Dry but not dull alternatives to alcohol

There was a time when, if you went out with a group of friends and turned down an alcoholic drink, people would assume you were either pregnant, driving or just weird. Nowadays there are likely to be at least a couple of people not drinking, maybe for that night or week, or just as long as they feel like it. On page 44 of January's The Simple Things we share the secrets of going dry. 

If you're after a dry but not dull alternative to booze, try one of these ideas:

Seedlip
The first alcohol-free spirit comes in two flavours – spice (wintry and smoky), and garden (savoury and herby). Drink with tonic or in a cocktail. From Ocado and Tesco. 

Kombucha is fermented tea in a slightly tart sparkling drink a bit like cider. Real Kombucha contains only natural ingredients and no added sugar; realkombucha.co.uk. 

Crodino Bitter
Aperitif from the company behind Campari, great for making an alcohol-free Apérol Spritz.

Big Drop makes a stout, pale and spiced ales, with no artificial extraction methods used. bigdropbrew.com. 

Lager lovers should try Heineken 0.0, Estrella Damm Free and Big Drop Nix Lager. 

Cold-brew and nitro-coffee are big trends for this year. They are brewed cold to create a sweeter, less bitter taste and the latter is infused with nitrogen to create a silky coffee with a foamy head.

Try drydrinker.com for more ideas. They can also create taster packs.

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Recipe | Parsnip and maple syrup cake with parsnip crisps

Autumn in a tin, this moist and delicious cake is just what you need after a brisk walk. If you have plenty of parsnips, make extra crisps to nibble

PARSNIP & MAPLE SYRUP CAKE WITH PARSNIP CRISPS
175g butter, plus extra for greasing
100ml maple syrup
3 large organic eggs
250g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
250g parsnips, peeled and grated
1 eating apple, peeled, cored and grated
50g pecans or hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Zest and juice of 1 small orange
Edible flowers, to garnish (optional) 

FOR THE PARSNIP CRISPS
1 large parsnip, peeled
Sunflower or groundnut oil, for frying 

FOR THE FILLING
300g cream cheese
2 tbsp maple syrup

1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Brush two deep 20cm sandwich tins with a little melted butter and line the bases with baking parchment.
2 Melt the butter and syrup in a pan over a gentle heat; set aside to cool slightly. Whisk in the eggs, then stir the mixture into a large mixing bowl containing the flour, baking powder and mixed spice. Stir in the parsnips, apple, chopped nuts, orange zest and juice. Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 35–40 mins or until just starting to shrink from the sides of the tins. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
3 While the cakes are baking, make the parsnip crisps. Either slice the parsnip into wafer-thin discs or peel off long slivers with a swivel-top peeler. Leave to dry out on kitchen paper.
4 Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 150C. Fry the parsnip by dropping in a few slivers at a time (they colour and crisp up very quickly). Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle lightly with salt.
5 To make the filling, mix together the cream cheese and maple syrup. Spread over the base of one cooled cake and the top of the other. Sandwich together. Decorate the cake with parsnip crisps and edible flowers, if available.

Recipe from Grow, Cook, Nourish by Darina Allen (Kyle Books). 

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Recipe | Pear & quince crumble with almond custard

You can make this with just pears if that’s all you have to hand, but quince adds a beautiful aromatic note. 

The quince needs to be poached first, to soften it; if your pears are unripe, add them to the poaching for the last 10–20 minutes, or until they’re soft. This recipe presumes ripe pears. The topping is as dark, complex and rubbly as the apple and blackberry one (page 47 of the November 2017 issue) is light and simple.

Serves 4–6
1 quince, peeled, cored and quartered
2 tbsp sugar
8 ripe pears, peeled, cored and quartered
2 tbsp apple juice
Juice of 1 lemon 

For the crumble: 
75g butter
150g spelt/rye flour
75g demerara sugar
100g oats
1 tsp ground ginger
100g almonds, roughly chopped

For the almond custard:
There are a few ways to make this, using the vanilla custard recipe (opposite) as your starting point. In summer you can infuse the milk with a handful of peach or nectarine leaves before you start on the custard: scald the milk with the leaves in it and leave to infuse while it cools, then strain and use the milk as per the recipe. For a cheat’s version, add a little almond essence once the custard is made, tasting as you add. And for a grown- ups-only version, add a shot or two of amaretto to the finished custard. 

 1 Poach the quince in a saucepan of water with the sugar for around 30 mins, or until softened. Slice. Meanwhile, toss the pears in the apple and lemon juice.
2 Preheat oven to 190C/Fan 170C/ 375F. Tip the fruit into a baking dish and pour over around 240ml of the quince poaching juice or some apple juice.
3 For the crumble, rub the butter roughly into the flour, then add the sugar, oats, ginger and almonds and rub them in a little, too. Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit and bake in the preheated oven for around 30 mins, or until the top has browned.

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Recipe | Real ragu

It may take more effort than a staple spag bol, but this slow-cooked brisket is well worth it

Serves 4
1kg rolled beef brisket
2 tbsp olive oil
50g unsalted butter
200g smoked pancetta, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
3 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp mixed spice
500ml red wine
500ml milk
2 dried bay leaves
2 sprigs rosemary

to serve:
500g dried tagliatelle
75ml extra virgin olive oil
Small handful parsley, roughly chopped
100g parmesan, finely grated

1 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F. Put the brisket into a small roasting dish and roast for an hour. Remove and allow the brisket to cool. Cut into small chunks.
2 Meanwhile heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan or casserole over a medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders down and the pancetta is slightly crispy. Add the onion, carrots and celery, stir to coat, then cook very slowly until soft – a good 20 mins at least, stirring every so often.
3 Once the veg are soft, increase the heat to high and stir in the tomato purée and mixed spice just for a minute or two, then add the wine, milk and herbs. Add the chopped brisket, bring to the boil, then reduce to a very low simmer and cook, partially covered with a lid, for 3 hours. Give the pan a stir every so often to ensure the bottom isn’t catching.
4 When the ragu is ready – it will be thick and the meat will be oh so tender – season to taste. Cook the pasta in salted water. Reserve 100ml of the pasta cooking water, then drain. Add the pasta to the ragu pan along with the reserved water, olive oil and parsley. Stir well to mix. Serve with a scattering of parmesan.

Recipe from Comfort by John Whaite (Kyle Books). 

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Recipe | Salted chocolate honeycomb

These brilliant bombs of honeycomb make the best bonfire party snack. They can be made in advance and kept in the freezer, ready to pull out whenever you need a sweet little bite 

Makes about 25 pieces

Cooking oil or spray, for greasing
125g liquid glucose
360g caster sugar
3 tbsp honey
15g bicarbonate of soda
250g dark chocolate
Sea salt, for sprinkling

1 Line a heatproof tray with baking parchment and lightly oil it.
2 Place the glucose, sugar, honey and 75ml water in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then cook until the mixture turns a fairly dark caramel colour.
3 Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 2 mins, before whisking in the bicarbonate of soda. Whisk just enough so that it is incorporated into the caramel; but don’t over-mix or the honeycomb will collapse.
4 Pour on to the prepared tray and leave at room temperature for about 1 hr to cool.
5 Once the honeycomb has set, break it into bite-sized pieces. Set a wire rack over a tray.
6 Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from the heat, dip the honeycomb bits in the melted chocolate, and place on a wirerack.
7 Sprinkle with sea salt and allow the chocolate to set. Store in the freezer until needed. 

Recipe from Sharing Plates by Luke Mangan (Murdoch Books).

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Veganism | A no-nonsense guide to plant-based eating

Once seen as an extreme and restrictive lifestyle choice, veganism is now fashionable, thanks to high-profile followers, awareness of the health benefits, and concerns about environmental and welfare issues.

According to a recent survey from The Vegan Society, there are now record numbers of vegans in Britain. In the past decade, numbers have more than trebled, driven mostly by the young (almost half of vegans are under 35). Its growth is also due in part to the increase in positive media around veganism. “Jay-Z and Beyoncé were widely reported as following plant-based diets,” says Samantha Calvert at the Vegan Society. “When people who have the greatest choice and the most money choose it, people who aren’t vegan think there must be something about this – if this beautiful, successful person is vegan, it can’t really be a weird, cranky, sandal-wearing thing.”

Established in 1994, World Vegan Day on 1 November marks the start of World Vegan Month, with festivals, fairs, and bake sales around the world. Recently, veganism has been embraced by the mainstream, with high-street restaurant chains and supermarkets offering myriad vegan options. M&S has just launched the high street’s first vegan wrap, a mix of squash, tabbouleh and sumac (after research showed that 63% of their customers want to reduce their red meat intake), Pret A Manger has opened two veggie stores, with vegetarian and vegan choices, and London has its first all-vegan supermarket, Green Bay in Fulham.

WHAT IS VEGANISM?

The term ‘vegan’ was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson when he founded the Vegan Society (whose aim was to end the suffering and killing of animals). Initially he used it to mean ‘non-dairy vegetarian’, but from 1979 the society defined veganism as “a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as possible, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose”.

In practice, veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that is plant-based (vegetables, fruit, nuts and grains) and excludes all animal foods, including meat, fish, dairy, eggs and honey (which is mostly produced from farmed bees). Even wine (red wine is often filtered using egg whites to reduce harsh tannins), beer (widely clarified using isinglass, a collagen made from dried swim bladders of fish), and cider (clarified using non-vegan ingredients including gelatin from an animal-derived source) are off limits.

Eating a vegan diet is the single biggest thing you can do to reduce your environmental impact. With the world’s population predicted to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, global food shortages will become an issue as we run out of land to feed a population on an animal-based diet. Growing vegan food uses 50% less land than animal agriculture, while producing a kilo of beef requires about 15,000 litres of water, as opposed to just 180 litres for the equivalent amount of tomatoes.
Plant-based diets tend to be low in saturated fat, high in fibre and full of antioxidants, all helping to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Although, conversely, one of the most common arguments against veganism is the increased chance of nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamins B (found in meat, fish, dairy) and D (found in oily fish, egg yolk, meat offal), of which vegans are advised to take supplements.

WHAT TYPE OF VEGAN?

It’s not simply a question of being vegetarian or vegan any more

CLASSIC VEGAN
Eats an entirely vegetarian diet, which extends to any food produced by animals, such as eggs, dairy products and honey.
PLANT-BASED VEGAN
Believes in a strictly plant-based diet and follows this lifestyle for health purposes. Typically tries to steer clear of junk food and focuses on eating unprocessed or minimally processed vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. May not have strong views on animals so could consume honey or fish oil, wear leather or fur, and use products that contain animal by-products. Not to be confused with the ‘clean-eating’ trend, which is about eating whole foods, or ‘real’ foods — but that can include dairy and meat.
JUNK FOOD VEGAN
Has probably chosen this path for ethical (usually animal rights) rather than health reasons. Any food is allowed (including chips), as long as it doesn’t include animal products – just because you are vegan, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are healthy.
RAW VEGAN
Eats unprocessed raw vegan foods that have not been heated above 115F (46C), believing this kills its enzymes, thus a significant amount of nutritional value. Also includes fruitarians (who exclusively eat fruits, berries, seeds and nuts), sproutarians (whose diet consists mainly of sprouted seeds) and juicearians (who process raw plant
food into juices).
FLEXITARIAN*
Dabbles with a vegan diet part time, so eats a plant-based diet with the occasional meat meal thrown in. See Mark Bittman, whose book VB6 (Sphere) advocated eating vegan meals only before 6pm, and then eating as you would normally in the evening.

* See page 48 of October's The Simple Things for flexi-vegetarian recipes. Turn to page 85 for more on veganism.

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Recipe | Christmas kraut

This delicious, good-for-your-gut sauerkraut is full of festive flavour. It beats braised cabbage hands down and is brilliant with leftovers on Boxing Day and beyond.

Makes about 1 litre
1 red cabbage
1 apple, unpeeled, finely diced
1 heaped tbsp sea salt
10 cloves and/or a grating of nutmeg
1 tsp mixed spice
2 star anise
4–5 slices of fresh ginger
3 bay leaves
Zest of 1 orange or 2 clementines
1 cinnamon stick

WELL PRESERVED

• Always use sterilised jars and thoroughly clean equipment.
• Use sea salt. Avoid table salt with iodine and/or anti-caking agents, which can inhibit fermentation.
• If water is needed, opt for filtered or mineral water. Most tap water contains chlorine, which can inhibit fermentation. You’ll want to rinse your veg in it, too.

1 Peel off the first few leaves of the cabbage, rinse, pat dry and set aside. Finely shred the rest of the cabbage. Pile it into a large bowl with the apple, salt and cloves. Scrunch together for 5 mins or until the mixture releases about 6 tbsp juice.
2 Add the remaining spices, ginger, herbs and zest, and give the mixture a final scrunch. Tuck in the cinnamon stick, cover with a clean tea towel and set aside for a few hours or overnight.
3 Pack into a sterilised jar (a large 1–2 litre one, such as a big Kilner jar is ideal), pressing it down to help the cabbage release more of its juices. Set the big cabbage leaves on top and press down so that the leaves are fully submerged. Set a little jam jar on top of the mixture and weigh it down (or a sealed ziplock bag filled with pebbles works well). Secure with a lid and leave at room temperature in a warm, dark place for 3–4 days, or as long as 2 weeks, opening the lid every day to release any gases and check the liquid still covers the veg.
4 The best way to know if the cabbage is done is to taste it. If it tastes like kraut, it’s kraut. If it’s too salty, it’s not quite ready. Once you’re happy with it, pop it in the fridge, where it will keep for up to 6 months. 

Turn to page 39 of October's The Simple Things for more preserving recipes, including spiced blackberry vinegar, woodchip-fermented chilli sauce, dried apple rings and dried mushrooms.

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Recipe | Traditional Parkin ginger and treacle cake

Traditionally enjoyed in Yorkshire on Bonfire Night, parkin is a seasonal treat, packed with black treacle and spiced with ginger. It's the oatmeal in the recipe that gives it a unique, not quite ginger cake, texture. Bettys have been making it in Harrogate for 30 years, so they should know what they're on about! Bag yourself a Bettys traditional Yorkshire parkin for Bonfire Night.

If you're in the mood for baking one yourself here's Bettys' recipe for mini parkin.

Ingredients                                                 Special Equipment

100g butter                                                 8 mini loaf tins
40g black treacle                                       or x 1 1lb loaf tin
180g golden syrup
110g soft brown sugar
100g self raising flour
3 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
40g oats
40g ground almonds
2 tsp whole milk
2 eggs

Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan assisted). Line the base of the mini loaf tins with a piece of baking parchment paper.

1. Place the butter, black treacle, golden syrup and soft brown sugar in a heavy based pan over a medium heat. Gently warm through to melt the butter and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. When the mixture comes up to the boil, turn off the heat and set aside whilst you prepare the other ingredients.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the self raising flour, spices, oats and ground almonds until they are well combined.

3. Pour the warm mixture over the dry ingredients and mix in well.  Set the mixture aside to cool a little.

4. Beat the milk and egg together thoroughly and then gradually stir into the warm mixture.

5. Pour the mix into the prepared loaf tins and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

6. Leave the loaves to cool down slightly before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.

Did you know Bettys also run a cookery school in Harrogate? Find out more.

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Recipe | Turmeric balls

A delicious snack with health benefits, these balls are loosely based on a traditional Ayurvedic preparation of turmeric and honey. They offer a simple way to introduce the antioxidant-rich super spice into your diet

2 tsp high-quality turmeric powder (or freshly grated turmeric)
1 tbsp set/thick honey
1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp ground almonds, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp coconut oil

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together to form a stiff paste.
Roll the mixture into balls about the size of a chickpea, then coat with a dusting of ground almonds.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.
Eat 1–2 balls daily.

HEALTH BENEFITS
Turmeric has long been used throughout Asia with mentions of the herb dating as far back as 4,000 years. Traditionally it was used as a digestive and to promote longevity. It is rich in antioxidants and recent research shows it can lessen the effects of oxidation damage. Incorporate it into your diet to reduce inflammation in chronic conditions such as arthritis and rheumatism and in skin conditions such as acne and eczema. Turmeric has also been shown to lower cholesterol.

Taken from The Handmade Apothecary by Vicky Chown and Kim Walker (Kyle Books). 
 

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Recipe | Nana’s Fruit Cake

This is an extraordinarily moist and intensely fruity cake – and one that will keep for months, its flavours developing nicely as it matures

NANA’S FRUIT CAKE
1kg mixed dried fruit
50g sultanas or golden raisins
50g currants
12 pitted prunes, chopped
1 x 400g tin sweetened condensed milk
225g butter, plus extra for greasing
1 tbsp black treacle
1 tbsp golden syrup
Dash of vanilla extract
Dash of brandy
50g flaked almonds
1 slightly heaped tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
300g plain flour
1 slightly heaped tsp baking powder

1 Preheat oven to 140C/Fan 120C/375F. Grease and line a 23cm square cake tin with baking parchment.
2 Tip all the dried fruit and prunes into a large pan. Add the condensed milk, butter, treacle, golden syrup, vanilla extract and brandy. Stir in 350ml water, bring to a simmer and bubble gently for 5 mins.
3 Leave the mixture to cool slightly before stirring in the almonds, bicarbonate of soda mixed spice and nutmeg. Finally, add the flour and baking powder, a little at a time, stirring well between each addition.
4 Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 21⁄2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in there to settle – I usually leave it overnight. The following day, turn the cake out, wrap it in baking parchment and store in an airtight container, where it will keep for many months. (The oldest one I’ve ever eaten was 18 months old and it tasted excellent.)

Recipe from The Great Dixter Cookbook by Aaron Bertelsen (Phaidon). 

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Recipe | Crab apple whisky

Harvest crab apples from a local wood or hedgerow while they’re ripe for picking and make this gorgeous tipple, which will be ready just in time for Christmas.

Serves 10–12
About 750g crab apples
70cl whisky
5 tbsp honey or sugar
3 slices of fresh ginger

1 Give your crab apples a good wash and dry. Halve them and place in a 1-litre sterilised jar. Top up the jar with whisky as you go. Swirl in the honey or sugar. Tuck in your ginger slices or any other spices you might want to add (a cinnamon stick, halved vanilla pod, cardamom, cloves).

2 Make sure the apples are fully covered by the whisky. Secure the lid. Let it infuse till Christmas, or longer if you can wait. If you can, leave it for up to 3–5 years it’ll veer towards the likes of Calvados. So, maybe make one for now, and one for later.

Recipe from How to Eat Brilliantly Every Day by Abel & Cole (Ebury Press). 

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Recipe | Mugestrone

There is great comfort to be had from a cup-a-soup – especially if made fresh from scratch

Serves 1

1 mug vegetable juice (such as V8 or tinned tomato soup)
40g tinned borlotti beans
60g frozen vegetables
15–20g vermicelli noodles

to serve – all optional

A drizzle of pesto
1⁄2 tbsp parmesan shavings
Fresh parsley
Pinch of chilli flakes

1 Pour the juice or soup into a mug and then add the borlotti beans, vegetables and noodles. Heat in the microwave on high for 2–3 mins. Alternatively, bring the mixture to boil in a saucepan on the hob. You want to heat it enough to cook the noodles and frozen veg thoroughly – around 4 mins.

2 Serve topped with a drizzle of pesto, parmesan shavings, fresh parsley leaves and chilli flakes, if using.

Taken from Pimp My Noodles by Kathy Kordalis (Hardie Grant). 

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Recipe | Coffee & walnut mini loaf cakes

A classic combo but in miniature, these little loaf cakes are ideal for a picnic or lunchbox, or make a sweet gift

COFFEE & WALNUT MINI LOAF CAKES
Makes 8
90g walnuts, toasted and chopped
150g unsalted butter, softened, plus a little extra for greasing
150g caster sugar
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
100ml milk
150g eggs (weight once shelled) 
150g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
for the icings:
2 tsp instant coffee granules
200g fondant icing sugar
2 tsp cocoa powder (optional)
for the decorations (optional) 
Chocolate flowers
Toasted walnuts, crushed
you will need:
Individual loaf tins, approx 10x7x4cm

1 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F. Lightly grease the tins, then place a strip of baking parchment across the width of each, leaving an overhanging edge on each side.
2 Toast the walnuts in a skillet or frying pan set over a low heat for a few mins. Give the pan an occasional shake so they don’t burn. Leave to cool, then roughly chop into pieces. 
3 Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a free-standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat for approx 4 mins, until light and fluffy.
4 Dissolve the coffee granules with a few drops of milk, then mix with the rest of the milk before adding the eggs. Whisk to combine. Then, with the mixer running, add the liquid gradually, allowing each addition to be incorporated before adding the next, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go.
5 Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl, then re-sift into the mixer. Beat all together briefly, stopping the moment
everything comes together. Fold in the nuts, then share the batter equally between tins.
6 Bake on a baking sheet in the middle of the oven, checking them after 20 mins. Insert a skewer into the centre of each cake; if it comes out clean, they are ready. If not, return to the oven for a further 5 mins. When baked, turn out the cakes and cool on a wire rack.
7 To make the coffee icing, start by dissolving the coffee granules with a few drops of hot water. Add the coffee solution, a little at a time, to 150g of the icing sugar and mix until it has a thick, coating consistency. If the icing is
too runny, add more icing sugar. If you want to make cocoa icing too, add the cocoa powder to the remaining 50g of icing sugar, then slowly add drops of water to achieve the same consistency as the coffee icing.
8 Once the cakes have cooled, drizzle on the icings, adding chocolate flowers or toasted walnuts for decoration.

Recipe from Soulful Baker by Julie Jones (Jacqui Small). Cake in the House is our monthly recipe feature - get a cake recipe every month in The Simple Things!

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Recipe | Bircher muesli with cinnamon & grated apple

Tasty, filling and pleasingly wholesome. The fact that you can prepare this Bircher muesli the day before only adds to your sense of smug satisfaction

Serves 4
200g gluten-free oats
200ml coconut milk
100ml apple juice
1 tbsp chai seeds
1 tsp honey, plus extra to drizzle
30g raisins, plus extra to serve
1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon, extra to dust
2 apples, coarsely grated
1 tbsp mixed seeds (sunflower, flaxseed, linseed and sesame), to serve

1 In a bowl, place the oats, coconut milk, apple juice, chai seeds, tsp of honey, raisins and 1⁄2 tsp of cinnamon. Mix thoroughly, cover and leave overnight in the fridge.
2 When ready to serve, divide the Bircher into bowls, top with grated apple, raisins, cinnamon, mixed seeds and a good drizzle of honey.

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Recipe | One-pot spelt spaghetti

This dish can step up to any occasion – late-night dinners, impromptu guests, hangovers – you name it. Just pop it all in a pan and in 15 minutes you’ll have a delicious meal

Serves 4

500g dried spelt spaghetti (wheat pasta is also fine here if you prefer)
500g cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, thinly sliced
A large handful of fresh spinach
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
A handful of black olives
2 sprigs of fresh basil
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1⁄2 tsp chilli flakes
1 litre vegetable stock
A handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

1 Place all of the ingredients in a large saucepan and cover with 400ml cold water. Place a lid on it and bring back to the boil.
2 Remove the lid, reduce the heat, simmer and cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally until the liquid has reduced to a silky sauce.
3 Serve straight away with lashings of Parmesan cheese.

Recipe from Milly’s Real Food by Nicola Millbank (HarperCollins).

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Recipe | Börek

Eke out summer with these Turkish spinach and feta pastries. Rolled in this unusual way they look even more impressive

Makes 6–8
Oil, for greasing and brushing
350g/12oz fresh spinach or Swiss chard leaves, rinsed
Good handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
100g feta cheese, crumbled
1⁄4 tsp salt
1 x 350g packet of filo pastry

1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Oil a shallow, round cake tin, approx 30cm in diameter.

2 Lightly cook the spinach and parsley in a lidded pan with just the water that is left clinging to the leaves after washing. When the leaves have wilted, drain them through a sieve and leave them to cool. When they are cool to the touch, give them a good squeeze to get rid of any remaining water. Once completely cold, mix them with the feta and salt and set aside.

3 Unroll a sheet of filo pastry. Spoon a little of the spinach mixture down one long edge, then roll it up like a cigar. If it splits or seems a little fragile, roll another sheet of filo around it. (Take care not to do this too tightly or it will split again during the cooking process.) Coil the cigar into a ‘snail’ shape.

4 Repeat this process until you have made 6–8 ‘snails’, then arrange them neatly (sides touching) in the prepared pan. Brush with oil and bake for 40 mins or until golden brown. 

Cook’s note: You can freeze the cooked greens and parsley mixture if you have a glut of fresh veg and use it throughout the year.

Recipe from The Great Dixter Cookbook by Aaron Bertelsen (Phaidon Press).

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Recipe | Apple & fennel granita with fennel shortbread

Gentle hints of aniseed in both the shortbread and apple granita show off fennel at its grown-up best

Apple & fennel granita with fennel shortbread

Fennel is just as comfortable in sweet settings as it is in savoury, and its aniseed flavour adds a sophisticated note to this grown-up dessert.

Makes 12 servings/biscuits
700ml cloudy apple juice
Juice of lemon
100g granulated sugar
1 head (or 2 tbsp) fennel seeds for the shortbread
150g soft salted butter
70g golden caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp for sprinkling
150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
70g rice flour
2 tbsp fennel seeds

Cook’s note: The granita is easy to make, but you should ideally make the liquid and leave it to cool the day before you’re going to turn it into granita. Freeze early on a day when you’ll be in the kitchen a lot, as it needs a little attention periodically.

1 Pour the juices and sugar into a saucepan and gently heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the fennel seeds and bring to the boil, then simmer for a few mins. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. 
2 Sieve into a plastic container with a lid and transfer to the freezer. Set a timer for two hours, then remove from the freezer and use a fork to break up the frozen edges and stir them into the centre.
3 Set a timer to repeat hourly, breaking up the ice crystals each time, shortening the timer to every half hour once it really starts to freeze. The more times you do this, the more snowy it will become, but even a few stirs will create a good result.
4 To make the shortbread, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add the flours, fennel seeds, and a pinch of salt. Mix together roughly, then use your hands to bring the mixture into a dough.
5 Roll out onto a floured surface, cut into rounds, and place onto a baking sheet covered with baking parchment. Prick all over with a fork, then chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
6 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Take the shortbread out of the fridge and sprinkle over 2 tbsp caster sugar. Bake for 20–25 mins until the colour of pale straw, then remove from the oven and leave to cool, transferring to a rack when they have hardened a little. Serve a small bowl of granita with a shortbread biscuit.

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Recipe | Vegetable crisps

Sweet roots turned into a wonderfully crunchy snack

Serves 6
3 large parsnips
3 large beetroots
3 large sweet potatoes
Vegetable oil
Sea salt
1 tbsp fennel seeds

1 Preheat oven to 150C/Fan 130C/ 300F. Line 4 baking sheets with baking parchment (or if short of space or trays, cook crisps in batches). 
2 In a small bowl, mix 3–4 tbsp of vegetable oil, the fennel seeds and a good grind of salt. Lightly brush the baking parchment with the oil mixture. Set aside.
3 Use a mandolin or vegetable slicer attachment on a food processor or, failing that, slice all the vegetables as thinly as possible. Use kitchen towel to pat slices dry.
4 Place the vegetable slices on your baking sheets, making sure they don’t overlap. Then lightly brush the crisps with the oil mixture.
5 Bake for 1 hour; after an hour, remove the parsnips, returning the beetroot and potatoes to the oven for another 30 mins. Cool on a rack, and store in an airtight container.

Turn to page 24 of August's The Simple Things for more of our picnic in the park menu, including:

• Build-your-own bruschetta 
• Hummus Kale & basil pesto
• Jumbo apple sausage rolls 
• Summer salad & orange dressing
• White chocolate & raspberry traybake 

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Recipe | Lavender and honey cakes

August is a quiet season for baking... Let these light and pretty lavender numbers tempt you back into the kitchen

LAVENDER AND HONEY CAKES
Makes 12

40g salted butter (room temperature) 
120g plain flour
140g caster sugar
11⁄2 tsp baking powder
120ml milk
1 egg
1 tsp lavender essence

for the icing
80g unsalted butter (room temperature)
160g icing sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp lavender essence
Purple food colouring
Dried lavender to decorate (optional) 

you will need
12-hole cupcake or muffin tin lined with 12 paper cases

1 Preheat oven to 170C/Fan 150C/325F. Measure the butter, flour, caster sugar and baking powder into a bowl and use an electric whisk to beat until the butter is incorporated and you have a sand-like texture.

2 In a separate bowl, mix the milk, egg and lavender essence and add slowly to the dry mixture, mixing to form a batter.

3 Pour the batter into the cupcake cases, about a heaped tablespoon in each, and bake in the centre of the oven for 15 mins or until lightly golden and springy to touch. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4 To make the icing, whisk together the butter, icing sugar, honey and lavender essence for a couple of mins until smooth. Add as much purple food colouring as you like, then put in the fridge for 15–20 mins until firm.

5 Ice the cakes using the back of a spoon and garnish with a sprig of dried lavender.

Recipe from Milly’s Real Food by Nicola Millbank (HarperCollins).

Cake in the House is our monthly recipe feature - get a cake recipe every month in The Simple Things!

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Recipe | Tropical lime granita

The sharpness of the lime granita is a treat when balanced with lovely sweet fruit. Tastes of tropical beaches

Makes 700ml (6–8 servings)

180ml caster sugar
A pinch of coarse sea salt
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn to release their flavour
1 stick of lemongrass, bruised
150ml soda water
350ml lime juice (1 lime usually yields 20–25ml)
1⁄2 small pineapple (about 150g), peeled and roughly diced*
100ml coconut cream, to serve

1 In a large saucepan, heat 180ml water, the caster sugar, a pinch of salt, the lime leaves and lemongrass until the sugar has dissolved and the flavours have fused together; this should take 8–10 mins on a medium heat. Discard the lime leaves and lemongrass.

2 Add the soda water and lime juice to the pan and stir gently (try not to stir all the bubbles out of the soda water). Pour into a freezer-proof container with a lid and freeze. Take out every hour and, using a fork, scrape the granita so that you end up with fluffy ice, rather than one big block. It should take about four hours to freeze.

3 To serve, put a generous portion of pineapple in a bowl, top with a scoop of granita and pour over a little coconut cream. Sprinkle with a small pinch of sea salt.

* This works well with any fresh fruit but if you find yourself near an Asian supermarket, stock up on rambutan, lychee or mangoes.

Recipe from Cook Thai by Sebby Holmes (Kyle Books). 

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