Table of contents for July 2020 in Delicious UK

PORTRAIT: TREVOR LEIGHTON. PHOTOGRAPH: GARETH MORGANS Most people I know have developed a peculiar relationship with the news, avoiding the relentless, anxiety-inducing talk about the pandemic and how we should be behaving, yet feeling a tugging desire to hear news of hope for the future. For the delicious. team our challenges continue to be many and varied, yet there is much to cherish: extended time with immediate family (not easy when you’re juggling home-schooling and work, mind you) and being able to escape outside in air that’s fresher than central London, where our office stands still and silent, waiting for the hubbub and cooking smells to return. With the fervour of a preacher, I’m cheered by the fact that so many people are discovering a love for cooking (new converts!)…

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IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECTLY RIPE AVOCADO Apparently, before avocados even get to shop shelves, up to 30 per cent are spoiled during testing or grading. Researchers at Cranfield University in Bedfordshire have trialled a technique that might reduce this waste. Adopted from the car industry, it’s called Laser Doppler Vibrometry and involves a laser beam measuring refracted light while an automated device taps the fruit to gauge resonant frequency. The lower the resonant frequency, the softer the avo flesh. The results can accurately predict whether the fruit is ready to eat. THE DEEP, DEEP FREEZE You’re not alone in neglecting the food in your freezer. A recent poll suggests 16 per cent of Brits have let food languish in it for 10 years or more*. One person reported eating…

During this year’s strange, dark and sunny spring, my dining table – once heavily peopled, and the site of loud conversation, laughter and, frankly, scandalous behaviour – was filled with egg cartons and the cardboard liners from loo rolls. Lacking trays when the garden centres were closed, this is what I used to plant seeds. Alongside some of my favourite cottage garden flowers – scabious, nicotiana, cornflowers, sweet peas and marigolds – were shiso, courgettes, borlotti beans, radishes and various cut-and-come-again salad mixtures. Most of these were planted from packets of seeds I’d stored in the shed for years, so germination was patchy. But this is the year I cast off perfectionism (I suspect that was the same for lots of you) and just did my best and hoped for…

1 USE EVERY LAST SCRAP Buy veg with tops on to use as an extra portion of veg. Beetroot stems are great chopped and stir fried with garlic and a pinch of cinnamon, with the leaves stirred in for the last couple of minutes. For a vivid green carrot-top soup, fry a chopped onion in 1 tbsp butter, then add a grated potato and 500ml stock, plus the chopped carrot tops. Simmer until the potato is tender, then purée with a stick blender for a smooth soup. 2 Eat more pulses  They’re nutritious and cheap, especially if you buy only what you need from a scoop shop (or try the Hodmedod’s brand; hodmedods.co.uk) and cook your own rather than buying tins. 3 Try an easy overnighter Use your insulated coffee…

MACERATE STRAWBERRIES in sweet wine, lemon zest, a little sugar and a few drops of lavender essence for 1-2 hours until soft and juicy. Scatter over dried lavender flowers and serve over vanilla ice cream. ROAST FIGS drizzled in lavender honey and scattered with dried lavender flowers until caramelised. Roll out a puff pastry sheet, score a border and top with crumbly goat’s cheese, the figs and thyme/rosemary sprigs. Glaze the border with beaten egg, then bake in a hot oven until crisp. Serve with a sharp green salad. DRIZZLE BLUEBERRY PANCAKES with lavender honey, scatter with dried lavender flowers, then serve with fresh blueberries and crispy bacon. REPLACE VANILLA with lavender essence in a crème brûlée, then serve with sharp apricot compote. FOR A LAVENDER MARTINI mix 1-2 drops…

INEXPENSIVE WHITES Castellore Pecorino 2019, Colline Pescaresi, Italy 12.5% (£4.99, Aldi) For less than a fiver, an elegant dry white tingling with fresh lime, green apple and a softer hint of almond behind. A mouthwatering aperitif, or one to go with leafy salads and tomatoes. Morrisons The Best South African Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Coastal Region 13% (£6.75) Bright and refreshing Cape sauv blanc that gleams with kiwi, lemon and passion fruit, and leaves a lively tang in the mouth – try it with mildly spiced white fish and seafood dishes. GOOD VALUE REDS Tesco Western Cape Pinotage 2019, South Africa 12.5% (£4.25) A ripe Cape red, but one that’s soft and rounded, not too heavy. Its blackberry-rich flavour will suit barbecued sausages and pork chops. Haut Vignoble 2018, Bordeaux, France…

“Even though my parents worked hard their whole lives, kept busy bringing up me and my brother, growing vegetables and cooking from scratch, time moved slowly for them in our small home town in Ukraine. This was especially so in the summer. We spent our three-month holidays hanging out in our summer kitchen, a separate little building – a kitchen workshop of sorts – where all the cooking and preserving for the long winter months ahead went on throughout the summer. It was the same for most Ukrainian families who lived in small towns and villages and it felt like a sanctuary of sorts. In contrast, when I first moved to London, the overwhelming speed and energy of everything made me feel panicked and unsettled at first. But very soon…

RECIPE: ROSIE RAMSDEN. PHOTOGRAPH: CLARE WINFIELD.FOOD STYLING: REBECCA WOOLLARD. STYLING: OLIVIA WARDLE Chicken with lemon, garlic, herbs and potatoes SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 5 MIN, OVEN TIME 45 MIN NEXT TIME Toss in a jar of roasted red peppers, drained and chopped. Sliced fennel or courgettes would also be great. FOOD TEAM’S TIP For extra-crisp skin, fry the chicken, rubbed with olive oil, for 5-6 minutes before adding to the tin. • 300g waxy potatoes (such as charlotte), cut into even chunks • 1 garlic bulb, cut in half horizontally • 1 large lemon, sliced • 2 fresh oregano sprigs • 2 fresh thyme sprigs • 20 kalamata olives, pitted • 100ml dry white wine (or dry vermouth/dry sherry) • Olive oil for drizzling and rubbing • 8 free-range chicken…

• Choose sustainably sourced fish. Look for the blue Marine Stewardship Council (msc.org) label, or get the free Good Fish Guide App from the Marine Conservation Society (mcsuk.org). • Experiment with different varieties to help reduce overfishing for the same few species. • Fresh fish should have firm flesh and a fresh smell. It shouldn’t smell fishy. Look for whole fish with clear eyes and bright red gills. • Tinned oily fish is flavoursome, convenient and inexpensive. The stuff in brine or a sauce has more salt than fish canned in spring water or oil (those in oil are higher in fat, too). • Smoked fish is high in salt (it’s used to preserve it before smoking), so check labels.…

VEGAN RECIPE Cabbage and sprout slaw with oyster mushrooms SERVES 4-6. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN “When toasted, the nutritional yeast tastes like roast chicken or parmesan, which creates depth of flavour in what is a very simple dish – it’s like vegan surf ’n’ turf.” FOOD TEAM’S TIPS This dressing is quite strong, so add a little more lemon juice or water to get the consistency and flavour right. Use a mandoline, if you have one, or a razor-sharp knife to shred the cabbage and sprouts very finely. • 30g nutritional yeast flakes (from health food shops, larger supermarkets and Ocado), toasted in a dry pan until fragrant, plus 1 tsp, toasted, to serve • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced • 1 tbsp cider vinegar • ½-1 tbsp lemon juice…

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT You’ll need a barbecue grill or a heavy-based griddle pan. SPECIAL INGREDIENTS You can buy ground toasted rice in Asian supermarkets, but it’s easy to make your own. Take a large handful of uncooked sticky rice (or Thai jasmine rice) and put it in a dry wok or frying pan over a low heat. Toast the rice, moving it all the time, until it smells nutty and has turned a dark golden brown. Grind it in a spice or coffee grinder, or in a pestle and mortar. Store in a jar and use as required. It has an unusual, nutty flavour. Ground roasted chillies are a staple seasoning in Thai salads, soups and curries. Buy them in Asian supermarkets or at thaifoodshop.co.uk (which sells Raitip ground chilli), or…

PORK SHOULDER makes a great slow-roasting joint (Jane Tomlinson recommends rubbing crushed fennel seeds, fresh thyme and garlic into the meat – not the skin). Turn to p55 for Olia Hercules’ recipe, which you can also make with belly or knuckle. Or find these fantastic shoulder recipes, right, at deliciousmagazine.co.uk PORK LOIN is another favourite roasting joint. See p34 for a barnstorming recipe.…

RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING: SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH. PHOTOGRAPH: KATE WHITAKER. STYLING: VICTORIA ELDRIDGE Strawberry, cassis and shortbread sundae MAKES 6. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN, OVEN TIME 25-30 MIN, PLUS COOLING AND AT LEAST 6 HOURS FREEZING MAKE AHEAD The ice cream keeps for up to 1 month. Store leftover shortbread for up to 3 days. The sauce will keep for 2 days in the fridge. FOOD TEAM’S TIPS You’ll have ice cream and shortbread left over. If making fewer sundaes, store the leftovers as above. FOR THE ICE CREAM • 397g tin condensed milk • 600ml double cream • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract FOR THE SHORTBREAD • 200g plain flour • 150g butter, cubed • 75g caster sugar FOR THE STRAWBERRY CASSIS SAUCE • 250g strawberries, hulled…

NIBBLES BY POST Working from home, the delicious. team are missing the buzz of Borough Market down the road from our office. We’re always keen to support the market traders as they’ve faced tough times over recent years. Borough Olives will deliver exceptional olives, antipasti, oils and vinegar to your door (or the door of a friend). • Use the code ‘DELICIOUS OLIVES’ for a discount on your first order*; borougholives.co.uk MEET THE CRAFTER *OFFER ENDS 31 JULY 2020 Artist and textile designer Sam Wilson makes beautiful nature-inspired aprons and fabrics HOW DID THE BUSINESS GET STARTED? When we moved to the Cotswolds four years ago, I was invited to show my illustrations at exhibitions and given book jacket commissions, which was great. But working to a brief is never…

If you’re not near Castle Farm in Kent (see p31), here’s a round-up of other UK hotspots. Please check their websites to see if/when they might be opening • Yorkshire Lavender, Terrington, York Set in the Howardian Hills, this farm has nearly 60 acres of lavender, plus a plant nursery, lavender maze, tearoom and gift shop. £4.50, under-16s £3; yorkshirelavender.com • Farmer’s Welsh Lavender, Builth Wells, Powys Visitors can follow a self-guided tour of the fields or book a group tour. Find lavender skincare and beauty items in the shop. Entry free; welshlavender.com • Hitchin Lavender, Hertfordshire Pick your own lavender from 30 miles of rows, scoff a slice of cake in the 17th century barn and learn more in the lavender museum. Picnics welcome. From £7, under-14s from £3;…

While we’re buying more wine to drink at home, it’s an idea to look beyond the obvious 75cl bottle. Those who want to open a fresh bottle more often (or who live with non-wine drinkers) could consider half-bottles. Check out the excellent range at The Little Fine Wine Company (thelittle finewinecompany.com). On the high street my pick is the strawberry-scented Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages Combe Aux Jacques 2018, France 13.5% (£4.75/37.5cl, Tesco). Bag-in-box wines have improved in quality over the years; the range from The BIB Wine Company (bibwines.co.uk) includes the floral, light and summery Three Choirs Archa Bacchus 2019, England 11.5% (£35.20/3 litres). And in-between in size, M&S’s wine pouches are interesting, offering 1.5 litres in a bag with a tap. I recommend the dry but juicy Coteaux Varois…

“Sometimes I’ll eat something that completely blows my mind. For the most part it’s simple stuff like freshly baked bread and butter: still warm, dark and crunchy yet light and chewy, the butter cool and freckled with crystal salt. A soft blue cheese will do it too, if it’s as sweet and white as young milk and coursing with felted copper veins. New potatoes can be equally special, particularly when they’re freshly dug, simply boiled and served with lots of butter, flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. They’re somewhere between hazelnuts, warm baked apple flesh and buttery fudge. When I eat them, words leave me, yet I’m desperate to tell someone how they taste – which I do as soon as the fragments of my mind snap together…

THE MEDIC’S VIEW “Vegans could miss out on nutrients crucial for brain health” BY KIMBERLEY WILSON Many of us are trying to eat less meat and more veg – perhaps even more so now, to save money in the Covid-19 crisis. A record 400,000 people signed up for Veganuary in 2019, almost double the number that took part in 2018. While many will benefit from increased plant intake it’s worth noting there are a couple of nutrients crucial for brain health – vitamin B12 and omega 3 fats – that might be low or missing in a vegan diet. B12 is found mostly in fish, meat, poultry, eggs and dairy. It’s essential for maintaining the protective layer that insulates nerves (myelin), it’s a necessary component of metabolism for every cell…

STAR EMAIL FROM: SIMON ROSTRON I was impressed by the way you turned the May/June issue of delicious. around so quickly to make a positive contribution to quarantine life. You referred in it to having a Sunday roast, ‘even if there are fewer people around your table’ – but that isn’t necessarily so if you allow virtual people to be included. My partner and I have already had two successful dinner parties where a group of us, connected online, dressed up and dined together (even though we may not have been eating exactly the same food). The last such ‘dinner party’ lasted a good four hours! SUBJECT: COOKING FOR COMFORT FROM: ERICSON CHIA I’ve been an avid reader of delicious. for the past two years, from our home in Malaysia.…

ONE TIN BAKES You can’t go wrong with a traybake. This gorgeous, graphic book by the original Bake Off winner Edd Kimber has lots, all needing just one standard 23cm x 33cm brownie tin. Top of our list to try: s’more cookie bars and whiskey & rye peach pie. Yes, please. Kyle Books £17.99 SUMMER’S LEASE: HOW TO COOK WITHOUT HEAT Thom Eagle muses on how food can be transformed by salt, acid, time and force. Pared-back recipes such as tomato salad or cured sausage inspire passages that weave anecdote into science and history. A reminder to revel in the joys of summer. Quadrille £16.99 AEGEAN: RECIPES FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA Feel in need of a holiday? Don’t we all… Take an armchair trip to Crete with Marianna…

WHAT’S YOUR... DESERT-ISLAND FOOD A loaf of bread with good butter. I’d eat half straightaway. FOOD HATE Blue cheese. FAVOURITE GADGETS Microplane grater and mini processor. WHAT DID YOU LEARN ON MASTERCHEF? Work smart, work clean – and remember: every detail matters. BEHIND-THE-SCENES STORY When we filmed in Mauritius, I got drunk and suffered heatstroke. I was so hungover the next day I was bright red on camera. The crew teased me mercilessly. It didn’t help that we were in a red tent. FIRST PLACE YOU’LL GO TO EAT AFTER LOCKDOWN? Salon restaurant in Brixton. It’s mindblowing. FOOD BOOK YOU TURN TO MOST? The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit. FAVOURITE CHEF I used to love Keith Floyd. He’s a man after my own heart – always a glass of wine…

Sausage, tenderstem and smoked mozzarella pizzas SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 10 MIN, OVEN TIME 10-12 MIN KNOWHOW Scamorza is a smoked mozzarella available from delis, cheesemongers, Waitrose and Tesco. If you can’t find it, use cooking mozzarella (the hard stuff) or use slices of fresh, but pat dry with kitchen paper first. USE IT UP You might not need all the garlic and rosemary oil – if there’s some left, keep it in a clean jar and use within the next 2 days. It’s good drizzled over chicken or grilled veg, or in pasta. • 1 fat garlic clove, halved • 1 fresh rosemary sprig, leaves picked • 50ml extra-virgin olive oil • 200g tenderstem broccoli • Plain flour to dust • 2 shop-bought uncooked pizza dough bases (we like…

FEEL IN NEED OF ESCAPE? Join us for a day out Just over a year ago, the lovely people from Castle Farm, near Sevenoaks in Kent – famous for its stunning lavender fields – got in touch to ask whether we’d like to do a photo shoot at their farm. Ever keen to embrace a beautiful collaboration, we planned and shot, a year ahead, a recipe feature celebrating nature at its best. So huge thanks to the Castle Farm guys, who shared pictures of their wonderful lavender fields and supplied our food team with top-quality products for using in the recipes. A lavender field in full bloom is a dazzling sight, and as you walk between the rows, brushing against the plants, the intoxicating aroma and the sound of bees…

“A few months ago I became reacquainted with a troublesome old friend – my insomniac self. I’m not the only one who accepted this unwelcome friendship request either. We’ve been living through epically sorrowful times, grieving loved ones lost and facing a dystopian new normal. I, like many others, was rattled – twitching, and bereft of sleep. I tried warm baths, prayer, sipping lukewarm Ovaltine and setting a curfew for my electronics, but I have discovered the best form of midnight meditation is planning meals – most of all brunch. Dinner might be the most serious meal of the day, but brunch is in its golden age and is the most exciting. It presents an opportunity to go way beyond the classics of eggs benedict and avocado toast, and lay…

“Easy, manageable recipes have been the lifeblood of our family kitchen for the past couple of years, since our two little boys came on the scene. They were born in California, where we were living until recently, and because we didn’t have the childcare support network of family close by, a simplified approach to mealtimes became essential. I have a new-found respect for recipes that don’t require too many ingredients and can be made in the bones of 30 minutes. We cook differently throughout the seasons of our lives and, although I sometimes dream of the days when I pottered around the kitchen working on a homemade pasta project while shins of beef slowly bubbled away in a tomato sauce, that’s not what time allows at the moment. We’re back…

PHOTOGRAPH: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES Mackerel, sardines and salmon often top the list of good-for-you foods, but what is it that makes oily fish so good for us? Health experts recommend two portions of fish a week and specifically advise that one of these should be an oily variety. Unfortunately, few of us are eating that much. Figures from the most recent National Diet and Nutrition Survey show that adults aged 19 to 64 manage, on average, just over a third of a portion of oily fish each week. Older adults eat more but still fail to get close to the recommended amounts. And teenagers are even more oily fish-averse. They eat just one portion every 10 weeks. WHY THE FOCUS ON OILY FISH? The answer is partly because it’s packed with…

POLENTA A TWIST ON YOUR REGULAR SIDE Mix 400ml milk and 400ml veg stock in a large pan, season and bring to a simmer. Whisk in 125g quick-cook polenta and cook, stirring, for 6-8 minutes until done, adding an extra splash of stock if the polenta thickens quickly. Stir in 45g grated hard cheese and a knob of butter. Serve with grilled meat, fish or veg. POLENTA CHIPS Bring 1.4 litres vegetable stock to a simmer, whisk in 280g quick-cook polenta and cook for 10 minutes until very thick, stirring all the time. Scrape out onto a greased baking sheet and level to 2cm thick. Cover and set aside for 1-2 hours to cool. Cut into chips, toss in oil, then spread over 2 baking sheets and roast for 50-55…

Waterfall beef salad (neua nam tok) SERVES 4 AS A PART OF A THAI MEAL. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, PLUS MARINATING “This dish comes from Isaan in northeastern Thailand. You can replace the beef with grilled fish if you like and, while it’s in no way traditional, I’ve even made it with Morecambe Bay brown shrimp.” MAKE AHEAD Marinate the beef up to 2 hours before serving. • 350g grass-fed British rump steak • 2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla) • 100ml chicken stock or water • 1 lemongrass stalk, bashed, outer leaves removed, very finely sliced (optional) • 2 tsp ground roasted chillies (see Special Ingredients, left) or hot chilli powder • 4-6 Thai shallots (from Asian supermarkets or thai-foodonline.co.uk ) – or see swaps • 2 tbsp fresh…

PHOTOGRAPHS: RICHARD FAULKS. There aren’t many parts of Redhill Farm’s pigs that haven’t won an award at some point over the years. The Lincolnshire producer’s free-range pork is a serial Great Taste Award winner, picking up stars for everything from loin and belly to ham hock and sausages. “The quality of the pork is due to Terry’s knowledge, the breed, the feed and the fact that we leave the pigs alone to live freely. We do things properly” But it was a different cut that was crowned with a 3-star award (the highest rating) as well as a Golden Fork (for the best product in its region). Pork shoulder is sometimes overlooked as a muscle fit only for sausages because it needs attention to nurture it to tenderness, but get…