Winter

Steaming broth brings instant comfort to the airways, while quality chicken broth is revered as an antiviral remedy to support the immune system around the world.

Make a big batch and package into jars or paper bags tied up with string for a wonderfully simple homemade gift.

An extract from Donna Hay’s book Basics to Brilliance using the basic Asian-style poached chicken recipe here.

There are recipes in this book that i love because they are interesting, there are those that I love for their simplicity, and there are those that I find myself making again and again. This is the latter, a great roast chicken, the heart of home cooking and one of life’s great pleasures. I relish the ritual, my family’s fight over the wings, the secret chef ’s treats of the oysters, the leftover sandwiches and bubbling stocks. There is no meal that makes me feel more at home. In my mind, there are three keys to a good roast chicken . . . juicy meat, brown salty skin and most importantly a ton of sauce. And it’s the sauce of this chicken that really sets it apart: handfuls of tarragon, lashings of cream and a proper dollop of mustard, which when combined with the cooking juices, garlic and wine creates a truly epic mouthful.

Extracted from The Farm Table by Julius Roberts (Ebury Press, £27). Photography by Elena Heatherwick.

Nothing is more satisfying than a warming, nourishing bowl of broth on a winter’s day and this one is a celebration of winter vegetables from our organic market garden.

With a thick, lightly salted date caramel and a textured nutty base of almonds and ginger biscuits, this is the perfect festive treat.

Bold enough to be served as a standalone lunch or supper dish, this recipe is also a great accompaniment to roast chicken, pork or lamb.

This is the only carrot cake you need in your life! Layers of super soft cake are warmly (but not overly) spiced and studded with nuts, then coated in the dreamiest lemony cream cheese frosting.

Extracted from Even More Basics to Brilliance by Donna Hay (Fourth Estate, £28)

This simple nourishing broth is full of minerals. The natural sweetness of leek and carrot balances and rounds out the flavours.

Recipe from Simply Good For You by Amelia Freer.

"This is an ‘instant’ soup. Simply blend the raw ingredients together in a decent blender, and it’s ready. No cooking required."

This recipe is one we have served at Daylesford for many years, full of flavour and a firm favourite on our winter menus.

This is a dish that can be enjoyed year-round. Quick to make, it creates minimal need for washing up and delivers on flavour.

This high protein overnight oats recipe is a great start to the day and will leave you feeling fuller for longer.

This creamy tart balances sweet, mellow leeks with the punch of our semi-soft Adlestrop cheese and the decadence of truffles.

This recipe is inspired by a dish served in our cafés.

A light way to use up leftover turkey in the days after Christmas, a lovely combination of winter ingredients, it’s one of our favourites.

Recipe from From the Veg Patch by Kathy Slack.

“When I worked at Daylesford Organic Farm, the bakery made chocolate brownies that were out of this world. They were dark, fudgy and flecked with nuggets of white chocolate. I would buy one at the end of my shift in the kitchen garden, unable to resist tucking in straight away despite my mud-engrained fingers. They have been my brownie benchmark ever since, and so when I came to this recipe (beetroot and chocolate, after all, being a classic combination I could not omit), I knew mine too must be broodingly dark and have those signature morsels of solid chocolate hidden within. The result is a grown-up brownie, almost savoury, thanks to the beetroot and tahini. Good for dessert with a dollop of sour crème fraîche as contrast.”

Few sounds are more satisfying than a spoon cracking through the scorched golden top of a crème brûlée to reveal the creamiest vanilla custard core. This is one you need in your entertaining bag of tricks.

Extracted from Even More Basics to Brilliance by Donna Hay (Fourth Estate, £28)

This is one of those recipes my family just live off, a dish we return to again and again, at its heart deeply simple and uplifting. Velvety and voluptuous, this soup bubbles away like a cauldron of lava and is wonderfully nourishing. Seasoned with a little cider vinegar to brighten the earthy richness, it’s a dinner party classic I often serve as a starter because of its striking colour, but it’s equally at home eaten on your knees. I’ve given you three toppings that will bring this soup to life, so you can vary how you eat it depending on what you have to hand.

Extracted from The Farm Table by Julius Roberts (Ebury Press, £27). Photography by Elena Heatherwick.

This warming winter venison casserole celebrates our venison, farmed organically on our Staffordshire estate.

This dish is a celebration of the vegetables and salad leaves from our Market Garden that offer the most flavour and texture during the colder months. The recipe uses a number of different techniques, but you can make a pared down version if you prefer, or make larger batches of things like the pickled beetroot and crisp kale, so it's easier to assemble the salad next time.

This brie and celeriac tartiflette is a twist on the classic French dish and the perfect recipe to showcase our soft, creamy penyston.

Recipe from Simply Good For You by Amelia Freer.

This recipe makes biscuits that are perfect for hanging decorations or gingerbread houses. 

Ideal as a side or main dish, this versatile gratin is packed with flavour and can be prepared in advance. Simply omit the pancetta to make a vegetarian version.

This is an amalgamation of two classics: mayonnaise and salsa verde, the famous Italian green sauce, full of herbs with capers and anchovy.

Everyone’s favourite comfort dish, a good mashed potato is always a winner at supper time. 

This bright smoothie with blackberry, mint and honey is full of flavour and equipped with soothing and nourishing benefits.

There is something so lovely at this time of year about buying a big box of fragrant citrus fruit to make into marmalade.

With lemon, pistachio and spiced fruit.

With parmesan cheese & parsley oil.

Risotto is one of the most comforting foods, especially during colder months. It is worth sourcing the different mushrooms stipulated in this recipe so you get a variety of textures and flavours in every bite. The mushroom purée adds a velvety creaminess while the parsley oil lifts the dish and adds colour.

This recipe is inspired by a dish served in our cafés. Discover more seasonal recipes and cooking skills at our Cookery School.

This is a really indulgent recipe, perfect for Christmas Day and warming suppers on cold winter evenings. It’s also great for entertaining because you can prepare it in advance and simply popping in the oven to finish when your guests arrive.

These super fluffy no-knead flatbreads will change your mind about making bread at home. They're the ultimate minimum-fuss flex, perfect for dipping, mopping or ferrying those tasty toppings.

Extracted from Even More Basics to Brilliance by Donna Hay (Fourth Estate, £28)

Every Shrove Tuesday we think, why don’t we make pancakes more often? Loved by children and adults, this delicious recipe proves why.

Thoroughly warming and made with nature’s true superfoods, this is a dish packed with the benefits of lean venison and seasonal ingredients.

This slaw is a wonderful way to make use of seasonal winter vegetables, turning them into a colourful raw salad that is packed with nutritional value. We love to serve this as an accompaniment to festive platters of cold meat and baked potatoes. It is also a fantastic recipe to have up your sleeve when entertaining guests over Christmas as you can prepare it completely in advance.

If you can’t find candy or golden beetroot, traditional ruby red will work beautifully and do add your own favourite raw vegetables such as carrots or cabbage to make the recipe your own.

We love it as a weekend dish, cooked for brunch and served with delicious fresh cold-pressed juices.

With braised red onions, pickled chillies, rocket & yoghurt dressing.

This vibrant seasonal dish packs enough flavour to be served as a standalone dish, or would make a great accompaniment to roast chicken or lamb. The pickled chillies give a peppery heat to the dish, balanced by the yogurt dressing.

This recipe is inspired by a dish served in our cafés. Discover more seasonal recipes and cooking skills at our Cookery School.

A guest recipe by Thomasina Miers.

We like to serve these baked plums with organic yoghurt and local honey for breakfast or a light dessert. They also make a delicious accompaniment to lean venison or seasonal game – spoon the juices through rich gravy for a little sweetness and colour.

Try alongside our recipe for Loin of Venison with Celeriac Purée.

This traditional recipe makes the most of our organic lamb or mutton and is a wonderful family meal.

The abundance of the festive period can lead to unnecessary waste, so mastering the art of making leftovers sing is a worthwhile skill.

Recipe from Basics to Brilliance by Donna Hay.

Once you have made this recipe, try it in Donna’s Feel-Good Chicken Soup.

A recipe from our tutors at the Cookery School to celebrate the seasons throughout the year.

The scone-like topping works just as well with stewed cinnamon pears in winter or ripe stone fruit in summer. In the autumn months, chopped apples and blackberries are lovely and you could even swap the almonds for seasonal cobnuts.

A delicious, hydrating and nourishing non-alcoholic drink created by our resident nutritionist Rhaya Jordan. Originally a way to preserve ripe fruit, the traditional recipe simply muddles together equal parts of fruit, sugar and vinegar (choose a live vinegar for gut-friendly probiotics) to create a thick syrup that can be diluted with still or sparkling water. Shrubs are also a wonderful way of avoiding waste and using up scraps such as citrus peels and overripe fruit. 

Laced with raw sprouts, herbs and spices, this leftover turkey salad is
perfect for feeding a crowd over the festive season.