How come “Russian Salad” isn’t better known in the US? Variations on the theme of potatoes, carrots, peas and pickled cucumber in a creamy dressing seem to have spread around the globe, from Europe to Latin America and parts of Asia. When peas aren’t available, cut-up beans can take their place. In the Mediterranean you’ll find pickles nudged out by green olives. Sour cream (even yoghurt) […]
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This week, with luck, we’ll have asparagus at the market. There tend to be two camps when it comes to prepping asparagus. Snappers and Peelers. Bend asparagus and it will break where it’s tender, say the Snappers. Peel the stems and you’ll gain an extra inch or more of delicious asparagus, say the Peelers. We’re going with the Peelers in this recipe. Either way – […]
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Now that summer is here, it’s time for garden sandwiches. Lots of vegetables from your kitchen garden or market, an egg, and a dressing spiked with mustard powder. Eat these juicy sandwiches as soon as you’ve made them, preferably outdoors, with napkins. Or serve them as an open sandwich, with the top slice of bread on the side (or omitted […]
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Our weekly recipes will be focusing on sandwiches this year – sandwiches interpreted in the broadest and loosest sense, including tartines, flatbreads, rolls (some fairly classic, some breaking all the rules) plus all kinds of quick-pickles, fixings and sandwich fillips. This week: herb-butter from scratch for your radish sandwiches. Choose the most additive-free cream you can find, grab a handful […]
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Lettuces are at their peak. Delicious in salads, of course, but mysteriously good, too, kissed quickly by heat. Halve and grill them on the barbecue, on a stove-top grill pan, or even on a hot well-seasoned cast-iron pan. It only takes minutes – what you’re aiming for is a range of color and flavors, from outer char to still crisp […]
Read moreLettuces are at their peak. Delicious in salads, of course, but mysteriously good, too, kissed quickly by heat. Halve and grill them on the barbecue, on a stove-top grill pan, or even on a hot well-seasoned cast-iron pan. It only takes minutes – what you’re aiming for is a range of color and flavors, from outer char to still crisp […]
Read moreHere’s another no-cook recipe, for a white gazpacho. We tend to associate gazpacho with tomatoes, but white gazpacho-like soups are beloved in parts of Spain. The usual garnish is grapes, and when local grapes arrive at the market late summer, that’s a wonderful classic to try. Here’s another idea: make a light meal of white gazpacho accompanied by little dishes […]
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