Olympic Pasta Salad

Tomorrow is the first day back at work since the start of the Olympics. The boy and I will both be taking ‘Plan B’ routes to work as the tube is meant to be packed. We’re also taking packed lunches which I’m making tonight, as we’re anticipating long queues at all our usual lunch places.

I’m not giving amounts as it should be weighted towards what you fancy.

Penne pasta

Red onion

Cherry tomatoes

Short cucumber

Courgette

Aubergine

Green olives

Radishes

Dressing

Extra virgin olive oil

Wine vinegar

Garlic

Mustard

Oregano

The boy is making the dressing while I have the pasta on to boil. I like it quite tart and use almost 1:1 oil to vinegar, though I imagine most people don’t.  Probably 1/3 of  a cup of each, with a crushed garlic clove and a tsp each of dried oregano and mustard. For some reason the boy has decided a mug is the perfect receptacle.

The pasta is done so it’s drained and dressed with olive oil and left to cool. As it’s a slow Sunday evening with Radio 4, it’s also getting a pinch of oregano and salt and pepper tossed through too.

More olive oil in a frying pan and we’re cooking 1 small aubergine and one courgette, both in small pieces, until cooked. More salt and pepper. Again let it cool.

The cucumber is just sliced and the radishes, topped and tailed.

When all is cold mix everything, including the cherry tomatoes and green olives. As late as possible – ideally in the morning, dress a little more liberally than you usually would as the pasta will soak up some dressing.

Divided between two lunch boxes, we’re ready to go. Tomorrow is Men’s Diving and we’re both wishing Tom Daley and Jack Laugher all the luck in the world.

Moroccan Preserved Lemons

Lemons are cheap at the moment so we’re making this to put aside for winter. The sweet and heat of Moroccan tagines is perfect when it’s cold so this will stand us in good stead.

20 lemons, ideally small ones

10tbsp salt

2 sticks cinnamon

10 peppercorns

4 star anise

At the moment, 20 lemons will cost us only  £2 or £3. We’ll need some big jars but we’ve saved a couple of the big jars that Turkish pickles come in. The whole spices aren’t authentic, but they do add a subtle flavour and make the jars look prettier.

The boy likes the idea of provisioning for winter. Our kitchen is in a conservatory so he’s wearing shorts and a singlet. Not seen him in this combo before but it suits him.

Get him to wash all the lemons, giving them all a scrub to get any wax or chemicals off them. When he’s done, give him eight, which he will cut into quarters, almost down to the stem, but not right through. He ends up with lemons that are open but still joined at the bottom.

Add a tablespoon of salt to the centre of each lemon and then hold them closed so they sort of resemble whole lemons again. Do this over your jars so they gather any spilled juice or salt. Squash the lemons back in the jars – you should get 4 lemons in each, pushed in tight enough to keep together. If you can squash another one in, do so.

Divide the whole spices between each jar and push them well down.

You should have 12 remaining lemons – squeeze them for their juice. Hopefully you will have enough to cover the lemons in the jars. If not top up with boiling water – if I have to do this I usually add a little more salt.

Leave at least a month so it softens and mellows – remove the fruit flesh when you use it; all your after is the soft mellow skin that will give tagines a warm mellow lemon flavour. The boy is looking pretty happy with our pickle cupboard so far. I still have many plans to fill it further before the cold weather approaches.

Sabanekh bi-roz

The boy is growing to love Lebanese food as much as I do. This is simple but satisfying.

1tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

Small handful chopped coriander, leaves and stems

675g spinach, chopped

200g Basmati rice

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground pepper

½ tsp ground allspice

1 ½ tsp salt

I’m home before the boy – it’s been a really hot day so we’re having something light for dinner. I’m enjoying a programme on Radio 4 about some English people taking over a Paris restaurant, while I’m chopping the onion and cutting any tough stalks off the spinach.

It’s really simple to make – sauté the onions and when they are soft, add the coriander, and cook for just a few seconds.

Add the spinach in batches. The boy arrives half way through adding this. Kiss him hello and ask him to open some white wine. He’s glowing from the sunshine and in a good mood.

As the spinach starts to shrink down, add the raw rice and the spices. Stir and add 250ml water and the salt. Turn the heat down, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Check the rice is done, and get the boy to try a forkful to make sure the spicing is right. If it’s watery, take the lid off to cook it off. When it’s just about there, turn off the heat and cover and just let it sit for the flavours to mingle for 2 minutes.

We’re serving with warm flat bread and Turkish yoghurt.

Peppers Stuffed with Cherry Tomatoes

A light lunch. I’m deliberately doubling the recipe as these are also really good cold.

6 large red bell peppers

20 cherry tomatoes, halved

12 black olives, stoned and halved

2tbs capers

2tsp dried thyme

2 cloves garlic, sliced

Lots of olive oil

2tbsp thyme leaves

The boy is picking the thyme. This might be the last of this year’s crop, so I’m tempted to buy another couple of plants. He’s also picked out a really nice looking Paysanne loaf of bread to have this with while we were out earlier. I really like it when he takes an interest in what we’re eating. Peppers are at their best everywhere we go right now.

Halve the peppers lengthways, leaving the stalk on (hopefully having sliced halfway through it). Scoop out all the seeds and the membrane. Heat the oven to 200/Gas6.

Put the peppers in a large, oiled, baking dish. Drizzle each of the insides with olive oil. Layer in the tomato halves, dotting in the garlic, olives and capers as you go. You might have too many tomatoes. Sprinkle with the Thyme and season well with salt and pepper. Drizzle a liberal amount of olive oil over each stuffed pepper.

Bake for about 40 minutes. Check how soft the peppers are and give them up to 15 more minutes, testing frequently. They should be very soft but still holding their shape.

Serve with a simple salad of rocket, cucumber and green olives. And of course the bread that the boy bought, spread with salty Breton butter.

If there are any left, one would be very nice, at room temperature, served on toast with a thin slice of goats cheese.

Braised Lettuce with Summer Veg & Bacon

We had this as a substantial side dish to go with some pan fried calves liver. The boy was not that keen on the liver and though he thought he wouldn’t like cooked lettuce, he did like this.

2 lettuces

Thick slice butter

100g bacon lardons

2 small leeks

250g fresh peas, podded

250ml vegetable stock

Quarter the lettuce and wash it well.

Melt the butter in a large pan, add the bacon, and sweat with the lid on for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Trim and slice the leeks – not too much of the tough green part, and add to the bacon.

Once the leeks start to soften, add the peas, lettuce and stock. I like Marigold Swiss Bouillon or Knorr vegetable stock pots. Season well with salt and black pepper. Bring it the boil, and then put the lid on and let it simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Lift out all the vegetables and see how much stock is left – there should only be about a ladleful. If there is any more, boil it off until it reduces. Pour over the lettuce mix.

As I said, the boy liked this, but wasn’t so keen on the liver (despite the fact it was tender and pink in the middle). Next time I make it, we’ll have it with crusty bread and a couple of English cheeses instead. 

Saag with Aubergine Raita

This is a simple duo of dishes from the frontier between Pakistan and Afghanistan. That alone is enough to make this a very exciting prospect to the boy. Unusually he wants to help, but there’s really not that much to do. So he’s making the saag and I’m doing the aubergines.

Saag

6tsp oil

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 green chillies, seeded and finely chopped

1tsp salt

½ tsp cumin

1 can chopped tomatoes

750g spinach, washed and chopped

We have time to do this properly so the boy is toasting the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan, and then bashing them in a mortar, until roughly ground. Remind him to wash his hands after chopping the chillies. We remember what happened last time!

He’s going to fry the garlic and chillies in the oil, very gently so the garlic doesn’t burn. When it is soft, in go the cumin, salt and tomatoes. When the tomato has thickened and most of the water has evaporated, he will add the spinach. And stir fry until most of its liquid has gone as well. A pan with fairly deep sides will help.

Aubergine Raita

750g Aubergines, in 1cm thick slices

Oil for frying – hard to say how much you need for aubergines

500ml full fat yoghurt

1tsp ground cumin

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ tsp salt

8 mint leaves

1tsp garam masala

I’m making this one but taking two shortcuts as I’m cooking and telling the boy how to make his dish at the same time. I’m enjoying his enthusiasm. I’m adding my garlic to his quota for chopping, and my cumin to his for toasting and grinding.

Fry the aubergine slices until soft. He’s still simmering down his tomatoes so we’re both trying to use the stove at the same time. We keep bumping each other’s pans off centre which for some reason makes us laugh. It’s a good feeling.

Okay mine’s done while the boy is still cooking his spinach down. Lay the aubergine slices, overlapping in a serving dish.

Whisk everything else except the garam masala together. Pour over the aubergines and allow it to rest for an hour.

The saag could do with a rest too. When you’re ready to eat, warm some rotis through in a hot, dry frying pan. We have a special pan just for rotis and chapattis. Let them blister and bubble and keep them warm in a napkin. Get the boy to warm his saag through. Sprinkle the raita with the garam masala

We’re done. He’s proud of his dish, as he should be. The dry spinach goes well with the soft aubergines and yoghurt.

Spaghetti with Courgettes & Breadcrumbs

A light Friday night supper.  It’s unusual but most important, very easy to make. The boy, who only ever had spaghetti with Bolognese when he was growing up, will be impressed.

400g spaghetti

90ml olive oil

100g fresh breadcrumbs

8 small or baby courgettes cut into julienne strips

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 small red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Small courgettes are easy to julienne so I’m using a vegetable knife, rather than the mandolin.  Most bakers sell bags of fresh breadcrumbs but just grate some stale bread, rather than paying for it.

I love cooking with music. I saw Rokia Traore at the Barbican last night and have her latest CD on. Like many musicians from Mali, her music is hypnotic and trance-like -  perfect for chilled out Friday night cooking.

Cook the spaghetti, drain and put it back in the pan to keep warm. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and when hot, fry the breadcrumbs for 3-4 minutes. Once they are lightly brown, set aside.

Pop the rest of the oil in the pan and stir fry the courgettes for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chillies and give it another 4 minutes or so, stirring quite often.

Add the spaghetti and breadcrumbs to the frying pan and toss everything really well so it’s all mixed up. Plate it up and sprinkle with parmesan.

The boy wants to watch a DVD so we’re having this on our laps with a cold glass of sauvignon blanc. Possibly more than one.

Courgettes Mince & Mint

After another week of endless rain, we’re both in the mood for something satisfying but we don’t want to wait all night for it. This fits the bill. It’s Lebanese

500g courgettes

450g lamb mince

1tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 plump garlic cloves, minced

2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1tsp salt

1tsp dried mint

The boy is chopping the garlic. The kitchen CD player is playing a recording of Othello, as I’m going to see ‘Desdemona’ tomorrow night and want to remind myself of the original play. The boy pretends he is putting up with it, though occasionally he will ask me what a phrase means so he is listening really. He can peel and chop the tomatoes too – then he’s relieved of duty.

While the boy is busy, quarter the courgettes down their length (or just halve them if they are small).

Heat the oil and sauté the meat for about 5 minutes, or until browned. Stir in the garlic and then add the tomatoes and courgettes. Add 250ml water and then  the salt. Bring to the boil and then cover and reduce the heat for about half an hour. Sprinkle the mint over and just give the pan a swirl.

We’re having ours with rice and a dollop of thick cold yoghurt.

Hot Lime Pickle

The boy has discovered that we can get 10 limes for a pound at our local grocers. It’s time to add to our pickle stash with some hot lime pickle. We both love curry so this is a good investment.

1kg limes

100g salt

3tbsp mustard seed

10 fenugreek seeds

2tsp cumin seeds

1tsp cardamom seeds

400g sugar

7tsp chilli powder

75g grated ginger

For reasons I know not why, soak the limes in a big bowl of cold water overnight. Then slice off the top and bottom of them. You’re ready to go.

With a Bollywood soundtrack, you’re going to turn your kitchen into The Paradise Pickle Factory Ltd.  Get the boy to cut each lime into 16 pieces.  Admire the concentration on his face. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Leave for a few hours to draw out the juice.

Mix the seeds and ad to a pan with the sugar and the salty juice from the limes. Bring to the boil slowly.

After a minute boiling, add the chilli powder. Turn off the heat and add the lime pieces and ginger. Give it a good stir.

Jar it up. It needs a week in a dark place to mature and is best eaten within a couple of months. With our love of dal it will almost certainly be gone before that.

It’s so cheap to do this now. He looks deservedly smug as he stacks this up in the larder.

Hot Summer Chutney

We always make chutney in the summer, but this is a fairly hot one. It will keep for a year. We have a small cupboard that is just for jars of pickles and chutneys – it is the treasure trove of our kitchen.

4 red chillies, chopped

2 large cooking apples. Peeled, cored and chopped

450g tomatoes. Chopped

2 red onions, chopped

200g sugar

250ml cider vinegar

100g raisins, chopped

1tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp allspice

1tsp chopped ginger

Salt & pepper

It’s a rainy Saturday. The boy is out and it’s the perfect day for a hot chutney that we will enjoy in October or November. I’ve been out to buy the apples and the Guardian. This is meant to be hot so I’m happy to be heavy handed with the chillies and cayenne.

Dub Colossus produced a brilliant album named A Town Called Addis. It’s the perfect antidote to a rainy morning.  It’s on, quite loud.

This is so easy. Everything goes in a large pan and bubbles away at a low heat for 45 minutes. Stir fairly often, while leafing through the Guardian. If it isn’t thick enough keep it going. If you can draw a dry line across the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, it’s ready. To be honest, mine always seems to take well over an hour.

This one is quite hot so make sure you label it accordingly. It will mellow a little over the next few months though. It will be perfect over goats cheese crostini, with bitter leaves, on a cool fall evening. The boy seems to think the jars appear in the cupboard by themselves. They are a great investment and we always miss them if we don't make them. The boy is the world's biggest sandwich fan - a farmhouse loaf, Double Gloucester, with last year's chutney, and he couldn't be happier. 

Jersey Royals with Creme Fraiche

The boy loves potato salad and this is something rather special. We’re having it with thick slices of Wiltshire ham, a white loaf with Yorkshire butter and a fresh green salad.

1kg Jersey royal potatoes

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

2tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Juice of a lemon

Dressing

250ml crème fraiche

Finely grated zest of a lemon

Bunch of chives, finely chopped

Bunch of chervil – leaves only, finely chopped

Small bunch of flat leaf parsley- leaves only, finely chopped.

The boy would be happy with new potatoes in mayonnaise but  this is so much better.

Bring the water to the boil and salt liberally. Drop the potatoes in and cook for 15 minutes or until a knife reveals that it’s done. Quarter the potatoes.

Drain and dress while still hot, with the olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Listen to the Saturday Play with the boy, by which time the potatoes will be cool.

Make the dressing – in a bowl. Mix the crème fraiche, lemon zest, chopped herbs. Mix well and season with more salt and pepper.

The salad needs a classic vinaigrette. Make sure the boy gets enough ham to ensure it feels like dinner.

Salsa Verde

It’s been a long week but the weekend is here. I’ve had 4 late nights followed by early starts in a row, but I’m looking forward to a relaxing weekend with the boy and I want it to start well so we’re having steaks. Salsa Verde is the perfect sharp accompaniment to a juicy steak.

Bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves only

Small bunch of mint, leaves only

Small bunch of basil. Leaves only

Handful rocket leaves

1tpsp Dijon mustard

10 capers

2tbsp red wine vinegar

Flaky sea salt

180ml Really good olive oil

Just the thought of the weekend has me in a good mood. The steaks are coming to room temperature and Rigoletto is on the CD player by the time the boy gets home. He’s cheery and senses my good mood. I’ve opened an Argentinan Malbec so it can breathe.

You could use a food processor but the boy likes using the mezzaluna – it’s a sort of curved blade with handles at either end that you rock back and forth to chop herbs. It’s very pleasurable to use. Ours has a wooden board with a shallow hollow in it that fits the blade.

So the herbs get chopped, and as they approach fineness, add the capers until they too are chopped.

Pop the chopped up green stuff into a bowl and stir in the Dijon, oil, vinegar and salt. It should be sludgy. Taste and adjust for sharpness. It may need more vinegar or a few more chopped capers. Consider whether a squeeze of lemon wouldn’t be better than the vinegar. Luckily the boy has a fine taste for this sort of thing and I trust his judgement.

I’m cooking the steaks, he’s sampling the wine. This will give the salsa time to have a little rest and the flavours to develop. He’s made an effort so it would be a shame not to serve this in a nice bowl. Ours is going in a lovely grey porcelain shallow dish. It looks elegant and it tatses as good as it looks. All Friday nights should be like this. I can't resist running my fingers through his coarse dark hair when I pass. He stands there with his glass of wine, grinning.

Watermelon with Thyme

I can’t decide if this is a starter or a dessert. The boy thinks it’s a snack. Whichever way you go, it’s very refreshing. The Greek & Turkish shops where we live all sell watermelons whole or halved, and they all look good.

500g watermelon, peeled and seeded

2tsp coarse sea salt

1tsp fresh thyme leaves

3tbsp olive oil

Very simple. Cut the watermelon into large cubes. Place on a serving plate and chill for 30 minutes. Get the boy to cut a couple of sprigs of thyme from the pot outside the door, and pull the leaves off. Discard any that are looking a bit dry (shouldn’t be too many after all this rain).

Take the watermelon from the fridge and sprinkle with the salt thyme and oil. Toss gently and serve.

I think this would be a great palate refresher between courses but the boy is still going for snack.

Chilli Sauce & Garlic Sauce (for kebabs)

When we’ve exhausted ourselves with museums  and know we’re not cooking, Lowell has enjoyed comparing the Kebab shops on Wood Green High Road. They’re all good, it tends to be the service that differentiates them. Most of them consider speed of assembly the most important factor. When they ask if you want Chilli or Garlic sauce, I always want chilli – sometimes I want both. Always I ask for more than they initially give me. Here are authentic versions for making your own.

Greek Chilli Sauce

1.5kg ripe tomatoes, peeled

2 onions, grated

½ each green & red pepper, finely chopped

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp sweet paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cayenne (though I would double this)

3 cloves

 1 small stick cinnamon

1 tsp mustard powder

250ml red wine vinegar

Garlic Yoghurt Sauce

250ml Greek yoghurt

2 cloves garlic, crushed  (I’d use three)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp Dill, finely chopped

Salt & white pepper.

Start with the chilli sauce. Put the tomatoes, onion and peppers in a pan and boil gently for 25 minutes. Pour into a blender and process until smooth. Return to the Pan and add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until thickened. Remove the cloves and cinnamon and allow it to cool.

For the garlic sauce, simply combine everything and chill in the fridge.

Both suit lamb cooked any way. But back to kebabs. 8 things that make good kebab places stand out:

1)      Proper Greek or Turkish  bread, rather than the standard Pitta bread

2)      The lamb is crispy and tastes of roast lamb

3)      They’re not stingy with the chilli sauce

4)      The pickled chilli tastes either mild or hot and not just of vinegar

5)      You get a lemon wedge to squeeze over the salad

6)      The onion is dressed with parsley

7)      The kebab is double wrapped in paper to keep it warm

8)      They take their time assembling it, listening to what you want. (This is rare).

Once, when the place was busy, we were invited to sit down and were given free Turkish tea because we would have to wait until the lamb was crispy enough. Since then I’d forgive them most things.