Olive Magazine May 2019

My charming husband-to-be often likes to point out that I have a nose of a bloodhound I like to think of it as my superpower (I can track food from far distances) and for that I am grateful and proud. I can also – and I know I’m not alone in this – be instantly transported to another time or a place with a whiff of a decent dinner. Baking pastry takes me back to my maternal grandmother’s Cotswold kitchen. What that woman couldn’t bake isn’t worth knowing. White pepper reminds me of my paternal grampy, who douses every meal with the stuff. He also eats whole raw onions like apples. Proper ripe tomatoes, the kind that smell of their vine and the sunshine, remind me of the hot streets…

Chorizo meatball and feta traybake 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES | SERVES 4 | EASY new potatoes 500g, cut into quartersolive oil 2 tbspbaby plum tomatoes 200g, halvedfeta 200g pack, crumbledflat-leaf parsley a handful of leaves, chopped MEATBALLS pork mince 400gcooking chorizo 200g, skinned and finely choppedegg 1garlic 1 clove, crushedonion 1 small, gratedground cumin 1 tspsweet smoked paprika 1 tsp Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 Toss the potatoes in the olive oil and season Scatter over the bottom of a non stick roasting tin and roast for 20 minutes until starting to brown Meanwhile put all the meatball ingredients into a bowl season and mix until well combined Shape the mixture into small meatballs (you should be able to make about 24) then add them to the roasting tin Bake for a further 15…

MICRO HERBS From borage and buckwheat to radish and red perilla, grow your own greens in a recyclable letterbox packet. £4, sillygreens.com TORTILLA CRISPS We mucho amor these moreish new McCoy's crisps. £1.99/180g, Tesco SPICED CHOCOLATE We love the gentle warmth of cinnamon and nutmeg in this seed-to-bar chocolate, made in St Vincent. £4.95/100g,islandschocolate.com PORCELAIN PLATE Boiled, fried or scrambled, use this quirky plate for your next plate of eggs. £25, store.wallpaper.com BISCOFF LOLLIES Layers of ice cream, sweet Lotus Biscoff spread, chunks of biscuit and Belgian chocolate – these beauties won’t last long in your freezer. £3.89/3, Waitrose SWEETCORN HOLDER Let mighty King Corn take your BBQ game to the next level. £9.95, souschef.co.uk CERAMIC SPOON Handmade to serve up dips and toppings. £8.95, nkuku.com COCONUT CHOCOLATE Think a posh Bounty. £16/200g, charbonnel.co.uk GINGER KEFIR Keep your gut in good health with this fiery honey and…

Sea trout, new potato and asparagus traybake with dill mustard sauce 45 MINUTES | SERVES 4 | EASY | LC GF baby new potatoes 1kgasparagus 400golive oil 2 tbspsea trout or salmon 4 fillets DILL MUSTARD SAUCE dijon mustard 2 tbspsoft light brown sugar 1 tbspwhite wine vinegar 2 tbspgroundnut oil 4 tbspdill chopped to make 2 tbsp, plus extra to serve • Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cook the potatoes in a pan of salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook for a further 2 minutes. Drain really well then run the asparagus under cold water and put aside. Toss the potatoes with the olive oil and season generously. Spread them over a large, non-stick baking tray or dish and roast for 15-20 minutes or until they’re starting…

Mighty medina falafel sandwich 1 HOUR + OVERNIGHT SOAKING MAKES 8 PITTAS | EASY | South along the coast from Beirut is the ancient Phoenician port of Saida, or Sidon. The city is known for its street food and I ended up scouring the sun-soaked medina and sampling incredible cuisine among the heaving hummus stalls and sizzling shawarma bars. But the dish of the day went to the restaurant Falafel Akkawi Saida, which serves the best falafel sandwich in the medina. They nailed it – the combination of crispy fried falafel, creamy condiments, crunchy salad and tangy pickles was out of this world. FALAFELS onion 1, roughly choppedgarlic 4 clovescoriander a large handfulflat-leaf parsley a large handful of leaveschickpeas 400g, soaked overnight in cold water and drainedgram flour 4 tbspground cumin 2 tspground coriander…

Sticky miso nuts and seeds 30 MINUTES | MAKES APPROXIMATELY 6 PORTIONS EASY | If salted caramel is your bag, then get ready for miso caramel – a heady mix of the salt and sweet combination with a shed load of umami. The miso caramel makes these nuts ridiculously moreish but would also be great on griddled aubergines, barbecued chicken thighs or on roasted pumpkin. cashew nuts 100gpeanuts 100gwhole almonds 100ggranulated sugar 100gtoasted sesame oil 2 tspbrown miso paste 2 tbsppumpkin seeds 25gsunflower seeds 25gblack or white sesame seeds (or a mixture) 3 tbspblack peppercorns ground to make ¼ tsp • Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Spread all the nuts on 1 or 2 shallow baking trays and roast in the oven for 15 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden brown. • After you’ve…