The Marrow one of those vegetables people love or hate, or is it just the fact its not been prepared or the right recipe for you. Thats my theory anyway as I love marrows and courgettes too. Every year you will see a glut of them appearing in the markets and shops and they are certainly growing well in my garden this year (must be the freaky weather we are having?).

I love to try different stuffing with marrow and very often serve it up knowing that my dining guests have said they hate marrow and guess what by the time we have discussed everything and nothing over dinner they have eaten it and then ask me what it was they have just had as it was delicious! Good one to try, I’ve also done this with vegetarian meals and they have never know interesting hey. Must be why my kids have never been fussy eaters and eaten whats been put infront of them, or is that the fact they are not getting anything else?

Anyway back to the marrow here a stuffed marrow recipe with a difference that we love in our house.

You will need: 1 medium to large marrow (and yes Robert you are not borrowing one from my back garden I take a count each night!), 1 large onion, lettuce, 100g mushrooms, 25g butter, 6 tblsp chopped fresh parsley, 50g mature cheddar cheese grated, 225g cottage cheese sieved, mixed dried herbs and sea salt and black pepper to season.

Start by cutting a lengthways slice off your marrow and scoop out the seeds to hollow out the inside. Now sprinkle the flesh with sea salt and set aside to drain upside down on kitchen towelling.

Now chop your onion and shred about 8 good size lettuce leaves. Chop your mushrooms and cook in the butter for 3 minutes before mixing in all the ingredients together. Season with lots of black pepper and a spinkling of mixed dried herbs ( if you don’t like mixed herbs you could try adding some chilli flakes instead and using a smoked cheese to change the flavour profile, but thats what true cooking is all about!).

Wipe the inside of your marrow dry and fill it with the stuffing. Replace the top slice as a lid and wrap in foil before baking for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours (depending on your marrow size, are you laughing as much as I am writing this one!!), in your oven at gas 4/ 350 F/ 180 C.  You can serve with cous cous or rice of your choice.

If you enjoy stuffing things take a look at my previous blog fathers day roast, for not only a great roast but some delicious stuffed apples to accompany the pork. Check out this previous blog walking recipes for a great stuffed mushroom recipe. If your into your nibble and setting the scene then check out this previous blog for some great canapes.

This recipe for Italian-style baked peppers is one of my family’s favourites from a old and dear family friend. “Oh dear!”, maybe I should of left the old off that?

Anyway, his fabulous Italian roots have taught me some fantastic Italian recipes to say the least over the years, and Italian food and wine are some of my personal favourites.

This recipe is lovely served as an accompaniment to white fish, grilled chicken, rich game sausages or just on their own!

For my Italian-style baked red peppers simply -

Halve and deseed 4 large red peppers and place them on your (silicone) baking sheet or dish (see my previous blog on 23rd July on Silicone bakewear), leave the stalks in place. Into each pepper half put cherry tomato, halved, 4 capers, 2 black oilives, pitted, 1 tblsp basil pesto and 25g camembert cut into chunky cubes. Drizzle the pepper halves with a little olive oil, some ground black pepper and a few torn basil leaves. The roast at 200 c/ 400 f / gas 6 for 30 minutes until the peppers are just starting to blacken around the edges. Simple serve them with sliced ciabatta bread cut thinly which you can use to soak up the lovely juices and a sharpe glass of Itailian Wine.  

Love Italian see my blog easy recipe for a quick Italian supper, Patriotic pizza started a food idea to stand the test of time, and a perfect start to the end of the day just to give a few tasters of my great recipes and love of Italian food and Wine!

Have you a favourite Italian Dish, share it with all of us, does it have some great memories attached to it!

Well the sun has been shining again, and looking at the group of friends in my back garden this evening a little too much sun has been had from all the red sunburn patches I can see. ‘Oh that is definitely going to hurt later!’.

I have prepared some tasty delights which will suit all of my guests, as some are vegetarian. The bbq has been on for hours now and sizzling away on top now are some homemade lamb & mint burgers I have made. The jacket pototoes which were wrapped in foil in the coals have come out now and are keeping warm while my mexican delight is finishing in the oven.

While the weathers hot and the wine is flowing, my friends love their spicy flavours to come across in their food. With a large salad freshly prepared I have some homebaked baps, which I have to say are a little on the large side. But I am not going to hear the fella’s complaining and has it happens they have turned out to be the perfect size for my homemade lamb & mint burgers. In these baps I have chopped cucumber, sweet baby plum tomatoes, watercress and cubed feta, on top of which I shall place the lamb & mint burgers which I am serving with a mint & yogurt dip I made earlier.

And for my dear veggy friends mexican potatoes, with a crop of new potatoes fresh out of my garden. I have taken these around a pound in weight and sliced them, added around 5 floz of homemade chicken stock, 1 tin 14oz of kidney beans, 1 tsp of marjoram, 1 - 7oz tin of red pimientos (these make the dish), 1/2 - 1lb of rich smoked bacon from my local butcher & parsley to garnish. Place all this in a casserole dish & cover place in the oven at gas 3/ 160 c / 325 f for about an hour and this is delicious served with salad and a chunk of homemade bread.  (For your homemade bread try my blog loafing around in the morning, about bread machines with recipes for making your own bread as this will go down a storm at your bbq’s)

Although the tequilla should be served after you have eatten, but someone forgot to tell Aidy that one!!

Check out  my previous blog bar-b-q funtime for a great bbq with every practical part to make bbq safe and easy, so if your looking for a bbq to add to your household cooking appliances make sure you read this first, as everyone voted this BBQ a Winner!!. With fathers day just around the corner why not check out my apron blog for a great idea for that special man in your life.  Another blog you may want to visit from a while ago is my man size burger blog your fella will love you for it!

Why not send in your bbq ideas and what your friends and family enjoy at your bbq’s??

 Asparagus will soon be disappearing from our shelves (well the British Variety will anyway!) The asparagus season goes from April to mid June, but you can still enjoy this marvellous vegetable, if your quick.

When choosing your asparagus make sure you go for the firm asparagus with good colour, not wilted tops etc. You can simply cut off the woody ends and scrap this end with a knive, before you simply saute in a little butter and black pepper, delicious or why not try my Asparagus & Mushroom Fusilli, again simple to make and one of my sons favourites, so it has to be easy to prepare and cook!

You will need 300g Fusilli Pasta ( or use your homemade pasta as shown in my blog homemade pasta ), 25g Butter, 2 cm piece root ginger - grated, 125g mushrooms -sliced, 2 100g bunches of asparagus, 250ml tub half fat creme fraiche, 1 tbsp freshly chopped flat leaf parsley & salt and pepper to season.

First you will need to cook your pasta in a large pan of boiling slated water for about 10 minutes, (less time if fresh), while this is cooking melt your butter in a large pan and fry the ginger. mushrooms and asparagus (which you have prepared and cut on the diagonal into pieces) for about 5 minutes until cooked. Now add the creme fraiche, parsley and then seasoning to your taste. Drain your now cooked pasta

I found this great gadget for making draining pasta easy after I watched my mother in despair try to drain pasta using a saucpan lid only to feed the sink with some of this delicious homemade pasta as it slipped her clutches so to avoid this try using this great pasta spaghetti vegetable boiler colander drainer basket it  is made of  wireware, this stainless steel spaghetti, pasta vegetable basket is ideal for boiling and easily draining pasta or vegetables, for either domestic or commercial use.

Now mix into your sauce before serving immediately with either a salad or crusty homemade bread and a glass of cool white wine.

Also check out my other blog Tantalising spanish sunshine for another great alfresco asparagus recipe for you to enjoy in the sunshine with friends and family.

The mighty minnie marrow (better known as Courgettes),are in season now from June to October you will see them so get the new crop now and serve up these yummy marrows with your freshly barbecued chicken or fish. Try this simple but delicious barbecue courgette with pine nuts recipe and serve with a dry cooled white wine of your choice.

For any barbecue recipe make sure you have some good quality barbecue tongs to hand they will be invaluable in barbecue cookery. These Eva Solo grilling tongs are great for this type of cookery.

For this great recipe of Courgettes with pine nuts, parmesan and chillies you are going to need:
10 medium-sized courgettes, 15g pine nuts, toasted (you will find how to do this in my previous blogs),2 red chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped, 40g piece parmesan Reggiano, or use a similar vegetarian hard cheese, 2 lemons, 1 tsp flatleaf parsley, 2 cloves garlic, virgin olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning to your taste.
Firstly get your barbecue going and up to temperature so you can start to cook your meat or fish to go with your courgettes.  Now cut your courgettes lengthways and place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, season and mix with your hands to coat all slices. (This part is a great way to get the kids involved and you’ll ne amaced if they wouldn’t eat courgettes before if you get them involved they will eat them this time as they made them, Magic!)
Place the courgettes onto your preheated barbecue and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, turning using your barbecue tongues,  until golden-brown and cooked in the middle. Place into a dish and leave to one side.
While the courgettes are cooking, you can chop the chilli, parsley and garlic and place in a bowl with the pine nuts and just enough olive oil to mix. You can also use any flavoured oil you have prepared too.
Drizzle this yummy dressing over your barbecued courgettes and then shave the parmesan (or vegetarian cheese of your choice) over the top & serve immediately with the barbecued meat or fish you have been cooking too. Simply, delicious, seasonal and cheap, so get cooking!

If you feel that a dish needs a side salad but you do not have any salad leaves to hand, then green vegetables like beans, courgettes and peas can make a great substitute. Just cook the choosen vegetables briefly so they remain crunchy and refresh them under cold running water, then serve with mayonnaise or salad dressing with a sprinkling of fresh herbs.

You could also make a salad from raw root vegetables like carrots, turnips and white & red cabbages shredded finely and tossed in a flavoured dressing.

As in my previous blog a great gadget to use for these types of things if you do not have a food processor with the necessary blades is a Julienne Vegetable slicer like this one!

Alternatively if you have only a few salad leaves why not shred them and add to other store cupboard ingredients like crumbled cheese, chopped egg or even canned beans.

Do you have a favourite salad recipe or ingredient? Perhaps you have a tip for our avid readers too then don’t be shy join the rest of us foodies and send me your comments!

Looking for something tempting to serve up on the side is sometimes quite daunting especially when your looking for something different too!

I remember my grandmother showing me a fabulous dish with a classic flavouring concept called persillade. She added this to an array of fruits and vegetables for a great tasting and looking side to accompany fish or meats alike, but my grandmother favourite was to serve this with gammon.

If your not good at preparing vegetables or want to take the time element out of this make sure you have a handy Juliene Vegetable slicer in your kitchen. You will find one invaluable for preparing vegetables in an array of shapes and sizes for all of your recipes needs. This versatile Wide Julienne Vegetable Slicer is ideal for thinly slicing fruit and vegetables for speedy preparation. Made from toughened plastic, this sturdy slicer features a comfortable handle and stay-sharp ceramic blade. A finger guard is also supplied

Try this and let me know what you think.  For Grandmothers Courgettes, Apples & Persillade-  your going to need: 1 red onion, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 medium apple, 1 medium tomato, 500g courgettes, salt & pepper, a bunch of parsley & 1 clove of garlic.

Peel & thinly slice your onion and heat 2 tablespoons of oik in a frying pan before adding your onion and cook over a low heat for 7 minutes until the onion has softened. Rinse & core the apple and then chop in to cubes. Rinse & chop in to cubes your tomato also and stir in with the onion and cook for a further 5 minutes stirring occassionally. Trim and rinse your courgettes and then slice lengthways into thin strips before cutting the strips into batons. Sprinkle these with salt, heating another frying pan fry your courgettes over a moderate heat until they release their moisture then turn up the heat and continue to cook until the moisture has evaporated, saking the pan to make sure the courgettes do not burn. Reduce the heat then add the apple, tomato & onion mix to the courgettes and leave to simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile rinse, dry & chop enough fresh parsley to make 4 tablespoons & crush the garlic. Mix this with the parsley to make the Persillade. Stir the persillade into the frying pan with the vegetables and simmer for a few minutes to cook the garlic, then grind in some black pepper & add some salt to season to your taste before serving immediately with some delicious griddled gammon.

Do you have a favourite side dish, why not tell me about it or any of my recipes or blogs?