Veg
Page 5
2 bread rolls
olive oil
Peel and slice the onions and garlic, then place in a large casserole pan over a low heat with the butter and bay leaves. Strip in most of the thyme leaves, stir in the balsamic vinegar and flour, and cook for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and caramelized, stirring regularly. Pour in the cider and allow to cook away, then add the stock and miso paste. Simmer gently for 25 minutes, stirring regularly, then season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Preheat the grill to high. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the mustard and a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce, then grate in the cheese and add the Marmite. Beat everything together well, then halve the bread rolls and spread over the mixture. Rub the remaining thyme sprigs with a little oil and strip over the top. When the soup is almost ready, grill for 5 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.
Serve the soup in warm bowls, with an oozy crouton each for dipping and dunking.
To make vegetarian: use anchovy-free Worcestershire sauce.
If you liquidize this soup it makes a fantastic gravy to go with a roast dinner and all the trimmings – Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes … veg galore!
MY PANZANELLA GAZPACHO
SUMMER VEGGIES, FRESH BASIL, GOOD BREAD & OIL, SHERRY VINEGAR
SERVES 4–8 | 10 MINUTES
4cm-thick slice of crusty bread
100g fresh or frozen podded broad beans
200g fresh or frozen peas
4 spring onions
1–2 fresh green chillies
½ a cucumber
1 red pepper
½ a clove of garlic
250g ripe mixed-colour cherry tomatoes
½ a bunch of fresh basil (15g)
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
Briefly run the bread under the tap and put to one side. Working in batches, if needed, put a handful of ice cubes into a blender (or a large jug) with 200ml of water. Add the broad beans and peas, then roughly chop and add the spring onions, chilli(es) and cucumber. Deseed and tear in the pepper, then peel, roughly chop and add the garlic, followed by the tomatoes. Tear in the bread and place most of the basil on top, then drizzle in the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of oil. Blitz until smooth (or use a stick blender), season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, and finish with the remaining basil leaves.
Depending on availability, I love serving this soup with segments of blood orange or cubes of watermelon, and an extra handful of fresh peas.
Get all the ingredients prepped and ready to go, then blitz at the last minute so it’s full of life and flavour. Brilliant for a summer get-together!
GREEK-STYLE CHEESE TOASTIE
FETA-STUFFED APRICOTS, HERBS, HALLOUMI & TZATZIKI DIPPING SAUCE
SERVES 1 | 15 MINUTES
¼ of a red onion
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
20g feta cheese
6 dried apricots
30g halloumi cheese
2 slices of sourdough bread
6 black olives (stone in)
2 sprigs of fresh dill
3 sprigs of fresh mint
olive oil
3cm piece of cucumber
2 tablespoons natural yoghurt
¼ of a lemon
Peel and finely slice the onion, place in a bowl with a pinch of sea salt and the vinegar, then scrunch and leave to lightly pickle.
Preheat a griddle or non-stick frying pan to medium-high. Cut the feta into 6 cubes, then tear open the apricots and stuff in the feta. Grate half the halloumi on to one of the slices of bread, then drain and add the pickle. Top with the stuffed apricots, then destone and tear over the olives. Pick over the dill and most of the mint leaves. Grate over the rest of the halloumi, then press the remaining piece of bread on top. Toast until golden and crisp on both sides, brushing the outside lightly with oil and pressing down as you go.
Meanwhile, grate the cucumber into a bowl (discard the watery core), add the yoghurt, pick, finely chop and add the remaining mint leaves, then squeeze over the lemon juice and season to perfection with salt and black pepper.
Slice the toastie in half and serve with the dipping sauce.
The combo of fruit and salty cheese is a thing of joy, so have fun with it – peach with mozzarella, or grilled pear and blue cheese – let your imagination go wild!
WATERCRESS & SWEET LEEK SOUP
HORSERADISH & CRÈME FRAÎCHE CROÛTES
SERVES 4 | 45 MINUTES
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 large leek
olive oil
500g potatoes
1 litre vegetable stock
100g watercress
2 teaspoons creamed horseradish
2 heaped tablespoons crème fraîche
½ a baguette
extra virgin olive oil
Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, halve, wash and roughly chop the leek, then place in a large casserole pan over a medium-low heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Fry gently with the lid on for 20 minutes, or until soft with no colour, stirring regularly and adding a splash of water, if needed.
Peel the potatoes, chop into 1cm cubes and add to the pan. Pour in the stock, cover, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper and stir in most of the watercress. Blitz a third of the soup with a stick blender (or in a regular blender) and stir through.
Mix the horseradish with the crème fraîche, then finely slice the baguette (if beautifully fresh I leave untoasted, but toast if you prefer), adding a spoonful to each piece. Serve the soup topped with the croûtes and the remaining watercress. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of pepper.
Feel free to blitz the whole thing for a super-silky, elegant version.
SILKY OMELETTE BAGUETTE
TOMATO & GREEN CHILLI SALSA & MELTY CHEESE
SERVES 2 | 10 MINUTES
1 baguette
160g ripe mixed-colour cherry tomatoes
½–1 fresh green chilli
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
30g mature Cheddar cheese
½ a bunch of fresh chives (15g)
3 large eggs
1 knob of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon curry powder
Slice the baguette in two, then split in half lengthways (warm in a low oven, if you like). Quarter the cherry tomatoes and finely slice the chilli, then place in a bowl with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and 1 tablespoon each of oil and vinegar. Toss together well, and put aside.
Grate the cheese, finely chop the chives and beat the eggs. Place a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat, and after 1 minute, add half the butter. Pour half the eggs into the hot pan, and quickly swirl to cover the base. Scatter over half the cheese and chives, then dust with half the curry powder. Normally by now, 1 minute will have passed and the egg will be just set. Angle the pan and use a spatula to swiftly roll up the omelette and stuff inside one of the baguette halves (slice first or leave whole – it’s up to you). Load with half the salsa, then repeat.
The quicker you make the omelette the better – be confident. Ideally, it will never be golden brown, always soft, silky and light yellow.
SARDINIAN MUSIC BREAD STACK
JUICY TOMATOES, BASIL & ALMOND PESTO, CREAMY MOZZARELLA, PARMESAN
SERVES 8 | 30 MINUTES PLUS CHILLING
1kg ripe mixed-colour tomatoes
250g music bread (carta di musica)
dried oregano
balsamic vinegar
2 × 125g balls of mozzarella cheese
50g Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
1 bunch of fresh basil (30g)
½ a clove of garlic
50g blanched almonds
extra virgin olive oil
¼ of a lemon
Slice all the tomatoes just under 1cm thick
. Line a deep round cake tin with clingfilm, leaving a slight overhang. Start by covering the base with a layer of music bread (snap to fit, if needed), and top with a layer of tomatoes. Season with sea salt, black pepper, oregano and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, then follow with another layer of music bread. Tear over a little mozzarella and grate over a fine layer of Parmesan, then repeat until you run out of ingredients, finishing with a layer of music bread. Fold over the clingfilm and chill in the fridge overnight.
Pick most of the basil leaves into a pestle and mortar and bash to a paste with a pinch of salt. Peel and bash in the garlic, then pound in the almonds until fine. Muddle in 4 tablespoons of oil, finely grate in 25g of Parmesan, and squeeze in the lemon juice. Season to perfection, and tweak to your liking.
When you’re ready to eat, carefully turn the stack out on to a serving platter, discarding the clingfilm. Grate over an extra layer of Parmesan, spoon over the pesto, and scatter over the remaining basil leaves. Serve at room temperature.
To make vegetarian: swap Parmesan for vegetarian hard cheese.
Carta di musica is harder to find than your usual bread, but you can get it in good Italian delis, or online.
TRAYBAKESPLEASE SELECT A RECIPE
TAP FOR TEXT VERSION
TRAYBAKES
REVERSE PUFF PASTRY PIZZA
MEDITERRANEAN VEGETABLE RICE
POTATO & MUSHROOM AL FORNO
SCRUMPTIOUS VEG TRAYBAKE
FLORENTINA TRAYBAKE
PEA & RICOTTA STUFFED COURGETTES
HASSELBACK AL FORNO
MASALA STUFFED PEPPERS
REVERSE PUFF PASTRY PIZZA
SUMMER VEG, OREGANO, BASIL, BALSAMIC & MOZZARELLA
SERVES 4 | 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES
1 red onion
1 yellow pepper
250g ripe mixed-colour cherry tomatoes
1 courgette
4 sprigs of fresh oregano
olive oil
1 × 320g sheet of all-butter puff pastry
½ × 125g ball of mozzarella cheese
2 sprigs of fresh basil
thick balsamic vinegar
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Peel and quarter the onion and separate into petals, then scatter into a 25cm × 35cm roasting tray. Deseed and roughly chop the pepper, halve the tomatoes and roughly slice the courgette, then add to the tray. Pick over the oregano leaves, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, then roast for 50 minutes, tossing halfway.
Remove the tray from the oven and push the veg in towards the centre slightly. Quickly and carefully rub the sides and corners of the tray with oil, then confidently cover the veg with the pastry sheet and tuck in the edges. Place back in the oven for 30 minutes, or until golden and puffed up. Gently run a palette knife around the edge of the pastry to loosen, then carefully turn out on to a board. Tear over the mozzarella and basil, and drizzle with the thick balsamic, to taste.
You can easily ramp up your veg by serving with a spinach salad.
There’s loads of fun to be had here, using lots of different veggies, including aubergines, baby carrots, crushed new potatoes, asparagus and peas. Let your hair down and have a veg party!
MEDITERRANEAN VEGETABLE RICE
BOMBS OF GREEN PESTO, OLIVE TAPENADE, CREAMY MOZZARELLA & BASIL
SERVES 4 | 45 MINUTES
300g basmati rice
1 small red onion
1 courgette
4 ripe mixed-colour tomatoes
4 tablespoons green pesto
olive oil
8 black olives (stone in)
white wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
4 sprigs of fresh basil
½ × 125g ball of mozzarella cheese
Preheat the grill to high. Tip the rice into a 25cm × 35cm roasting tray (or use a large round shallow ovenproof pan or tray, like I’ve done here, if you have one), pour over 650ml of boiling salted water and cook over a medium heat for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, then turn off the heat. Meanwhile, peel the red onion, then very finely slice with the courgette, or use a mandolin (use the guard!). Finely slice the tomatoes into rounds.
Randomly bomb the pesto over the rice (if you fancy making pesto from scratch, take the recipe from page 90), then start layering up your veg: cover the rice with rounds of onion, then move on to a layer of courgettes, overlapping them as you go, followed by a layer of tomatoes. Repeat, moving slightly nearer the middle each time until you’ve covered the whole surface (use the picture to help you out – it might look a bit fiddly, but it’s child’s play to make). Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper, then place under the grill on the middle shelf for 25 minutes, or until beautifully gratinated. Meanwhile, for the tapenade, destone and very finely chop the olives, then mix with ½ a tablespoon each of vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. To serve, pick over the basil leaves, dot over the olive tapenade and delicately tear over the mozzarella.
To make vegetarian: use vegetarian pesto.
Very finely slicing the veg means you can pretty much use any kind or variety – baby carrots, fennel, aubergines, beetroot – to really celebrate the seasons in a flamboyant way.
POTATO & MUSHROOM AL FORNO
GARLIC, CHIVES, TRUFFLED EGGS, COTTAGE CHEESE & PARMESAN
SERVES 4 | 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES
750g potatoes
2 onions
3 cloves of garlic
olive oil
200g button mushrooms
200g oyster mushrooms
3 large eggs
1 bunch of fresh chives (30g)
150g cottage cheese
½ teaspoon truffle oil
30g Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Scrub the potatoes and peel the onions, then cut into wedges. Place in a large roasting tray, bash and throw in the garlic cloves, then drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Toss together well, then roast for 50 minutes, or until lightly golden and cooked through. Roughly slice the mushrooms, then toss in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add to the tray for a final 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs until pale and fluffy, then finely chop and add the chives and fold through the cottage cheese and truffle oil (the tiniest amount makes all the difference – don’t be tempted to add more). When the time’s up remove the tray from the oven, pour the egg mixture over the roasted veg and finely grate over the Parmesan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until beautifully golden and just set.
Delicious served with a lemony watercress salad.
To make vegetarian: swap Parmesan for vegetarian hard cheese.
If you’ve got access to mixed wild seasonal mushrooms, this recipe is just crying out for them to be used, but is still delicious made with the humble, reliable farmed ones.
SCRUMPTIOUS VEG TRAYBAKE
SWEET TOMATO, CHIANTI, PORCINI, OLIVES, OREGANO & BAKED FETA
SERVES 4 | 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES
20g dried porcini mushrooms
400g butternut squash
2 carrots
2 red onions
2 sticks of celery
2 red peppers
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
10 black olives (stone in)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
250ml Chianti red wine
2 × 400g tins of quality plum tomatoes
1 × 400g tin of cannellini beans
120g feta cheese
30g rocket
1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Cover the porcini with 100ml of boiling water. Scrub the squash (deseed, if needed) and carrots, peel the onions, trim the celery and deseed the peppers, then roughly chop and place in a large roasting tray with 1 tablespoon of oil. Peel and finely chop the garlic, destone and tear the olives, then add to the tray and strip in the ro
semary leaves. Season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, the chilli flakes and oregano, then toss together well and roast for 40 minutes, or until tender.
When the time’s up, remove from the oven and pour over the wine. Scrunch in the tomatoes, tip in the beans (juices and all), and add the porcini and soaking liquor, leaving any gritty bits behind. Break over big chunks of feta and place back in the oven for 40 minutes, or until thickened and delicious. Dress the rocket with lemon juice and scatter over the tray before serving.
Delicious served with crusty sourdough bread or interesting grains, such as cracked wheat, freekeh, quinoa, couscous or wild rice – it also makes a fine pie filling.
FLORENTINA TRAYBAKE
ROOT VEG, CODDLED EGGS & LEMONY SPINACH SALAD
SERVES 4 | 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES
1 celeriac
2 onions
500g Maris Piper potatoes
3 mixed-colour carrots
1 bunch of fresh chives (30g)
olive oil
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
4 large eggs
1 lemon
100g baby spinach
extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7. Peel and halve the celeriac and onions, scrub the potatoes and carrots, then very finely slice (I like to cut the carrots into thin strips) and place in a large roasting tray. Finely chop and scatter over the chives, and season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the mustard, then toss together and shake into an even layer. Cover with tin foil and roast for 1 hour, then remove the foil and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until beautifully golden.