Olive Magazine September 2020

This is a month with a spark of promise in the air. Even if you don’t have skin in the ‘back to school/college/uni’ game, the feeling that a brand-new year full of possibility begins right now is hardwired into all of us. September is also a month of seasonal generosity and the promise of an extended summer, which makes it perfect for the Italian slant that we’ve given our content. Olive’s new start includes the return of Pro vs Punter. We’ve sorely missed going out to eat and this issue we are back in the saddle with our new restaurant writer and member of Black Book, a global representation platform for black and non-white people working within hospitality and food media (blackbookorg.com), Eileen Twum. You can read her review of London’s…

Italianmeatb all melt 1 HOUR + CHILLING | SERVES 4 | EASY SAUCE olive oilgarlic 3 cloves, thinly sliceddried chilli flakes 1 tspfinely chopped tomatoes 2 x 400g tinsbalsamic vinegar 1 tbspsugar (any kind) 1 tsppitted black olives 16capers 2 tbspbasil a bunch, tornmozzarella 125g ball, sliced and drained on kitchen paper MEATBALLS onion 1soft white breadcrumbs 75g, soaked in 4 tbsp milkpork mince 200gbeef mince 200gpork sausages 2, skinnedparmesan finely grated to make 4 tbspflat-leaf parsley finely chopped to make 2 tbspsea salt flakes 1 tspcelery salt1/2 tsp egg 1, beaten TO SERVE cooked rigatoni crusty bread • To make the meatballs, cut the top off the onion, peel off the skin and the first two layers (this gets rid of any tough bits). Grate the onion on the coarse side of a box grater then squeeze…

GLASSES Bar Termini regulars will recognise these pearlescent rose liqueur glasses. Pair with a bottle of the bar’s iconic negroni and you’re all set. £24 for two; bottled negroni, £15/200ml, untitled-drinks.com TABLE LINENS Transport yourself to the Ukrainian countryside with these bespoke yellow cherry tree table linens inspired by Olia Hercules’ grandparents’ summer kitchen. From £25, bluebellgray.com KOMBUCHA Get your kombucha fix the easy way with Sodastream’s 45-day brewed concentrates (choose from original or the delicious passion fruit and mandarin). £15.98 for twin pack, sodastream.co.uk NAPKINS Recreate The River Café’s chic Italian vibe at home with these vibrant linen napkins. £10 each, shoptherivercafe.co.uk MAFTOUL Use this traditional and nutty Palestinian grain in anything from creamy risottos to roasted veggie and za’atardusted salads. £2.90/200g, traidcraftshop.co.uk ITALIAN BOWLS Make your pasta dishes shine with these vibrant handmade Italian bowls. £20, allorashop.com JOLLOF SAUCE Stir into…

Late-summer lamb, tomato and tamarind stew 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES SERVES 4 | EASY Tamarind paste gives a sweet-sour edge to this soupy stew. Keep the lamb pieces small so they cook evenly. lamb leg steaks 600g, fat trimmed and cut into bite-sized piecesonion 1 large, finely choppedgarlic 2 cloves, crusheddried chilli flakes 1 tspground turmeric 1 tsptamarind paste 2 tbsprunny honey 1 tbsptomato purée 2 tbspvine tomatoes (really ripe) 400g, choppedchicken stock 400mlflat-leaf parsley a handful, choppedmint a handful, choppedpuffy flatbreads to serve • Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put all the ingredients, except the parsley and mint, in a large, heavy lidded casserole. Season and stir well, then put a double sheet of foil under the lid and close it tightly, scrunching the foil around the lid to seal. • Bake…

Norma is the first restaurant project from the Stafford London hotel and culinary director Ben Tish. It takes its influence from Sicily and in particular the Moorish influences of the island’s cuisine (normalondon.com). Watermelon, chicory and salty pecorino salad with toasted pistachios and fennel herb 30 MINUTES | SERVES 4-6 | EASY Watermelons are the perfect food for a hot day – fresh, juicy, vibrant and cooling. They are nature’s antidote to the sweltering heat. This salad is one of my favourites, a very simple dish that is typical of the way Sicilians put things together, with seasonal produce at its best. It transports me straight back to long summer lunches both in Sicily and at home. watermelon 1 smallred chicory 2 small heads, stalks trimmed, leaves separated and large ones halvedmoscatel vinegar or…

Green hummus 15 MINUTES | SERVES 6-8 EASY ;OPZ›PZ›H›]LY`›KPќLYLU[› O\TT\Z›ÅH]V\Y›^PZL›MYVT› the traditional variety. I really love the vibrant colour but the punchy combination of herbs also gives it a unique flavour that pairs well with crudités, lettuce leaves and pitta bread. It’s also perfect as a filling for sandwiches and wraps. Mostly, though, I like to dip raw carrots into it, as the sweetness works really well, but then again, for a girl like me, hummus can always be eaten on its own by the heaped spoonful. chickpeas 2 x 400g tins, drained and three-quarters of the brine of 1 tin reservedlemon1/2, juiced, plus more to tastegarlic 2 clovesflat-leaf parsley a small bunchcoriander a small bunchtarragon ½ a small bunch, leaves pickedtahini 2 tbspsea salt flakes ½ tsppitta bread to servenigella seeds 1…