Grilled Aubergine Rolls filled with Ricotta and Basil
Imagine creamy, milky ricotta enhanced with sweet and thick balsamic vinegar, some fresh basil leaves stirred in and all this spread on grilled slices of aubergine, and you'll have a combination so smooth and velvety that it melts in your mouth! This to me is an absolute perfect match, maybe my favourite way to enjoy aubergine.
I like to make this as a starter for a dinner party, it's easy to prepare and my guests always love it, or as a luscious in between nibble. What's even better is to roll them for a relaxed dinner on a warm evening, with windows wide open, some ciabatta bread on the table and wine, cheese, thin slices of prosciutto or Mortadella di Bologna. I love it, it feels like a little holiday, for only a few hours but with the same effect as being in a restaurant in Italy. That's what I love about food, it's like music, it can put you in a different time, place and mood and it's all in your hands!
Grilled Aubergine Rolls filled with Ricotta, Balsamico Vinegar and Basil
As a starter for 4 you need
large aubergines (eggplants), cut into 1/2cm / 1/4" slices, 2
olive oil to brush the slices of aubergine, around 75ml, depending on the size of the aubergines
fresh ricotta 140g / 5 ounces
heavy cream 2 tablespoons
balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons or more to taste
fresh basil leaves, cut into strips, around 10 or more to taste
salt and black pepper
Set your oven to grill (broiler).
Brush the aubergines with olive oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Grill in the oven until golden brown and soft on both sides, they will darken partly but that's fine. Mine needed 7 minutes on one side and 5 minutes on the other but that depends on the oven. Set the aubergines aside and stack them, that will keep them moist and soft.
Whisk together the ricotta, cream and balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the basil. Spread a teaspoon of the ricotta cream on top of each slice of aubergine and roll lengthwise into a wrap.
Guacamole Bagel with spicy Chili Peppers
Whenever I make guacamole I have to make lots of it, I can eat it with a spoon! When an avocado is so smooth, ripe and buttery that you can scoop it out like an ice cream, it doesn't really need anything more. If only there wasn't this addictive Mexican dip which combines the fruit's oily richness with lemon juice, coriander, salt and pepper. There are endless variations on it, I always try out new versions, this time I added some sour cream and freshly chopped red chili pepper.
For this week's Sandwich Wednesday I had a bagel in mind. I had a couple of them in my freezer from the last batch I baked (I haven't forgotten that I still have to share the recipe, it will come soon!). For the guacamole, I chopped 2 ripe avocados roughly and mashed them with a fork, just a little as I wanted a lumpy texture. I mixed them with 2 tablespoons of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, salt and pepper and added 1 red chili pepper (without seeds) cut into tiny cubes and 2 tablespoons of roughly chopped coriander leaves. Spread on a juicy bagel or any other nice bun, it's divine!
Bean and Ramp Quiche
Quiche is one of those dishes which makes me feel good, always, no matter what my day has been like. As soon as I see a quiche in my oven and smell its buttery aroma spread through the kitchen I have to smile. Maybe it's the butter, or the eggs or the fact that I can look forward to another tart on my plate! That's why I've already written about a couple of my quiche recipes, my classic quiche with leek, tomatoes and thyme, an Italian-style tart with fennel and parmesan and here is another one, packed with greens. I fill this savory tart with beans, ramp (wild garlic) and spring onions and it has a deliciously light spring feeling!
I've praised its short crust at length which is so crisp and buttery, to me it's just perfect. My quiches always have a thin layer of an eggy and creamy mixture to keep it light and to leave space for the vegetable filling. Some recipes focus on the creamy filling which can make a quiche too rich and heavy, at least for my taste. I want to be able to eat a piece of quiche with my fingers, a tart for a picnic!
Bean and Ramp Quiche
For one quiche you need a round (27cm / 10.5″) or oval baking dish or tart pan.
For the short crust base
flour 250g / 8.5 ounces (I use spelt flour type 630 but you can use any other plain flour)
butter, cold 125g / 4.5 ounces
organic egg 1
salt 1 teaspoon
Combine the flour with the salt. Cut the butter with a knife into the flour until there are just little pieces of butter left. Continue with your fingers and work the butter into the flour until combined (there shouldn’t be any lumps of butter left). Add the egg and continue mixing with the hooks of your mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form a disc, wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
For the filling
green beans 200g / 7 ounces
ramp (wild garlic), just the leaves, cut into slices, 30g / 1 ounce
spring onion, cut into slices, 1/2
organic eggs 3
heavy cream 125 ml
crème fraiche or sour cream 125ml
salt 1 teaspoon
ground black pepper
nutmeg, freshly grated, a generous amount
The quiche
Set the oven to 210°C / 410°F top/ bottom heat.
Blanche the beans in plenty of salted water for a couple minutes until al dente.
Mix the eggs with the heavy cream, crème fraiche, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Roll out the dough between cling film and line your baking dish with the flat pastry. Prick it with a fork and blind-bake in the hot oven for 10 minutes. Take your baking dish out of the oven and set the temperature down to 180°C / 355°F.
Spread the beans, ramp and spring onions on top of the pre-baked pastry base and pour the liquid mixture over it. Put the quiche on a baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden, the top should be firm. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
My Grandmother's Kartoffelpuffer
My grandmother's kitchen had a wooden bench on one side, with a table and three chairs in front of a window from which I could see her peaceful garden. I used to sit there while she cooked for me, busy with her pots and pans preparing my favourite dishes. She grew beautiful roses next to a meadow which was covered in daisies blooming under the branches of her big cherry tree. It was the most perfect cherry tree, with a swing that made me feel like I could touch the sky! I could sit and swing for hours, daydreaming or waiting for my granny's lunch. Whenever I visited her for a couple days she asked me for a list of things I would like to eat. I used to give her a long list, always too long to be able to eat all of my favourites but I loved this ritual!
One of these lunches, my personal highlight that I always had to have at least once, was a fried cake made of grated potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, flour and eggs. It was crisp on the outside and juicy inside, similar to latke. Where I come from they are called Reibekuchen or Kartoffelpuffer meaning grated cake or potato cushions. We eat them with apple compote, sugar beet syrup or sugar which was my childhood favourite!
Kartoffelpuffer
For 3-4 people you need
potatoes, peeled and grated, 700g / 25 ounces
celeriac (celery root), peeled and grated, 150g / 5.5 ounces
carrots, peeled and grated, 200g / 7 ounces
large onions, peeled and grated, 2
plain flour 130g / 4.5 ounces
salt 2 heaping teaspoons
ground black pepper
vegetable oil for frying
granulated sugar for sprinkling
apple compote to serve
sugar beet syrup to serve
Squeeze the liquid out of the grated vegetables, dry them between kitchen role and mix with the other ingredients to a dough.
In a large heavy pan heat up the oil on highest temperature, the oil should cover the bottom about 1/2 cm / 1/4". When it's hot scoop about 3 tablespoons of the dough into the pan for each cake and even it out. I fry 3 cakes at a time. When they are golden brown, turn them around. They need around 2-3 minutes on each side, you might have to turn the temperature down a little. Take them out of the pan and put between kitchen role to soak the oil. Serve with sugar, apple compote or sugar beet syrup. If you prefer a savory version you can serve them with smoked salmon or my gravad lax.
Sicilian Calamaretti with Raisins and Capers in Vermouth Sauce
The last time I made stuffed calamari was in summer and I was closer to the sea than I'm now. Whatever recipe I chose to make I could be sure to find the right fish I needed at the local fish shop. In the city, I prefer to go to the fishmonger and take a look at the daily offers before I decide what to throw in my pan. That's what I did a couple days ago and when I spotted the calamaretti I remembered the warm nights in the Mediterranean, the salty air, the chilled rosé wine in my glass and my Sicilian stuffed calamari!
This recipes combines quite a few strong aromas in one dish, sweet raisins, salty capers, milky parmesan and fresh parsley. The sauce is made with sweet wine but I used vermouth as I'm a bit obsessed with it at the moment when it comes to deglazing meat or fish, I just like the flavour that it adds. I had to clean the calamaretti myself which took a bit long, if you find them prepared you just have to mix the stuffing and fill the tubes. I let them simmer in the sweet sauce for just a couple minutes, on top of some fried onions and the raisins. We enjoyed them with a glass of white wine, this tastes like a holiday to me!
Stuffed Calamaretti with Raisins and Capers in Vermouth Sauce
For two you need
calamaretti (or the bigger calamari), cleaned and the tentacles cut off, 300g / 10.5 ounces
raisins, soaked in warm water, 20g / 3/4 ounce
medium sized onion, chopped, 1
capers, chopped, 12
Parmesan, grated, 30g / 1 ounce
fresh parsley, chopped, 3 heaping tablespoons
dry breadcrumbs 30g / 1 ounce
lemon juice 2 teaspoons
vermouth or sweet wine 100 ml
salt and pepper
olive oil for frying
Mix the capers, parmesan, parsley, bread crumbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper and fill the calamaretti loosely. Close with a tooth pick.
In a large pan, fry the onion till golden and soft, add the raisons, the calamari's tentacles and deglaze with half of the wine. Put the stuffed calamaretti on top, add the rest of the wine and let them simmer on medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side. Take the calamari out of the pan and put them on plates. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and pour over the tubes.
Raw Asparagus Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Parmesan
This is the best (and quickest) spring salad I've had so far this year, raw green asparagus with cherry tomatoes, thin slices of young parmesan and a light olive oil and Balsamico vinegar dressing. It combines the best of the season, crunchy, fresh and milky! It was the first time that I ever tried raw asparagus in my kitchen and I was impressed by how good it tastes. I didn't peel the stems, I just cut the bottoms off and before I started preparing the salad I cut a small piece of asparagus to find out how its texture would feel and taste in my mouth. I expected it to be a bit hard and woody but experienced quite the contrary. The outside felt a bit crunchy but the inside was almost tender. After it passed the test I could continue with the preparations for my first raw asparagus salad!
As a side dish or starter for 4, cut the woody bottom part (around 2 cm / 1") off of 500g / 1 pound of medium sized green asparagus and rinse the stems. Cut 16 cherry tomatoes in half and mix with the asparagus. For the dressing, whisk 3 tablespoons of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of dark Balsamico and 1 tablespoon of white Balsamico vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle over the salad. Slice 70g / 2.5 ounces of young Parmesan thinly and arrange on top of the salad.
Ricotta stuffed Zucchini in White Wine Sauce
When we have friends over for dinner, my mood always decides what treats I bring to the table. There are two options, I either feel like a sumptuous meal with several courses which might mean cooking for one or two days and which definitely requires good organisation before and on the night and most importantly enough time to enjoy all the preparations. The other approach is to take it easy and choose recipes which don't need a rigid plan. I just fill the table with plates full of food before or as our friends arrive and we all enjoy the night together. Eating, talking and laughing, drinking some wine of course, savoring and emptying the plates for hours. This was my choice when I had a dinner for 10 ahead of me a few days ago!
Some of our friends from Malta just moved to Berlin a few months ago. I know how much Maltese love and miss their home and food when they live abroad so I decided to make a traditional Maltese recipe, zucchini stuffed with lemon ricotta. I would have loved to get the small round courgette (Qarabaghliin Maltese) which would have been perfect for this recipe as you can close the stuffed fruit from the top. I worried that the ricotta would run down the sides of my long zucchini when I closed them but it worked fine. I cooked them for an hour in white wine together with the fried pulp of the fruits and some onions. Just a little of the creamy cheese went into the sauce and added some nice creaminess.
In the late afternoon, I cooked the zucchinis and left them al dente. I didn't want them to turn soggy as I had to warm them up again before our guests arrived. I filled my dining table with three different kinds of quiche which are very easy to prepare in advance and I can't really say if I prefer them warm or cold. Two loaves of homemade bread and a big batch of my raspberry chocolate brownies were on my list as well, both are great nibbles for a long night. When we all gathered around the table and I brought the dish with the steaming zucchini I didn't know that the night would go on for so long - our last guests left at 5 in the morning or so I was told, I fell asleep on the sofa at 4!
Zucchini stuffed with Lemon Basil Ricotta in White Wine Sauce
For 2 hungry people or for 4 when you have starters, you need
zucchini / courgette, cut in half (lengthwise) 2 (around 500g / 1 pound)
ricotta 200g / 7 ounces
Parmesan, grated, 20g / 1 ounce
organic eggs 2
basil, chopped roughly, 10 large leaves
lemon zest 1 teaspoon
salt 1/2 teaspoon
crushed black peppercorns
medium sized onion, chopped finely, 1
garlic, cut in half, 2 cloves
fresh parsley 3 sprigs
white wine 1 glass
tomato paste 1 tablespoon
olive oil for frying
Whisk the ricotta together with the parmesan, eggs, basil, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
Scrape the pulp out of the zucchini with a small spoon and set aside. Season the inside of the zucchini with a little salt and pepper and fill both sides with the ricotta mixture. Close them just before you put them into the casserole.
In a large pot or casserole with a lid (big enough for the zucchinis), fry the onions in a little oil till golden and soft on medium heat. Add the garlic and the pulp and fry for 2-3 minutes, deglaze with some white wine and add the sprigs of parsley. Put the stuffed zucchini on top of the onions, add some more wine (1-2cm / 1/2-1" of the bottom should be covered), close with a lid and cook for 1 hour on low - medium heat. Check after 2o minutes, you may have to add some more wine, the bottom should remain covered.
When the zucchinis are soft at the bottom and al dente at the top, take them out with 2 spatulas, carefully, and set them aside. Take out the parsley, add the tomato paste to the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the zucchini together with the sauce.
Radicchio with Caramelised Red Onions and Lemon Thyme
In the past few days I've had caramelised onions on my mind, sweet and syrupy, preferably the red ones or shallots which taste softer and reveal an intense natural sweetness when they are cooked. There is a big bowl in my kitchen which is always filled with onions. I like to have the whole range at hand, red, yellow, white, big and small, but most of the time I use the spicy yellow bulbs, mine are medium sized and organic, they bring tears to my eyes as soon as the knife touches the peel. They are great too cook with but painful to prepare! A few shallots are in the bowl as well and red onions of course which I love to use for pies or in salads, which rarely happens as I'm not too fond of raw onions.
I have a beautiful head of radicchio in my fridge just waiting to be used, the big leaves falling over its sides like a ball gown, almost too perfect to destroy! But I must, I want to combine its bitterness with the sweetness of caramelised red onions and some lemon thyme. The radicchio is uncooked but the onions caramelise in sugary butter, softening over less than 15 minutes before I deglaze their juices with dark Balsamico vinegar. The result is delicious, a salad of bitter sweet flavours glazed in a thick sweet and sour dressing!
A Salad of Radicchio, Caramelised Red Onions and Lemon Thyme
For a side dish for 2 you need
radicchio, torn into bite sized pieces, 4 big leaves
medium sized red onions, each cut into 8 pieces (lengthwise), 2
butter 3 tablespoons
sugar 2 tablespoons
balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons
olive oil 4 tablespoons
lemon thyme, 10 young and soft sprigs chopped roughly or just the leaves
salt and black pepper
In a large pan, heat up 1 tablespoon of oil together with the butter and sugar on medium temperature. As soon as the butter starts to sizzle add the onions, stir once in a while. Let the onions soften over 10 minutes, they can become a bit dark but shouldn't burn as that would make them bitter. When the onions are soft, caramelised and have turned a dark red, season with salt and pepper and take them out keeping their caramel juices in the pan. Deglaze the bits and pieces left in the pan with the Balsamico, put on medium heat for a few seconds and mix it so that just a little of the vinegar evaporates. Take it off the heat, pour the liquid into a bowl, whisk with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
On large plates, arrange the radicchio with the caramelised onions on top, carefully as they are very soft, sprinkle with some salt and pepper and add the thyme. Drizzle the thick dressing over the leaves, it's so strong that a few drops are enough to spread the sweet flavours.
Spicy Ramp Pesto with Spaghetti
When I wrote about my wild garlic soup two weeks ago, a couple of the more attentive followers of eat in my kitchen told me that "ramp" is the more common name for my beloved "wild garlic". I'm happy they let me know and to avoid confusion I will change its name in my recipes to "ramp". "Wild garlic" has a bit of an adventurous touch, I like that, it fits to its distinct taste but if only a few know it as such then I have to compromise.
At the moment, this plant is at its seasonal peak. The long leaves cover the moist ground in the forests, filling the air with their beautiful smell of fresh green onions. When I go to the market, I buy ramp in bulk as I'm a bit obsessed with it. I even start my shopping earlier in the morning just to make sure that I get enough of the little bunches for all the recipes I have in mind. The recipe I make the most (at least once a week) is a pesto, spicy and very strong in taste, great with pasta or spread on toasted dark bread which is an absolutely delicious snack! In the fridge, it stays fresh for a few days so I always prepare a big bowl.
For my pesto, I use the leaves of 2 bunches of ramp (around 90g / 3 ounces), rinsed and dried well, and mix them in a blender with 110ml of olive oil, 50g / 2 ounces of parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. You could add some pine nuts but I find them too weak to come through, I prefer to concentrate on the ramp and the cheese. When we eat the pesto with spaghetti or linguine I add some crushed pepper and more grated parmesan on the warm pasta.
Tomorrow I will write about a burger which didn't manage to escape my ramp obsession!
Crisp Golden Rosemary Potatoes with Feta Cheese
Some days call for a quick lunch or dinner and potatoes are often my solution - apart from pasta, of course. Mashed, fried, baked or in salads, preparations never take too long to create a satisfying meal which won't leave me hungry. Sometimes when I know that stressful days are ahead, I put a big pot of potatoes on the cooker, enough to be turned into a few delicious meals in the following days. This is perfect when there are fried potatoes on my cooking plan as they should always cool and dry after cooking before you throw them into the hot pan, that way they turn nice and crisp and won't become mushy. My favourites are the classic version with bacon and onions or a bit lighter and Mediterranean, golden fried potatoes with rosemary. I could leave it at that, good potatoes fried in olive oil with some herbs, sea salt and pepper don't really ask for more but I'm in the mood for cheese at the moment. I could throw it into anything, like last week's rocket salad with goat cheese, my Bavarian Obatzda sandwich with camembert or the gnocchi with blue cheese sauce.
So my potatoes get a cheesy add-on as well, in the form of Greek Feta cheese. I cut 500g / 1 pound of small cooked and cold potatoes in half and fry them in olive oil on medium heat until golden on all sides. For the last 2-3 minutes I add the needles of 3 small sprigs of rosemary, they become bitter when fried too long. When the potatoes are nice and crisp I season them with crushed black pepper and coarse sea salt and crumble 150g / 5.5 ounces of Feta cheese on top. A ripe goat cheese would work as well, or an aromatic French cheese like Comté grated and melted on the hot potatoes, so many options!
Gnocchi with Blue Cheese Sauce
As soon as the temperatures start to rise the Mediterranean influence on my cooking begins to increase accordingly. I feel like olives, fresh herbs, capers and garlic, lemons and seafood, and all the fresh vegetables which finally start to grow. The tomatoes and cucumbers start to taste strong again and yesterday I bought my first bottle of rosé wine of the year, another sign of the official start of the new season!
From now on, I could just live of pasta, vegetables, simple dishes which sparkle through the ripe flavours of their ingredients, basically Italian cooking which refines minimal dishes to perfection and celebrates each single element of a dish. A great example are gnocchi. After I ate my own, homemade gnocchi for the first time I couldn't enjoy the store bought ones anymore. The dough is so easy to make, potato and nutmeg as the dominant flavours, flour, eggs, butter, salt and pepper mixed together and shaped into little gnocchi. Far less complicated than homemade pasta as long as one rule is obeyed, the potatoes must have cooled off before mixed with the flour. Apart from that it's an unbelievably easy dinner and so delicious that some sage leaves fried in olive oil and some grated parmesan would be enough to make me happy. If only there wasn't this amazing blue cheese sauce that I fell in love with a couple years ago. It's smooth but aromatic, cooked with garlic, onions, parsley, juniper berries, cloves and bay leaf which are taken out before the blue cheese is mixed in. I use Fourme d'Ambert cheese from the Auvergne region in France which is creamy but very strong in taste, the gnocchi just need to be glazed with the sauce, enough to enjoy all the intense aromas.
In January I made my wintery gnocchi with pumpkin and potatoes and a walnut pesto. Sometimes I mix spinach into my gnocchi dough which I have to make again, soon, as there is nice and crunchy spinach at the moment!
Gnocchi with a Fourme d'Ambert Blue Cheese Sauce
It's best to use floury potatoes with a fluffy and dry texture for the gnocchi dough. Keep in mind that you don't mix the flour with the cooked potatoes unless they are absolutely cold.
For 2-3 people you need
For the Blue Cheese Sauce
small onion, chopped, 1
garlic, cut in half, 1
butter 30g / 1 ounce
milk 125ml
heavy cream 125ml
white wine 150ml
fresh parsley 3 sprigs
cloves 2
juniper berries 2
bay leaf 1
black peppercorns 4
blue cheese such as Fourme d'Ambert 45g / 2 ounces
In a sauce pan, fry the onions and garlic in butter until golden and soft, add the other ingredients except the blue cheese and bring to the boil. Let it simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat, pour through a sieve and add the cheese. When the cheese has melted, let the sauce simmer for 5-8 minutes on low heat until it starts to thicken slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
For the Gnocchi
potatoes, cut into cubes, 450g / 16 ounces
butter 30g / 1 ounce
organic egg yolks 2
plain flour 125g / 4.5 ounces
nutmeg, grated
salt 1 1/2 teaspoons
black pepper
Cook the the potatoes in salted water until soft (around 15 minutes). Drain them when they are done. Press the drained potatoes through a potato ricer and mix immediately with the butter and egg yolks. Put in a cool place (in the fridge) until the mixture is completely cool.
In a large pot, bring plenty of salted water to the boil. Set the oven to 100°C / 210°F and put an ovenproof dish inside. You will need it to keep the gnocchi warm while you cook them in batches.
With a spoon (or your hands), mix the cold potato mixture with the flour, salt, nutmeg and pepper until combined. Dust your hands with flour and roll the dough – in batches – into sausage shapes on a well floured working surface and cut off 3x3cm / 1x1″gnocchi. If you like you can roll them on a fork for the typical gnocchi pattern. Put them onto a floured baking sheet.
Cook your gnocchi in batches in the boiling water so that they can float. After 3 minutes, when they start to come up and float on the surface take them out with a slotted ladle and drain them. Keep them in the warm dish in the oven until you are done with the last batch.
Arrange the gnocchi on plates and pour some of the blue cheese sauce over them.
Sicilian Spaghetti with Bottarga di Tonno
Marzamemi! This is the name of a picturesque fishing village in southern Sicily in the Syracuse region. It's right by the sea, with two churches - an old and a new one - both dedicated to the village's patron San Franceso built around the historic piazza which is, as in every Mediterranean village, the lively centre especially at night.
Two years ago we spent an evening in Marzamemi, strolled through the narrow alleys, between the old limestone houses where fishermen used to live. We passed a beautiful artisan market which was still open at night and enjoyed the sight of all the restaurants which had placed their long tables outside in the piazza where families already filled the air with laughter and the delicious smell of seafood. We couldn't wait any longer to join them and went straight to the restaurant at the sea where our table was waiting for us, but as we wanted to sit down we spotted an old storehouse with a big, open gate and people walking in and out. Curiosity was still stronger than our appetite, so we took a look.
We went inside a huge hall piled high with fish products, mainly made of bluefin tuna but also anchovies, sardines, mackerel, and swordfish. I discovered food I had never seen before, tuna salami for example, I had to buy it! It tasted interesting, salty, something I would have to eat a few times and try out a few combinations to get used to it. They also sold the famous Bottarga di Tonno, the dried roe pouch of bluefin tuna. If it's in one piece, you slice it thinly over spaghetti, grated you sprinkle it over a quick pasta dish. Its taste is distinct and salty, it comes from a fish with a strong flavour and you can taste it!
I haven't eaten it since my last visit to Sicily so I was happy to finally open a jar of grated Bottarga di Tonno again and mix it with my pasta. I like to add some lemon (juice and zest), garlic, parsley and coarsely crushed black pepper.
Spaghetti with Bottarga di Tonno, Lemon and Parsley
For this meal I suggest you warm up the plates in the oven.
For 2 people you need
spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces
olive oil 6 tablespoons
garlic, cut in half, 2 cloves
grated Bottarga di Tonno 4-6 heaping teaspoons
freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon
lemon zest 2 teaspoon
fresh parsley, chopped, 4 heaped tablespoons
salt and coarsely crushed black peppercorns
Cook the pasta in lots of salted water till al dente.
Heat up the oil in a sauce pan, add the garlic and take the pan off the heat, let it infuse the oil for a couple minutes and add the lemon juice.
After the pasta is mixed with the warm oil and divided between the plates, sprinkle with parsley, lemon zest, pepper and salt and add the bottarga di tonno to taste.
A Bavarian Sandwich with Obatzda and spicy Radish
In a Bavarian beer garden, you can be sure you will find plenty of beer, sausages and at vesper time a traditional delicacy which is served with bread, I'm talking about Obatzda also known as Obatzter meaning mashed. Drinking beer in Bavaria demands strong physical condition as it's served in a 1 liter mug, the "mass". You may imagine that it's quite helpful to have some rich food on the side when drinking such quantities (obviously people don't stop after their first "mass" of beer). Obatzda is one of them and it's offered in huge varieties. It's basically a cream made of aged cheese leftovers often mixed with either herbs or spices like hot paprika powder or caraway seeds, onion, garlic, a shot of beer, horseradish, butter, cream cheese, I could continue endlessly. It is, again one of those dishes that evolved in each region with each personal preference and local tradition.
My Obatzda is green, it's based on rucola and a middle-aged camembert and cream cheese. I added some radish and watercress to bring out the rucola's mild spiciness next to the rich and tangy cheese. White bread wouldn't have managed to keep up with these strong flavours, I used dark spelt bread. This sandwich needs a dense and juicy texture, strong bread with a nice crust. What is great about this dip is that you can really play around with the leftovers of your fridge. Spring onions, dried tomatoes, olives, all the ingredients mentioned above, you can create your own Obatzda after your own preferences. After your selection is made, mix everything in a blender or mash with a fork and spread on a slice of bread, a thick layer, this is a luscious Bavarian sandwich after all!
For a little bowl of Obatzda, I mixed 30g / 1 ounce of rucola with 50g / 2 ounces of aged camembert, 150g / 5.5 ounces of cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Depending on the camembert's age and tanginess you might need more or less cream cheese, the same with salt. When the dip is spread on a slice of bread, sprinkle with thin slices of radish and some watercress.
Rucola Salad with Goat Cheese, Honey Dressing and Pink Peppercorns
Here's the salad which accompanied yesterday's salmon with spice crust, rucola with goat cream cheese, crushed pink peppercorns and a sweet honey Balsamico vinegar dressing! I wanted to use both the pink and the green peppercorns which I had just bought at the market, not in the same dish but in the same meal. The spiciness of the green pepper fit perfectly with the crust I chose for the fish but my salad, sweet and milky, needed a mild and less spicy aroma, pink peppercorns. The berries matched the sourness of the creamy cheese very well which was so young that there was only a hint of goat milk. I could have used mozzarella instead but I wanted this special, slightly sharp aroma which balanced out the sweetness of my vinaigrette on the other side.
Usually, I make a quick dressing for my salads, 3 tablespoons of olive and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar plus salt and pepper, but this salad asked for more. I kept the ratio of vinegar and oil but I mixed my dark balsamic vinegar with the white one and added 1 small teaspoon of honey (depending on the sweetness you want to achieve you might need more or less honey). It turned out thick, sticky and syrupy, exactly what I wanted! For 2 I spread 2 handfuls of rucola leaves on plates and sprinkled 125g / 4.5 ounces of fresh goat cream cheese in big lumps on top. I drizzled the dressing over the leaves and garnished my salad with 1 tablespoon of crushed pink peppercorns. It would have made us just as happy as a light and easy lunch on its own. I have to remember that, it will be perfect on a hot summer evening!
Wild Garlic Soup to start off the Spring
Walking through the forest is one thing I miss the most living in the city. Its earthy smell, the musty air captured by the trees changing with the seasons makes me feel at home. Especially in spring, when the green comes out again and everything smells light and fresh with the first flowers starting to blossom. I want to walk on soft soil watching nature unraveling around me!
One of the most distinct smells you can find at the moment when walking though a European forest close to a river or lake is the smell of garlic, wild garlic. Coming from a little plant which covers the ground in large areas and looks similar to lilies of the valley. It's a wild relative of chives also known as ramps, ramsons, buckrams, wood garlic or bear's garlic as they must be quite taken by it. In taste it's similar to chives but with a unique touch to it, spicy, a bit like garlic but fresher, more "green". The leaves are best when young and fresh, great in pesto, soups or to spice up other vegetables and meat.
I'm totally with the bears, I love cooking with it and when I spotted it at the market I got excited and had lots of recipes on my mind. Inspiration for the weeks to come! I will start with a tangy but smooth soup, the leaves of two bunches of wild garlic, potatoes, onion and a few spring onions on top. It doesn't take much to make this springy soup of the forest!
Wild Garlic Soup
For 4 people you need
wild garlic (ramps), rinsed and stems cut off, the leaves of 2 bunches (around 100g / 3.5 ounces)
potatoes, cut into cubes, 750g / 1.5 pounds
onions, chopped 2water 1500ml
heavy cream 180ml
salt and pepper
olive oil for frying
spring onion, cut into thin slices, 1, for the topping
In a large pot, bring the water to the boil and cook the wild garlic for 2 minutes. Take it out with a slotted ladle, rinse under cold water for a few seconds but keep the boiled water! Fry the onions in some oil until golden, add the potatoes, some salt and the water used to cook the wild garlic and cook for 12 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Add the wild garlic and cream and mix in a blender till smooth. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with spring onions when served on plates.
Serrano, Mozzarella di Bufala and Pesto Focaccia
When my brother in law stayed with us 2 weeks ago I asked him about his favourite sandwich. I often ask friends as it's a great inspiration for my Sandwich Wednesday but it's also interesting to find out about different sandwich preferences. It may sound silly, but a favourite sandwich says a lot about a person! He answered quick and with a smile on his face, Serrano prosciutto, mozzarella and pesto sandwich with toasted pine nuts on top. He is a true gourmet, I know and appreciate his sense for fine food, so I didn't wait too long to get all the ingredients, I was curious!
I chose an Italian Focaccia bun from my bakery for this sandwich, juicy and baked with lots of olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. I bought 8 thin slices of Serrano and one Mozzarella di Bufala of 125g / 4.5 ounces which I cut into thick slices. I made a quick pesto, a handful of basil leaves chopped finely with a big knife, mixed with a tablespoon of good olive oil and some salt. While I cut the 2 buns open and filled them with the prosciutto and mozzarella, I toasted the pine nuts in a sauce pan without oil on medium heat for a couple minutes until golden. I drizzled the pesto and pine nuts on top, took the first bite and smiled like my brother in law did when he told me about this absolutely delicious sandwich! It's great!
If you would like to share your favourite sandwich with me, just get in touch! I would love to try different sandwiches from all over the world, quick ones, complicated ones, exotic, puristic or sumptuous, whatever your taste buds like! Just get in touch here,
Meike xx
Chicory Boats with Pear Dressing and Pink Peppercorns
Last week I bought some pink peppercorns, the first ones in years. I forgot about them after I used them the last time, I just emptied the jar and it never got refilled. Although the pink berry is the fruit of the Peruvian Pepper Tree it's not related to common pepper, it's just a berry. Nevertheless, I used to love them, on steak, in creamy sauces, and even on desserts. That's actually the reason why I bought them again, in the next few months I want to try out a few sweet combinations. They taste mild, with a flowery aroma, and offer lots of culinary possibilities but first I have to think about a few ideas. For now I'll start with a simple savory dish.
I have some finger food in mind, an easy in between nibble. I take the big leaves of 3 chicory (also known as Belgian endive) and dollop a little of a fruity dressing on top. It's made of 4 heaped tablespoons of yoghurt mixed with 3 teaspoons of tomato paste and 1 crunchy pear, grated without peel and stirred in as well. I season it with salt and black pepper and my pink peppercorns, crushed and sprinkled on top. The pink berries had a tasty return to my kitchen!
Labskaus, a Sailor's Feast
Whenever there was Labskaus on our table at lunch time, I was a happy child! It's a traditional Northern European dish, sailor's food with meat and vegetables stewed in broth, with a slightly sweet taste coming from gherkin, beetroot and potatoes.
It's one of these recipes that evolved through the years, each region or country created their own variation on Labskaus and added or changed a few ingredients. It's made with corned beef which is more common, sometimes with minced beef which I prefer. Some cities in the North of Germany, like Hamburg or Bremen, mix soused hering (Matjes in German) in, others have it on the side, or they add a fried egg like I do which is completely unacceptable for some. The beetroot causes the same controversy, I like it as it adds some sweetness and it creates a pretty colour. When it comes to the soused hering, I leave it out, it's not my thing. You can find Labskaus in many Scandinavian countries as well but generally without the fish.
When I have this hot stew on my plate I'm still as happy to enjoy it as I was as a child!
Labskaus
For 4 people you need
minced beef 600g / 21 ounces
potatoes, peeled, cut into cubes, 600g/ 21 ounces
beetroots, peeled, cut into cubes, 500g / 18 ounces
medium sized onions, chopped, 2
broth 1 liter
bay leaf 1
garlic, cut in half, 2 cloves
cloves 5
pickled gherkin, chopped, 6-10
liquid from the pickled gherkin 4 tablespoons plus more to taste
salt and pepper
olive oil for frying
organic eggs 4
butter for frying
In a large pot, heat some oil and fry the onions until golden and soft. Add some more oil and fry the minced beef for a few minutes until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the other ingredients (except the gherkin, their liquid and the eggs) and cook for an hour. Season with salt and pepper and add the gherkin and their liquid to taste.
Fry the eggs in a little butter, leaving the egg yolks soft, and put one of them on top of the Labskaus in each plate.
Smoked Wild Salmon, Dill and Cottage Cheese on a Sandwich
It's been a busy week, I need a quick sandwich! That's what's great about sandwiches, they adapt to your life, they go with the circumstances and your mood. Extravagant ingredients and extensive preparation may lead to an amazing result but it's not necessary. I used to make a very simple sandwich together with my father. We would cut thin slices of a dark loaf of bread (rye or spelt), put a few slices of cheese on, Dutch Gouda or Swiss Emmentaler, and some thin slices of juicy cucumber. We sprinkled it with salt and crushed black pepper and it was done. I loved it so much! This was a culinary highlight to me, and sometimes, when I'm in the right mood, it still is.
Today's sandwich is simple but luxurious. It needs thick slices of white bread, I bought a light English bread, baguette or ciabatta work as well. I pair this with a wonderful delicacy from the sea, smoked wild salmon! I don't really like farmed seafood even though I do buy it sometimes, but when I can choose I prefer wild fish, especially when it comes to smoked salmon. It's less fatty and much stronger in taste. Today I want to keep it simple, I just spread some cottage cheese on a slice of bread and put the salmon on top, sprinkled with dill. You could add some freshly grated horseradish for some spiciness, I enjoyed mine without to taste all the fine flavours of the fish.
Besides the bread, I needed 150g / 5.5 ounces of smoked salmon, around 4 heaped tablespoons of cottage cheese and a few sprigs of fresh dill for 2 sandwiches.
A Ginger Carrot Salad with Spring Onions
Carrots are unbelievably versatile and uncomplicated vegetables which create wonderfully easy but delicious side dishes, salads and soups. They never cause a hassle, always sweet and strong, they aren't very sensitive to prepare. When cooking fish or meat that demands all your attention, the carrots are patiently waiting on the side in their pot not loosing any of their qualities when left cooking a bit longer. The same goes for salads, you can mix them with the strongest flavours, go overboard with lemon, spices or herbs, no problem, this little orange root will manage!
I'll go easy on them in my salad, I just add some freshly grated ginger (1 1/2 tablespoons) to my dressing, made of 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, some salt, pepper and 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar. 4 carrots peeled and cut into julienne are enough for a side dish for 2. Half a spring onion cut into thin slices sprinkled on top adds a bit of spiciness. The carrots still have enough space to show their sweet side.
