A polytunnel gardener who has had a successful gardening year will always have plenty of food to serve family, friends and other guests over the festive period. With some food fresh from the polytunnel and some from store, it is possible to serve a full range of festive favourites and more usual winter warmer recipes. To inspire you to make the most of your seasonal produce, here are five good winter warmer recipes that many people will enjoy:
For breakfast or lunch, or as a side dish to accompany many different recipes, traditional bubble and squeak is a seasonal favourite. This simple dish of leftover mashed potatoes and green vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, kale or winter cabbage can be spiced up with the addition of dried chillies or mustard for a warming kick.
You may well still have squash or pumpkin from your polytunnel to use up. If you do then one good way to use them up is in a curried squash soup, with chillies, cumin, dried garlic and perhaps some coriander or other dried herbs and spices from your polytunnel.
Another good option for your curry spices and herbs is a simple potato curry – excellent served with rice or flat bread to warm you up on any cold winter evening. Curry flavours can be used to enliven many winter stored vegetables in a range of excellent recipes.
If you are looking for a healthy snack with a bit of spice, and another excellent way to use up some winter vegetables then kale crisps with a spicy dip of beetroot is a wonderful option for guilt-free grazing when you want something a bit lighter to munch on.
Puddings don't always have to be rich, heavy and fattening. How about an easy yet delicious recipe for pudding made from avocados or sweet potatoes, both of which make a good base for a smooth and creamy chocolate pudding that everyone can enjoy. Add a dash of chilli to your chocolate pudding for a sophisticated, spicy note.
These are just some of many winter recipes that will help you make the most of what you have been able to grow in your polytunnel throughout the year. Use your imagination and take inspiration from the ingredients you have to hand and you will be able to enjoy a whole raft of warming winter recipes.
