It would be impossible to pigeonhole all cooking into neat little boxes. I enjoy the balance that is to be had between fast food and slow cooking. If everything I cooked was quick and simple, I don’t think I would love being a chef quite as much as I do. Taking time to make fruit shrubs (see here) or make fruit pastilles on a whim with the kids (see here) creates timeless moments in family cooking. Great cookery is about making good food from scratch that everyone can enjoy. Finding the right dish for the right moment in time is crucial.
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Ketchup needn’t just be the red stuff from a squirty bottle. The word ketchup, also known as catsup, refers to a sweet and tangy sauce to serve at the table as a condiment. Mushroom, anchovy, tomatoes (of course), why not rhubarb? Cooked with spices, onions, vinegar and sugar, I think rhubarb shares all the qualities – fruity, tart and very juicy – that make tomato a definitive ketchup ingredient.
MAKES 2 X 450G JARS
700g rhubarb, roughly chopped into 2–3cm batons
1 large white onion, diced
3 fresh bay leaves
5cm piece of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
1 tsp caraway seeds
4 allspice berries
1 whole star anise
100ml red or white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
100ml water
100g sugar
1 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (170ºC fan).
Spread the rhubarb, onion, bay leaves and ginger in an even layer on a baking tray and place in the oven for 45 minutes, turning from time to time to redistribute the mixture from the sides so it doesn’t catch and burn. Bake until the rhubarb and onion are very soft and broken down.
Meanwhile, in a dry frying pan over a low to medium heat, toast the caraway, allspice and star anise until fragrant. Pound in a mortar and pestle or blitz in a spice grinder. Put to one side.
Sterilise 2 x 450g jars: wash them (and their lids) in hot soapy water, rinse well and place in a preheated oven at 110°C (100°C fan) for about 10–15 minutes until dry. Alternatively, put the jars through a hot cycle in the dishwasher.
In a blender or food processor, blitz the cooked rhubarb and onion, complete with bay leaves and ginger, to a fine pulp.
Put the rhubarb pulp into a saucepan over a moderate heat and add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and ground spices. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the ketchup for 15–20 minutes until thickened. Stir frequently so the ketchup doesn’t catch and burn. Pass through a sieve if you like, though I don’t tend to bother.
Pour the ketchup into the sterilised jars and seal. Sealed well, this ketchup will keep indefinitely.
Once opened, store in the fridge and use within 1 month. Serve as you might tomato ketchup or with cheese in a sandwich. It’s especially good with grilled mackerel or roast pork.
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Make these when cherries are in season and cheaper to buy. Serve with cheese or cooked ham or alongside roast pork or game. Use the fruit vinegar in salad dressings or marinades. The flavour will get better and better the longer you keep these. Use blueberries, or halved apricots or peaches if you like.
MAKES 500G PICKLED CHERRIES
175ml red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
175ml water
8 whole peppercorns
½–1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 bay leaves
1 large sprig of thyme
100g caster sugar
500g cherries, washed, stalks removed, stones left in
Sterilise a 1 litre Kilner jar: wash it in hot soapy water, rinse well and place in a preheated oven at 110°C (100°C fan) for about 10–15 minutes until dry. Alternatively, put the jar through a hot cycle in the dishwasher.
Put the vinegar, water, spices, herbs and sugar into a saucepan over a moderate heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
Pack the cherries into the sterilised jar and pour the hot liquid over the fruit. Seal the jar and keep for at least 2 weeks before use.
Once opened, store in the fridge and the cherries will last for up to a year.
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This dressing is a sweet, sharp burst for many different kinds of salads. Use olive oil combined with vegetable or sunflower for a more neutral flavour to work alongside the pebbledash of poppy seeds.
MAKES APPROX. 150ML
50ml white wine vinegar
50ml olive oil
50ml vegetable or sunflower oil
1 tsp caster sugar or honey
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put all the ingredients in a jar with a bit of space, put the lid on tightly and give a good shake, then check the seasoning.
Use immediately or store in a lidded jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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With less sugar than commercial jams and preserves, fruit butters are pleasing to make and offer a versatile blob of fruity goodness. Experiment with different fruits and spices, and do try honey or maple syrup in place of the sugar if you like.
MAKES 450G
1kg Bramley apples, peeled, cored and diced
½ vanilla pod (optional)
Approx. 200g caster sugar
Put the apples and 2 tablespoons water in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over a moderate heat. With the lid on, boil the fruit to a purée, checking from time to time and stirring so that the fruit doesn’t catch and burn.
Push the cooked fruit through a fine sieve and return the pulp to the cleaned-out saucepan.
Using a sharp knife, split open the vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds and add the seeds along with the empty pod to the fruit pulp.
Judging the sweetness of the apples you are using, add the necessary sugar to the fruit pulp and taste, remembering that the mix will concentrate as it cooks down: err on the side of caution.
Over a low heat, and stirring often, cook the fruit butter until it thickens considerably. If you pull a wooden spoon through the mix, it should leave a trail through to the surface: this could take anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes.
Wash a 450g jar (and its lid) in hot soapy water, rinse well and place in a preheated oven at 110°C (100°C fan) for about 10–15 minutes until dry. Alternatively, put the jar through a hot cycle in the dishwasher.
When the fruit butter is the right consistency, thick and smooth, transfer it to the sterilised jar. Store in the fridge for 2–3 weeks.
Variations
• Pear and ginger – add a couple of slices of fresh ginger to pears as they cook to a purée.
• Peach – if you are using peaches, include a few apples to reduce cost and also because the cooked apple pulp will help to enhance the buttery texture of a peach butter.
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Making your own fruit pastilles is not something to do day in, day out … but, come a seasonal glut either from the hedgerow or fruit on offer at your local veg shop, this is a great activity to share with your children. Cooked long and slow to a thick viscous pulp with sugar and some apple in the mix for pectin, you can pastille almost any soft fruit. Try strawberries, raspberries, peaches or apricots. If your children are keen on sour sweets (which mine are) you can add a little tartaric acid (a teaspoon or two) to the sugar when you dust the fruit cubes for mouth-puckering pleasure.
MAKES UPWARDS OF 50 PASTILLES
500g blackberries
2 medium-sized cooking apples, peeled and diced
Juice of ½ lemon
150ml water
300g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting the jellied cubes
Wash and drain the blackberries.
Put the blackberries and apples into a saucepan and add the lemon juice and water. Bring the mixture to the boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the fruit is completely tender – about 10 minutes.
Tip the mixture into a sieve over a large bowl, and use the back of a wooden spoon to push the mixture through. You should have about 600–700ml of fruit purée.
Return the purée to the pan over a moderate heat and add the sugar, stirring frequently until it has dissolved. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low and continue cooking and stirring for about 20 minutes until the mixture is very thick. Be very careful that it doesn’t catch and burn – keep stirring.
Line a deep-sided tin, approx. 20cm square, with greaseproof paper. Pour the thickened mixture into the tin and leave to cool completely.
Sprinkle 2–3 tablespoons of caster sugar over a plate. Cut the jelly into small cubes and press the cubes into the sugar to give them a fine crystallised coating all over.
Store in an airtight container: these fruit pastilles will last for 2 weeks or more.
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Popular with children and adults alike as a toast topper or treat, I find it alarming that shop-bought chocolate spread lists sugar and palm oil as primary ingredients. Hazelnuts and chocolate are a cracking and time-honoured combination, so make your own spread and let these two ingredients steal the show.
MAKES NEAR ENOUGH A 400G JAM JAR FULL
200g shelled hazelnuts
2 tsp groundnut or hazelnut oil
Pinch of salt
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 tsp caster sugar
Wash a 400g jar (and its lid) in hot soapy water, rinse well and place in a preheated oven at 110°C (100°C fan) for about 10–15 minutes until dry. Alternatively, put the jar through a hot cycle in the dishwasher.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (170ºC fan).
If the hazelnuts have their skin on, spread them in an even layer in a roasting tin and bake for 10–15 minutes until the skins are dark brown and the nuts are nicely roasted.
Put the hot nuts in a clean tea towel, draw the sides together, and rub the tea towel vigorously on the work surface. The friction should be enough to take the skins off the nuts. There might be a few prudish nuts – pop these back in the oven for another few minutes and repeat.
If using skinned hazelnuts, roast them for 5–8 minutes until golden brown.
Put the roasted skinned hazelnuts into a food processor and blitz with 1 teaspoon of the oil for a couple of minutes; the nuts will break down into dust and begin to form a buttery paste.
Add the remaining oil and pinch of salt and blitz to combine. Add the cocoa, vanilla and sugar and blitz for 30 seconds or so to combine.
Transfer to the sterilised jar, seal and store in the fridge. This will keep well for a month or so.
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No yeast here. Baking powder for oomph and yogurt for a wonderfully lactic dough that makes the very best flatbreads. Cook them on a griddle pan or barbecue if you can, to give a good char to the flatbreads.
MAKES 12
400g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
350g Greek yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil, with some additional to cook the flatbreads
1–2 tbsp dried oregano
In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and yogurt. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and give the mix a quick but thorough knead to form a cohesive dough.
Cut the dough in half and cut each half into six equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a round approx. 1cm thick.
Brush each flatbread with a little olive oil and sprinkle with some of the dried oregano.
Make four incisions in the top of each flatbread.
Heat a griddle pan, frying pan or barbecue over a medium-high heat and cook the flatbreads in the hot pan for 1–2 minutes on each side until singed and puffed in places.
When cooked, remove from heat and serve immediately. If keeping the flatbreads to serve later on, wrap them in foil while hot and seal tightly. The flatbreads will remain soft and won’t dry out.
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Come the colder months we eat a lot of porridge. And given the amount we get through, you might expect me to have nailed a perfect portion size. Alas, I am always left with the same uncanny spoonful or two. Substituting some of the flour and water from my usual bread dough, in goes the leftover porridge, leaving the dough to prove as usual. Leftover porridge bread has a wonderful crust and a lovely moist texture to the crumb.
MAKES A 900G LOAF
450g strong white bread flour
5g salt
7g dried yeast (1 sachet)
200g leftover porridge
200ml cold water
1 tbsp oats
Olive oil to work the dough
Put the flour, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl.
Whisk together the porridge and water, then add to the flour and give the ingredients a good mix to combine. The mix will feel wet.
Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave to rest on the work surface for an hour or so until the dough has doubled in size.
Line a 900g loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
Turn the dough out onto the lightly oiled surface and knock it back by pushing, folding and turning the dough back in on itself for a minute or so.
Shape the loaf by tucking and folding the seams of the dough to sit at the bottom of the loaf tin. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for a further 30–45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220ºC (200ºC fan).
After resting, the dough should have not quite doubled in size again – just rising above the lip of the tin is good. You want the dough to still have a bit of unexpended energy from the yeast so that when it hits the heat of the very hot oven, the loaf will give a final burst upwards.
Using a serrated knife, make a cut along the top of the loaf about 1cm deep; sprinkle the oats over the surface of the loaf.
Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 190ºC (180ºC fan) and continue to cook for 25–30 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool before cutting.
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I enjoy the incremental hike of a bread dough made with yeast, but with alchemy on your side a loaf can easily get to the table in under an hour. The trio of bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and egg works wonders in this recipe. Mixed with the dry ingredients, they elevate the loaf as it bakes. Eat hot from the oven with salted butter or pack for a picnic or lunch.
MAKES A 900G LOAF
300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
80g Cheddar cheese, grated
Small bunch of chives, chopped
40g butter
225ml buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Preheat the oven to 200°C (190°C fan). Line a 900g loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
Put the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cheese and chives in a large mixing bowl.
Melt the butter and add it to a jug with the buttermilk, egg and mustard. Give the mix a good whisk.
Swiftly add the wet mix to the dry ingredients and combine with a fork. Do not over-mix the dough – it should be a cohesive, sticky mass in well under a minute. It shouldn’t need any shaping so just fit it snugly into the prepared tin.
Dust the top of the loaf with a little flour and bake for 40–45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out. Serve warm or leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
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There is no thorny knack to making these glossy buns as good as a shop-bought version. Boiling the bagels in a volcanic mix of bicarbonate of soda and water before baking them gives that charmed and chewy crust.
MAKES 8 BAGELS
350g strong white bread flour
150g wholemeal bread flour
7g dried yeast (1 sachet)
1 tbsp sugar
5g salt
125ml water
125ml milk
Olive oil to work the dough
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp sesame, sunflower or poppy seeds (optional)
Put the flours, yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and milk. Pull the mix together with a large spoon to form a rough ball and tip out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic: it will be quite stiff.
Put the dough in a bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for up to 2 hours or until nearly doubled in size.
Roll the proven dough into a long sausage shape and divide it into eight equal pieces. Roughly shape each piece into a ball. Poke your finger through the middle and then gently pull at the hole to make it a bit bigger and form a ring. Leave the shaped bagels to rest on the oiled work surface for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220ºC (200ºC fan). Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add the bicarbonate of soda. Add two bagels at a time and boil for just under 2 minutes, gently turning them over after 45 seconds.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift out the boiled bagels, shaking off as much water as possible before you place them on the lined baking sheet.
Once all eight bagels are on the baking sheet, if you want to top them with seeds, put the seeds on a plate and dip each bagel into the seeds.
Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden and crisp. Best eaten as soon as they are cool enough to handle or on the day they are baked. Toasted thereafter, bagels will keep well enough in a sealed container for a couple of days.
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I ate these potatoes heaps as a child, much preferring them to plain baked potatoes halved and served with a chunk of butter. Add chopped ham, different cheeses, cooked and chopped spinach or cabbage or some fried onions to the mix if you like.
4 baking potatoes
200ml milk
4 spring onions, finely sliced
80g Cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C (190°C fan).
Pierce each potato with a skewer, place them directly onto a baking rack in the oven and bake for about 1 hour or until cooked through.
Once soft, slice each potato in half lengthways and set aside for a few minutes to cool a little.
Spoon the cooked potato into a mixing bowl, being careful not to break the potato skins. Mash the potato and add the milk, spring onions and cheese and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Scoop the mashed potato mix back into the potato skins and return the potatoes to the oven for 15–20 minutes or until the potato is warmed through and the top is golden brown and crisp.
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I love to serve these potatoes, bright with the colour of turmeric, with a curry or dhal. A side dish, sure, but Bombay potatoes stretch a meal and are a family-friendly sidekick to rice.
30g butter
1 onion, finely sliced
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
500g cooked potatoes, chopped into 3–4cm cubes
100g frozen peas, defrosted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the butter in a large frying pan over a moderate heat. When it starts to bubble, add the onion and cumin seeds and fry gently about for 8–10 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the garlic, garam masala and turmeric and fry for a minute or so.
Add the cooked potatoes and toss well. Continue to fry over a moderate heat for 10 minutes, turning frequently, until the potatoes begin to crisp and go golden brown in places.
Add the peas, heat through for 2–3 minutes, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, being sure to scrape up any crispy bits from the bottom of the pan.
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This is a traditional Swedish recipe of potatoes baked with cream and pickled sprats; pickled sprats can be somewhat tricky to come by and I tend to use anchovies for this recipe, to good effect – a salty burst of flavour to complement the comfortable blanket of creamy starch. Serve with roast lamb, or on its own with a green salad.
50g butter
1 garlic clove, halved
2 tbsp olive oil
2 white onions, finely sliced
6 potatoes (approx. 750g), such as Maris Piper
8–10 anchovies, drained of oil, each fillet roughly chopped into three
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
500ml double cream
30g fresh breadcrumbs (optional but give good crunch)
Preheat the oven to 190°C (180°C fan). Grease a shallow ovenproof dish with about half the butter and rub all over with the garlic halves, squashing them into the dish.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a moderate heat and fry the onions for about 8–10 minutes until soft and translucent. Set to one side.
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and slice – using a mandolin if you have one – into 5mm thick rounds.
Arrange about a third of the sliced potatoes in the buttered dish, add some of the fried onions and some anchovy pieces, and repeat the process, seasoning each layer with pepper and a little salt until all the potatoes, onions and anchovies are used.
Pour the cream over the dish, dot with the remaining butter and cover with foil. Bake for about 30–40 minutes until the potatoes are soft and the cream is beginning to bubble.
Remove the foil, scatter with the breadcrumbs and bake uncovered for a further 15–20 minutes until the top is crisp and golden brown.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes or so before serving.
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There’s no denying that roasting, charring, or even burning a little can drastically alter the flavour of vegetables, meats and fruits as they cook, intensifying their flavour. Take cabbage for example: cooked at a high heat, the natural sugars begin to caramelise to give a sweetness to this green vegetable. Nutty tahini, sharp lemon and honey all work together with the bitter-sweet flavours of the cabbage. Try roasting cauliflower using this same recipe.
1 pointed (Hispi) cabbage or ½ round white cabbage, cut in half or into four wedges, depending on shape and size
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp honey
Small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped (use coriander if you like)
2 tbsp of pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Preheat the oven to 200°C (190°C fan) and put a roasting tin in the oven to get hot.
Toss the cabbage quarters in the olive oil, salt and pepper. Put the cabbage in the roasting tin and roast for 15–25 minutes until well coloured and cooked through.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice and honey with a pinch of salt. The tahini will at first appear to split; add 1 tablespoon cold water at a time (you may need up to 3 tablespoons) and continue mixing until the sauce has the consistency of double cream.
To serve, put the cabbage on a serving dish, spoon over the tahini sauce and scatter with the chopped parsley and seeds.
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Overcooked on purpose, this tangle of green beans is best served warm, not piping hot. The beans take on the flavours of onion, tomato, garlic and oil, becoming rich and beautifully flavoursome.
80ml olive oil
2 red onions, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
400g tin whole plum tomatoes, drained of juice
1kg green beans, trimmed
100ml water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small bunch of dill or parsley, roughly chopped
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a moderate heat and cook the onions for about 8–10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon, and fry for a minute or so.
Add the beans and water along with some salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over a very low heat for 1 hour or so, until the beans are absolutely soft. Check from time to time and add a tablespoon of water if the mixture looks dry.
Add the dill or parsley and increase the heat slightly. Simmer with the lid off for 5–10 minutes until any excess liquid has evaporated, leaving you with very soft beans bound by tomatoes and herbs.
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This is a versatile yogurt-based side dish to serve with spiced meals and Turkish or Middle Eastern-inspired dishes. Use mint instead of coriander if you prefer.
200ml plain yogurt
1 large carrot, grated
3 spring onions, finely chopped
Small bunch of coriander or mint, or dill, roughly chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
½ garlic clove, crushed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, adding salt and pepper to taste, and serve. It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 or 3 days; just stir well before serving.
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Malt extract is a terrific ingredient to use in baking and breadmaking. An unrefined syrup made from sprouted barley, it is dark brown, thick and sticky, with a distinctive malty flavour. It is about half as sweet as refined white sugar and can be used in many recipes that call for honey. Buy a jar from the supermarket or health-food shop; it has a good shelf life. Cooked with malt extract, the carrots turn sticky and fudgy with a mellow flavour to flatter the sweetness of the carrots and the nutty sunflower seeds.
12 carrots, cut in half lengthways
2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
3 tbsp malt extract
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g sunflower or pumpkin seeds
Small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 180°C (170°C fan).
Arrange the carrots in a single layer in a roasting tin and drizzle them with the oil and malt extract. Season with salt and pepper and cover the tin with foil.
Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, then remove the foil, add the sunflower seeds and continue to roast, uncovered, for a further 20–30 minutes until the carrots are completely cooked and sticky, almost wizened, and golden brown in places.
Pile the carrots onto a warmed serving dish, scraping all the sticky residue from the roasting tin. Scatter with the parsley and serve.
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The combination of hot, sweet, sticky prunes with crisp salty bacon is amazing. Serve these as sidekick to a pork, chicken or turkey roast, on their own with some buttered brown toast and watercress as a light lunch or, in their rightful place, as boisterous little canapés.
Rashers of streaky bacon, smoked or unsmoked
Dried prunes, stones removed
Preheat the grill. Cut the bacon rashers in half.
Wrap each prune in bacon and secure with a toothpick.
Cook under a hot grill, turning once, until the bacon is crisp. Serve at once.
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A side dish, but I would happily eat this solo for a wintry supper. Use any root vegetables you have to hand. Add beetroot, kale, Jerusalem artichokes, shallots or potatoes to the roasting mix if you like, taking into account that they might not all share a similar roasting time. Relax: this does not need to be served piping hot, so you can continue to cook the more stubborn vegetables while keeping the cooked veg warm in a serving dish. Yogurt is magic when mixed with a little warming spice such as cumin, along with the odd nugget of sweet and sticky date flesh. Serve with roast chicken or lamb if you like.
4–6 tbsp olive oil, lard, duck fat or beef dripping
Parsnips, peeled and cut into approx. 4cm chunks
Celeriac, peeled and cut into approx. 4cm chunks
Swede, peeled and cut into approx. 4cm chunks
Carrots, peeled and cut into approx. 4cm chunks
Garlic bulb, cloves separated, skin left on
1 tbsp mustard seeds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
YOGURT AND DATE DRESSING
300ml plain yogurt
1 tbsp honey
1 garlic clove, crushed
Juice of ½ lemon
Pinch of ground cumin
20 pitted dates, finely chopped
Small bunch of mint, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 200°C (190°C fan).
In a large roasting tin over a moderate heat, heat the cooking fat to just smoking point.
Add the vegetables, garlic cloves and mustard seeds and season well with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30–40 minutes, turning the vegetables at least once during cooking time.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Combine all the ingredients except the mint in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
When the vegetables are soft and golden brown in places, tip them into a warmed serving dish. Drizzle with the dressing, scatter with the mint and serve.
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Lassi is my default blitzed drink to make for my kids. Into the mix will go plain yogurt and any ripe soft fruit looking longingly at the blender – and the banana is the stalwart of the fruit bowl. The cardamom is optional but flatters the banana beautifully; use vanilla or keep it plain if you prefer.
MAKES 1 PINT
200g plain yogurt
2 small ripe and speckled bananas, peeled
100ml water
2 large ice cubes
2 whole cardamom pods (optional)
Put all the ingredients, including the ice, into the blender and blitz until completely smooth.
Pour the lassi through a sieve to extract the cardamom husks. Serve immediately in tall glasses on a hot day.
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A shrub is a fruit syrup preserved with vinegar and sugar. It is, by definition, intensely refreshing. Mix with fizzy water, or even Prosecco for the grown-ups, for a sparkling drink with a difference. Experiment with alternative ripe soft seasonal fruit (strawberries, raspberries, peaches, blueberries), switch vinegars and try adding whole spice (cinnamon, clove, vanilla or cardamom, for example) to the vinegar as you prepare the syrup if you like. Keep the strained fruit and you can use it in any chutney making.
MAKES APPROX. 500ML
400g ripe Victoria plums
400ml red wine vinegar
400g sugar – or use 200g sugar for a less sweet syrup
Ice and sparkling water (or Prosecco), to serve
Sterilise a 500ml Kilner jar or a large jam jar: wash it in hot soapy water, rinse well and place in a preheated oven at 110°C (100°C fan) for about 10–15 minutes until dry. Alternatively, put the jar through a hot cycle in the dishwasher.
Stone the plums, cut into eighths and add to the sterilised jar. Pour in the vinegar and seal the jar. Leave for 2–3 days.
Strain the vinegar into a non-reactive saucepan. Add the sugar, bring to the boil and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the hot syrup back into the jar and leave to cool.
Seal and store in the fridge; the shrub should last for up to a year or more.
To serve, add some of the syrup to a tall glass with plenty of ice, and top up with the fizz of your choice.
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Made with very little sugar (or none if you prefer), these fruit waters are a brilliant substitute for juice and cordial. With a short shelf life, they are best kept in the fridge and drunk on the day.
MAKES JUST OVER 1 LITRE
500g soft ripe seasonal fruit, such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, cherries, peaches, pineapple (chose one or use a mix)
1 litre cold water
2 tbsp caster sugar, or to taste
Rinse the berries; stone the cherries or peaches; slice the skin off the pineapple and roughly chop.
Blend the fruit, water and sugar together on high speed for a minute. Push the mix through a sieve. Serve over ice.
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Aged 5, I manned many a lemonade stall for my big brother. In the sun, at a flimsy table, I stood there relentlessly asking passers-by for 20p. There is something to be said for giving small children the freedom to work with ingredients (squashing, squeezing and spooning) and in doing so concocting something from scratch. Making lemonade is just that, though they will need a little guidance with the scalding water.
To serve, you can add mint leaves, lemon balm, thyme, strips of ginger, cucumber slices, a head of elderflower or even some borage flowers to the cordial. Not only do they look lovely, they will also impart different flavours to the lemonade.
MAKES APPROX. 500ML
150g caster sugar
300ml water
3 unwaxed lemons
Water (still or fizzy) and ice, to serve
Put the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Peel or grate the lemons into a bowl (avoiding the pith) and pour the just-boiled syrup over the zest. Leave to cool.
Squeeze the lemons and add the juice to the bowl. Strain through a sieve into a jug, then pour into a bottle, seal and store in the fridge. This will keep perfectly well for up to 2 weeks, but the flavour is most fragrant if used within 3 days.
Pour some of the cordial over ice in a glass and dilute with water to taste. I find 1:3 cordial to water is best.
