4 Comforting Recipes From Daylesford Farm To Dig Into This December This festive season, we’ve teamed up with Daylesford Farm, presenting a collection of modern recipe choices that are bound to infuse your gatherings with holiday cheer. Whether you’re hosting pre-Christmas dinner parties or gearing up for Christmas Day celebration, these recipes—from easy starters and desserts warming leek and cheese tart —can be relished either as a delicious ensemble or as standalone dishes in their own right. Carrot & Ginger soup This is one of the first dishes we served when Daylesford first opened 20 years ago. The recipe is so popular we also sell pouches of carrot and ginger soup in our farmshops and online. Made in small batches on the farm with organic ingredients, the pouches are ready for customers to take home and gently heat through – easy, convenient and delicious. SERVES 4-6 Ingredients 800g carrots, roughly diced 250g white onions, roughly diced 50g ginger, finely diced 50g butter drizzle of olive oil 1.5litres vegetable stock 125ml double cream salt and pepper to taste Method – Heat a thick bottomed saucepan on a moderate heat. Add the olive oil and butter until melted. Tip in the onions, a pinch of salt and pepper and half the ginger and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. – Stir in the remaining ginger and carrots and cook until the carrots have started to soften. – Pour over the vegetable stock, turn up the heat and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for five minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Swirl in the cream, check for seasoning and adjust by adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Remove from the heat and blend in a jug blender until very smooth. SERVES 4-6 Ingredients 800g carrots, roughly diced 250g white onions, roughly diced 50g ginger, finely diced 50g butter drizzle of olive oil 1.5litres vegetable stock 125ml double cream salt and pepper to taste Method – Heat a thick bottomed saucepan on a moderate heat. Add the olive oil and butter until melted. Tip in the onions, a pinch of salt and pepper and half the ginger and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. – Stir in the remaining ginger and carrots and cook until the carrots have started to soften. – Pour over the vegetable stock, turn up the heat and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for five minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Swirl in the cream, check for seasoning and adjust by adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Remove from the heat and blend in a jug blender until very smooth. Roasted Red Kuri Squash With braised red onions, pickled chillies, rocket & yoghurt dressing. This vibrant seasonal dish packs enough flavour to be served as a standalone dish, or would make a great accompaniment to roast chicken or lamb. The pickled chillies give a peppery heat to the dish, balanced by the yogurt dressing.This recipe is inspired by a dish served in our cafés. Discover more seasonal recipes and cooking skills at our Cookery School. Ingredients 1.1 kg red kuri or other seasonal squash, cut into 3-inch wedges 10g harissa powder 280g balsamic roast onions (see below) 200g yoghurt dressing (see below) 10g pickled chillies (see below) 80g rocket leaves 50g pomegranate seeds 10g coriander leaves salt & pepper to taste extra virgin olive oil For The Balsamic Roast Red Onions 4-5 red onions 50g olive oil 15g balsamic vinegar 15g pomegranate molasses For The Yoghurt Dressing 150g yoghurt 50g crème fraiche 5g chilli paste 8g garlic paste 10g lime juice For The Pickled Chillies 100g cider vinegar 20g caster sugar 120g water 1g pink peppercorns 15g shallots 200g red chillies, sliced thinly Ingredients 1.1 kg red kuri or other seasonal squash, cut into 3-inch wedges 10g harissa powder 280g balsamic roast onions (see below) 200g yoghurt dressing (see below) 10g pickled chillies (see below) 80g rocket leaves 50g pomegranate seeds 10g coriander leaves salt & pepper to taste extra virgin olive oil For The Balsamic Roast Red Onions 4-5 red onions 50g olive oil 15g balsamic vinegar 15g pomegranate molasses For The Yoghurt Dressing 150g yoghurt 50g crème fraiche 5g chilli paste 8g garlic paste 10g lime juice For The Pickled Chillies 100g cider vinegar 20g caster sugar 120g water 1g pink peppercorns 15g shallots 200g red chillies, sliced thinly Method – To make the pickled chillies, get a medium sized saucepan and pour in the cider vinegar, caster sugar, water, pink peppercorns and shallots. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Put the sliced red chillies into a clean jar and pour over the hot vinegar mixture. Screw on the lid and leave for at least 24 hours for best results. – When you are ready to make the salad, preheat the oven to 180°C. – To make the balsamic roast onions, cut the red onions into wedges, taking care to leave the root intact so they don’t fall apart. Place them in a shallow baking dish and drizzle over the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pomegranate molasses. Toss to coat well, cover with foil and place in the oven. Cook for 25 minutes, then remove the foil for an additional 5 minutes until golden brown and soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. – Sprinkle the squash wedges with the harissa powder, a drizzle of oil and some salt & pepper to taste and mix to coat evenly. Place on a roasting tray and roast for about 10 minutes or until the squash is golden and tender with crisp edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. – To make the yoghurt dressing, stir together the yoghurt, crème fraiche, chilli paste, garlic paste and lime juice. – To assemble the salad, arrange the rocket leaves on the base of your serving platter. Place the squash wedges and red onion on top and drizzle the yoghurt dressing around. Scatter with the pomegranate seeds, pickled chilli slices and coriander leaves and finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Ginger Millionaire Slice With a thick, lightly salted date caramel and a textured nutty base of almonds and ginger biscuits, this is the perfect festive treat. Ingredients TO MAKE THE BASE 250g ginger biscuits, cruahed 240g skinned almonds, roughly chopped 50g shelled pistachios 50g candied ginger grated zest of 1 orange 200g unsalted butter, melted TO MAKE THE CARAMEL 250g pitted Medjool dates 100g smooth almond butter 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp ground ginger pinch of ground cloves 1/4 tsp sea salt 100g unsalted butter TO MAKE THE TOPPING 250g dark chocolate Ingredients TO MAKE THE BASE 250g ginger biscuits, cruahed 240g skinned almonds, roughly chopped 50g shelled pistachios 50g candied ginger grated zest of 1 orange 200g unsalted butter, melted TO MAKE THE CARAMEL 250g pitted Medjool dates 100g smooth almond butter 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp ground ginger pinch of ground cloves 1/4 tsp sea salt 100g unsalted butter TO MAKE THE TOPPING 250g dark chocolate Method – For the base, pulse the ginger biscuits in a food processor to small chunks. Add the remaining ingredients and lightly pulse until incorporated. – Grease and line a brownie tin with baking parchment and pour in the mixture. Spread it around the tray and press into the edges until even and smooth, then place in the fridge to set. – Place all of the ingredients for the caramel in a high-speed blender and blend until you have a thick, smooth paste. – Remove the tray from the fridge and spread over your layer of caramel, using a palette knife dipped in hot water to smooth the top, returning the tray to the fridge once more. – Melt the chocolate by placing it in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Pour the melted chocolate over the caramel and return the tray to the fridge to set for 1-2 hours. – Once set, cut into neat slices or chunks to serve or gift. WINTER TEA INFUSION WITH GINGER, CINNAMON STICKS & CLEMENTINE Seasonal Occasions This simple winter tea infusion is warming and cleansing, gently easing digestion and providing plenty of comfort over colder winter months. Ingredients (For one teapot) 1 cinnamon stick 1 star anise 3 slices of fresh ginger 3 cardamom pods 1 clementine boiling water (prepare based on number of servings) Method – Use a peeler to remove a few strips of skin from the clementine. Place these in a teapot with the remaining ingredients, pour over boiling water and leave to infuse for 3-5 minutes. – Once it has brewed, pour the infusion into cups and enjoy it after supper, or to warm you from the inside out on a cold afternoon. – For a little extra sweetness, add a halved dried apricot to the brew or a spoonful of organic honey to each cupful. It goes particularly well with our organic savoury biscuits. Ingredients (For one teapot) 1 cinnamon stick 1 star anise 3 slices of fresh ginger 3 cardamom pods 1 clementine boiling water (prepare based on number of servings) Method – Use a peeler to remove a few strips of skin from the clementine. Place these in a teapot with the remaining ingredients, pour over boiling water and leave to infuse for 3-5 minutes. – Once it has brewed, pour the infusion into cups and enjoy it after supper, or to warm you from the inside out on a cold afternoon. – For a little extra sweetness, add a halved dried apricot to the brew or a spoonful of organic honey to each cupful. It goes particularly well with our organic savoury biscuits. 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