Recipes and notes from Charlie Hibbert, Chef Director at Thyme: a pastoral idyll which offers a place to pause for thought in harmony with the seasons. A bucolic retreat of rooms, luxury and rest, Thyme provides a range of workshops, treatments, events, and some of the most delicious, locally sourced food in the county at the Ox Barn.
Charlie’s Jersey Royal potato and roasted radish salad
As strange as it may sound, one of the main things I look forward to in spring is the arrival of Jersey Royals. Muddy as a hippo’s lair; wash them off, boil or steam, serve with lashings of salty butter and pepper or put them into a salad like the one below. They’re packed with a distinctive nutty flavour and an absolute joy to the tastebuds. At Thyme, we’re lucky enough to have polytunnels with early season radishes and if you’ve never roasted a radish, now is the time to try. It’s surprisingly delicious. This salad can be made in advance – actually, it gets a bit better with time, because the onions have time to mellow a little.
Serves 2 for a light lunch or 4 as a side
Ingredients:
- 200g radishes
- 300g Jersey Royal potatoes (or you could use Pink Fir)
- 100ml full fat Greek or unset natural yoghurt
- 30ml olive oil
- 4 spring onions
- 1 medium bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- Salt & pepper
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (normal) | 160°C (fan) | gas mark 4.
- Cover the new potatoes in water, season with salt and bring them to the boil over a medium heat. Cook for 20 minutes or until they are soft.
- In the meantime, prepare the radishes by washing and cutting them into quarters. Keep some of the smaller, more delicate leaves if they are fresh. Dress radishes in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put them in the oven and cook them for 15-20 minutes, until roasted and jewel like.
- Thinly slice the spring onions and put all but a handful into the yoghurt with most of the parsley. Stir in the oil to make a dressing, then use this to coat the radishes and potatoes.
- Stir in some of the small leaves and scatter over with the remaining parsley. Finally, drizzle with a little extra olive oil and serve.
Thyme’s Happenings by Milly Hibbert
Appreciating the soft rays of sunshine, dappled light bouncing off the honey hued Cotswold stone and the calming reassurance that brighter days are here to stay. April is a transformative month where the gardens have woken, and spring is very much in the air. We welcome the arrival of warmer weather with the re-opening of our spring water swimming pool and poolside restaurant, The Orchid House. Serving light bites, nourishing salads, fresh juices and refreshing spritzers, it’s the perfect antidote to an invigorating morning dip.
We are also celebrating Easter at Thyme, serving an exquisite seasonal menu in the Ox Barn. With a nod to tradition, Charlie’s dishing up our very own Black Welsh Mountain mutton, bred and reared at Thyme. The Swan will be serving its usual Sunday roast and extending its opening hours to Monday’s bank holiday too.
Our calendar of cultural and creative happenings includes an array of cookery classes, spring-inspired floral workshops and our resident Vigour and Skills workshop will be hosting a leather craft class with Rosanna Clare.
Discover more online at thyme.co.uk/happenings or follow on Instagram @thyme.happenings.
