Charlotte's May Newsletter
Whether it’s welcome for the first time or welcome back, it’s great to be writing to you today and I’d like to thank you sincerely for subscribing to my newsletter.
For those of you who are new here, I write a monthly roundup newsletter each month for free subscribers and an almost weekly newsletter for my paid subscribers. This month, paid subscribers have received some lovely seasonal recipes and cookbook recommendations. So, if you’d like to sign up for more from me, you’d be very welcome and you can do so using the below link.
April seems to have passed by in a flash. We are in the middle of some pretty major home renovations (again!), so we have been working around the clock trying to get this sizeable project finished. The good weather has clearly helped us a great deal and, apart from anything, it’s been so nice to fling open the windows and doors and enjoy the garden. We had dinner outside for the first time last night which made a very nice change.
Although I’ve been very busy painting, sanding and project managing, I’ve managed to fit in quite a bit of food and drink product judging over the last weeks. I am also working on creating some amazing recipe collections for brands to really add some exciting personalised content to their platforms.
Thank you so much to everyone who took advantage of the Amazon Kindle offer on Quick Prep Slow Cook last month. If you missed out, paperback copies are now for sale for £10.62 if you’d like to add a copy to your collection. They are, of course, available at independent retailers, too.
I’ve also scheduled another of my Writing a Cookbook Masterclass sessions, which will offer valuable advice for getting a non fiction book published. Three participants from last year’s session now have beautiful books out in the world.
This month, I have some recipe recommendations for the long weekend, the asparagus quiche recipe some of you have been waiting for and some great new product recommendations.
Thank you, as always, for reading.
With my very best wishes,
Charlotte
Recipe ideas for the long weekend
This courgette and chickpea dal by Meera Sodha was on last night’s menu
Roopa Gulati’s chicken baked in almond yoghurt is fantastic
Noor Murad’s halloumi with walnuts and olives is unusual and delicious
This hot chorizo and squash salad from Thomasina Miers is great
Jane Lovett’s baked salmon with tarragon and lime is perfect for this warm weather
As promised, this is the recipe for the quiche I shared this week on Instagram.
Asparagus Quiche
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
For the shortcrust pastry
200g plain flour
110g cold butter, cut into small cubes
2 egg yolks
3-4 tablespoons cold water
For the quiche filling
2 bunches fresh asparagus, trimmed
3 eggs and 2 egg yolks
300ml double cream
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
50g Cheddar cheese, grated
50g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
23cm diameter fluted tin with removable base
Method
First make the shortcrust pastry. Put the flour into a bowl, stir together and add the cubed butter. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips. When the butter is rubbed in and the mixture looks like a fairly even rubble, add the egg yolk and water.
Take a knife and use it to bring the (slightly sticky) pastry together before bringing it together into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disc, wrap and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
While the pastry base is chilling, cook the asparagus. Simply plunge the trimmed stalks into boiling salted water. Boil for 4-5 minutes and drain. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.
Line the fluted tin with the chilled pastry and bake blind for about 20 minutes. I like to line the pastry base with non-stick baking paper and plenty of baking beans. When blind baked, the pastry base should be almost fully cooked. When you remove the paper, if the base still looks a little raw in the centre, put it back into the oven for another 5 minutes without the paper and beans.
Meanwhile, make the rest of the filling. Whisk the eggs in a medium-sized bowl, add the cream, herbs, cheese and season generously. Pour the filling into the pastry base, topping it with the cooked asparagus spears, and return to the oven for 30–40 minutes or until the centre has just set. It will puff slightly and brown towards the end of the cooking time.
Serve warm with a green salad and possibly some boiled Jersey Royals.
Into my kitchen
Here are some great products I’ve discovered recently that you might like to try, too.
Graceburn is a feta-style cheese which comes in a jar and submerged in rapeseed oil. It's made in Kent and I think it’s extremely moreish. Great for easy summer meals.
Vault is a new company to me and I’ve been really enjoying their British-made vermouth. They make really special presents, too.
Pipelchuma sauce is a Libyan spice paste that can be used in many ways a harissa can, for example. It’s new to me and I think it’s fantastic. Thanks to Ottolenghi, it’s now available in Waitrose.
I have also very recently discovered Shepherd’s Purse cheeses. If you like British blue cheeses, then these are really worth a try. They’ve won many top awards and are seriously good.
I’ve mentioned Crowd Farming before, but they have some particularly nice avocado boxes available at the moment - such a bargain, too.