When Style meets Recipe – Winter season

Fashion has always been a source of beauty, aesthetics and craftsmanship, and a natural extension of this is the sculptural and artistic forms that can food can take.  Just like fashion, culinary trends develop season after season, with new colours, shades and textures. And just like a white shirt can be classic and timeless many dishes are go-to meals that are comforting,  delicious or even evocative of childhood.

This week, we explore this union of style and food and bring together some of our most loved Winter styles with a selection of fresh and easy-to-cook recipes for the upcoming winter and christmas period! Let us know what you think!

Instructions: Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook the leek, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, oregano and if preferred some chilli powder. Cook for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Then bring your pot to boil, add the stock, pumpkin and the chickpeas. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.  For a nice creamy soup, blend the pumpkin mixture until smooth. Top with sour cream and sprinkle with salvia for a perfect finish!

Instructions: Blitz the beetroots, orange, lemon zest and berries in a food processor until you get a fairly smooth paste. Transfer this to a bowl and stir in the rock salt and sugar. Pour in the gin and give it a good mix. Lay the side of salmon skin-side down on a large baking tray and slowly pour over the beetroot cure with a spatula. Wrap the salmon in a double layer of greaseproof paper then wrap it tightly with cling film and place it in the fridge for 24 hours.

The next day, take the salmon out of the fridge and carefully unwrap it so you can rinse off the cure. Wash it with some cold water. For the second herb cure, mix together the chopped herbs and gin then slather it onto the salmon using your hands. Wrap it again with a double layer of greaseproof paper, then a tight layer of cling film. Pop the salmon back in the fridge for another 24 hours.

The next day your salmon will be perfectly cured and ready to eat. Simply slice the salmon as finely as you can and serve it cold! Delicious!

Instructions: Roll your pastry out. Using a sharp knife, score the dough to form a 1-inch border. Sprinkle the border with 1 tablespoon coarse sugar. Refrigerate for 10 minutes then bake for 10-15 minutes or until pastry is puffed up  and golden brown. In the meantime, in a large bowl, gently toss peach slices and blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour and the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and salt. Use another bowl to whip together the softened cream cheese and the sugar using a hand mixer on medium speed. Gently spread the cream cheese in a thin layer over crust inside border. Top the crust with fruit mixture and arrange as desired. Bake until fruit is tender, about 15-20 minutes. In a small bowl, vigorously stir together apricot preserves and water until thinned. Brush crust and fruit with preserves. Return to oven 1-2 minutes until lightly caramelized. You can serve this delicious tart warm or at room temperature.

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), and butter a 4×8 inch bread pan. In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas. Then add  in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour at 350°F (175°C). Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove the banana bread from the pan and let it cool completely. Slice and serve!