A deliciously fresh, vibrant and healthy autumn salad
This salad packs a healthy punch helping to ward off winter bugs and colds. Chicory and watercress are packed full of vital vitamins and minerals and oranges and parsley are brimming with vitamin c . The pesto contains antiviral garlic, and walnuts which are a superfood in their own right. Continue reading
Fresh Cavalo Nero
Last week I was lucky enough to have a cookery session with Giulia Scarpaleggia at her fabulous Tuscan Cookery School, Jule’s Kitchen (www.juleskitchen.com). On the menu, amongst other mouth-watering traditional Tuscan dishes was a Cavalo Nero salad. Now I confess to being a little intimidated by this elegant nutritious brassica with its long slender dusky dark green leaves, having learned from experience that you need to know how to prepare it for a good result. Continue reading
Ribbons of thin courgette lightly dressed with lemon and garlic and tossed together with slices of parmesan and fresh peppery nasturtium flowers.
Every Summer its a race against time to pick the courgettes before they turn into marrows. I don’t always win. They seem to grow before your eyes from small tender courgette with the flower still attached to massive Marrows that need a very different style of cooking. I love Marrow and I like to let a few courgettes become mature towards the end of the season, but I do prefer courgettes. I love their raw nuttiness in salads, and cooking them is so quick and easy which is perfect for suppers on hot summer evenings. We like them sliced and fried in a little olive oil and served sprinkled with flaked sea salt. Or, simply steamed and garnished with a handful of fresh garden herbs such as lemon thyme, and a knob of butter.
Below are two further fresh and simple ideas for using Courgettes. A raw Carpaccio Salad and a wonderfully versatile and flexible Garden Ratatouille. Continue reading
Stirring Stuff 