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Peas, bean & pulses week

w/c monday 9 November 2020

This week is all about legumes (or peas, beans and pulses). Not only are they important sources of protein, dietary fibre, carbs and minerals, but eaten regularly, they are also really good for you and, very importantly, they taste delicious.

Soup: (£5.50)

(1) Meera Sodha’s Daily Dal

(2) Ottolenghi’s curried lentil, tomato & coconut soup

Salads: (£6.50 large/4.50 small)

(1) Green beans, mange tout & baby potatoes with salsa verde

(2) Puy lentils with peas, broad beans & artichokes

Tart:  (£16 whole/£9 half) Butternut squash, sage & hazelnut

Supper:  (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more) Spinach, tomato & chickpea curry

Pie:  (£6.50 per individual pie) cauliflower, cashew, coconut & pea curry

Energy bars (£1.50 each)

Granola (£5.50 for 350g)

Please order in your usual way by 8pm on Tuesday 10th.  Everything will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 12th or on Friday 13th.  Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 13th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

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Thailand revisited (I wish)

w/c Monday 12/10/20

Just Add Parsley (and apprentices) on tour! Lottie, Nelly and I were hard at work in these pictures on a very hot, sticky afternoon (hence the dreadful hair!!) preparing a delicious supper of fresh sweetcorn, pineapples, various gourds and nutritious energy balls for the hungry Elephants at Elephant Hills in Khlong Sok. Not quite the same as preparing my usual Thai menu but a lovely memory all the same.

It seems a long time ago and it feels like it will be an even longer time before we can travel again to exotic climes to enjoy amazing experiences and make life long memories. So, for now, we shall have to satisfy ourselves with evoking those memories through the exciting, spicy, salty, sweet & sour flavours of the Thai food we enjoyed on our trip. My menu this week aims to do just that.

Soup: (£5.50) Tom Yam Goong (a spicy/sour prawn soup)

Salads: (£6.50 large/4.50 small)

(1) Spicy noodle salad (add chicken for £1.50/£1)

(2) Som Tam (I can’t quite justify the food miles involved in flying in green papaya in from Thailand for this recipe so I’m going to take the advice in an article I found in The Guardian on “How to make the perfect som tam” and substitute crunchy cabbage and deseeded cucumber for the crunch of green papaya. The key is in the dressing which will be the authentic blend of garlic, chilli, fish sauce, lime juice and dried shrimp).

Tart:  (£16 whole/£9 half) Salmon & ginger with coconut, chilli & lime.

Supper:  (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more) Chicken (or vegetarian if you prefer) massaman curry from the south of Thailand. A rich, aromatic, mild (by Thai standards) curry which was brought to Thailand by the malay traders in the 17th Century (which explains why it often also appears on Malaysian menus, including mine!).

Pie:  (£6.50 per individual pie) Green Thai chicken curry

Energy bars (£1.50 each)

Please order in your usual way by 8pm on Tuesday 13th.  Everything will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 15th or on Friday 16th.  Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 16th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

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Autumn Feast

w/c monday 28 September 2020

This weekend I walked through the lanes and across fields on the outskirts of our village with our slightly daft, 14 month old labrador, Daphne. It was freezing cold, blowing a gale and raining at times. Not my favourite conditions! I am definitely a fair weather dog walker by preference and I have been thoroughly spoilt by the long, warm, sunny days of the seemingly endless summer of lockdown (and by having my husband at home who has done more than his fair share of the wet & wild walks) so it was quite a shock to the system (and a wake up call that Autumn has firmly taken hold).

But, Autumn has its benefits. Apples, blackberries and damsons to name but 3. Our apple trees produced an entire car boot full of enormous apples this year. Some must have been half a kilo each! Most have gone off to be juiced but I have saved a tray or 2 for cooking. Some will become chutney, some will be stewed for pies and my granola and I have decided to include some in this week’s menu.

Our 2 hedgerow damson trees have also excelled themselves this year. I have never seen so many damsons. Enough to make 33 jars of damson jelly, 22 jars of damson cheese (my new absolute favourite accompaniment for a home baked ham & cheese platter), 5 tubs of compote to serve with yoghurt & granola or to make into desserts) and I have 3 litres of damson gin and an experimental litre of damson vanilla vodka infusing away slowly in my barn store. I am now well and truly “over” damsons!

I haven’t picked any blackberries yet but I will go back this week to pick some for this week’s menu. Even in the gloom of my weekend battle against the elements, they looked deliciously ripe and juicy. Daphne absolutely loved them too so I used them as treats to encourage good behaviour.

So with all this nature’s bounty in my mind, even though today is a much nicer day, I was drawn to an Autumnal menu for this week.

Soup: (£5.50) Creamy leek & potato with thyme

Salads: (£6.50 large/4.50 small)

(1) Leon “snip-it” autumn salad of shaved parsnips, leeks, apple, walnuts, chives & watercress in yoghurt, maple syrup, walnut oil, cinnamon & cumin dressing

(2) Tabblouleh – a bulgur wheat salad packed full of herbs (including the last of the mint from my herb garden), Green Tye tomatoes, spring onions & lemon

Tart:  (£16 whole/£9 half) the ever popular Ottolenghi sweet potato, goat’s cheese, pumpkin seeds and chilli tart

Supper:  (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more) Baked butcher’s sausages, apples & blackberries with mustard and maple syrup.

Pie:  (£6.50 per individual pie) Vegetable Harira – Moroccan spiced lentils, chick peas and loads of vegetables including sweet potatoes, tomatoes & carrots.

Energy bars (£1.50 each)

Redcurrant Jelly, Damson Jelly and Damson Cheese (all £7 per jar)

Please order in your usual way by 8pm on Tuesday 29th.  Everything will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 1 October or on Friday 2nd.  Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 2nd.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

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Simply delicious

monday 21 September 2020

This week I have a hankering for light, fresh, slightly spicy, simply delicious food. Maybe it’s the glorious sunshine? Whatever, the reason, I was inspired to offer a couple of firm favourites (which absolutely fit the brief but which I haven’t made for a while) with some new dishes along this theme. I hope you will find something to whet your appetite and inspire you too.

Soup: (£5.50) Prawn Tom Yum

Salads: (£6.50 large/4.50 small)
(1) Slow roasted tomatoes, chickpeas, halloumi & french beans
(2) Crunchy Thai salad with peanuts.


Tart: (£16 whole/£9 half) Hot smoked salmon with lemon & mustard crème fraîche and watercress.

Supper: (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more) Teriyaki (pork or salmon fillets) with udon noodles & broth.


Pie: (£6.50 per individual pie) Artichoke, spinach & mature cheddar.


Energy bars (£1.50 each)

Please order in your usual way by 5pm on Tuesday 22nd. Everything will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 24th or on Friday 25th. Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 25th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

Have a good week.









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An eclectic menu

w/c Monday 14 September 2020

When I was planning my menu this week I spent quite some time thinking about a theme or a style of food and nothing seemed quite right which is when I decided to choose dishes which I would really like to cook and eat this week. So here we are, eclectic but nonetheless delicious.

Soup: Curried lentil, tomato & coconut (£5.50)

Salads: (£4.50 (small)/£6.50 large)
(1) Green beans & mange tout with homegrown baby potatoes & salsa verde (with/without bacon)
(2) Late summer waldorf with pecan nuts, homegrown pears, celery & stilton

Tart: (£16 whole/£9 half) Beetroot, walnut & blue cheese

Supper: (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more)
(1) Baked peppers stuffed with goat’s cheese, ricotta, artichokes, pine nuts & basil
(2) Chicken with chickpeas tomato & chorizo

Pie: (£6.50 per individual pie)
(1) Mushroom with thyme, walnuts & paprika
(2) Chicken with tarragon in cider & creme fraiche

Energy bars (£1.50 each)

Please order in your usual way by 5pm on Tuesday 15th September. Everything will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 17th or Friday 18th September. Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 18th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

Have a good week.

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Indian summer week

w/c Monday 7 September 2020

I’ve seen reports that we’re going to see a little bit more sunshine this week so, ever hopeful, I thought maybe an Indian Summer themed week might be in order (I also quite fancied cooking curries too). So my menu for this week, is:

Soup: (£5.50) Daily Dal

Salads: (£6.50 large/4.50 small)
(1) Paneeer, mango & tamarind
(2) Cauliflower & pomegranate chaat

Supper: (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 and £5 ph for more)
(1) Cauliflower, cashew, coconut & pea curry
(2) Coriander chutney chicken curry

Tart: (£16 whole/£9 half) Slow cooked red pepper & paneer

Pie (New this week): £6.50 per individual pie)
(1) Pistachio & yoghurt chicken curry
(2) Spinach , tomato & chick pea curry

Baked Onion Bhajis (£1 each), of course.

Please order in your usual way by 5pm on Tuesday 8th September for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 10 September or Friday 11 September. Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on Friday 11th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time or ordering.

Have a good week.

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Exciting news from the Just Add Parsley kitchen!

It’s good to be back in the kitchen after what feels like an eternity.

Since my last weekly menu quite a lot has happened in the Just Add Parsley kitchen. I have had the pleasure of providing afternoon tea for a baby shower, 10 different flavours of ice cream and an array of tarts for a family 70th birthday party, brunch for a girls’ weekend, “back to school” energy bar & treat stashes and a variety of dishes for various clients to take away with them on their staycations. I am always delighted to provide ideas and menus for bespoke events and occasions such as these.

As well as cooking, I’ve also been innovating and developing new menu ideas for every day and for special occasions.

To this end, coming soon will be sumptuous and delicious Just Add Parsley graze platters; jam packed with lavish, carefully selected & locally sourced ingredients from artisan cheeses, charcuterie and antipasti to homemade dips and chutneys for a lavish lunch/evening “choosing” meal.

Alternatively you could opt for the brunch platter which comes with homemade pancakes, waffles, fruit compote and granola together with organic fresh fruit, artisan breads and pastries.

Watch this space for the launch of this exciting new range.

But for now, pies.

Each week I will be including 2 pie options within my weekly menu. One meat/fish pie and one vegetarian for £6.50 each. As you would expect, Just Add Parsley pies are all packed to the brim with a varied range of delicious fillings from traditional steak & ale, chicken, tarragon & leek or mushroom & thyme to the more adventurous spiced lentil and spinach, squash & sage or moroccan spiced lamb.

I can’t wait to get started and to hearing from you!

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Just Add Parsley is back….

Staycation over, children back in school, AGA serviced and professionally cleaned, time to get back in the kitchen.

Look out for tomorrow’s post with this week’s menu. I have some exciting ideas to share with you…..

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Summer picnic week

w/c Monday 6 July 2020


Last week of term in our family this week so, even though the sun seems to have disappeared for now, I am looking forward to the summer holidays and maybe a bit more time to enjoy a picnic in the garden (or even the park!).

We’ve also been fruit picking in our kitchen garden and already I have made 42 (yes, 42!) jars of redcurrant jelly (and I’m only half way there!).

I have also used the blackcurrants, white currants, raspberries, loganberries & tayberries to make a delicious and zingy fruit compote which is amazing with yoghurt and granola for a luxurious breakfast or cream & meringue as an indulgent dessert.

So with all this in mind, this week’s menu is a little different. No soup this week because you wouldn’t really take soup on a picnic.

Salads: (£6.60/4.50)
(1) Tuna Niçoise – a classic and a meal in itself;
(2) Caprèse – simply delicious combination of Green Tye tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and home grown basil; and
(3) a zingy salad of baby new potatoes, soured cream, orange & lemon zest, capers, gherkins and mustard.

Sausage Rolls: (£3 each) you can’t have a picnic without homemade sausage rolls!

Main course: (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 and £5 ph for more) chicken breast or salmon fillet marinated in homemade sweet chilli jam, cooked sous vide and served with a salad of pink grapefruit, avocado, cashew nuts, leaves and a harissa dressing..

Quiche: (£25 (serves 6), individual quiche £5)
(1) bacon & mature cheddar
(2) smoked haddock, home grown spinach and gruyère.

Ice creams/sorbets: (£10 per 750ml tub)
Strawberries & cream ice cream
Pimms sorbet (with orange, cucumber & mint)
Frosé sorbet (rosé wine, strawberries and a hint of lemon)

Berry compote: (£7 per jar)
Redcurrant jelly: (£7 per jar)

Please order in your usual way by 5pm on Tuesday 7th July for collection or delivery on Thursday 9th July or Friday 3rd. Please note that deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the afternoon of Thursday 9th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

Have a good week.

By

Wimbledon week

w/c Monday 29 June 2020

Today should have been the start of the Wimbledon fortnight and Wednesday sees the start of National Ice Cream Month. It’s sad that there won’t be any tennis this year but what a happy and inspiring culinary coincidence! It will come as no surprise, therefore, I could not resist giving this week’s menu a Wimbledon picnic feel. Spot the strawberries!

Soup: Courgette & green herb (£5.50)

Salads: (£6.60/4.50)
(1) chicken garden salad with homemade elderflower dressing (a vibrant mix of radishes, sugar snaps, asparagus and little gem lettuce). Swap the chicken for halloumi if preferred;
(2) roasted Green Tye beef tomatoes stuffed with a summer risotto of beans, peas and courgettes); and
(3) Orzo, Green Tye tomatoes, olives and herbs..

Supper: (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 and £5 ph for more) oven roasted chicken with chorizo, chickpeas and tomatoes.

Tart: (£16/£9):
(1) Brie, courgette and red pepper
(2) Ricotta, lemon, spring onion, asparagus and courgette

Ice creams/sorbets: (£10 per 750ml tub)
Strawberries & cream ice cream
Pimms sorbet (with orange, cucumber & mint)
Frozé sorbet (rosé wine, strawberries and a hint of lemon)

Cheesecake: (£5 each) Individual strawberries & cream cheesecake jars

Honey & peanut butter energy bars (£1.50 each)

Please order in your usual way by 5pm on Tuesday 30th June for collection or delivery on Thursday 2nd July or Friday 3rd. Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 3rd.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

Have a good week.