May
The June Fruitbowl
June is one
of the most plentiful months. In the Northern Hemisphere
Summer Fruit is usually very plentiful. The hardier,
Autumn and Winter Fruits come in from South
Africa and South America. Top buys include Strawberries
(including, later on, English) Raspberries
and Cherries (provided we don’t get a cold wet month
like last year!) Spanish and French Peaches, Nectarines
and Apricots should be plentiful and Spanish Plums
will have become sweeter and riper. Spanish Melons
and Watermelons are at their best, too. Southern Hemisphere
Apples and Pears should be at their peak, Oranges
will be in and Easy-Peel Cape, Argentine and Chilean Clems
and Sats should be plentiful, too. Honey Mangoes
from Pakistan make a superb dessert or fruit platter treat.
New Zealand and Chilean Kiwis will be good. And as
usual, there will be plenty of tropical options including
Passionfruit, Papaya, Starfruit, Physalis,
Grenadillos, Tamarillos and Pomegranates.
Grapes start the month dear and dodgy, but improve
and get cheaper by the end.
Simple Peapod Soup
Roughly chop a bunch of Spring Onions
(green bits and all) and fry gently in 50g of Butter
for a couple of minutes. Add the Pods from a 1.5 kg
of Peas and toss them quickly in the hot Butter
until their colour brightens. Add 1 litre of Veg Stock,
season, cover and simmer gently for about three quarters
of an hour until the peapods are very tender. Drain and reserve
the liquor. Take the hot Peapods and push off the soft
green pulp from the pod, back into the liquor. The remaining
pod membranes and strings should be discarded. Do not attempt
to liquidise the soup because the pod membranes will merely
get chopped into small, sharp pieces. Add more stock to thin
the soup if necessary, then bring back to the boil and throw
in a handful of Fresh Peas. Simmer for another 5-6
minutes to cook the Peas. Adjust seasoning and serve
with crusty bread.
Quick Cherry Salsa
Halve and de-stone 500g of fresh Cherries
and mix with 50g of torn or chopped Basil leaves, half
a chopped Green Pepper, 1 finely chopped Spring
Onion, 2 tbs Lemon Juice, 1/2tbs Worcester Sauce,
½ tsp grated Lemon Zest, ¼ tsp Salt and ¼ tsp
Tabasco. Chill for 2 hours to let flavours blend and
serve with Pork, grilled spicy Chicken or grilled
Mackerel.
Duck, Cos and Cherry
Salad
Coarsely cut two heads of Cos lettuce
and toss with 4 Spring Onions cut into 2 inch lengths
and finely shredded. Add about 400g of stoned, halved Cherries
and the sliced flesh of 2 medium Oranges with all the
pith and skin removed. Toss the salad in Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Shred the flesh and crisped skin of a Roast Duck (Chinese-style
Crispy Aromatic Duck is even better) and mix with the
leaves. Serve immediately. A vegetarian version can be made
using Feta Cheese in place of Duck.
Nispero Chutney
Top and tail 1 Kg of Nisperos
(AKA Loquats), remove the stones and cut into quarters.
Peel and dice two Granny Smiths Apples and one Conference
Pear. Cut 350g Dried Apricots into quarters. Put
the fruit in a stainless steel pan with 4 finely chopped Mild
Red Chillies (remove seeds and pith if you don’t want
it too hot) 3 tbs Crushed Mustard Seeds and 1 tbs Whole
Mustard Seeds. Add 100g finely sliced Ginger, 2
tsp Salt, 750 ml Cider Vinegar and 500g Light
Brown Sugar. Cook gently for about 1 ½ hours and then
turn up the heat if necessary to boil off any excess liquid
(stir continuously to avoid burning the chutney). Pour into
hot sterilized jars and seal. Keeps for several months. Refrigerate
after opening. Good with cheese, curries and cold meats.
Simple Peapod Soup
Roughly chop a bunch of Spring
Onions (green bits and all) and fry gently in 50g of Butter
for a couple of minutes. Add the Pods from a 1.5 kg
of Peas and toss them quickly in the hot Butter
until their colour brightens. Add 1 litre of Veg Stock,
season, cover and simmer gently for about three quarters
of an hour until the peapods are very tender. Drain and reserve
the liquor. Take the hot Peapods and push off the soft
green pulp from the pod, back into the liquor. The remaining
pod membranes and strings should be discarded. Do not attempt
to liquidise the soup because the pod membranes will merely
get chopped into small, sharp pieces. Add more stock to thin
the soup if necessary, then bring back to the boil and throw
in a handful of Fresh Peas. Simmer for another 5-6
minutes to cook the Peas. Adjust seasoning and serve
hot with crusty bread.
Spicy Kohlrabi Masala
Simmer 500g Kohlrabi
batons in salted water until just tender (about 7 minutes).
Fry 2 tsp Coriander seeds and 2 tsp Brown or Puy
Lentils) in a little Sunflower Oil for about a
minute. Blend with 400g of fresh peeled Coconut (cut
into small cubes), 5 Red Chilies (de-seeded), 2 tsp
Palm Sugar (Demerara will do), and 2 tsp Tamarind
Paste (or the pulp from a fresh Tamarind Pod) and
enough water to be able to process into a slightly textured
paste. Fry 500g Onions in 1tbs Sunflower Oil
and brown slightly. Add the cooked Kohlrabi and the
paste and cook slowly until the paste is thoroughly cooked
and almost dry. Add Salt to taste. Serve as a side
dish with a spicy Lamb or Chicken dish, Rice
and Garlic Dahl.
Pasta Primavera
This dish tastes fresh and
vibrant, but is satisfying and has a rounded taste due to
the richness of the Single Cream and Butter:
Cook and peel 150g Broad Beans and cook 150g frozen
Edamame Beans and refresh. Boil 500g of your favourite
Pasta (Penne or Farfalle both work well)
in well salted water and drain. Meanwhile, melt 175g of Butter
in a large pan and add 200g New Carrots, cut into small
batons and cook for 2 mins. Add 500g mixed-colour prepared
Asparagus (cut into 4cm pieces) and 250g Broccoli
florets and cook for a further 2 minutes. Throw in a bunch
of sliced Spring Onions, and 100g Shelled Peas,
and cook for another 3 minutes (or until all the vegetables
are just tender). Add the pre-cooked Beans (both varieties)
and a tablespoon of chopped Parsley and cook for a
further minute. Pour in half a pint of Single Cream
and heat until almost boiling. Stir in 125g freshly grated
Parmesan Cheese and the Pasta and re-heat, stirring
continuously. Add Salt and White Pepper (to
taste). Serve and scatter with more Parmesan, a generous
amount of freshly torn Basil and perhaps a few toasted Pine
Nuts.
Honey and Raspberry
Semi-freddo
Line a 1-litre Terrine mould with Clingfilm.
Beat 2 Eggs and 6 Yolks together with 200g of
Honey, over a saucepan of simmering water, until the
mixture is pale and thick. Whip 568ml of Double Cream
until thick, and then gently fold in the Egg and Honey
mixture, gently fold in 350g of Raspberries. Pour into
the prepared Terrine, and cover carefully with cling film
before putting it in the freezer for about 2-3 hours.
Serve, with Honey, Fresh Raspberries, Mint
and toasted Pine Nuts. Beware it thaws quickly so needs
to be eaten straight away.
Asparagus, Wild Mushroom and
Saffron Risotto
Gently
cook a couple of finely chopped Shallots in 50mls of
Olive Oil until it becomes translucent. Add 500g of
Arborio Rice and cook for a couple of minutes on a
medium heat stirring well to coat Rice grains. Add in a pinch
of Saffron and 1 litre of hot Vegetable Stock a ladle
at a time; continue stirring until all the stock has been
absorbed. Meanwhile, gently cook 400g of Wild Mushrooms
together with 500g of Asparagus with a little Butter
and Garlic. When the Rice is cooked stir in the Mushroom
and Asparagus mixture along with a good pinch of chopped
Parsley and Mint, serve with freshly grated
Parmesan.
Plum Clafoutis
Lightly
Butter a 10inch, round flan dish and arrange half a
kilo of halved and stoned plums in it in a circular pattern.
For the batter, beat together, 100g 0f Cream Cheese,
50g of Ground Almonds and 40g of Muscavado Sugar.
Gradually whisk in 3 Eggs and 100mls of Milk,
add in 80g of melted Butter and pour the batter over
the Plums. Bake at 200°C (400°F) mark 6 for
25-30 minutes, until set. Serve hot, dusted with Icing
Sugar.
Aubergine Parmigiana.
Blanch 4 or 5 large Aubergines
in boiling water for 2 or 3 minutes and drain well, thickly
slice and toss with Olive Oil, season with Rock
Salt, Black Pepper and roughly chopped Marjoram.
Generously sprinkle with freshly grated White Breadcrumbs
and Grana Padano Parmesan. Lay the coated slices into
a lightly oiled ovenproof dish and finish with a good handful
of Marjoram and Parmesan. Bake at 190°C
(375°F) mark 5 for 25 minutes, until the aubergines are
tender and the topping crisp. Just before serving, spoon over
a good helping of freshly made, chunky Tomato fondue.
Artichoke & Portobello
Mushroom Bruschetta
There are some superb Globe Artichokes in
the market this week. Here's a simple dish that shows-off
their flavour to the full.
Before you start, have some Lemon Juice
ready in a bowl. Break the stalk and slice off the top of
the Artichoke to expose the thistle-like 'choke'. Carefully
trim the remaining base or 'fond' to shape by ' turning' off
the corners. Dip this in the Lemon Juice immediately to stop
it discolouring before preparing your next Artichoke.
Cook in a mixture of White Wine and
Water with Lemon Juice and a little Sugar. Simmer until just
tender. Cool and scoop out the choke. Coat the Artichoke Bottoms,
some thick slices of Rustic Bread and some Portobello Mushrooms,
in a mixture of Olive Oil, Basil Leaves, Rock Salt and slivers
of Garlic. Chargril the Mushrooms until supple and place the
Bread and Artichokes on the grill to mark and warm through.
Slice the Artichokes and Mush and assemble on the warm Bread.
Dress with Olive Oil, Black Pepper and aged Balsamic Vinegar.
Garlic and Potato Soup no-one will be able
to smell garlic on anyone else.
Bake 5 bulbs of Wet Garlic wrapped
in foil for 1 hour at 350F. Fry four rashers of chooped Bacon
until crispy. Add one large Spanish Onion (chopped) and two
cloves of crushed Garlic. Sauté till tender. Add 2kg
Diced Potato, a litre Chicken Stock, ½ tsp Salt and
½ tsp White Pepper and 3 Bay Leaves and boil until
Potato is tender. Blend about a quarter of the Potato with
the pulp from the baked Garlic and some liquid from the pot,
then stir this back in. Add half a pint of Cream, bring back
to
simmering point and serve.
Peppers
stuffed with Courgette, Basil and Tomato Cous-Cous
I prefer to use Long Sweet Romero Peppers
for this dish but bell-shaped Red, Green, Yellow or Orange
Peppers work well, too.
Firstly, toss Peppers for stuffing in hot
Oil so that they soften, blister and colour in places.
For the stuffing: dice a large Onion, a
little Garlic and soften in Oil. Add some large diced ripe
Tomatoes, a few Sultanas, a pinch of Saffron and 1 tbs of
Tomato Puree. Bring to the simmer and pour in enough hot Vegetable
Stock to cover.
Mix a 250g packet of semi-cooked Cous-Cous
with a little Olive Oil and pour in the tomato mixture, a
little at a time, until the Cous-Cous reaches the required
texture. Pan roast a few sliced Courgettes with Olive Oil,
toss in some ripped Basil and add to the stuffing, Season
well. Stuff the Peppers and arrange in an ovenproof dish.
Serve hot or cold, as a buffet item or plated with Spring
Leaves and Herb Vinaigrette.
A Real Taste of the Sea
Keep your eyes peeled! Almost every estuary
in the south of England will have an area just below the high
tide mark where glistening, fleshy Samphire grows. The best
time to gather it in England is in July and early August.
It's too small and fiddly to pick in June and too tough and
woody in September.
Samphire, or Salicornia Europea is also
known as Marsh Samphire (to distinguish it from Rock Samphire,
a member of the carrot family) or Glasswort. The latter because
the plant has a high silica content and was used in the manufacture
of glass.
Samphire is delicious simply boiled
in fresh, unsalted water (springwater is best) and then dressed
with unsalted butter and a few drops of lemon juice. It also
works well with foaming hollandaise. Or try steaming sea bass
fillets on a bed of rinsed samphire tips and serving with
beurre blanc. Divine!
Peppers stuffed with Courgette, Basil and
Tomato Cous-Cous
I prefer to use Long Sweet Romero Peppers
for this dish but bell-shaped Red, Green, Yellow or Orange
Peppers work well, too.
Firstly, toss Peppers for stuffing in hot
Oil so that they soften, blister and colour in places.
For the stuffing: dice a large Onion, a
little Garlic and soften in Oil. Add some large diced ripe
Tomatoes, a few Sultanas, a pinch of Saffron and 1 tbs of
Tomato Puree. Bring to the simmer and pour in enough hot Vegetable
Stock to cover.
Mix a 250g packet of semi-cooked Cous-Cous
with a little Olive Oil and pour in the tomato mixture, a
little at a time, until the Cous-Cous reaches the required
texture. Pan roast a few sliced Courgettes with Olive Oil,
toss in some ripped Basil and add to the stuffing, Season
well. Stuff the Peppers and arrange in an ovenproof dish.
Serve hot or cold, as a buffet item or plated with Spring
Leaves and Herb Vinaigrette.
Jersey Royals
There are New Potatoes… and there are
Jersey Royal New Potatoes. The island of Jersey is set in
the clear blue waters off the coast of France. It is blessed
with a temperate climate and a rich, sandy soil. But it is
the sea breezes that give these little tubers their special
taste.
To prepare, wash in salted cold water and
scrub leaving a little residual skin. Cover with cold water
and add Mint, Sugar and Salt. Bring to the boil and simmer
until just cooked. Don't refresh, but drain well, add a knob
of Butter. and cover with clingfilm to lock in their unique,
nutty, earthy taste.
"But where's the recipe!"
I hear you cry. Relax, with these babies you just need to
keep it simple: toss with Fresh Peas, Mint and Asparagus and
a little Beurre Blanc. Or add them to a Spring Lamb Navarin,
truly a marriage made in Heaven.
Perfect Pasta?
It's not easy to make spot-on Pasta every
time. But here's two recipes that I've found to be virtually
foolproof!
For Tagliatelle, Tagliellini or Fettucinni;:
Mix 450g Double Zero Flour, 50g Semolina Flour, a dash of
Olive Oil, 4 Eggs and 2 Yolks in a Robot Coupe on "pulse"
until combined, Chill before rolling through the machine (a
tense chef rarely makes good pasta). For colour, try adding
Saffron, Spinach Powder or a little Squid Ink.
For Ravioli Dough: Use 500g of Double Zero
Flour, 15 Yolks and a whole Egg. And treat in the same way.
Here's a couple of ideas to be going
on with before you create wild and exotic combinations of
your own. How about Saffron Tagliatelle with roasted Cherry
Tomatoes and wilted Italian Roquette topped off with a Chive
Aioli (Garlic and Chive Mayonnaise ). Or a Spinach and Goats
Cheese Ravioli with a Shi-itake Mushroom and Shallot Vinaigrette.
Shell-on Peas
Sweat 150g chopped Onion in 10g Butter.
Remove from pan. Dice 6 rashers Dry-cure Bacon and fry until
crisp. Add a 400g of peeled Chopped Tomatoes and Season. Simmer
for 10 mins, adding Vegetable Stock if it begins to catch.
Add the cooked Onion plus a bunch of Mint and a generous handful
of Parsley (both chopped). Add 200g Fresh Peas and cook until
tender. Serve with the Fresh Pasta of your choice and flaked
Parmesan. You could also make a quick and easy budget version
using Frozen Peas, Tinned Toms and Dried Pasta.
Strawberries
Really good, ripe Strawberries don't need
too much fiddling with. Simply serve with caster sugar and
cream or in salad with a dash of balsamic vinegar.
Or try this version of Eaton Mess: Slice
250g Strawberries and sprinkle generously with caster sugar.
Chill for an hour. Scrape out the seeds from a Vanilla Pod
and mash with 2 tbs Stock Syrup. Lightly whip 500ml Double
Cream and fold in 150g of roughly crushed Meringue, the Strawberries
(with juice) and the Syrup. Serve chilled, topped with Meringue
Pieces and Slivered Almonds (both toasted).
Sweetcorn Blinis with Watercress and Shallots
Blinis have traditionally been made using
Buckwheat Flour, but if you don't like the musty flavour,
Rye or Wholemeal works equally as well. This recipe will make
plenty of Blinis. If there is any mix left over, make small
canape-sized Blinis. They freeze well and have often got me
out of trouble when a cocktail party booking appears at short
notice.
Strip the Kernels from a couple of
new Spanish Corn Cobs and add to the following Recipe: 30g
of Yeast, 1 tsp Sugar dissolved into 558ml of warm Water.
Combine with 300g of Plain Flour, 180g of Buckwheat Flour
and 2 Eggs. Allow to stand at room temperature for 2 hours,
or overnight in the fridge to prove. Finally add a little
Salt and, drop a spoonful into shallow, hot Oil. Brown on
both sides and place on a rack to drain and cool. For a simple
starter or snack, toss a few Watercress leaves with a Light
Dressing, a little chopped Shallot and grated Lemon zest.
Smoked Salmon or Gravadlax Blinis are superb with Soured Cream
and Caviar. Yum!
