ROAST TOMATO SALAD

This was one of those occasions when I was pleased to use balsamic vinegar. It's very difficult to get a tomato that actually tastes or smells like a tomato unless you grow them yourself in the summer. Using the balsamic vinegar helped to bring out the flavour. The salad can be served either warm or cold.

I have adapted the recipe slightly from the original, sometimes I just can't help myself!

MARIE CLAIRE - FOOD FAST - DONNA HAY

ISBN 0864119100 - PAGE 134

SERVES: 2

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
2. Halve the tomatoes and place, flesh-side up, in a baking dish.
3. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and pepper. Bake until soft.
4. Transfer tomatoes to a serving dish, top with spinach. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and more pepper.
5. Shave Parmesan cheese over the top before serving.

SWEET LEMON BROWN-BUTTERED APPLES

A very easy recipe, so come on have a go at this one. The apples both taste and look wonderful. The sauce in which they are cooked has a hint of toffee.
I must confess, I didn't make the lemon brown butter because there was plenty of sauce in the dish in which the apples were cooked. The recipe calls for red apples, but as you can see in the photograph mine were green, as these were the only ones I had in the house!!

MARIE CLAIRE - FLAVOURS DONNA HAY


ISBN 0864119925 - PAGE 50

SERVES: 4

4 sweet red apples, halved
60g butter, chopped
50g demerara sugar

lemon brown butter:
125g butter
2fl oz lemon juice
4 tablespoons sugar.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/(350ºF)/Gas 4. Place the apples in a baking dish, cut-side up, and top with butter and demerara sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, basting frequently until the apples are soft.
To make the lemon brown butter, place the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Allow the butter to slowly simmer until it smells nutty and has turned golden brown. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and sugar. Return to the heat and stir for 2 minutes.

Place the apples on a plate and spoon over the lemon brown butter. Serve warm with ice cream or Greek yoghurt.

Everyone will love these!

Barbecue Cooking

Well, we had our first barbecue last weekend, on a glorious sunny day. The husband chose the menu and of course, it had to be beefburgers, sausage and chicken. We went to the beautiful market town of Bridgnorth in Shropshire, where they have excellent butchers shops and market stalls selling top quality produce. After a short coffee break we then headed home to sort out the salads, vegetables and meat for barbecuing. Everything was fabulous.
Today the weather is again very sunny and so another barbecue is lined up. This time we have moved on, to something more adventurous. We are cooking several recipes from Barbecue by Eric Treuille and Birgit Erath. The rosemary peppered pork chops look enticing, along with chargrilled garlic potato slices, barbecued courgettes, onions and chargrilled bread with garlic parsley butter.
Also a pasta salad from Food Fast by Donna Hay.


Now what shall we have for dessert?