Recipes

July 5, 2020 – Published in Design & Decor Summer 2012 issue

Fresh and healthy recipes for the long hot Summer days

 

A variety of delicious and colourful dishes, prepared as always by Liz.

Words: Liz Said

Photographs: Alan Carville

(All ingredients in the recipes may be purchased from Scotts Supermarket)

POTATO SALAD WITH A DIFFERENCE

SERVES 6

• 800g new potatoes, large ones halved

• 200g fine green beans

• 2 tablespoons parsley

• 200g radishes, washed and finely sliced

• 200g cherry tomatoes, washed and halved

• 1 cucumber finely sliced

• 1 red onion finely sliced

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• Salt and pepper

Put the potatoes in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for 15 minutes until tender but still firm. Drain and set aside.

Put the beans in a pan of boiling water and simmer for 2-3 minutes; drain and refresh under cold water. Mix the potatoes and green beans in a large bowl, add the radishes, tomatoes, onion, cucumber slices and parsley.

Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and drizzle over the potato salad and serve immediately.

ARTICHOKE AND CHEESE TART

SERVES 8

For the pastry:

• 250g plain flour

• ½ tsp English mustard powder

• 100g cold butter, cut into cubes

• 1 large cold egg beaten

• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary

• 1 tablespoon milk

• Pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 2 red onions, sliced

• 1 jar x 520g whole Carciofi alla Romana

• 2 teaspoons dried thyme

• 300ml double cream

• 3 eggs

• 75g gruyere cheese grated

• 25g pine nuts

• 150g goat’s cheese

• Salt and pepper to taste

To make the pastry, place the butter, flour, mustard powder and pinch of salt into a food processor and whiz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the egg, rosemary and milk and whiz again until just combined. Tip on to a lightly floured surface and pat into a ball without kneading; wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, Gas 5.

Toll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 1/2cm thickness; grease a tart tin and line with the pastry; prick the base with a fork, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Line the pastry case with nonstick baking paper and cover with ceramic baking beans and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes; carefully remove the paper and baking beans and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Reduce the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, Gas 4. Put the cream, eggs, Gruyere and salt and pepper into a bowl and mix well with a fork.

Cut the artichokes into halves and arrange on the base of the pastry case; add the goat’s cheese cut into large chunks. Pour the cream and egg mixture on top. Scatter over the red onions and pine nuts. Bake for 30-35 minutes until set and golden.

TRICOLOR ITALIAN JELLIES

MAKES 4 LARGE GLASSES OR 8 SMALL ONES

For the green jelly:

• 6 kiwi fruit mashed

• 2 tbsp caster sugar

• 1½ leaves fine-leaf gelatine

• 2 drops green food colouring

For the white jelly:

• 1½ leaves fine-leaf gelatine

• 450ml crème fraiche

• 3 tbsp caster sugar

For the red jelly:

• 675g raspberries

• 3 tbsp caster sugar

• 300ml Champagne

• 3 leaves fine-leaf gelatine

Leaf gelatine gives a less rigid set than powdered, so is preferable to use to set jellies. This dessert requires patience and time but it is well worth the effort.

For those of you who would like to make ‘English Jellies’, substitute the green jelly layer with a blue one using another layer of white jelly with some blue food colouring.

Soak one and a half leaves in a small bowl of cold water. Heat the mashed kiwi fruit and two tablespoons caster sugar in a pan and bring to simmering point.

Take the pan off the heat, squeeze the excess water from the gelatine and stir into the hot kiwi mixture until it dissolves; divide between 4 large glasses or 8 small ones, cool and then set in the fridge for 4 hours.

When the first jelly layer has set, soak the next 1½ gelatine leaves in the same way; heat the crème fraiche with the sugar in a pan and bring to simmering point.

Take the pan off the heat, squeeze the excess water from the gelatine and stir into the hot crème fraiche mixture to dissolve; cool and divide among the glasses to make a second layer; set in the fridge for 4 hours.

Soak 3 leaves of gelatine as before. Put the raspberries, sugar and champagne into a small pan, bring to the boil and bubble for 3 minutes, then sieve into a bowl. Don’t push the raspberries through the sieve just gently stir them so the juice runs into the bowl. Reheat the juice if necessary.

Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine and stir into the warm raspberry liquid until it dissolves; when cool divide it between the glasses to make a third layer; chill to set overnight.

Decorate with fruit of your choice and serve. 

 See more recipes from Design & Decor Summer 2012 issue