Silly me. I thought the hardest thing about writing a blog while working a full-time job would be finding the time to post, but I was wrong. My biggest issue over the past couple weeks has been somewhat different… it’s the light, or lack thereof. Barely mid-September, and London has already decided to provide me with dark and gloomy weather come dinnertime. Which, as any photo-snapping food blogger out there knows, makes it next to impossible to get a good photo.

Meaning that I’m limited to weekend eats at the moment. Not that that’s a bad thing: weekends are when I make my regular jaunt to the farmer’s market, so on Sundays at least, my little fridge is full of the good stuff. Of course I don’t by all my food at the market, and in the aisles of my local supermarket, I’ve discovered something…

I like avocados. I know, I’m a little late to the party on this one; many a vegetarian friend of mine loves this mild green fruit. But I’ve always been slightly adverse to them, probably due to their, er – distinctive texture. Call me crazy, but I just didn’t think something that grows on trees had any right to be that creamy! (I have a similar beef with kiwis: anyone else think it’s just wrong for a fruit to have hair?!)

Luckily, I’ve gotten over it. These days, I’m looking to put avocado in anything and everything I can. First up- this panzanella-like salad of chopped veg and dried bread chunks. I’ve called it “Tuscanesque” because certain elements – the cannellini beans, bread chunks, cherry tomatoes and basil – have a certain Tuscan authenticity to them. However, I’m not sure how many Italian Nonnas put avocado and red pepper in their salads, hence the -esque.

But really, I don’t think authenticity matters one whit when food tastes (and looks, in the light of day) this good!

• Chopped Tusanesque Salad
• serves 4
• 2 cups cubed bread (ideally stale)
  1 400g can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained well
  2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered, depending on size)
  1 cup chopped cucumber
  1 small red pepper, chopped
  1 avocado, peeled and roughly chopped
  1/2 red onion, finely chopped
  3 Tbs. olive oil
  1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
  pinch sea salt
  10-15 leaves basil, chopped or torn
• 1. If your bread is fresh, spread the cubes out on a baking sheet and allow them to toast lightly in the oven on a low temperature. If it’s already somewhat stale, simply tear it up and add to a large bowl.
  2. Add the drained beans, chopped tomatoes, cucumber, and red pepper to the bowl as well.
  3. In a smaller bowl, mix together the chopped avocado with the onion, vinegar and olive oil and toss well. This is to ensure the avocado gets coated by the acid in the vinegar, and won’t turn brown. Add a pinch of salt to the dressing, to taste.
  4. Just before you’re ready to serve the salad, pour the dressing and avocado mixture over the chopped bread and veg and toss together well. Sprinkle over the basil leaves and add a bit more olive oil, if necessary.

Hmmm. Corn, blueberries, dark-skinned cucumber… wait, did I miss summer? Last time I posted a veg haul ’round these parts, it was the early-summer stuff of fresh greens, baby carrots and peas. A whole three months ago.

As you can probably guess, it’s been a busy couple months for me. Not only did my final term of school really pick up in terms of oh my gosh I’ve got to finish this project and it’s got to be perfect-type stress, but my part-time internship somehow morphed into a full-time job… at pretty much exactly the same time. Add to that my driving lessons, running schedule, and planning a trip home to Ontario this month, and I’ve been one thinly-stretched Kitchenist.

As for food and cooking, well, there hasn’t been much of note going on here lately. Quick stir-fries, simple salads and fool-proof pastas are the order of the day, and I’ve been more likely to revisit old standbys than invent or try new dishes. Luckily for you though, that gets old fast. So it was with excitement (and a good dose of jet lag) that I headed to the farmer’s market this morning.

Truthfully, I’m not sure what I’ll do with these veg, though Dana‘s Orecchiette with Roasted Tomatoes and Corn seems like a good place to start. I’ve also got some granola on my “to make” list, since Andrew discovered it on holiday and has requested some as a weekday breakfast option… those blueberries will top it nicely. With the rest, we’ll just have to wait and see.

But baby steps, right?

Hmm, looking at that photo, I’m thinking that I should have bought a bit more at the market this weekend. It’s already Tuesday (where does the time go?) and most of that food is already gone.

I never seem to buy enough peas- at this time of year, I can’t get enough of them. The ones above made a tasty lunch on Sunday, tossed with linguine in a roasted tomato pesto. I used the tomatoes you see above in a version of this recipe from The Italian Dish, and the leftovers will be tasty with green veg, prawns and jumbo couscous for dinner tonight.

I also love baby carrots, and buying them by the bunch seems so much more festive than buying individual ones, don’t you think? I’ll likely turn these into a soup, probably something spicy and Thai-inspired. Or I could braise them, which is always a hit around here.

One thing I haven’t been doing much of lately is baking; the odd batch of granola on the weekends has been enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. Though I must say, these bar cookies my sister baked do look delicious.

What are you cooking this week?

On Thursday, before returning to Canada after a lengthy holiday here in the UK, my parents took me out for lunch at my favourite London restaurant. Now I know you’re all sick of us food bloggers harping on about Yotam Ottolenghi, his books, Guardian column and London delis, so I won’t bore you. I will only say that if you live in or occasionally visit London and you haven’t been to his Islington restaurant, you are missing out. Big time.

I always order the three-salad plate. It’s the perfect amount of food; four would be too much (and leave me with no room for dessert), while two salads plus a main just doesn’t tempt me. I’m sure the quiche, fish and meat dishes are lovely if you swing that way, but for me, the whole point of lunch at Ottolenghi is the salads. I think of them not so much as side dishes, but as edible works of art.

My Mum agrees with me, and so on Thursday, while my Dad pronounced his lunch “very good” (he’s a man of few words), she and I engaged in our usual pattern of snacking from each others’ plates, discussing flavour balances, and figuring out how to recreate these works of art ourselves.

The salad I most wanted to recreate from our meal was a butter bean hummus, silky smooth in texture and rich in taste. I’m hardly a hummus connoisseur, but I preferred it, hands-down, to any chickpea version I’ve ever had. Served with some toasted pine nuts and a sprinkling of sumac, it was a perfect complement to whatever else what on my plate. (I honestly don’t remember- that’s how good it was.)

I made my own version for today’s lunch, and though it ended up a little different, it’s no worse off for it. I couldn’t track down any tahini, but the almond butter I substituted lent such a lovely flavour that I wouldn’t want it any other way. Topped with parsley, pine nuts and paprika, and eaten with a hunk of sourdough bread, this could quite possibly become a new favourite lunch. Without the trip to Islington.

• Butterbean and Almond Hummus
• makes approx 1 1/2 cups
• For the hummus:
  1 x 4oog can butter beans, rinsed and drained
  2 Tbs. almond butter
  1 small garlic clove, minced
  juice of half a lemon
  1/4 cup olive oil
  1/4 tsp. sea salt
  
  For the toppings:
  small handful pine nuts, lightly toasted
  1 Tbs. very finely chopped parsley
  1 Tbs. olive oil
  pinch sea salt
  paprika (regular or smoked), for sprinkling
• 1. Combine all ingredients for the hummus in a glass measuring jug and purée using an immersion blender. Conversely, you could blitz them together in a food processor. Taste, and adjust the lemon juice, salt and/or olive oil to your liking. Note: If your hummus seems very dry, you could add a splash of water, too.
  
  2. Spread the hummus on a platter or in a shallow bowl, ready for the toppings. Sprinkle over the pine nuts first, then mix the parsley, olive oil and salt together in a small cup, to form a dressing. Drizzle or dollop this over the hummus, then finish by sprinkling some paprika on top. Serve with pita bread, sourdough or something else dippable.

Honestly? I only just remembered that today was Mother’s Day. No, I haven’t called my Mum yet, and yes, I’ll call her soon. Probably. My family doesn’t take these “Hallmark Holidays” very seriously, and anyway, I’ll be seeing her in person tomorrow.

My parents are in town for the next few days, wrapping up their three-week UK holiday with a couple days in London. I’m anticipating some dinners out, or maybe cooked at the flat they’re renting, but not many occasions to play hostess myself. Which is why I didn’t go all out at the market this morning, despite the huge array of spring produce on offer.

Instead, I’ll whip up a couple quick dinners for Andrew and myself with the array above. The asparagus, radish and fennel will make a lovely tart- I’m thinking something like this to celebrate all those seasonal flavours. I’ve also got something in mind for those carrots- I’ve been thinking about this recipe ever since Dana posted it. I’ll likely simplify a bit, but it looks like a winner.

What’s happening in your kitchen this week? Got any Mother’s Day cooking planned?

Yes, May Day has come and gone, but hey- these veg were bought then, so why not? A lot of what you see above is actually cooked and eaten by now (Thursday already! How did that happen?!). I guess May has been a busy month so far, what with my parents’ visit and other commitments. Thankfully, it hasn’t been too busy for market shopping.

That lovely cabbage is almost too pretty to cook, don’t you think? Maybe I’ll make a crunchy coleslaw with it, which would suit my current need for packable-lunches-on-the-go. I’ve been gorging myself on Panzanella lately, but I need to stop soon or I’ll get sick of it. Instead, I might try making a cherry tomato jam, or just roast those tomatoes. I’m definitely open to ideas and recipes, though.

I haven’t done any baking in weeks, but I’m hoping to find some time on the weekend. These Derby Pie Bars look great, but so do these simple tea cookies. Oh, decisions…

What are you up to lately? Cooked anything tasty this week?

You’d be forgiven, lately, for thinking that I’m on extended holiday. But here in the UK, we kind of all are. Easter plus a certain upcoming wedding means back-to-back four-day weekends and an understandable amount of laziness in between. But for myself, the laziness is at a minimum; heading up to Andrew’s parents’ last weekend and getting ready for a visit from my parents this week means I haven’t had a lot of time for cooking or blogging.

I still have to eat though, and the spring produce at the market is nothing short of inspiring. I’m loving tomatoes of all kinds lately, and have been eating them in everything from creamy soups to roasted Mediterranean-inspired meals. My current favourite is Panzanella, the Tuscan salad of stale bread and chopped tomatoes.

Traditionally just a way of using up leftover bread, many modern panzanella recipes go a step or two further and contain roasted peppers, cucumber, olives and/or cheese. But you’ll note that my recipe is a “simple” one; drying the bread out in the oven is about as much effort as I like to make for a tomato salad. And that step isn’t even necessary if you use stale bread, like the leftover foccaccia I particularly favour.

I bet this recipe would be just as tasty with any number of additions, and I plan to try out a version with chopped anchovies and capers soon. But keep in mind that the simpler you keep the dish, the quicker it is to make. Perfect for those of us with busy schedules.

• Simple Panzanella
• serves 2, or more as a side
• 2 cups torn bread, preferably stale
  olive oil
  2 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
  1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
  1 garlic clove, crushed
  1 tsp. sea salt
  1 tsp. dried oregano
  handful fresh basil, roughly torn
• 1. If your bread is fresh, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F and get out a non-stick baking sheet. Toss the bread chunks with a glug of olive oil and arrange on the sheet, then bake for 6-8 minutes until just beginning to dry out. Be careful not to over-crisp or brown the bread, and don’t bother with this step if your bread is at all stale.
  
  2. Meanwhile, place the cherry tomatoes in a large bowl. Add the onion, another glug of olive oil, and the rest of the ingredients. Toss together and allow to sit for at least ten minutes- the salt and dressing will “pull” the moisture from the tomatoes. Remove and discard the garlic clove before adding the bread.
  
  3. When the bread has cooled completely (if applicable), add to the bowl and toss well. You may need to add a little more olive oil to moisten everything well. Serve immediately, as a main or a side.

Is there anything more versatile than tomato soup? From rustic Italian pappa al pomodoro to chilled Spanish gazpacho to supermarket-smooth Campbell’s, there are literally hundreds of different recipes out there. And I love them all (well, most of them).

My favourite tomato soup, though, has got to be a little closer to the Campbell’s variety (if I can say that without loosing my food-blogger cred). Not quite so smooth, no, and not quite so creamy either, but sweet and simple and puréed almost to oblivion. Served with a grilled cheese sandwich or just some bread and butter, it’s pretty much summer in a bowl.

This recipe is pretty close to that ideal, though I admit that it’s somewhat counterintuitive as a summer soup. It uses canned tomatoes instead of the fresh stuff that’s just starting to appear at the market. But since there was no market here last week (that pesky marathon again), I made do with what I had. Besides, a sprinkling of fresh basil and the tart creaminess of crème fraiche are enough to convince you that’s it’s summertime you’re tasting, not matter the actual time of year.

And that, my friends, is versatility.

• Creamy Tomato Soup
• adapted from Mark Bittman
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
  1 Tbs. butter
  1/2 large onion or 1 small one, finely chopped
  2 garlic cloves, minced
  1 tsp. dried oregano
  1 tsp. dried thyme
  1 tsp. dried basil
  2 Tbs. tomato paste
  1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
  1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
  3 cups chopped tomatoes (canned or fresh)
  1/2 cup crème fraiche
  1 tsp. sugar (optional)
  sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1. Heat the olive oil and butter together in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Add the onion, garlic, herbs, tomato paste and carrots and stir well. Cover and cook gently for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  
  2. When the onions are translucent and the carrots tender, add the stock and the chopped tomatoes. Cover and continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  
  3. Remove the soup from the heat and add the crème fraiche. Purée until smooth using an immersion blender, then taste. Add sugar, salt and/or pepper as needed. Finally, stir in the chopped basil and serve.

After weeks of glorious weather, London has reverted to the overcast skies and cool temperatures it likes best. I’m glad that I made the most of the warmer weather while it was here, with much window-opening, skirt-wearing and salad-making. I’m also hoping that it will get a bit warmer in time for the weekend, as I’ve got a shopping date with my sister and some London Marathon-watching (from the comfort of my couch, of course) on the agenda.

But even if the weather doesn’t take a turn for the better, this grain and vegetable salad should fit in just fine. One of those perfect early-spring recipes, it combines crisp veggies with hearty mixed grains, and wraps them all in a bright-yet-rich dressing.

Both fennel and radishes have that crisp, cool bitterness that heralds the arrival of warmer weather. Personally, I took my time warming to either of these vegetables; something about the aniseed-like flavour of fennel and the sharpness of radish put off the younger me. But now that I happily eat them, and together they’re just perfect.

I’m calling this salad a grain one, but using the term somewhat loosely. I used a mix of farro, quinoa and giant couscous, but the purist in me is feeling obligated to point out that only one of those is, in fact, a grain. But no matter; what you’re aiming for here is an interesting mix of of texture and flavour; barley, wheat berries and millet would all work well, too.

What makes this salad really sing is the dressing. Butter might seem a strange choice and sure, olive oil would be tasty too (not to mention healthier). But salted butter is a natural ally of radishes, and paired with lemon juice and pepper, it brings all the flavours together and just works. Whatever the weather.

• Grain, Fennel and Radish Salad w/ Butter-Lemon Dressing
• serves 4-6 as a side dish
• 3 cups cooked mixed grains (try farro, wheat berries, millet, rice, quinoa and couscous)
  1/2 cup finely chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish
  1 small bunch radishes, thinly sliced
  1 bulb fennel, sliced lengthwise and broken up
  1/4 cup salted butter
  juice of one lemon
  black pepper, to taste
• 1. Mix together the grains and parsley in one bowl, and the radishes and fennel in another
  
  2. Melt the butter in a small dish in the microwave, or in a milk pan over low heat. When it’s completely melted, remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, then season to taste.
  
  3. Add one third of the butter-lemon dressing to the grains and mix well. Add another third to the vegetables and toss to coat. Arrange the grains on a platter and scatter over the vegetables. Drizzle over the rest of the dressing, and garnish with some more parsley. (Alternatively, you could just mix everything together in one big bowl and serve it like that).

It’s not only a new term for me at school (starting tomorrow) but a new season in London. Honestly, the past couple days have convinced me that we’ve skipped right over Spring and gone straight into Summer. Of course, as my Mum said to me earlier today, it might be back to Spring or even Winter in a couple days, so I’m enjoying it while I can.

Part of that was getting up bright and early and heading to the market. I’m still waiting on asparagus and strawberries, but the radishes are finally here, and the spring greens are abundant. I’ll probably eat the radishes and fennel bulb together, maybe in a spring salad like this one. I also got a lovely head of cauliflower, which I’ll probably braise into submission for a dinner later this week.

I’m also hoping to get some baking done this week, though I’m not sure I’ll have the time with work and school starting again. My sister’s oatmeal cookies look simple enough though, and all those oats should be just the hit of energy I need in the coming days.

What are you cooking this week?