Hey Pesto

Pesto can be bought in jars and makes a good storecupboard standby but you can't beat fresh, either bought or homemade.

To make it yourself, the classic recipe combines garlic, basil, toasted pine nuts and a Parmesan substitute whizzed in a food processor, adding a stream of olive oil and seasoning. It can be used immediately and kept in the fridge for up to a week. Alternatively you can use a pestle and mortar or heat all the ingredients in a pan over a low heat.

The classic recipe can be tweaked in many ways so that other soft herbs or greens may be used, a different type of nut, different cheeses and even an oil such as grape seed with lemon juice.

Your choice of pesto can then be added to pizza toppings, stirred through pasta, put in dips, spread on or baked into bread, used in tarts, tossed with potatoes or vegetables, used in salad dressings or to garnish soup.

I particularly like to make Mary Berry's Antipasti Pasta. It can be eaten warm as a starter or main course or cold to serve as part of a summer buffet. The ingredients can be bought at the deli or supermarket and added to the cooked pasta before stirring through the pesto.

Peas please

As a child I hated peas, 'though can't for the life of me remember why. Maybe loading the rolling balls onto a fork was too much like hard work. In those days they were served as an accompaniment to meat or fish and potatoes and may have been joined by a few boiled carrots. My father would insist on me having some and I cut a deal with him, agreeing to eat just three.

Now I really enjoy them. There's nothing more satisfying than sitting in the shade, popping the pods and letting the petite little poppets give a satisfying plop into a pan. That is a lot of p's. As they're very palatable I may pop a few in my mouth. Okay, enough already.

Peas are no longer classed as a bit on the side. They can become the star of the show in risotto or ravioli or thrown into curries, baked into samosas, sprinkled in salads or squished in soups. Their favourite friends are mint, lemon and ricotta. 

                            Pea and mint ravioli

The pods can be blitzed to make soup or stock and the shoots add a fresh sweetness to salads or can be used as a decorative garnish.

I should have appeased my dad and eaten a few more! Sorry!

Humble Hummus

Hummus/Houmous has been around for thousands of years and yet it's only in the last few years that we have embraced it in the UK. Originating in the Middle East, it is debatable which country actually invented it. The rise in popularity over recent years could be due to more of us eating vegan, vegetarian, dairy free and gluten free diets. Houmous literally ticks all the boxes. 

There is the classic version but now we can buy a variety of flavours including caramelised onion, lemon and coriander, chilli, red pepper, pesto infused ...

Accompaniments include various breads, crackers, crisps and raw vegetables.

It's sold everywhere so is easy to buy but is also incredibly easy to make. Here is the recipe for classic houmous. Once you've made it you can experiment with new flavours.

Can of rinsed chickpeas, 2tbsp lemon juice, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1tsp ground cumin, pinch salt, 1tbsp tahini paste, 4tbsp water. Blend together in a food processor for 5 mins until smooth. Serve in a bowl or plate. Drizzle with virgin olive oil, sprinkle with paprika and decorate with a few reserved chickpeas. Voila! 

Bake Off

Just going to share an easy peasy recipe. It's a variation on a theme but quick, easy and tasty.

Italian roast vegetable bake:-

Slice up vegetables such as aubergine, courgette, tomatoes, peppers, drizzle with oil, season and roast in oven. 

Add a drained jar of black olives.

Cook pasta such as penne or rigatoni.

Add roast tomato sauce (homemade or jar).

Combine pasta, sauce and vegetables in an ovenproof dish.

Top with halved mozzarella pearls.

Season and bake for 10-15mins until mozzarella melted.

Easy in Ibiza

In Ibiza my day starts with homemade yogurt served with muesli and fruit kebabs followed by a choice of breads, pastries and eggs.

After catching some rays and swimming a few lengths it's time for lunch. I've enjoyed a quinoa and beetroot salad, avocado burrito and asparagus risotto. 

Yesterday I chose a simple dish, so easy to replicate back in Blighty and so refreshing in the current heatwave.

Chunks of watermelon and feta, chopped mint and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Done! Easy as that!

Delicioso.