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Entries in tomatoes (36)

Tuesday
Jun222010

chilli tomatoes with spinach couscous, mozzarella and basil oil

DateTuesday, June 22, 2010 at 06:18

somehow i ended up with 500g of fresh basil earlier in the week – nine bunches, enough to fill a supermarket carrier bag! trying to work out how to use it was fun. you already know i used some to make a lemon & basil syrup which i added to cava.

basil oil is an old favourite and was an obvious choice - an easy one too: blitz together fresh basil, good olive oil, a little crushed garlic and some salt & pepper (it will last in the fridge 7-10 days).

i drizzled this over a couscous, mograbiah and spinach salad which was topped with caramelised cinnamon onions, harissa-roasted tomatoes and torn mozzarella (it was based on this recipe, with the addition of mograbiah (a type of large couscous, you can see a few of the balls at the front of the picture) to the couscous and mozzarella used in place of the labneh).

i shared this with friends, eating it sitting outside on the grass, as a light lunch with some green salad and warm bread. it would also be perfect as an accompaniment to a bbq.

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Monday
Jun142010

devil’s nest

DateMonday, June 14, 2010 at 06:00

lindsay bareham’s week in recipes is fun reading – she talks about what she’s eaten and why and then provides you with the recipe. it has the same voyeuristic component that nigel slater’s kitchen diaries has, as well as most food blogs.

a description from a few weeks ago got stuck in my mind – she refers to an interview with jon hamm from mad men (this is a late find for david and i, we’re just nearing the end of series two and loving it), who, while being interviewed,  orders devil’s nest at a café in silver lake, a boho-chic part of la.  

it was described as “a scramble of avocado, sour cream and spicy sausage” which lindsay used as the basis to create her recipe for “monday’s perfect home-alone supper… i make it with crisp fried chorizo, coriander, a dribble of sweet chilli dipping sauce and dollop of soured cream to complement the almost-guacamole and scrambled eggs.”

i couldn’t decide if it would be "a mess on a plate" or delicious. thankfully it was the latter and i was glad that i decided to risk it for breakfast on sunday. i fancy trying a chorizo version at some point soon but will probably use fresh chorizo sausages rather than the slices of cured meat.

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Friday
Apr232010

spelt risotto with wild garlic

DateFriday, April 23, 2010 at 07:32

 

it’s wild garlic season again and, having ordered some from food4london i’ve been thinking about how to make the most of it. using it in an omelette or a dauphinoise was my initial thought but nigel slater’s recipe for spelt risotto with pea shoots sent me off in a different direction.

i have several bags of spelt (aka farro) in my cupboards and decided that this would be the perfect way to use some the wild garlic. nigel’s tip to soak the spelt for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients is a great one and reduces the cooking time.

david was a little sceptical given the last spelt risotto i made was quite austere so, as well as using the wild garlic i added a handful of sunblush tomatoes and a couple of crumbled and browned sausages which david had been given earlier in the day by a friend whose father is the local butcher in nethy bridge, scotland.

the resulting risotto was wonderfully comforting. the wild garlic has a gentle flavour which worked well with the spelt and the sausage and tomatoes added a richness which meant the dish felt sufficicntly indulgent for an end of the week meal.

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Wednesday
Mar242010

chicken fattee

DateWednesday, March 24, 2010 at 07:00

 

keeping to the theme of food that is difficult to photograph in an appealing way, let me share with you the culinary delight that is chicken fattee. this moro recipe, chicken fattee with rice, crispbread and yogurt to give it its full name, is a much-loved favourite of mine.

i think it was one of the first recipes i made from casa moro and is one which i return to regularly. it’s not quick to pull together but the different components can all be prepared in advance (i wrap them in foil and warm through gently in the oven) and work together wonderfully.

it is a great dish for feeding people frugally – one chicken can be stretched to feed eight without any problem. i also think it has a wonderful celebratory feel – i pile it up on a large platter in the middle of the table and tell people to help themselves. my vegetarian equivalent is diana henry’s bulgar and spinach pilaf with labneh and chilli roast tomatoes.

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Monday
Jan252010

smokey tomato salsa

DateMonday, January 25, 2010 at 20:52

our latin party was great fun and i was so lucky with the recipes i chose – with two exceptions all of the ten different dishes i did were absolutely delicious. often this was the result of a mix n match approach to the recipes i found or a bit of gentle tweaking.

my favourite component was this smokey salsa. i used a few thomasina miers recipes as the base for dishes including her recipe for roasted tomato salsa. she talks about the classic mexican technique of frying chillies in a dry pan so they soften and char. in her salsa recipe she adds garlic and red onions to the charring-pan.

she also calls for the tomatoes to be dry-fried whole but that didn’t really work so i roasted half the tomatoes on a baking tray – maximum oven temperature and no seasoning or oil for the tomatoes. both processes result in a lot of smoke, smells and burnt-looking vegetables. these get blitzed with enough fresh tomatoes (this is where i differ from the source recipe which calls for all tomatoes to be roasted) to bring back a hint of freshness which is lifted with coriander, lime and red wine vinegar.

i have never had a salsa with such depth of flavour and really recommend you try this. a fresh tomato salsa has nothing on it. 

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