Savoury Cherry Tomato Clafoutis with Basil, Goat’s Cheese and Courgette Blossom

I have been wanting to make a clafoutis for a while now. The traditionally sweet French dessert is made with fruit, usually cherries, cooked in a batter made with eggs, ground almonds, sugar and flour. Cherries are in season here now and are very cheap but it is impossible to find a cherry pitter/pipper/stoner or whatever it’s called, in this town. Apparently you can make it with the stones left in the cherries but I live with the most accident prone man in Andalucia and can’t be doing with the Heimlich manoeuver in this heat.

Thankfully our cherry tomato plant has just decided to produce a large amount of ripe fruit at the same time that the basil plants (purple and green) are growing like weeds. I say thankfully because I found a recipe for a savoury clafoutis in  The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo that my friend Rhian bought me for my birthday. There are lots of lovely things in the book but the savoury clafoutis was top of my list of things to try especially with our little baby tomatoes.

I saw these courgette blossoms still with the little courgettes attached at the market and bought a load of them. I used some as a topping with some portobello mushrooms on a pizza but still had a few left so I sliced the mini courgettes into the clafoutis filling and topped them with a flower.

I made two individual clafoutis in mini loaf tins with this recipe but you can double it and make a big one in a baking dish or tin that should serve 4-6 as part of a lunch or picnic. Or use little ramekins.

You could change the cheese to a Manchego, Cheddar or Gruyère, switch up the herbs and use leftover roasted vegetables as an alternative filling. I served it with this French Potato Salad.

Cherry Tomato Clafoutis with Goat’s Cheese, Basil & Courgette Blossom

Serves 2-3 (easily doubled), Vegetarian. Adapted from The Little Paris Kitchen

Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 15-20 mins (small) 30-40 mins (large)

• 50g goat’s cheese/feta
• 50g cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 2 or 3 courgette blossoms (stamens removed) baby courgettes finely sliced (optional)
• a handful of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• a few sprigs of fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
• 2 eggs
• salt & black pepper
• 25g ground almonds
• 1 tbsp flour
• 50g goat’s yoghurt (or greek yoghurt)
• 50 ml milk (I used oat milk)

Preheat oven to 180C and lightly oil and flour your dishes. Scatter the tomatoes, crumbled/torn goat’s cheese and sliced baby courgettes, if using, evenly over the base(s).

Whisk the eggs well with the salt & pepper then gently fold in the ground almonds and flour until just combined. Stir in the yoghurt, milk and fresh herbs.

Pour the batter over the filling and top each one with a courgette flower. Bake until golden brown and set. 15-20 minutes for small, 30 -40 minutes for larger. Tip them out of the moulds or serve from the large dish, warm or at room temperature.

Things That Made Me Smile Today………

Our new lavender plant, a beautiful magenta colour.

Huge, bright and blousy squash and pumpkin flowers, the first sign that autumn will arrive and along with it relief from the unbearable heat.

Enjoy your weekend..

Beetroot and Red Wine Risotto with Oregano and Seared Halloumi

This recipe is inspired by our trip to the Holden Manz Wine Estate in Franschhoek. Holden Manz is owned by Gerard Holden and Migo Manz, an artist whose paintings and sculpture decorate the public areas. They took over the existing wine estate about a year and a half ago and have been reinventing it ever since.

There is a beautiful Manor House with luxurious suites that has an exclusive yet unpretentious atmosphere. This could be said of the whole estate. They have a refreshingly modern approach to the business which translates into every area. The spa, guest house, winery and restaurant all have a positivity that comes from the staff being well-trained and excited about what they do and where they work.

You can order a picnic with food fresh from the garden orchard and a lovely bottle of the Holden Manz rose. Wander down to the banks of the river, chose your spot under the oak trees and while away the afternoon. Try some of their award-winning wines, a food and wine pairing or the extremely popular tapas menu.

The Franschhoek Kitchen restaurant has very quickly become a name up there with the heavyweights in the culinary town of Franschhoek. And those are some big names.

The stand out dish, for me, was the Holden Manz shiraz and beetroot risotto with duck prosciutto. I didn’t eat the duck obviously but the sweet beetroot risotto with a hint of peppery spice from the shiraz really was delicious. The Washer Up said it was perfect with the salty, smoky duck. My challenge was to recreate this dish at home and find a suitable replacement for the duck. 

I immediately thought of feta because its salty, sour creaminess would be the perfect contrast to the sweet, dark and earthy beetroot. And this would still be great but halloumi has that slightly chewy, meaty texture that as well as the saltiness that gave it the edge over the feta. The oregano is because we have just bought an oregano plant so it is “new favourite thing” and it goes well with hallloumi for that extra bit of Greek flavour.

You make a beetroot puree to add to the risotto, we made a bit extra to use as a dressing on the plate. It really increases the volume on the beetroot flavour. It’s up to you.

Beetroot & Red Wine Risotto with Oregano & Seared Halloumi

Serves 3-4, vegetarian, gluten-free. Adapted from The Franschhoek Kitchen recipe

Prep time: about 30 mins if roasting beetroot Cooking Time: 25-35 mins

• about 160 gr baby beetroots, roasted until soft with olive oil salt & pepper (or you can buy precooked vacuum packed beetroot) but don’t used the pickled stuff in jars.
• 250 gr arborio rice (we used brown short-grain rice it takes longer to cook and more stock)
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh oregano or thyme (plus extra for garnish)
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 stalk young celery, finely chopped
• salt & black pepper
• 250 ml (or more if using brown rice) red wine (Shiraz/Syrah if possible) something peppery and spicy
• 250-500 ml veg stock
• a handful of finely grated manchego (or parmesan) cheese
• 250 gr pack halloumi cheese, in 1/2 cm slices
• rocket or watercress to serve
• some finely diced cooked beetroot for garnish (optional)

Blend the cooked beets with a stick blender to a smooth puree. Reserving some to finely chop for garnish if you like. Taste and season with salt and pepper (if you haven’t already).

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Put the veg stock in a small pan over a low-medium heat and keep hot, not boiling.

Fry the onions and celery in the hot oil until starting to soften (4-5 minutes) then add the garlic and oregano, cook for another minute then add the rice. Stir to coat the rice then add three-quarters of the beetroot puree, stirring again.

Add the wine, in three parts stirring all the time until each lot is absorbed into the rice. Then add the hot stock a ladle full at a time, stirring untill each ladle full is absorbed before adding the next.

Keep adding the stock until the rice is cooked (you may need to add more stock/wine to the small saucepan depending on the rice). Season with salt and black pepper.

Remove from the heat stir through the grated cheese, cover and leave to stand while you cook the halloumi.

Heat a frying/saute pan over a medium-high heat but DON’T add any oil. Dry the slices of halloumi on kitchen paper then put into the hot pan. Cook for a minute or so on each side until browned and slightly crispy.

To serve: spoon the risotto into bowls (or into a chefs ring on a plate) and top with the halloumi slices. Garnish with a smudge of the reserved beetroot puree, the rocket or watercress leaves, chopped beetroot and some baby oregano leaves.

Serve with a nice glass of the red wine you used to cook the risotto. The Holden Manz Shiraz if you’re lucky…..

For more information about the Holden Manz wine estate, visit their website here.

Have a great weekend!!

Avocado Bean Salad With Lime, Cumin and Coriander Dressing

I just had to share with you my latest “go to” lunch salad. It’s quick, easy and delicious. It’s also vegan & gluten-free but that’s not the point. The point is that I’ve had it for the past three days and I still love it. That is a record for me as I have an extremely short attention span when it comes to food. I get bored really quickly, I need new things all the time. So here it is my new favourite salad, until I get bored and find another one…..

Avocado Bean Salad with Lime, Cumin & Coriander Dressing

serves 1, vegan, gluten-free

• a big handful of rocket/mixed leaves
• 1 small avocado, stone removed and chopped
• the juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1o0 gr cooked red beans or pinto beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 spring onion/scallion, finely chopped
• 1 spring garlic, green parts, finely chopped
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 or 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt & black pepper
• a handful of sunflower seeds
• fresh coriander leaves

Put the salad leaves in a large bowl with the chopped avocado and squeeze the lime juice over the avocado to stop it turning brown.  Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the sunflower seeds & coriander leaves and toss with your hands to coat everything evenly. Pile the salad into a bowl or large plate and top with the sunflower seeds & coriander leaves. Serve with an extra wedge of lime on the side if you like.

This would be really good with an ice cold bottle of lime wedged Coronita or even a classic Margarita…….Salut!

I have a fantastic recipe for the rest of the can of beans that I will post in the next few days , so save them. Get ready for South American Bean Cakes with Arepa Bun and Tomato Chilli Salsa…!!

Greek Style Tomato and Bean Soup with lemon, mint and parsley

 Lemons are one of my kitchen staples. I couldn’t cook without them. Their juice adds a zing to any curry that lifts all the other flavours. A squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of good olive oil is all you need for the best salad dressing. The zest gives a brightness to cakes and cookies that could otherwise be too sweet. And no paella (vegetarian or not) would be complete without those sunny little wedges to spritz over as you serve.

If you taste a dish just before serving and think that there’s something missing, that it’s not quite right. Squeeze over some fresh lemon juice, add a pinch more salt and taste it again. The dish will come alive.

I always make sure I have a bowl of lemons in my kitchen, it makes me feel safe and the aroma of freshly squeezed or zested lemons makes the kitchen smell fresh and clean.  Lemons are best friends with another of my kitchen staples, fresh herbs. If you have lemons and fresh parsley, coriander, mint or basil you are seconds away from making an okay dish into an outstanding one. An uninspiring bowl of pasta with tomato sauce can be transformed with the last-minute addition of lemon juice and fresh basil. Any curry, South East Asian, Caribbean or Indian, would be dreadfully incomplete without the final squeezing over of fresh lemon juice (or it’s more exotic cousin, the lime) and a large handful of fresh coriander.

Lemon, mint and parsley are the stars of this Greek style soup. Mint and parsley are widely used in Greek and Middle Eastern cooking. The freshness of mint with the saltiness of a Greek Feta or Cypriot Halloumi cheese is a match made in heaven, squeeze over some fresh lemon juice and you have arrived…..

Greek Style Tomato & Bean Soup with Lemon, Mint & Parsley

serves 4 – 6, vegetarian/ vegan without the Feta

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 leek, cut in half lengthways, rinsed and sliced (you can use a small onion)
• 1 stick celery, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely, chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• a pinch of dried chilli flakes
• salt & black pepper
• 1/4 or 1/2 head cabbage, shredded
• 1 jar/tin cooked butter beans about 400 gr
• 1/2 jar/tin kidney beans 200 gr
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes 400 gr
• 1 lemon
• a splash of white wine (optional)
• 3 or 4 tbsp tomato puree (tomate frito)
• about a litre of veg stock 
• 10 squares of frozen spinach or 1 bag of fresh (about 300 gr)
• 100 gr quinoa (or orzo, rice, small pasta)
• 75 gr Greek Feta cheese
• 10 or 12 fresh mint leaves, chopped
• a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• a handful of black olives (if you like them, I don’t)

Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a large deep saucepan. Add the onions/leeks, celery, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, chilli flakes and dried oregano. Season with salt & black pepper and cook until softened about 4 or 5 minutes. Then add in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add a splash of wine and stir in the shredded cabbage, butter beans, kidney beans and tinned tomatoes. Zest the lemon, add it to pot with half of the juice and the tomato puree. Add the veg stock, season well with salt & black pepper and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down & simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Add in the quinoa or pasta, olives and the frozen spinach (if using fresh stir it through a couple of minutes before serving just to wilt). Cook for another 10 – 15 minutes until the quinoa/pasta/rice is cooked.

Just before serving squeeze  the rest of the lemon juice into the pot or serve some wedges on the side. Serve the soup in warmed bowls topped with some crumbled Feta, sprinkle over the chopped mint & parsley and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil…….

You can make this soup with whatever beans you have in your cupboard. White beans and chickpeas would be good. I had some cooked quinoa in the fridge so I added it in. It may not be authentic but the texture worked and it’s high in protein which is great for vegetarian dishes. Just make sure you use the dried oregano (a key Greek seasoning) as well as the fresh mint, parsley, lemon juice and Greek Feta and it will be delicious………….

My Big Fat Greek Salad with Grilled Halloumi

If you’ve never tried Halloumi cheese before, buy some. I promise you its delicious. It’s a Cypriot sheep’s milk cheese and I would go as far as to say it is my favourite cheese. Even saying that makes me feel bad about Feta. I love Feta too it’s just that Halloumi is more difficult to get over here. So, when I do see some, I buy 3 blocks because I know they will sell out quickly and not get any back in for weeks. I think it’s a case of “absence makes the heart grow fonder“. Does that apply to cheese too? I think Feta suffers from being slightly more (dare I say it) common. Now I feel really awful.

The best thing about Halloumi is it doesn’t melt, it cooks. This means you can grill it on a dry pan or griddle and serve it as you would chicken like the Grilled Halloumi Sandwich  that I have posted before. The texture is actually quite meaty when it’s cooked and its salty flavour stands up really well to loads of fresh herbs & lemon juice. This salad is the perfect backdrop from which your Halloumi can shine. In the interest of fairness and equality Foil Baked Feta would be a great alternative if you can’t get hold of any Halloumi…..

Greek Salad with Grilled Halloumi

serves 2 vegetarian

• 1 pack halloumi 240gr sliced into 1/2cm slices
• 1 big tomato chopped
• 1/2 cucumber diced
• 1/2 shallot finely chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• a handful of black olives (I left them out because I don’t like them)
• a handful of rocket
• 1 little gem lettuce heart, cut into quarters, lengthways
• sea salt
• 1 lemon
• a handful of chopped coriander or parsley. Stalks as well.
• a handful of chopped mint
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 red chilli (deseeded & chopped) optional
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp sumac
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• coriander/parsley leaves for garnish

Put the little gem wedges on the plate, drizzle with a little olive oil, lemon juice & a little sea salt. Put the tomatoes, cucumber, shallot, olives, oregano & half the fresh herbs in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil &  a good squeeze of lemon juice, season with salt & pepper and set aside. In a shallow dish large enough to hold the Halloumi slices mix together about 4 tbsp olive oil the juice of half the lemon, cumin, sumac, chilli, black pepper and the rest of the fresh herbs.

Heat a non stick frying pan or griddle to hot. (Don’t add any oil). Put the Halloumi slices in the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides. When the halloumi is browned put the slices into the dish with the marinade and cover it in the marinade. (You may need to add more oil/lemon juice). When all of the Halloumi is in the marinade add the rocket to the tomato salad and toss together with you hands. Pile this on top of the little gem wedges then arrange your Halloumi slices on top and around the salad. Pour over the remaining marinade and serve garnished with the coriander/parsley leaves.

You could also serve some toasted pita wedges on the side to soak up the delicious marinade juices. This is a dish you could serve to hardened meat eaters and they wouldn’t notice it was vegetarian. It’s so good, please try it!

Greek Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

 I know I’m kind of overloading you with cabbage recipes but I’ve still got half left -they really do go a long way! This recipe is adapted from a Delia Smith recipe (We love Delia!). I have changed it & added a few more flavours to the stuffing including Feta, cumin, oregano, hazelnuts, cinnamon & dried cranberries (because Ididn’t have any raisins). The result is a slightly sweet but savoury delicious filling. This recipe is supposed to be for two people but I ended up with a huge amount of the rice mixture left so I have added on another of my favourite leftover recipes underneath…

Stuffed Cabbage Leaves in Tomato Sauce

Greek Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Fresh Tomato Sauce Recipe

serves 2 plus extra vegetarian, adapted from a Delia Smith recipe

•  about 6 to 8 whole cabbage leaves (Discard any yellow outer leaves)
• 1/4 cabbage finely sliced
• 350gr ripe tomatoes chopped (I chopped 1 large tomato & added a handful of cherry tomatoes)
• 2 small cloves garlic chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried mint
• salt & black pepper
• a drizzle of chilli oil (or olive oil)

For the Stuffing

• 15o ml brown rice 
• 1 red onion chopped
• 1 tsp  ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 30 gr pine nuts
• 30 gr hazelnuts  (or pistachios)
• 50 gr dried cranberries ( or raisins)
• 100 gr greek feta
• a handful of fresh mint chopped
• salt & pepper

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan, add the onions and cook over a medium heat until lightly browned then add the cumin, coriander, cinnamon & oregano, stir to combine.Then add the rice and coat in the spice oil.
2. Pour 300 ml of boiling water into the rice, add salt, stir, put the lid on and turn the heat down to low. Allow the rice to cook for about 30 mins until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked. You may have to add more boiling water if the rice is not cooked and all the water has been absorbed.
3. Meanwhile toast the nuts in dry pan until slightly browned. Don’t take your eyes off them or they will burn! Leave to cool.
4. With each of the whole cabbage leaves, make a v shaped cut to get rid of the hard stalky bits, and cook in boiling water for 4 mins. Take the leaves out with a slotted spoon, drain in a colander and rine under cold water. Then add the sliced cabbage to the boiling water for 3 mins. Dry the whole cabbage leaves on a clean tea towel. Drain the sliced cabbage, rinse in cold water and set aside.
5. When the rice is cooked leave to cool slightly before adding the sliced cabbage, nuts, cranberries, crumbled feta & chopped mint. Season well with salt & pepper.

Stuffing Mixture

 6. Lay your first cabbage leaf out on a board and place a heaped tablespoon of the stuffing mixture in the middle. Roll it up like a cigar and tuck the ends under. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage leaves and arrange the cabbage rolls(with the tucked under bits on the base) in a baking dish. Don’t worry if there are a few holes in your leaves it still works look at mine !! 

 

Stuffed, Rolled Cabbage Leaves

 

7. Season with salt & pepper and cover with the chopped tomatoes, chopped garlic, oregano & mint.  Season again and cover with foil or a lid. 

 

Ready To Bake

 

8. Bake in a preheated oven 190 degrees fro 25 to 30 mins, then take of the foil and put back for another 10 mins. 

The Finished Dish

As I said above I had loads of the rice mixture left over so I made some stuffed peppers for lunch today. Just slice the tops off of the peppers and romve all the seeds and membrane.

Stuff the peppers with the rice mixture top with some more crumbled feta and a little dried mint, drizzle with olive oil and bake in a 2oo degree oven for 30 – 35 mins. I served mine with a rocket salad. 

 

 

Enjoy!