Cauliflower cheese and potato pie.

Serves 4.

Ingredients.

2 onions, chopped

25g butter

6 large potatoes, cubed

1 medium cauliflower or romanesco, broken into florets

1 tsp mustard

All the leftover cheese you have in your fridge, grated

1 egg

A splash of milk

Method.

1)      Fry the onions in the butter in a large pan, then add the potatoes and cauliflower. Cover with salted water and boil until tender. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

2)    Drain and mash the cooked vegetables, then add the mustard. While the mixture is still hot stir in most of the cheese to melt it, keeping a little cheese to sprinkle on the top of the pie.

3)    Beat in the egg with the milk, then season.

4)    Transfer the mixture to an ovenproof dish, then rough the top with a fork. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.

5)    Bake until the top is brown and crispy.

Jerusalem Artichoke and Kale Gratin.

100g kale leaves, no stalks

1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 knob of butter plus extra
2 onions peeled and finely sliced
3 peeled and thinly sliced garlic cloves
500g Jerusalem artichokes peeled and cut into 3mm thick rounds
1tsp thyme leaves chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
100 ml double cream
200 ml veg stock

For the topping
50g porridge oats
3 thick slices stale bread torn into small pieces or made into breadcrumbs
About 50 g hazelnuts or walnuts lightly toasted and finely chopped
25g butter melted
30g cheddar or hard goat's cheese grated

Method

Heat oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5 and lightly butter a gratin dish. Bring a pan of water to the boil, salt it and and then add the kale leaves. Cook for two to three minutes until just tender then drain in a colander.
Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan, add the onions and garlic, and cook gently until soft and starting to take on a little colour. Add the artichokes and thyme, season generously and cook, tossing occasionally, for five minutes. Add the cream and stock and simmer gently, stirring once or twice until the liquid has reduced a little.
Squeeze any excess water from the kale and chop roughly. Stir into the artichoke mixture, then transfer to the gratin dish. Mix together all the topping ingredients, sprinkle over the gratin and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Take to the table and enjoy it. 

Wei.

We would like to thank Wei for her recent help as a Wwoofer on the farm - she came down from London to volunteer for two days (every little helps!).

Adrien

Many thanks to Adrien for helping on the farm as a wwoof volunteer for 2 weeks - we wish you a safe journey back to Paris.

Adrien removing volunteer potatoes from the maincrop field.

Christine

Thank you to Christine for volunteering as a Wwoofer for two weeks on the farm over New Year. Christine wrote an entry on her blog about us, which can be viewed here www.wdm.org.uk/blog/hard-work

Christine sawing firewood.

Pierre.

Many thanks to Pierre, the farm's last wwoofer of 2013 and first wwoofer of 2014, who left today after 10 days helping on the farm. Bon voyage, and best wishes back at work in Paris!

Pierre sorting and boxing eggs.