Stokes Sauces: Seasonal Side Dishes - great vegetable freshness

Seriously seasonal

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September is a very exciting month for fresh seasonal fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood.

As a vegetable side dish, aubergines, artichokes, beetroot and fennel are amongst the stars this month, with an endless choice of fresh herbs.

Game becomes more available with big flavoured venison, grouse, pheasant and wood pigeon.

And to finish with fruit we are absolute winners having blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, redcurrants and strawberries blessing our farm shops and supermarket shelves.

We're entering a period of slow cooked suppers with the curtains closed, as well as quickly turned around teas for hungry after school tums.

September vegetable sensations

Ratatouille

Many people are put off by aubergines until they have visited a sunny Greek island. That's not because the warm sunshine and sandy beaches compensate, but because the people of this delightful country know how to cook them properly. Aubergines, like Greek islanders, just can't be rushed and are well worth the wait.

You'll need all these seasonal goodies:

2 aubergines, chopped into 3 cm chunks
4 courgettes, similarly chopped
2 red peppers, ditto
4 or 6 tomatoes, quartered
1 red onion, cut into wedges
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp of Stokes Brown Sauce
1 tbsp of Stokes Tomato Ketchup
1 tbsp of chopped thyme leaves
1 tsp of Stokes Chilli Jam
A good handful of fresh basil leaves

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/page/sauces/ketchup-and-sauces

Here's how:

You can skin the peppers and tomatoes if you wish but life's too short.

In an ovenproof pan, gently fry the aubergines in oil for 10 minutes. Then add the courgette and onion for a further 10 minutes.

Now add the tomatoes, thyme, garlic, ketchup, brown sauce and chilli jam for 5 minutes before placing the whole thing in the oven at its highest setting for 20 minutes. Stir in the basil, season and serve.

Ratatouille makes a delicious vegetable dish simply served with pasta, or as a tasty accompaniment to fish or poultry.

Fennel & Potato Gratin

The fresh aromatic flavours of fennel sit well gratinated with potatoes.

You'll need:

50 g of butter
3 good sized fennel bulbs, sliced
3 onions, sliced
500 g of potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard
Parmasan and Cheddar cheese for grating

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/page/sauces/traditional-condiments

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.

In a large pan of boiling water with a touch of vegetable stock, simmer the vegetables for 8 to 10 minutes.

Melt the butter in an ovenproof dish, adding the thyme, garlic and mustard then spoon the vegetables into the dish coating with them the herby butter.

Now grate equal amounts of Cheddar and Parmesan cheese over the vegetable mixture and place it in the middle of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

With a baked loin of cod and some green beans you'll have another suppertime success on your hands.

Fresh Vegetable Fritters

This is a fun way to get veg-averse kids to eat some vegetables.

You'll need:

2 carrots, shredded
3 courgettes, shredded
1 fennel bulb, shredded
2 garlic cloves, grated
3 spring onions, chopped finely
1 small tin of corn, drained
75 g of self raising flour
3 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp of Stokes Piccalilli (for its mustardy vegetable crunch)

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/page/sauces/chutneys-and-relishes

Here's how:

To release some of the water naturally contained in the courgettes, put it in a colander with a sprinkling of sea salt and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Press it down with a paper towel, squeezing out as much water as you can then combine it with the carrots, fennel, garlic, onion and corn. Stir in the piccalilli, flour, eggs and season.

With a tablespoon, form the mixture into fritters of about 2 to 3 tbsp size and fry each (perhaps 3 at a time) if an inch of hot rapeseed oil for 3 or 4 minutes each side.