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No more talks of World Cup please... or I strike
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24 June 2010
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Driven out of my home office by the heat, I moved my work station yesterday to my favourite cafe. Only after settling at my usual table did I realise the enormity of my mistake. I was sitting right under a brand new TV screen and the UK-Slovenia football game was about to start. Undeterred, I (1) took my laptop out (uho…), (2) ordered a green tea (gasps), (3) with a thick French accent (chokes)… Within a second all eyes moved down from the screen to me, marking my forehead with the fattest L Ietter I was ever given in my life. Ouch. With a deadline to meet, my choice between air-conditioned community hell and a blazing ivory tower was clear. I chose to be the party pooper, albeit retreating prudently to a darker corner and asking for my tea to be served in a pint glass, with olives please – safety precautions. All the cheering that followed was a refreshing change from the French post-drama mal de vivre and my writing reached lyrical levels, fuelled by the energy swelling the room. Would I have not been the clear outcast of the group, I could have stood up, cheered and hugged my neighbours just for the fun of it. With Wimbledon on now too, this week is about nutritious food to keep your energy levels even and help you withstand the ups and downs of our athletes. The workweek recipes provide a good mix of pulses and vegetables, with goat’s cheese making a big come back in this issue. Beauty and taste are of course au rendez-vous, so given theses great dishes only take together 25 minutes of your time, try them both! This weekend cool down with a fabulous curry and succumb to my quick berry and mascarpone cream delights, perfect for a tennis-watching afternoon. Don’t forget this week is recycling week so freshen up your recycling habits in the Kitchen Talk section, and check out my secret to increase the shelf-life of fresh herbs in the fridge. This critical tip will enable your mint bunch to yield at least a week’s worth of Pimm’s, so thank me dears et a la semaine prochaine! Anne-Laure x
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QUICK week treats
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Courgette, goat’s cheese and parma ham pizzas
Busy: 10 min, Total time: 25 min
Tortillas are one of my favourite quick food accessories. They are used here as a base under gently spiced courgettes, goat's cheese and pine nuts. This simple mix yields such a delicate, light and tasty pizza all you will want to say is encore, encore, encore! Also, while I would not label this dish as particularly child friendly, my daughter who is not a courgette fan absolutely adores it. A winner all round.
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Lentil, gooseberry and goat’s cheese salad
Busy: 15 min, Total time: 15 mn
| A friend slept over last Monday and for lack of time I prepared a lazy no-cook dinner. The result was this ambrosial, elegant and colourful salad, its explosive gooseberries and bity onions rewardingly tamed by sweet sun blushed tomatoes, soft cheese and lentils. The addition of elderflower cordial in the dressing, while not necessary, wrapped it all up with a quirky, flowery touch for a most satisfying catch up dinner. |
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Weekend THERAPY
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Lamb, coconut and cashew nut curry
Busy: 30 min, Total time: 1H40 min (can be made a day ahead)
| Curries are like hot showers in scorching weather. After you've had them, the air around you suddently feels pleasantly cooler. Try this delightful number to fend off the heat this weekend, which got us all into Ooohs and Aaahs (think tiny and chewy coconut particles lingering under the bite, wonderfully heady spices and incredibly tender lamb). Of course, a nap in the shade after such a feast is de rigueur. |
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Express Wimbledon-style berries and mascarpone tartlets
Busy: 20 min, Total time: 35 min
| Quick, the game is starting soon! First, make the tartlet shells. Use my darling's Pierre Hermé's recipe or for a quick fix a pre-made shortcrust pastry. Then, whip a somptiously rich vanilla and mascarpone Chantilly, spoon it into the shells and hide it with a pile of berries. Pfew, just in time. Now time to watch cute Andy in action as we splurge on those little marvels, a glass of bubbly within reach. Sorry guys, girlie time. |
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IN SEASON
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New in June:
Courgettes, fennel, runner beans, turnips, strawberries, gooseberries, tomatoes, raspberries (end of June)
Ending this month:
Asparagus, rhubarb, morel mushrooms, elderflowers
Also in season:
Aubergines, broad beans, peas, mangetout, globe artichokes, lambs lettuce, cherries, radishes, Wild garlic, Lettuce, Rocket, Rosemary, Spinach, Cucumber, Bananas, oranges, kiwi fruit, alphonso mango, broccoli, Jersey Royal new potatoes, maincrop potatoes, rhubarb, sorrel, Spring onions, watercress, Spring lamb, sea bass, sea trout, plaice, mackerel, crab | |
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