Latest news with #summer recipes
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
Ratatouille and le grand aïoli: Matthew Ryle's classic French dishes for Bastille Day
When writing recipes, it's good to get into the right headspace. The sky's clear, it's warm out (maybe not quite hot enough for my liking) and I'm sitting in the sun, possibly with a glass of rosé in hand. I'm transported to the French Riviera, and that glamorous, sun-drenched coastline, and it's the perfect setting for two of the most summery French classics: ratatouille and grand aïoli, especially in the run-up to Bastille Day on 14 July. Ratatouille is a glorious riot of stewed vegetables, and I like to serve it with a vibrant French take on pesto. Le grand aïoli, meanwhile, is a feast of seasonal veg, boiled eggs, anchovies and plenty of garlicky mayo for dipping. Both make brilliant centrepieces, or to serve alongside your next barbecue. Originating from the south of France, this is the sunny summer counterpart to a charcuterie board. It's a stunning spread centred around a rich, garlicky mayonnaise, as well as a celebration of vibrant seasonal vegetables, boiled eggs, salty anchovies and optional poached fish. Perfect for sharing, this Provençal classic brings bright flavours and a relaxed spirit to the table. Keep it simple or go all out; either way, a beautifully arranged platter is always impressive. Once you master the aïoli, you'll find endless excuses to enjoy it beyond this dish – it's truly addictive. Prep 10 minCook 30 min Serves 4 For the aïoli2 egg yolks 20ml white-wine vinegar 10g dijon mustard 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely grated10g confit garlic (optional)340ml rapeseed oil 10ml lemon juice Sea salt and black pepper For the salad2 baby gem lettuces1 fennel bulb, trimmed ½ cucumber 1 bunch radishes 50g green beans, blanched1 small handful young fresh pea pods (about 10 in total), split open but left unpodded 1 small handful baby carrots (about 10 in total), trimmed4 eggs 8 anchovy fillets – any good ready-to-eat ones will do First make the aïoli. Put the egg yolks, vinegar, mustard, grated garlic and confit garlic, if using, in a blender or stick-blender jug. Start blending to break down and combine, then, with the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until the mixture thickens to a mayo-like consistency. Add the lemon juice to loosen it slightly; if it's still too thick and you run out of lemon juice, add a splash of water. Continue blending until all the oil is incorporated and you have a thick, glossy aïoli. Taste, adjust the seasoning, if need be, then transfer to a bowl (if you're making the aïoli ahead of time, cover and refrigerate). Wash and dry all the raw vegetables, then cut the lettuce, fennel and cucumber into bite-sized pieces. Carefully drop the eggs into a pan of boiling water, cook for eight minutes, then lift out and drop into iced water to cool. Carefully peel the eggs, then cut them in half. Arrange all the vegetables neatly on a large platter, and place the halved eggs yolk side up in and around them. Drape an anchovy fillet over the top of each egg and serve with the bowl of aïoli alongside, ready for dipping. Ratatouille, the classic Provençal vegetable stew, is bursting with the flavours of summer. Traditionally from Nice, it's ideal for sharing at sunny gatherings, both as a colourful side or as a light lunch in itself with some good bread for company. My take on it has a little twist in that it also features a homemade pipérade, a rich pepper and tomato sauce, as a flavourful base and it's finished with a bright basil pistou, to create a dish that looks stunning and tastes even better. Every bite should take you straight to the south of France. Prep 30 minCook 40 min Serves 4 For the pipérade20ml olive oil 90g red onion (about ½ onion), peeled and thinly sliced15g garlic (about 3 cloves), peeled and thinly sliced220g red pepper (about 2), stalks, seeds and pith removed and discarded, flesh thinly sliced220g yellow pepper (about 2), stalks, seeds and pith removed and discarded, flesh thinly slicedSea salt and pepper2 tsp smoked paprika 400g tin chopped tomatoes 15ml red-wine vinegar 5g basil leaves (about 1 tbsp) For the ratatouille1 small aubergine (about 150g) 2 medium courgettes (about 100g each) 4 plum tomatoes25ml olive oil For the pistou70g basil leaves (from about 1 big bunch)50ml olive oil ½ garlic clove, finely grated Finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon Start with the pipérade, which, if need be, can be made well in advance. Put the olive oil in a large wide saucepan on a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic, and cook gently, stirring, for five minutes, until softened. Turn up the heat, add the sliced peppers, season lightly and cook, still stirring, until they soften. Stir in the smoked paprika, cook, stirring, for two minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Finish with the red-wine vinegar and basil, season to taste and set aside. Now start the ratatouille. Cut the aubergines, courgettes and tomatoes into 5mm-thick slices. Spread the pipérade in the base of a 25cm x 20cm baking dish, then neatly arrange the sliced vegetables on top, alternating the slices to create a pretty pattern. Drizzle the olive oilall over the top, season generously, then cover with foil or a lid and bake in a 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7 oven for 20 minutes. Remove the cover, bake for another 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and lightly caramelised, then remove and leave to cool. For the pistou, put the basil and olive oil in a blender and blitz smooth. Add the grated garlic and the lemon zest and juice, and blend again. Spoon the pistou generously over the baked ratatouille and serve while it's just-warm or at room temperature., Matthew Ryle is chef/partner at Maison François and Cafe François, both in London. His debut book, French Classics: Easy and Elevated Dishes to Cook at Home, is published next month by Bloomsbury at £26. To order a copy for £23.40, go to
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Too hot to cook? Try a cold bowl of soup: Jasmine Mangalaseril
Hot summer days and nights are perfect for crisp salads and mezze-like platters where we pick at fresh fruits and vegetables, dips, and cold, cooked meats. It's also the perfect weather for cold soups. When the temperatures rise, staying hydrated is key. And one way to replenish fluids and nutrients is to have fruits and vegetables with high water content, like tomatoes, berries, melons and cucumbers. Luckily, cold soups can keep us hydrated and nourished in many tasty ways. Some are low cook. Others are no cook. But all of these can stay in your fridge for a couple of days. Just pour and sip for a bit of instant rejuvenation when the weather makes you wilt. While a steaming hot bowl of borsht is familiar when the snow falls, its cold cousin, holodnik, is perfect under the beating sun. "Holodnik is more popular in the western and northern part of Ukraine," said Nataliia Khimka, owner of Kitchener's Eastern European Cuisine Zupa. Khimka mixes cooked, cooled beets and fresh cucumber with water mixed with kefir and sour cream. There's a good amount of chopped dill and it can include lemon juice or mustard. The fuchsia pink, tangy, slightly earthy soup is garnished with hard boiled eggs and sliced green onions. It's traditionally served with slices of dark rye bread. Khimka said okrashka is another popular summertime soup in her homeland. It's made with chopped cooked potatoes, hard boiled eggs, radish, cucumber and fresh herbs, as well as cold cooked meats like chicken or ham, or cured sausage. "You can leave it in the fridge," Khimka explained. "And then when you want to eat, you can have it two ways: add kefir or ayran [a salty yoghurt drink], or add kvass [a low-alcohol, fermented grain beverage]…for me, it's better with ayran. It's more tasty." At the height of summer, many Koreans reach for naengmyeon, a cold noodle dish with a light broth. "Naengmyeon was originally a winter food, because ice was traditionally available in the winter, but now, as time has passed it has become a food that can be eaten cold in hot weather," explained Na Yeon Koo, who with her husband Taewon Kim own KW Korean BBQ Restaurant in downtown Kitchener. Naengmyeon (raengmyŏn in North Korea) is sometimes seen on Korean restaurant menus as "cold noodles." At KW Korean BBQ, thinly sliced cucumbers, Asian pear, a halved hard boiled egg and slices of boiled beef top a mound of cooked and cooled thin noodles. In its metal bowl, it's surrounded by a refreshing, tangy, sweet icy broth. For those liking a bit of chili heat, a sweet and pungent sauce can be mixed into the dish. "That soup [is made with] beef shank, apple, pears, and then cabbage, green onion, and radishes and carrots," said Koo. "[After straining] we freeze and thaw it. Then we put some sugar, salt, vinegar, to give it the naengmyeon taste." Vanessa Stankiewicz, who co-owns Kitchener's La Lola Tapas Bar, said gazpacho is nourishing in extreme heat. It's also economical because it's one of the foods that make up comidas de aprovechamiento. "Aprovechamiento means 'to use up'," said Stankiewicz. "Pear tomatoes would probably start to almost go off, very soft, tender. And hard bread and things that you had laying in the pantry at that time of the year." It's a cold purée of pear tomatoes, cucumber, long green pepper, onions, bread, olive oil and sherry vinegar, perhaps loosened with some water. It's a soup here, but in Spain, gazpacho is often drunk as an apératif to open up the appetite. A similar but different cold dish called salmorejo is also enjoyed in parts of Spain. It's a thick emulsified puree of pear tomatoes, garlic, bread and oil. Rather than being sipped from a glass it's eaten as a tapa. "You will see people eating it with a spoon. You'll see people dipping bread into it and eating it," said Stankiewicz. "It's absolutely divine and it's one of my favourite summer dishes to eat."
