Soy Honey Broccoli with Peanuts

3 tablespoons Peanut oil 3 cloves garlic ; thinly sliced 1 1/4 inch Fresh ginger ; peeled and julienned (2 1/2 tbsp) 1 Orange ; peel finely, shaved to get 3 strips 3 tablespoons salted roasted peanuts ; roughly chopped 1 pound broccolini ; trimmed and cut in half crosswise if the stems are thick 2 tablespoons light soy sauce 1.5 teaspoons Honey Salt 1. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, orange strips, and peanuts and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic and nuts are light golden brown. Transfer to a small bowl (along with all of the oil) to stop them cooking and set aside. 2. Place a steamer insert in a stockpot and fill with just enough water so it doesn't touch the teaming basket. Place over high heat and, once boiling, add the broccolini. Cover and steam for 4-5 minutes, until cooked. Remove from the heat, transfer to a serving plate, and set aside. 3. Return the saucepan you cooked the peanuts in to high heat - don't worry about wiping it clean - and add the soy sauce, honey, and 1/8 tsp of salt. Heat for about 1 minute; it should reduce to about 1 1/2 tbsp of sauce. Spoon 2 tbsp of the infused oil over the broccolini, along with the peanuts and aromatics. Add the reduced soy sauce mixture, give everything a gentle mix, and serve.

Eggplant Lentil Stew

We had such a productive garden, right up to the first frost we were still harvesting tomatoes and eggplants, a few peppers, and there were even new blossoms on the plants. This is a perfect hearty dish to use what we have in such abundance right now. 3 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra to serve 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced 1 large red onion, finely chopped (160g) ½ tbsp picked thyme leaves 2 small aubergines, cut into chunks, about 5 x 2cm (420g) 200g cherry tomatoes 180g Puy lentils 500ml vegetable stock 80ml dry white wine 100g crème fraîche or sour cream or yogurt 1 tsp Urfa chilli flakes (or ½ tsp regular chilli flakes) 2 tsp picked oregano leaves salt and black pepper Put 2 tablespoons of oil into a large, high-sided sauté pan and place on a medium high heat. Add the garlic, onion, thyme and ¼ teaspoon of salt and fry for 8 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden. Tip into a bowl, leaving the oil behind. Set aside. Place the aubergines and tomatoes in a bowl and season with ¼ teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Add the remaining oil to the same pan (don’t worry about wiping it clean) and, once very hot, add the aubergines and tomatoes. Fry for 10 minutes, on medium high, turning them often until the aubergine is soft and golden-brown and the tomatoes are beginning to blacken. Return the garlic and onion to the pan, then add the lentils, stock, wine, 450ml of water and ¾ teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer gently for about 40 minutes, until the lentils are soft but still retain a bite. Serve warm, or at room temperature, with a dollop of crème fraîche, a drizzle of oil and chilli flakes and oregano on top.

Roasted Eggplant with Curried Yogurt Sauce

We have had a bumper crop of eggplant this year, with the plants reaching waist high and the eggplant kept growing up to and including the day that we had a frost. So of course it is time to explore the Ottolenghi eggplant repertoire of serving options. 3 large eggplants 5 tbsp olive oil divided 1 cup greek yogurt 2 tsp curry powder divided 1/4 tsp turmeric, ground 1 lime zested and juiced 1 large onion sliced thin 1/4 cup sliced almonds 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp coriander seeds 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds salt to taste pepper to taste Method Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Peel the eggplant in alternating strips. Cut into 3/4″-1″ thick slices. Place slices in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Lay slices on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 35 or so minutes until soft and golden brown. Leave to cool. In a small bowl, mix the yogurt with 1 teaspoon curry powder, turmeric, lime juice and zest and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in refrigerator. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the onions. Saute’ for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until caramelized and golden brown, lowering heat as needed to prevent burning. Add 1 teaspoon curry powder and the almonds. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes to toast the almonds. Heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds. Toast for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Lightly crush in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. To plate, arrange a few slices of eggplant on a plate. Spoon some of the yogurt sauce over them, top with the onions and garnish with pomegranate seeds and toasted spices.

Soy and Tahini Roast Potatos

This is from Ottolenghi's new cookbook, Flavor, which veers away from his traditional approach to variations of Mediterranean food and into some other spice and flavor profiles.  There is not a lot about the background for these new pathways, which borrow from the foods and traditions of other places, but if you love Ottolenghi's approach to vegetables, you will not be disappointed. 

• 1 lb. roasting potatoes, leave the skin on and cut into 3cm cubes
• 50g rose harissa 
• 1 garlic clove, crushed 
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1½ tbsp chives, finely chopped
• 1½ tbsp black and/or white sesame seed, toasted

FOR THE DRESSING: 

• 60g tahini (stir well before using)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1½ tbsp mirin (or maple syrup)
• 1½ tbsp rice vinegar

Preheat the oven to 240°C fan. 

In a large bowl, mix the potatoes, rose harissa, garlic and olive oil together with ¾ tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper. Transfer the mixture to a parchment-lined baking tray and spread out, then cover tightly with foil and roast for 15 minutes. 

Remove the foil, reduce the heat to 200°C and roast for another 25 minutes, uncovered, stirring halfway, until the potatoes are cooked and browned. 

Meanwhile, whisk all of the ingredients for the dressing together with 1 tbsp of water until smooth. 

Transfer the potatoes to a shallow serving bowl and drizzle over the dressing. Garnish with the chives and sesame seeds.

 

Lime and Yogurt Tomato Salad

This is definitely not the time of year to have the very best of tomato salads--but on the other hand, cherry tomatoes can be had throughout the year and they are pretty good little flavor bursts any time, so this is a salad to prioritize for the non-tomato season if you don't just skip them all together until July.  The cardamom (which I just did as ground) gives it an interesting kick.

70g Greek-style yoghurt
11/2 oz.  soft, rindless goat’s cheese
½ small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
Salt
1-2 limes – zest finely grated, to get 1 tsp, and juiced, to get 1½ tbsp
15 cardamom pods, shells discarded and seeds finely crushed in a mortar
1 large green chilli, finely chopped (pith and seeds removed if you prefer less heat)
500g ripe, sweet cherry tomatoes, halved (or any other great tomatoes you can get)
1 large banana shallot, peeled and finely sliced
60ml olive oil
10g mint leaves, roughly torn

Mix the yoghurt, goat’s cheese, garlic and a pinch of salt in a large bowl until smooth. Add half the lime zest, half the cardamom and half the chilli, and stir to combine. Set aside an eighth of a teaspoon of the remaining crushed cardamom, to serve.

In a second bowl, mix the tomatoes, shallot, lime juice, two tablespoons of oil and half a teaspoon of salt with the remaining lime zest, cardamom and chilli. Add the yoghurt mixture and most of the mint, and stir gently, but not too much – you want still to be able to see the red of the tomatoes and green of the mint in parts.

Transfer to a platter, drizzle with the remaining two tablespoons of oil, finish with the remaining mint and cardamom, and serve.