first course, or dish for the barbecue. Serve it just as it is, or with some light bread, such as ciabatta, to soak up the delicious garlicky, tomatoey juices.
Serves 4
Vegan
2 fennel, outer bracts shaved with a potato peeler to remove tough strings, halved
4 medium heads of chicory, halved
8 fresh bay leaves
Bunch of fresh dill
½ tsp dill seeds
Sea salt and black pepper
Wedges of lemon, to serve
For the tomato and garlic paste
6 garlic cloves, crushed, or 1 tbsp garlic purée
3 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
1. Cook the fennel, cut-side down, in 1cm (½in) boiling water, for 10–15 minutes, until you can pierce it easily with a knife. Drain and rinse in cold water to cool quickly.
2. Meanwhile, make the tomato and garlic paste by mixing all the ingredients together.
3. Spread some of the paste over the fennel and chicory halves, coating them generously. Tuck a fresh bay leaf and sprig of fresh dill between two of the outer leaves of each chicory half.
4. Put some sprigs of dill on a grill pan, or shallow heatproof dish that will fit under your grill, and put the chicory and fennel on top, cut sides towards the heat. Grill for about 12 minutes, until the chicory and fennel are tender and lightly browned.
5. Scatter the fennel and chicory with a few dill seeds, and season with salt and pepper. Serve with some sprigs of dill and lemon wedges.
Tip: You can also cook this on a barbecue: put the vegetables on a fine mesh grid on top of the barbecue, with some fennel leaves on top, and cook until they are lightly browned, about 12 minutes.
This is such a pretty salad of contrasting colours, flavours and textures. Asian pears have a crisp juiciness and a delicate, slightly savoury flavour. I love them in this salad but you could equally well use ordinary pears: choose the variety you like best, and use them slightly under-ripe and crisp, for a similar texture. If you can’t find mizuna, that pretty Asian green with a mustardy taste, rocket or watercress will be fine.
Serves 4
Vegan
1 small/medium radicchio
2 chicory
2 large handfuls of mizuna
2 Asian pears
Handful of black olives
For the dressing
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
¼–½ tsp sea salt
½–1 tsp cracked black pepper
1. Separate the leaves of the radicchio and chicory and arrange them along with the mizuna on individual serving plates.
2. Peel, core and thinly slice the pears and divide between the plates; add a few olives to each plate.
3. Make a dressing by whisking together the oil, vinegar and salt, and drizzle over the plates. Finish each with a little scattering of cracked black pepper, and serve.
Radicchio alla Griglia
You’ve just got to try this! It’s my version of a classic Italian way with radicchio, using lemon, garlic and sun-dried tomato paste to replace the traditional anchovies and make the recipe vegetarian – and it’s wonderful, even though I do say it myself … One day, when I couldn’t find any radicchio, I tried it with firm little gem lettuces, and they were lovely too. I find bought garlic paste, which larger supermarkets sell with the jars of herbs and spices, time-saving and perfect for this recipe. You’ll find jars of sun-dried tomato paste close by, or in tubes with the normal tomato purée. If you can’t get walnut oil, then use olive oil. Enough from me: the recipe.
Serves 4
1 large radicchio, quartered, or 2 smaller ones, halved
25g (1oz) crushed walnuts, to serve
Flakes of Parmesan-style cheese, to serve (optional)
For the tomato and garlic paste
1 tbsp garlic purée
2 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 tbsp walnut or olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1. First make the paste by mixing all the ingredients together, seasoning with salt and pepper.
2. Spread the paste all over the radicchio sections, pushing it between the leaves and on all the surfaces, covering it completely.
3. Put the radicchio under the grill, or on a fine mesh grid over a barbecue, with the cut edges of the radicchio towards the heat. Grill for about 3 minutes, until the radicchio is beginning to wilt and brown slightly on the edges, then turn the pieces and grill for a further 2–3 minutes or so.
4. While the radicchio is grilling, toast the crushed walnuts by stirring them in a saucepan over a moderate heat for a minute or two until they begin to brown a bit and smell toasty. Tip them out of the pan immediately to prevent burning.
5. Serve the radicchio hot, scattered with the toasted walnuts and flakes of Parmesan-style cheese, if you like.
Roasted Asparagus with Instant Hollandaise
OK, I exaggerate slightly: the sauce isn’t totally instant, but it’s very fast and easy. When whizzed up in a blender and served with asparagus, it makes a wonderful early summer treat. I love the way that roasting asparagus concentrates the flavour (and is so easy to do) but you could cook it in a little water if you prefer, for 3–4 minutes until just tender. Vegans can enjoy this too: see below for a fabulous vegan mayonnaise.
Serves 4
500g (1lb 2oz) asparagus, trimmed
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
For the hollandaise sauce
250g (9oz) butter, cut into chunks
4 egg yolks
2 tbsp lemon juice
Black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas 7.
2. Toss the asparagus in the olive oil, spread out on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and roast for about 10 minutes, or until just tender and lightly browned in places.
3. Meanwhile, make the hollandaise sauce. Melt the butter gently in a saucepan without browning it. Put the egg yolks, lemon