Palmiers and Soup - two-for-one deal

What a bargain! For today only, you get two recipes for the price of one!

The first recipe, for zucchini soup, was prompted by a colleague’s lunch – the soup was scented with basil and it made me determined to make it.

The ham, cheese and mustard palmiers were inspired by a delightful offering over at Megan’s Feasting on Art – I do adore puffy palmiers and thought that a savoury version would go well with the soup. Fortuitous timing *thanks*!

First up, the Zucchini Soup, to which I also added some chopped baby spinach.


Creamy Zucchini Soup
serves 2

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Chop 3 medium-sized zucchini into chunks and stir into the saucepan with a clove of chopped garlic. Heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add 1 ½ cups of chicken or vegetable stock and simmer for 8 minutes
4. Remove from the heat and liquefy in a blender (or use a stick blender)
5. Season with salt and pepper
6. Put back on a low heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of cream (I used cream cheese this time because I had no cream). I also added a large spoonful of chopped basil
7. Serve

Preparation for the soup

Creamy, green and good!

Here is my version of the palmiers (I used tasty cheddar cheese because I couldn’t get my hands on any Gruyère).

Ham, Cheese and Mustard Palmiers

makes 20

1. Thaw one sheet of puff pastry
2. Spread 2 tablespoons of mustard over the pastry (I used a combination of Dijon and wholegrain seeded mustard)
3. Sprinkle over 1 cup of grated tasty cheese and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese
4. Spread a layer of smoked ham over the cheese
5. Place a sheet of baking paper over the pastry and flatten slightly with a rolling pin
6. Cut the pastry in half and roll up the short sides so they meet in the middle (double scroll shape). Use water to moisten the pastry and make the ends stick together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
7. Heat oven to 210 degrees C. Slice each roll into 10 individual slices and place on trays lined with baking paper. Bake until light golden, around 10-12 minutes.
8. Serve

Puff pastry spread with i) mustards, ii) cheeses, iii) ham


Flatten the pastry, then roll, wrap, chill, slice and bake

Golden delicious!