Try making this dish from a new cookbook created by residents of Castle Cary and Ansford

When the first lockdown began in Castle Cary and Ansford, more than 100 volunteers set themselves up to offer support, shop and do medicine deliveries for members of the community who were self-isolating or shielding. They also joined together with resident Karin Hurd to create a cookbook The Cooking Pot.

Here is one of the recipes from the book from Luke and Jackie Doig of Home Café. They moved into Home Café in February 2018, offering seasonally-inspired dishes in a homely atmosphere. Two years later they were facing lockdown and had to close the doors. They set up a takeaway menu which many people even enjoyed sharing on Zoom suppers, thanks to Luke’s rapid delivery service around the town. His West African Peanut and Spinach Soup is perfect for winter days.

INGREDIENTS

To serve 4:

1tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves – chopped

2 medium onions – chopped

1 inch piece of ginger – peeled and chopped

Salt to taste

1tsp dried chilli flakes

1 litre vegetable stock

2 medium sweet potatoes – peeled and chopped

150ml cream

250g baby spinach

2tbsp peanut butter

2tbsp fresh coriander - chopped

METHOD:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the garlic, onion & ginger and a pinch of salt.

2. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are soft.

3. Sprinkle over the chilli flakes and stir for one minute, then add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.

4. Add the sweet potatoes and cook until soft. Add the cream and bring back to the boil.

5. Turn off the heat and stir in the baby spinach.

6. Leave to stand for 3 minutes, then add the peanut butter and blend the soup in a liquidiser.

7. Serve with the chopped coriander.

READ MORE: Try our Christmas pavlova recipe

For more about the cookbook and another great recipe see the January edition of Somerset Life.