Exciting reminder: every month I have an exclusive giveaway for my lovely paid subscribers! Past competitions have included my books, cooking pans, other books and cookbooks I love, and green beauty products.
Also, paid subscribers, it’s been lovely to see so many of you enjoying last week’s banana chai flapjack recipe. Keep your eyes peeled for another brand new, exclusive recipe coming your way next week.
Olive oil is at the heart of many of my favourite recipes: salads, traybakes, soups, stews, dips, the recipe below for cabbage, bean & tomato stew, everything really. I like to save the very best bottles for finishing: you can’t beat a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil as the final flourish! One of my favourite producers is Two Fields, who make limited batches of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil from Zakros, Greece. They are kindly giving away 3x one year subscriptions (2 bottles delivered every 3 months, for one year) to 3 of my cherished paid subscribers.
To be in with a chance of winning a year’s supply of this amazing olive oil, join my community of paid subscribers. Once you become a paid subscriber or if you are already one - hello, welcome and thank you! - you are automatically entered into the competition, there is no need to do anything.
Competition closes on 8th October (ie at the end of this week). Shipping within the UK only. Good luck!
Cabbage, bean and tomato stew
Feeds 4, takes 55 mins (lots of hands off time though!)
4 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Small bunch of thyme or oregano, leaves picked, or 1 tsp dried oregano (Two Fields oregano if you can get it!)
1 tsp fennel seeds
Pinch of chilli flakes
2 tbsp tomato puree
2x 400g tins of chopped tomato
500ml veg stock
2x 400g tins of your fave beans, drained and rinsed
½ head of savoy cabbage, shredded
Sea salt and pepper
To serve:
Your favourite hard cheese (plus the rind for the soup if possible)
Chilli flakes
Drizzle of olive oil
Heat the olive oil in a large pot and once warm add the onions, a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry for 12-15 minutes until soft, stirring every so often and turning down the heat if they are getting too much colour. Add the garlic, herbs, fennel seeds and chilli flakes, fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring fairly continuously. Add the tomato puree and fry for a couple of minutes until brick red then add the tinned tomato (swill out the tins with a little water to get every last bit out) and cheese rind if you have one. Bring up to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the stock and beans, simmer for a further 10 minutes then finally add the cabbage for another 5 minutes or so until wilted and tender. Taste for seasoning then ladle into bowls, topping with cheese, chilli flakes and a drizzle of olive oil.