The recipes
Homemade favorites from local restaurants, cafes and families, each one made with the seeds you've grown.
January · Radish
Toast the bread until it's crisp.
Spread each slice with butter, then a thick layer of cream cheese.
Slice the radishes thinly with a sharp knife and fan them over the cream cheese.
Finish with a pinch of salt and pepper and eat straight away.
February · Coriander
Mix the mince, onion, flour, egg, chutney, cumin and half the coriander with a good pinch of salt.
Roll into about 16 small meatballs — wet hands stop them sticking.
Fry in a hot, oiled pan for 8–10 minutes, turning often, until browned and cooked through.
Scatter over the remaining coriander and serve with rice or warm naan.
March · Broccoli
Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the pack says, then drain, saving the cooking water.
Boil the broccoli for 5–6 minutes until just tender.
Melt the butter with the mustard and milk, then melt in the cheese to a smooth sauce.
Stir in the pasta, broccoli and a splash of cooking water; simmer until glossy, then season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
April · Tomatoes
From Sotto
Sometimes it's easy to forget what a good Tomato in season truly tastes like! I would keep it simple and let the flavour shine, this is a dish we have featured regularly on our summer menus since opening and it's gone down really well. It's a celebration of seasonal ingredients and the beauty of letting great produce speak for itself.
And never put your tomatoes in the fridge!!
Wash the tomatoes and cut them into random sized chunks.
Slice the peaches into wedges, removing the stones.
Mix the tomatoes with the peaches, olive oil and vinegar, and arrange on a plate.
Tear the burrata gently and place over the fruit and tomatoes.
Scatter over the fresh basil leaves.
Drizzle generously with more extra virgin olive oil.
Finish with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
May · Peas
Sweat the onion in the butter gently, without browning.
Add the potato, ham and stock and simmer for 15 minutes, until the potato is soft.
Stir in the peas and heat through for 3 minutes.
Blend until smooth, loosen with a splash of milk and serve with buttered toast.
June · Chives
Melt the butter in a pan and soften the onion for about 8 minutes, without browning.
Add the potatoes and stock, then simmer for 20 minutes until the potato is completely soft.
Blitz until smooth, then stir in the crème fraîche and most of the chives.
Season well, pour into bowls and scatter over the last of the chives.
July · Mint
Dissolve the sugar in the boiling water and leave it to cool.
Chop the mint finely, or blitz it for a smoother sauce, and spoon it into a clean jar.
Pour over the sugared water and vinegar, stir well and leave 20 minutes before serving.
Keeps a week in the fridge — good with lamb, roast potatoes and cheese on toast.
August · Lettuce
Toast the bread crumbs in a dry pan, shaking often, until golden and crisp.
Mash the garlic and anchovies to a paste, then whisk with mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon juice and olive oil.
Toss the torn lettuce through the dressing until well coated.
Top with the crumbs and parmesan and serve straight away.
September · Basil
From Sotto
A classic from Liguria, Northern Italy. In summer, you can add wild garlic which you can forage locally. When mixing pesto with pasta, always reserve a little pasta cooking water. Stirring a splash through the pesto helps create a silky sauce that coats every piece of pasta beautifully. Avoid heating pesto directly in a pan, as this can dull the fresh basil flavour.
Gently toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until lightly golden, then leave to cool.
Add the garlic and a pinch of salt to a mortar and pestle and crush into a paste.
Add the basil leaves gradually, gently crushing rather than aggressively grinding them.
Add the pine nuts and continue to work into a coarse paste.
Stir in the grated Parmesan and Pecorino.
Slowly incorporate the olive oil until you have a beautifully vibrant, spoonable pesto.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
October · Thyme
From a local Edinburgh mum
Cream the butter in an electric mixer for 1 minute until smooth.
Add the Parmesan, thyme, salt and pepper on low speed and mix together.
Gradually add the flour and mix until the mixture forms large crumbles, about 1 minute. Add 1 teaspoon of water if too dry.
Tip the dough onto a floured board, press into a ball and roll into a 9-inch log.
Wrap the log in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 days).
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Cut the log into ⅜-inch-thick rounds and arrange on the baking tray.
Bake for 22 minutes until very lightly browned, rotating the tray halfway through.
Allow to cool and serve at room temperature.
November · Pak Choi
Heat a splash of oil in a large pan or wok until very hot.
Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 30 seconds, until it smells wonderful.
Add the chicken, prawns or tofu and the carrots, and fry for 5 minutes until cooked.
Toss in the pak choi and sweetcorn and fry 2–3 minutes until just wilted, then stir through the soy, honey and sesame oil. Serve over rice or noodles.
December · Watercress
Cook the pasta in well-salted water for 1 minute less than the pack says, then save a mugful of the water before draining.
Melt the butter in the same pan, add the garlic and lemon zest and fry for a minute until it smells good.
Toss in the watercress and cook for 2 minutes, until just wilted.
Return the pasta with the lemon juice and a splash of the cooking water, add the parmesan and toss until glossy. Season and serve.
