Falling halfway between dried and fresh, they might take a little more cooking, but they’re worth it. Good as a vegetable side, as part of a quick casserole, or in ribollita or minestrone soup. They’re a fantastic bean - the only downside being that they lose their graffiti markings when they’re cooked.
I always think of stuffed vegetables, and fruit, being a bit retro and reminiscent of a slightly pretentious 1970’s dinner party menu - but what goes around comes around and, as I always say to my wife - give your mother a break. Or at least when it comes to her dinner party menus.
Baked apples probably wouldn’t have featured in one of my mother-in-law’s west London dinner parties. They’re more Jane Austin or Mr Sponge's Sporting Tour where they’d probably have featured as part of an enormous breakfast buffet.
They’re actually quite hard to cook as, even when left whole, Bramley apples have a tendency to explode when they reach a certain point. You need the sharp acidity so other apples aren’t really an option - although, if you can get them, Raymond Blanc’s beloved Golden Reinette might be an option.
If you like jazzing up your Sunday roast a stuffed baked apple would be an option but I’d be more inclined to serve them a s a simple supper - with mash and gravy - and maybe an extra sausage on the side.
A Greek-inspired recipe from Chris Sherville (yes chef), these tomato keftedes are packed with ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs, feta and Parmesan, then fried until crisp and golden. A good way to make the most of tomatoes while they’re still in season.
You can use Kilner, Mason or Le Parfait jars but I’ve always had good results with our 400ml kimchi jars. Then you’ll end up with the equivalent of a 400gm can of tomatoes. Our 400ml jars are available for 90p each.
Here's our take on a slightly less traditional Spanish Salmorejo using Brindisa's tomato gazpacho - the perfect compromise for an easy and filling supper.
If you've found yourself with a glut of plums, this is a recipe well worth making. Roasting the fruit concentrates the flavour and creates a beautifully rich compote that's just as good spooned over breakfast as it is tucked into puddings. It also keeps the taste of late summer going long after the season has finished.
This recipe is adapted from Pam Corbin's fantastic book Pam the Jam, one of our favourite preserving books. As well as the compote itself, Pam includes a simple way to turn it into a homemade Chinese-style plum sauce that's perfect with duck, pork or barbecued meats.
Makes 3–4 × 300ml jars
This Lemony Tuna and Caper Pasta simple yet flavour-packed recipe comes from our friends at Brindisa, champions of authentic Spanish food and the producers behind the exceptional Ortiz range we proudly stock in our shops. Fresh, zesty and ready in minutes, it's one of those easy summer suppers you'll come back to time and again. Enjoy it with a cold glass of zesty white wine in the evening, or prep it for weekday lunches.
This spatchcock chicken with sticky miso & harissa is sure to wow any guests you have over this summer. It's simple to put together but the delicious umami and sweet flavours of the marinade give it a mouth-watering and succulently complex taste.
A pissaladière is often described as a French pizza, but that doesn't really do it justice. Originating from Nice on the Côte d'Azur, it's built on a simple bread dough topped with slowly cooked onions, anchovies and black olives. The onions become sweet and meltingly soft, balancing the salty richness of the anchovies, while good olive oil brings everything together.
Serve it warm or at room temperature with a crisp green salad. It's equally at home as a light lunch, cut into small squares for drinks with friends or packed up for a summer picnic.
For the best flavour, use Spanish onions. Their natural sweetness really comes into its own during the long, slow cooking, creating the rich, caramelised base that makes this dish so special. Don't be tempted to rush this step - it's worth taking your time. As with many simple dishes, the quality of the ingredients makes all the difference, so use the best anchovies and extra virgin olive oil you can find. The difference is worth it.