What a lovely and inspirational article and recipe. I have sweet cecily in my herb garden and it’s gorgeously pretty, but I haven’t cooked with it yet. Now I know what to do with it - thank you!
This! : “Its slightly aniseedy flavour also makes it very good with seafood. Try it, too, in egg dishes such as an Omelette aux Fines Herbes, or in a yoghurty sauce to dress a cucumber salad.”
Should you ever find yourself in Bristol or Cardiff, restaurant Bar 44's tortilla is really very wonderful. Owen and his team have been refining and re-testing the recipe every year. It's available at a steal (and geographically closer than wonderful Rachel's!).
I think I have almost all the ingredients for this recipe. We are swimming in eggs thanks to our hens, I have so many babbingtons in place of spring onions but also plenty of Welsh onions and our monthly farmers market is this weekend for the asparagus.
With the sweet cicely, have you ever tried saving the seeds for the kitchen in the same way as fennel? Can you grind them to impart some of their properties in the dark part of the year? I do love the green seeds, they are my garden sweets.
Sweet cicely is on my to grow list, but hasn't made it to the garden yet, whether it will survive in my extreemly wet Devon garden is another matter, but I shall certainly try.
Looking into it... I'm not sure anyone's actually seen a fennel and dill cross. I think it may well be apocryphal. Which is a polite way of saying bollocks.
Must be a week for Venn diagrams. And I really out to do something about Sweet Cicely (does it hybridise with fennel and dill? Or Dennel and Phil, as I like to call them?)
I don't know whether its ok to say this, but I'm loving the rain at the minute. Admittedly here it is more April showers, a short sharp burst and then a bit of sun. But I am quite enjoying it. What is the history of asparagus? It makes me sad that it has very little acquaintances, does it exude something that makes it less friendly and more prone to growing on its own?
well, that's timely - I am working out my raised bed plans and I now know I don't need an asparagus bed. Its rubbish dropping from having a few acres to a normal garden sometimes.
Sweet Cicely is added to the plans though... I didn't know it grew that tall
Before I have even read this I am well into that pan ! I could see myself wafting around the kitchen shouting ‘eh lad, fancy a tortilla?’ … husband would be going ‘yer-what?’.
What a lovely and inspirational article and recipe. I have sweet cecily in my herb garden and it’s gorgeously pretty, but I haven’t cooked with it yet. Now I know what to do with it - thank you!
This! : “Its slightly aniseedy flavour also makes it very good with seafood. Try it, too, in egg dishes such as an Omelette aux Fines Herbes, or in a yoghurty sauce to dress a cucumber salad.”
This has made me realise my sweet cicely plant has faded away! Must replace. Bad gardening skills, probably.
Should you ever find yourself in Bristol or Cardiff, restaurant Bar 44's tortilla is really very wonderful. Owen and his team have been refining and re-testing the recipe every year. It's available at a steal (and geographically closer than wonderful Rachel's!).
I think I have almost all the ingredients for this recipe. We are swimming in eggs thanks to our hens, I have so many babbingtons in place of spring onions but also plenty of Welsh onions and our monthly farmers market is this weekend for the asparagus.
With the sweet cicely, have you ever tried saving the seeds for the kitchen in the same way as fennel? Can you grind them to impart some of their properties in the dark part of the year? I do love the green seeds, they are my garden sweets.
This looks like a lovely dish.
Sweet cicely is on my to grow list, but hasn't made it to the garden yet, whether it will survive in my extreemly wet Devon garden is another matter, but I shall certainly try.
Asparagus happens to be my favourite vegetable too Mark. I love the idea combining it with Sweet Cicely, which I now have to buy seeds for!
Looking into it... I'm not sure anyone's actually seen a fennel and dill cross. I think it may well be apocryphal. Which is a polite way of saying bollocks.
Must be a week for Venn diagrams. And I really out to do something about Sweet Cicely (does it hybridise with fennel and dill? Or Dennel and Phil, as I like to call them?)
def need to have a larger patch of sweet cicely
I don't know whether its ok to say this, but I'm loving the rain at the minute. Admittedly here it is more April showers, a short sharp burst and then a bit of sun. But I am quite enjoying it. What is the history of asparagus? It makes me sad that it has very little acquaintances, does it exude something that makes it less friendly and more prone to growing on its own?
well, that's timely - I am working out my raised bed plans and I now know I don't need an asparagus bed. Its rubbish dropping from having a few acres to a normal garden sometimes.
Sweet Cicely is added to the plans though... I didn't know it grew that tall
I'm mourning the probable demise of my sweet cicely. I'm assuming if it's not put its head above ground by now, that's it.
Before I have even read this I am well into that pan ! I could see myself wafting around the kitchen shouting ‘eh lad, fancy a tortilla?’ … husband would be going ‘yer-what?’.
What a delicious thing to read during what seems like endless rain here, too. Thanks!
Love the catalyst thought for sweet cecily - grows everywhere and never knew what to do with it - now I know: give it a friend!