GATHER AROUND
LOOK TO THE LAND FOR SIMPLE, YET EXCEPTIONAL EVERYDAY COOKING
In Gather, British chef Gill Meller encourages home cooks to go back to the beginning. To connect with the foodproducing landscapes that surround us — the farms, fields, gardens, harbours, orchards, seashores and woods.
“All the foundations and building blocks of good cooking stem from an understanding of where the ingredients you’re eating come from,” Meller says.
“And then the cooking really comes at the end. Cooking can be as simple as combining a handful of lovely fresh things from the garden and appreciating it for what it is. It’s not necessarily a complicated and overthought process. That’s the case with much of what I do.”
Gather is both distinctly of a place — Dorset in South West England — and readily translatable. The techniques and ingredients are accessible and inviting; Meller’s recipes will draw you into the kitchen, wherever it may be.
The 120 seasonal recipes are presented in eight chapters, organized by where the key ingredients come from: cheese and pork from the farm; mussels and oysters from the seashore; oats and barley from the field.
“Even if ( readers) live in the city, they can still look at these i mages and descriptions and connect with them. Even in the most primal sense,” he says.
Fans of the River Cottage TV series will likely be familiar with Meller; he has been cooking alongside celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall at his pioneering food empire for more than 10 years.
An advocate for ethically-produced, sustainable food, Meller also teaches at the River Cottage cooking school and contributes to cookbooks (Gather is his first solo volume).
Going back to the source doesn’t necessitate having a full garden at your disposal, Meller emphasizes. Grow your own herbs in a window box or visit a pick- your- own farm during harvest season to see where your food comes from.
“Even if it’s just picking some herbs and putting them i n pasta… j ust the fact that you’ve gone and plucked them and grown them ( makes it) so much more rewarding,” Meller says.
“They might taste the same to anyone else. But to you, the whole process has been one of enjoyment and intrigue and reward.”
Reprinted with permission from Gather: Everyday Seasonal Food from a Year in Our Landscapes by Gill Meller, copyright 2017. Published by Quadrille Publishing c/o Chronicle Books. BARBECUED LITTLE GEMS WITH CUCUMBER, WHITE BEANS, & TAHINI
❚ 3 tbsp (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
❚ 2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
❚ One 14- oz ( 400- g) can of white beans, such as cannellini or butter beans
❚ Juice and zest of 1 lemon ❚ 2 tbsp (30 mL) tahini
❚ 4 tbsp ( 60 mL) plain yogurt
❚ 2 tbsp ( 30 mL) chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
❚ 4 little gem lettuces, halved, washed, and patted dry
❚ 1 medium or 2 small firm cucumbers, halved lengthwise and cut into 1.5- cm (5⁄8in) slices ❚ 1 small bunch of chives, finely chopped and a few left whole
❚ Salt and black pepper 1. Heat 1 tablespoon ( 15 mL) of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium- high heat, then add the garlic. Fry for 25 to 30 seconds, until the garlic begins to soften, then add the white beans and lemon zest. Stir to combine, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the white beans are warmed through. Now, stir in the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, and parsley, along with 2 to 3 tablespoons ( 30 to 45 mL) of water. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until spoonable. If it’s too thick, add a little more water. Remove the pan from the heat.
2. Light your barbecue. Season the little gem halves with salt and pepper, and drizzle them with 1 tablespoon ( 15 mL) of the oil. When your barbecue coals are glowing nice and hot, lay your little gem lettuce, cut- side down, onto t he grill. Grill the lettuce for 5 to 10 minutes on each side — how long will depend upon the heat of your coals, but aim for the lettuce halves to soften, take on some colour, and caramelize; a little charring improves the dish. ( Alternatively, cook on a preheated grill pan.) When the lettuce halves are ready, place them on a large serving platter cut-side up.
3. Put the bean and tahini dressing back on the heat to warm through, and give it a final stir. Spoon it over the lettuce, making sure it trickles through and around the layers of leaves. Scatter over t he prepared cucumber, sprinkle with the chopped chives, strew over the whole chives, then drizzle over the remaining olive oil and season everything with salt and pepper. Serve the salad immediately.
Serves: 8 as an appetizer or 4 as an entrée A SALAD OF RAW BEETS, CURD CHEESE, & ROSE
❚ 5 or 6 beets of mixed colours and all roughly golf-ball sized
❚ Juice and zest of 1 orange
❚ 1 to 2 tsp ( 5 to 10 mL) rosewater
❚ 2 tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
❚ 5 ½ oz ( 150 g) ewe curd cheese, or soft goat cheese, or mascarpone
❚ 2 tsp ( 10 mL) small coriander seeds, toasted, then crushed
❚ A scattering of dried, edible rose petals (optional)
❚ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Scrub or peel the beets depending on the thickness of the skin— if the beets are very fresh, you might be able just to give them a good, old scrub. Use a mandoline or a very sharp knife to slice the beets into about 1mm rounds ( about the thickness of a dime; certainly no thicker than 2mm), and place the rounds in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, make the dressing by combining the orange juice and zest with the rosewater and olive oil, then finish off with a pinch of salt, and a twist of black pepper. Spoon half the dressing over the beet rounds, tumble together using your hands, and allow the salad to rest for 15 to 20 minutes to soften the beets and allow the flavours to marry, mingle, and mellow for a while.
3. To serve, dot large spoonfuls of ewe curd cheese ( or goat cheese, or mascarpone) over a serving platter ( or spread it in a layer, if you prefer). Scatter over the dressed beets, sprinkle over the coriander seeds and the rose petals, if using, and drizzle over a little more dressing before bringing to the table.
Serves: 4 as a starter