So I started last week with the Moro East book by Sam and Sam Clark. This appeals to me because it's so simple, and has a lovely 'good life' feel about it which is so very now, as it's based around what they and their neighbours grew on their Hackney allotment (before it was bulldozed for the Olympics).
The first recipe I cooked was the Celery and White bean soup. Primarily because it has to be practical and I had a blinking great head of celery and some almost going tomatoes lurking in the fridge. Oh my gosh what a dish to start with. Talk about something being more than the sum of it's parts. Even my child, who eats anything but nevertheless still said 'urgh celery' thought it was divine. I made some of the flatbreads on the side too, I didn't have strong flour but only plain and wholemeal, so I did a mix of those and they still came out great: served with labneh (I actually mixed together Greek yoghurt and cream cheese as recommended and it was lush).
The next night we had Syrian fattoush. This is a really lovely salad, very simple, using the homemade flatbread dough rolled very thin, baked, then brushed with a little butter and re-baked to make it really crispy. And pomegranite. Now I thought pomegranite was a Winter fruit, to us, from about October to March, but I was able to get it from sad to say Tesco's...... but the dressing with this salad is to die for, just pomegranite juice, garlic, olive oil and seasoning. The rest of the ingredients are aubergine (they saute it but I would roast it next time for a firmer texture with less oil) pomegranite seeds, flat parsley and mint, spring onions and cherry tomatoes. Yum yum yum.
Then it was the Spring vegetable pilav. Again so simple. I make lots of paellas, pilavs, risottos, those kind of composite rice dishes but what i think makes this so special is that there is quite a lot of onion, which is braised till soft and going brown, in butter, as a base; and quite a lot of dill. Served to visitors with a lemon and olive oil pot roasted chicken, the juices whizzed up to make an amazing sauce, and some Cos lettuce with the rest of the dressing from last night. Very well received. And the leftover rice, cold, the next day, with a nice homemade quiche made a perfect picnic contribution.
My version of the recipes I used:
Celery and White Bean Soup
Slice a head of celery, and saute gently for 10 mins in a good glug of olive oil. Add a bunch of sliced spring onions, 3 or 4 sliced cloves of garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook for another 10 mins, stirring often. Add 500g skinned, seeded and chopped fresh tomatoes, a big pinch of celery salt and a can of drained white beans (either cannellini, or haricot are perfect). Cook for a further 5 mins then add 250 ml water (I used the water I used to blanch the toms) and 60ml olive oil. Cook for a further few minutes and serve with a swirl of nice olive oil. The Clark's serve with Turkish bread, oily black olives and crunchy sping onions. I didn't and it was still lovely.
Flat Breads
Mix 225g half and half strong white flour and wholemeal flour with 3/4 tsp salt. Mix 1/2 tsp dried yeast with 150ml lukewarm water and 15ml olive oil. Gradually add this to the flour, and when all incorporated transfer to a floured surface to knead until lovely and smooth and elastic: this takes about 8 minutes for me. Leave to rise, in a bowl covered with a cloth, for about 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size. Then divide the dough into 8 balls, roll each into a rough circle and bake on a floured baking sheet, in a hot hot oven, for 5 to ten mins, baking two at a time.
Spring Vegetable Pilaf
Melt 75g unsalted butter in a saucepan, with a piece of cinnamon stick and 6 pimento or all spice berries, until foamy, and add a sliced, large onion, a pinch of salt and saute until soft, about 20 mins. I deviated here, as I couldn't get fresh artichoke, and added half a jar of artichoke heart in olive oil, sliced, with about 8 spring onions chopped up, and cook for a few minutes more. Add 300g basmati rice which has been soaked in lukewarm water for an hour, then drained, stir it in to coat in the butter. Add whatever vegetables you like now, I used asparagus, frozen peas and broad beans, and courgette. Add half a bunch of chopped dill. Now add some stock: whatever you have. Fresh chicken stock would be perfect, I used vegetable stock powder which was good too. You need half a litre. Bring to the boil, add a tight fitting lid, cook for 5 more minutes on a medium heat, 5 more on low, then turn off and leave to rest for 5 more. Stir in two tablespoons of finely chopped mint. the rest of the bunch of dill, and three more sliced spring onions. Test for seasoning and serve.
Flat Breads
Mix 225g half and half strong white flour and wholemeal flour with 3/4 tsp salt. Mix 1/2 tsp dried yeast with 150ml lukewarm water and 15ml olive oil. Gradually add this to the flour, and when all incorporated transfer to a floured surface to knead until lovely and smooth and elastic: this takes about 8 minutes for me. Leave to rise, in a bowl covered with a cloth, for about 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size. Then divide the dough into 8 balls, roll each into a rough circle and bake on a floured baking sheet, in a hot hot oven, for 5 to ten mins, baking two at a time.
Spring Vegetable Pilaf
Melt 75g unsalted butter in a saucepan, with a piece of cinnamon stick and 6 pimento or all spice berries, until foamy, and add a sliced, large onion, a pinch of salt and saute until soft, about 20 mins. I deviated here, as I couldn't get fresh artichoke, and added half a jar of artichoke heart in olive oil, sliced, with about 8 spring onions chopped up, and cook for a few minutes more. Add 300g basmati rice which has been soaked in lukewarm water for an hour, then drained, stir it in to coat in the butter. Add whatever vegetables you like now, I used asparagus, frozen peas and broad beans, and courgette. Add half a bunch of chopped dill. Now add some stock: whatever you have. Fresh chicken stock would be perfect, I used vegetable stock powder which was good too. You need half a litre. Bring to the boil, add a tight fitting lid, cook for 5 more minutes on a medium heat, 5 more on low, then turn off and leave to rest for 5 more. Stir in two tablespoons of finely chopped mint. the rest of the bunch of dill, and three more sliced spring onions. Test for seasoning and serve.
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