summer gazpacho

It's July, so we're officially in the thick of summer. If, however, you're in England, then you'll be fully aware that Weather currently has a bad case of schizophrenia. She is behaving a little delusional lately and can't decide whether she is in a fresh, happy, tense or angry disposition. It's so hard to keep up. My advice is that we be patient with her short attention span and dis-organised thinking, and make plans with or without her help.

I'll nudge this under your nose...perhaps you need a little help remembering?

Gazpacho is usually consumed during the summer months. I've tried various variations and many have left me unimpressed. They are either too lumpy / thick / imbalanced / rich, but this one is sweet, sharp, refreshing and light. An unassuming but winning opening act before the main course.


Serving 4

• 1.1 kg cherry tomatoes
• 1 cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 heaped teaspoon minced fresh red chilli
• 2 heaped teaspoons chopped onion
• 275 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red wine or sherry vinegar
• 2 heaped teaspoons caster sugar
• 2 rounded teaspoons sea salt
• Grinding of black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil and fresh chopped cucumber to serve

All ingredients into a blender. Work to a puree, and then pass through a sieve into a large bowl. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, but not for longer than necessary.

Ladle the chilled soup into bowls (I like small portions - a taster). Put a small handful of chopped cucumber on top, to really infuse it with freshness and a drizzle of evoo.

shakshuka

Shakshuka is a North African dish consisting of eggs baked in a tomato sauce with peppers, onions and spices, to be served with a big chunk of bread and an empty stomach.

Perfecto brunch time fare at home, to leave you feeling fully sated. It's extremely well deserved when one has been able to wake up leisurely, perhaps partake in a little light exercise, and is ready at the kitchen table with the weekend papers...This was my scenario, as was having nothing left in the fridge except for these ingredients. I had been playing supermarket sweep at my local market that weekend so I had what seemed like hundreds of tomatoes, mushrooms and courgettes etc, so I actually had made a ratatouille the night before with added aubergine, onion and plenty of spices such as cumin, chilli and coriander. A really great way to use up ingredients. Just pop in an ovenproof dish or individual pan, crack an egg over the top and bake in a low heat until the egg is just set.

Ottolenghi does a great Shakshuka recipe that you can wip up fresh...

the princess and the pea

Ok, so there is no Princess. But. I do adore peas! So much so, that as a 12 year old, I would sometimes eat a big bowl of peas with a dollop of Heinz ketchup as a snack (I know...classy eh?!). People tend to think of these bright little fellas as boring, but don't dumb them down. The pea can be dressed up, just like anything else. They weren't included in a Fairy Tale for nothing. Frozen peas generally have more goodness locked in, just be careful not to overcook them. Here is a different take on Bruschetta (I'm holding my breath, hoping you're all saying it correctly).