GAZPACHO SHOOTERS WITH CHEESE TOASTS
SERVES 4
Originating in Andalucia, gazpacho is the quintessential Spanish summer soup. It’s so popular that many regions have their own variation, from salmorejo in Cordoba to ajoblanco in Granada. But they all have one thing in common: it’s served super chilled to keep you cool and refreshed during the hot summer months.
Instead of using bread in the soup, I’ve opted to use the bread for cheesy toasts – what’s not to love about melted cheese and tomato?
FOR THE GAZPACHO
• ¼ cucumber, chopped
• 1 red sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• a few drops of Tabasco, or to taste
• ½ tsp finely chopped garlic
• a pinch of sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup Greek yoghurt, plus extra to garnish (optional)
• mint leaves, to garnish
FOR THE CHEESE TOASTS
• 4 slices white bread
• ¼ cup cream cheese
• 2 tbsp grated Cheddar
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tsp onion flakes
• 2 tsp garlic flakes
• 1 tsp coarse salt
1. Use a stick blender to blitz the cucumber, red pepper and tinned tomatoes. Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper; blend together. Add the yoghurt and give it a final blitz. Chill until ready to serve.
2. To make the cheese toasts, preheat the oven to 180°C. Cut the crusts off the bread and slice the bread into 2 cm-wide fingers. Place on a baking sheet in the oven and bake for a few minutes until the bread starts to harden.
3. Combine the cream cheese and Cheddar, and season generously with pepper.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the poppy seeds, sesame seeds, onion flakes, garlic flakes and salt.
5. Spread some cheese mixture on the toasts and scatter seed mixture on top. Bake in the oven until the cheese starts to melt. Remove and allow to cool slightly. (Store leftover seed mixture in an airtight container.)
6. Serve the gazpacho in glasses, each with a dollop of yoghurt, if using, and a mint leaf as garnish, and the cheese toasts on the side.
Salmon and baby marrow skewers are easy to prepare ahead of time and quick to cook. They are great for parties: the vibrant colours look fantastic on a platter. What’s more, cooked baby marrow is high in vitamin A. Simple, fresh and fabulous.
FOR THE SKEWERS
• 16 short wooden skewers
• ¾ cup olive oil, plus 1 tbsp olive oil to sauté
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme • 5–6 baby marrows
• 400 g Norwegian salmon, skin removed
FOR THE HARISSA SAUCE
• ½ cup Greek yoghurt
• ½ cup crème fraîche
• 4 tsp harissa paste
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• chopped chives, to garnish
1. Soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning.
2. Combine ¾ cup olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and thyme in a shallow dish.
3. Slice the baby marrow into ribbons (I use a potato peeler) and cut the salmon into bite-size pieces. Add the baby marrow and salmon to the olive oil mixture and let the flavours develop for about 30 minutes.
4. Thread a ribbon of baby marrow onto a skewer, followed by a piece of salmon, and repeat until you have 2 pieces of salmon and 3 baby marrow ribbons on a skewer. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and cook the skewers, turning them until the salmon is just done and taking care not to overcook it. Remove and set aside.
5. Combine the ingredients for the harissa sauce in a couple of serving bowls and garnish with chopped chives. Serve it with the skewers.
SALMON & BABY MARROW SKEWERS WITH HARISSA SAUCE
MAKES 16 SKEWERS