pancetta-wrapped asparagus with orange dressing

i know it’s a bit late in the year for english asparagus but i wanted to share this recipe with you anyway, which i really enjoyed a couple of weeks ago.

the asparagus blanched for a few minutes and once it has cooled, then wrapped in pancetta. i then fried the asparagus in a little olive oil until the pancetta was crispy and the asparagus had finished cooking through.

the dressing, which was poured over the hot and crispy asparagus was a mix of olive oil, orange juicem orange zest and a little dijon mustard.

very simple, very summery and a little bit different.

summer roasted vegetables with honey-toasted goat's cheese

the shift in weather has been just wonderful – today in london we had highs of 29c (84.2f)! and the sunshine is due to continue into the weekend, which is just wonderful.

salads have obviously been high on my foodie list as a result and i was particularly pleased with this roasted vegetable and toasted goat’s cheese version.

roasted vegetables doesn’t have a very summery feel but this mix of asparagus, tenderstem broccoli, cherry tomatoes and aubergine worked really well. having roasted them separately until just done i mixed them with puy lentils (cooked with a carrot, shallot and bay leaf) that i’d dressed while they were still warm, using a dijon mustard, rapeseed oil and lemon dressing. plenty of fresh mint and parsley finished it off nicely.

the freshness of the salad contrasted really well with the goat’s cheese which i toasted under the grill having brushed it with smoked-tomato oil and then drizzled with honey and added a grinding of black pepper. toasted pitta breads on the side to scoop everything up with. bon appétit!

an unusual lemon and herb dressing

 

having bought asparagus to make the moro scrambled eggs with prawns and asparagus i wanted to try something different with the rest. the focus of this dish is the lemon, tomato and herb dressing which nigel slater wrote about earlier this year – he describes a fresh and bright marriage of herbs and sharp citrus (you use the flesh of a lemon, finely diced and with all the pith and peel removed) which has been  tucked away in my memory ever since.

the balance of flavours works really well – there is a lot of olive oil to help reduce the impact of all that lemon flesh. i used a different combination of herbs – fennel, lemon balm, basil and tarragon – and think the recipe would work well with many combinations, just use whatever you have in.

we ate this with burgers and some tomato jam on the side.

Click to read more ...

moro top ten: scrambled eggs with prawns and asparagus

 

“the best revueltos” simply seduce the classic spanish flavours with which they are combined”

from casa moro, this is scrambled eggs, spanish style. the book talks about a number of different versions – prawns with peas or broad beans and mint; prawns with mushrooms; mushroom with jamon serrano; artichoke hearts with jamon serrano; salt cod and potatoes; and garlic shoots/leaves with prawns or jamon serrano. the recipe in the top ten is prawns and asparagus, with a hint of garlic and flat leaf parsley. 

so, how did i get on?

Click to read more ...

summer leek and lemon pasta

 

i have a new favourite pasta dish. this lemon, leek and crème fraiche concoction, which is freshened up with herbs, contains peas and asparagus. or peas and broad beans. or something else entirely (i think courgette would also be good, in combination with any of the above) and seems to be very adaptable which is perfect for using up whatever happens to be in the fridge.

despite being creamy it’s wonderfully light (crème fraiche is a much lighter choice than cream) and perfect both for a warm day or if you need something a bit comforting to make up for the almost-daily, but thankfully intermittent, rain showers we’re getting at the moment.

give it a try and let me know what you think, especially if you use different vegetables. 

Click to read more ...