Preheat oven to 180C.  Cut pumpkin into large chunks, remove the seeds and place skin side down on a baking tray and drizzle with some olive oil.  Roast for 20-25 minutes or until very soft.  Allow to cool, then peel off skin and place pumpkin in a bowl.  If the flesh is very watery, sit it in a sieve for half an hour to drain off excess moisture - this will keep you from needing to add too much flour which will make the gnocchi more dense. Add the parmesan, egg, pepper and rosemary to the pumpkin and stir well.  Gradually add flour until the mixture becomes like thick mashed potato.  Take a large spoonful and place on a well floured worktop.  With floured hands, gently roll the dough into a long log, then cut into pieces.  Repeat with the rest of the mixture.  Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook gnocchi in batches of 10-12 pieces at a time.  The gnocchi is cooked when it floats to the surface, which will be between 3-5 minutes.  Place cooked gnocchi on a cling film lined tray, cover and refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.  Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and add gnocchi.  Saute until brown on all sides.  Serve scattered with chilli flakes, salt and pepper, rocket and basil and finish off with a drizzle of extra virgin or rosemary oil.

Serves 4.

Cooking Classes

With Autumn well under way, all of a sudden it's time to think about Christmas.  Having a stock of homemade chutney, dressings and cranberry sauce not only makes great gifts, but can be very handy for festive entertaining. In the jars of joy class we'll make all these and more.

Having a festive drinks party is a great opportunity to try your hand at some impressive canapes. I am running a creative canapes class which will leave you with plenty of ideas for entertaining at Christmas and beyond.

If you’d like to know more about spices, their history and everyday use, then the spice appreciation class will demystify this wonderful topic, and includes a wide variety of spiced recipes.

Being a big fan of Mexico and its cuisine, I am now heading off to Brazil in search of new and exciting flavours.  I will be doing a Central/South American class, sharing my favourite recipes from these travels when I get back.   

And remember, if you are interested in private tuition, I can tailor classes specifically for you to cover any area of skill or cuisine you want to concentrate on.  Have a look at the essentials classes I offer – you can choose one or more to create your own program. 

Spice of the Month: Baharat

Baharat is a Middle Eastern spice blend with a beautifully balanced combination of black peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon or cassia, cloves, cardamom, paprika and nutmeg.  The flavour is round, full bodied and subtley sweet.  The proportions of spices will vary greatly, as you find with other popular regional blends such as garam masala, chinese five spice or ras el hanout.  Baharat complements a number of foods, particularly lamb, beef and duck.  It's wonderful combined with yoghurt and drizzled over roast aubergine or mushrooms.  The following recipe could be adapted for lamb shanks with the addition of some chopped tomatoes to the casserole.  If grilling, the marinade caramelises nicely giving an extra dimension to the flavour.  You can buy your baharat ready mixed, or have a go at making it yourself.  Keep leftover spice blend in an airtight container.

Lebanese Lamb Skewers

baharat

- 61/2 tsp mild paprika

- 2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

- 4 1/2 tsp ground cumin

- 1 tbsp ground coriander seed

- 1 tbsp ground cassia (or cinnamon)

- 1 tbsp ground cloves

- 1/2 tsp ground green cardamom seed

- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 kg lamb leg meat, cubed
3 tbsp red wine
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp baharat

12 wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least 3 hours

Combine lamb with marinade ingredients in a plastic bag and mix thoroughly.  Leave to marinade for at least 2 hours.  Thread 3 pieces of lamb on each skewer and heat a grill, bbq or griddle pan to medium/high.  Cook skewers for 3 minutes each side, then rest for 5 minutes before serving.  The lamb should be pink and tender.  Serve with baba ganoush and tomato, shaved fennel & sumac salad.

Serves 6. 

Have a great month and don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries, questions or comments.

Please pass this newsletter on to anyone you know who loves to cook.

Happy Cooking!

Kate