[blog-archive-images]
Every month, Slow Food UK will bring you easy-to-follow recipes featuring in-season fruit and veg, so you can enjoy fresh, flavourful meals.
Eating seasonal produce benefits both you and the planet. It ensures you’re consuming food at its peak ripeness and nutritional value, supports local farmers, and reduces the carbon footprint of transporting out-of-season produce.
Slow Food UK has partnered with two culinary experts to show how easy it is to create delicious dishes that connect you to your community and the natural cycles of the seasons. These recipes will inspire you to embrace seasonal eating and enjoy cooking with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. If you already embrace the Slow Food ethos when cooking, then simply carry on and add these to your recipe book.
This month brings us a gorgeous array of Summer side dishes that centre around beetroot and a delicious and simple roast peach dessert.
Summer sidekicks by Cheryl Minton
Every hero needs a side kick.
I’ve chosen to focus on side dishes for summer days, when you don’t want to be a slave to the stove. The recipes are versatile and easy to make in advance. They will elevate your main meals and kick them up a notch. They are perfect to go with a lunchtime salad or sandwich, barbecue sides, picnic spreads or to accompany snacks whilst watching the big sports events.
These recipes for July centre around beetroot. I adore beetroot for its sweet, earthy flavours and vibrant colour and how it matches up to salty and sour flavours.
I’ve tried to re-use the same ingredients for each recipe so if you decide to make them all, it will avoid waste.
My ingredients were sourced locally in my home town of Ludlow from @ludlow.market @broadstreet60 @harplanedeli @mousetrapcheese @myriadorganics using ingredients from @rusticpuglia olive oil, Titterstone clee honey, @droitwich_salt, @halenmon oak smoked water.
Smokey beetroot ketchup
This recipe is inspired by my favourite local cafe @csons_food who make their own amazing beetroot ketchup in house. I wanted to make it smokey but not spicy so I added smoked water. If you want a little heat, add smoked paprika or chipotle chilli flakes instead.
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
Bunch of beetroot (500g) roasted in the oven, peeled and diced (keep 250g for this recipe. Use the beetroot leaves and leftover roasted beetroot for the next recipe)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 celery stick chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 star anise (optional)
100ml sherry vinegar (or any type you have available)
50g brown sugar
1 tablespoon Oak smoked water (optional)
Method
- To roast the beetroot, coat each one with olive oil and salt and wrap them individually in parchment paper and then foil. Roast in the oven at 180C for an hour or until you can poke a skewer through easily. Once cool, run each one under the tap in the sink to help peel off the skins easily and to stop your fingers and worktop from going pink from the juices.
- In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion, carrot and celery and fry until soft and golden.
- Add garlic, cumin and star anise and fry for another minute.
- Add half of the diced beetroot, vinegar and sugar and bring to the boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, the mixture can be cooled and added to a blender.
- Blitz the mixture for a few minutes until very smooth.
- This is when I added smoked water to the mixture. Do a taste test to see if you want to add extra for more intensity.
- Add the ketchup to a sterilised jar and keep refrigerated. It will keep for a few months but I promise you, it will be all eaten up by then.
Sweet beetroot and mint salsa
A zingy salsa that will liven up any summer dish.
250g of the leftover oven roasted beetroot, peeled and diced
A handful of mint chopped
1 green chilli finely chopped
2cm ginger root grated
1 tablespoon local honey
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar (or any type you have available)
½ lemon
Generous pinch of salt
Method
- Whisk together the honey, olive oil, vinegar, lemon, grated ginger and salt in a large bowl and then add the rest of the ingredients.
Beet top salsa verde
A classic recipe to use up the whole of the beetroot. The leaves taste just like beetroot and will complement the balance of sharp and salty flavours.
Ingredients
Beetroot green tops (or Swiss chard)
1 small red onion finely chopped
10 cornichons finely chopped
1 tablespoon of capers finely chopped
2 anchovy fillets finely chopped
Handful of parsley finely chopped
Handful of dill finely chopped
Handful of mint chopped
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (or any type you have)
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 garlic clove grated
Salt and pepper
Method
- In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil with the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and garlic.
- Add the chopped green beetroot leaves and finely diced beet stems, with the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Season the salsa verde with sea salt and pepper.
Whipped goats cheese
I love the bright, tangy flavour of goat’s cheese. This is a 5 minute recipe that complements the beetroot dishes.
Dressing ingredients
100g fresh goat’s milk cheese
1 tablespoon creme fraiche or natural yogurt
3 tablespoons cold water
Salt and pepper
Mint leaves finely chopped to garnish
Method
- Whip all the wet ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and creamy then add salt and pepper to desired taste.
- Sprinkle the chopped herbs over the top to garnish.
Potato salad
In the summer, I think there should always be a bowl of potato salad ready in the fridge because it goes with everything, especially beetroot.
Ingredients
1k baby potatoes
Salt & pepper
Dressing
1 small red onion finely chopped
10 cornichons finely chopped
1 tablespoon of capers
2 anchovy fillets finely chopped
Handful of parsley finely chopped
Handful of dill finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
1 garlic clove grated
Juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons of natural yogurt
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon local honey
Salt & pepper
Method
- Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes with salt until just tender then drain and set them aside to cool.
- To make the dressing, mix all the wet ingredients with salt and pepper in a large bowl then add the rest of the ingredients.
Quick pickled red onions
A recipe to garnish your summer dishes in beautiful zingy pink ribbons.
Ingredients
1 red onion sliced thinly into half moons
3 tablespoons of red vinegar
1 teaspoon local honey (or sugar)
Big pinch of salt
Method
- Add the vinegar, honey and salt to a bowl then submerge the onions and leave overnight in the fridge or leave out until you dish up.
Acknowledgements
Recipe created and photographed by Cheryl Minton
Instagram: www.instagram.com/a_la_chez
Facebook www.facebook.com/chezminton
Website: www.cherylminton.com
Hot Honey Peaches, Cherries & Cream by Laoise Casey
Roast peaches and pickled cherries, drizzled with hot honey made from the peaches’ roasting juices. Served on a swirl of crème fraiche and a finishing touch of fresh mint and pistachios.
A speedy dessert, celebrating two beautiful summer fruits – peaches and cherries. This one is perfect for when you need an easy last minute dessert and don’t fancy baking or spending ages in the kitchen.
Roasting the peaches with a little Demerara sugar, adds a delicious caramel undertone, which pairs wonderfully with both fresh and pickled cherries. Those peach roasting juices are a golden elixir to make the best hot honey drizzle. I love the addition of the mint – it really makes all the flavours sing along with the crunchy pistachios.
Ingredients (serves 2)
2 peaches, halved
A knob of butter, melted
1 tbsp demerara sugar
100g cherries, pitted and halved
3 tbsp cider vinegar
Chilli flakes, to taste
1 tbsp honey
4 tbsp crème fraiche
Mint leaves to garnish
1 tbsp pistachios, toasted & roughly chopped
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Melt a knob of butter in the microwave or in a pan.
- Slice the peaches in half and remove the stone. Pop them into a baking dish, cut side up. Brush them with the butter and sprinkle with some of the Demerara sugar, keeping the rest of the sugar for the cherry pickle. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, until they are caramelised.
- Meanwhile, make the pickled cherries. Pit the cherries and slice them in half. I like to pickle half and keep the rest fresh, if you prefer you can pickle them all.
- In a small pan heat up the cider vinegar with the rest of the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved pour it over the cherries you want to pickle. Drain them just before using.
- When the peaches are cooked, you’ll be left with juices in the dish. To make the hot honey drizzle, remove the peaches from the dish, then stir the honey and chilli flakes into this and mix well. Add as much chilli as you like, depending on how hot you like it.
- To assemble, swirl a dollop of the crème fraiche in each bowl. Spoon the roast peaches on top, scatter the pickled and fresh cherries on top. Scatter with some mint leaves and sprinkle over the pistachios. Tuck in and enjoy!
Ingredients sourced from Borough Market and herbs from my garden
