For just over a hundred years since its first appearance on a hotel menu the Caprese has been found in Italian restaurants around the world. Made with ripe, sweet tomatoes, creamy Mozzarella and pungent basil. It is finished with a pinch of salt and olive oil and that’s it. Simple. It is normally served as an appetiser, part of the traditional antipasto course of sliced cured meats, olives, and cheeses.
Ingredients
It’s all Greek to Me – The Secrets of a great Greek Salad
We are lucky in the Channel Islands to get some great salad vegetables and with just a few additions that means anyone can make a beautiful Greek Salad. We can talk later about what exactly those ingredients should be, but first, we need to look at the origins of this Mediterranean marvel.
Panzanella – A taste of Summer in a bowl
Panzanella – A taste of Summer in a bowl. I found that there was so much to take away from researching Panzanella. I feel that I could almost write a book. For example, I didn’t know that originally the tomato was thought to be poisonous. Consequently, on its introduction to Europe it was grown as an ornamental plant. In fact, tomatoes were only introduced to the Panzanella in the nineteen hundreds. Panzanella is an example of Italian cucina povera or ‘food of the poor’. This a frugal style of cooking making the most of every ingredient.
Honey Roasted Vegetables with Red Pepper Houmous
Honey Roasted Vegetables with Red Pepper Houmous. I was very lucky to be given some locally grown vegetables a couple of weeks ago. A colleague was going away and gave me amongst other things beetroot and fennel. We are so lucky to have a wealth of fruit, vegetables, herbs and salads produced on island. Eating seasonal, locally sourced food is good news for several important reasons. It is more flavourful and nutritious due to the short time between harvest and you buying it. This is because there is less time for the nutrients to break down.