A year in a cottage kitchen
- Guest Writer
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Words by Madeleine Olivia | Images by Ali Green
My Life in Cornwall.
Looking out the window, I saw hedgerow after hedgerow pass as the roads got narrower and the sun began to set. After a long journey from Surrey, we crossed a small bridge over a river and climbed a winding hill that reached an old farmhouse on the edge of Bodmin Moor. I was just three years old when my parents decided to move to Cornwall, and it has been my home ever since. I’ve lived in Scotland and Brighton, travelled the world, and yet there is nowhere else that I love more than this county. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve moved further into the depths of Cornwall, where the two coastlines narrow closer to one another. Where farmland, moorland, woodland and white sandy beaches are abundant. In spring the granite hedgerows explode into multicoloured displays of wild flowers, while the sun of high summer reflects on the aqua blue waters of small coastal villages. Wild mushrooms pop up their heads in ancient woodlands in autumn as the leaves fall to create carpets of red and orange. The rugged coastlines are beaten by crashing waves in winter, as the crowds disperse and the locals cosy up next to a fire in an old pub.
As I write this, I look out of the window to rainy late spring showers, the wisteria hanging down and the green bushy trees swaying in the wind. Just 15 minutes away is the north and south coasts, home to the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen in my life. Crystal clear shorelines, long stretches of beautiful white sand and dramatic rock formations that never fail to take my breath away. This is my home. We moved to our 200-year-old Georgian farmhouse a few years ago: after deciding West Cornwall was where we wanted to settle. This home was something I had always dreamed of: a huge wisteria growing up the back of the cottage, an old-world kitchen complete with exposed beams, granite surround fireplace and Aga range, and cosy rooms that we could make our own. We have renovated and redecorated throughout to bring life and colour into the cottage, starting with my sanctuary: the kitchen. This is where I created all the recipes in this book, filmed every one of my videos, shared meals with my nearest and dearest, and spent countless mornings enjoying my coffee. A forever home that feels like an extension of our family.
We felt the pull to return to Cornwall after a trip to the other side of the world and a short stint in Brighton, to slow down our pace of life. The feeling of being cut off from the world is one I quite like; where the distractions and conveniences of modern life don’t quite reach the depths of this part of the country. While I live a lot of my life online, trying to keep up with the fast-paced nature of social media and algorithms, I can switch off at weekends to potter around the garden and buy second hand trinkets from the local car boot sales (swap meets). I wouldn’t change a thing and I invite you in to share a slice of Cornwall in my cottage kitchen for a moment of quiet among the chaos.
Stuffed Chard Rainbow Rolls with Peanut Dip
I brought these back into my kitchen after eating vegetarian summer rolls when I visited Southeast Asia. They are packed with crisp spring vegetables, wrapped in delicate rice paper and dipped in a creamy tangy peanut sauce.
MAKES 8–10 ROLLS
Preparation time: 20 - 25 minutes
Total time: 20 - 25 minutes
Ingredients
For the Rice Paper Rolls
8–10 rice paper rolls
1 bunch of rainbow chard
1 medium beetroot (beet), peeled and finely grated
1 carrot, thinly sliced
4 spring onions (scallions), halved and cut into strips
Large bunch of mint
Large bunch of coriander (cilantro) leaves, stems removed
For the Peanut and Coconut Dipping Sauce
100 g (3½ oz) vegan coconut yoghurt
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Juice of ½ lime
3–6 tablespoons warm water
Drizzle of chilli oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Whisk all the dipping sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Add a little hot water if it needs it to loosened or thinned. Set aside.
Heat a large saucepan of water until warm. The pan needs to be big enough to submerge the rice paper rolls. Submerge a rice paper roll into the warm water for 10–20 seconds to soften, making note of the smooth side (this is the outside of the roll). Don’t allow it to become too soft as they will be too fragile to roll.
Place the rice paper roll on a slightly damp wooden chopping board and in the centre add your fillings: chard, beetroot, carrot, spring onions, mint and coriander. Fold the bottom over the fillings, gently roll over once, then fold over the sides and finish by rolling over to seal. Set aside and repeat with the remaining rice paper rolls to make 8–10 rolls. Serve straight away with the dipping sauce!
The first time you do this, it may take a couple of rolls to get the knack! If you have rolled a burrito before it is similar. To make them easier to roll and seal just make sure not to under- or overfill them.
Tofu, Coconut and Purple Sprouting Broccoli Curry
Gently spiced and fragrant, this curry is rich, creamy and refreshingly light. Purple sprouting broccoli is the perfect addition for the cusp of spring. I enjoy a tofu curry most weeks, and for this one, the homemade curry paste can easily be made in batches, stored and used again for another quick and easy dinner.
SERVES 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 25 - 30 minutes
Total time: 30 - 35 minutes
Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
400 ml (14 fl oz) tin coconut milk
400 ml (14 fl oz) tin chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons tomato purée (paste)
1 block of extra firm tofu, pressed, drained and cubed
250 g (9 oz) purple sprouting broccoli, cut into
large florets
Chopped coriander (cilantro), for sprinkling
Rice and/or Naan, to serve
For the Curry Paste
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds thumb of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, outer skin and tough ends removed, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 shallot, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon turmeric
Zest and juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Bunch of coriander (cilantro), including the stalks
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Start by making the curry paste. Lightly toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan for 2 minutes. Add them to a food processor with the remaining paste ingredients and blend to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Fry the onion in a large pan for 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the curry paste and fry for 2 minutes, or until fragrant. You can add all the paste for a spicier curry, or reduce the amount to half depending on your spice preference.
Pour in the coconut milk, chopped tomatoes, sugar and tomato purée and bring to the boil. Add the tofu and stir everything through the sauce. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5–10 minutes until the sauce has thickened a little. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, add the purple sprouting broccoli to a separate pan and cover with boiling water. Simmer for 2 minutes, or until softened, then drain. Sprinkle with a little salt and set aside.
Serve the curry with steamed rice, topped with the broccoli and a sprinkling of coriander. Enjoy with a side of naan, if liked.
Store any extra curry paste in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. If you want to make extra for another curry, simply double up the ingredients and freeze the paste. For crispy tofu, you can fry this separately in oil and season, then stir through once the sauce has thickened.
Saffron Buns
Saffron buns are a cherished Cornish classic. Delicate, buttery and sweet, infused with aromatic saffron, I remember loving these when I was growing up. There is also a cake version.
MAKES 8–10 ROLLS
Ingredients
Very good pinch of saffron threads (about 5 g/¼ oz)
300 ml (10 fl oz/1¼ cups) oat milk
140 g (5 oz) vegan butter
500 g (1 lb 2 oz/4 cups) strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
7g (¼ oz) sachet of fast-action dried yeast
1 teaspoon salt
50 g (1¾ oz/¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
100 g (3½ oz/generous ¾ cup) sultanas (golden raisins) or raisins
For the Glaze
50 g (1¾ oz/¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
3 tablespoons water
Method
Heat the milk in a saucepan to almost boiling point. Remove from the heat. Crumble the saffron threads between your fingers over the pan and stir through. Add the butter and stir until melted, then leave to infuse for 15–20 minutes.
If using a stand mixer, add the flour, cinnamon, yeast, salt (keeping the salt separate from the yeast) and sugar to the mixer fitted with a dough hook and pour in the saffron-infused milk. Mix slowly and knead for about 5 minutes.
If kneading by hand, in a large bowl, add the flour, cinnamon, yeast, salt (keeping it separate from the yeast) and sugar. Make a well in the centre and pour in the saffron-infused milk. Stir to combine, then turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5–7 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic.
Add the sultanas and knead for a few more minutes until the dough is springy (it should bounce back when pressed).
Cover the bowl with a damp tea (dish) towel and leave the dough to rise in a warm spot for 45–60 minutes until doubled in size. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.
Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, then knock back (taking the air out of the dough) and knead for 1 minute.
Cut the dough into 8–12 pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece into a ball. Fold the outside of the dough into the middle, rotate and repeat until you have formed a tight ball. Arrange the dough balls on the lined baking sheet, leaving enough space between each bun, then cover and leave in a warm spot to prove for a further 30 minutes, or until risen.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C fan (425°F).
Bake the risen buns for 18–20 minutes until beautifully golden.
Meanwhile, make the glaze. Bring the sugar and water to the boil in a pan for about 1 minute to dissolve the sugar. When the buns are ready, remove them from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Brush the glaze over the top of each bun straight away.
