Stunning Springtime Suppers with Higgidy

26th March 2018

At Higgidy, we believe that food adds colour to our lives and brings people together – it’s for sharing and celebrating, and none more so than during springtime, when the evenings get lighter and the garden gets greener.

For us, those impromptu, laidback lunches or suppers shared with family and friends, are much more satisfying than meticulously choreographed gourmet dinners. And that’s why we’re bringing you these simple recipes and handy hints, to help you create and enjoy some ‘Stunning Springtime Suppers’ that still leave you with time to organise Easter egg hunts or laze in the sunshine (fingers crossed!).

Tips & Tricks:

For a fabulous, fuss-free, Friday-night feast with the family, simply pop some sausage rolls on the kitchen counter along with some potato wedges sprinkled with smoked paprika, a jar of your favourite chutney and a generous pot of slaw and let everyone dig in. Not such a bad way to end the week.

If you’ve got friends and family round for the weekend and need to throw together a no-time-to-think Saturday supper, simply pop a couple of Higgidy Smoked Bacon & Mature Cheddar Quiches on the kitchen table, alongside some buttery baked potatoes, a bag of leafy greens and a super-simple tomato salad, and form an orderly queue.

With Easter just around the corner, all that chocolate-eating can be tiring. So, if you’re looking for a dazzling off-the-cuff dinner to enjoy over the bank holiday weekend, might we suggest some Feta & Red Pepper Veggie Rolls, a thrown-together Greek salad and a tub of posh hummus? Just add friends and/or family – and enjoy.

If you do find yourself with slightly more time on your hands, you might like to try these lovely lighter dishes, created with springtime spreads in mind.  

Spring Greens Salad with Lemony Feta Recipe (serves 6-8 as a side)

Give your greens a bit of a zhoosh with some crumbled chunks of baked feta, drizzled with a zesty lemony dressing. Whoever said salads were boring?

Ingredients:

• 650g spring greens (e.g. broccoli, asparagus, spinach, kale)
• 200g feta, broken into large chunks
• 50g mixed seeds, toasted

For the dressing:

• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp clear honey
• Zest and juice of a lemon

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C/gas mark 6 and mix the dressing ingredients together.
• Steam the greens for just 5 minutes, or until tender.
• Meanwhile, scatter the crumbled chunks of feta on a baking tray and drizzle with half of the dressing.
• Bake until golden brown and bubbling.
• When the greens are cooked, toss together with the rest of the dressing and sprinkle with crisp toasted seeds and the warm lemony feta.
• Serve alongside a slice of Higgidy Quiche

Elderflower & Raspberry Baked Apples Recipe (Serves 6)

Take the classic pud that is apple pie and deconstruct it slightly, to make these delicious diddy desserts.

Equipment:

• 1 x 8cm round fluted pastry cutter

Ingredients:

• 320g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
• A little plain flour, for dusting
• 100g fresh raspberries
• 120g good-quality raspberry jam
• 6 eating apples, Granny Smith or Cox’s
• 100ml elderflower cordial
• A knob of butter
• 1 medium egg, beaten
• 1–2 tbsp caster sugar
• Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark 6. Unroll the pastry on to a lightly floured work surface and cut out six circles with the cutter. Using the remaining pastry, cut out
  some little leaves and ‘stalks’ to decorate the pastry hats. Set these all aside.
• Place the raspberries in a bowl, add the jam and gently stir so that all the raspberries are coated. Slice the bottom off each apple so that it can sit up straight, then remove the core and seeds (using either a sharp knife or an apple corer).
• Place the apples on a lipped baking tray or in an ovenproof dish and fill the hole in the centre of each one with the raspberry mixture. Pour the elderflower cordial around
  the apples and add the butter.
• Place a pastry hat on top of each apple, brush it with beaten egg, and decorate with your pastry leaves and stalks, sticking them on with beaten egg. Brush again with egg, and then
  generously sprinkle with caster sugar.
• Bake for 30–35 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp and the apples are soft and steaming. Serve each apple with a spoonful of the sticky red glaze and scoops of vanilla
  ice cream.

Beetroot, Spinach & Avocado Salad with an Espresso Vinaigrette Recipe (serves 4 as a side)

Nothing quite says springtime supper like a wedge of warm Higgidy Frittata served with chunks of roasted beetroot, leafy spinach & sliced avocado tossed together with a punchy espresso dressing, to give you that added extra boost.

Ingredients:

• Bunch of 4 medium beetroot, scrubbed, peeled and sliced into wedges (tops removed)
• 2 tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 tbsp. Brown sugar
• 100g Young Leaf Spinach
• 1 large Avocado, de-stoned
• 2 tbsp. Pumpkin Seeds (or seeds of your choice)

For the dressing:

• 1 shot espresso (30ml), cooled
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• A small squeeze of honey

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180C, fan 160C, gas mark 4.
• Toss the beetroot wedges in the olive oil and brown sugar before spreading onto a baking sheet, in a single layer.
• Roast for 30 minutes, or until just tender then allow to cool slightly, until just warm to the touch.
• Meanwhile make the dressing – in a jar, mix the espresso, balsamic, olive oil, crushed garlic and honey together, shake well and set aside.
• In a large bowl toss the young leaf spinach, beetroot and dressing together, making sure everything’s well combined.
• Empty onto a large platter, top with the sliced avocado and seeds and enjoy alongside a Higgidy Frittata.

Make an event of it and pack your recipes as sharing picnic food. Warm weather’s just around the corner, we can (almost) see it. Time to refresh your picnicware? Then read on.

The Classic Picnic Basket & Blanket

A picnic essential and a real investment that you’ll use year on year. Inside the traditional, wicker basket you’ll find melamine plates, stainless steel knives, forks, spoons and plastic wine glasses for four people, as well as a bottle opener, cloth napkins and salt and pepper shakers. Did we mention to unique-to-Joules print lining?

No picnic is complete without a picnic blanket. Our traditional checked one includes a handy carry strap to make those trips to the beach, park or bottom of the garden a whole lot easier.

The Melamine Picnic Collection

Highlighting this season’s Whitstable Floral print our melamine collection is too good just to save for the garden. Choose from side plates, beakers, bowls, a large serving bowl and tray – or collect the whole set.

Shop our Picnic collection here >