Ghormeh sabzi is an Iranian vegetable and herb stew cooked with dried limes. It’s a popular dish in Iran and there are many, many variations. It traditionally includes lamb or beef and dried legumes but I chose to cook a vegetarian version from Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook PLENTY MORE. Vegetables never tasted so good! Preheat your…… Continue reading vegetable stew with dried limes
Tag: tomatoes
ricotta gnocchi
Light and fluffy, these ricotta gnocchi are served in a rich tomato sauce. To make the gnocchi, combine 340g (12 oz) of fresh full-fat ricotta with 2 whole eggs, ¾ of a cup of plain flour and ⅓ of a cup of finely grated parmesan. I find a pastry cutter works well, otherwise use a…… Continue reading ricotta gnocchi
spicy mussels
This recipe, from THE RIVER CAFE COOKBOOK by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers hails from the Puglia region of Italy. Serve it with crusty bread. Scrub clean 2kg (4½ lbs) of fresh mussels. In a large saucepan heat 60ml (2 fl oz) of olive oil and add the mussels, 150ml (5 fl oz) of white…… Continue reading spicy mussels
prawns in spicy tomato sauce with caraway
This interesting recipe, from the wonderful Moro: the Cookbook by Sam and Sam Clark, hails from Turkey. In a heavy saucepan heat some olive oil and gently fry 3 thinly sliced cloves of garlic until they colour slightly. Add 1½ teaspoons of whole caraway seeds and 2 crumbled dried chillies and cook briefly. Add a…… Continue reading prawns in spicy tomato sauce with caraway
green couscous + roasted tomatoes
A great way to eat your greens. Slightly adapted from a recipe in PLENTY by Yotam Ottolenghi. Soak 150g (5⅓ oz) of couscous in 160ml (5½ fl oz) 0f boiling water or stock. While it’s soaking, heat some olive oil in a frypan. Fry 1 finely sliced onion and ¼ of a teaspoon each of…… Continue reading green couscous + roasted tomatoes
roasted cauliflower with tahini sauce + tomato salad
Cauliflower has found new popularity for good reason. Here it’s roasted, leaves and all, with Middle Eastern flavours and served with tahini sauce. Wash and cut your cauliflower into quarters. Place them in a lightly oiled oven tray and drizzle with olive oil, rubbing it all over every surface. Sprinkle with salt, ground cumin, sumac…… Continue reading roasted cauliflower with tahini sauce + tomato salad
mini breakfast frittatas
Here’s a great breakfast for a crowd that’s easy to prepare ahead. These were simple ham and cheese but there are endless ingredient choices for mini frittatas and they’re excellent party food too. Try mushrooms, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, chillies, olives and truffle to name just a few. Let your imagination run wild. Generously butter some…… Continue reading mini breakfast frittatas
sauerkraut
All you need to make Sauerkraut is cabbage, salt and time. Shred 1 whole cabbage finely and place it in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of fine sea salt and massage the salt into the cabbage until the cellular structure breaks down, releasing liquid and making the cabbage quite limp. Pack the cabbage tightly…… Continue reading sauerkraut
saffron cauliflower + tomato, onion and roasted lemon salad
Here are 2 salads from the master of salads, Yotam Ottolenghi. Serve them as part of a mezze selection or as side dishes. Cauliflower is so versatile. In this recipe from PLENTY it’s paired with raisins and olives. Preheat your oven to 200ºC (390ºF). Soak 1½ teaspoons of saffron strands in a little boiling water and…… Continue reading saffron cauliflower + tomato, onion and roasted lemon salad
fine dining and tomatoes
Provence has the most sunshine in France which is probably why the tomatoes here are so abundant and fragrant. When I dined at Christian Etienne, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Avignon, I was excited to see a 7-course tomato menu. Unfortunately, in my excitement, I failed to photograph the first course, a ceviche of smoked mackerel with a Black Russian…… Continue reading fine dining and tomatoes
michelle picker cooks 