There’s now a glut of weighty courgettes, buxom tomatoes and peppers, a bountiful second that can hold giving late into the winter, as long as you get forward and protect them in good oil. However, for now, they’re all greens that flourish from Madrid to Marrakech, and it’s from these areas that I’ve taken inspiration this week. To get the perfect from them, prepare dinner over a fireplace, fry in loads of olive oil or roast till charred, candy and caramelised. All three dishes are finest dropped at room temperature and eaten within the backyard, seasoned with sunshine and a glass of one thing good.
Stuffed tomatoes with capers, currants and pine nuts
This was impressed by a visit to Sicily, the place beautiful native produce is mixed with Moorish spices and the opulence of dried fruit and nuts. Serve with some contemporary buffalo mozzarella, if you happen to like.
Prep 15 min
Cook dinner 1 hr 30 min
Serves 4
8 massive ripe tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil, plus 80ml additional for the stuffing, and additional for drizzling
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
1 tsp pul biber
200g contemporary breadcrumbs, comprised of day-old stale bread, resembling ciabatta
80g currants, soaked in sizzling water for half-hour and drained
100g pine nuts
60g capers, rinsed
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt and pepper
Basil leaves, to garnish
Warmth the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gasoline 4. Lower the highest off every tomato and hold these lids. Scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon, roughly chop it and put aside.
Put two tablespoons of the olive oil in a frying pan on a medium-low warmth, then fry the onion till gentle. Add the garlic and, as soon as aromatic, the cinnamon, allspice and pul biber, and fry till aromatic. Add the chopped tomato flesh, prepare dinner till jammy, then depart to chill.
In a big bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, currants, pine nuts, capers, oregano, parsley and the fried onion combination, then season to style. Pour in 60ml olive oil, combine, then stuff into every tomato cavity, packing it in tightly.
Organize the tomatoes in an ovenproof dish that holds them snugly, prime with the reserved lids, drizzle with extra olive oil and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, till tender however nonetheless holding their form.
Serve at room temperature scattered with basil leaves.
Baked courgettes with romesco crust
For the perfect flavour, roast the peppers on the open flame of a gasoline range or straight on a barbecue. Function a principal with a inexperienced salad or as an accompaniment to grilled meat or fish.
Prep 10 min
Relaxation 20 min
Cook dinner 1 hr 15 min
Serves 4
2 massive inexperienced courgettes
2 massive yellow courgettes
Olive oil, for frying and drizzling
5 massive tomatoes
2 pink onions, peeled and lower into wedges
A number of sprigs every contemporary oregano and thyme, leaves picked
For the romesco crust
2 pink peppers
40g hazelnuts, toasted
1 garlic clove
1 tsp candy smoked paprika
100g sourdough bread
2 tsp sherry vinegar
30ml olive oil
An excellent grating of parmesan
1 handful finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
Start by making the romesco crust. Warmth the grill to medium-high and grill the peppers, turning often, till their pores and skin is darkish and blistered. Switch to a bowl, cowl with clingfilm, depart to steam for 20 minutes, then peel and deseed. Tear the flesh into strips and pat dry with kitchen paper.
In a meals processor, blitz the hazelnuts to a rough crumble, then tip right into a bowl and put aside. Put the pepper strips and garlic within the meals processor, add the paprika, bread and vinegar, and pulse to coarse crumbs. With the motor operating, slowly drizzle within the olive oil in a gentle stream, then stir within the hazelnuts.
Warmth the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gasoline 6. Lower the courgettes diagonally into ½cm-thick slices. Warmth a splash of oil in a big frying pan, then fry the courgettes in batches for 2 minutes on either side, till golden. Thickly slice the tomatoes, then organize with the onions and courgettes in a 1.2-litre ovenproof dish. Drizzle generously with olive oil, season, scatter over the oregano and thyme, and roast for 20-25 minutes, till the tomatoes are shrivelled and onions are gentle and just a little caramelised.
Prime with the romesco crust and grating of parmesan, then bake for an extra 10-Quarter-hour, till the crust is crisp. Scatter over the parsley and serve.
Roast pink pepper, watermelon and feta salad
A jar of roast peppers affords infinite alternatives. Right here, they bring about a bittersweet dimension to a watermelon and feta salad.
Prep 15 min
Steep 45 min
Cook dinner 25 min
Serves 4-6
250ml sunflower oil
2 pitta or Lebanese flatbreads, lower into quarters
1 x 290g jar roast pink peppers, drained and lower into strips
1 mini watermelon, peeled and lower into bite-sized chunks
4 ripe tomatoes, heritage for choice, lower into chunks
100g inexperienced pitted olives
2 tbsp capers, rinsed
1 handful mint, torn
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
200g feta
For the dressing
1 pink onion, peeled and really finely sliced
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp caster sugar
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Start by making the dressing. In a bowl, combine the onion, sea salt, sugar and oregano, and therapeutic massage it together with your fingers. Prime with the vinegar and olive oil, and depart to steep for 45 minutes.
Put the sunflower oil in a saucepan on a medium warmth and, as soon as sizzling, add half the bread and fry till golden. Drain on absorbent paper, and repeat with the remaining bread.
In a serving bowl or platter, combine the peppers, watermelon, tomatoes, olives and capers. Break the fried bread into tough items and stir that in, too. Add the herbs and dressing, scatter over the feta, toss and serve.
