January: Rumbledethumps

This month’s recipe is called ‘Rumbledethumps’. It’s a Scottish name, the recipe is similar to an Irish colcannon or English bubble and squeak. It makes the most of season vegetables such as cabbages, potatoes, swede and onion.  You should find all the main ingredients available locally, be sure to check out local food networks and if you’re shopping in a supermarket try to select UK growers. The recipe is gluten free, vegetarian and the cheese could easily be substituted to a dairy free variety.

You can serve the recipe as main meal or as a side dish. You may like to give it a try for Burns night on the 25th January! The quantities used here serve four but it is easy to half as I have done in the photo. It is suitable for freezing and could be kept covered in the fridge for a day or two.  We’d love you to try it and let us know what you think.

Serves 4 Prep time 10 minutes. Cooking time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 600g Root vegetables, a mix of potatoes and swede works well. Peeled and cut into small cubes.
• Small onion, thinly sliced
• 125g Cabbage such as kale or savoy, thinly sliced
• Cooking oil
• Salt and pepper
• 40g Cheddar cheese (or diary free if required), finely grated

Instructions:

1. While you peel and dice the potatoes and swede put a large pan of water on to boil.
2. Once all the potatoes and swede are chopped up small add them to the pan of boiling water and cook until they are soft. This should be about ten minutes. When the vegetables are cooked, drain the water and preheat the oven to 200 oC.
3. Next add some cooking oil to a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and thinly sliced cabbage and cook for 3-4 minutes until it starts to go soft. Then mix in the cooked root veg. Mix it all together with a wooden spoon or a fork leaving it in big chunks.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Tip it all into an ovenproof dish and scatter over the finely grated cheese.
5. Pop it in the oven for 15-20 minutes until it’s golden on top.

Click here for a printable recipe: January Recipe 

Click here for a shopping list: Rumbledethumps

What’s in season this month?

Eating seasonally is very environmentally friendly! When we buy seasonal food we help to reduce the demand for out of season produce (which needs to be shipped/transported from other countries) and we are also supporting local farming. This means less refrigeration, less transportation, less artificial hothouses, less fuels and less irradiation of produce. There are many  good reasons to eat seasonally but the top three are;

• It taste better
• It cost less
• It’s good for the plant & good for our health.

January is great time to be more mindful of where your food is coming from. This month look out for brussels sprouts, spring green cabbage, savoy cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, parsnips and swedes.