As Strong As Soup

For me, summer meals often mean creating a selection of mezze dishes (or should it be meze? I don't know and neither does my dictionary). I'll regularly make French carottes râpées and some classic hummus but, just for a change, here are two alternatives to those classics which should freshen things up a bit.  I use the amounts given here to serve 2, 3 or 4 people as part of a mezze, depending on how many other dishes I can be bothered to make. Spanish Carrot Salad I've had this recipe scribbled in a notebook for more than 30 years but, until recently, I'd never actually made a version using the PX (Pedro Ximenez) sherry vinegar that the recipe called for. It was only during lockdown that I shifted myself to buy some on line. But you could use another sherry vinegar, as long as you add a little extra sweetness (and maybe a dash of PX sherry). I've played around with the dish a little to suit my tastes these days but it's not complicated to make and it's an o...

OK, I admit that some people would rather eat gravel than herrings but I love the little silver darlings and this dish is my way of celebrating some of the excellent marinated herrings produced in the UK. At one time the marinades plonked on this poor little fish could be used as an alternative to paint stripper but the products from some of the smaller suppliers today are a completely different kettle of herring. (You could create your own marinated herring and that would be a wonderful thing to do but I'm assuming that time isn't hanging heavy on your hands.) For this salad you need a good quality marinated herring without any overly strong flavours. A simple dill or light mustard marinade would be perfect. This is actually a little offering from my Dieppe days. Le Pollet is the traditional fishermens’ quarter of Dieppe where old sea dogs sit mending their nets and telling colourful tales of life on the unforgiving sea. Actually, it may have been like that once when Walter ...

This can’t be called a full-scale recipe, it’s really just a useful alternative way to cook courgettes. I found it especially handy when my courgette plants suddenly decided to become surprisingly productive towards the end of the season. We’ve been told for years that vegetables should never be overcooked so this method sounds odd, but trust me, it really works. This healthy little dish can be used hot or warm alongside meat or fish (don’t overdo the mint and lemon if you’re serving it with subtly flavoured foods). It also works really well at room temperature as a part of a mezze – I think it’s a good alternative to the more common aubergine salad. I grew yellow courgettes this year and I think the colour’s very pleasing, but green courgettes will work just fine too. If you’ve let a few courgettes get a bit larger than usual, then you can still use them very successfully in this dish, but it would be best to scrape out and discard the seeds. The amounts given here will give you a...

This salad could be made with leftover chicken, or, given the time of year, even leftover turkey. I try not to have too much to do with turkeys - we've always had a strained relationship. It's some years since I cooked a Christmas turkey and on that occasion the bird was still in a garage in Widnes on Christmas morning and nobody could quite remember which garage. This recipe will serve 2 people. A few chicken thighs with skin on and bone in; 4 maybe, but as many as you feel like eating 2 portions of medium egg noodles (around 125 g altogether, uncooked) A good handful of green beans 6 smallish or 4 large spring onions For cooking the chicken:      1 scant tsp 5-spice powder      3 tbsp dark soy sauce      1 tbsp balsamic vinegar      2 tsp sesame oil For the dressing:      2 tbsp dark soy sauce      2 tbsp light soy sauce      1 ...

Cranberries, clementines and nuts sound a bit too Christmassy for me - Christmas comes very low on my list of favourite times of the year. But then I thought why shouldn't I be using these really good ingredients when they're at their best? It's not their fault that they get slopped on to turkey or turn up at the bottom of Santa's sack. So I've had a go. This salad will serve 4 as part of a mezze or 2 as a light lunch with some flatbreads or something of that kind. 1 green pepper 1 onion, finely chopped 3 medium orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, around 600 – 650 g unpeeled weight 1 tsp ground cumin ¼ tsp chilli powder 350 ml vegetable stock 2 tsp lemon juice 3 tsp clementine juice 2 tsp maple syrup 2 tsp pomegranate molasses 2 clementines, divided into segments A generous handful of cranberries A generous handful of shelled pistachios A sprig or two of chervil or parsley Skin the pepper: grill it until blackened, place in a sealed plastic bag whil...