Roasting grapes brings out a beautiful, complex richness in their flavours which works perfectly alongside slow cooked pork chops.
While this mushroom, mozzarella & sage meatloaf is fabulously impressive in all its beautifully burnished, pancetta wrapped glory, it is also a very cost-effective, easy & delicious roast dinner option for feeding a crowd.
While in Copenhagen recently, my father and I taught ourselves how to use a wood-fired pizza oven through trial, error and eventual success. Here’s what we learned, along with some of my other food focused explorations around the city.
Looking for a dessert that even your health conscious pals will enjoy? Although this blueberry & yogurt cloud cake is made with no butter or oil, barely any sugar and just a sprinkle of flour it somehow becomes a magnificent, towering cake with a wonderfully fluffy texture and a beautiful subtly sweet, lemony flavour – a triumph by any standards.
Made in a free-form style and loaded with juicy seasonal fruit, this rustic apricot & cherry tart makes for a stunningly pretty dessert for a relaxed summer meal. It even uses pre-made pastry because June is no time to be rubbing in butter in my book.
With sunshine on tap over the last few weeks, I’ve been broadening my BBQ repertoire with new flavour combinations for the grill. One of my best discoveries was this delicious beef kofta burger with crunchy veg; tangy pickles, lemony houmous yogurt & crumbled feta; AKA a full Middle Eastern feast in a bun, and it’s exactly as good as that sounds.
Taking inspiration from the restaurant-style kievs I love so much, and adding a little extra ooziness just because, I recently came up with these very yummy mozzarella, rosemary & chilli breaded chicken cutlets. I would call them Kievs, but that term is somewhat sacrosanct to me, so cutlets it is. Give them a go, I think you’ll love them too.
With its glossy, colourful top and crisp, flaky base, this tomato tarte tatin is a gorgeous way to elevate a glut of tomatoes into an elegant & eye-catching seasonal showstopper for a summertime feast.
Newly trendy or not, there’s no classier snack to start a celebration than a platter of devilled eggs. I’ve pickled mine pretty, pink and ready to party in a beetroot & vinegar brine.
Nutty, savoury & punchy, parmesan is the perfect accompaniment to sweet, tender garden peas. Bring the two flavours into perfect harmony over pasta with this punchy pea & almond pesto.
Delicious served alongside grilled meat or fish and buttery baby potatoes, this vibrant, beautifully flavoursome salad is a great way of using up leftover or imperfect strawberries.
The unusual way of cooking the courgettes in this light summery salad gives them an incredible flavour & texture, while the zingy dressing offers that genuine, hard-to-put-your-finger-on Italian flavour that you only find in the best trattorias & delicatessens.
Like all the dishes from the River Café, the simplicity of this dish means that using the best quality ingredients is paramount. It is utterly transportative, for all that it is, and is ideal served alongside a glass of rosé and the last of the evening’s sun.
Poached gently with cardamon seeds & orange juice, pretty pink rhubarb makes for a beautiful California-meets-English countryside brunch when served with yogurt & granola
Delicious as a fancy antipasti option, confit tomatoes also work beautifully as the star of simple pasta dishes. Their flavour concentrates amazingly as they cook, and they keep their shape really well throughout roasting, making them a bit more elegant than ordinary roasted tomatoes.
ellenlunney