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.
Seasonal Eating
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.
Summer Fruit Pavlova
Summer Fruit Pavlova. It’s peak strawberry season; tennis rackets are in full swing at Wimbledon. But even if the weather isn’t playing ball. Excuse the tennis pun. I thought it would be nice to write about one of my family’s favourite desserts. Pavlova, a big pile of meringue with an icky-sticky marshmallow-like centre. Piled up with whipped cream and topped with fruit. For more birthday celebrations than I can remember a huge Pavlova is always my mum’s go-to show-stopping dessert.