SUMMER RECIPES
Gazpacho
serves 4:
2 small slices of day old bread crusts removed
300 ml vegetable stock
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic finely chopped
½ large cucumber
6 ripe tomatoes
1 green pepper seeds removed
1 red pepper seeds removed
½ large onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Soak the bread in a little of the stock along with the vinegar and garlic.
Quarter, seed and dice two tomatoes, half the cucumber, a third of each pepper, and half of the onion, set aside.
Process the remaining vegetables with the stock, olive oil and bread until smooth.
Season well, stir in the chopped vegetables & chill before serving.
Summer rainbow salad
1 tomato
1 carrot
1 green courgette
1 yellow pepper
1 fennel bulb
¼ of a red cabbage
Large handful of sunflower sprouts
Borage flowers
Mint sprigs
For the dressing:
8 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
Cut all the vegetables into bite size pieces and put into a bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and gently toss the vegetables with enough dressing to generously coat. Mix in the sunflower sprouts, divide between 2 bowls and top with borage flowers and mint.
Spiced cucumber salad
Serves 2:
2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey
1 dessertspoon tamari soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice or apple cider vinegar
2 large cucumbers
2 spring onions
Mix the chilli, salt, honey, tamari & vinegar well together in a bowl.
Cut the cucumbers in half lengthways and cut into half moon slices about 5 -7mm thick.
Finely slice diagonally the spring onions.
Toss the cucumber & spring onion in the chilli mix. Tip into a bowl and fix a cover (or use a kilner jar) and leave at room temperature for 24 hours refrigerate for a further day before eating.
Braised mallow
200g common mallow leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion diced
1 clove garlic finely diced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Handful of parsley chopped
Salt and black pepper
Tablespoon of lemon juice
Extra olive oil
Collect young leaves in early summer making sure you discard any with a brownish rust. I cut the wild mallows down, much like nettles, so that I can harvest twice once in June and also end of July/beginning of August. The leaves will become tough once the mallow is in full bloom. Soak the leaves for 10 minutes, rinse and drain before use.
In a pan gently heat the olive oil and cook the onion & garlic until soft.
Add the paprika and cumin, then add the mallow stir well and allow to wilt. Season well and stir in the lemon juice.
Tip into a serving dish top with a little olive oil. Serve as part of a summer mezze.
Tabbouleh
1 cauliflower chopped
1 cucumber peeled, seeded and diced
6 medium tomatoes seeded and diced
6 spring onions finely sliced
Handful of parsley chopped
Handful of mint chopped
Handful tarragon chopped
Handful rocket chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt & a good twist of black pepper
Pulse cauliflower into small pieces.
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Summer vegetable paella
Serves 4:
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 red peppers, seeded, cut into cm dice
2 yellow peppers, seeded, cut into cm dice
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons golden marjoram
900g tomatoes, skinned & roughly chopped
3 courgettes, halved & cut on the diagonal
Handful arame soaked
1 tablespoon caper berries
20 black olives
350g saffron basmati pilaff
900g broad beans, shelled, blanched & skinned
Handful mange tout finely sliced lengthways
Handful sliced almonds
Handful chopped parsley
Cook the onions, garlic & peppers in the olive oil for 5 mins, add the marjoram & tomatoes. Cook for 10 mins, add the courgettes, arame, caper berries & olives. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the pilaff, and thoroughly heat through. Stir in broad beans, mange tout, almonds & parsley.
Season well & serve
Chocolate panna cotta with poached cherries
Serves 6:
500ml organic barista oat milk
4g agar agar powder soaked in 2 tablespoons warm water
2 rounded tablespoons cacao powder
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Pinch of salt
Mix the cacao powder to a paste with a little of the oat milk then place everything into a pan and slowly bring to the boil. Simmer gently stirring for 5 minutes, this is important to ensure the agar agar sets. Strain into a jug and pour into individual bowls.
Leave to set for at least two hours or overnight. Turn out and serve with poached cherries
Poached cherries
Serves 4:
4 handfuls cherries
2 tablespoon rapadura sugar
1 split vanilla pod
1 small cinnamon stick
Splash of rum (optional)
Stone the cherries. In a pan dissolve the sugar in 2 tablespoons of water. Tip in the cherries, vanilla pod & cinnamon stick. Cook for 5minutes.
Add the optional rum and tip into a bowl to cool.
Firey summer punch - alcoholic
Serves 4:
200ml ginger beer
150ml dark rum
100ml cider
50ml lime juice
slices of peach, lime and ginger
handful ice-cubes
Mix all the ingredients together in a large jug or bowl.
Firey summer punch - non alcoholic
Serves 4
200ml ginger beer
200ml apple juice
50ml lime juice
slices of peach, lime and ginger
handful ice-cubes
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl or jug.