This chapter is all about my new life at Melfort House. I feel like a young boy when I’m there. I’m finding a new sense of understanding and energy from ingredients I’ve never used much before – until now my life has always been about professional kitchens. The photographs in this chapter are also special to me – they were taken at the start of the photoshoot, capturing not just the end of summer but the beginning of this book. We were so blessed on that day, with the sunshine and everything jumping out of the ground; we were pulling up beetroots and cabbages, herbs and celery; it was magical. Just don’t ask me to choose a favourite dish in this chapter, because I can’t!
Beetroot, Tahini Verde and Sourdough Salad
Beetroot is so versatile, and it grows very easily. I plant a few different varieties, which gives a great variation of sweetness and colour. Tahini verde is a sesame sauce full of garden herbs. It adds a burst of freshness, flavour and richness to the dish. It will keep for a couple of days in the fridge and is wonderful for salads and with fish. If you can’t find beetroot with leaves intact, use 50g salad leaves instead.
SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: ABOUT 25 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 1 HOUR, PLUS COOLING
8 large red beetroots, leaves removed, washed and set aside
50ml red wine vinegar, plus 1 tbsp
2 bay leaves
5 cloves
1 tbsp table salt
6 tbsp olive oil
2 candy beetroots, peeled
4 slices of sourdough (about 200g)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE TAHINI VERDE
100g tahini
2 tbsp chopped tarragon leaves
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
2 tbsp chopped basil leaves
½ tsp table salt
1 Put the red beetroots in a saucepan and cover with water. Add the 50ml of red wine vinegar, bay leaves, cloves and the salt. Bring to the boil and cook for about 1 hour, or until just tender. Remove from the heat, drain, leave to cool, then peel and cut each one into 4–6 wedges. Put them in a bowl, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2 Cut the peeled candy beetroots into 1–2mm-thick rounds, using a mandoline if you have one. Set aside.
3 To make the tahini verde, place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a small food processor, or a beaker for a stick blender, add 50ml cold water and blitz together to form a slightly chunky dressing.
4 Mix 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the tablespoon of red wine vinegar in a bowl to form a vinaigrette, then set aside.
5 Brush the sourdough with the remaining olive oil and break it into chunky croutons. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan over high heat, add the croutons and toast for 3–5 minutes.
6 Dress the beetroot leaves and candy beetroot slices with the vinaigrette.
7 Place the cooked beetroot wedges, dressed leaves and raw candy beetroot slices on a serving dish with the sourdough croutons. Dollop the tahini verde on top and serve.
MARCUS’ TIP:
I use a lot of bay leaves in my cooking, though they have a pungent flavour so one goes a long way. Plant a bay tree (in the garden or in a pot) – they are very hardy and do not take up much space. This will give you everyday access to the leaves.
Roasted and Pickled Cauliflower Salad with Almonds and Chives
One of the most versatile vegetables around, the humble cauliflower is also a hardy plant (as well as being very attractive to caterpillars, we’ve found). I like the combination of the nutty, roasted cauliflower in this dish with the sour zing of the pickled cauliflower, which you can prepare up to 12 hours ahead. The toasted almonds also add a richness to the dish and the chives bring a refreshing oniony hit.
SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 30 MINUTES
2 heads of cauliflower, leaves removed
60g butter, cubed
½ bunch of chives, cut in half
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE PICKLING LIQUOR
2 tbsp demerara sugar
125ml white wine vinegar
2 cloves
FOR THE ALMOND BUTTER
120g flaked almonds
3–5 tbsp olive oil
1 Cut each cauliflower head in half, top to bottom and through the core. Cut 12 thin slices from both the halved (flat) edges, about 3mm in thickness. Cutting through the stem, cut the rest of the cauliflower into florets. Place the thin slices in a large, shallow heatproof dish.
2 To make the pickled cauliflower, put the sugar, vinegar and cloves in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the pickling liquor over the thin cauliflower slices. Cover with clingfilm and set aside while you roast the remaining cauliflower and make the almond butter.
3 Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.
4 Place the cauliflower florets in a large roasting tray and scatter the cubed butter on top. Season generously with salt and pepper and cover the entire tray with foil. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, remove the foil and continue to bake for a further 20 minutes, basting the cauliflower with the butter twice during the cooking time, until the cauliflower florets are golden and tender.
5 To make the almond butter, put the flaked almonds in a roasting tray and bake in the oven for 7–8 minutes, until dark golden, shaking the tray halfway through. Remove from the oven, set 20g of the roasted, flaked almonds aside, then put the remaining 100g in a blender with the olive oil and blitz until they reach the consistency of loose nut butter. Season well.
6 When the cauliflower florets are cooked, place them on a large serving platter. Add the chives to the roasting tray and place back in the oven for 1 minute, to gently wilt them, then spoon them over the cauliflower. Drizzle the almond butter over the top and top with the pickled cauliflower slices and reserved toasted almonds.
Crispy Courgettes with Goats’ Cheese and Lavender Honey
Courgettes seem to grow in abundance in my garden, especially in prolonged heat, like we had in summer 2018, when I ended up with quite a few marrows as I didn’t pick them soon enough. I enjoy using the plants’ flowers too, which I stuff with this goats’ cheese mix, coat in batter and fry.
SERVES: 4 AS A STARTER OR SNACK | PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES, PLUS OVERNIGHT INFUSING | COOKING TIME: 25 MINUTES
200g soft goats’ cheese
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