NEIL'S RECIPES: COURGETTE, BASIL AND MINT SOUP WITH OVEN-DRIED TOMATO AND ANSTER CHEESE

"This is a great way to use up these wonderful vegetables when you have a glut. The recipe is so easy and it keeps well - it’s great served chilled in small amounts on a very hot summer’s day. The extra-virgin olive oil really works here. And do use the courgette flowers as a garnish." 

Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes; Cooking time: tomatoes up to 2 hours, soup 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 large courgettes, diced into rough 1-inch cubes
1 banana shallot, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small handful of basil and mint leaves, roughly chopped
100g grated Anster cheese, or any other hard, crumbly cheese
2 tomatoes
100ml extra-virgin olive oil
Good salt and pepper
A few edible flowers like cornflower blue or calendula to garnish

METHOD
Heat the oven to 150°C / Gas Mark 2

Remove the eyes from the tomatoes and give them a good wash. Cut them in half and lay them on an ovenproof tray. Sprinkle with good salt and pepper and trickle over some extra-virgin olive oil. Place in the oven for between 1 and 2 hours. Remove and keep in a tub in the fridge if you wish.

Heat 50ml of the oil in a pot and sweat the shallot and the garlic until soft, then add the courgette and season with good salt and pepper. Stir and add enough boiling water to cover and a bit more.

Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until soft - don’t let it dry out – then add the herbs and blitz with a hand-blender.

Add 3/4 of the cheese and blitz again - it doesn’t need to be super-smooth. Check the seasoning. 

To serve, pour the soup into warmed bowls and add the tomatoes and the extra cheese. Garnish with some edible flowers and an extra trickle of olive oil. Serve with some good bread.

NEIL'S RECIPES: BUTTERMILK PUDDING WITH PERTHSHIRE BERRIES

“I prefer this British version of panna cotta as the buttermilk gives it a creamy richness. I had this recently at St John in London and they served it with boozy raisins, delicious. This recipe was given to me by a young chef called Jess who worked at Balintaggart Farm—she’s a great cook. We serve it with a few berries and a biscuit, or as here, a ginger snap.”

Serves 6
Prep time: 45 minutes; cooking time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

600ml buttermilk

1 vanilla pod, split and seeds removed

400ml double cream

250g caster sugar

3 gelatine leaves, soaked in cold water to blooM

A handful or Perthshire berries (optional)

Shortbread or gingersnaps (optional)

METHOD

In a thick-bottomed pan, carefully heat the buttermilk, cream and sugar with the vanilla pod until just about to boil.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow the vanilla to flavour the cream.

After 5 minutes, add the bloomed gelatine and mix well until it dissolves entirely.

Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and put this into a larger bowl of cold, iced water until it almost sets, stirring all the time. This will take around 5 to 10 minutes. We do this to suspend the vanilla in the cream, so it doesn’t sink to the bottom.

Pour the mix into pretty glasses or ramekins and pop in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours to set.

To serve, decorate with berries in season or perhaps a spoonful of compote. I like to serve a biscuit with mine too—some shortbread or a ginger snap is delicious.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ASPARAGUS, WHIPPED CROWDIE, OVEN-DRIED TOMATO

“This is a great combination of flavours. I like to whip the crowdie cheese to make it creamier and smoother, and the oven-dried tomatoes give it a rich burst of flavour.”

Serves 2

Prep time 20 minutes; cooking time: 10 minutes, plus 2 hours for drying the tomatoes

INGREDIENTS

26 spears of British asparagus

10 mixed cherry tomatoeS

A few thyme leaves

2 heaped tablespoons of crowdie

A few salad leaves like mustard or watercress

A tablespoon each of dill, tarragon, parsley and basil

1 teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 anchovy fillet, optional

Good salt and pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, plus extra for cooking the tomatoes

METHOD

Heat the oven to 100°C. Place the tomatoes in an oven-proof dish and trickle over a little olive oil, salt, pepper and few thyme leaves. Cook for around 2 hours.

Prepare the asparagus by removing an inch from the bottom of each spear, then peel as if sharpening a pencil.
If you have an electric hand-held whisk, use it to whip the crowdie. If not, just use a normal metal whisk. Once smooth and silky, place into a piping bag.

Make a green sauce by pulsing the dill, tarragon, parsley, basil, mustard, vinegar, anchovy and 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a liquidiser. Season if required.

Next, blanch the prepared asparagus spears in boiling, salted water for 1 minute to take the rawness off them. Then place onto a chargrill pan with a pinch of salt and cook for a few minutes until slightly charred.

To plate up, pipe the crowdie in to 3 spaced-out mounds on each plate, then lay the asparagus on top, and dot the tomatoes around the plate. Top with some green sauce and decorate with a few salad leaves. Serve at once.

NEIL'S RECIPES: SCALLOPS WITH LEMON, PARSLEY AND GARLIC BUTTER

"Please only ever buy hand-dived scallops. If they are cheap they are probably dredged which devastates the ocean floor. You only really need 2 or 3 of these each, as they are huge, sweet and tender. This recipe is a bit retro, but it’s simple and it works." 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS 

Allow 3 scallops per person

2 large garlic cloves, bashed, peeled and chopped quite finely

150g unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons of freshly-chopped curly parsley

Zest and juice of 1 very large organic lemon

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Keep the scallops in the shell - ask your fishmonger to do this for you, and leave the orange coral on too.

To make the butter, add the chopped garlic to the melted butter and add some fine zest of lemon and season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley and mix.

You can fry the scallops in a hot pan with a little rapeseed oil, one at a time, but I prefer to spoon on the garlic butter on to each scallop in the shell and place under a very hot, pre-heated grill or the top shelf of a very hot oven (250°C) until they are golden brown but not over-cooked.

Serve in the shells with a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of good salt and a lemon wedge. Eat at once.

NEIL'S RECIPES: FLAPJACKS

“Flapjacks seem to be one of those sweet treats that we all know, but no-one really talks about. I adore their sweet oaty taste. Perfect served with a cuppa.”

Makes 18 finger-sized bars

INGREDIENTS

500g porridge oats

250g jumbo oats

375g unsalted butter

375g dark brown soft muscovado sugar

10 tablespoons of golden syrup

Nuts, seeds or dried fruit as desired

METHOD

Heat oven to 180°C.

Melt the butter over a very low heat then slowly stir in the brown sugar until dissolved.

Add the oats and give it a good mix. You may need to do this in a large mixing bowl.

Add nuts and fruit, stir.

Line a baking tray with a smear of oil and then a layer of greaseproof paper. The oil helps to stick the paper in place.

Spread the mix into the tray, pressing it down firmly with a palette knife. It can be thick or thin, depending on the size of your tray.

Bake for around 20 minutes, or until it begins to turn golden brown.

Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Then turn out of the tray, remove the paper, and cut into desired shapes.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ENDIVE, PEAR, BLUE CHEESE AND WALNUT SALAD

"I adore this dish. It is simple, tasty and one I come back to again and again. The bitter salad leaves cut through the rich pear. And the sweet, candied walnuts are a joy with the rich, creamy Lanark Blue. Add a few watercress leaves for a peppery kick and serve in the middle of the table for everyone to share."

Serves 4 in one big bowl
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time : 1.5 hours including poaching pears

INGREDIENTS

2 red and 2 white endives, chicory or witloof, leaves removed and washed
2 conference pears
200g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, split
Good salt and pepper
1 star anise
1 lemon
100g of good blue cheese, I like Lanark Blue
A handful of Californian walnuts, shelled
A few watercress leaves
Sunflower oil for shallow frying
Cold-pressed rapeseed oil for dressing

METHOD

Begin by poaching the pears. Remove the peel from each and rub with a halved lemon. Then bring a litre of water to the boil in a pan. Add half the sugar, the star anise, the split vanilla pod, the juice of half a lemon then plonk the pears into this stock syrup and poach for about an hour on a gentle boil covered with a greaseproof paper cartouche so the pears don’t oxidise during poaching. The harder the pear, the longer it will take to cook. Allow the pears to cool in the syrup. Remove the stalk and any seeds, and dice. Set to one side. 

To prepare the candied walnuts, make a stock syrup using the remaining sugar and 100ml of water and bring to the boil. Cook the walnuts in this solution for 5 to 7 minutes and allow them to cool in the syrup. Once cool, remove and drain on kitchen paper. Next, heat the sunflower in a deep frying pan and fry the walnuts until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. 

To assemble the salad, add the endive leaves to a large mixing bowl and crumble in the blue cheese. Then sprinkle over the walnuts and the diced pear. Season with good salt and pepper and a drizzle of cold-pressed rapeseed oil and a little of the syrup from the pears. Mix gently.

To serve, place the salad into a serving dish and decorate with watercress, a little more oil and syrup, a squeeze of lemon juice and a final sprinkling of salt.

NEIL'S RECIPES: LEEK AND POTATO SOUP, MULL CHEDDAR BISCUITS

“This soup is so tasty and easy to make. You don't even have to blitz it in the liquidiser, as it is delicious chunky. The crème fraîche adds a rich, creaminess that I love in a soup. Enjoy the cheese biscuit, it is rather tasty and easy to make.”

Serves 4

Prep time: 50 minutes; cooking time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

1 large leek, topped and root removed, split and washed then roughly chopped, washed again

1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 large or 2 small potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into 1cm pieces

1 litre good chicken stock, veg stock or water

1 handful spinach leaves, washed and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon butter

Good salt and pepper

4 teaspoons crème fraîche to garnish (optional)

A few slices of radish to garnish (optional)

Chopped chives to garnish (optional)

METHOD

Melt the butter gently in a thick-bottomed pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and sweat without colour for 5 to 7 minutes until soft. Add salt and pepper, stir and add the potato and leek, stirring for a few minutes. Then add the stock, hot if possible, combine and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, skimming off any foam.

When the potatoes are cooked, season again and add the handful of spinach. Once wilted, blitz in a liquidiser for at least 2 minutes; always be very careful using a liquidiser as they can erupt and cover your kitchen with boiling soup, so be careful. It may be better to use a hand-held blender if you have one.

Once blitzed, pass the soup through a fine sieve. It’s hard work but it will make the soup super-smooth.

Serve in a warm bowl with a dollop of cold crème fraîche topped with some chopped chives and a few slices of radish. Enjoy with a few cheese biscuits.

MULL CHEDDAR BISCUITS

INGREDIENTS

100g unsalted butter, diced

100g plain flour, plus a bit more for dusting

A pinch of salt

50g Mull Cheddar, grated

A pinch of cayenne or paprika

1 egg

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

Combine the butter and flour then add the salt, cayenne and grated cheese. Try adding chives or grain mustard through the mix too. Add the egg and mix well. It will take around 2 to 3 minutes to mix. Prepare a rolling surface with flour and roll the mixture into a sausage shape the diameter of a £2 coin. Cover tightly in cling film and leave to rest for an hour.

Remove the cling film, cut into discs and lay them on baking parchment. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes but don’t over-cook or they will become bitter. Allow to cool and serve with the soup. 

NEIL'S RECIPES: LAMB WITH OLIVE, TOMATO AND BASIL SAUCE

“This is a blast from the past for me as I hadn’t used this combination for years until recently. I almost forgot about it! Everything just works. I like to chop the basil very small and even infuse some in the sauce. Not too heavy with the tomato and olive giving it a hint of the Mediterranean. Those fat and juicy kalamata olives are superb with this dish.”

Serves 2
Prep time: 1 hour; cooking time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

Half a loin of lamb from your butcher or market trader, skin removed, and fat scored so it renders more easily
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
1 tomato, cut into quarters, seeds removed and retained, flesh chopped
1 tablespoon kalamata olives, pitted
Good salt and pepper
A few basil leaves. chopped
500ml good, strong lamb or beef stock
1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
Half a celery stick, roughly chopped
1 rosemary frond
1 clove garlic
1 glass red wine

METHOD

To make the sauce, add the shallots and add a half teaspoon of oil to a small pot and fry. Add the celery and fry again until there’s a good colour. This will take 2 to 3 minutes. Next, add the rosemary, garlic and wine. Reduce for around 4 minutes until the wine resembles a glaze. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes, skimming as you go. Add the tomato seeds. When simmered, pass the sauce through a fine sieve and reduce by at least half until the sauce is the consistency of double cream – about another 10 minutes. Add a leaf or two of basil and set to one side.

To roast the lamb, get a frying pan moderately hot on the hob and add the remaining oil. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and fry fat side down in the hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Roll the lamb over and continue cooking carefully for about 5 minutes until all the meat is coloured, seasoning as you go. Finally, add a little knob of butter and baste the lamb. The lamb should be just firm to touch. It may need to go in the oven (at 180°C) for 2 to 3 minutes. When ready, remove the meat from the pan and rest in a warm place.

Meanwhile, add the chopped tomato, olives and basil to the warm sauce and return to the heat.

To serve, carve the lamb and place on a warm plate. Spoon over the warm sauce, and serve with buttery mash and greens.

NEIL'S RECIPES: BEETROOT TARTE TATIN WITH A SALAD OF BLUE MURDER CHEESE, APPLE AND ENDIVE

"It’s a classic dish, normally made with apple or pear but why not a veg? This recipe calls for beetroot, but fennel or shallots work just as well. It’s essentially just a simple caramel with blanched veg on puff pastry - very simple, tasty and impressive. Serve with an apple and endive salad topped with crumbled Blue Murder cheese to add that creamy richness. Herbs like sage or thyme work well in the caramel. And have a go at rough puff pastry too, far better than any shop bought stuff!"

Serves 1
Prep time: 0.5 hours; Cooking time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

1 large or 2 small beetroots, scrubbed and cooked in water on the hob for 1 .5 hours until tender, peel skin off under running water

1 tablespoon of sugar

1/2 tablespoon of butter

1 sprig of thyme

1 disc of puff pastry, 1/2 cm thick cut to the same size as the blini pan

1 endive, cut into leaves and shards

A few toasted nuts

A few radish slices

A few slices of apple, cut into sticks

A few cubes of Blue Murder cheese or any other blue cheese of your liking

1 teaspoon of cold-pressed rapeseed oil

1 teaspoon Arran mustard

1 teaspoon honey

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Firstly, make a caramel by melting the sugar and butter together in the cast iron blini pan until it’s golden and caramelised. Then take the sprig of thyme and place it into the centre of the caramel. Next cut the beetroot into chunky pieces, and place onto the thyme and caramel. Cover the beetroot with the disc of pastry and prick a hole into the top and bake into a hot oven 200°C for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and cooked.

Leave the tart to cool slightly otherwise it will fall apart. Whilst it’s resting, make the salad by adding the cheese to a bowl with the endive, apple, a few radish slices and some toasted nuts. Make a dressing by mixing together the oil, honey and mustard and drizzle over before giving it a season with salt and pepper.

To serve, carefully tip out the tart out of the pan and onto the plate and garnish with the salad. Serve immediately.

NEIL'S RECIPES: TABLET

I don't have a sweet tooth, sugar just doesn't do it for me. But when I fancy a wee treat with my coffee, I tend to go for a tiny piece of tablet. It’s essentially fudge, just taken a little further in the cooking process. A centuries-old, traditional Scottish sweetie, in years gone by everyone's granny would have made it. Eating tablet reminds me of my gran and I love how it is locked into my food memories.

This should make plenty for a celebration, or for guests visiting

INGREDIENTS

120g unsalted butter

800ml whole milk

800g condensed milk or home-made milk jam

1.8kg unrefined caster sugar

METHOD

If you would like to make your own milk jam, start this recipe by mixing 800ml of milk and 800g of sugar in a pot, then boiling them together until a thick cream consistency is achieved. It can be flavoured with vanilla if you like.

Oil a large roasting tray with sides and lay on a sheet of silicone paper.

Melt the butter along with the condensed milk (or milk jam) and the milk on a medium heat in a large, thick-bottomed pot. Then dissolve in the sugar.

Bring it to the boil on a moderate heat and stir as often as you possibly can. Be careful as this gets very hot, so wear an apron and gloves if you need to.

After 10 minute or so you will see the colour changing to a light brown, this is a good thing. It must be kept on the boil, so use the thermostat on your appliance to keep a steady and quite vigorous boil.

After around half an hour the mixture will be quite caramel in colour and the texture in the pot will change. It will almost start to solidify on the edge of the pot.

Once it reaches around 114.5°C it should be fine to set.

When you think it’s ready, remove the pot from the heat and use an electric whisk to carefully whisk the mixture for at least 5 minutes. Beating the mix gives it the characterful texture and allows it to set better too.

Once beaten, pour into the prepared, lined tin, scraping the sides of the pot to get every last drop.

Allow it to cool slightly, then score the top of the tablet into 1-inch squares before cooling thoroughly near an open window.

Once cool, break into pieces and store in an airtight tub. Don't tell your dentist!