Category Archives: Vegetarian main dishes

Appetizers, Entertaining, Italian food, Pasta and noodles, Salads, Soups and stews, Vegetarian main dishes

Pasta Fagiole, Sausages with Peppers, and Assorted Antipasti

I love having people over for dinner. I love planning a menu around their tastes and dietary restrictions. I love shopping for high-end special occasion ingredients and flowers for the table. I love seeing how many place settings I can squeeze onto my dining table. I love the rush of preparing a big meal while trying to keep my kitchen intact. But mostly, I love sharing good food and good conversation with friends and family. There are few things that please me more than a home-cooked dinner and lively, loud conversation (usually after a few bottles of wine have been opened), except maybe the hush that sometimes falls over my guests if I’ve made something particularly good and they have no time to speak between mouthfuls.

This week my husband Reuben’s lovely grandmother, Ellie, visited Milwaukee. I invited her, Reuben’s parents, my grandparents, my parents, and my sister to join us for dinner. Since I had to prepare enough food for 10 adults with two small children underfoot, my menu was simple. Most items could be prepared in advance, during the kids’ nap time. Note that I doubled the soup and sausages recipes below to serve 10 adults. And in case you were worrying that I let my guests go home without dessert, I also served the blueberry crumb bars Kristin posted three weeks ago.

Pasta Fagiole
from an unknown magazine card that’s been in my recipe box for as long as I remember. My apologies to whatever source I took it from years ago.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups (1 liter) chicken broth (Swanson Organic Chicken Broth recommended)
1 x 14 oz (400 g) can stewed tomatoes, with Italian seasoning (note: if seasoned tomatoes aren’t available, use regular stewed tomatoes and add 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon dried basil)
1 x 19 oz (540 g) can cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed well and drained
6 oz (170 g) tubetti or ditalini pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over a moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook the garlic, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth and tomatoes with their juices and bring to a boil, breaking up the tomatoes with a fork.

Add the beans, pasta, 2 tablespoons basil, and Parmesan and boil, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. (Pasta will continue to absorb liquid.) Stir in the remaining basil and black pepper to taste. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve immediately.

***

Sausages with Peppers

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 hot and/or mild Italian sausages
2 bell peppers (one green and one red, yellow, or orange), sliced into thin strips

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over a medium heat. Add the sausages and cook for 10 minutes, turning the sausages halfway through the cooking time. Add the pepper strips and cook until the peppers are soft and the sausages are fully cooked, stirring frequently, about 10 more minutes. If the sausages take on too much color early in the cooking process, lower the heat or cover the skillet with a lid for a few minutes. Serve with a crusty baguette or good Italian bread.

***

Assorted Antipasti

Antipasti refers to the traditional first course in an Italian meal. Cheeses, cured meats, marinated vegetables and salads are typical. Antipasti selections are also perfect for picnics. For my dinner, I served the following (all at room temperature):

cheeses (one soft, one semi-soft, one hard, one goat’s cheese, and fresh mozzarella balls)
olives (I love the bitter taste of black, oil-cured olives, but you can use any type)
1 jar of sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, julienned
marinated hearts of palm and artichokes (see recipe below)
2 baguettes, one plain and one seeded, sliced

Marinated Hearts of Palm and Artichoke

Drain and rinse 1 can of hearts of palm and 1 can of quartered artichoke hearts. Mix with 1 clove garlic, grated, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Let sit for at least 1 hour before serving.

Desserts, Fruit, Pasta and noodles, Vegetarian main dishes

Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Chocolate Pavlova with Strawberries

One of my favorite things to do when I visit my mom is to sit down with a cup of coffee and flip through her stash of magazines. I never buy them myself, so it’s a treat to have so many to look through at one time, and she always has half a dozen cooking ones lying around (some of which invariably find their way into my suitcase … sorry Mom!). If I remember correctly, I first came across this recipe in one of her Martha Stewart magazines about 10 years ago, and it was the first time I’d ever heard of peeling tomatoes. It quickly became a favorite summertime staple, one that we look forward to having as soon as good tomatoes are available. If I had to pick just one dish that sums up summertime to me, this would be it.

Still looking for more ways to use up tomatoes? Try Chicken Cacciatore, Tomato and Goat’s Cheese Tart, Ravioli and Tomato Salad, Oven-roasted Ratatouille or Spaghetti with Roast Cherry Tomatoes, Chili and Basil.

Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

3 lb (1.4 kg) ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb (450 g) spaghetti (or angel hair or linguine)
freshly grated Parmesan, to serve

First, skin the tomatoes. To do this, cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato with a sharp knife, then pour boiling water over them and leave until the skin around the X starts to curl away, about 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and allow to cool, then slip off their skins. Cut into quarters or roughly chop them — it doesn’t matter too much since they’ll break up during the cooking anyway. If you want,  you can deseed the tomatoes to make a thicker, more concentrated sauce, but I rarely bother and just let it simmer for longer instead.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or stockpot (one that is big enough to hold all the tomatoes). Saute the garlic for 1 minute, taking care not to let it burn or it will ruin the flavor of the sauce. Add the tomatoes, basil and the teaspoon of sugar. Season well with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened, stirring now and then. You could serve the sauce now, or let it continue simmering until it has reduced even further — I always let it bubble away for at least 1 hour, and preferably 90 minutes.

Put a pot of water on to boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Divide the pasta between 4 bowls and spoon the tomato sauce over. Top with freshly grated Parmesan and serve. This is fantastic with a simple green salad and garlic bread.

***

chocolate pavlova with strawberries

Chocolate Pavlova with Strawberries
adapted from Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson

Serves 8 to 10

for the chocolate meringue base:
6 egg whites
1 1/2 cups (300 g) caster sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, sieved
1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (50 g) dark chocolate, finely chopped

for the topping:
2 cups (480 ml) cream
1 lb (450 g) strawberries or raspberries
2–3 tablespoons coarsely grated dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking tray with baking parchment and draw a circle approximately 9 inches (23 cm) in diameter onto the paper with a pencil (or just trace around a dinner plate). Just make sure the circle doesn’t go too close to the edge of the baking sheet, because the pavlova will spread a bit during cooking. Flip the paper over so that the penciled-in circle is facing down onto the sheet (so that the pavlova doesn’t come into direct contact with the pencil lead).

Beat the egg whites in a spotlessly clean and perfectly dry bowl until satiny peaks form, then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Sprinkle over the cocoa, vinegar and chopped chocolate. Gently fold everything until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in.

Mound the mixture onto the circle you’ve drawn onto the baking parchment, smoothing the sides and top. Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 300°F (150°C) and cook for about 1 to 1 1/4 hours. When it’s ready it should look crisp around the edges and on the sides and be dry on top, but when you prod the centre you should feel the promise of squidginess beneath your fingers. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly, and let the chocolate meringue disc cool completely (or you could even leave it in the oven overnight).

When you’re ready to serve, invert the cooled pavlova onto a big, flat-bottomed plate. Whisk the cream till thick but still soft and pile it on top of the meringue, then scatter over the fruit. Coarsely grate the chocolate so you get curls rather than rubble, as you don’t want the berries’ luscious colour and form to be obscured, and sprinkle haphazardly over the top, letting some fall, as it will, on the plate’s rim.

French food, Pork, Vegetarian main dishes

Oven-roasted Ratatouille with (or without) Sausages

I saw recipes for ratatouille for years and always flipped right by them in my cookbooks. A stew of nothing but vegetables sounded bland and boring to me — and this from someone who was a vegetarian for a time. It was only when I came across this recipe for Italian sausages and ratatouille that I was tempted to finally give it a try. I couldn’t believe how good it was, and kicked myself for not making it sooner. It’s the kind of dish that’s definitely more than the sum of its parts. While the sausages do impart an extra depth of flavor to it — especially if you get high-quality butcher sausages like pepper and herb, or my favorite, the Guinness sausages my local butcher makes — I’ve since made this just as often without them, and it’s equally as good. It’s the perfect dinner for late summer, when all these vegetables are readily available. I always make this on the day I get my delivery of organic fruit and veg, when everything is fresh and perfect.

There are so many versions of this classic dish out there. Most call for fresh tomatoes, as does this one, but to be honest, I just use canned tomatoes 99% of the time. Some use fennel, green peppers, wine or balsamic vinegar. Some use basil, marjoram, parsley or herbes de Provence. Almost all of them sauté the vegetables in batches in separate pans (I roast them because it’s easier). In other words, pretty much anything goes — use what you have or what you like and you can’t go too far wrong.

vegetables destined for ratatouille

Still looking for more ways to use up tomatoes? Try Chicken Cacciatore, Tomato and Goat’s Cheese Tart, Ravioli and Tomato Salad, Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce or Spaghetti with Roast Cherry Tomatoes, Chili and Basil.

Oven-roasted Ratatouille with (or without) Sausages

Serves 6

4 medium zucchini, chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 small eggplants, chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 red or white onions, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 yellow peppers, deseeded and chopped into bite-sized pieces
olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 x 14 oz (400 g) cans of chopped tomatoes
a few sprigs of fresh thyme (if you have it), chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped
12 good-quality butcher sausages (allow 2 sausages per person)

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Place the chopped zucchini, eggplants, onions and peppers on 2 baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the vegetables with your hands to ensure they’re all coated with the oil. Roast the vegetables in the oven for about 30 minutes, until they have blackened slightly, taking care not to let anything burn.

About 10 minutes before the vegetables are done roasting, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot (big enough to eventually hold all the vegetables, tomatoes and sausages, if you’re using them) over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, taking care not to let it burn. Add the tomatoes, chopped herbs and salt and freshly ground pepper and ring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, while the vegetables finish roasting.

Once the vegetables are done, add them to the pot with the tomatoes and stir to combine. Nestle the sausages into the vegetables and sauce, making sure they are immersed in the sauce as much as possible. Cover the pot halfway and continue to simmer on a medium-low, stirring occasionally so that nothing burns on the bottom, for about 30 minutes, until the sausages are cooked through and the flavours have blended together. Season to taste. Serve with crusty bread, or spooned on top of pasta as a sauce.

Desserts, Fruit, Pasta and noodles, Salads, Vegetarian main dishes

Ravioli and Tomato Salad and Honey Vanilla Poached Apricots

One of the quintessential smells of summer for me is a bunch of fresh basil — I’m sure I’m not alone in this. When I had gardens in the Midwest, it grew so quickly that I often couldn’t use it all fast enough. In Ireland, though, it’s so cool in the summer that it won’t grow outside at all, which means you either have to be content with whatever you can fit on your windowsill or grow it in a greenhouse or polytunnel. That’s been a huge disappointment for me, since having a nonstop supply of basil throughout the summer was one of the things I’d been looking forward to when we started our garden three years ago. I also couldn’t wait to grow tomatoes, but after losing all of our plants during the past two summers due to record-breaking rain, we didn’t even bother planting any this year (and good thing too, seeing as how this July was the wettest for 50 years). It’s just another thing that will have to wait until we get a tunnel, hopefully next year. In the meantime, I begrudgingly buy meager packets of fresh herbs, instead of the heaps I’d hoped to be growing myself. But for anyone with basil to spare, and tomatoes too (lucky you!), this recipe is for you.

IMG_8810

Still looking for more ways to use up tomatoes? Try Chicken Cacciatore, Tomato and Goat’s Cheese Tart, Oven-roasted Ratatouille, Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce or Spaghetti with Roast Cherry Tomatoes, Chili and Basil.

Ravioli and Tomato Salad with Masses of Basil
from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

Serves 4 to 6

This will be even better if you can make it ahead of time, giving the flavors plenty of time to blend together. It would be perfect for a picnic.

1 lb (450 g) cheese ravioli or tortellini
2 lb (900 g) ripe tomatoes
1 x 6‑oz (170‑g) jar artichoke hearts, drained and halved (optional)
1 bunch basil, leaves torn into pieces
1/2 cup (90 g) olives, pitted and halved
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
red wine vinegar

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the ravioli. Meanwhile, skin the tomatoes. (To do this, cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato with a sharp knife, then pour boiling water over them and leave until the skin around the X starts to curl away, about 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and allow to cool, then slip off their skins.) Deseed them and chop them into large pieces. Put the tomatoes and artichokes in a large bowl along with the basil, olives, capers, and oil.

Once the water is boiling, add the ravioli or tortellini and cook according to the package instructions, then drain well. Add the pasta to the tomato mixture in the bowl and toss gently with a rubber spatula. Taste for salt, season with pepper and sprinkle with vinegar to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

***

honey vanilla poached apricots

Honey Vanilla Poached Apricots
from Gourmet, June 1996

Serves 2

1 cup (240 ml) water
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
3/4 lb (340 g) fresh apricots (about 9 or 10 apricots), halved lengthwise and pitted
vanilla ice cream, to serve

In a 1 1/2‑quart saucepan, simmer the water, honey, sugar, and vanilla bean, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the apricots and simmer, covered, until just tender but not falling apart, 2 to 5 minutes (mine were done after 2 minutes), depending on how ripe the fruit is.

Transfer the apricots with a slotted spoon to a bowl and boil the syrup until it has reduced to about 1/2 cup (120 ml). Pour the syrup over the apricots and chill for 25 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream, with the syrup spooned over.

Potatoes, Salad dressings, Salads, Vegetarian main dishes

Tomato and Goat’s Cheese Tart with Potato, Spinach and Red Pepper Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

In all honesty, I could never be a vegetarian again simply because I like bacon too much (and sausages and chorizo rank pretty highly too). After 10 years of living abroad, I’ve stopped craving most of the foods I used to miss when I first moved to Ireland, but I’ve never stopped missing American-style bacon, the kind that gets crispy and will easily crumble once cooked. Irish bacon (or rashers) is more like what I grew up calling Canadian bacon, thick cut and something you have to eat with a knife and fork, and just isn’t the same at all. But a few weeks ago, I noticed that my local grocery store had started carrying pancetta, so I gave that a try. Who would have guessed that expensive imported Italian pancetta is such a good match to the Oscar Mayer stuff I’ve been hankering after all these years? I’m going to have to try hard not to buy some every week now to make up for lost time. This salad was a good place to start, and I happily tripled the amount of bacon called for (granted, the original recipe only calls for 1 slice).

tomato and goat's cheese tart

Still looking for ways to use up tomatoes? Try Chicken Cacciatore, Ravioli and Tomato Salad, Oven-roasted Ratatouille, Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce or Spaghetti with Roast Cherry Tomatoes, Chili and Basil.

Tomato and Goat’s Cheese Tart
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Makes 2 large tarts or 4 individual tarts

This recipe is open to endless variations. I’ve modified the original to use cherry tomatoes, but you could just as easily use 2 or 3 large tomatoes, cut into 1/4‑inch-thick slices. A mix of yellow and red cherry tomatoes would look especially nice. The original also calls for garlic and herb goat’s cheese, though I used a plain soft goat’s cheese (as opposed to a log) dotted around the tart. If you aren’t a fan of goat’s cheese, you could try this with garlic-and-herb cream cheese or even mascarpone.

You could also use this recipe as a base to make a new potato and goat’s cheese tart: Omit the tomatoes and instead thinly slice 10 oz (280 g) of baby new potatoes. Boil the potato slices for about 5 minutes, until just tender, then neatly layer them over the Parmesan and onions on the puff pastry so that they slightly overlap, then dot the goat’s cheese over the potatoes. Use fresh chopped chives, parsley and tarragon instead of the thyme and basil and cook at 400°F (200°C) for 18 to 20 minutes.

1 package (17.3 oz/2 sheets) ready-rolled puff pastry, defrosted
3 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced yellow onions
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves (or 1/4 tsp dried)
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 oz (50 g) shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 oz (100 g) goat’s cheese
1 lb (450 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Gently unroll the sheets of puff pastry and place the pastry rectangles on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use. (Alternatively, you could make 4 individual tarts by cutting 4 circles out of the 2 sheets of puff pastry, using a 6‑inch saucer or other round object as a guide, though you might have to roll out the puff pastry a little in order to get 2 good-sized circles from each pastry sheet. Or just cut each ready-rolled rectangle in half. If you wanted to serve this as a light first course, you could cut each rectangle into quarters, and get 8 servings.)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Sauté for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet (this is important, because you don’t want the mixture to be too wet and make the pastry base soggy). Add the salt, pepper, wine and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned and the wine has mostly evaporated. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4‑inch-wide border around each pastry rectangle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle the grated Parmesan on each rectangle, staying inside the scored border.

Place half of the onion mixture on each rectangle, again staying within the scored edge. (Don’t be tempted to overload the pastry base with too much topping, or again, it will go soggy, especially if you’re making 2 large tarts.) Crumble 2 oz (50 g) of goat’s cheese on top of the onions. Scatter the halved cherry tomatoes evenly over the tart. Sprinkle with basil, salt and pepper. Finally, scatter the Parmesan shards on each tart.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom baking sheet may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.

***

Potato, Spinach and Red Pepper Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
adapted from Bon Appétit, August 1999

Serves 4

1 lb (450 g) new potatoes, halved or quartered
1 red pepper
3 bacon or pancetta slices, chopped
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup (2 stalks) thinly sliced celery
2 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves (about 90 g)

Steam or boil the potatoes just until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Roast the pepper over a flame or in the broiler until blackened on all sides. (Alternatively, line a baking tray with foil, cut the pepper in half and deseed it, then place the two halves, cut side down, on the foil and roast at 400°F (200°C) for about 30 minutes, or until the skin starts to blacken.) Enclose in a paper bag or wrap up in the tin foil you roasted it on and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Peel, seed and chop the pepper, then transfer to the bowl with the potatoes.

Sauté the chopped bacon in a small skillet over a medium heat until crisp, about 3 minutes, until cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel and drain.

Whisk the vinegar, oil and garlic in small saucepan. Stir over a low heat just until warm, about 1 minute. Stir in the bacon.

Add the warm vinaigrette to the potato mixture. Mix in the celery and spinach and toss together well so that the dressing coats everything. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

30-minute meals, Pasta and noodles, Vegetarian main dishes

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

I love Ina Garten’s recipes — they always work and are always delicious — but my god, that woman uses a lot of butter and cream. I reduced the amount of cream she calls for, which makes the lemon flavor stronger. Add some finely chopped fresh chili or a pinch of dried chili flakes if you like a bit of zip. It goes without saying that a green salad and some crusty bread are perfect to round this off.

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula
adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten

Serves 4 to 5

1 tablespoon good-quality olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
zest and juice of 2 lemons
splash of white wine (optional)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
1 lb (450 g) dried fusilli pasta
1/2 lb (225 g) baby arugula or baby spinach
1/2 cup (25 g) freshly grated Parmesan
1 pint (250 g) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream, lemon zest and juice, splash of wine (optional), and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, cook the broccoli florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli and run under cold water to stop it cooking. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over a medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, tomatoes, and cooked broccoli. Toss well, season to taste and serve hot.

Desserts, Fruit, Potatoes, Salads, Vegetarian main dishes

Sour Cream and Chive Potato Cakes with Spinach, Chickpea, Lemon and Feta Salad and Strawberry Mascarpone Tart

We recently took advantage of a (rare) sunny Sunday to check out the Howth farmers’ market, timing it so that we’d be able to buy some snacks there to have as lunch. Matt passed up the meat and salad sandwiches at Paddy Jack’s and even some whole roast hog on a spit and opted instead for a simple potato cake, which gave me the idea to make them at home. Served with a salad, a glass of white wine and my all-time favorite summertime dessert, this strawberry mascarpone tart, this makes a wonderful light summer supper.

Sour Cream and Chive Potato Cakes
adapted from www.greatfood.ie

Makes 8 small cakes or 4 large ones

Add 1/4 cup (2 oz) of finely diced smoked salmon to the potato mixture to make Smoked Salmon Potato Cakes (or you could use any cooked fish). Some fresh chopped parsley or dill substituted for or added to the chives would also be good.

2 lb (900 g) potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
2 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (25 g) butter, melted (if you can, skim off the solids so the butter doesn’t burn)
olive oil

Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender; this will take 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size. You need to keep checking so they don’t collapse. Drain and mash well, or blend with a stand mixer (not a food processor).

Add the green onions, sour cream, mustard and herbs and season to taste. Leave the mixture to cool, then shape into round cakes about 2 to 3 inches wide (or use a tian ring) and dust with a little flour (optional). Rest on a baking tray in the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry until the cakes are heated through and golden on each side. You can also bake these in the oven on a baking tray at 350°F (175°C) until golden. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives on top of each cake.

***

Spinach, Chickpea, Lemon and Feta Salad
adapted from Fresh from the Sea by Clodagh McKenna

Serves 2

bunch of fresh baby spinach leaves, washed
1 cup (100 g) cooked chickpeas
handful of hazelnuts, chopped
1/2 cup (80 g) feta cheese (or soft goat’s cheese)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the spinach, chickpeas and hazelnuts in a bowl. Crumble the feta cheese over the salad.

Whisk the lemon juice and olive oil together to combine (or shake in a screw-top jar) and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and lightly toss to coat evenly.

***

Strawberry Mascarpone Tart
adapted from Avoca Café Cookbook 2

For this recipe you will need a loose-bottomed tart tin (preferably rectangular, like in the photo) or springform pan. The jam glaze is a nice touch, but feel free to leave it out. A handful of blueberries or raspberries scattered amongst the strawberries is fantastic.

for the crust:
about 2 cups (250 g) finely crumbled plain digestive biscuits or graham crackers (or whizzed in a food processor)
6 tablespoons (90 g) unsalted butter, melted
pinch of salt

for the filling:
10 oz (280 g) mascarpone cheese
1/8 cup (25 g) sugar
5 fl oz (150 ml) cream
1/2 vanilla pod, scraped
zest of 1/2 orange or 1 lemon
1/3 cup (100 g) strawberry jam
1 tablespoon water or orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier
1 lb (450 g) fresh strawberries, hulled

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

To make the crust, stir together the digestive or graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and salt in a bowl, then press onto the bottom of the tart tin or springform pan. Bake the crust for 7 minutes, then cool in the pan on a rack.

For the filling, combine the mascarpone, sugar, cream, vanilla seeds and orange zest. Whisk with a hand-held or stand mixer until it holds its shape – the consistency should be similar to lightly whipped cream. In a saucepan, heat the jam with the water or liqueur.

Spread the mascarpone filling in the cooled base. Arrange the strawberries in a decorative ‘this only took me minutes to do’ kind of way. With a pastry brush, glaze the strawberries with the jam mixture.