smoothie.
First courses
Antipasto salad
A colourful Italian-style first course.
SERVES 6
225g (8oz) button mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small red pepper
2 tsp wine or cider vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch of radishes
bunch of spring onions
2 heads of chicory
cucumber
6 tomatoes
4 hardboiled eggs
175g packet of chargrilled artichoke hearts, from the deli
175g packet of sliced roasted peppers, from the deli
12 black olives, or your favourite olives, to garnish
vinaigrette, to serve
Wash and slice the mushrooms; fry lightly in 1 tablespoon of the oil for 5 minutes, then leave to cool.
Slice the red pepper very thinly, discarding the seeds. Place on a flat dish and sprinkle with the remaining oil and wine or cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. If possible, leave for 1–2 hours to soften.
Wash and trim the radishes and spring onions; slice the chicory lengthways into quarters, and the cucumber, tomatoes and eggs into circles.
Arrange all the ingredients attractively on individual dishes or a large platter, garnish with olives and serve with vinaigrette.
Globe artichoke hollandaise
This is a delightful starter: cooked globe artichokes filled with hollandaise sauce. You pull off the leaves and dip the bases in the sauce, then enjoy the delicious heart. You’ll need finger bowls, and bowls in which to put the discarded leaves after you’ve sucked the flesh from them. It’s best to cook the artichokes ahead of time then gently reheat them just before serving.
SERVES 4
4 globe artichokes, stems removed
a squeeze of lemon juice
blender hollandaise, to serve
Cut the stalks off the artichokes so that they will sit level, then wash them thoroughly under the cold tap. You might like to trim the points off the leaves using scissors, so that they are less sharp; or you could leave them as they are.
Cook the artichokes in a large saucepan of boiling water, with a good squeeze of lemon juice added, for about 45 minutes, or until a leaf will pull off easily. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool quickly.
Open out the leaves to get to the centre of the artichoke, like opening out the petals of a flower. Pull off and discard the central purple cluster of tender leaves. Underneath you will find the fluffy ‘choke’, which is inedible, so you’ll need to scoop this out with a knife or pointed teaspoon, then rinse the artichoke under the cold tap.
Just before you want to serve the artichokes, reheat them in a microwave in a covered container on high for 4–6 minutes, or until heated through, or stand them in a shallow roasting tin or ovenproof dish, cover with foil and reheat in the oven preheated to 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4 for about 15 minutes or until heated through.
Place each artichoke on a warm plate. Spoon the hollandaise sauce into the centre and serve at once.
Aubergine fritters with tomato sauce v
This is one of the simplest ways of preparing aubergines, but one of my favourites, and I think it’s tasty enough to serve as an extra course or light meal on its own.
SERVES 6
450g (1lb) aubergines
plain flour for coating
salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil, for shallow-frying
grated Parmesan-style cheese
lemon wedges
watercress
425ml (15fl oz) homemade tomato sauce, soured cream and herb sauce or tartare sauce, to serve
Wash the aubergines and remove the stems, then cut the aubergines into 6mm (¼in) slices and dip them in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper.
Just before you want to serve the aubergines, heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the slices, a few at a time, on both sides, until the outside is crisp and the inside feels tender when pierced with the point of a sharp knife.
As the fritters are ready, put them in a roasting tin lined with crumpled kitchen paper and keep them warm under the grill or in a low oven until they are all ready.
Serve the fritters sprinkled with a little grated Parmesan-style cheese and garnished with wedges of lemon and sprigs of watercress. Serve the sauce separately.
Aubergine and tapenade rolls v
These rolls are easy to make and are wonderful as part of a selection of canapés or tapas, or arranged on individual plates with some yoghurt and green herb dressing, for a starter.
MAKES 24 OR 48 ROLLS
3 large aubergines
6–8 tbsp olive oil
1 quantity of tapenade
a sprig of flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
Heat the grill.
Cut the stalk ends from the aubergines, then cut the aubergines lengthways into slices about 6mm (¼in) thick. (You will probably get 8–10 slices from each aubergine.)
Brush the slices
