Mum had a vegetable garden which she looked after with great care. She had bought it off a local old boy ’Monsieur Jean’ who was something of a Godfather of gardening and took Mum under his wing, teaching her his tried and tested gardening practices.

The result was a garden laden with the best the South of France can offer: Tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, beans, countless varieties of flowers, cherries, raspberries and I could go on!

I remember running down to the garden path to find the latest arrivals. The pickings were hardly slim, and Mum always had too many courgettes to know what to do with them. A staple, and one I consider to be the ultimate comfort food, is my Mum’s Ratatouille.

Here’s how to make it:

• 3 Large tomatoes
• 2 Courgettes
• 1 Aubergine
• Garlic to taste (the more the better!)
• 1 Large onion
• Fresh thyme, rosemary and bay leaf
• Olive oil

In a large pan, fry the onion in olive oil, when it’s golden add the garlic and tomato puree. Chop all the vegetables and place them in the pan. Add some water, salt and the herbs and allow to stew for several hours. It’s best to let the stew cool and reheat it a day later or so. Et Voilà!

Best served with white rice, a glass of Fitou (that’s the wine my Dad makes) and a proud announcement that this dish is made with vegetables from your garden. That is after all what makes the dish taste so delicious!

Alice Scott, Communications Manager, Hampton-in-Arden  

My Mum is a gardener who hates cooking. She once served us curry sauce thinking it was parsnip soup. Another time, my Sister chipped her tooth on Mum’s lasagna. But she’s a great baker. So, whilst her homegrown new potatoes and purple sprouting broccoli are in for a bumpy ride, it’s her rhubarb, apples, pears and berries that have the sweetest journey ahead of them. Her rhubarb and banana crumble is Spring in a bowl.

Underneath:

10 large stalks of rhubarb, cut into 3 inch chunks and halved if thicker than your thumb

• 1 vanilla pod, de-seeded, seeds and bark both kept
• 75g demerara sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 3 large bananas, peeled and sliced into 2cm chunks

On Top:

• 175g self-raising flour
• 75g chilled butter, diced
• 110g demerara sugar
• 110g ground almonds

Stew the rhubarb in the water, vanilla and sugar until slightly soft but still holding together (about 5 mins gently stirring over a medium heat). Fish out the vanilla bark then pour into a baking dish (we add all the liquid, but strain according to how much juicy goodness you like in your crumble). Lay the sliced banana on top. Rub the butter into the flour until all buttery lumps are gone. Toss in the sugar and almonds then spread on top of the fruit. Bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes until it bubbles and browns.

Serve with a dollop of yoghurt or, in my Mum’s words; “Who has time for making custard? Get the Ambrosia in”.