A Salad with Greens, Cannellini Beans, Capers and Olives
Some days call for a quick salad and today is one of them, a little snack at noon!
We had a friend over from Costa Rica for a couple nights with her two young kids, so my kitchen creations had to be child friendly. Lasagna, pizza and cake made them very happy (I didn't expect anything else)! We were lucky, summer has come back to the city so we spent many hours out at playgrounds, lots of walking and running around for those little legs which made them hungry all the time!
It was only a short visit but we enjoyed every second of it! Now that they left, the flat is quiet again and I feel like some lighter food. I hadn't made any kitchen plans so I had to work with what I found and inspired me, a big lollo bionda lettuce in the fridge, some parsley on the kitchen window sill, a small can of cannellini beans, my Maltese capers and some black Kalamata olives (this jar is never missing in my pantry). All this thrown together in a large bowl and mixed with a light vinaigrette can make two people very happy. You could also add some canned tuna or tomatoes but I found my Saturday snack perfect as it was.
A Salad with Greens, Cannellini Beans, Capers and Olives
As a lunch for 3 or a side dish for 4 you need
lettuce (lollo bionda or rosso), rinsed, dried and torn into pieces, 1 big head
canned cannelli beans, rinsed and drained, 240g / 8.5 ounces
Kalamata olives 12
capers 4 tablespoons
leaves of a small bunch of parsley
For the dressing
olive oil 3 tablespoons
white balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons
salt and pepper
Whisk the ingredients for the dressing and season to taste.
In a large bowl, mix the lettuce, beans, olives, capers, parsley and dressing.
Focaccia with Grapes, Rosemary and Gozitan Sea Salt
This is the best focaccia I ever made! One reason might be the excessive use of very good olive oil. Sometimes there's just no way around, if you spare on oil you spare on taste and texture, it's just that simple. The second reason is the unbelievably delicious combination of baked ripe dark grapes and rosemary! The fruits add a soft sweetness and juiciness to the bread which is better than any other flavouring I ever tasted in combination with this Italian classic.
So, the air in my kitchen was filled with the addictive smell of freshly baked bread mixed with the woody aroma of rosemary. I sat in front of the oven like a hungry cat and I couldn't wait for the focaccia to be done, it was so tempting! I took the photos as quickly as possible as the aromas teased my nose even more after I cut the first piece off the thick and flat loaf. Then, finally, when I took the first bite, I just enjoyed the spongy softness, the oily crust which was almost flaky, the grapes which released their juices and this heavenly taste topped with roast rosemary sprigs and my Gozitan salt from the Cini family!
More focaccia inspiration:
Focaccia with Grapes, Rosemary and Gozitan Sea Salt
For a 25 x 32cm / 10 x 12.5" focaccia you need
plain flour 500g / 17 1/2 ounces
dry yeast 1 sachet (7g / 1/4 ounce)
salt 1 teaspoon
granulated sugar 1 heaped teaspoon
water, lukewarm, 260ml / 9 ounces
olive oil 110ml / 3 3/4 ounces (60ml / 2 ounces for the dough and 50ml / 1 3/4 ounces for the topping)
red grapes around 25
fresh rosemary needles, a small handful
flaky sea salt for the topping
In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add the water and 60ml / 2 ounces of olive oil and mix with your dough hooks for 5 minutes until well combined. Continue kneading with your hands for around 5 minutes until you have an elastic dough ball. Put the dough back into the bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let the dough rise in a 35°C / 95°F warm ( top / bottom heat, no fan!) oven for 40 minutes.
Take the dough out, punch it down and knead for 1 minute. Roll out the dough until it measures around 25 x 32cm / 10 x 12.5" and put it carefully on an oiled baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and let it rise for 20 minutes in a warm place.
Set the oven to 220°C / 430°F.
Punch about 6 x 7 holes into the dough with the round bottom of a wooden spoon and put a grape into every second hole. Pour the remaining 50ml / 1 3/4 ounces of olive oil over the dough and into the holes. Sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt and bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top.
Saffron Bouchot Mussels with Tomatoes, Garlic and Parsley
When I have mussels on my cooker I like to add spices, herbs and chopped vegetables, lots of flavours to enrich the broth they're cooking in. I love to dip a piece of fresh baguette into the concentrated juice of wine cooked with mussels, garlic and parsley as much as I like the tender flesh.
The last time I wrote about a recipe with mussels, it was an aromatic bomb inspired by my friend Essa's kitchen. The list of spices was long with turmeric, coriander, fresh and seeds, cayenne pepper, ginger and lemongrass. Not too long after I shared this recipe, Marilena from the Molise region in Italy got in touch with me as she holds a completely different position when it comes to cooking mussels and seafood in general. Pure without too many distractions, that's how it should be cooked in her opinion. I understand her point, and agree partly. I prefer prawn and lobster dishes that focus mainly on the seafood. When it comes to grilled steak fish, I feel the same. That's also one of the reasons why my fish recipes in Malta were quite minimal. Although mussels have a very fine taste of the sea, almost sweet, I find they work very well in combination with exotic aromas. We all have our cooking preferences, our likes and dislikes which makes the product of each kitchen so unique! When it comes to baking, Marilena and I found common ground again. She asked me to bake her Milk Pan di Campobasso, a traditional dolci of the region where she lives. This cake is packed with saffron and Strega (an old Italian saffron liqueur) infused milk and covered with hazelnut icing. I had never heard of this combination before but since then I'm in love with saffron combined with nuts!
Today's recipe for my mussels also works with the strong aroma of this precious, red spice. I felt like a strong broth with a dominant note of saffron mixed with tomatoes, bay leaf, parsley, onions and garlic. The dish looked and tasted like autumn! Warm flavours and colours, red, yellow and green on the shimmering Moules de Bouchot from the Mont-Saint-Michel bay between Brittany and Normandy. The mussels grow on ropes in the sea and that's the taste they bring to the plate, the fresh sea!
Saffron Bouchot Mussels with Tomatoes, Garlic and Parsley
For a lunch for 3-4 people served with baguette you need
mussels in shells (preferably Bouchot mussels) 1 kg / 2 pounds
medium tomatoes, finely chopped, 3
medium onion, finely chopped, 1
garlic, thinly sliced, 3 cloves
white wine 200ml / 7 ounces
bay leaf 1
saffron a pinch
salt 1/2 teaspoon
pepper
olive oil
fresh parsley, roughly chopped, 4 tablespoons plus a few leaves
Rinse and scrub the mussels under cold water and cut off the beard, discard any broken mussels.
In a large pot, heat a splash of olive oil and cook the onion and garlic on a medium heat for a few minutes until soft and golden. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, wine, saffron, salt, pepper and the mussels. Shake the pot gently to mix or stir with a slotted ladle. Bring to the boil, close with a lid and cook on lowest heat for 5 minutes or until the shells open (shake the pot once or twice while cooking). Discard any mussels that didn't open! Sprinkle the mussels with parsley and serve immediately, in deep plates with a bit of broth and baguette.
Fig and Gorgonzola Ciabatta Sandwich
Late summer figs call for a late summer sandwich, an effortless combination of honey sweet fruit and creamy blue cheese. There's no cooker involved in the preparations, no oven or grill, just 5 ingredients put together in less than 5 minutes and a glass of red wine to go with. This is an early evening sandwich, when you sit outside on your balcony or in the garden, some cheese and prosciutto on the table, a quick salad of rucola thrown together with the last ripe tomatoes from the vine and a light vinaigrette. All you need are some candles, a friend to talk, some music maybe, a glass of dark red wine and this marvelous duo of figs and Gorgonzola.
Figs are one of those fruits that I could eat all year round but, unfortunately, the pleasure of their sweetness, taste and delicateness is limited to only a few summer months. In Malta I pick them off the trees but here, in the city, they are quite a luxurious treat and the quality barely justifies the price. They are never as ripe, soft and tasty as in the Mediterranean, it would be impossible to transport them. So when I spotted a box of organic Italian figs at the market, soft and thin skinned, nothing could stop me. I bought a big handful of them, enough to make a dozen of these late summer sandwiches!
For 6 open tartines, you need a loaf of fresh ciabatta bread, the slices lightly brushed with a dressing of 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of Balsamico vinegar which makes the bread soft and juicy. I cut 130g (4.5 ounces) of Gorgonzola into slices and quartered 6 ripe Mediterranean figs. Their skin was was so thin that I didn't even need to peel them, I rinsed them off and spread them with the cheese on the bread and sprinkled the remaining dressing over them.
Mojo Verde inspired by the Canaries
When our friends came back from the holiday they spent on Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands, they told me about their culinary discovery with such passion that I had to try it, Canarian Mojos! The name derives from the Portuguese word molho (meaning sauce) and stands for an endless variety of sauces made of (fresh or dried) green or red peppers, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, fresh herbs, like coriander or parsely and spices, like cumin, caraway seeds or sweet paprika. Most of these traditional Canarian dishes praise the local peppers which must be extremely aromatic and strong in flavour and cover the whole range from mild to very hot and spicy. Some sauces are made just with herbs, similar to a thick pesto or with dried spices mixed with breadcrumbs. I also read about a sauce which mainly features grated hard cheese, the Almogrote which originates from the Canarian island La Gomera. There are so many delicious sounding names like the spicy, red Mojo Rojo Picón made of dried red hot peppers or Mojo de Almendras mixed with roast almonds. These sauces will be one of my winter kitchen projects as many of them can be made with dried peppers and they offer a great field to experiment with strong aromas.
My friends told me that they savored these sauces with almost every dish, with fish, meat, vegetables and potatoes and they encouraged me to give them a try although I've never visited the Canarian Islands myself. So I don't claim authenticity, I just felt inspired to mix my own Mojo inspired by these islands' signature dishes. For my Mojo Verde, I mixed mild green bell pepper with garlic, fresh hot chili pepper, (lots of) olive oil, lemon juice, a pinch of cumin and salt and pepper and I was very pleased with the result when I mixed it with my pasta!
Mojo Verde
For 4 people you need
long or round green bell pepper (preferably organic as they taste stronger) 1
olive oil 2-4 tablespoons
fresh red chili pepper 1
garlic, 2 big cloves
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
salt and pepper
optional: a pinch of cumin, to taste
Mix the ingredients in a blender, or more authentically but also more time consuming, grind them in a mortar to a thick paste. Season to taste and serve with pasta or on grilled bread or vegetables.
Mozzarella and Basil in Carrozza
Here's a savory French toast, filled with mozzarella and basil, or the sweeter sounding Italian name, Mozzarella in Carrozza - meaning mozzarella in a carriage!
I'm a big fan of sticky and cinnamony French toast with lots of maple syrup. There were times when I cooked them almost every morning! Mozzarella in Carrozza is the perfect savory alternative, with a filling of fresh basil leaves softly melted into creamy mozzarella. Great for a late breakfast, Sunday brunch or as a quick snack! You could also introduce some stronger flavours and replace the summery herb with anchovy or capers, or add some tomato slices or prosciutto. There are endless variations on this recipe, with dried tomatoes, smoked mozzarella, blue cheese, bacon, different fresh and dried herbs... I can even imagine a French version with slices of ripe camembert infusing the warm bread with its strong aroma while it's cooking in the pan. French toast, it would close the circle again! Mozzarella in Carrozza doesn't really feel like a normal sandwich, it's a bit like a pizza - with much less preparation!
The recipe is quick and easy: You just need to fill the bread with mozzarella and basil leaves, dust both sides of the bread with a thin layer of flour before you dip it in an egg and milk mixture and fry the sandwich in a pan until it's golden on both sides. Although the bread tastes really good when it's just out of the pan, still fresh and warm, we enjoyed a couple an hour later just as much!
Mozzarella and Basil in Carrozza
For a lunch for 2 you need
white bread 6 slices (you could cut off the crust but I prefer to leave it on)
mozzarella, drained, 125g / 4.5 ounces, cut into 6 slices
fresh basil leaves 9
organic eggs 2
milk 4 tablespoons
salt and pepper
plain flour
olive oil for frying
butter, 1 tablespoon, for frying
Whisk the milk, eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Spread some flour on a plate.
Put 2 slices of mozzarella and 3 slices of basil in between 2 slices of bread, leaving a little margin around the edges. Press the bread together and dip both sides in flour (they should be lightly dusted). Turn the sandwiches in the egg and milk mixture until all the liquid is soaked up.
In a non-stick pan, heat a splash of olive oil and the butter and fry the sandwiches on both sides until golden. When you turn them around, gently push them down with a spatula. Take the bread out and cut in half. It's best to enjoy it immediately while the bread is still warm and the cheese is melted.
Plum Cinnamon Crumble Cake
Here is the final of my crumble cake trilogy, the wonderful, Plum Cinnamon Crumble Cake! I started this series in winter, I began with my Apple Crumble, which was one of the first cake recipes on the blog, before I welcomed spring with my Rhubarb Crumble. I love all three of them, I think there is no other sweet recipe I've used more often in my life! These three fruits are my classics but you could easily replace them with gooseberries, peaches, pears or whatever comes into your mind and that fits to cinnamon (which is almost every fruit in my opinion). The base of this cake is spongy but strong enough to carry the juiciest of fruits.
My absolute highlight of this cake are the crumbles, the best buttery crumbles you can imagine! I know I'm repeating myself, but if you find something so perfect in your kitchen you just can't talk about it enough. So, the next layer, the fruits, are as important. I use 2 pounds of fruity juiciness to balance out the two pastry layers of crumbles and the bottom. No matter what fruit you choose they always add a different feel to this cake. The rhubarb's sourness gives it a lighter touch and the plums and apples are perfect for a cosy Sunday afternoon cake in autumn. Relaxed on the sofa, with a cup of tea and a book in my hands, I can't think of a better cake!
Plum Cinnamon Crumble Cake
Prepare the dough for the base first, the plums afterwards and the crumbles at the end.
For a 26cm /10″ springform pan you need
plums, cut in half, 1kg / 2 pounds
For the cake base
butter 125g / 4.5 ounces
granulated sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces
a pinch of fresh vanilla
organic eggs 3
plain flour 250g / 9 ounces
baking powder 2 teaspoons
a pinch of salt
For the crumbles
plain flour 200g / 7 ounces (you might need some more if the crumbles are too sticky)
granulated sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces plus 2 teaspoons to sprinkle over the crumbles
a pinch of vanilla
ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons plus a pinch to sprinkle the crumbles
butter, melted, 125g / 4.5 ounces (plus more if the crumbles are too fine)
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F.
For the base, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and continue mixing for a few minutes. Add the flour mixed with the baking powder and salt and continue mixing until well combined. Scrape the dough into a buttered springform pan and arrange the plums vertically in circles pushing them into the dough.
The crumbles need good preparation as you have to make sure that the mixture is neither too moist nor too dry. Have some extra flour and melted butter close at hand so that you can add some immediately if necessary.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour the melted butter on top and mix quickly with the hooks of your mixer, stop as soon as it crumbles. If the crumbles are too moist and sticky add a bit more flour (1-2 tablespoons). If they are too fine and don’t form bigger crumbles add more melted butter. Spread quickly on top of the plums. If you have bigger lumps of crumbles you may have to separate and spread them.
Mix 2 teaspoon of sugar with a pinch of cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the crumbles.
Bake in the oven for around 60 minutes or until golden brown on top. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Let the cake cool for at least 15 minutes.
You can serve the crumble cake with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Caramelized Hazelnut, Eggnog and Vanilla Ice Cream Sundae
I'm not a regular client at ice cream shops but if I go there, this is my favourite sundae: vanilla ice cream topped with whipped cream, eggnog and caramelized hazelnuts! It's a sweet, voluptuous bomb, creamy and decadent! Some prefer a light and fruity ice cream composition, or with deep chocolaty flavours, but this one hits my weak spot. It's a bit like an ice cream version of my Frankfurter Kranz. This equally decadent German buttercream cake is also sprinkled with golden caramel nuts and I'm sure that each slice of it includes the same amount of calories as a bowl of this ice cream! And both are perfect Sunday treats!
When I was still at school, we used to meet at the local ice cream shop in the afternoon and I felt so grown up when I ordered my Krokant Becher, the German name for this sundae. This tiny shot of eggnog poured on top made all the difference and it made me feel so much older than I actually was. Apart from that I just loved its smooth and eggy taste, it melts in your mouth together with the vanilla, caramel and hazelnuts!
Caramelized Hazelnut, Eggnog and Vanilla Ice Cream Sundae
For 4 people you need
vanilla ice cream 8-12 scoops
whipping cream 200g / 7 ounces
granulated sugar 1 tablespoon plus more to taste
eggnog 2-4 shots, to taste
For the caramelized hazelnuts
hazelnuts, finely chopped, 50g / 2 ounces
sugar 25g / 1 ounce
butter 1 tablespoon
In a large heavy pan, heat up the hazelnuts, sugar and butter on high-medium temperature and roast for around 5 minutes until golden brown and caramelized, stirring constantly. Take off the heat, spread on parchment paper and let it cool completely.
Whip the cream and add sugar to taste.
Divide the ice cream between 4 bowls and add a big tablespoonful of whipped cream on top of each. Pour the eggnog over the cream, sprinkle with caramelized hazelnuts and serve immediately.
Lemon and Cumin Burger with a Mint, Cardamom and Cinnamon Sauce
When I go out for a burger I prefer my meat pure and steaky, like at The Bird, my favourite burger place in Berlin. But when I make burgers in my kitchen I like to get out my spice box and play with different aromas. I even add an egg and some breadcrumbs sometimes (which is not acceptable for purist burger lovers!). I don't restrict myself, I just add whatever I feel like.
Yesterday I wrote about my parsley, tomato and mint salad which I love to eat at a Tunisian restaurant and today's burger is the perfect companion for this dish, my lemon and cumin burger with a mint, cardamom and cinnamon sauce!
The mixed minced meat is seasoned with lemon zest, cumin, parsley and spicy crushed black peppercorns, it's so rich in aromas but none of them is overpowering. When I came up with this recipe I got so excited that I decided to bake my own flat bread, it's not really necessary but nothing beats warm bread which is cooked in a cast iron pan to accompany a burger. I used my Umbrian Torta al Testo recipe. My idea was to stuff the burger into this pita style bread and add a fresh sauce on top, made of sour cream mixed with cardamom, cinnamon and fresh mint leaves. Just delicious!
Lemon and Cumin Burger with Mint, Cardamom and Cinnamon Sauce
For 4 burgers you need
mixed minced meat (beef and pork) 550g / 19.5 ounces
zest of 1/2 lemon
cumin 1 teaspoon
black peppercorns, coarsely crushed in a mortar, 1/2 teaspoon
salt 1 heaping teaspoon
fresh parsley, chopped, 2 tablespoons
vegetable oil for frying
For the sauce
sour cream 100g / 3.5 ounces
olive oil 1 teaspoon
fresh mint leaves, chopped, 3-5
a pinch of cardamom, to taste
a pinch of cinnamon, to taste
a pinch of salt, to taste
For the bread recipe click here.
Whisk the ingredients for the sauce and season to taste.
Mix the ingredients for the burgers with your hands or the hooks of your mixer and form 4 flat burgers.
In a large heavy pan, heat a splash of oil to cover the bottom of the pan and fry the burgers for a few minutes on medium-high heat until they are done the way you like them. Put each burger between kitchen roll to remove excess oil.
Cut a flatbread in half, fill with a burger and sprinkle with mint sauce.
Parsley, Tomato and Mint Salad
There's a beautiful little take away restaurant close to my flat which offers the best Chickpea Falafel and Chicken Shawarma in town, and this is not just my opinion! This tiny place is called Salsabil and it's run by a very nice guy from Tunis, we've known him for years and he always brings us a cup of hot tea as soon as he sees us, even if we're just passing by! His food is honest and authentic, he doesn't offer that many dishes but each of them is delicious. In summer, we like to sit outside at one of the tables on the pavement and the rest of the year we enjoy the cosiness inside. We sit on wooden benches opposite a photography of the old city walls of Tunis which always reminds me of the Silent City of Mdina in Malta. The light is dimmed and they usually play traditional Tunisian music, it feels a bit like a short holiday in one of the old towns of Tunisia! When it comes to the menu I follow a bit of a tradition, I always order some juicy Falafel in pita bread with different vegetables and sauces, some of their amazing hummus and a very aromatic parsley, tomato and onion salad.
Since I already wrote about my hummus recipe and I'm not experienced enough yet to make my own Falafel in my kitchen (but that will soon change!), I will share my tomato, parsley and mint salad to create a bit of a Salsabil atmosphere at home!
This fresh salad is also great for parties and barbecues!
Parsley, Tomato and Mint Salad
For 2 people as a side dish you need
fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped, 40g / 1.5 ounces
large, ripe tomato, finely chopped, 1
fresh large mint leaves, finely chopped, 6
small red onion or shallot, finely chopped, 1
garlic, crushed, 1 small clove
olive oil 3 tablespoons
freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon
white balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon
salt and pepper
For the dressing, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix the dressing with the tomato and herbs and serve in a bowl.
Tzatziki in 2 variations
When I find a bowl of Tzatzki in front of me at a Greek restaurant I could (almost) skip the main course. There are two other dishes that have the same effect on me, fresh, warm bread with salted butter and hummus with flat bread! There is something about the Greek dip which is so simple yet it makes me want to dip a piece of bread into it again and again. It's like having a great cake in front of you that you just can't stop eating until you realise half the cake is gone!
When we have a barbecue with our friends, we always start to nibble on some salads, my Tzatziki and bread while we're waiting impatiently for the coal to settle. So often we get carried away with the creamy dip before the meat is even done! So no matter where I prepare this dip for friends and family, I always get requests for the recipe, every time I make it.
There are many ways to make a delicious Tzatziki, I've tried this dip made with Greek yoghurt, Alex, my Greek-German brother in law uses soured milk and I use quark. I mentioned it when I wrote about my German Cheesecake last Sunday, to me, low fat quark mixed with heavy cream makes the best Tzatziki. Although Alex chooses a different dairy product, he enjoys eating my "German-style" Tzatziki a lot! Another important point of the recipe is the right processing of the cucumber (preferably organic as they have the strongest taste). It has to be roughly grated and pressed between the hands to release some of the vegetable's juices to achieve a more concentrated flavour and a better texture. It's best to use fresh, moist garlic, my favourite is the young French garlic when it's light green and purple, and the rest is a question of the right ratio according to your taste.
It's my Sandwich Wednesday today and I didn't want to leave out those of you who can't get quark, so here are two Tzatziki recipes, one is made with yoghurt. Tzatziki is also great on potatoes grilled in foil at a barbecue!
Let's get started, all you need is a fresh loaf of your favourite white bread and a big bowl of Tzatziki!
Tzatziki
For 2-4 people you need
cucumber, preferably organic, roughly grated and squeezed between the hands, 80g / 3 ounces (there should be around 60g / 2 ounces of cucumber left after you squeezed it)
Now continue with version 1 or 2 and add:
Version 1
low fat quark 250g / 9 ounces
heavy cream 2 tablespoons plus more to taste
garlic, crushed, 1-2 big cloves
salt and pepper
Version 2
yoghurt 250g / 9 ounces
sour cream 4 heaped tablespoons
heavy cream 4 tablespoons plus more to taste
garlic, crushed, 1-2 big cloves
salt and pepper
Mix the cucumber with the ingredients of version 1 or 2, season with salt, pepper and garlic to taste and whip in more heavy cream if you prefer a more creamy texture.
La Ratte Potatoes with Roast Lemon Peel, Olives and Parsley
A few weeks ago my boyfriend came up with a great chicken and red cabbage sandwich idea with an orange infused olive oil. He brushed the inside of the bread with this flavoured oil that we created by heating up a dish of olive oil and orange peel in the oven. The aromatic oil was wonderfully flavoured but the crisp citrus peel impressed me just as much! Since then I've used roast lemon and orange peel for my pasta, salads, couscous and risottos. The thin strips just need a few minutes to become golden crisps packed with flavour so it's important to take them out at the right moment. If you leave them in the oven for too long, they become bitter, and this can happen within seconds!
I have many ideas in my mind that feature both the wonderful oil and the crunchy strips, today's recipe combines roast lemon peel with potatoes, parsley and black olives to make a warm salad, great for lunch or as a side dish. I use the lemon flavoured olive oil as a dressing and the peel as a crunchy topping. It just needed some flaky sea salt for seasoning and it was done! I often use the French La Ratte potatoes for for these kind of potato salads, their taste is nutty and buttery and the skin is very thin. I don't even peel them, I just clean them with a vegetable brush and cut them in half when they are cooked.
La Ratte Potatoes with Roast Lemon Peel, Olives and Parsley
For 2-4 people you need
olive oil 3 tablespoons
lemon peel, cut into pieces, 6 long strips
La Ratte potatoes, cooked, (unpeeled) and cut in half, 14
fresh parsley leaves, a handful
black olives 12
sea salt
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (fan-asssited oven).
Put the olive oil and lemon peel in a baking dish and cook for 6 minutes or until the peel is golden and crisp.
Spread the potatoes on plates and mix them with the lemon infused olive oil. Sprinkle them with parsley, olives, roast lemon peel and salt and serve either warm or cold.
Red Onion and Plum Tarte Tatin with Chèvre
My Tarte Tatin goes savory! Caramelized red onions, sweet and sour plums, aromatic thyme and chèvre replace the apples which I usually choose for this tart, and it's great. This is the taste of late summer!
At the moment I can't get enough of the combination of sweet, fruity and savory flavours. I've always been a big fan of it but I'm a bit obsessed with it right now (so much that my boyfriend already asked for a break). I mix mirabelles, plums, peaches, grapes or figs with saltimbocca, coarse sausages and chicken and I barely eat my cheese without one of my plum, rhubarb or apple chutneys (I will share my plum chutney recipe soon).
I love August and September in northern Europe, the transition to autumn. The light is magical and it's the time to harvest all those wonderful fruits, to cook them and turn them into delicious dishes and colourful jams and chutneys for the colder months. That makes it so much easier to let go of summer!
Red Onion and Plum Tarte Tatin with Chèvre
For the tart you need a 21cm / 8″ Tarte Tatin dish or frying pan which is ovenproof.
mild and soft chèvre 150g / 5.5 ounces, for serving
For the topping
medium sized red onions, cut into 8 wedges each, 4
plums, quartered, 4-6
butter 2 tablespoons
olive oil 1 tablespoon
sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons
balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon
thyme sprigs 6
salt and pepper
For the shortcrust
plain flour 130g / 4.5 ounces
butter, cold, 75g / 3 ounces
egg yolk 1
salt 1/8 teaspoon
cold water 1 1/2 tablespoons
For the shortcrust, combine the flour and salt. Cut the butter with a knife into the flour until there are just little pieces of butter left. Continue with your fingers and quickly work the butter into the flour until combined. Add the egg yolk and the water, continue mixing with the hooks of your mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form a disc, wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F.
In a pan (or Tarte Tatin dish), heat the butter with the sugar and oil until it starts to caramelize. Add the onions, arrange them in a circle and cook them for 7 minutes on medium heat. Turn them gently and cook them for another 7 minutes. Mind that they don't burn, they should become golden brown. Tuck the plum wedges in between the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme.
Roll out the dough, big enough to cover the pan and lay it on top of the onions tucking the edges down the sides. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until golden brown. When the tart is done, place a large heat resistant plate on top and turn the pan carefully upside down, keep in mind that it’s very hot!
Serve the Tarte Tatin with a big slice of chèvre.
My German Cheesecake with Red Currants
This cheesecake calls for Quark, the famous German cheese which is neither like ricotta, nor cottage cheese or fromage blanc although it's often compared to them. Quark is unique, it's soft, white and fresh with a slightly sour taste, it feels a bit more dry and thicker than yoghurt and although the texture is similar to ricotta it's less heavy. Quark is great for cheesecakes, strudel or Danish pastry or as a savory dip on dark bread, mixed with linseed oil and fresh radish or cucumber. I also use it for my Tzatziki although my Greek-German brother in law doesn't agree on that at all, but he still loves it when I make it for him! I will share that recipe with you next week, then you can judge yourself!
Back to the sweets, this recipe has been with me for as long as I can remember. My mother used to bake it for us, and I still eat it as passionately as I did then. This cake isn't as heavy as a New York cheesecake, the base is made of a crumbly shortcrust and the topping is fluffy, light and lemony. Sometimes I add raisins soaked in brandy but this has to wait for now, it will come later when it gets a bit colder. For now, I keep it fresh and add a few sweet and sour red currants on top.
I know that in some places of the world it's hard or almost impossible to get quark and although I try to write about recipes with ingredients that are easily accessible, there is no alternative for this fresh cheese. You can't use ricotta (at least I've never tried it with this recope) or cream cheese, you just get this fluffy cheesecake result when you use quark.
German Cheesecake with Red Currants
This recipe is measured for a 30cm / 12" springform pan. The one that I use is 26cm / 10", so I bake some of the leftover cheese filling in a small baking dish and scope it out with a spoon when it's still warm and fresh out of the oven, it's delicious!
For the topping
red currants, a big handful
For the short crust base
plain flour 250g / 9 ounces
granulated sugar 50g / 2 ounces
a pinch of salt
cold butter 125g / 4.5 ounces
organic egg 1
Combine the flour with the sugar and salt. Cut the butter into the flour with a knife until there are just little pieces of butter left. Continue with your fingers and work the butter into the flour until combined (there shouldn’t be any lumps of butter left). Add the egg and continue mixing with the hooks of your mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form a ball, wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F top/ bottom heat.
Roll out the dough between cling film, big enough to come up 2/3 of the rim of the springform pan. Line the pan with the flat pastry, prick it with a fork and blind-bake in the hot oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
For the cheese topping
Quark (low fat) 750g / 26.5 ounces
organic eggs 5
cornstarch 80g / 3 ounces
baking powder 1 teaspoon
granulated sugar 150g / 5.5 ounces
milk 125ml / 4.5 ounces
zest of 1 lemon
a pinch of fresh vanilla
Turn the oven down to 175°C / 350°F.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt for a few seconds, add 50g of sugar and continue beating until stiff.
Mix the Quark, egg yolks, cornstarch, baking powder, 100g / 3.5 ounces of sugar, the vanilla and lemon zest until well combined and creamy. Mix in the milk and gently fold in the stiff egg whites with a wooden spoon.
Fill the cheese mixture in the springform pan on top of the baked short crust, if there's too much of it fill the remaining mixture into a separate baking dish. Bake for 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let it cool in the springform for 10 minutes before you take it out. Serve warm or cold with red currants.
Crisp Celery and Blue Cheese
Crisp celery, aromatic blue cheese, cream cheese and crushed black peppercorns, that's all you need for this little antipasto snack!
I used Fourme d'Ambert, one of the oldest French cheeses from the Auvergne region. It has a strong taste and a creamy texture which blends perfectly into the creamy dip for the stuffing. Sometimes I replace it with Stilton, its rich aroma goes very well with this recipe. Although my chosen vegetable, crunchy fresh celery stalks also have a strong and unique taste, I didn't want the cheese to be too overpowering so I mixed it with some mild and milky cream cheese. You could also use Gorgonzola but in that case I would mix it with mascarpone instead of cream cheese, it's a great combination, also on bread! The roughly crushed pepper adds some spiciness which makes the snack complete.
For 8 stuffed celery stalks, I mixed 50g / 2 ounces of Fourme d'Ambert with 100g / 3.5 ounces of cream cheese (depending on the blue cheese you might need some more or less) and spread it into the thick parts of the vegetable. I ground some black peppercorns roughly in a mortar to finish it off!
White Vineyard Peach Jam
The separation between a breakfast or dinner person doesn't exist with me, I am both! I can't function without my (late) breakfast and I don't want to end my day without a nice dinner. Although I don't start my day with a table full of bread, cheese, vegetables, jam, fruits and coffee early in the morning, I enjoy this treat at around eleven. Over the years I found that this is the best time for me to start eating, before that I just enjoy my big mug of green Sencha tea with lemon. Every day, that's my rhythm! I don't believe in universal eating rules, our bodies are unique, our personalities are and so are our eating habits. A vegan diet might work perfectly for one person but others feel the need to eat meat, or dairy products. It's best to listen to what your body tells you, if a certain food leaves you with a bad feeling or makes you tired, chuck it out. A slice of bread with butter calms me down and makes me feel good. This is definitely food that makes me happy, and at breakfast, I like to spread it with my homemade jam.
I have a big selection of jams in my pantry, jars filled with strawberries, tangerines, different kinds of orange and plum jam, blackberry jam and now there is a new one! I stocked up on peach jam which I made with white, flat vineyard (or galaxy) peaches. This jam is like honey, very peachy and aromatic, not thick and stiff but smooth and a bit runny with chunky pieces of fruits. You could also use yellow peaches but I find the white more intense in flavour and that's what a good jam needs, apart from very ripe fruits!
White Vineyard Peach Jam
When you cook jam you should always use a tall pot to prevent the jam from boiling over. The fruits will be two to three times as high when they’ve reached boiling point! My pot is 24cm / 9.5″ high and 20cm / 8″ wide.
For 3-4 medium sized jars you need
white, flat vineyard (or galaxy) peaches 1kg/ 2 1/4 pounds
granulated sugar 600g / 1 1/4 pounds
juice of 1/2 big lemon
a pinch of salt
Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for 5 minutes. Dunk the rims of the jars in spirit and wash out the lids, wash the ladle (you will use to fill the jars) with the alcohol as well. If you can get a thick foil (thicker than cling film), cut out 3-4 circles roughly the size of the jars and put into the spirit as well.
Put the fruits, sugar, lemon and salt in a pot and bring to the boil, stirring with a long wooden spoon every now and then. When the boiling point is reached (you should see quite a few bubbles coming up), let the jam boil for 20 minutes, carefully stirring a couple times (without burning your hand, hence the long spoon!).
Take the pot off the heat and fill the prepared jars with the sterilized ladle almost to the top. Cover with the circles of foil and close tightly immediately. Let the jam sit for a day (or even better for a month) before you put it on your breakfast table and store the jars in your pantry.
Saltimbocca alla Romana with Balsamic Mirabelles
This meal combines two wonderful dishes, Saltimbocca alla Romana and mirabelle compote! Both are very high on my list of summer favourites.
Let's start with the "Roman schnitzel", the saltimbocca, or Salt' im bocca! in the Roman dialect. It means Jump in the mouth! and that's how I feel when I have a plate of these little escalopes in front of me. The combination of veal, smoky, salty prosciutto and aromatic sage is so perfect that the first bite of it explains why this dish became so famous all over the world! There are different approaches to the preparation, some like to roll them, fold them just once or keep them flat like a schnitzel. This is how I prefer them, but the composition of the three flavours, veal, prosciutto and sage, always stays the same. Some recipes recommend Coppa di Parma but my favourite is thinly cut Tyrolean prosciutto with the right balance of smokiness and saltiness.
To me, late summer is the time for fruits, peaches, plums, figs, berries and mirabelles. Sometimes I cook some carrot slices to serve with my saltimbocca, still crunchy and sweetened with honey and basil. However, at this time of the year I prefer fruit for some of my savory dishes, like sweet mirabelles ripened under the sun of Tuscany. When we used to go on holiday close to Florence as a child, I fell in love with a mirabelle tree next to the house and its tasty crop! I could eat buckets of them!
They're at the peak of their season at the moment and I buy them every week as long as I can get them at the market. I love them, when they are ripe and golden they are sweeter than plums, a bit like honey. They make a wonderful compote too. I cook them for just 1 minute as I don't like to turn them into a mousse, I leave them chunky. I refine the compote with some Balsamic vinegar and a little cinnamon, it's delicious together with the saltimbocca!
Saltimbocca alla Romana with Balsamic Mirabelles
For 2 people you need
veal escalopes, 300g / 10.5 ounces, each about 100g / 3.5 ounces
Tyrolean prosciutto or Coppa di Parma, 3 thin slices big enough to cover the escalopes
sage leaves 15
plain flour
olive oil
butter 2 tablespoons
marsala or vermouth to deglaze the meat
pepper
Place the escalopes between cling film and flatten them with your fist until they are around 5mm / 1/4" thick and season lightly with pepper (no salt as the prosciutto adds enough saltiness). Dust one side with flour, put 3 sage leaves on the other side and cover them with a slice of prosciutto, pressing it onto the meat.
In a large heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter and fry the escalopes (start with the side with the prosciutto) together with the remaining sage leaves for about 1 - 1 1/2 minutes on each side on high-medium temperature. Move the meat and sage to a plate, add 1 tablespoon of butter and a splash of the marsala, simmer the sauce for 30 seconds and take off the heat.
Serve the escalopes with the sauce, crisp sage and mirabelle compote.
For the mirabelle compote
mirabelle, pitted, 250g / 9 ounces (or plums)
balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons
sugar 1/4 teaspoon
a pinch of cinnamon
water 3 teaspoons
In a sauce pan, bring the ingredients to the boil, close with a lid and cook for 1 minute medium heat. Season with vinegar, sugar and cinnamon to taste.
Sainte-Maure Chèvre, Rosemary Oil and Olive Sandwich
When I picked up another amazing sourdough bread from Malin's kitchen of The Bread Exchange - this time with fragrant rosemary - I had a clear scene in my head. Imagine a relaxed evening in late August, the air is already a little bit crisp and damp as autumn is nearing and you're sitting outside in your garden or close to the open kitchen window. The sky is glowing in all shades of purple and pink, you're cosy, wrapped in a cardigan, thinking about all your wonderful holiday memories. You have a glass of wine in front of you on the table and a pretty little snack which reminds you of all the wonderful flavours of summer. Think of a sandwich made with woody rosemary, fragrant olive oil, black olives and aromatic French goat cheese, like the fine Sainte-Maure de Touraine Chèvre, and some sweet cherry tomatoes on the side! It's so easy to feel good with the right food and the right mood and it's so easy to create this kind of treat, all you need are excellent ingredients!
When we started our eat in my kitchen x The Bread Exchange sandwich series last month, I mentioned how extraordinarily good Malin's bread is, its taste, texture and smell offers all you could possibly ask for in a sourdough bread. For my last sandwich creation I got a turmeric loaf from her, this time she pulled an aromatic rosemary bread out of her oven. It was so tempting, I stood in her kitchen together with Simone, another trader (I mentioned that Malin doesn't sell her bread, you have to trade with her) and I had this warm bread in my hands. The air was filled with the woody smell of rosemary and I couldn't have a single bite of it, I had to wait to make my Wednesday sandwich first. I had to go home, prepare everything and take the pictures, I had to be patient and I didn't feel like waiting at all! I think Simone felt sorry for me, she pulled out her loaf of bread from its brown paper bag and offered me a slice. Simone loves good food, design and photography and shares it with the world on her beautiful Instagram account (instagram.com/fraeuleinsonntag)!
Sainte-Maure Chèvre, Rosemary Oil and Olive Sandwich
For 4 sandwiches you need
the best loaf of sourdough bread you can get, cut into thick slices
Sainte-Maure de Touraine Chèvre (or another soft, aromatic goat cheese), around 120g / 4.5 ounces
olive oil 2 tablespoons
rosemary, finely chopped, 2 tablespoons
a pinch of salt
a pinch of sugar
black olives (preferably Kalamata olives), pitted and thinly sliced, 10
Mix the olive oil, rosemary, salt and sugar. Spread slices of goat cheese on the bread and sprinkle with rosemary oil and olives - enjoy!
Grilled Bell Pepper with Garlic and Thyme
When I see juicy strips of grilled bell pepper on an antipasti platter, colourful in red, orange and yellow, I can barely stop myself from eating all of them (which is unfortunate for my antipasti platter companion). I love this balanced taste of sweet and smokey, it's addictive! There are many ways to do this, some prefer to grill the fruit cut in half, some say you should cook it whole in one piece. Peeling the skin off can be a bit fiddly but it's manageable, there are many suggestions to make this part easier. The latest I heard was to put the grilled bell pepper in a plastic bag and shake it to get rid of the skin although I've never tried it myself.
This is how I grill and peel bell pepper, how I've done it for years and it works perfectly: I put the whole fruit in a baking dish under the grill, turning it as soon as one side gets dark (meaning partly black). When the skin is dark and burst all around, after about 25 minutes, I open the oven, take out the dish and lay a wet kitchen cloth or paper towel over the bell peppers to cover them completely. I wait just a few seconds as they should stay warm and moist for this process. Then, I take out one pepper after the other and pull the skin off with a knife. If you leave them to cool without the moisture it's impossible to peel them without damaging the flesh.
Sometimes I grill a big batch of bell peppers, I cut them in thick strips and keep them covered in olive oil in the fridge for days. Apart from the fact that it is a convenient (and healthy) nibble, it's perfect for an antipasti platter at one of our dinner parties, as a salad or to make sandwiches. This time I grilled only three peppers and marinated them in garlic infused olive oil and fresh thyme. They didn't last very long!
Grilled Bell Pepper with Garlic and Thyme
For 2-4 people you need
bell peppers (red, orange or yellow) 3
olive oil 3 tablespoons
garlic, cut into thin slices, 1 big clove
thyme sprigs 8
In a sauce pan, warm up the olive oil and garlic for 3 minutes on a medium-low heat to infuse the oil, the garlic shouldn't change colour.
Put the bell peppers in a baking dish under the grill and turn them as soon as one side gets dark and starts to burst. I turned them twice, after 10 minutes on each side, I cooked the third side for only 5 minutes. Take the baking dish out and cover with a wet kitchen cloth or paper towel immediately. Wait for 10 seconds, take out one pepper and peel it with a knife. Keep in mind that they are still hot, especially the inside! Cut the peeled fruit in half, take out the seeds and cut the bell pepper into strips.
Pour the olive oil over the bell peppers and sprinkle with the garlic and thyme sprigs (or just the leaves if the sprigs are hard and woody). You can season it with salt and pepper but I left it pure.
Black Olive and Parsley Pesto with Capers, Anchovies and Lemon
This pesto is so rich in unbeatably strong aromas, velvety black olives, fresh parsley, salty capers and anchovies, spicy onions and garlic and some lemon juice and mustard to finish it off! It resembles the Provençal tapenade but the parsley and onions give it a lighter and fresher touch, it makes this dish feel Italian. It's great with pasta but also as a spread on crunchy grilled bruschetta. Although I'm not the biggest fan of raw onions I must say that they make sense in this recipe, they add more of a sharp spiciness than an overpowering taste of onions which is quite often the case when this uncooked vegetable is involved.
This is another one of those convenient pantry/ fridge/ balcony dishes, made with ingredients that I always find in these three places! My mother used to make a similar pesto with pasta, I played around with it over the years, added a few flavours until it became this recipe. You could also add some sun-dried tomatoes, chop in some fresh tomatoes or replace the parsley with basil. That's what I love about pesto, it can follow your mood and kitchen stock!
Black Olive and Parsley Pesto with Capers, Anchovies and Lemon
For 3-4 people you need
linguine or spaghetti, cooked al dente, 300-400g / 10.5-14 ounces
For the pesto
black (preferably Kalamata) olives 15
parsley, the leaves of a medium bunch (set aside a few leaves, roughly chopped, for the topping)
anchovies, rinsed and dried, 2
capers 1 tablespoon
shallot 15g / 1/2 ounce
garlic, 2 cloves
pine nuts 15g / 1/2 ounce
freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon plus more to taste
mustard 1/8 teaspoon plus more to taste
olive oil 50ml / 1 3/4 ounces
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar for the topping
For the pesto, mix the ingredients in a food processor; it should be a smooth paste. Season with lemon juice and mustard to taste.
Serve the pasta with the pesto on warm, big plates, sprinkled with black pepper and parsley.
