Charlotte's Newsletter | Issue 3

Issue 3 | Friday 11th March 2022

Welcome to Issue 3

Thank you for joining me again. Your response to the last newsletter has been really quite overwhelming. Thank you all so much for your support of my work, your kind comments and spreading the word with family and friends. I hope you will find each issue interesting and useful and you might like to keep them for reference. To view back issues, click on view in browser, and you can find them there.

The last couple of weeks have been scary and upsetting. In an attempt to try and do something useful, I have supported Cook For Ukraine. I have included some links below for more information and resources if you'd like to know more. So many food businesses, writers and chefs are organising fundraising initiatives at the moment, and restaurants are adding optional donations on to bills. All of this reminds me of the power of food to do good, and how important food and cooking can be to all of our lives, in good times and bad. 

For me, cooking provides a real lift and a distraction, and sharing food with friends and family will always be a source of cheer. The shopping is just as important as the cooking, and so, you'll find lots of recommendations again in this issue, plus some of tried and tested recipes I keep coming back to. 

Some of you have also asked about my cooking classes. This week, I taught at Harborne Food School, and next week, I'll be back at Colliers Cookery School where there are a very small number of places available. I am also continuing with my private one-to-one online classes, which are particularly good if you'd like a completely bespoke class. They can be tailored to suit experienced cooks and complete novices, entirely focussed around what you would like to learn and make a great present, too.

Until next time, take care,

Charlotte

Charlotte's Basket

This time of year is often referred to as the hungry gap, as we move between winter and summer produce.

Whilst we often have a little less choice at this time of year, buying seasonal produce will offer the best flavour, freshness and value for money. Here's what's really worth buying right now.

Purple sprouting broccoli is at the moment. It's delicious lightly boiled in salted water and drained well, or roasted, drizzled in a little oil and salt first.

Savoy cabbages are good this week, and I like to thinly slice them and stir fry them with a little water and a knob of butter, so they are still slightly crunchy and bright green. It's also excellent thinly sliced again and eaten raw in salads and slaws.

Beetroot is also in season and I often roast a large batch of beetroot on a tray, quartered, sometimes peeled, and drizzled with oil and salt again. Roast them for 45-60 minutes until very tender. The cubes are lovely served hot with a main meal and cold on salads, too.

British rhubarb is still around, and I like it best baked, as opposed to poached, so that it keeps its shape.

Charlotte Loves

Cook for Ukraine

I have been pleased to support #cookforukraine in the past fortnight. Any donations they receive go to Unicef UK who are working in Ukraine.

It's a very small gesture, but I have been cooking some Ukranian recipes and sending a donation to the Cook for Ukraine campaign, which features some great links to recipes on the page.

I'd also recommend four books exploring food from the region if you would like to learn more:

• Mamushka and Summer Kitchens by Olia Hercules

• Black Sea by Caroline Eden

• Salt and Time by Alissa Timoshkina

Recipes to cook this week

You have been loving this section, so it's here to stay. These are the recipes I keep making at home at the moment:

• I've lost count of the number of times I've made this chicken supper dish by Darina Allen

• My smoked haddock kedgeree is so easy to make and packed full of flavour from ginger and spices

• This chorizo, butterbean and Savoy cabbage soup is wonderfully warming, nutritious. Great for an easy, hot WFH lunch

• This Sri Lankan chicken dish with pumpkin from Diana Henry is great.

• With St Patrick's Day fast approaching, I'll be making some of these recipes by Darina Allen, to remind me of my time in Ireland.

Fresh herbs for the kitchen

Fresh herbs are an indispensable ingredient in my kitchen. They add so much flavour to dishes and make dishes look very attractive.

If you can, it's a great idea to keep fresh herbs to hand, and I keep several varieties in pots.

Supermarket pot plants are a good way of buying growing herbs and top marks to Asda, who sell plastic free plants for just 60p each. I've even planted them in the garden with great results.

If you use them in your cooking, try a fresh curry leaf or makrut lime plant. They are both beautiful, useful and totally delicious.

Something for the Weekend

As the weekend approaches, here are 
some of my top recommendations for 
new cookbooks to read and cook from, 
something nice to drink and perhaps
somewhere to eat. Do, please, let me know if you try any of them, and what you think.

Some brilliant new cookbooks

• The Green Batch Cookbook by Sam Gates is full of seriously easy but creative vegetarian and vegan recipes

• The Get-Ahead Cookbook by Jane Lovett is out next week (I've had a preview, and it's utterly brilliant for supremely useful everyday recipes, beautifully presented and ideal for informal entertaining.

• Med: A Cookbook by Claudia Roden is her latest work and a must-read

• Finally, the André Simon Awards were presented this week. Check out the food and drink cook book winners.

Something to drink

• Everyone loves this White Burgundy from Adnams.

• La Cavea prosecco is great, and so much better than anything from the supermarket.

• Wine from Romania? Yes. It's new to me, too. Try these from Haynes, Hanson & Clark.

• I have loved kombucha for years and have continued making it long after finishing my book FERMENTED (writing a book is so intense, one usually needs a long break afterwards!). It is a delicious sparkling drink that makes a great alternative to alcoholic or sugary alternatives. This is lovely from LA Brewery.

Somewhere good to eat (if you're in London)

Over the last couple of weeks, I've had some really fantastic lunches here. Do book a table if you're in town:

• Cafe Cecilia - really, really lovely food, and very skilled, simple cooking.

• Brat - outstanding food and delightful service. Excellent turbot and stunningly good sides, including potatoes and seasonal leafy green dishes I could eat every single day.

• Brutto - for totally delicious Italian food. Try the pork tonnato, rabbit pappardelle and the beef.