A vegetarian harvest supper

Before we finally plunge into winter here's a late autumn supper menu from my book Food, Wine and Friends that combines the best of autumn’s produce with a couple of convenience products.

Ready rolled pastry has made it wonderfully easy to knock up a quick, impressive tart while a simple dessert of grilled fruit dresses up a bought carton of ice cream. The soup can even be made ahead and frozen if you like.

Menu:
Pumpkin soup with honey and sage
Heirloom Tomato and Mozzarella Tart, warm new potatoes, Garden salad
Grilled figs with cinnamon and sweet oloroso sherry ice cream and brandy snaps

Pumpkin soup with honey and sage
This is based on a delicious soup I had at a restaurant called Tom’s Kitchen, run by top London chef Tom Aikens. His version, I discovered, contained chicken stock. Mine is vegetarian but you could of course base it on chicken stock too.

Serves 4-6

75g unsalted butter
1 small to medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 kg pumpkin or butternut squash, de-seeded, peeled and cut into cubes
2 heaped tbsp clear honey
3 sprigs of sage
750ml vegetable stock made with an organic vegetable stock cube or 1 level tbsp vegetable bouillon powder
75ml double cream
Lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Gently melt the butter in a large lidded saucepan or casserole. Add the onion and carrot, stir, cover and cook over a low heat for about 4-5 minutes. Add the cubed pumpkin or squash, honey and sage, stir, replace the lid and continue to cook very gently for about 10 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly then remove the sage and sieve the soup, retaining the liquid. Put half the cooked vegetables into a blender or food processor with just enough of the reserved cooking liquid to blend into a smooth purée.

Transfer to a clean pan and repeat with the remaining vegetables, adding the puree to the first batch. Whizz the remaining liquid in the blender or food processor to pick up the last bits of puree and add that too. Bring the soup slowly to the boil then stir in the cream without boiling further.

Season to taste with lemon juice (about 1 tbsp), salt (about a teaspoon) and black pepper. Serve with an extra swirl of cream or scatter some crisp-fried sage leaves on top and serve with crusty wholewheat or multi-grain bread.

Heirloom tomato and mozzarella tart
There are so many beautifully coloured tomato and pepper varieties now it’s easy to make a really spectacular looking tart

Serves 4-6

375g ready rolled puff pastry
1 large or two smaller red peppers (about 225-250g in total)
1 large or two smaller yellow peppers (about 225-250g in total)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 whole cloves of garlic, flattened
4 heaped tbsp red pesto, fresh or from a jar
150g buffalo mozzarella, drained and finely sliced
125g red cherry tomatoes, de-stalked and halved
125g yellow cherry tomatoes, de-stalked and halved
1/2 tsp dried oregano or marjoram
1 medium egg, lightly beaten
A little freshly grated parmesan
A few basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Take the pastry out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before you need to unroll it.

Quarter the peppers, remove the pith and seeds and cut each quarter into half lengthways. Put them in a roasting tin with the garlic cloves, pour over 2 tbsp olive oil, mix together well and roast for about 20-25 minutes until the edges of the peppers are beginning to blacken. Remove and cool for 10 minutes.

Unroll the pastry and lay on a lightly greased rectangular baking tray. With a sharp knife score a line round the pastry about 1 1/4 cm from the edge. Spread the pesto evenly inside the rectangle you’ve marked. Lay the pepper strips across the base of the tart, alternating red and yellow sections. Tear the mozzarella slices roughly and distribute over the peppers. Grind over some black pepper. Arrange the halved tomatoes over the peppers, red on yellow and yellow on red. Rub the oregano or marjoram over the tart, season with a little salt and a little more pepper and trickle over the remaining oil.

Turn the oven heat up to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7. Brush the edges of the tart with the beaten egg and bake for 12 minutes or until the edge of the tart is well puffed up and beginning to brown. Turn the heat back down again to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 and cook for another 12-15 minutes until the tops of the tomatoes are well browned. Coarsely grate or shave a little parmesan over the tart then leave to cool for 5 minutes. Tear the basil leaves roughly and scatter them over the tart. Serve warm.

Steamed potatoes with butter, parsley and chives
Freshly dug potatoes have a wonderful, earthy, nutty taste that’s best shown off by steaming

1 kg of new or waxy salad potatoes such as Charlotte
40g warm melted butter
2 heaped tbsp freshly chopped parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped chives

Scrub the potatoes, leaving the skins on and cut into small even-sized pieces. Steam until tender (about 7-8 minutes). Put the potatoes in a serving dish, pour over the butter, sprinkle with the chopped herbs, season lightly with seasalt and freshly ground black pepper and toss together. Serve warm.

Garden salad
One of the nicest things to have with meal based on seasonal produce is a large, freshly picked salad of dark leafy greens, either from the garden or from the farmer’s market

2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
4 tbsp organic sunflower oil
200g mixed dark leafy greens such as rocket, spinach and watercress and even a few fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of sugar (optional)

Whisk together the rice vinegar and sunflower oil in a large salad bowl, adding extra salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar to taste if needed. Tip the greens in the salad dressing just before serving and toss together.

Grilled figs with cinnamon and sweet oloroso sherry
An easy way to glam up a ready-bought carton of toffee or caramel ice cream

serves 6

6 ripe fresh figs
2 tbsp unrefined light brown soft sugar
1 tsp cinnamon.
15g butter
6 tbsp sweet oloroso sherry

Caramel, toffee or vanilla icecream to serve

Wash the figs carefully and pat dry. Halve and lay them cut side up in a buttered ovenproof dish. Mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the figs. Put a knob of butter on top of each half fig and spoon over the sherry.

Place the dish on the lowest grill level and grill until the butter and sugar have melted and the figs are beginning to caramelise (about 5/6 minutes). Serve with caramel, toffee or vanilla ice cream, spooning over the warm sherry-flavoured syrup

Brandysnaps
One of those clever recipes which look incredibly difficult but which are in fact quite easy to make

2 tbsp golden syrup
75g unrefined light brown soft sugar
50g butter
50g plain flour
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp allspice

Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas 3/325°F
You will need 2 large baking sheets lined with non-stick baking parchment

Measure out the golden syrup into a saucepan. (You’ll find this easier to do if you dip the spoon into a jug of boiling water and shake off the excess before you put it in the tin). Add the sugar and butter and heat very gently until just melted then take the pan off the heat. Don’t allow it to boil. Sift the flour with the ginger and allspice and mix thoroughly with the sugar, syrup and butter mixture.

Put four teaspoons of the mixture on the first baking sheet, allowing plenty of room for them to spread. Place in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the biscuits are a rich brown. Five minutes later repeat with the second baking tray*.

When you remove the first batch of biscuits leave them to cool for about a minute then ease them off the paper with a palatte knife. If you want them the traditional curled up brandy snap shape roll them straightaway round the handle of an oiled wooden spoon then place on a baking tray to cool.

Otherwise just leave them flat. Keep baking the mixture in batches of four until it is all used up. The biscuits will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight tin.

* the point about baking brandysnaps in batches is that it gives you time to roll them up while they’re still warm otherwise they’ll break rather than bend.

What to drink
Wine will of course go perfectly well with this menu (a Chardonnay, I suggest with the soup, a soft fruity red like Merlot with the tarts) but maybe I can make a case for artisanal cider which is undergoing something of a renaissance at the moment or perry, which is cider made with pears. I’d pick a medium-dry rather than a very dry one which should take you right through the first two courses. The dessert already includes alcohol in the form of a sweet oloroso sherry but you could serve a small glass with it too if you like.

Picture of pumpkin soup (not the above recipe) ©RitaE at Pixabay

Which wine to choose for Thanksgiving

The first thing to bear in mind about Thanksgiving - and for that matter Christmas - is that it’s as much about mood as food. Who you’re inviting, what age they are and how big your party is are factors every bit as important as what you’re eating.

I say this particularly because the main Thanksgiving meal and the meals around it are hard ones to match: what you need is a wine that is going to cope with a whole battery of delicious flavours.

Personally I always like to start a celebratory meal like this with a glass of sparkling wine which gets everyone into the festive spirit. It doesn’t have to be Champagne (though in our house it usually is!) - there are many good substitutes available from cut price cava (good for parties) and crémants to Champagne lookalikes that come from premium sparkling wine-producing areas such as California and New Zealand.

If you’re starting with a soup such as a pumpkin soup or a creamy chowder as you may well be I’d suggest a smooth dry unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay or a Chenin Blanc. That might sound like a bit of a cop-out - everyone drinks Chardonnay but that’s because everyone likes Chardonnay - and for festive family meals what you’re looking for are crowd pleasers. Smooth dry whites are also just about the best available match for soup.

If you’re planning some kind of seafood starter Sauvignon Blanc is generally a safe bet though if it incorporates Asian flavours you could serve a dry or off-dry Riesling.

For the turkey itself I would offer a choice of white or red - a full-bodied Chardonnay or Viognier for the more adventurous and a ripe fruity red - something like a Zinfandel, Merlot, Carmenère, Shiraz or a full bodied Pinot Noir (lighter styles may get swamped by the big flavours of typical turkey accompaniments). These wines will work with a Thanksgiving ham too.

Your instinct may well be to bring out a much treasured old bottle you’ve been saving for a special occasion but I would save it for a smaller gathering and a simpler menu. What you need with turkey and its trimmings is a wine that is vibrantly fruity not one that’s faded and delicate. If you don’t already have a favourite bottle in mind it’s a good idea to visit a local wine shop or merchant that has regular tastings so you can try a selection of different wines before you buy.

Desserts again can be a bit of a minefield for wine, particularly if you’re serving more than one. Pumpkin pie, I’ve found is particularly good with a southern French Muscat or Spanish Moscatel, wines which would also work with a traditional apple pie.

If you’re serving a chocolate dessert however I’d suggest a sweet red wine such as a sweet Shiraz. or, again for adventurous guests, iced shots of a raspberry-flavoured liqueur or a cherry brandy. The basic rule to bear in mind is that your wine should be sweeter than your dessert - and served well chilled.

You may also find this post useful on the difference between the Thanksgiving turkey and a Christmas turkey when it comes to choosing wine and this longer post on drink matches for pumpkin pie.

Photo by Jed Owen on Unsplash

An Irish cheeseboard for St Patrick’s Day

With all the fuss about oysters and Guinness and boiled bacon and cabbage you may overlook what must be one of the best ways of celebrating St Patrick’s Day: an Irish cheeseboard.

Like England Ireland has the perfect climate for cheesemaking (well, apart from this abnormally wet winter) and makes some truly glorious cheeses.

As usual I would aim for a range of tastes and textures from cheeses made from different milks. Ireland makes some fine washed rind cheeses including a fruity Adrahan, Durrus and Gubbeen - all from Co. Cork though you really only need one of these.

For contrast I’d pick a nutty Gouda style Coolea (pronounced coolay) and award-winning St Tola organic goats cheese if you can find one. Knockdrinna, who also make goats cheeses, is another name to look out for. (See this review on my old cheese blog.)

And no Irish cheeseboard would be complete without a creamy, tangy Cashel Blue, one of the world’s, let alone Ireland’s finest blues. (There’s a sheep’s milk version called Crozier Blue, if you prefer sheep's milk cheeses.)

All you need to complete your board is some freshly baked Irish soda bread and maybe some oatcakes. (Waitrose has some good ones made by Ditty’s)

What to drink with it though? Well, you could go for a stout but I’m not sure I wouldn’t choose a sweet wine like Sauternes which will flatter the washed rind cheeses and the Cashel Blue. A tawny port would also be good or try a lightly diluted peaty Irish whiskey like Connemara’s Peated Single Malt.

Neal’s Yard Dairy in Covent Garden and Borough Market in London is the best place I’ve found to source Irish cheeses in the UK though good local cheese shops should have one or two. Picture taken in Sheridan's Dublin.

An alternative New Year's Eve menu for four

Tired of turkey? Bored with goose? Try Signe Johansen's fresh-tasting suggestions for a simple New Year's supper with friends.

There's nothing like fresh, Mediterranean flavours to revive the tastebuds after the rich eating of the Christmas period. so here is a simple Lebanese-inspired New Year's Eve menu to kickstart 2013. These dishes are all easy to prepare, allowing the hostess (or host) to join in the festivities rather than slaving in the kitchen.

The recipes here make enough for four people - simply multiply for larger numbers.You could either serve the tabbouleh and baba ganoush with drinks as mezze which would be traditional or with the shish taouk. (In the former case you could serve a mixed salad and pitta bread or other flatbread with the meat)

Tabbouleh
Make this one hour before serving to allow the parsley to soften, but resist the temptation to prepare it several hours in advance as the parsley will oxidise and turn black.
2 tbsp bulgur wheat
1/2 onion
1 tomato
1 bunch parsley
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice & zest of 1/2 lemon
Sprinkle of chilli flakes, salt and pepper
Soak the bulgur wheat in double the quantity of boiling water and allow the water to absorb. Finely chop the onion, dice the tomato and then chop the parsley. Place all of this in a bowl and stir in the olive oil, lemon rind and juice and seasoning. Set aside for 45mins-1 hour before eating

Baba Ganoush
1 large aubergine
75ml tahini
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt & pepper
Pierce the aubergine like you would for a baking potato. Grill the aubergine for 20- 25 minutes until the skin is charred and the aubergine is shrivelled. If you want an extra smoky flavour, sear the skin over a gas flame, but it's not strictly necessary. When the aubergine's cooked, peel it and scoop out the flesh, place this in a sieve and press the liquid out - this gets rid of any bitter flavours. Then place the flesh in a bowl, mix in the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and season to taste. If the mixture is very thick, add a bit of water to make a more dippable consistency.

Shish Taouk with Garlic Toum
This is based on a dish I had at Fahlkredine. Note the chicken must be marinaded a day in advance to allow the flavours to develop
3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp lemon
1/2 tsp salt
4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

Chop the garlic and onion, place in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Cover and chill in the fridge overnight. When you're ready to serve, preheat the grill, soak the skewers in water and then put 5-6 pieces of chicken on each skewer. Place on a rack or a roasting tin and grill under a high heat for 5-8 minutes (depending how hot your oven is and how big the chicken pieces are). Turn them once so they colour evenly and serve with the garlic toum dip. Be warned, this is not a dish for garlic-phobes!

Garlic Toum:
2 cloves garlic
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
150ml olive oil
salt & pepper
Crush the garlic, place in a bowl with the lemon juice and whisk in the olive oil as you would if you were making a mayonnaise. (Or do this in a food processor). For a fine textured sauce sieve the toum before serving, but it's delicious with the garlic pieces.

Pomegranate & Orange dessert with Cinnamon and Walnuts
1 pomegranate
1 orange for each person
1 tsp cinnamon
handful toasted walnuts
honey or orange blossom water if you have some
Score through the peel of each orange vertically as if you were cutting it into quarters. Place in a bowl and pour over boiling water. Leave for a couple of minutes then drain the water and remove the peel which should come away cleanly removing the pith. Slice the oranges horizontally 'across the grain', place them on a plate and add the pomegranate seeds, the walnuts and finally drizzle with the honey or orange blossom water, followed by a sprinkle of cinnamon. Chill until ready to serve.

What to drink: Given you're introducing a breath of summer into your New Year's Eve festivities why not serve a dry rosé? Provençal rosés, being rather more expensive than those from the southern Rhone or Languedoc would create a suitable sense of occasion. You could also serve a sweet wine with the dessert like the delectable Vin de Constance.