It's courgette-in' hot in here
Courgette with salsa verde and parm, ginger lageritas and frozen fruit faux pas
Hello! Welcome to the first instalment of my newsletter. I’ll be writing up recipes from my kitchen, recommendations from other people’s, general chats, and mistakes-I-made-so-you-don’t-have-to every week. I’d love it if you could subscribe, and I’d love it even more if you’d recommend this series to a friend. If you fancy feeling like billy big bucks, you can part ways with three and a half small pounds each month for an extra recipe, plus my cocktail of the moment.
If you hadn’t already heard, it’s a bit hot. Now, this is usually a ‘nice thing’. When it becomes not a ‘nice thing’ it’s because it’s been hot for nearly two weeks and I live in London, where the houses and parks aren’t built for withstanding more than about two 30-degree days in a row. In a bid to keep cool, I’ve been trying not to use the oven too much, which has meant coming up with salad ideas that don’t make me wish I could roast something instead. Enter raw courgettes, a little sharp sauce, and some cheese.
The main inspiration for this week’s recipe is my recent trip to Bristol. On a visit to see one of my favourite people last weekend, we had a salad at a tapas bar in a wharfside shipping container (yes, I’m one of those people) that almost changed how I feel about spiralised produce. I’m not sure if it was the combined hangover need of vegetables but also somehow cheese, bread AND mayonnaise, but Gambas’ courgette salad with salsa verde and a generous helping of grated parmesan cheese really hit the spot. I’ve thought of it approximately twice a day since, so I thought I really ought to make one myself, sans spiraliser (lets leave those in the 2013, please). My version uses very thinly sliced courgettes - if you’ve got a mandolin, go you - a minty version of a classic salsa verde, and a big ol’ pile of parm. Enjoy.
Courgette with salsa verde and parm
Serves 4 (as a side)
2 small courgettes
7g fresh flat leaf parsley
7g fresh mint
7g fresh basil
2 tsp capers
1 anchovy fillet
1 clove of garlic
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10g parmesan
Using a sharp knife or mandolin, thinly slice the courgettes into rounds, then place into a large mixing bowl.
Finely chop the herbs, capers, and anchovy fillet, and add to a jug or small bowl. Grate in the garlic, then add the lemon zest and juice, Dijon mustard and extra virgin olive oil, then taste and season if needed. I like to add a splash of red wine vinegar too, but this is optional depending on how sharp you like your salsa verde.
Add the dressing to the courgettes and toss gently to combine. Lay out on a platter, then finely grate over the parmesan.
I’m planning for this cocktail section to be for £ subscribers, but for one week only you can get a taste of what I’ve been whipping up in my cocktail shaker/blender/tumbler over the weekend. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I want a refreshing beer, but more refreshing, and maybe involving some kind of citrus? I know the normal person’s answer to this is a lager top, but I wanted to be fancy, so I’ve made a ginger and lime lagerita instead. It’s perfect for filling up jugs with at a barbecue, and I think the ginger sugar syrup gives this summer classic a nice, spicy lift. If you fancied it, you could even rim the serving glasses with some Tajin or chilli salt.
Ginger and lime lagerita
Serves 4
4 limes, zested and juiced
1 tsp flaky sea salt
ice
100ml Blanco Tequila
100ml lime juice
100ml ginger syrup (see tip below)
1 ltr lager, to top up
Mix together the salt and lime zest on a plate, then rub the empty limes on the rims of four tumblers and dip the wet edge of glasses into the salt and lime zest mixture.
Add a handful of ice to each glass (or in a jug) then pour over the Tequila, lime juice, and ginger syrup.
Give this mixture a gentle stir with a cocktail stirrer until combined, then top up with the lager.
For the syrup
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp fresh ginger
Peel and roughly chop the ginger.
Add all the ingredients into a small saucepan and place on a medium heat. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, then take off the heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
Among the food and drink mistakes I’ve made this week, which include letting a lovely old fashioned sugar syrup go mouldy, and severely undercooking my bargain Lidl oricchette, I would recommend not going too ham with the frozen fruit in your smoothies. I ended up with something that looked a little bit like grainy ice cream, and a lot of it fell on my face when I tried to drink it. Wait ten minutes or so for it to defrost into a nice, silky texture, or be slightly more measured with your frozen berries, so you don’t end up looking like this:
Things to watch/read/eat/cook:
A detailed piece of reporting from Eater on the stories of abuse and neglect from former Blue Hill and Stone Barns' employees.
I’ve been rewatching the goop lab on Netflix and I… think I might like Gywneth Paltrow?
Making this lemongrass tofu banh mi from Tesco Real Food has been significantly increasing my quality of life.
And finally, this mushrom mapo tofu mezasoba from Sup Ya Ramen in Dalston, washed down with a Disco Pils from 40FT Brewery.
What an excellent first post! I can relate to the heat being in London myself! With love and support from your long term fan, Mary