From Spade to Plate: Fresh ravioli

With less and less ingredients in the allotment, we need to find ways to make a tasty meal that 'stretches'

What to do with one largish butternut squash.

As I had the oven on anyway to make this week's bread, I roasted the squash so we could use it for the various dishes for this week's from spade to plate session..


June had the messy job,she cut off the skin and put the flesh in a large pan. We pureed it and scooped out two large ladles worth to use for the ravioli filling. The rest we kept in the pan, added vegetable stock and brought it to the boil.
When all mixed, we added a good dose of five spice.  That's it. No onion, garlic, cream etc, just stock and roasted pumpkin
The soup was gorgeous with some freshly baked bread.



As I had some organic eggs and flour, I decided to make some fresh pasta.
For the pumpkin filling, we used some sage, cream cheese and blue cheese, salt and pepper and mixed ready for use.  After we made the ravioli we brought to the boil a large pan with salted water and for a couple of minutes and then added the ravioli and left it in  until the ravioli floated to the top.. We fished them out of the water with a slotted spoon, let it drain for a few minutes a drop of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and chopped parley and chives to make it pretty as well as tasty.

This is a simple way to turn a minimum of ingredients into a delicious meal.
As I happen to have a pasta machine and a ravioli maker, we used these, but with a rolling pin you can make this just as well.

To get a good recipe click here

We use only the 2 egg yolks and a little more water. With the egg whites we will make a sorbet for dessert.

So lovely too to see Marie Christine again, who came straight from the airport to join us for a cooking session.

Mushroom Ravioli

Ingredients
Serves: 6 

·       3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

·       1 onion chopped

·       1 garlic clove, chopped

·       450 g (1 lb) mushrooms, finely chopped

·       3 tbsp sherry

·       100 g (3½ oz) fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs

·       55 g (2 oz) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

·       2 eggs

·       50gr ricotta cheese

·       2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

·       1 tsp chopped fresh marjoram or ¼ tsp dried marjoram

·       handful of garden peas

·       2 tbsp tiny tender sprigs of fresh thyme

·       1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)

·       salt and pepper

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Method 

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook for a few seconds, then add the garlic and the mushrooms. Cook over a high heat, stirring, to brown the mushrooms, then reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes or until the mixture has reduced in volume.
2. Pour in the sherry and cook, stirring, until it has evaporated. Remove from the heat and add seasoning to taste.
3. Stir in the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, eggs, parsley and marjoram. The ingredients should be thoroughly bound into a moist paste. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare the pasta.
4. Put together your ravioli. Then freeze.
5. Boil water with a little salt. Then add the peas  after 5 minutes add the frozen ravioli. Per person add 6 pieces of ravioli on a plate, top with peas, drizzle  olive oil,  fresh black pepper, some fresh thyme leaves, plenty of parmesan and I topped it with a pea shoot (with flower)  This looked and tasted spectacular.
6. Serve with a salad.