Month: November 2019

2 thick slices large white country-style bread, cut into 1″ pieces
60ml / 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
300g / 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, roughly chopped, plus 1 tbsp. brine
1 tsp. finely chopped oregano
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 small juicy ripe cantaloupe (about 675g), rind and seeds removed, flesh cut into irregular bite-size pieces

Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Arrange bread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and lightly crisped, about 9 minutes; let cool.

Whisk oil, vinegar, brine and oregano in a large bowl; season with kosher salt and pepper. Add peppers, cantaloupe, and toasted bread and toss to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.

For the salad:
250g cups quinoa
700ml water
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 large English cucumber
340g roasted red peppers
1/2 small red onion
1 cup pitted olives
15g coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves
115g feta cheese

For the dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse well. Place the quinoa, water, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Transfer the quinoa to a rimmed baking sheet, spread into an even layer, and refrigerate until cooled completely, 10 to 15 minutes.

Place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

Chop 1 large English cucumber into rough 1/2-inch pieces, drain and coarsely chop roasted red peppers, coarsely chop 1 cup pitted olives, finely dice the red onion. Add everything to the bowl.

Add the cooled quinoa and toss to combine and evenly coat in the dressing.

Coarsely chop parsley leaves and add to the bowl. Crumble feta cheese into the salad and toss again gently to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

50g butter, plus extra for greasing
225g fine cornmeal
140g plain flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp salt
560ml buttermilk (or same quantity semi-skimmed milk with a squeeze of lemon juice)
2 eggs

Heat oven to 210C. Smear some butter all over a 23cm cake tin or ovenproof frying pan. Melt the butter in a separate pan.

Meanwhile tip all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Beat together the buttermilk and eggs in a separate bowl, then stir in the melted butter. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined and you have a batter.

Pour the batter into the cake tin or frying pan and smooth the top with a knife. Bake for 25 mins until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 mins, then turn out, cut into wedges and serve. You can make up to 2 days ahead and store in an airtight container, or freeze for up to 1 month.