“The desert landscape is always at its best in the half-light of dawn or dusk. The sense of distance lacks: a ridge nearby can be a far-off mountain range, each small detail can take on the importance of a major variant on the countryside’s repetitious theme. The coming of day promises a change; it is…
Tag: Lemons
Greek Wild Oregano-roasted Tomatoes and Whipped Feta on Garlicky Sourdough
Thinking ahead for a vibrant working lunch, I drizzled a tray of lusciously ripe plum tomatoes with olive oil, a flourish of organic oregano and plenty of sea salt and placed it in a low oven for a couple of hours. As they slowly caramelised, I was immediately transported to a recent visit to Corfu old…
Horta, Greek Greens with Lemon and Garlic
Greeks traditionally forage for their greens and adapt this dish according to what’s in season. Here it’s not so easy to do that because we simply don’t have the same levels of abundance and variety. However, I have successfully made this dish using rainbow chard, foraged nettles, dandelion leaves and sorrel (in which case go…
Valencian Saffron Rice with Asparagus, Orange and Carne de Ñora
Since the beginning of the 19th century Valencia has been a major grower and trader of oranges largely down to the fact that the long daylight hours of brilliant sunshine combined with mild winter temperatures produce the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavours. Oranges were originally introduced to the city by the Moors in…
Greek Gigantes, White Beans With Tomatoes, Lemon and Herbs
This is the kind of dish I like to make when I want something that’s easy to prepare but packed with goodness and subtle summery flavours that have the super power to instantly transport me to my happy place – basically, a two up two down beach house with a summer kitchen anywhere along the…
Alhambra Saffron-infused ‘Cracked’ Roast Potatoes with Andalusían Queen Olives and Lemon
This recipe is inspired by a glorious spring evening in Granada in the heart of Andalusía, a mesmerisingly beautiful and exotic city that I hold deep in my heart. I love the Moorish architecture with its stones still warm from the sun, the streets shaded by old orange trees their boughs heavy with fruit and…
Greek Trachanas Soup with Tomatoes, Lemon and Olive Oil
‘In these all-white courtyards where the south wind blows whistling through vaulted arcades, tell me, is it the mad pomegranate tree that leaps in the light scattering its fruitful laughter with windy wilfulness and whispering? Tell me, is it the mad pomegranate tree that quivers with foliage newly born at dawn raising high its colours…
Pera Za’atar-roasted Aubergine with Cacık, a Turkish Yoghurt Dip
Life in Turkey doesn’t happen without yoghurt. Indeed it is one of the most important components of the modern Turkish diet and there is rarely a table where it isn’t featured in some form or other; as part of a main dish, a condiment, a chilled soup, in a dessert or even as a drink…
Symi Roast Tomato Soup With a Wild Garlic and Walnut Pesto
I first tried this beautiful interpretation of the classic roasted tomato soup on the island of Symi, a glorious island that elegantly lies in the Southern Dodecanese, north of Rhodes and close to the coast of South West Turkey. Although it’s a relatively barren place, the island’s rich merchant founders made the most of its…
Mallorcan Smoky Tomato and Garlic Dip
On a recent trip to Mallorca, breakfast consisted of endless cups of darkly strong black coffee, freshly baked ‘ensaïmada’ – a beloved Mallorcan sweet pastry originating from Arabia – and ‘pan con tomate’ (Spanish tomatoes on garlicky toast). I could happily live forever on the latter so I wanted to create something similar for this…
Cardamom and Dill 