Chunky winter vegetable & bean stew

Chunks of swede, carrot, leek, parsnips, butterbeans in a tomato based sauce topped with scone type mixture with a Double Gloucester cobbler topping

What you need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 225g (8oz) shallots
• 225g (8oz) swede, peeled and diced
• 175g (6oz) small carrots, peeled and trimmed
• 175g (6oz) parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 leeks, trimmed and cut into chunks
• 400g canned butterbeans, drained
• 100ml (4floz) cider
• 1 tablespoon sundried tomato puree
• 400g (14oz) can chopped tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon freeze dried mixed herbs
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 vegetable stock cube, crumbled

For the cobbler:

• 175g (6oz) self raising flour
• 25g (1oz) butter
• 100g (4oz) double Gloucester cheese, cut into very small cubes
• 1 tablespoon snipped chives
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon milk

What you do:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole and add the shallots, swede, carrots, parsnips and leeks. Fry over a high heat for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to brown. Add the butterbeans, cider, sundried tomato puree , chopped tomatoes, dried mixed herbs, seasoning and crumbled stock cube. Stir well , bring to the boil. cover and simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
2. Meanwhile prepare the cobble topping: Preheat the oven to 400F/200C/Gas mark 6. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Stir in the grated Double Gloucester and the chives. Beat together the egg and milk and add to the dry ingredients, mix to a soft dough then roll out onto a lightly floured surface and using a 5cm (2in) cutter, stamp out about 9 rounds.
4. Transfer the cooked vegetables to an oven proof dish and arrange the cobblers around the edge. Brush the tops with a little milk and bake for 20 minutes until cobble topping has risen and is pale golden. Serve at once.

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