QUICK FIX

PEACH, GINGER & STAR ANISE COBBLER SERVES 6 / PREPARATION 15 MINUTES / COOKING 30 MINUTES

FOR THE FILLING

8 peaches, peeled and cut into wedges 2 tablespoons caster sugar juice of ½ lemon

5cm piece ginger, peeled and grated 3 star anise

2 teaspoons cornflour

FOR THE TOPPING

200g flour

80g instant polenta 2 teaspoons baking powder 75g caster sugar 125g chilled butter, cubed 170ml cream

1 tablespoon demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Mix together the peaches, caster sugar, lemon juice, ginger and star anise and leave for 10 minutes. Sprinkle over the cornflour, mix with the peaches and put into a baking dish.

For the topping, combine the flour, instant polenta, baking powder and sugar in a food processor. Add the butter and blitz to small nuggets. Pour in the cream and use a spatula to bring together adding more cream if necessary. Shape into balls and put on top of the peaches. Brush the tops of the balls with cream, sprinkle with the demerara sugar and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and fruit is bubbling.

Butterflied chicken with harissa, creamed corn & salsa

Blitz together some preserved lemon, oil, harissa, smoked paprika and garlic. Smear all over a butterflied chicken. Bake or barbecue until cooked. Serve with a simple creamed corn by cutting kernels from the cob (allow one cob per person), put in a pot with chicken stock to come halfway up the kernels. Add a knob of butter, salt and pepper, and some sour cream. Cook for 5 minutes, adding fresh coriander. Blitz half the mix if you wish. Serve with a salsa of chopped cucumber and tomato.

Sweetcorn & white bean fritters

Blanch 3 cobs of corn and remove the kernels. Put half the kernels in a food processor with 1 x 400g can drained and rinsed white beans and blitz together.

Add the remaining kernels. Season with salt and pepper, add plenty of chopped coriander, parsley, basil or mint, along with some chilli flakes, 3 tablespoons flour and ½ teaspoon baking powder. Spoon into a frying pan heated with oil. These are quite soft so handle gently. Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden. Delicious served with the tomato and zucchini gratin or a simple green salad.

Tomato & zucchini gratin

Slice 6 zucchini into rounds and salt for 20 minutes if you have time. Rinse and dry and put into a bowl with 4 tomatoes (low acid or meaty tomatoes with little liquid are best here) sliced into rounds. Add 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, and shredded basil leaves. Oil a gratin dish, pile in the vegetables. Season well and drizzle generously with olive oil. Lightly oil ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs and mix in a couple of tablespoons grated Parmesan. Scatter the crumbs over the vegetables and bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbling and golden.

Grilled broccolini with dukkah

Blanch the broccolini (or use broccoli) for 1 minute, drain and refresh, then grill on a barbecue for 3-4 minutes until lightly charred and tender. Dress with a citrus olive oil (lemon, lime or yuzu), scatter with dukkah and chopped roasted nuts such as hazelnuts or walnuts.

GRILLED PUMPKIN SALAD, TOFU-TAHINI DRESSING & PEPITAS

In a blender combine 100g silken tofu, a small garlic clove, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 2 tablespoons tahini, the grated rind of 1 lime and juice of ½ and blitz until smooth. Refrigerate until required (it will thicken up in the fridge so you may need to add water to reach a drizzling consistency). In a dry pan toast some pumpkin seeds. Peel and very thinly slice some pumpkin (use a mandolin). Grill for a few minutes on each side, in batches, then toss with lime juice, add coriander leaves and serve with the tofutahini dressing and scatter with the pumpkin seeds.