WIN £50 worth of Dragonfly tea We love a cuppa here at The Simple Things and so are pleased to tell you about a competition to win £50 worth of organic Dragonfly tea. Five winners will receive a mahogany tea chest filled with all 15 speciality teas (96 sachets in total). For your chance to win, click here
Recipe: Garlic potato salad with lemon creme fraiche
Reinvent the picnic for the modern world with made-to-be-mobile dishes, such as this potato salad recipe. A garlicky mustard kick rescue potatoes from potential blandness.
Recipe: Garlic potato salad with lemon crème fraiche
Serves 6
1.5kg mixed potatoes, cubed
3 tbsp olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
175ml crème fraîche
1 tbsp maille mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
to serve:
4 tbsp fresh chives, finely snipped
Fresh dill
Red onion pickle (for recipe, see page 29 of July’s The Simple Things for the perfect potato salad recipe accompaniment)
1. Preheat oven to 190c/fan 170c/ 350f. Toss the potato cubes in olive oil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 45 mins–1 hour or until golden and crisped. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, place the lemon juice and zest, crème fraîche, mustard and garlic. Whisk together, then toss with potatoes, making sure to coat everything well. Top with fresh chives, dill and onion pickle.
Turn to page 26 of July’s The Simple Things for more al fresco picnic recipes.
Not got July’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.
Recipe: Sweetcorn with flower and herb butter
Corn on the cob and butter are the most natural of double acts. Flowers and herbs picked from your plot take this melting accompaniment to the next level in this sweetcorn recipe.
The sugars in sweetcorn start turning to starch the moment the cob is picked, meaning even minutes can make a difference to its taste. Get the barbecue up to heat before you pick, for the juiciest, sweetest corn you’ve ever sunk your teeth into.
Recipe: Sweetcorn with flower and herb butter
Serves 6
6 sweetcorn cobs
For the butter:
150g butter, at room temperature
Small bunch parsley, finely chopped
Petals of a few edible flowers: marigold, cornflower, chive
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1. Put the butter in a large bowl, add all the other ingredients. Season and mix well, pushing the petals into the butter with the back of a wooden spoon. Bring it all together into a rough round using the spoon.
2. To make the butter into a sliceable log, chill the pat until it is workable but not too firm. Use a piece of wax paper to roll into a log shape. Wrap and refrigerate or freeze until needed.
3. Once the barbecue coals have turned grey, pick the cobs and place them, husks and all, onto the grill. Allow the outer leaves to blacken slightly, then turn. Once the whole thing is blackened, pull back the husk, slice of the butter and place it on the kernels. Let it melt slightly, then eat.
Turn to page 40 of July’s The Simple Things for more ideas for enjoying July’s allotment bounty.
Not got July’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.
Food from afar: Granita recipe
Granita refers to the coarse, grainy texture of this sweet, frozen treat. Delve into the history of the flavoured ice and try your hand with a summery granita recipe.
Sicily may not have invented flavoured ices – that hour goes to China, Arabia or ancient Rome, depending on which food history you read – but the island has made granita its own, combining it with chopped nuts, mandarins, mulberries, even dark chocolate. At breakfast it’s spooned onto brioscia (Sicilian brioche), while later in the day it gets dressed up with a dollop of cream or biscotti for dipping.
Read more on page 38 of July's The Simple Things.
Fancy a go? Head over to Rachel Eats for a melon granita recipe from the Brit-born, Rome-dwelling blog writer.
Not got July’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.
Recipe: Brazilian cake - Broa de Fuba
Tonight's the night! Let's celebrate the FIFA World Cup Final in a very British way. Tea and cake, anyone? Brazilian cake, of course! In a nod to the ubiquitous workshop of all things Brazilian, we’ve found a polenta sponge that’s a winner in our book.
Moreish, moist and not too sweet, this Brazilian take on polenta cake is a highly loveable sponge.
BROA DE FUBA (CORN BREAD) 250g butter, softened 230g caster sugar 4 large eggs, separated 150g polenta 190ml milk 150g self-raising flour Icing sugar, to serve
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Lightly grease a round 20cm springform cake tin and line with baking parchment. 2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half the polenta, then half the milk, beating after each addition to combine; repeat. Sift in the flour and mix to combine. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir one large spoonful of the egg whites into the batter to loosen it. Using a metal spoon, gently fold in the remaining egg whites. 4. Spoon the batter into the lined tin, smoothing the top. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the bread comes out clean. Leave the bread in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with icing sugar.
Recipe taken from This is Brazil by Fernanda de Paula and Shelley Hepworth (Hardie Grant, £16.99)
Want more Brazil? This month, Andy Martin shows us round his home town, the hip Brazilian city, Sao Paulo. Turn to page 60 of July’s The Simple Things for food, football and (very) late nights from the Brazilian metropolis.
Not got July’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.
Recipe: Peppermint chocolate chip ice cream
Homemade and anything but lurid, this peppermint chocolate chip ice cream recipe is all grown up.
We thought that mint choc chip was a pleasingly synthetic treat we'd left behind in childhood. Then this recipe came along, offering cooling mint flecked with devillishly good chocolate in a wholesome creamy form. We're converted.
Don't be tempted to use milk chocolate over dark, say Bountiful authors Todd Porter and Diane Cu. "It doesn't work as well."
Peppermint Choc-Chip Ice Cream
Makes about 1 litre
360ml double cream 240ml milk 100g caster sugar Peppermint leaves from 15 stems 5 egg yolks 140g dark chocolate, finely chopped
You will need an ice cream maker
1. In a pan over medium heat, mix the cream, milk, sugar, a pinch of salt, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Add mint. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
2. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks. Sieve cooled cream and discard leaves. Slowly whisk into egg yolks. Return mixture to pan and stir on a medium heat. Cook until custard thickens to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
3. Pour custard through a sieve into a clean container. Place container in an ice bath, stirring occasionally until cool (about 20 minutes). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. When ready to freeze, set a bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt the chocolate. Stir until smooth, then remove from the heat.
5. Freeze the custard according to the ice cream machine instructions. While it's churning, place storage container in freezer to chill.
6. In the last moments of churning, drizzle a fine stream of chocolate into the ice cream. If your ice cream machine makes this tricky, fold in chocolate manually straight after churning. Transfer into the chilled storage container and freeze.
Recipe from Bountiful by Todd Porter and Dian Cu. To order a copy for £18.99 with free P&P, call 01903 828503 and quote ref 50480.
How to be a mindful eater PLUS three simple tea infusion recipes
Yes, we love food, but it doesn't always get our full attention. Time to reconnect your mind with your mouth and become a mindful eater.
Many of us fall easily into patterns of mindless eating. We pick at food while working at our computers. We reach for the quickest - and usually the unhealthiest - snacks for a quick energy boost. We don't take proper lunch breaks. We are constantly distracted while we eat, by television, by work by our phones and computers. We have lost a lot of the enjoyment of eating and as a result we are guilty of just shovelling food into our bodies.
Turn to page 100 of July's The Simple Things to read Rebecca Frank's rediscovery of the joys and pleasure of conscious eating. And sit down with a cuppa, taking time to enjoy the fragrant flavours of one of these mindful infusions. Glass tumblers work really well, as you can fully appreciate not only the refreshing taste and aroma, but also the visual delights. You can sweeten any of the teas with a dash of honey.
Simple Mint Tea
2-3 sprigs of fresh mint Freshly boiled water
Place the mint sprigs into your favourite tea tumbler.
Pour over hot water.
Leave to steep for a few minutes and you will notice the water start to turn slightly green. Savour and enjoy.
Mindful tea notes: This simple, refreshing mint tea has long been used as a natural digestive aid. It works well if sipped slowly after a meal.
Rosemary Tea
2-3 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves Freshly boiled water
Add the fresh rosemary to your favourite tea tumbler.
Pour over hot water and leave to steep for a few minutes.
Enjoy immediately or strain mixture first depending on your preference.
Mindful tea notes: Rosemary is associated with memory and is a lovely tea when you need focus and concentration on your side.
Lemon, Ginger and Lemongrass Tea
1 inch ginger; peeled and sliced into long thin strips 1 organic, unwaxed lemon A few seeds from a cardamom pod 1 stalk lemongrass Freshly boiled water
Press down on the ginger slices and cardamom seeds with the back of a teaspoon to release the flavours and place them in your favourite tea tumbler.
Slice the top and bottom off the lemongrass stalk and then slice in half lengthways, remove the outer layer, and place sliced inner sections into your tumbler.
Pour over hot water and leave to steep for a few minutes.
Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add to the tumbler.
Stir well and enjoy.
Mindful tea notes: The combination of lemon and ginger is energising, while the extra cardamom adds spicy warmth to boost your metabolism.
Not got July's The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.
Pack the perfect picnic
No basket? No problem. Part of the picnic’s appeal is its ad hoc nature, so go with the flow and improvise with our top tips for perfect picnic accoutrements.
High summer. School’s out and the pavements are packed with hot office workers and gaggles of confused tourists. What you need to do is pack up the car, ditch the city and head for the hills: an afternoon spent amid fields and streams and under tree canopies and bright blue skies will restore your equilibrium. Lying on a picnic blanket with a glass of something cold in one hand, and a plateful of something delicious in the other, is a picture-perfect way to idle away the heady days of summer.
Take inspiration from Brideshead Revisited and feast on strawberries and champagne, or enjoy a boating picnic a la Rat and Mole in 'The Wind in the Willows': The Mole begged to be allowed to unpack it all by himself. He took out all the mysterious packets one by one and arranged their contents, gasping 'Oh my! Oh my!' at each fresh surprise.'
It may be a little optimistic to believe we’ll be picnicking all summer long, but if rain does stop play, you can always eat your picnic on your knees in the car. There are certain British traditions that will never die.
No British summer would be complete without a picnic. Pack the perfect picnic with our top tips.
1. A wine crate makes a great container for packaging and transporting your picnic. Sturdy sides keep it upright in the car and, upturned, it’s the perfect little table.
2. Use mason jars to transport salads, chutneys, and desserts. As well as looking the part, they are easy to fill, pack and can even be used as crockery in times of need. Plus, you can re-seal and take home any leftovers – from fridge to field and back again.
3. A robust bread board or tray at the centre of your picnic rug makes for a mini table, meaning no more spilled drinks or squashed sandwiches.
4. Want to keep mess and waste to a minimum? Pack each picnicker their own meal in a cardboard food box, then hand them round when you reach your destination.
5. Ice packs are a picnic essential for keeping cool. Not got any? They are easy to make using just two simple supplies. Squeeze washing up liquid into a ziplock bag, place it flat and push out any bubbles, before sealing and placing into the freezer. Once frozen, use to keep your chilled picnic items nice and cool.
Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Heading to New York City this summer? Seek out Prospect Park in Brooklyn: a masterpiece of landscape architecture at the green heart of NYC's largest borough.
Photographer and stylist, Julia Gartland, decided to hold an informal, pot luck picnic in Prospect Park for July's The Simple Things.
And what a location it is. According to Adrian Benepe, "Olmsted and Vaux designed Central Park, learned from their mistakes, and then designed Prospect Park." Indeed, this 585-acre oasis is an ambitious feat of design, packed with attractions such as the Long Meadow, a 90-acre meadow; Prospect Park Zoo; The Boathouse; Brooklyn's only lake, covering 60 acres; and the Prospect Park Bandshell, which hosts free outdoor concerts in the summertime.
Over ten million visits each year prove the Prospect Park has something for everyone, locals and tourists, young and old, from skating to birding to pedal boating to picnicking on the Long Meadow on beautiful days. The Park also boasts a stunning variety of natural and geological features, such as Brooklyn’s only forest, rolling meadows and shaded hillsides.
Find out more about Prospect Park, and read an extract from Prospect Park: Olmsted & Vaux's Brooklyn Masterpiece by David P. Colley (cover pictured).
Turn to page 26 of July's The Simple Things for beautiful photographs and recipes to inspire your own portable feast - on sale 27 June 2014.
Recipe: Lemon verbena sherbet
In June's The Simple Things, Lia Leendertz picks early-season crops and herbs for that first taste of summer. Turn to page 44 for fresh and tasty home-grown recipes, including this one for lemon verbena sherbet.
If you don't have a dedicated space for growing veggies, you can still pack your food full of summer flavours by growing a few pots of herbs. If you haven't discovered lemon verbena, then make procuring a plant your new resolution. The leaves taste like sherbet and make the best herb tea.
Or try making lemon verbena sherbet: 'A couple of years ago I came across a recipe for making sherbet, and I have been strangely addicted to it ever since. Hand your children a little egg cup full of sherbet with a handful of strawberries to dip in - and they'll be delighted', says Lia Leendertz.
The fizziness comes from the tongue-tingling combination of citric acid and bicarbonate of soda: the moisture on your tongue sets of the reaction, releasing fizzing carbon dioxide.
Lemon verbena sherbet (makes about 70g)
You will need:
Pared peel of 4 lemons About 8 lemon verbena stems, hung up to dry for a few days 60g icing sugar 1/4 tsp citric acid (from chemists) 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1. Roast lemon peel on a baking tray in a low oven for 30 minutes until crispy.
2. Strip the leaves from the stems (they must also be crispy) and whizz peel and leaves together in a blender.
3. Sift sugar, citric acid and bicarb into a bowl and add the ground leaf and peel. Serve with sliced fruit.
Not got June’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.
Go on a cheese picnic
Which cheeses would a cheese expert choose to have in a cheese-centric hamper? We find out how to compile the perfect cheese picnic.
If you want to make a picnic special but don't have time to start baking quiches and prepping salads, keep it simple and focus on the best bits, the cheese. All you need is a modest selection, some hunks of good bread and/or simple biscuits, a bottle of something cold and, voila, a faff-free feast.
We asked Hero Hirsh from artisan cheese supplier, Paxton and Whifield, for her word on the curd.
Montgomery Cheddar
A full-flavoured, firm cheddar. Every picnic needs one. Drink with: English pale ale or pear juice.
Camembert de Normandie
A soft cheese that ripens nicely in warm weather. Drink with: dry cider or apple juice.
Aged Gouda
Best aged for around 24 months with a sweet, nutty flavour, this has a creamy texture but is firm enough not to melt en route. Drink with: dry cider or apple juice.
Chaource
Triple cream cheese, very creamy but with a refreshing acidity. Drink with: bubbles - champagne or sparkling elderflower, ideally.
Cornish Blue
A firm blue cheese with a delicious sweetness that's harder than Stilton, so travels well. Drink with: apricot juice or a full-bodied white wine (such as a punchy chardonnay).
Not got June’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.
Recipes: Five ways with strawberries
Strawberry season is upon us, and we're looking forward to getting out into the fields to pick-our-own. Meanwhile, these five strawberry recipes are summer on a plate.
Not just for pudding, these scarlet nuggets of sunshine can brighten up any plate from brunch to party nibbles.
Strawberry and brown sugar toasted brioche sandwiches (makes 4)
Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F. Cover a roasting tray with foil and place 8 slices of brioche on the tray. Toast till golden brown on each side. Set aside to cool. Hull and quarter 400g strawberries into a bowl, add a heaped tsp of vanilla bean paste and 100g soft brown cane sugar and mix well. Sandwich the strawberry mixture between two slices of thinly buttered brioche.
Strawberry, parma ham and parmesan crostini (makes 8)
Hull and quarter 200g strawberries and set aside. Take 8 slices of sourdough and 8 slices of parma ham. Toast the bread and arrange the ham on top. Next come the strawberries, then sprinkle with parmesan shavings. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, before topping with basil leaves and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve straight away.
Strawberry, pomegranate, fennel and radish salad (serves 4)
Hull and dice 250g strawberries. Slice two heads of fennel very thinly with a mandoline or sharp knife. Finely slice 100g spring onions and 250g radishes. Mix cut fruit and veg and 100g pomegranate seeds with a handful of roughly chopped mint. Combine 50ml olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and 1tbsp pomegranate molasses and season. Dress the salad and top with crumbled feta.
Macerated berries with honey and mint (serves 4)
Hull and halve 500g strawberries lengthways into a large bowl and set aside. In a jug, pour 250ml cloudy apple juice and 75ml runny honey and mix well. Tear a handful of fresh mint leaves into pieces and add them to the marinade. Pour over the strawberries and coat the fruit gently, so you don't bruise it. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave somewhere cool (not the fridge) for an hour. Serve in individual bowls.
Strawberry, goat's cheese and black pepper tart (serves 4)
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Roll out a pack of shortcrust pastry then cut circles big enough to fit 4 mini tartlet tins. Blind bake for 20-30 minutes. Hull and halve 400g strawberries and mix in a bowl with 1tsp cracked black pepper. Chop a spring of rosemary needles and mix with the fruit. Spoon the filling into the pastry and top with a slice of soft goat's cheese. Pop back in the oven for 10 minutes.
Not got June’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.
More recipes from The Simple Things.
Recipe: Elderflower champagne
Read our feature on ‘posh squash’ on page 35 of June’s The Simple Things? Get picking elderflowers before the season’s out, and use them to make this simple elderflower ‘champagne’ from blogger, Emma Bradshaw. With elderflowers in full bloom, it seems a waste not to use them in the kitchen. Have a go at this recipe from blogger Emma Bradshaw, who says: 'I've tried lots of different ways to make elderflower champagne, but this is my favourite most tried and tested method.'
You will need:
About 30 elderflower heads, in full bloom (pick on a sunny day away from the roadside, making sure you don't strip a tree of all its flowers!) 2kg natural sugar 4 litres hot water + 2 litres cold Juice and zest of four lemons 1-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar A pinch of dried yeast (although you may not need this)
Method:
1. Put the hot water and sugar into a large container (a preserving pan or spotlessly clean bucket is good) and stir until the sugar dissolves, then top up with cold water to 6 litres. 2. Add the lemon juice and zest, the vinegar and the flower heads and stir gently. 3. Cover with a clean muslin and leave to ferment in a cool, airy place for a couple of days. Take a look at the brew at this point, and if it’s not becoming a little foamy and obviously beginning to ferment, add a pinch of yeast. 4. Leave the mixture to ferment, again covered with muslin, for a further four to five days. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with muslin and decant into sterilised glass bottles. 5. Seal and leave to ferment in the bottles for a further eight days before serving, chilled.
Makes around 20 bottles.
Recipe and images by Emma Bradshaw. Visit Emma's blog for more wild food recipes and outdoor adventures.
Not got June's The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.
Food from afar: Pintxos recipe
Pintxos are elegant bites from the Basque region. Try a recipe for Sun-dried Tomato, Goats Cheese, Pistachio & Balsamic Pintxos.
Pintxos - pronounced 'pinch-oss' - may have much in common with their Spanish relatives, tapas: bite-sized snacks consumed in bars with amigos until long after stuffy, old northern Europe has gone to bed. However, they differ in crucial ways.
One, the bread factor. In pintxos, it's used as a mattress for a variety of fresh toppings to recline upon.
Secondly, there are the toothpicks from which they get their name - 'pinto' meaning thorn or spike - which lock bread and topping together, and enable the waiter to tot up the bill at the end.
Try your hand at an easy pintxos recipe for Sun-dried Tomato, Goats Cheese, Pistachio & Balsamic Pintxos from Anneli Faiers and her Delicieux blog.
Homemade sweet recipes
Clear an afternoon, you're going on a confectionary adventure! We've found four homemade sweet recipes. 'Fruit pastilles aren't tricky to make,' says Annie Rigg, author of Sweet Things, whose recipe is featured in the June issue of The Simple Things (p112). 'All you need is a sugar thermometer, heavy based saucepan and an hour.'
If you've tried your hand at these already, you probably want to make more. Go Willy Wonka and turn your kitchen into a candy production line with our top picks for homemade sweets from around the web.
Red candy apple slices
Let's kid ourselves these aren't all bad, shall we? Recipe here.
Microwave salted caramels
Yes, you read that right - salted caramels you can make in the microwave. This could get dangerous... Recipe here.
Homemade sweet tarts
We love how cute these look all wrapped up and ready to go - recipe here.
Homemade marshmallows
Easy to make, apparently, and can be flavoured with anything that takes your fancy. Let's give it a go. Recipe here.
Turn to page 112 of June's The Simple Things for a homemade fruit pastille recipe (buy or download now).
The case for meat
At the close of National Vegetarian Week, biologist Colin Tudge argues the case for meat. Vegetarians and vegans say we should not eat meat. The agricultural industry, meanwhile, strives to produce as much as possible. The former claims that livestock farming is cruel and unsustainable. The industrialists say that by supplying more and more meat they are satisfying demand. The truth lies in between - but where?
Biological and historical evidence reveals us not as frustrated carnivores but as opportunist omnivores. We like meat, yet, as with other primates, a little goes a long way. But since World War II, meat has been marketed with all possible vigour. The real purpose of this was not to meet demand but remove the market ceiling on cereals. It is all too easy with industrial methods to produce a glut, and waste must be built into the system to keep prices up. Factory-raised livestock consumes 50 per cent of the world's cereal output and more than 90 per cent of soya output, and does the job perfectly. The same principle is applied to diamonds. Demand is not a measure of desire but of how much can be sold.
So where do we strike the balance between vegan austerity and industrial excess? Here we find huge serendipities. For if we kept just enough animals to clear up surpluses and made reasonable use of land that cannot easily be cultivated, we'd produce quite a few animals, though far fewer than now.
By farming sustainably, we would produce 'plenty of plants, not much meat and maximum variety' which is what nutritionists say we should eat. This nine-word adage, 'plenty of plants, not much meat and maximum variety' summarises the basic structure of the great cuisines: Indian, Chinese, Persian, Lebanese, Italian, Provencale, or indeed Polish or traditional American. All consist of huge piles of staples (rice, bread, potatoes, beans) with vegetables and meat used primarily for garnish and stock - and just the occasional feast, like the Christmas turkey.
Turn to page 96 of May's issue of The Simple Things for the full article - buy or download now.
Recipes from The Simple Things.
See our vegetarian Mediterranean feast for some meat-free meal ideas.
A midsummer night's feast: wine matches
Enjoy a laid-back celebration in the lingering dusk with super-chilled drinks and plenty of nibbles with our midsummer night's feast. This isn't a time to think about your five-a-day. Instead, make it a solstice to remember with decadently moreish savouries and summery sweet treats.
String up lanterns in a sheltered corner and lay on drinks and nibbles for an informal party for friends; young children will be thrilled at being out in the garden after dusk. Even if you don't quite make it through to the dawning of Midsummer's Day (24 June), you'll need breakfast to set you up for the longest day of the year.
Turn to page 26 of June's The Simple Things for a midsummer menu to remember, which includes the following recipes:
Gougeres
Spicy nougatine
Orange & yoghurt cake
Chocolate mousse
Babas au gin & tonic
Sweet chilli bruffins
Croissant pain-perdu
Making the menu? You'll need a few wine suggestions to go with the food.
Gougères with a side of Red Wine - Naudin Tiercin Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2011
Made from the Pinot Noir grape, this wine has just a subtle hint of spice, which picks up on the gentle kick of the chilli and paprika, yet the juicy berry fruit flavours in the wine give it a light and fresh quality that won’t overpower the wonderful cheesy bites!
Roast Garlic Bread - Coulaudin Bussy Chablis Premier Cru 2010
This Premier Cru Chablis sublimely combines a fresh, lemony character, with a strong backbone of acidity which perfectly cuts through the intensity of the garlic and makes for a very moreish combination.
Orange and Yoghurt Cakes - Bach Extrisimo Semi Seco Cava NV
The slight sweetness to this Cava makes it the perfect partner for these little delights. The gentle effervescence reflects the light, crumbly texture of the crumb and the delicate almond and citrussy flavours of the wine highlight the wonderful zesty orange of the cakes.
Five ways with mint: recipes
The only herb that's also an adjective, mint deserves more than a cursory dip in your Pimm's. So don't leave it to run rampage in the garden, or wilt in a glass on the kitchen worktop - show it a good time with our recipes.
Five mint recipes from The Simple Things:
Chicken, preserved lemon and herb salad
Prepare 250g couscous with 400ml chicken stock, cover and leave for 5 minutes before fluffing up with a fork. Mix 3 roasted, torn chicken breasts, 2 chopped preserved lemons, 50g toasted flaked almonds, 1 tsp crushed cumin seeds, a packet of lightly crushed fresh coriander and a packet of roughly chopped fresh mint. Whisk 2 tbsp juice from the lemons with 2 tbsp oil and season, toss into salad and serve with couscous.
Fish cakes
Cook 700g King Edward potatoes until tender. Meanwhile, poach 300g salmon and 2 eggs in boiling water for 10 minutes; leave to cool. Flake salmon; chop eggs. Mash potato and stir in salmon, eggs, a bunch of sliced spring onions, 10g dill, 1 tbsp chopped mint. Season. Mould into 8 cakes and chill for 30 minutes. Shallow-fry fish cakes until golden. Serve with a dip made from 200ml creme fraiche, 2 tbsp garlic mayonnaise and 10g dill.
Mint and cranberry smoothie
Place 600ml light cranberry juice, 100g fat-free Greek yoghurt, 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint and 1 tbsp clear honey in a large jug and blend with a hand blender. Pour into 2 tall glasses. Add a handful of fresh or frozen raspberries for even more zing.
Minty summer pudding
Cook 800g fresh berries, 25g caster sugar and 2 tbsp water for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving juice; cool. Stir in most of a packet of fresh mint. Dip 6 slices of white, crustless bread in juice (one side only), sprinkle with leftover mint and lay 5 in a bowl. Keep leftover juice. Fill bowl with fruit, top with final bread slice and fold edges over. Place a saucer on top then something heavy. Chill overnight. Turn out and serve with remaining juice and cream.
Thyme and mint pears with raspberry sauce
Combine 150g caster sugar and 500ml water and bring to the boil. Simmer until sugar dissolves. Trim bases of 4 ripe, peeled pears so they stand upright. Add them to syrup, along with 10g fresh thyme and 3 sprigs mint, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove pears, discard herbs and reduce syrup by half (about 8 minutes). Add 300g raspberries and juice of half a lemon. Cook 1-2 minutes, blend, add thyme and serve with pears.
Taken from May's issue of The Simple Things - buy or download now
More recipes from The Simple Things.
Image: Alice Hendy Photography
World Baking Day: cake recipes
It's World Baking Day, and we're celebrating with our favourite cake recipes. Bake away the weekend with a homemade cake and a cuppa. Today happens to be World Baking Day and, although we need no excuse to get our pinnies on, we're taking full advantage with a range of cake recipes from The Simple Things.
Pictured above: Rhubarb cake
Sharp rhubarb, sweet orange and a hint of warming spice – this is a cake to curl up with on a rainy afternoon.
Or how about this Harvest cake, packed with courgettes, fig and pistachios?
We love raspberries, and this Pistachio raspberry loaf is delicious as well as beautiful.
Like unusual flavour combinations? Try this Rosemary olive oil cake.
It's nearly nectarine season, and this cake combines the fragrant fruit with honey.
Find more cake recipes from The Simple Things
Buy May's issue of The Simple Things, or download a free trial digital issue now.
Recipe: Piquant vegetable salad, and a vegetarian Mediterranean menu
Rustle up a weekend menu for family and friends - that just so happens to be vegetarian - then get the garden games out. Long, light days full of the promise of early summer and bank holiday weekends that top and tail the month - isn't May just the best? This is no time for slaving over the stove, though. What you need is food that's high in flavour and low on fuss to allow maximum time for chatting and quaffing. Fresh and colourful dishes with a Mediterranean influence will keep any post-lunch slump at bay, should the afternoon call for an impromptu game of ping-pong or boules.
Opt for an informal table with terracotta plant pots holding the cutlery and fresh herbs replacing flowers. Vintage crockery finishes the rustic, playful feel, while a freshly mixed mojito delivers a touch of holiday decadence. Double bank holidays - we'll drink to that.
Turn to page 26 of May's The Simple Things for recipes to recreate the full menu below (buy or download now):
Panzanella
Falafel with flatbreads
Hummus, Tahini sauce and Harissa
Piquant vegetable salad
French lemon tart with berry coulis
Mojitos
Piquant vegetable salad
A shredded veggie salad adds a pop of flavour and a burst of colour (serves 4 as a side salad)
Ingredients:
Half a cauliflower, finely sliced 2 carrots, peeled and grated 1 beetroot, peeled and grated
For the dressing:
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil Salt and black pepper, to taste 1 tsp agave syrup
Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl.
Combine all dressing ingredients, adding to the salad before serving.
For more information about National Vegetarian Week, including tips on how to go meat-free, visit the website.