Melanzane Parmigiana

It's a new year to be filled with many mouthwatering tastes and flavours. Woohoo!! Top of the ultimates is aubergine. I have a serious love affair with them, a vegetable that sadly never made it onto the table in our family due to its apparently awful texture. The only acceptable form allowed were rather deliciously pickled with chilli and garlic. One of my absolutely favourite and scrummy dishes of heaven is melanzane parmigiana. The name is slightly deceptive and there is no definitive answer as too whether it's derived from being made in Parma or made with parmesan cheese. It did originate in Sicily but is cooked all over Italy. There are many different recipes and you can substitute the aubergine with courgettes if you prefer. My version contains no parmesan, is slightly less calorific and has clean distinctive flavours. Layers of char grilled aubergine with roast tomato sauce and melted mozzarella, baked to golden perfection and eaten with crusty bread. We eat this as a main course on its own but is also delicious eaten with meat or fish.

There is much debate about whether it is necessary to salt aubergine once it has been sliced. I generally don't salt it when roasting or frying, but I do salt them for this recipe to remove some of their excess moisture. Aubergines are like sponges and will absorb as much oil as you give them. The trick is to grill them in a dry pan over a medium to high heat and just add a drop of oil to the pan when they begin to colour. This method ensures they cook quickly, lose most of their water and become wonderfully smokey in flavour.

Recipe (serves 2 as a main, 4 as a starter or side)

2-3 large aubergines

Variety of ripe tomatoes (I used a handful of cherry and 4/5 vine tomatoes)

2 or 3 shallots

4 or 5 cloves of garlic

Few sprigs fresh oregano

Mozzarella for cooking, coarsely grated

2 tbsp double cream (optional)

Half a cup of water

Olive oil

Salt and black pepper

To begin with, remove tops and slice the aubergines length ways about half an inch in thickness. Discard the first and last slices of peel. Layer the slices in a colander with a little bit of salt between each layer and leave for about 15 minutes. In the meantime preheat the oven to 200C. Cut vine tomatoes in half and keep cherries whole, place in a roasting dish with peeled and quartered shallots, 3 or 4 garlic cloves with skin still on and a few sprigs or oregano. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes until soft, caramelized and the garlic is soft. While the veg is roasting, heat a large pan over a medium to high heat, the pan should not be smoking. Remove aubergine slices from the colander, brush off salt or squeeze them gently to remove some of the water and salt. Char grill the slices in batches by placing three or four in the pan at a time. Allow them to develop lots of colour turning them a couple of times to ensure evenness. Add a tsp of oil to the pan just before removing the aubergine to encourage more colour. Remove and set aside. Repeat. 

When the tomatoes are ready, place them in a small saucepan along with the shallots and garlic flesh. Add some fresh oregano leaves and half a cup of water. Bring to the boil and simmer until soft and falling apart. Blitz into a rough sauce. Add cream and a freshly crushed clove of garlic. Season to taste.

To construct the dish: Lightly oil a 20cm casserole dish. Begin by putting 2 or 3 tablespoons of sauce in the bottom of the dish, then arrange a layer of aubergine, placing them as close together as possible. Cover with another layer of sauce and then sprinkle with mozzarella. Repeat until you have used all the ingredients. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the top and add a few oregano leaves along with some freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Rich Vegetable Cassoulet

Oh we do love beans in our house! Baked, blitzed, fried, refried, cold, marinated, stewed.... any and every possible way will do. I found this fantastic premixed bag of ten different bean varieties, including some of my favourites like kidney, sugar, mung, butter and haricots. Mixed in with these are some others I'm not that familiar with like black eyed, lima, pinto, alubia and black turtle beans. This mix is really fabulous and versatile, great for salads or as a side with vegetables, it also makes a great cassoulet. Cassoulet is a traditional slow cooked casserole containing meat and white haricot beans originating in the south of france. I took my inspiration from the cooking method and the use of beans but little else of the classic version remains in my recipe. This is a rich deeply flavoured slow cooked pot of vegetable heaven. If you want to add some meat, use spicy smoked chorizo or lardons. Any hard root vegetable can stand a long cook and some hardy winter greens to go with chopped tomatoes, beans of your choice and some lemon juice. This is a one pot wonder left to cook slowly in a low oven for a few hours, developing over time and much improved reheated for a day or two on the stove. Eat with crusty bread, any grain or soft polenta.

Recipe 

1 turnip

2 carrots

1 large shallot or onion

2/3 cloves of garlic, crushed

150g cavolo nero, kale or winter greens

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 cup mixed beans or beans of your choice

Juice of half a lemon

1 bay leaf

1 Lt vegetable or chicken stock

1 tbsp tomato paste

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 150C. Heat a heavy casserole dish on the stove. Slice the shallot and saute in olive oil with two cloves of crushed garlic until soft. Peel and chop the carrots and turnip into chunks, add to the pot and heat. Roughly chop cavolo nero, mix through and allow to begin to wilt. Add bay leaf, tomatoes, stock and tomato paste and bring to the boil. The fluid should be just covering all the vegetables. Season with salt and black pepper. Before putting it in the oven, stir in the third clove of crushed garlic and juice of half a lemon. Place in the middle of the oven with the lid on and leave to cook slowly for about 2 hours until vegetables are soft and the liquid has reduced and is deep dark red in colour.

Pea and Mint Soup

This beautiful emerald bowl of vibrance is a winter staple. An all time classic, the combination of sweet peas and cool fresh mint make this soup rich and very moreish. Eaten with a swirl of cream, some freshly ground black pepper and crusty bread, its a meal that needs nothing more. If you fancy something different, use a small head of lettuce instead of mint, which is just as delicious. I like to use petit pois (baby peas) as they are younger, sweeter and blend into a smoother finish, but if you like a bit more texture garden peas work a treat. 

Recipe

1 onion, sliced

1 small floury potato, cut into chunks

1 large clove garlic, whole

handful fresh mint, just the leaves

frozen petit pois

1 Lt vegetable or chicken stock

knob of butter

salt and black pepper

Saute onion, garlic and potato in butter over a medium heat until soft but not coloured. Add stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft and falling apart. Add mint and allow to steep for a few minutes. Add peas and bring to the boil for 5-10 minutes. Take off the heat and blend until smooth. The consistency should be medium or just coating the back of a spoon. The soup will thicken as it cools and may well need a little extra water when reheating to thin the starch. Season with salt and black pepper. Serve hot with a swirl of cream.

Tarte au Citron

The amazing lemon tart! Such a delight with its soft and delicate curd filling. This is a dessert to finish all meals, it brings incredible happiness and total satisfaction. It does require a bit of planning and it isn't the easiest thing to make, but you will never regret it and make it over and over again. It is best made the night before or several hours before its needed. This recipe is made with egg yolks, so if you care for extra sweetness and decadence you can always whip up the egg whites with sugar and top this base with a pillowy meringue. The recipe calls for a sweet shortcrust pastry, you can add lemon zest to it for a little extra punch or leave it as is. I absolutely love the simplicity of this french classic. Stunning.

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (makes about 500g)

250g flour

150g butter

50g icing sugar

1 egg 

Put flour, icing sugar and butter into a food processor and blitz until it resembles bread crumbs. Add egg and pulse for a few seconds until the dough just comes together. If it still seems too dry add a tablespoon of water. Try not to over process as this makes the dough tough. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and bring together into a dough, kneading very lightly. Shape into a disc and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Remove from the fridge about 10 minutes before needed and allow to rest.

Recipe

300g sweet shortcrust pastry

juice of 2 lemons

175g castor sugar

6 large organic egg yolks

250ml double cream

To prepare the pastry case, roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface until about 3mm thick. Line a 20cm flan tin with the pastry, press well into the sides and leave a small amount (about 2-3mm) above the sides. This will shrink down slightly while baking. Prick gently all over with a fork. Cover with cling film and freeze for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 190C. Remove pastry case from the freezer. Line with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove beans and paper. Return to the oven and bake for a further 5-15 minutes until the base is completely cooked through and the edges are a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven. Reduce temperature to 140C. Allow the pastry case to cool slightly. In a bowl whisk together the ingredients for the filling, being careful not to aerate the mixture too much. Return the pastry case to the oven and pull the shelf out so that the tin remains level. Pour the filling into the case right up to the top. Push the shelf back into the oven carefully. Bake for 30 minutes, just until the filling looks slightly set and there is a wobble in the centre. Turn the oven off and allow to cool and set over night or for several hours. The surface of the tart should be glossy with very few bubbles. Dust with icing sugar, leave as is or top with meringue. Serve at room temperature.

Cinnamon Buns

Cinnamon is one of the most treasured of the ancient spices and I just love the warmth and nostalgia that it brings. I have wonderful memories of many scrumptious goodies laden with this beloved spice and sugar as its ultimate partner. Jewish baking is full of recipes with cinnamon at their heart and I remember my mother making these buns with my sister and I when we were young. I soon continued the tradition once I got hold of her prized cookbook. They use very few ingredients and are incredibly easy to make. You could probably jazz them up with fruit or nuts but I like them plain and simple, allowing the cinnamon to work its magic. If like me you can't wait, eat them hot out the oven or allow them to cool but they are best eaten the day they are made, hardly a difficult task.

Recipe by Myrna Rosen

(makes 12-18)

2 cups flour

125g butter plus 25g extra

pinch of salt

3 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp sugar

1 egg beaten in a cup and filled with milk

   and cream or just milk

cinnamon and sugar

Preheat oven to 200C. Sift dry ingredients together, rub or grate in butter with your fingers. Add egg mixture and bring into a dough. Knead lightly and roll out into a rectangular shape. This can be as big, thick or thin as you like. I make quite a large rectangle and roll it quite thinly, this gives me more circles of dough in the bun. Melt the extra 25g of butter and spread evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Again be as generous as you want, there is virtually no sugar in the dough so all the sweetness comes in at this point. Roll up lengthways like a swiss roll, slice into 3cm discs. Gently pinch the bottoms together and place open side up into a patty/ muffin tin. Brush with a little more melted butter, sprinkle again with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes until risen and golden brown.

Mushroom Pate

There is something special about eating mushrooms in late autumn, they conjure up fantasies of foraging around a forest floor thickly laden with colourful leaves. Earthy, deep and flavourful, mushrooms are some of the most delicious ingredients, providing us with a multitude of dishes. This pate is a firm favourite and makes a spectacular party dip, light hors d'oeuvres or fabulous treat. You can use any mushrooms with a robust flavour but chestnuts do rather well, easily available and no need for foraging! Made up to a day before, the flavours deepen beautifully. Serve with any good bread, crisps or crackers. 

Recipe (makes about 450g)

250g chestnut mushrooms

250g Philadelphia or any good quality full fat cream cheese

half a clove garlic, finely sliced

1 tbsp chives, finely chopped

salt and black pepper

Thinly slice and saute mushrooms until golden brown and all their liquid has evaporated. Add garlic and brown with the mushrooms for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Place mushrooms and chives into a food processor, blitz until finely chopped. The mushrooms should still be slightly warm. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Season to taste. The pate will be a little softer at this point, so refrigerate until set. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Sprinkle with extra chopped chives.

Spain

Ten days in Spain.... oh my! What an incredible treat for all things sensory. We spent a week staying in a tiny white washed village in the mountains outside of Granada, road tripping everyday and stuffing our faces. The landscape is flushed with fruits of biblical distinction, olives, almonds and pomegranates grow in abundance. Andalucia is extremely beautiful and it feels a lot like a certain area of South Africa with big skies and stunning light. Salty, irresistible Jamon made its way into our mouths at every opportunity. Sweet and hot pimenton coloured and elevated every dish. And of course... the wine... the wine... glorious, robust Rioja in little glasses accompanying Manchego cheese and membrillo.

Following our quiet week in Andalucia we went to Barcelona for four days and it was there that we truly treated ourselves to as much Catalunian food as possible. Seeking out authentic and traditional tapas bars, we ate until there was nothing left to do but smile and smile, fantastic. Deep fried calamari, tortillas to die for, anchovies, sardines, padron peppers, chickpeas, spanish kidney beans, white sausage, razor clams, cured tuna, empanadas... more jamon....

Everything we ate was incredible and worthy of description but a few experiences really stood out. A visit to La Boqueria, Barcelona's famous food market. The intensity of colour, texture, taste and smell was utterly intoxicating. Every stall generously laden with the freshest seasonal offerings, abundant and mouth watering. I was seriously down hearted at not being able to buy up loads and head home to cook... My dismay was short lived and evaporated with a surprise visit to a very special tapas bar called 'Tickets', high end tapas made with produce from the market that day. Food memory extravaganza. Coffee and Churros, the perfect breakfast.... anything with a doughnut is for me. Lastly, we managed to find probably one of the last authentic lunch time spots, behind an unassuming door with a rather ropey interior. Saw dust on the floor to catch the olive oil, a tightly run ship relying on bits of paper and lots of shouting. The food in this taverna was extraordinary, super fresh seafood, artichokes, salt cod, fiery rice balls, vinegary salad, wine by the jug, chorizo.... all else pales in comparison. Oh Barcelona!! I am inspired and in love!!