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Gamberi all'Arrabbiata

These fragrant and beautifully spicy Gamberi all'Arrabbiata make a simple yet flavourful lunch to celebrate the end of the week! Happy Friday!

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/3 Garden Chilli 

1 large garlic clove, minced

a dozen fresh prawns

¼ teaspoon fleur de sel or sea salt flakes

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 large,  ripe Garden Marmande Tomatoes, rinsed

1 large lemon

1/2 tablespoon caster sugar

Heat olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. 

Add fennel seeds and dried thyme, and fry, 1 minute.

Thinly slice Garden Chilli, and stir into the skillet. Cook, a couple of minutes more.

Add minced garlic, and cook, another minute.

Peel prawns and stir them into the skillet, coating well in oil and spices. Cook until bright pink, and starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Season with fleur de sel and black pepper.

Dice Marmande Tomatoes, and stir them in the skillet, along with all their juice. Bring to the boil.

Thoroughly squeeze the juice of the lemon over the prawns, and reduce heat to medium. Stir in caster sugar. Simmer, about 5 minutes more. 

Serve Gamberi all'Arrabbiata hot, with Bay and Fennel Rice.

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Anchovy Pasta Salad

Today is the hottest day of the year so far, and thus a refreshing but also hearty Anchovy Pasta Salad, making the best of leftovers and early harvest, is an excellent lunch to celebrate sunshine and warmth! Happy Thursday!

Ingredients (serves 1):

1 1/3 cup leftover cooked whole-wheat pasta (such as penne, rotini or farfalle)

1 large, ripe Garden Marmande Tomato, rinsed

half a cucumber, rinsed

5 large anchovies, kept in oil

half a lemon

a pinch of fleur de sel or sea salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper

½ tablespoon olive oil

½ tablespoon Modena Balsamic Vinegar

Spoon pasta in a medium bowl.

Dice Marmande Tomato, and add to the bowl.

Cut cucumber in four, and then into slices. Add to the bowl, as well.

Add anchovies, and grate in the zest of the lemon halve.

Season with a pinch of fleur de sel and freshly cracked black pepper.

Drizzle with olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar, and toss gently, to combine.

Serve Anchovy Pasta Salad with a glass of chilled rosé like Côtes de Provence.

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Cantaloupe with Garden Berries

A simple recipe that is refreshing and delicious is rather lovely. Even lovelier, this Summer-y Cantaloupe with Garden Berries, which from the beautiful red and ripe berries to the flowery liqueur drizzling it, literally bears the fruits of my labour! And I'm quite proud, for the gooseberries are gorgeously tangy and the strawberries wonderfully sweet and juicy! Perhaps I should try growing the cantaloupes next year, eh?

Ingredients (serves 2):

half a beautiful, ripe cantaloupe melon, chilled

half a dozen fresh Red Currants (Gooseberries), rinsed

3 ripe Garden Strawberries, rinsed

2 tablespoons Elderflower Liqueur 

Seed cantaloupe melon halve, and cut into halves.

Place each cantaloupe halve (or rather, technically, quarter) into a plate, and garnish with Red Currants and Garden Strawberries.

Drizzle each generously with Elderflower Liqueur.

Serve Cantaloupe with Garden Fruits immediately.

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Garden Strawberry Tart

The strawberry harvest is already bountiful --and delicious-- this year, and thus I'm baking a beautiful Garden Strawberry Tart, to celebrate. Happy Saturday!

Ingredients (makes 2 ½ cups):

1 ½ cup semi-skimmed milk

½ cup double cream

1 plump vanilla bean

2 large egg yolks

¼ cup caster sugar

2 heaped tablespoons cornflour (starch)

1 heaped tablespoon ground almonds

415 grams/14.5 ounces Rye Pastry 

about 2 dozens beautiful and ripe Garden Strawberries, rinsed

a few tender (tops) mint leaves

In a medium saucepan, combine milk and double cream. Scrape the seeds off the vanilla bean and stir into the milk, adding the empty pod as well. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Meanwhile, energetically whisk egg yolks with sugar, cornflour and ground almonds until pale yellow and the mixture falls from the whisk like a ribbon.

Gently pour a bit of the hot milk and cream mixture over the eggs yolks, whisking constantly. While still whisking, add the rest of the milk, until well-blended. Pour mixture back into the saucepan, and return over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until custard thickens well, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, and pour custard into a bowl. Cover with cling film directly on the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator, at least a couple of hours.

Preheat oven to 200°C/395°F.

Butter a 24cm/8" tart tin, and line the bottom with baking paper. Set aside.

Roll Rye Pastry out onto a lightly floured surface, and fit into prepared tin, letting it overhang on the edges. Prick the bottom and sides of the Pastry, and blind bake at 200°C/395°F, for 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through and golden.

Remove from the oven, and allow to cool completely.

Cut Strawberries into slices. Set aside.

Spoon chilled vanilla and almond custard into the cooled rye tart crust, spreading into an even layer.

Beautifully arrange Garden Strawberry slices on top. Garnish with small mint leaves.

Serve Garden Strawberry Tart immediately, or chill in the refrigerator until serving time, with chilled Champagne or sparkling wine.

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Baking Tip: Rye Pastry

This beautiful Rye Pastry brings a lot of interest to your pies and tarts, with its slightly nutty taste!

Ingredients (makes about 415 grams/14.5 ounces pastry):

1 ½ cup plain flour

½ cup rye flour

¼ cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

¼ to 1/3 cup ice water

In a large bowl, combine plain flour, rye flour, sugar and salt. Add butter, and rub it into the flour mixture between your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Then, gradually stir in ice water until mixture comes together into a soft ball. You may not need all of it.

Flatten pastry into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill Almond Pastry, at least one hour before using. You can keep it up to a couple of days in the refrigerator, or three months in the freezer.

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Garden Octopus Salad

It goes without saying that there are no octopus swimming in the tiny pond in our garden; this Garden Octopus Salad is thus called because, I do, on the other hand, grow tomatoes and herbs in the Veg Patch, and they all ended up in this deliciously fragrant and tasty dish, particularly enjoyable on a sunny and warm June day! Happy Friday!

Ingredients (serves 4):

a small bunch Garden Chives 

a few fluffy sprigs Garden Dill 

2 fluffy sprigs Garden Chervil 

½ lemon

a good pinch of fleur de sel

and freshly cracked black pepper

¼ teaspoon Piment d'Espelette or (slightly less) Cayenne Pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 small shallots

900 grams/2 pounds cooked Octopus, cooled

1/2 large cucumber, rinsed

1 cup Garden Cherry Tomatoes, rinsed

Finely chop Garden Chives, Dill and Chervil, and spoon into a salad bowl. Thoroughly grate in the zest of the lemon halve.

Season with a pinch of fleur de sel and freshly cracked black pepper, and Piment d'Espelette.

Drizzle generously with olive oil, and give a good stir, to mix.

Then, thoroughly squeeze in the juice of the lemon halve, stirring energetically until well-blended. Set aside.

Peel and finely chop shallots, and stir into the bowl, coating in oil, herbs and spices.

Finally, cut the Octopus into small chunks, and stir into the salad bowl. Toss well to generously coat in dressing.

Dice cucumber and halve the Cherry Tomatoes, and stir into the salad, coating well in dressing, too.

Place salad bowl in the refrigerator to chill, at least one hour.

Serve Garden Octopus Salad cold, with a glass of chilled Pays d'Oc or Côtes de Provence Rosé.

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Tapenade

Tapenade, is a fragrant black (or Green) olive paste, typical of Provençal Cuisine, delicious on toasted bread with an apéritif!

Ingredients (makes about a cup):

a jar (about 3/4 cup), good quality black olives

2 garlic cloves

2 heaped tablespoons capers, drained

a fluffy sprig Garden Rosemary 

3/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1 lemon

1/4 cup good extra-virgin olive oil

Pit black olives and place them in a tall container (in which a stick blender can fit.)

Peel and halve garlic cloves, and add them to the olives, along with the capers.

Tear in Garden Rosemary leaves.

Add freshly cracked black pepper, and grate in the zest of the whole lemon.

Using a stick blender, process, gradually adding olive oil until the mixture has a thick paste consistency. It shouldn't be too smooth.

If you have time --and energy!-- you can also use a pestle and mortar!

Serve Tapenade with toasted Baguette, and a cold Pastis.

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Rosemary Grilled Steaks

On a sunny day, light up the barbie and cook these mouth-watering Rosemary Grilled Steaks, and lunch will feel like the weekend! Happy Wednesday!

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 beautiful or rib-eye-steaks

2 fluffy sprigs Garden Rosemary 

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

fleur de sel or sea salt flakes, to taste

Pat both rib-eye steaks, on both sides; set aside. 

Remove Garden Rosemary leaves from their stalk, and tear them into a roasting tin. Add black pepper and olive oil, stirring until well-blended.

Add the steaks to the tin, and thoroughly rub herb oil into the flesh of the steaks, on each side. Let the steaks marinate and absorb the flavours, in the refrigerator, for at least a couple of hours.

Prepare barbecue: half an hour before grilling, arrange a layer of coals in the barbecue. Top with a few small branches of dry wood (applewood or fir give a good taste), and light.

Wait for the flames to die down, and place the steaks on the grill over the red embers. Grill, about 5 minutes on each side, for a medium-well steak, a bit longer for well-done steaks.

Serve Rosemary Grilled Steaks with Grilled Tomatoes and rice.

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Lemon Salmon

Simple, but very flavourful, this Lemon Salmon makes a bright and easy lunch for two on a sunny day! Happy Monday!

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 nice pieces fresh salmon

1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or sea salt flakes

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 200°C/395°F.

Pat salmon pieces dry with paper towels, and place them in a small roasting tin.

Season with fleur de sel and black pepper, rubbing the seasoning gently into the flesh.

Generously grate lemon zest onto the salmon.

Then, thoroughly squeeze the juice of the lemon halve into a small bowl. Add olive oil, whisking until well-blended.

Brush the salmon with olive and oil mixture, and place in the middle of the hot oven.

Bake, at 200°C/395°F, for 25 minutes.

Just before serving, brush with remaining lemon and oil mixture to glaze.

Serve Lemon Salmon with green peas or Leeks.

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Apricot and Red Currant Tart

A delicious treat to end a warm and sunny Sunday Lunch with, this Apricot and Red Currant Tart has butter-y, flaky pastry, beautifully soft apricots and the lovely tang of freshly picked garden gooseberries! Have a lovely Sunday!

Ingredients (serves 4):

355 grams/12.5 ounces Rough Puff Pastry, thawed if frozen

2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly

4 heaped tablespoons ground almonds

9 apricots, not too ripe, rinsed

1 tablespoon Lavender Sugar 

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon pure honey

1/2 tablespoon Apricot Liqueur 

a dozen grapes fresh Red Currants (Gooseberries), rinsed

Preheat oven to 200°C/395°F. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll Rough Puff Pastry into a large rectangle. Prick Pastry rectangle with a fork. Spoon redcurrant jelly onto the Pastry, and spread outwards, almost to the edges. Sprinkle generously with ground almonds.

Arrange apricots, flat-side up onto the jelly. Sprinkle apricots with Lavender Sugar.

Brush edges of the Pastry rectangle with egg wash. Bake in the hot oven, 30 minutes at 200°C/395°F.

In a small bowl, stir honey and Apricot Liqueur until well-combined.

Remove Apricot Tart from the oven and immediately brush the fruits with Honey and Apricot Liqueur mixture.

Garnish with Red Currants.

Serve Apricot and Red Currant Tart warm or cooled, with a scoop of Rosemary Olive Oil Ice Cream on a hot day! Happy Sunday!

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Rosemary Mushroom and Onion Tart (Vegetarian)

This more-ish and deliciously flavourful Rosemary Mushroom and Onion Tart makes an excellent dinner on a rainy May night, and is the tastiest way to test a new oven, too! Happy Monday!

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 fluffy sprig Garden Rosemary 

half a dozen button mushrooms, dusted

half a dozen cremini mushrooms, dusted

1 small onion

1 red onion

a large Green Onion

½ teaspoon fleur de sel or sea salt flakes

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Modena Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 tablespoon caster sugar

225 grams/8 ounces Rough Puff Pastry

1 large egg yolk

Parmesan

Remove the leaves from the stalk and finely chop Garden Rosemary.

Cut button and cremini mushrooms into thick slices or quarters and transfer to a medium bowl.

Peel and thinly slice onion, red onion and Green Onion, and add them to the bowl.

Season with fleur de sel, black pepper and chopped Rosemary. Drizzle generously with olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar. Sprinkle with caster sugar; give a good stir, to coat evenly. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 200°C/395°F. Line a baking tray with baking paper. 

Onto a lightly floured surface, roll Rough Puff Pastry out into a large rectangle. Transfer Puff Pastry rectangle onto prepared baking tray. 

Lightly beat egg yolk, and brush the edges of the Puff Pastry rectangle with it. Then, liberally scatter mushroom and onion mixture all over the Pastry, leaving out the edges.

Place baking tray in the middle of the hot oven, and bake, at 200°C/395°F, 25 to 30 minutes, until the Pastry is beautifully golden brown and puffed.

Remove from the oven and transfer to serving dish.

Serve Rosemary Mushroom and Onion Tart immediately, with dressed lettuce and a full-bodied red, like a Western Australian Shiraz or Malbec.

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Mint Basil and Balsamic Strawberry Soup

Refreshing and fragrant with garden herbs and fruit, this beautiful Mint, Basil and Balsamic Strawberry Soup makes an elegantly simple dessert. Happy Monday!

Ingredients (serves 3):

a dozen medium, very ripe Garden Strawberries + 3 smaller for garnish

half a dozen freshly picked small mint leaves

half a dozen freshly picked large Garden Basil Leaves 

2 teaspoons caster sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon Modena Balsamic Vinegar

Rinse Garden Strawberries under cold water. Halve them and place them in a blender.

Tear in mint leaves and Basil Leaves. Sprinkle with caster sugar, and drizzle in Balsamic Vinegar. Close blender and process on high speed until very smooth.

Pour Strawberry soup into three serving cups, and chill in the refrigerator, at least one hour before serving.

Just before serving, cut three reserved Strawberries into thin slices and gently place on top of each cup.

Serve Mint, Basil and Balsamic Strawberry Soup immediately.

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Beef and Vegetable Skewers

These flavourful Beef and Vegetable Skewers were also on the table today! Happy Sunday!

Ingredients (serves 3):

about 300g/ beef chuck or shoulder meat

4 heaped tablespoons Rosemary and Paprika Marinade

half a red onion

a medium red Garden Bell Pepper, rinsed 

half a large courgette, rinsed

Cut beef chuck into a dozen decent bite-sized pieces.

Place beef pieces in a bowl with the Rosemary and Paprika Marinade, and toss gently and thoroughly to rub, and coat evenly.

Allow to marinate, at least a couple of hours in the refrigerator.

Prepare barbecue: half an hour before grilling, arrange a layer of coals in the barbecue. Top with a few small branches of dry wood (applewood or fir give a good taste), and light.

Meanwhile prepare skewers. Halve red onion halve and divide each layers so you have two dozen bits.

Halve and seed Garden Bell Pepper, and cut into a dozen pieces.

Cut a dozen thick slices in the courgette.

On each skewer, place a piece of Bell Pepper, a red onion bit, a piece of marinated beef, a slice of courgette, a red onion bit, a second piece of beef, another slice of courgette, a red onion bit, a third piece of beef and another piece of Bell Pepper, until you have three beautiful and generous skewers.

Wait for the flames to die down, and place the beef skewers on the grill over the red embers. Grill, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, for a medium-well meat.

Serve Beef and Vegetable Skewers hot with Peach Chutney and Grilled Corn.

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Mushroom and Apricot Beef Skewers

After our first picnic of the year last Sunday, today marked our first barbie. Although it was much windier and chillier than Thursday's positively Summer-y Bank Holiday, it was gorgeously sunny, thus we cooked outside and lunched inside! On the menu, were these tasty Mushroom and Apricot Beef Skewers! Happy Sunday!

Ingredients (serves 3):

about 300g/ beef chuck or shoulder meat

4 heaped tablespoons Rosemary and Paprika Marinade

half a dozen large white mushrooms

half a dozen soft dried apricots

Cut beef chuck into a dozen decent bite-sized pieces.

Place beef pieces in a bowl with the Rosemary and Paprika Marinade, and toss gently and thoroughly to rub, and coat evenly.

Allow to marinate, at least a couple of hours in the refrigerator.

Prepare barbecue: half an hour before grilling, arrange a layer of coals in the barbecue. Top with a few small branches of dry wood (applewood or fir give a good taste), and light.

Meanwhile prepare skewers. Dust mushrooms and cut off their feet.

On each skewer, place a mushroom cap, a piece of marinated beef, a dried apricot, a second piece of beef, another dried apricot, a third piece of beef and another mushroom cap, until you have three beautiful and generous skewers.

Wait for the flames to die down, and place the beef skewers on the grill over the red embers. Grill, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, for a medium-well meat.

Serve Mushroom and Apricot Beef Skewers with Apricot and Ginger Chutney.

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Rosemary and Paprika Marinade

This fragrant Rosemary and Paprika Marinade beautifully enhances any piece of meat, from beef to chicken, lamb to duck, and could work brilliantly with fish and vegetables, too!

Ingredients (makes about 1/3 cup):

1 fluffy sprig Garden Rosemary 

1 1/2 heaped teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

a small lemon

5 tablespoons olive oil

Remove the leaves from the stalk and finely chop Garden Rosemary. Add to a large bowl.

Add smoked paprika.

In a mortar, gently crush fennel seeds with the pestle. Add to the bowl, along with cracked black pepper.

Grate in the zest of half the lemon. Give a stir, to mix.

Then, stir in olive oil until well-combined.

You can now add whichever meat, fish or vegetables you wish to marinate, gently but thoroughly rub them and coat them in the marinade, and give them at least a couple of hours in the refrigerator, to absorb the delicious flavours of this Rosemary and Paprika Marinade.

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Spring Fever

On a Long Weekend, especially a sunny one, there's nothing like the delight of lounging outdoors --even more so when the lounging comes after a few hours of robust gardening! Or perhaps, there is something better, if you're also sipping a deliciously cooling Spring Fever! Happy Friday!

Ingredients (serves 3):

half a dozen well-ripe Garden Strawberries, rinsed

90 millilitres/3 fluid ounces (6 tablespoons) Elderflower Liqueur 

1 1/2 lemons

3/4 teaspoon Rose Bitters

8 ice cubes

chilled Champagne or sparkling white wine

Halve Strawberries and place them in a large shaker. Muddle them gently with a muddler, to extract their juice.

Add Elderflower Liqueur.

Thoroughly squeeze in the juice of the lemon and lemon halve.

Add Rose Bitters, then ice cubes and close shaker tightly. Shake energetically until well-chilled.

Double strain Strawberry and Elderflower Liqueur mixture into three chilled coupes or cocktail glasses.

Top with chilled Champagne.

Enjoy Spring Fever immediately! Cheers!

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Elderflower Cured Salmon

Beautifully fragrant with seasonal flavours, this Elderflower Cured Salmon makes a simple yet delightful dish to feast on in the days, and particularly nights, after Easter!

Ingredients (serves six to a dozen):

4 cups coarse sea salt

4 cups caster sugar

4 fluffy sprigs Garden Dill 

1/2 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper

half a large salmon (about 900 grams/2 pounds), filleted

4 tablespoons Elderflower Liqueur 

In a large bowl, combine coarse sea salt and caster sugar.

Finely chop Garden Dill , and add to the bowl, along with the black pepper, stirring well to mix. Set aside

Unwrap a large portion of cling film, without cutting it. Arrange about a third of the salt and sugar mixture onto it, and sit salmon halve, skin-side down firmly onto it. Drizzle generously with Elderflower Liqueur. Top with remaining two thirds of the curing mixture, fold cling film over and wrap tightly. Place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

Remove cure, and rinse salmon under cold water. It now has taken a deeper pink hue, and the flesh is harder to the the touch. Pat salmon dry with paper towels.

Remove Elderflower Cured Salmon from the refrigerator, about half an hour before serving, with Blinis and a chilled dry white wine, like a Riesling or a Chardonnay.