Roast cauliflower, herby yogurt and tomato salad.

Posted on 18/08/2024 by Anna

I am mad for a big salad, the sort of thing that works as your main course but could also be a side if required. A combination of ingredients with various flavours and textures that just work together. Sometimes this could be a bowl lunch (do they call this a Buddha bowl) where I have collected various bits from the fridge or it could be something that involved a little more planning. As such I am always putting things together to see what deserves to be written down. Often these collections will include pulses of some description, I can barely go a day without either butter beans, lentils or chickpeas and favour Bold Beans, they are spectacular. There must also be crunch and some kind of dressing, possibly yogurt or maybe a herb one along the lines of my Fresh Herb Sauce (July 2013).

Here we have some roast cauliflower and I think roasting brings out something really special in this particular vegetable, miles better than the boiled of old (that said I wouldn’t be without cauliflower cheese in the winter). Some singed edges and the added spices make it really sing and I love the contrast with the herby yogurt and tang of the pickled onions. You can of course use broccoli if that is what you have or prefer and I’ve made a similar salad using potatoes as the veg when that has been all the larder yielded.

Make the component parts ahead if that works for you and then bung them together before you serve. We had this recently with a couple of other salads and a big pile of marinated, grilled chicken which was fabulous but I would be just as happy with this on its own. Easy, cheap, make ahead, delicious – what more could you want?

Spiced Cauliflower, herb sauce and pickled onion salad

I often make my own spice blend using cumin, paprika, a little cayenne etc or a cajun type mix I get from the farm shop but here I used Cape Herb & Spice rub in Portuguese piri piri which has a great flavour and heat and I just happened to have it to hand. I rarely use these pre-made blends but have found a couple I like and they do save a bit of time.

1 cauliflower, chopped into small florets, core cut up and leaves retained

1 tablespoon spice mix, see intro

2 tablespoons olive oil (nothing special)

A couple of stems of cherry tomatoes still on their vines if possible

300g Greek yogurt

1 batch Fresh herb sauce (July 2013)

1 batch Quick pickled onions (August 2014)

Preheat the oven to 200. In a large bowl mix the cauliflower florets and core with the olive oil and spice mix, spread over a large baking tray and cook in the oven for around 30 minutes until it’s taken on colour (not just colour from the spices). For the last 10 minutes, add the cauliflower leaves to the pan (turn them in the spices and oil) and finally the cherry tomatoes just to bring these to point of the skin splitting. You can then leave all this to cool until just warm or even cold but I wouldn’t want it fridge cold. Check whether the cauliflower needs a bit of salt, it depends on the spice mix, some are quite salty.

Spread the yogurt onto a large plate and swirl the herb sauce over it. Top with the cauliflower, scatter over the drained pickled onion and top with the cherry tomatoes. A pinch of salt over the top and you will be good to go. This would serve four as a side.

Herby Butter Bean and Tomato Salad

Posted on 28/06/2024 by Anna

I am, if not fanatical, then certainly evangelical when it comes to pulses. For years I have raved and enthused about lentils, chick peas, cannellini beans and the like (please note there are recipes for all of the above on these pages). Now it is the turn of butter beans to be my true favourite. I say now but in fact many, many years ago in a shared house one popular communal supper was a combination of butter beans, tuna, spring onions and a lively vinaigrette. So, whilst that particular recipe isn’t a current favourite, it seems pulses have long been popular in my life. These days pulses are all the rage and readily available in jars which is my preferred choice. Until recently jarred beans were the preserve of delis and Spanish shops but not only are they on the shelves of most supermarkets now but can also be delivered to your door which is how I found myself with a monthly subscription to Bold Beans.

Owing to this regular arrival of beans I have upped the pulse game Chez May and we eat a lot of them although that we doesn’t include my son who says he has been over pulsed and needs a break. Endless winter suppers have been bolstered and padded out with these beans and now it is the turn of our summer salads to be pulsified.

The recipe that follows couldn’t be easier, in fact it is barely a recipe. It utilises half of a batch of my fresh herb sauce (July 2013) but I recommend you still make the whole amount as you will certainly find a use for the other half*. This is a salad with some backbone which is always useful, nothing to go particularly limp here so it can be made ahead of time and, in fact, is still good the next day so ideal for lunch boxes. It can easily be scaled up so handy for summer lunch parties. Above all though, it is the work of minutes and truly delicious.

Herby butter bean and tomato salad

1 700g jar butter beans, drained and rinsed (usually around 500g net)

1/2 batch fresh herb sauce (July 2013)

1 large handful of cherry tomatoes halved

Chopped chives (optional)

Mix the butter beans with the herb sauce and tomatoes. Put into a serving bowl and scatter with the chives if you are using them. Serves two for lunch or more people if there are other dishes alongside.

*If you have lots of tomatoes, simply slice then and serve with some of the leftover fresh herb sauce spooned over. This makes a wonderful summery tomato salad and you can easily add some sliced mozzarella which is also delicious and looks fabulous.

Please excuse the really not very good photograph.

Tomato, cheese and mustard tart

Posted on 17/10/2019 by Anna

I can’t remember where this recipe first came from. I remember my Mother would make it, a classic for Saturday lunches but then I remember a friend of hers, Antoinette, also making it. Hardly a surprise they were both fans, utterly simply to make and from ingredients you may well have to hand. I like recipes with a smattering of nostalgia. Food has moved on so far from what I grew up with and these days we eat a range of cuisines that that child of the ’70’s would barely recognise. So, amidst the larbs and green curries, the free from cakes and oat milk flat whites I relish coming across those old friends from the past. Chilli and Spag Bol, Rhubarb crumble and toad in the hole. All these are classics for a reason and welcome at my table anytime.

So it is with this tart. Four ingredients, yes just four ingredients and you have a top lunch with a surprisingly satisfying flavour combination. Sweet tomatoes with savoury cheese atop the tang of mustard and crispy pastry – come on, you know its going to taste good.

Warm with a salad for lunch, perhaps along side some other bits and pieces, soup, good bread, olive etc – that sort of picnic arrangement that always looks such a feast on the table. It is also good cold and has even made it into the odd packed lunch. A winner.

Tomato, cheese and mustard tart

As is my way I have tried various additions, slow cooked onions and peppers with the tomatoes, different cheeses etc but whilst delicious, those things are for another day, another tart. This one shines with the simplicity and harmony of the three toppings.

1/2 a 500g puff pastry

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

3 good size tomatoes, core removed and sliced

100g strong cheddar, grated

Preheat the oven to 200 and put a baking sheet in to heat. Roll out the pastry on a piece of parchment to a rectangle about the thickness of a pound coin. Spread with the mustard not quite to the edge and then layer the tomatoes on top. Season well and then sprinkle over the cheese avoiding the edges. Transfer the pastry on the parchment onto the hot baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes at 200 and then lower the oven to 180 for a further 10-15 minutes. After this time the pastry underneath should be bronzed and super crisp. Allow to sit for five minutes before serving, enough for 2 as it is or 4 alongside other things.

Spaghetti with fresh tomatoes and herbs

Posted on 30/08/2019 by Anna

There are piles of glorious, juicy homegrown tomatoes around at the moment. Months spent basking in the sun has brought them to their peak and now is the time to relish proper full flavoured tomatoes. We have plate after plate of tomato salad and a week doesn’t go by without us tucking into my Tomato Bruschetta (July 2013) which is, as described, summer on a plate.

This time I have used tomatoes with spaghetti but resisted cooking them so you still get that true fresh tomato flavour. Combined with masses of fresh herbs, a whisper of garlic and a good glug of grassy olive oil, this is a truly delicious late summer lunch.

Spaghetti with fresh tomatoes and herbs

You can use whichever fresh herbs you have to hand, basil is an obvious winner or course but I also favour fresh marjoram, parsley and chives. You are relying on the flavour of the tomatoes here so do make sure they are really ripe and juicy and don’t ever keep them in the fridge!

4 medium sized tomatoes

A handful of fresh herbs, chopped (see introduction)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 a clove garlic, very finely chopped

150g spaghetti (or pasta of your choice)

Salt and pepper

Put the pasta on to boil in a large pan with a generous pinch of salt. Halve the tomatoes and squeeze out most of the watery juice and then finely chop and put in a bowl. Add the herbs, olive oil, garlic, 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and several turns of the pepper mill. When the pasta is cooked, drain then mix with the tomato mixture. Taste in case you need a little more salt or olive oil and then serve straight away. Enough for 2 but easily doubled or trebled.

Orzo with Bacon, Tomato and Cream Sauce

Posted on 29/06/2015 by Anna

This is a winner. A little girl (aged 3) recently came to stay and when it came to teatime she wasn’t in the mood for any nonsense. I was fairly confident she would like this as my children adore it, even my son who is absolutely not the first to request pasta, ever.

When the time came to serve though, I realised I had forgotten the vagaries of young children and must admit, felt a brief tremor of nerves. Hurrah, it was a huge success and she polished off three helpings much to the panic of my daughter who was eyeing the reducing seconds in the pan with alarm.

So offer this with confidence and not only to children, I make no secret of loving it and am often to be caught sneaking a spoonful or two from the pan before it disappears.

Orzo with Bacon, Tomato and Cream Sauce

Orzo is a rice shaped pasta we have a particular fondness for but use any small shape you like. I keep those little rectangular packs of pancetta in the fridge and along with some small packs of passata in the larder this becomes an almost store cupboard supper.

125g orzo

1 teaspoon olive oil

100g pancetta, pack sizes vary and a little more won’t hurt if that is what you have

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

100g passata

2 tablespoons cream

A few sprigs of parsley, chopped

Parmesan

Cook the orzo according to the packet instructions, probably around 11 minutes. Meanwhile put the pancetta into a large frying pan with a teaspoon of olive oil and cook until well coloured and crispy in places. Add the garlic and cook for a minute before adding the passata, stir and cook for a few minutes before adding the cream. Drain the pasta retaining a little of the cooking water. Put the pasta into the sauce, stir until combined adding a little of the cooking water if you need it to loosen the sauce. Grate over some parmesan, add the chopped parsley and serve with more parmesan to hand. Serves two adults or three children.

Green Beans with Tomatoes and Feta

Posted on 17/06/2014 by Anna

I am very keen on the whole family eating together and of course eating the same thing, I might have mentioned before that I am not a big fan of “kid’s food” and who needs it. Be adventurous, there are so many delicious things to try and honestly who wants the headache of cooking lots of different dishes? That said, it is not always plain sailing to keep the customers happy. One of my children is currently off pasta, rice (except Paella – how does that work?) and sausages, neither like mashed potato and the other doesn’t really go a bundle on many vegetables. I am nothing if not determined however and this salad suits everyone.

The crisp beans with sweet tomatoes and salty feta go together unbelievably well. I can’t quite say perfect marriage, too many contenders but that sort of thing. My daughter loves the beans because of the garlicky dressing and the feta (but not the tomatoes), my son loves the beans and tomatoes (but not the feta) and I love it because the bowl is always empty. I often serve this with roast chicken or lamb and it is one of the sides I am most likely to make to go with a barbecue. It is a perfect solitary lunch or supper, quick, easy (so simple I am almost embarrassed to put it up as a recipe) and cheap too.

A twist on this and particularly good with chicken or fish is to lose the feta and have loads of garlic, lemon (zest and juice) and parsley or dill along with some black olives. I do alter the components depending on who is eating the salad and would usually add olives the version you see in the photograph.

I served this, as you can see in the picture, with some focaccia which is simply the wild garlic one I wrote about in May but now that the wild garlic is over I use a regular good olive oil on its own but you could easily whizz up some other herbs if you like.

Green Beans with Tomatoes and Feta

250-300g green beans, topped and tailed

A large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

75g feta, cubed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, crushed

Cook the beans until just tender. Mix the oil, vinegar and garlic in a bowl with a little salt (remember the feta is salty) and pepper then add the beans and turn them well in the dressing, put in the tomatoes and feta and mix gently until just coated. Taste, you may want to add a little more seasoning. Serves 4.

Chorizo and Potatoes

Posted on 18/05/2014 by Anna

Is there anything that doesn’t taste better with a bit of chorizo in it? I love that rich, spicy flavour and the way it imparts its sunny personality into other ingredients. Chorizo has great shelf life and is fantastic to have in the fridge for those inevitable moments when you have empty beaks to feed and the cupboard is bare.

This is one of my children’s favourites, unbelievably quick and only uses 5 ingredients. If you don’t have any potatoes, make Chorizo and Beans (365 things to eat, June 2013) or for a more summery feel, Chorizo, Tomatoes and Green Beans (September 2013).

Chorizo with Potatoes

I use the Goikoa Spanish chorizo which I buy in Waitrose, it comes in a 260g horseshoe but any other cooking chorizo would be fine too.

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 ‘horseshoe’ Chorizo

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

4 medium new/waxy potoates

Small tin chopped tomatoes, approx 227g

Small handful parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a pan over a low heat, slice the chorizo and add it to the pan. Meanwhile slice the potatoes and cook until tender then drain. When the chorizo is beginning to colour on both sides, add the garlic and cook for a minute followed by the tomatoes. Let this simmer for 3-4 minutes then put the drained potatoes into the pan, turn them so they are coated with the tomato sauce, finally sprinkle over the parsley. This serves 2 but is easily doubled, just use the whole horseshoe of chorizo and a normal 400g tin of tomatoes.

Tomato Bruschetta (summer on toast)

Posted on 24/07/2013 by Anna

Is this the taste of Summer? I think it might be. It is also one of the simplest and most rewarding. All you need is a loaf of sourdough (or similar), a pile of tip top, super ripe, full of sun juicy tomatoes, some really good olive oil, garlic and a few herbs if you have them.

My family love these and we eat them several times a week when the tomatoes are on top form. I toast the bread, chop the tomatoes and then set up a production line – a plate full of these bruschetta are always greeted with delight and never hang around.

I urge you to make these. The toms in my garden are still a little small and green but the ones at my local farm shop are perfect right now (Washingpool Farm Shop in case you are near the coast on the Dorset/Devon border this summer, superb shop and worth a visit).

Surprisingly these also work for a picnic, just toast the bread at home and then take the tomato mixture in a tub. When you get where you are going rub some garlic over the toasts (undressed sourdough stays crispy for ages) then top with tomatoes and drizzle with a little of the oil. Tuck in with your toes in the grass or better still the sand and remind yourself what summer tastes like.

Tomato Bruschetta

It is difficult to be exact as I don’t know the size of your sourdough but this is a guide. This amount would serve 4 with drinks before lunch or dinner but I bet they will want more.

1/2 loaf sourdough

Tomatoes, around 300g

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic peeled and halved

A splash of red wine vinegar

Pinch of salt

Fresh marjoram or basil of you have some to hand

Slice and toast the sourdough. Finely chop the tomatoes and put in a bowl with the oil, vinegar, a pinch of sea salt and some black pepper if you like, stir. Rub the toasts with a cut side of garlic, top with the tomato mixture. Pour over any remaining oil and sprinkle with the herbs.

Time for soup

Posted on 29/09/2012 by Anna

Soup, soup, soup. Funny how it never crops up much on our summer menu. The odd gazpacho if it is really hot outside (rarely) or a chilled courgette soup if the glut is overwhelming (it wasn’t this year). Generally though it is when the days cool that I want soup. I love soup – not only is it warming and cosy, but as it is often vegetable based it reassures you that it is doing you good whilst giving you that warm hug. Not to mention what a star it is when coming to use up vegetables you have too many of or those past their best and did I mention how cheap it is…

We eat a lot of soup for weekday lunches, partly as a fabulous quick warm healthy solution but also because for some maddening reason I can’t always sell the idea to my children. Tomato soup fine, creamy onion soup fine but anything green or pulsey they just won’t love. I keep on trying though. Whenever we have a tapas, picnic sort of weekend lunch in the cooler months, I tend to rustle up some kind of soup. Serve it to the children in little bowls with something yummy and crunchy to sprinkle on the top. This way not only is the amount not too daunting but there are other things for lunch if it is really poorly received. It seems to work this way but would be a different story I think if they were presented with a big bowl of soup and nothing else….

Red Lentil and Tomato Soup

1 onion chopped

1 tablespoon oil

2 cloves garlic chopped

Small thumb of ginger peeled and grated

Large pinch of chilli flakes

Large pinch sea salt

70g red lentils

1 can chopped tomatoes

500ml vegetable or chicken stock

50g creamed coconut

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/3 bunch coriander chopped (optional) I add for us, not for my children.

Soften the onion in the oil for a few minutes over a gentle heat, add the garlic, ginger, chilli and salt. Stir, add the lentils, stir again and add the coconut, tomatoes, stock and sugar. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft and have broken down. Add the coriander if using and blend with a stick blender or in a liquidiser. If you like you can serve the soup with a blob of yoghourt.

This is just fabulous to warm you up on a chilly blustery day. Delicious, wholesome, cheap and made pretty much from store cupboard ingredients. Extremely easy to make and you just know it is doing you good. Increase the chilli if you like it spicy or omit if serving to very small children.

Anna May, everyday…

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