THE SUN-SOAKED PLATE...Mediterranean recipes for family and friends

Certain ingredients are so under-estimated that we seen to forget just how good they are when perfectly fresh and cooked with a little care and attention. This week I wandered around the fish market and noticed that little by little, as we move into the high season, fresh fish prices are starting to escalate. It’s getting harder and harder to find a bargain, but there are a few exceptions that are big on flavour and come with a small price tag. One such ingredient is Mackerel. I know they sometimes get a bit of bad press, but for me they are always a real treat. Mackerel is a firmed fleshed, oily fish, very flavoursome and moist with a tender flesh. It has a distinctive silver-blue skin with dark bands and a

Summer is the season when nature finally displays all its richness with a full array of colours & ripeness. The shyness of spring has turned into an overwhelming choice and abundance of fruit and sun-drenched vegetables bursting with flavours and vivid colours. The fresh fruit on the market stalls looked really awesome this week and the selection was truly inspiring.   With luscious strawberries, stunning looking cherries, thirst quenching melons, the season’s first figs, apricots, plums, peaches and succulent nectarines all jostling for position as the stars of the show… Sweeter than it’s first cousin, the peach, and darker fleshed; nectarines are a sweet, juicy treat that is virtually fat free and a good

The warmth of the sun is irreplaceable, longed for in the depths of winter, it’s the only thing that, for all our technology, we cannot buy on the shelf. And when sun is shining, what we really need is light, refreshing and delicious food. Recipes that don’t require too much effort and hours in the kitchen And as we move towards summer, produce is at its peak. Delicious fruits and vegetables abound at local markets and besides being low in calories, loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, you’ll be thrilled at how fresh, delicious, and satisfying it all tastes. Here are a few of my essential sunshine ingredients: Watermelon -Natures Ice lolly has more than 80 percent water, so it’s an excellent way to satisfy your thirst and keep you hydrated during long summer days. Chilled soups –These are also the perfect appetizers to start your meal. Gazpachos are wonderful thirst-quenching, liquid salads, made with fresh, raw vegetables and ripe tomatoes;...

Some dessert connoisseurs may try to argue that Pâte choux is the ultimate, French, classic Pastry recipe. For me, there is no doubt that Choux pastry is one of the lightest, crispiest pastries around, it's also so versatile and can be used in so many different ways both sweet and savoury. For some reason, it has a reputation for being difficult to master, but in fact it’s so easy once you know the proper technique its almost child's play. A pre-heated hot oven is essential to rise and set the choux and if you take it out of the oven before it’s cooked thoroughly it will collapse. Any filling should not be added until the last possible moment because it will make the choux pastry sag. It’s made with plain flour, salt, butter, eggs, milk and a little sugar (if it’s being used for a sweet dish). Instead of a raising agent, choux pastry is puffed up by steam. It is used to make wonderful profiteroles, éclairs and forms the basis of the dramatic classic French...

There are certain ingredients that you almost have to treat like a sponge. Take a simple, insipid chicken breast for example; it can be totally transformed with the addition of a few herbs & spices and a couple of hours marinating before being cooked.   Although the main purpose of marinating is to add flavour, in some cases it can also help to tenderise meat, chicken and fish. Marinades can even be used on some vegetables, including aubergines, courgettes and artichokes. Part of the trick is to plan ahead so your food has time to absorb the flavours. The best way to do this is to marinate the night before and sleep on it. Most marinades combine an acid, like lemon

Apples and pears are so versatile…while they are great to eat raw; they also make a delicious addition to baked goods, salads, sauces or stews. Personally, from a cooks perspective, I prefer to use pears in my cooking. There are more than 3,000 varieties of pear cultivated all over the world, but it is thought that the wild pear originated in Asia and the ancient Greeks introduced them to Europe. They come in different shapes and sizes and vary in sweetness and texture and so can be used in different ways. Most cooks tend to prefer the Comice pear for their sweet, aromatic flavour and good texture,

Pretty soon now, potatoes should have been lifted and stored for the winter. Consequently, a wide range is now available and it’s a good time to experiment with the world’s favourite tuber. Potato & parmesan soup with walnut-watercress pesto I think the potato is a fantastic ingredient for any cook. They are so versatile, can be cooked in so many different ways and they are also a great vehicle for absorbing loads of other flavours. My favourite pairings for potatoes include truffles, bacon, capers, anchovies, watercress & caviar. The combination of warm roasted new potatoes topped with sour cream & caviar is simply awesome and must rate as my preferred canapé of all-time. Potatoes were by no means an instant success in the western world; they were thought to have originated in Chile when prehistoric tribes took them to the Andes region of Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. The potato had been cultivated for centuries in South America before the Spanish conquista...

Autumn is all about the harvest....it's the time for gathering and collecting…making Jam, making wine & bottling preserves. The golden colours take over from the vivid display of summer and cooking takes on a different character too. T he flavours are more powerful and pronounced, as the ingredients lend themselves to more robust, earthy dishes with game, root vegetables, Brussels sprouts, pumpkin and wild mushrooms all coming into season. Mushroom & Spinach Tartlets There’s something special about wild mushrooms. The fact that they have still defied modern cultivation methods and only grow wild in woodlands and meadows adds to their mystery. Wild varieties have been gathered since 3500bc. The Greeks exported them to the Romans who considered them food for gods and the Egyptians would only serve them to the pharaohs as they were judged to be far too good for ordinary mortals like you and me. These days’s mushroom picking is a national pastime in Spai...

Cool summer soups are a refreshing addition to warm-weather menus. Just as the cauldron of hot soups, broths & stocks provide comfort and solace on a winter’s day; chilled soups are a refreshing respite from the heat of summer. As t he great French Chef Auguste Escoffier said, “ Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite", while Beethoven claimed” Only the pure of heart can make good soup". But in this sweltering heat, they have to be chilled right down and served iced cold. The king of cold soups is gazpacho. In essence, they are wonderful thirst-quenching, liquid salads, made with fresh, raw vegetables and ripe tomatoes; and they are the perfect thing for long, hot summer days.

LAMB KOFTE KEBABS WITH FRESH HERB & CUCUMBER YOGHURT Ingredients Serves 4 Kofte Kebabs 500kg     good quality lamb meat (from the leg or shoulder) 1            clove garlic, 1            teaspoon ground cumin 1            teaspoon dried oregano ½            teaspoon sweet paprika ½            teaspoon freshly ground black pepper              A generous pinch of hot paprika 6            fresh mint leaves              Salt to taste    ...

Chocolate & Lavender Crême brulée Ingredients:                       serves 6 500ml              cream 150ml              milk 1tbsp               lavender flowers 1                      vanilla pod 4                      egg yolks 150g                chocolate                  ...