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Judy Ridgway


August 2015

STUFFED COURGETTE WITH FETA AND OLIVES

This simple summer salad makes a great starter or it can be served on its own to make a light lunch.


    Ingredients

  • 4 large courgettes
  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 300g feta cheese, crumbled
  • Juice and zest from half an orange
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Mixed salad leaves
  • 100g mixed olives

Method:

  1. Cut the courgettes into long thin slices and fry in 4 tablespoons of olive oil in batches until golden on each side.
  2. Remove from the pan and leave to drain and cool on kitchen paper.
  3. Mix the garlic, feta, orange juice and zest and seasoning.
  4. Place a small spoonsful of this mixture on each strip of courgette and roll up.
  5. Arrange the mixed salad leaves on four serving places and place the stuffed courgette rolls on top.
  6. Dot with olives and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Serve at once.


LAMB WITH APRICOTS

This French casserole dish is inspired by North African cooking brought over by migrant workers in the olive groves of Provence. Use a fruity oil from Aix en Provence or Nyons.


Ingredients

  • 600g lean lamb, cut into chunks
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander
  • 1 tablespoon freshly chopped mint
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • Pinch ground nutmeg
  • Juice or 1 lemon
  • 1 onion, peeled and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon plain flour
  • 100g dried apricot
  • 50g raisins
  • 600ml lamb stock
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
  1. Place the lamb in a bowl with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, herbs, spices and lemon juice.
  2. Leave to stand in the fridge for a few hours, turning occasionally.
  3. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and sauté the onions until lightly browned.
  4. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or so.
  5. Add the lamb and all the contents of the bowl it was marinated in.
  6. Stir well over a medium heat.
  7. Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil.
  8. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour until the lamb is tender and the juices have thickened a little.
  9. You may need to adjust the juices as the meat cooks, adding little more stock as required.


BAKED PEACHES ON BRIOCHE

Brioche makes a great pastry substitute.

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe peaches, cut in half and stoned
  • 4 thick slices from a brioche loaf
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • A little raspberry jam

Method:

  1. Set the oven to 200C/Gas 6 .
  2. Dip the slices of brioche in the olive oil and press into an oven proof dish or tin.
  3. Arrange the peach halves on the top and add a small dollop of jam in the centre of each peach.
  4. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the peaches are tender and the brioche is crispy round the outside.



If you are interested in more recipes using extra virgin olive oil see “REMARKABLE RECIPES from the people who really know about extra virgin olive oil – the producers” at Amazon for kindle and for itunes.


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