Donatina's Supper Club

Having dabbled with our own supper clubs, cooking for strangers, friends and acquaintances in our own home, you may have assumed that we had been to pop up restaurants ourselves. However until very recently that was not the case.
I finally took the opportunity, a couple of weeks ago, to sit on the other side of the table.
Donatina's kitchen were holding their first supper club in a venue in Maida Vale. Along with my friends Lucinda and James and a couple of bottles of red wine I headed to West London.
We had not seen the menu in advance but with Ana's grandmothers recipes and Jen's creative flare for presentation i was confident we were in for a treat.

I was one of the first people to arrive at the venue, it was surprisingly modern and brightly lit, i think i had imagined somewhere with a more homely, rustic, feel.
The other guests soon started arriving and welcome cocktails of limocello and prosecco were passed around.
The dinner began with bowls of Taralli, little ring shaped bread sticks which were delicious with a rich olive oil taste, not dry and disappointing as they can sometimes be if bought in a packet.
I had to restrain myself from eating too many as i could see from the very detailed menu that there was plenty more to come.
Next up was a trio of Mortadella ham, artichokes and sweet roasted peppers, simple but effective elements that would have been prepared well in advance. I thought throughout the meal that they used wonderful ingredients and can't have scrimped on cost at all.
We were then brought dishes of melanzane parmigiana - layers of aubergine, tomato sauce and cheese. This is something that i have made several times myself, but this was a truly excellent version, tastier than when I've made it, and i finished the huge portion i helped myself to!

 

















The tables of guests were packed in and with the wine flowing it made for a cosy atmosphere.
Packs of cards were brought round and instructions of how to play the game Scopa. Initially it was pretty confusing but after a couple of games we got our heads round it, and it provided a welcome break in the dinner. It had just dawned on me that the parmigiana was not the main course and so it was good to have a pause before embarking on the next dish.
After we had (sort of) mastered Scopa i took the pack over to the next table and did my best to explain the rules to them, i am not sure how successful this was but it was nice to speak to some of the other guests, it is interesting to find out peoples reasons for coming along, something you would never do in a restaurant.

The next course involved ascuitta (a tomato based sauce with chunks of pork and sausage in), broccoli with garlic and chilli and a large slab of pizza chi cicole (homemade bread with layers of pork fat and meat inside). The bread was really good and definitely lived up to the hype.
Finally dessert was a simple dish of baked fruit and ice cream. Figs are one of my favourite things to eat but I was so full by this point i couldn't finish my bowl.
Before departing we were all given a welcome effervescent digestif.

I am confident that they will have had a lot of very satisfied customers at the end of the evening. I would definitely be keen to go to another of their events or a different supper club. Unlike going to a restaurant, you don't have a choice as to what is going to be presented to you, but that somehow just means you know the person producing the food is only going to be giving you dishes that they love and are passionate about.
I have a lot of admiration for Ana and Jen, cooking for 47 people for your first event is a big undertaking and although hiring a venue (rather than doing it in your own home) means you have all the equipment needed and don't have to go scrounging round neighbours for extra chairs - cooking in an unfamiliar kitchen brings it own set of challenges i am sure.

Lucinda, James and I really enjoyed the dinner. Personally i would have preferred plated dishes, but that is mainly because left to my own devices i ran our of space when it came to the later courses.
My favourite thing about the evening was the little additional touches, from the card game and Italian films that were projected on the wall to prosecco prize draw and the basket of rosemary sprigs as you left.
I am sure they've learned a lot from their first endeavour. Not daunted by new challenges their next outing is a bit different and is taking place at a distillery! I think these ladies could go far.

Rachael x

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The Salad of the Summer...

Goes to - Panzanella!

 Tomatoes from Cossano Belbo in Piedmont

Over the last couple of months I have been making panzanella at every given opportunity. This summer salad originates from Tuscany and combines stale bread (a perfect way to use it up) with the tastiest tomatoes, basil and cucumber in an olive oil and wine vinegar dressing. As with many recipes there are lots of variations so this recipe is a mere starting point for salad explorations.

If you are in London and want to try one of the best panzanella salads around then to head to Spuntino quickly, while they still have heritage tomatoes that will change your life or at least bring a smile to your face.

This serves roughly 4 people.

ingredients-
1 garlic clove, sliced in half
left over bread, country style such as ciabatta, torn into bite size pieces
6-8 ripe heritage tomatoes, chopped into pieces
1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped into pieces
2 tbsp basil leaves, chopped
80ml olive oil
2-3 tbsp wine vinegar
salt & pepper

I like to toast the torn up bread under the grill for several minutes. Some recipes tell you to moisten the bread with water which is another option before adding the bread to the salad.

Rub the garlic around your serving bowl and add the tomato pieces and cucumber. Add the basil to the bowl along with the bread.

Make the dressing and add to the salad, leaving it to flavour the ingredients for 15-20 minutes before serving. Add salt, pepper and additional vinegar if you wish.

Close your eyes and pretend you're on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence.

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Sicily in a biscuit

'Brutti ma buoni' means ugly but good. 

It certainly does sum up this nutty, citrusy, sweet mouthful of joy, that transports you to the Sicilian shores for a moment of pleasure. Several moments in fact, if like me, you cannot resist more than one. Be careful, you will eat them ALL.

So if you are dreaming of warmer times, need to de-stress or decide if Sicily is this year's summer holiday then I recommend baking these.

There's fierce competition in the the convents across Sicily to bake the best dolci, sweet treats fit for the Pope.


Makes 24

4 egg whites
Pinch of salt
110g ground almonds
110g caster sugar
zest 2 lemons
2tbsp honey


Heat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Lightly       whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt.

Mix the almonds with the caster sugar and lemon zest and add enough of the whisked egg to get a soft paste - add the egg slowly as I find you are often left with a little. You can add more ground almonds if you do think it is too runny. Finally, stir in the honey.

Use two spoons to make small heaps of the paste on the baking tray, leaving enough space for the biscuits to spread a little.

Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a rack and enjoy. x

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I Heart Italia: Sausages & Broccoli

I Heart Italia: Sausages & Broccoli

Italians do it better. Well, sometimes at least. If you like sausages and broccoli this is the dish for you. It goes very well with a smooth, creamy mash and takes sausage and mash to new heights. I dream about this dish.

850g Italian sausages - the ones from East Dulwich Deli are simply the best!

600g broccoli, cut into florets

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 French shallots, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 red chilli, finely chopped

125ml chicken stock

1 tablespoon lemon juice

6 pitted black olives

Serves 4

Place the sausages in a single layer in a deep non-stick frying pan and add cold water - 1.5cm deep. Bring to the boil, reduce and simmer for 20 minutes.

Turn the sausages from time to time and when they are cooked all the water should have evaporated, leaving just a little sausage fat in the pan.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the broccoli with a teaspoon of salt and simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the florets are barely tender. Drain and set aside.

Add the oil to the pan and brown the sausages. Push them to one side and add the shallots, garlic and chilli.

Cook on a low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Add the stock and lemon juice, turn up the heat and cook until reduced by half.
Add the broccoli and olives, spoon the sauce over and serve when it has heated through.

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This week I have mostly been eating...

Herefordshire Cherry Focaccia with Caraway Seeds. No.1 breakfast for champions.

Milk Tea & Pearl - cold tapioca tea[!] - either love it or hate it I guess.

Olympic Onion Rings. Thanks to Rachael for inspiring me with her Cheese Javelins.

Pickled Radicchio-mouth watering!! Basic recipe: 150ml malt vinegar; 300ml water, 65g caster sugar, salt. Add spices of choice. Mix cold and pour over. EASY.

BBQ Corn, Avocado & Tomato Salad.

2 ears of corn, husks removed

Butter

1-2 tomatoes
2 green chillis
1/3 red onion
1 ripe avocado
1 lime
2tbsp coriander
salt and pepper

Take the coriander and roughly chop it. Rub the corn with butter, a bit of salt and 1 tablespoon of the chopped coriander. Put it on the bbq until it is thoroughly cooked and coloured on each side, about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, get a third of red onion in one thick slice and put it on the bbq. You can grill it if it is falling apart. Cook the onion until it is slightly translucent, turning it to ensure it cooks evenly on both sides.

Then cut the tomatoes into large chunks and add to a bowl with the remaining tablespoon of coriander. Next, dice the chilli, removing the seeds first and add to the bowl.

Cut your avocado in half, remove the stone and then cut away from the skin into pieces similar in size to the tomato. Add these to the bowl.

Once the onion is translucent remove it from the grill, dice it and add it to the salad bowl also.

Then take the corn off the grill [once evenly cooked all over]. Let it cool for a minute and then use a large knife to slice all the way down the corn to remove the kernels. Add everything to the bowl and mix.

Squeeze the lime juice on top, and toss with a bit of salt and pepper before serving.

The Battle of the Bak Kut Tehs - For Action Against Hunger

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Tempura

 Tempura - an enjoyable summer battering

 

Fish and chips is one of the best things when the mood is right, although the batter can cause a food coma to come on rapidly and immediately after consumption. Fritto misto is also one of the best things when in Italy and by the sea. 

When the food coma is not an option [you need to do things/speak to people/move around freely] and you're not leisurely hunting for lunch on the Italian coastline I suggest applying a light tempura batter to anything that you have to hand.

In this instance I had half a courgette, leftover asparagus, quite a few small carrots and two squid in my kitchen.

Firstly, cut your veg and fish to size:

Carrot and courgette batons

Asparagus (whole)

Squid - cut into rings

Get a plate of cornflower to toss the veg in before it goes into your batter.

Make the batter by mixing 80g cornflower, 80g self-raising flour, 210ml sparkling water, 2 tsp rapeseed oil (I used olive oil), 1/4 tsp salt and whisk to get a smooth runny paste. 

You can add in and herbs and spices to flavour the batter – I split it and added lemon rind to half (to go on the squid, asparagus and courgette) and fennel seeds to the other half (for the mountain of carrots). Dip everything in the batter ready to go into the frying pan.

You then want to fry everything in batches so that it cooks evenly and does not stick together. I opted for shallow frying in about 300ml of vegetable oil. Get the oil hot in the pan on a high heat and then turn down to medium.

Piece by piece put the vegetables and squid into the pan without too much excess batter. Soft veg should take about 1 minute and harder veg like carrots 2 minutes. Remove and place on kitchen paper to get rid of unwanted oil.

There are lots of dipping sauces out there but on this occasion I went with lemon wedges and salt as it was supposed to be a quick lunch break!

One happy lunch buddy

 

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Jubilee Week Roundup

Pizza Oven - the beginnings - a delightful dome - reminds me of something in Florence...

Devonshire cream tea in Torbay - with ginger scones and all mind!

Marcus Wareing's banana bread - made in a jelly mould. Crinkle cut.

100% Forest of Dean wild boar salami. Satisfying.

The Silver Spoon chicken with pomegranate (and Italian dried mushrooms). Che libro!

Brustengo - another Italian dish, also known as bubble and squeak! It goes very nicely with HP sauce (sshhh!)

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Lamb & Cannellini Beans

I Heart Italia: Lamb & Cannellini Bean Spezzatino

I love lamb. It has always been my favourite roast. Over the last month I've been waiting for the right opportunity to make lamb and cannellini bean stew, a staple in the Italian kitchen. I got some lamb, got some beans, found some cousins and a sister to invite for dinner, got some more lamb and beans to ensure sufficient quantities and got to work.

I checked with Jacob Kennedy in the Bocca book to see if he had anything to say about this dish and found a rather lovely lamb and broad bean stew which made for the basis of my recipe.

Other key ingredients that I wanted to make an appearance were rosemary, as I have lots in the garden, white wine because the weather has been so hot and garlic, to hit the meat with some extra flavour. The result was a delicious spezzatino - a stew with an bold sauce, one that cannot be left behind and requires bread to swipe every last bit from the bowl.

Here's what I used: [serves 6]

500g leg meat, cut into pieces

Lamb ribs - I currently have an obsession with ribs - great inexpensive cut of meat

Flour

Olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 bunch spring onions

Pinch dried chilli flakes

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

6 rosemary sprigs

1 bottle white wine

2 cans cannellini beans

2 tomatoes, diced

Chard, finely sliced - this is optional, I fancied something green

First you need to toss you meat in seasoned flour. Then heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a pan and lightly brown your meat.

Add the spring onion, crushed garlic, chilli flakes and anchovy paste to the meat and cook for a few minutes.

Add the rosemary and white wine and simmer for an hour and a half with the lid on. The meat will be lovely and tender by this point.

After an hour add your diced tomatoes and a cup of water if it needs more liquid.

Taste and season the sauce ten minutes before cooking time is up and then add your cannellini beans and chard if you're using.

Serve hot with some fantastic bread.

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THE EGG

The egg is a great gift from the chicken. 

Sometimes I wonder if I eat too many eggs.

Below are three recent egg dishes.

All were invented 'use up ingredients' recipes.

Baked Eggs - leftover pork & lemon meatballs, spinach and eggs - oven baked

 

Corned Beef Hash - caralmelised red onions, leftover mustard mash, leftover broccoli, corned beef and a fried egg

Asparagus Frittata - leftover asparagus, onion, eggs, parsley, Parmesan and nutmeg

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Pancake Day 2012

Pancake Day 2012 by Charlotte

The humble pancake officially pops up once a year - probably once a month at my house - unofficially. Personally I don't think you can beat a good pancake for breakfast. My favourite filling would have to be blueberries or raspberries mixed in with the batter so that they enjoy maximum time in the hot pan, exploding their juices everywhere; a gruesome but very tasty death for the fruits. A dash of maple syrup goes pretty well on top, finishing this dish off nicely.

This year we have chosen savoury pancakes (followed by sweet ones) which have a distinct whiff of Italy about them. Filled with ham hock (a cheap but superbly flavoured cut); buffalo mozzarella which works a treat if you keep several pancakes warm in the oven as the cheese simply melts, spreading its brilliance throughout the pancake; cherry tomatoes and a twist of black pepper. Simple but very very effective.

For a basic pancake I use:
120g sieved plain flour
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
300ml milk
Butter

Mix the flour and salt, whisk in the eggs and then gradually add the milk. You should have a thick batter that is a similar thickness to single cream. Make sure all the flour is mixed in and there are no lumps.

Heat a small knob of butter in a frying pan and turn the heat up high. Turn the heat to medium before adding a ladle sized amount of batter to the pan. Ensure the batter is evenly spread. The pancake should take around 30 seconds to cook and you can then flip it to cook the second side.

If you're making savoury pancakes then I suggest adding the filling, folding the pancakes up and keeping them warm in the oven so that all the flavours come together.

I have just about grown out of trying to see how many pancakes I can eat in one sitting, however, I always make sure I squeeze in at least one classic lemon and sugar pancake.

Happy flippin'!

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Barbeque the Italian way

by Charlotte

I recently gave these two recipes to our local magazine, Living South. Having spent some time thinking about a particular bbq in the hills of Bologna 7 years ago. On this occasion we got scooted into the hillside on the backs of mopeds vaguely knowing to keep an eye out for a patch of sunlight woodland. We found it and all the guys started to make the barbeque, lay a table, cook the meat and make all the salads – pretty impressive to us girls. It was all about the food, everything had to be perfectly chopped, dressed, marinated and presented. It was a delicious feast that I’ll never forget. Here are two Italian recipes that are good for sharing with friends.

Spiedini di miale (pork kebabs) - this makes six seriously meaty, authentic Italian kebabs.

12 x 1 inch cubes of pork (I use pork fillet)

6 Italian sausages – Cumberland are a perfect substitute

6 slices streaky bacon, cut in half

18 sage leaves

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 lemon, zested and halved

Extra virgin olive oil

6 skewers, soaked if wooden

Firstly marinate the meat. Twist the sausages into three so they balloon, cut them and put them in a bowl with the pork and the halved bacon. Add 12 of the sage leaves to the bowl. Using a pestle and mortar crush the garlic, remaining sage leaves and lemon zest to a pulp and then add four tablespoons of olive oil and the juice of half the lemon. Pour over the meat, mix and leave to marinade for 1-3hours.

Skewer the kebabs; I roll the bacon (two rolls per skewer), fold the sage leaves in half and alternate with three pieces of sausage and two pieces of pork per kebab. Put on the barbeque. If you fancy, throw some rosemary sprigs onto the coals before you put the meat on so that the leaves flavour the kebabs while cooking. When the meat is golden and cooked through serve the kebabs with the remaining lemon juiced squeezed over them.

Radicchio - the round purple lettuce from the Veneto with a bitter taste.

1 large radicchio, halved lengthways

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Season the halved radicchio on the cut side with salt and pepper, and rub with olive oil. Barbeque cut side down for a few minutes until hot through – the closed leaves will actually keep in the steam and help the lettuce cook. Turn it over and grill for 3-4 minutes more. Splash with balsamic vinegar and serve as a super side dish.

Enjoy.

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I Heart Italia: Fritto Misto!

by Charlotte

I first discovered fritto misto on the east coast of Italy in 2004 and what a discovery it was. For around eight months after the lovely Liz Jones and I cooked up calamari that we got from the Italian equivalent to Lido, the name of which escapes me right now, in our flat in central Bologna. This was a little different to eating a fresh plate of deep fried calamari, prawns and baby octopus on the shores of Marina di Ravenna but pretty darn good. 

It's now 2010 and I happen to work close to WholeFoods - an treat for any food loving girl. The vegetables are displayed in a rainbow fashion and are intermittently sprayed with a fine mist making them irresistible. And the fish department is my idea of Seaworld - with trays of fresh calamari, prawns and octopus at affordable prices (not like all items in the supermarket!)

So, here's the recipe I cooked up tonight for Jules, a housemate after my own heart when it comes to eating fish and seafood. 

Ingredients:

Clamari

Prawns

Baby Octopus

1 egg

Flour

1 lemon 

salt and pepper

salad

Olive oil

Sunflower oil

Method:

Heat a mixture of olive oil and sunflower oil in a wide based frying pan. Coat the seafood in the egg and then dip in a shallow bowl of flour, seasoned with lemon zest (of 1 lemon), salt and pepper.

When the oil is hot put the the coated seafood in the frying pan, coat in oil and cook for a few minutes, tossing to make sure everything is cooked through.

Serve with salad, ideally rocket and wedges of lemon. Enjoy.

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I Heart Italia: Focaccia

I Heart Focaccia by Charlotte x

While skipping through The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook, feeling slightly guilty for having used it only once (an exceptionally well chosen Christmas present from Matt) I noted a recipe for focaccia with black grapes. Bread and fruit – what a fabulous combination (I can hear my stepfather’s worried tones already). And, it just so happens that Rach has a punnet of red currants sitting on top of the fridge, looking a bit needy, as if they want to be used…

30 minutes later the dough is sitting to rise and I’m looking for fennel seeds. An hour later I am putting the focaccia together – a two tier piece de resistance with blueberries in the middle (not enough red currants in the punnet) and the little red bursts of delight sitting pretty on top. Sugar, olive oil and fennel seeds are thrown on and in the oven it goes to do its business.

Taste testers Jules, Rach, Matt and Ceri step up and despite being a little crispy round the edges (the pizza wheel cutter is not happy) everyone is very encouraging and I eagerly announce the birth of the weekly fruit focaccia - quite keen I admit, but I feel certain that everyone would benefit from a weekly focaccia.

So far I have made three in total (over 9 days). Focaccia number 2 had blueberries in the middle and cherries on top with fennel seeds adding a hint of exquisite excitement. This little focaccia came with me all the way to Pembrokeshire where it was very well received. Focaccia number 3 contained raspberries and was splattered with blackberries, caraway seeds, sugar and oil.

What’s great about this is that you can easily play around with quantities, fruits, seeds, nuts, and whatever else! I now plan to work my way through the other 199 recipes in Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers’ delightful book (while turning out the weekly focaccia of course). Just spotted focaccia col formaggio (with cheese) on page 119!

Recipe – adapted from The River Café

Dough:

375g plain flour, sieved

150ml warm water

3 tablespoon golden caster sugar

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

10g dried yeast

Pinch of salt

 

The rest:

600g fruit (black grapes, red currants, cherries, blueberries, raspberries – the list goes on)

Extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons golden caster sugar

3 tablespoons fennel seed (I think caraway seeds work well also)

 

Sieve the flour into a heap on the worktop and make a well.

Dissolve the yeast in the water and mix in the sugar, salt and olive oil. Pour into the well and mix in with the flour. Knead for at least 15 minutes and then place in a bowl, covered with a damp tea towel (and preferably in a warm spot) for an hour (minimum).

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees.

Knock back the dough and divide into two. Press out half the dough onto a baking tray (greased with olive oil). Cover with half the fruit and sprinkle with 1.5 tablespoon of sugar, 1.5 tablespoons of fennel or caraway seeds and some oil. Cover with the remaining dough, crimp the edges and repeat.

Bake for around 40 minutes, leave to cool and dish out to deserving amici.

 

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Tasty Tuna Italian Stylee

By Ceri x

A couple of months ago, Charlotte and I decided to have a slightly impromptu dinner party one Saturday evening. Charlotte whipped up her fantastic self-created Sausage pasta dish as a starter (an earlier post on the blog and well worth a look), and I was to provide the main course. I had it in my head that I had wanted to cook Tuna steaks for the previous couple of days. I had the perfect excuse as our good friend Tim was leaving London for more South Westerly climes (Bristol) so it called for an evening of wine, banter, wonderful Italian food and some smooth moves with a griddle pan.

Tuna as many people unfortunately know it, is that convenience fish you get out of a tin from the supermarket. The fresh Tuna steaks that you buy from the fishmonger make for an entirely different experience. When cooked well (my preferred way is with a very hot griddle pan leaving a lovely layer of pink through the middle of the steak so it is served medium rare) it is a delicious, meaty yet light fish with a really wonderful flavour that the canned version doesn't even come close to.

The recipe I chose was one I found online and adapted. This was an Italian style marinade including roasted peppers, capers, olive oil and lemon juice. As Charlotte previously mentioned, the Keston Kitchen rarely goes a week without the little wonders that are capers making an appearance. I love them and they go extremely well with fish of most kinds.

The recipe below is really easy once you master the cooking of the tuna. I served it on a salad of rocket, watercress, toasted pine nuts and roasted cherry tomatoes with a balsamic vinegar dressing, along with new potatoes in a garlic herb butter. It was a really tasty, fresh mediterranean style dish that we all fell in love with... even Rachie and she's not a fish fan.

It's worth a mention to be careful where you get your Tuna from to make sure it's responsibly sourced as it's an endangered species. I love this fish and think it's important to be aware of where it has come from when enjoying your dinner. It's always good to check with your fishmonger to make completely sure.


Ingredients: Serves 6

• 6 8-ounce tuna steaks
  
• 250 ml olive oil
• 3 table spoons fresh roughly chopped parsley
• 4 roasted peppers
• 4 spring onions, sliced thinly
• juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon
  
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced or 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Mix the olive oil with parsley, roasted peppers, spring onions, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, capers, oregano, salt and pepper in a saucepan. Simmer over low temperature while stirring until completely mixed. Remove from heat and set aside.

Coat tuna steaks with remaining olive oil and lemon juice. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Preheat grill as hot as you can get it. Place tuna steaks on oiled grill and cook for about 3 to 5 minute per side or until done. Tuna steaks are done then the meat is opaque through the middle. Do not over cook tuna as it will go dry.

An alternative way (and my preferred method) to cook the Tuna is on a griddle pan- happily we have one in the Keston Kitchen. If you have one, heat the pan until really, really hot. Place the tuna carefully in the pan which should be non stick. Leave to cook on each side for 3 minutes for a medium rare steak- more for well done. I am a firm believer that the fish tastes better a little rare with a streak of pink running through the middle. It's also worth taking the fish off the griddle pan and placing the lines that run along the bottom to go in the opposite direction for that criss- cross effect.



The fish was then placed on a bed of the salad with a side of the new potatoes in garlic butter. We had a lovely Saturday evening dinner with delicious food and great people.

Belated good luck for happy times in Bristol Tim. xx

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I heart Italia: The Courgette Pasta

by Charlotte x

In our house this dish is known simply as ‘the courgette pasta’. A simple dish, of delicate flavours that we all love and devour on a regular basis.

I have this thing where I love vinegar, almost anything with a vinegar kick gets me excited, for example; Pickled Onion Monster Munch, Cornichons, Picked Onions, Salt & Vinegar Discos, Picked Cabbage… the list goes on. Anyway, this dish gets the kick that I know and desire from the cider vinegar and the capers. I’d like to take a moment to talk about the caper, an edible, Mediterranean bud from the spiny caper bush, something that right now – we cannot get enough of. It’s great in pasta dishes, salads and always makes me think of Italia.

Back to the recipe. Not much to say really, besides the fact that it is a visual feast of freshness.

And, when fed to friends it always gets some praise, a big smile and maybe a little wince – a good wince – a vinegar wince. Happy wincing.

For a serving of 4 I suggest using the following Ingredients:

3 courgettes, sliced into thick rounds and then cut each round into 3 batons

250g tomatoes, cherry or whatever your favourites are

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp chilli flakes

2-3 tbsp capers, depending on how much you love them

2 tbsp cider vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

350g pasta, I like linguine or wholewheat tortiglioni

 Method:

1.Cut up the courgettes and place in a sieve/colander. Salt and leave for 15 minutes.

2.Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes and squeeze them, putting juice and tomatoes into a mixing bowl. Add the garlic, chilli flakes, capers, vinegar and oil to the bowl and leave to marinate.

3.Put the pasta onto cook.

4.Heat some oil in a large frying pan and throw in the courgette batons and the dried oregano. Cook for 6-8 minutes over a low/medium heat.

5.Throw in the tomato mix and cook for a couple of minutes while you drain the pasta.

Serving suggestion: in wide rimmed, rustic bowls with salad and friends on the side. Chilled prosecco should accompany the piatto del giorno… 

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I heart Italia: Salsiccia e zucchine

Italian cuisine with a West Country twist...

by Charlotte x

A couple of weeks ago Matthew (ham enthusiast) came across a wee corner of a magazine which said that Kitchen Italia (fancy Italian restaurant chain), was running a pasta competition. Of course this meant that I/we had to enter so I came up with some initial ideas and decided that we should knock out a few dishes and get a few folk to taste them.

At that point (some point on a Saturday morning) Ceri entered the room and said that she fancied a night of Italian feasting and that she had invited some friends round. So it was settled, Jules would provide the apperitivi, I would make an experimental pasta dish as the first course and Ceri would follow it up with a tasty main course to remember, with some good Pinot Grigio to wash it all down (actually I cannot remember if the wine was Italian or not but I like to think it was).

The ingredients for the pasta dish that were circulating in my head were the following: Italian sausage (super tasty and comes rolled up in a big curl like a snail), courgettes (because they are amazing), juniper berries and cider. Initially I was thinking wine but then after looking into the cupboard and spotting a bottle of Weston’s Organic we decided that cider was the way to go – a fusion of Italian and West Country cuisine could only be good!

After playing around with some ideas, a big frying pan and several things on the spice rack, a rather nice aroma seemed to be materialising. I cooked some fresh pasta, dished it up, and despite the sauce being a little bit runny the overall flavour was a good one! Everyone said it was tasty; I like to think they would say if it was not. So, a couple of tweaks later and perhaps some new guests to do the taste test and I decided we’d be there.

In the meantime Ceri had gone to our local fishmongers (some of whom are rather attractive in the eyes of certain young ladies) and purchased some fine tuna steaks which she served up with a fantastic relish.

Skip forward a few days, maybe two weeks and I was at home preparing lunch for mum, sister, ham enthusiast, cousin, auntie P, uncle D and big Al. This was round two of the sausage pasta recipe experimentation. Obviously far more confident, I made the recipe and was then quite disappointed with the result which was far too runny (over excited with the cider quantity) and seemingly tasteless. So that evening we perfected the sauce to make it, thicker, richer and really quite nice. Here’s the recipe if you fancy giving it a go. If you want to check out the Kitchen Italia site you can now find the recipe on there too!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small garlic clove, crushed

14 juniper berries, crushed with the side of a knife

400g Italian sausages, sliced

150ml West Country cider (I used Weston’s Organic)

3 tbsp crème fraiche

2 courgettes, cut into thick rounds and then sliced into batons

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper

50g Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

350g tagliolini

Method:

Cut the courgette into batons and salt in a colander for 5-10 minutes.

In a large frying pan heat the olive oil and add the crushed garlic and juniper berries. Throw in the sliced sausage and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.

Pour in the cider and continue to cook for 6-8 minutes, allowing the cider to reduce by approx half. Stir in the crème fraiche and continue to simmer for a few minutes.

Add the courgette batons and the oregano and cook for 5 minutes, season and stir in Parmesan cheese. Serve with extra grated Parmesan if you like your cheese and fresh tagliolini. 

P.S. If you fancy nudging Ceri to talk about her fisherman friends and the ace tuna recipe then feel free to do so.  

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I Heart Italia: Torta

Jamie Oliver’s Torta di More (Blackberry Tart)

 Claire Kelleher says (in her best American accent): ‘That fruit was REAL shiny!’

 

When Charlotte announced she was christening her birthday present – a fresh pasta making machine, I decided we needed a fittingly Italian desert to complete the meal. I headed straight for the Jamie’s Italy cookbook and this fruit tart jumped out at me.

I haven’t always been such a fan of baking, but nowadays producing pretty looking puddings on a Sunday is definitely one of my favourite things to do! It started back with Julia and I as kids icing rich tea biscuits different colours in my mums kitchen, I then progressed to chocolate cornflake Easter nests and now with an arsenal of recipe books at my disposal in the Keston kitchen, making cakes or desserts is pretty much a weekly event!

When I initially read this recipe - admittedly I over looked that you are supposed to refrigerate the pastry for an hour before you roll it and then freeze in for a further hour before baking but if you have the time to wait around for 2 hours, the actual making part is easy peasy. It is worth making your own pastry for the lemony twist Jamie adds.

As you will see below you can use any berries you like, it doesn’t have to be blackberries and any alcohol of your choice too!

 

RECIPE – serves about 10 people (or a lot more if you feed them a mountain of pasta before hand)

 

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry

• 125g/4.5 oz butter

• 100g/3.5 oz icing sugar

• a small pinch of salt

• 255g/9oz plain flour

optional:

• 1 vanilla pod, scored lengthways and seeds removed (I didn’t put this in)

• zest of 1/2 a lemon

• 2 large egg yolks, preferably organic

• 2 tablespoons cold milk or water

 

For the filling

• 1 vanilla pod (I bought the last one in East Dulwich so you might have to go further a field!)

• 500g/1lb 2oz mascarpone

• 100ml/3½fl oz single cream

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 3 tablespoons grappa or vin santo (I used Brandy)

• 310g/11oz blackberries (I also added raspberries and blueberries)

• 2 tablespoons blackberry or raspberry jam (to make the fruit shiny)

• a small handful of fresh baby mint leaves (I didn’t put this on)

 

Method

First you will need to grease a 28cm/11 inch loose-bottomed tart tin with a little butter. To make your pastry, cream together the butter, icing sugar and salt and rub in the flour, vanilla seeds, lemon zest and egg yolks – you can do all this by hand or in a food processor. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, add the cold milk or water. Pat and gently work the mixture together until you have a ball of dough, then flour it lightly. Don’t work the pastry too much, otherwise it will become elastic and chewy, not flaky and short as you want it to be. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for at least an hour. Remove it from the fridge, roll it out and line your tart tin. Place in the freezer for an hour. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 and bake the pastry case for around 12 minutes or until lightly golden.

To make the filling, split the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds by running a knife along the inside of each half. Put the mascarpone, cream, vanilla seeds, sugar and grappa into a large bowl and whip until shiny. Have a taste – you should have an intensely rich, fluffy and lightly sweetened cream with a fresh hint of grappa. If you can’t get grappa, you can do it without, or add a swig of vin santo instead.

Once the pastry has cooled, get yourself a spatula and add the sweetened cream to the pastry case. Smear it all round so it’s reasonably level, then cover it with the berries – place them lightly on the cream, no need to push them in. If you want to be a bit more generous than this, feel free, and if you want to mix your berries you can do this too. Next, in a small pan, melt down a couple of tablespoons of jam with 3 or 4 tablespoons of water. Stir until it becomes a light syrup, then, using a clean pastry brush, lightly dip and dab the fruit with the jam.

Sprinkle with the baby mint leaves before eating. Great served either as one large tart or as small individual ones. Lovely with your afternoon tea. Either serve straight away or place in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it.

Jules and Jake made it back just in time for a bit of sunday night tart (Jake's 4th pudding of the day!)

Watch this space for more puddings and our new favourite cakey cookbook will feature I'm sure - The Hummingbird Bakery recipe book.

Rachael xx

 

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