FINALLY summer seems to have arrived in the UK which means it is the perfect kind of weather for a grazing style dinner - veg packed, serve at room temperatures dishes you can prep in advance and bring along to any sort of bbq, picnic or simply enjoy al fresco at home!
Below three of my summer favourites - hope you get to make one or all of them whilst summer is summering!!
WASABI POTATO SALAD WITH ROCKET & RADISHES
INGREDIENTS
- 750g baby new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
- 150 radishes, thinly sliced
- 100g rocket
- 1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve
FOR THE DRESSING
- 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoon wasabi paste
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and boil the potatoes for 15 minutes or until tender.
- Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing.
- Whisk together all the ingredients and season to taste.
- Fold the potatoes, radishes and rocket together with the dressing.
- Serve the salad with a wedge of lime.
ROASTED AUBERGINE WITH SAFFRON YOGURT
- 3 medium aubergines, cut into 2cm-thick round slices or long wedges
- olive oil, for brushing
- 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
- 1 handful of pomegranate seeds
- 20 basil leaves
- Salt & pepper
- 1 small pinch of saffron strands
- 3 tbsp hot water
- 180g greek yoghurt
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2½ tsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
METHOD
- For the saffron yoghurt, infuse the saffron in the hot water in a small bowl for 5 minutes.
- Pour the infusion into a bowl containing the yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and some salt.
- Whisk well to get a smooth, golden sauce.
- Taste and adjust the salt, if necessary, then chill. This sauce will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/Gas Mark 9.
- Place the aubergine slices on a roasting tray, brush with plenty of olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast for 20-35 minutes, until the slices take on a beautiful light brown colour.
- Let them cool down.
- To serve, arrange the aubergine slices on a large plate, slightly overlapping.
- Drizzle the saffron yoghurt over them, sprinkle with the pine nuts and pomegranate seeds and lay the basil on top.
ROAST SWEET POTATOES WITH PICKLED ONIONS, CORIANDER & GOATS CHEESE
INGREDIENTS
- 3 limes, 2 finely zested, the third shaved into 4-5 wide strips of skin (avoiding the white pith)
- 3 tbsp white-wine vinegar
- ½ small red onion, peeled and cut into 3mm-thick slices
- 2½ tsp caster sugar
- salt and black pepper
- 5-6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into roughly 5cm x 3cm chunks
- 90ml olive oil
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 20g coriander leaves
- 80g soft mild rindless goat's cheese, broken into rough 2cm pieces
- 40g roasted salted almonds, coarsely chopped
METHOD
- Put the strips of lime skin in a medium bowl with the vinegar, onion, half a teaspoon of sugar and a quarter-teaspoon of salt.
- Massage the onions for a minute, until the liquid turns pink, then leave to pickle for at least two hours: the longer you leave them, the brighter and pinker they become.
- Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7.
- In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with three tablespoons of oil, the allspice, the remaining two teaspoons of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper.
- Transfer to a large, 40cm x 30cm oven tray lined with baking paper, and make sure the sweet potato chunks are spaced apart.
- Roast for 20 minutes, until crisp and golden-brown, then toss in any oil left on the tray and leave to cool.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, blitz the coriander, grated lime zest, the remaining three tablespoons of oil and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt to a smooth, bright green salsa.
- Once the sweet potatoes have cooled, arrange them on a platter and dot evenly with the pieces of cheese.
- Drain the pickled onions, discarding the lime peel, and scatter on top.
- Finish with a drizzle of salsa and a sprinkle of almonds.
