Lamb and Herb Meatballs with Orzo Pasta.

 

To make the meatballs add a bunch of mixed herbs - chopped very finely (I used parsley, mint, orgegano, marjoram, rosemary, sage and chives), to the minced lamb along with a pinch of chilli flakes a couple of grated or finely chopped garlic cloves, a teaspoon or two of ground cummin, a dash of lemon juice, salt and pepper then mix thoroughly - the best way to do this is with your hands and when you think you have done enough keep going a little longer.

Form the mince and herb mix into meatballs by rolling in the palm of your hands then set aside in a fridge to firm up.

Add chopped carrot, onion and celery to a pan with a little oil and fry on a medium low heat until the onions are translucent. Season with salt and pepper and add a small amount of chili flakes. 

Add a dash of wine and increase the heat to burn off the alcohol the add the orzo pasta and cover with water. Bring it up to the boil and then reduce to a simmer (you may need to add more water as the orzo cooks and asorbs the water).

About ten mins before the pasta is cooked start to fry the the meatball in a sperate pan until they are coloured all over and cooked through.

While the meatballs are cooking add chopped cavolo nero and chopped parsley to the pasta pan and cook through (kale or any other seasonal green such as spinach would work just adjust the cooking time to suit the leaf).

Serve in a bowl with the meatballs on top.

Mackerel with Beetroot Remoulade and Wilted Beetroot Leaves.

 

Cut raw beetroot into matchsticks and dress with mayonaise, grain mustard, olive oil, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, a squeeze of lemon juice, chopped chives and leave to infuse.

Add some oil and a small amount of butter to a pan, season the mackerel and fry skin side down.

When two thirds cooked place in a pre heated oven to finish cooking.

While the mackerel is cooking place young tender beetroot leaves into a pan with a tiny splash of water and on a med/low heat wilt down.

Dress with olive oil, white wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Plate the three elements and scatter the mackerel with some chopped chives and serve.

Asparagus with Romesco Sauce.

 

To make the sauce add some roasted peppers to a blender with a garlic clove, red chilli flakes, tomato puree, smoked paprika, sherry vinegar, a glug of extra virgin olive oil and some bread crumbs and blitz to a smooth paste.

Crush some roasted hazel nuts in a mortar and pestle to the desired consistancy (you can blitz them with all the other ingredients if you dont want texture) and mix in, season and loosen with a little more oil if need be.

Serve on freshly cooked asparagus spears.

You can also choose to roast fresh red peppers, chillis, garlic (use more cloves) and tomatoes in the oven tossed with a little oil before adding to a blender with the other ingredients.

Salade Niçoise.

 

There are many opinions on what should be and should not be included in Salade Niçoise.

The most traditional and early recipes are very basic and contain only a few ingredients (tomatoes, anchovies and olive oil).

Other traditionalist views also state that it should be served in a wooden bowl rubbed with garlic, no vinegar should be in the dressing, no lettuce should be served, the tomatoes should be salted three times and it should be an arranged rather than a tossed salad!

You will encounter many "rules" and even more contradictions and differing points of view the more you read... they are French after all.

Over the years other mediterranean ingredients have been added such as black olives, cucumber, peppers, hard boiled eggs etc

For me there are just a few loose rules to follow - use anchovies or canned tuna - never both.

Don't use cooked veg such as potatoes, french beans - though one recipe I read used very young fresh uncooked green beans marinated (and thin slices of raw artichoke also marinaded) which is fine by me.

The addition of salad leaves also seems contentious to the purists, but thats their problem... So for me a few seasonal leaves mixed with herbs fines (a finely chopped mix of parsley, chervil, chives and tarragon) are an acceptable ingredient.

The above salad is tinned tuna seasoned and mixed with a little extra virgin olive oil, rocket with herbs fines, hard boiled egg, tomatoes, black olives, green pepper, spring onions, radishes and cucumber with a dressing made from  dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, seasoning and extra virgin olive oil.

Some of these ingredients were used because thats what I had in my garden (rocket, cucumber, radishes and spring onions), what was seasonal in the shops or to hand - red pepper would probably be better than green and if I didnt have spring onion I would more likely use red onion.

Remember top chefs, including michelin starred ones have been heavily criticised for adding none traditional ingredients to this salad and trying to make it there own resulting critics calling it "a massacre of the recipe", a "sacrilege", and a violation of the "ancestral traditions", so just do your own version.

 

Cucumber Tartare.

 

Peel and deseed a cucumber then finely chop.

Season with salt and pepper, mix a dressing of lemon juice, dijon mustard and extra virgin olive oil and dress the cucumber.

Finally mix in chopped dill, chopped capers and place in lightly oiled pots and chill in the fridge for ten mintutes or so.

Turn out onto plates and serve.

Tuna and Bean Salad.

 

A nice and easy starter dish with no cooking involved.

Drain a tin of cannellini bans and dress with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, season and mix in chopped parsley.

Place on a plate around seasoned tinned tuna pieces.

Finely slice onion and place on top.

Sprinkle with smoked paprika before serving.

Lamb Souvlaki with Greek Salad.

 

For the marinade mix together crushed garlic, dried oregano, ground cumin, tomatoe paste, olive oil, a couple of bay leaves ripped up, fresh lemon juice, sherry or red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

Cut your lamb into 1cm cubes and cover with the marinade -leave covered in the fridge for at least a day. 

Before barbequing or griddling the meat bring up to room temperature.

For the greek salad use halfed small tomatoes, chunks of cucumber, sliced red onion, black olives and cubes of feta cheese.

I also mixed in fresh oregano and a small amount of mint, parsley and basil.

For the dressing crush a small amount of garlic with some salt in a mortar and pestle until it is a paste and mix with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, a dash of sherry vinegar, pepper and some chopped fresh oregano.

Dress the salad before adding the feta and serve with the lamb.