Cauliflower with chickpeas, pomegranate and tahini yoghurt
Bring this impressive delight to the table, wisps of steam rising from the dome, the scent of spice filling the air, and you’ll have a room full of anticipation.
Serves 4
- 75g yogurt
- 3 tbsp chilli paste
- 1 whole cauliflower, largest leaves removed
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pomegranate, seeds only
- small bunch of coriander, leaves chopped
- generous pinch of ground cumin
- flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- flatbreads, to serve
For the tahini yogurt
- 60g tahini
- 60ml water
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 75g yogurt
- salt, to taste
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. In a small bowl, mix the yogurt and chilli paste together.
2 Season the cauliflower, put on a baking tray and brush the yogurt and chilli mixture over it. Loosely place a piece of baking parchment over the cauliflower and cover tightly with foil.
3 Roast for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and parchment and add the olive oil, chickpeas and onion to the tray. Cook for 15 minutes until the cauliflower is tender (check by pushing a skewer into the centre) and golden.
4 Whisk the tahini yogurt ingredients in a bowl, adding salt to taste and more water if needed to reach the consistency of thick double cream.
5 Pour half the tahini yogurt over the cauliflower, then sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds, coriander and cumin. Season, then serve with flatbreads and the rest of the sauce on the side.
Pissaladiere
This is one of Provence’s finest gifts to the world. Traditionally made with anchovies, I’ve used red miso to provide the crucial savouriness, and very nicely it works too. Please don’t rush the onions: once cooked, they should be barely able to hold together.
Serves 2
- 60ml olive oil
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp picked fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tbsp red miso
- about 20 pitted black olives
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pastry
- 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 125g chilled butter, cubed
- 3 tbsp iced water
1 Put the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. (Alternatively, tip into a large bowl and use your fingertips to mix the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.) Sprinkle with the water and pulse briefly until the mixture comes together (or bring together with your hands).
Tip out on to a clean surface, flatten into a rough circle, wrap well, then chill for around 30 minutes.
2 Line a baking sheet (around 30cm x 20cm) with baking parchment. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a low heat and gently cook the onions with a small pinch of salt, stirring occasionally, for 30-35 minutes until soft and barely coloured. Season with the pepper and thyme and leave to cool.
3 On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to about 2mm thick and about the size of your baking sheet. Slide the pastry on to the lined baking sheet and chill for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
4 Spread the miso over the pastry, leaving a 2cm-3cm border around the edge. Cover the miso completely with the cooled onions, then dot with the olives.
Brush the edge of the pissaladière with the egg and bake for 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving, although you could also serve at room temperature.
Summer pasta salad
When the sun shines hard and you fancy pasta but nothing hot, this is the recipe to turn to. With the combination of dried fruit, pine nuts, capers and olives, and the gentle sense of sweet and sour, the dish leans towards Sicily. It’s good as a side for a couple of roast chickens when you have a tableful of guests, and will make a midweek main with a leafy side. It is adaptable, but one thing I’d keep constant is a short twisted pasta.
Serves 4
- 20g basil, leaves picked
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 200g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil
- finely grated zest and juice of 1 small orange
- finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 400g short pasta
- 40g currants or raisins
- 3 tbsp capers
- 80g black olives, roughly chopped
- 40g pine nuts
- small bunch of fennel fronds, roughly chopped
- flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Blend the basil with the garlic, half the tomatoes and the olive oil. Stir in the zest and juice of the orange and lemon.
2 Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions or until al dente; drain and tip into a bowl.
3 Stir the dressing and currants through the pasta and allow to cool. Add the rest of the tomatoes, the capers, olives and pine nuts, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter over the fennel fronds before serving.
Aubergine kedgeree
Classically made with smoked fish, kedgeree is also wonderful with aubergines, the smokiness from their cooking entering into the holiest of alliances with the spices and the egg.
Serves 4
- 2 large aubergines
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 eggs
- 300g basmati rice
- 3 tbsp butter or oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 ½ tbsp curry powder
- 450ml vegetable stock or water
- small bunch of coriander, finely chopped
- 1-2 green chillies, thinly sliced
- 2 lemons, cut into wedges
- flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Put the aubergines either on a baking tray under a hot grill, on the barbecue or – as I usually do – directly over a gas flame on the stovetop. Use tongs to turn them occasionally until the skin is charred and the flesh tender. Remove from the heat, cut a slit with a knife and place them cut-side down in a colander to drain their juice as they cool.
2 When cooled a little, lay them on a chopping board and open each like a butterfly, spooning out the flesh and pulling it into long strips. Season with salt and pepper and the garam masala. Discard the skin, though don’t worry about a few blackened flecks going in with the flesh, as they bring a touch of welcome bitter smokiness.
3 Put the eggs in a large pan of salted water and bring to the boil. From boiling, cook for 8 minutes, then scoop out and cool in cold water. Peel and quarter each egg.
4 Rinse the basmati rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain well.
5 Melt the butter in a medium frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook for 10 minutes until softened, then add the curry powder, stirring well, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer, adding salt and a good grind of pepper.
Add the rice, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until tender. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
6 Turn the rice out on to a platter and fluff it with a fork, folding through the eggs and aubergines. Scatter with coriander and chilli and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Panzanella
This central Italian delight works beautifully for those tomatoes that have taken ripeness a little too seriously and are considering collapsing into the two dimensional; their juiciness is perfect for the bread they accompany.
There is no cooking to transform, no magic to conjure: this is all about the excellence of the vegetables. The bread is best a day old – perhaps two or three – to add resistance to the juices that soak into it.
Serves 4
- 6 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 200g crustless sourdough bread (a day or so old), cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 90ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 1 small red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1 small yellow pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 40g pitted black olives, such as kalamata, roughly chopped
- small bunch of fresh tarragon, leaves picked
- flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Sprinkle the tomatoes and onion with salt and toss together. Place them in a sieve and leave the juices to drain into a bowl.
2 Toss the bread with the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the oil.
3 Stir the capers and garlic into the drained tomato juices, then whisk in the remaining olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the bread.
4 Combine the peppers, olives, half the tarragon and the tomato mix together in a bowl and pour over the dressed bread, tossing well.
5 Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour. Stir before serving scattered with the remaining tarragon.
Potato and egg salad
Who doesn’t love a potato salad? And who doesn’t love one with egg and cornichons even more? This may be the finest I’ve ever eaten. Watercress as an accompaniment is all but essential here, ringing the bell of the mustard’s nasal punch with a louder clang. I sometimes make this with the watercress chopped and stirred through.
Serves 4
- 800g new potatoes, quartered
- 150g mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 celery heart stalks, finely chopped (leaves reserved and roughly chopped)
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
- 6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 6 cornichons or pickles, finely chopped
- handful of chives, roughly chopped
- a couple of chive flowers, broken into florets (optional)
- bunch of watercress
- a little extra virgin olive oil
- flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Put the potatoes in a large pan with a generous pinch of salt and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook until just tender. Drain and transfer them to a large bowl and allow to cool slightly.
2 In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, shallot, celery and cider vinegar. Season well with salt and pepper.
3 Pour the dressing over the warm potatoes and gently toss to coat them evenly.
4 Scatter the potatoes with the eggs, radishes, chopped celery leaves, cornichons and chives (and the chive flowers if using), plus a generous grind of black pepper. Serve with the watercress – drizzled with a little olive oil – to the side.
Seasonal swaps The watercress can be switched with rocket or another lively, peppery leaf.
Sprouting broccoli and leek gratin
This simple, delicious delight is welcome on all but the hottest days of high summer. It’s also highly adaptable – a real family favourite that’s quick, nutritious and satisfying. While you can cook this in a deeper dish, a wide, shallow dish gives just the right mix of creaminess to crunch ratio. Serve with a high pile of leaves dressed just with olive oil.
Serves 4
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 250ml double cream
- 500g leeks, trimmed and sliced into 3cm-4cm pieces
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 500g sprouting broccoli, thick stalks trimmed
- 50g hazelnuts, finely chopped
- 35g parmesan, finely grated
- flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180C fan/ gas 6. In a bowl, stir the garlic, rosemary and a good tweak of salt and pepper into the cream. Place the leeks in a single layer in a baking dish, drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 15-20 minutes until cooked through and beginning to colour in places.
2 Add the sprouting broccoli to a pan of boiling salted water and cook for just 1 minute. Drain well. Arrange the cooked broccoli on top of the leeks, pour over the seasoned cream and scatter evenly with the hazelnuts and parmesan. Season with a little salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbling and golden in places.
SEASONAL SWAPS: Tenderstem broccoli, halved sprouts, asparagus, halved pak choi and cauliflower all swap in for the sprouting broccoli, while onions and shallots can substitute for the leeks.
Summer frittata
I am very happy eating this at any hour of the day. It works as a lazy leftover breakfast, easy lunch or substantial supper. As marvellous as this is – and do make it as is, to make a friend of it – take it as a template for what each season has to offer; it even comes up trumps when you have a bowlful of leftover roast vegetables in the fridge looking for a delicious home.
Serves 4
- 8 large eggs
- 80ml whole milk
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 1 courgette, finely chopped
- 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
- small bunch fresh basil, leaves torn
- 50g finely grated fresh parmesan
- flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk with some salt and pepper until well combined.
2 Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced red onion and cook for 5 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the red pepper and courgette and cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, cooking for 1-2 minutes until the tomatoes start to soften. Tip the mix out of the pan into a large bowl and add the basil. Return the pan to the stove.
3 Pour the egg mixture into the pan and spoon in the cooked vegetables, then sprinkle the cheese on top. Cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes; when the edges start to set, transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden and set on top.
4 Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing the frittata into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.
SEASONAL SWAPS: Instead of red pepper, courgette and tomato, try using boiled potatoes and fried onions, or for a spring frittata use green beans and peas or asparagus and pea shoots.
Now buy the book
Our recipes are from Vegetables by Mark Diacono, published by Quadrille, £27. To order a copy for £22.95 until 14 July, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25