Food

After Christmas and new year, and three large batches of braised red cabbage, a disproportionate amount of which – due to greed and responsibility – I ate, I swore never to cook or eat red cabbage again. How quickly I forget. A month later and I am in the supermarket, quite literally weighing up two bald heads of cabbage, deep purple and polished, each with a bulging vein-like rib curving down one side. It is a cliche I know, but nevertheless true, that many Italians – especially those over 50 from Rome and southwards – find it impossible not to comment on young children, damp hair and food shopping, especially if you are standing with hands like a weighing scale looking indecisive. “Questo” (“that one”), said a smart 50-something man in a green puffy gilet and jaunty scarf, choosing carrots as if something of upmost importance depended on it. He then went on to tell me he couldn’t eat red cabbage because it gave him terrible and … [Read more...] about Rachel Roddy’s recipe for red cabbage, sausage and white bean soup

The greengrocer has a frayed wicker basket of rhubarb, the pale pink stalks laid in a soldierly row, like sticks of rock in a Blackpool sweetshop. I part with a king’s ransom for a kilo of spears so delicate they wouldn’t be out of place in a vase. Yes, I could have bought half a dozen mangoes for the same price, but the rhubarb will make a crumble second only to gooseberry, and a rose-pink fool when lightly cooked, chilled and folded in spidery threads through softly whipped cream. The shy beauty of these early rhubarb stalks is deceiving. Their fragility hides a snap of acidity that will bring a pickle to life and lend a piercing contrast to the sweet fattiness of a pork chop or the glistening skin of roast duck. We eat so much pork in this house that at the butcher’s I opt for duck legs instead and roast them on a bed of peeled shallots that caramelise in their fat. The shallots become the backbone of a rhubarb pickle spiked with juniper berries and coriander … [Read more...] about Nigel Slater’s sweet and savoury recipes for early rhubarb

Sometimes you just need something that is ready in a jiffy, fills you up and tastes amazing. Arriving back to the camp site after a big hike or a beach adventure is the perfect time for this dish. It is simple, with a delicious balance of sweet and savoury flavours fusing traditional Mexican and Italian staple ingredients. You don’t need a whole heap of exotic ingredients and you can always enjoy it as a side dish to complement a salad or pasta. Plus any leftover polenta is absolutely divine toasted for breakfast the next day topped with comforting baked beans or avocado and sauerkraut. Serves 2 Balsamic vegetables150g mushrooms, sliced Polenta150g (1 cup) polenta To serve1 tbsp chopped basil Combine the balsamic veggie ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and set aside. Combine the polenta ingredients in a saucepan. Whisk well to combine. Place over a low heat and cook slowly, stirring every few minutes to avoid clumps. Add the balsamic veggies to a saucepan and cook on a low heat, … [Read more...] about Harriet Birrell’s creamy coconut polenta with balsamic vegetables recipe

There are few things, in our age of convenience and 24-hour supply chains, that are truly seasonal. So it’s always a pleasure when that first electric-pink bunch of forced rhubarb arrives each year. I love it principally for its mellow flavour – fruitier than its later-season sibling – but it would be a shame to use it in a recipe that didn’t allow its eccentric colour to shine. This week I’m roasting it with a little sugar, before nestling it in a bed of golden frangipane. You can’t go wrong. Rhubarb frangipane tart Prep 25 minhill 25 min55 min1 x 10 inch tart – enough for 12 slices For the pastry250g plain flour125g unsalted butter (cold), plus more for greasing75g icing sugar1 large egg, beaten For the rhubarb4 large sticks of rhubarb (about 400g)75g caster sugar For the frangipane150g light brown muscovado sugar150g unsalted butter, at room temperature160g ground almonds40g plain flour¼ tsp table salt2 large eggs60g golden syrup Start … [Read more...] about Tamal Ray’s recipe for rhubarb frangipane tart

I recently had the privilege of judging the Andre Simon Awards for the best food book of 2018, and 119 books turned up, box by box, at my door (thank you, postman). Although there are some mind-blowing new books among them – the winner Diana Henry’s included – I thought to myself: ‘How many recipes does one person need?’ Of course, I am charged with writing new recipes here every week, but so often I’ll find that my pitch-perfect meal is something simple that I grew up eating - which is what today’s recipe is: a classic saag aloo, with added aubergine for extra oomph. Potato, aubergine and spinach curry The only thing this recipe lacks is looks, but try not to hold that against it. Prep 10 min 25 min4 750g maris piper potatoes, peeledSalt4 tbsp rapeseed oil1½ tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 aubergine, cut into 1cm dice1 large brown onion, peeled and very finely chopped2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped … [Read more...] about Meera Sodha’s recipe for vegan saag aloo