rhubarb schnapps

rhubarb gin last year, this year i’m reverting to rhubarb schnapps. sadly it’ll be six weeks before it’s ready but in the meantime i’m loving my rhubarb bitters.

chermoula

 

last year’s love of thick hearty soups - ribollita, minestrone and white chilli have all been cooked in rotation, at least one a week, for several months now – continues unabated. however, i need some help – can you suggest something new for me to try? i’m particularly keen to find a harira recipe that i like.

the one pictured above is a vegetarian version from allegra mcevedy but it just doesn’t do it for me – the flavours weren’t bright enough and although a squeeze of lemon juice helped, it wasn’t as delicious as i’d hoped. maybe i need to do the lamb version first, and then play with vegetarian flavours? or maybe the combination of chickpeas, lentils and rice is just a bit too “worthy”?

however, there was one thing that did stand out - the chermoula that is served with the harira to lighten and brighten it. that i will retain, whichever harira recipe i end up with.

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aubergine-wrapped halloumi with pomegranate dressing

 

last year i had a really delicious meal at maria elia’s restaurant, joe’s,  and so when i noticed she had a new book out, i couldn’t resist picking up a copy.  quite a few of the recipes in full of flavour have caught my eye, not least a chicken liver pate that, unlike every other version i have ever made, is not loaded with butter. however, it was something simple that i kicked off with – halloumi cheese, sprinkled with lemon and oregano then wrapped in aubergine, warmed through under the grill and served with a pomegranate dressing.

dennis cotter has a similar recipe, but in his case the aubergine-wrapped halloumi has a roast garlic and shallot raita accompaniment. however, as with dennis’ recipe, it is the dressing that is the star of the show and what brings the dish together, halloumi and aubergine both being ingredients that happily allow other flavours to shine.

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lemon and polenta cake

 

i had a couple of eggs that needed using up and fancied something a treat. a friend had been raving about this lemon and polenta cake and despite not having enough eggs to make the full recipe (i made a 2/3 version) i decided to give it a go.

i wasn’t sure about it to begin with – i think my lack of patience (greediness), which meant i cut it while it was still warm which resulted in it crumbling, put me off. however, once it cooled it sliced beautifully and the flavours and texture actually improved with time - in future i think i’d try and make this the day before serving (it’s a lovely moist cake so you don’t need to worry about it drying out).

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cavolo nero pesto

 

i’m a woman with an obsession. each week i pick up a bunch or two of cavolo nero and work it into our meals at every opportunity – most recently we had roast chicken, with a lovely caramelised onion and cavolo nero pilaf.

however, things caught up with me this weekend – i’ve been under the weather for ages (an endless cold, which is finally on its way) and a week of lazy food left me with an excess of cavolo nero that was almost past its best. my friend helen came to the rescue, reminding me of skye gyngell’s cavolo nero pesto recipe, which she’d tried and loved last year.

it’s an interesting pesto, relying on butter rather than oil for its richness (although there is a bit of oil in there), plus anchovies as well as the more usual garlic and parmesan. it tastes wonderful and i was instantly sad i’d not made it in time to ease a little under the skin of my chicken, before it roasted.  

this week it’ll be tossed with pasta (plus an extra handful of cavolo nero which will be added to the pasta water a few minutes before it is ready) and i want to try mixing it with crushed beans to make a bruschetta inspired by one i ate in italy, several years ago.

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