The Food Diaries

Strawberry and passion fruit curd tarts

Fill pre-baked mini shortcrust pastry tart shells in the following order: a dollop of passion fruit jam* to coat the bottom, some good quality, passion fruit or lemon curd (store-bought or try making your own if you have some time), piped over-top using a pastry bag, a dollop of whipped cream, a couple thin slices of strawberries and then drizzled with more passion fruit jam.

These will explode with flavour in your mouth!

* Passion fruit jam: 

Scoop out the pulp of around 

Scottish delicacies to be found at the butchers in Castle Douglas, Scotland

Nettle risotto

After having been inspired by the nettle risotto I recently had in Italy I had the opportunity to reproduce my own when I found some nettles on a recent trip to Scotland. Be very careful with nettles as they sting quite badly. I used a pair of scissors to snip off the leaves into a bowl. 

I tried Giorgio Locatelli’s recipe (see below) which can be halved if serving 4-6 people as a starter. 

To make it, you need: two big handfuls of young nettle leaves (set a few aside for the garnish); 2.5 litres vegetable stock; 50g butter; one onion, very finely chopped; 400g Vialone Nano rice; 125ml dry white wine; salt and pepper; 75g cold butter, cut into cubes; 100g Parmesan, grated.

Blanch the nettles in salted boiling water for 30 seconds, drain and put into a food processor. Pulse to a purée, adding a little water if needed to keep it on the loose side. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Melt 50g of butter in a heavy-based pan, add the onion, and cook gently until translucent. Add the rice and stir both to coat it in the butter and to “toast” the grains. Make sure all the rice is warm, then add the wine. Let the wine evaporate until the onion and rice are nearly dry, then add stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly, each time waiting for the liquid to evaporate before adding the next ladle.

After about 10 minutes, add the nettle purée, and carry on cooking, adding stock as you go, until the rice is soft but still al dente (with bite) - the risotto shouldn’t be too “soupy” otherwise, when you add the butter and Parmesan, it will end up too sloppy. Turn down the heat, allow it to rest for a couple of minutes, then, using a wooden spoon, beat in the cold cubed butter and Parmesan. Season and serve garnished with a fried or oven-dried nettle leaf.

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Carrot Cake

This is the moistest carrot cake I have ever eaten. A winner. Note that a full recipe will need a dish the size of a roasting dish to bake in the oven and will feed many people (I can get 36 squares). So unless you are having a party half the recipe is plenty.

In a very large bowl mix together 3 cups flours, 3 cups sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbs baking soda, and 1 tbs cinnamon. Add 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (I prefer rapeseed), 4 eggs, beaten and 1 tbs vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl mix together 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, 1 1/2 cups shredded/dessicated coconut, 1 1/2 cups puréed cooked carrots, and 3/4 cup drained crushed pineapple. 

Now combine the two mixtures together and pour the batter into your preferred baking tin (large enough to fill up to 3/4) which has either been buttered or lined with baking parchment. Bake for 30-45 minutes at 180 degrees celsius till a knife comes out clean. Let cool completed before icing.

Here is a basic recipe for cream cheese icing. Note that you will need to double the quantities if using the full recipe above. Cream together 250g cream cheese and 90g butter, both at room temperature (this is important, otherwise your icing will be lumpy). Slowly mix in 3 cups icing sugar. Add the juice of half a lemon.

To make the carrots I used dried apricots and pieces of mint.

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Pink risotto with ripe summer tomatoes

This recipe works brilliantly when summer tomatoes are at their ripest (and most abundant). The key to maintaining the fresh flavours is to add the raw tomatoes right at the end of the cooking - and try not to scrounge too much on the quantity of tomatoes!

(the ingredients below are per person)

Peel and deseed 450g/1lb ripe tomatoes, straining the seeds and juice through a sieve into a bowl. Dice the tomatoes, sprinkle with sea salt and place in the sieve over the same bowl. Let the juices drip through (this will take about an hour), occasionally delicately stir the diced tomatoes to release more juice.

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a pan, add a quarter peeled red onion, finely chopped and stir till softened. Add 1 small finely chopped garlic clove and stir again. Now add around 1/3 cup (70g) carnaroli or arborio rice and stir for a couple of minutes. Add a 1/4 cup white wine and let reduce completely. Now start adding some of the tomato juice, little by little till the liquid gets absorbed. When you have run out of the juice start adding vegetable or chicken stock which has been kept simmering on the stove (you will need about 1/2 cup).

When the rice is nearly done (i.e. al dente - so with still a bite to the grains of rice), turn off the heat, add the chopped tomatoes, and a handful of grated parmesan. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. 

Serve sprinkled with a handful of small basil leaves and some freshly ground pepper.

Optional: a few flakes of chilli pepper and/or 1 tbs of thick cream or marscapone can be added with the tomatoes.

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Shrimp tacos

Prep the ingredients for the taco fillings: finely shred a couple of small gem lettuces, dice one ripe avocado, deseed and chop a ripe tomato, finely chop two spring onions, mix together 200g cooked small shrimp with 1/3 cup sour cream, chipotle paste to taste (or other Mexican chilli sauce) the juice of 1/2 lime, salt and pepper to taste.

Heat up a stack of 6-8 small corn tortillas (heat till softened in a dry frying pan) then keep warm and covered.

Now assemble the tacos: lettuce, tomatoes, shrimps, avocado, spring onions, and top with additional sour cream and a squeeze of lime.

Serves 2. Alternatively, skip the tortilla and serve in salad bowls.

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