Recipes

Ingredients

• 2 small golden beetroots
• 1 orange (juice + optional zest)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8–10 basil leaves, torn
• Sea salt & black pepper
• Pinch of ground cinnamon

Method

1. 1Cook the beetroots until tender, cool and peel.
2. 2Slice both the beetroots and the peeled orange paper-thin into rounds using a sharp knife or mandolin.
3. 3Arrange the beetroot and orange rounds in overlapping circles on the plate.
4. 4Whisk any leftover orange juice with the olive oil and drizzle over.
5. 5Scatter with torn basil, cinnamon, salt and pepper to serve.

Ingredients

• 500 g very ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 slices stale sourdough or country bread
• 1 small red onion, sliced paper-thin
• A big handful of basil, torn
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Sea salt & black pepper

Method

1. 1Salt the tomatoes generously in a big bowl and leave for 10 minutes to draw out the juice.
2. 2Tear the bread into rough chunks and toast in a dry pan until crisp on the edges but still chewy in the middle.
3. 3Toss the bread with the tomatoes and their juice, the onion, olive oil and vinegar.
4. 4Let it sit 5 minutes so the bread soaks up the tomato water. Fold in the basil right before serving.

Ingredients

• 2 sweet peppers
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 2 tbsp mixed soft herbs, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, black pepper

Method

1. 1Halve the peppers lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
2. 2Mix the rice with the herbs, garlic, olive oil and seasoning.
3. 3Fill the peppers, drizzle with a little more oil and bake at 200 °C for 20–25 mins.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 600 g ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 1 tin)
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• A generous handful of basil
• 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper

Method

1. 1Sweat the onion and garlic in oil until soft, 5 minutes.
2. 2Add tomatoes and stock, simmer for 15 minutes.
3. 3Blend until smooth, stir in torn basil and season to taste.

Ingredients

• 3 big courgettes, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 600 ml vegetable stock
• A handful of basil
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 50 ml cream or Greek yoghurt (optional)
• Salt, pepper

Method

1. 1Sweat the onion and garlic in the oil until soft, 6 mins.
2. 2Add the courgettes and cook another 8 minutes to draw out water.
3. 3Pour in the stock, simmer 5 minutes.
4. 4Blend with the basil until silky. Loosen with cream if you like, season and serve warm or chilled.

Ingredients

• 3 big handfuls of soft herbs (basil, parsley, coriander, dill — pick one or mix)
• 150 ml olive oil (roughly)
• 2 ice cube trays

Method

1. 1Wash and pat the herbs completely dry (wet herbs = watery cubes).
2. 2Chop roughly, pack into the ice cube tray compartments — about ⅔ full.
3. 3Pour olive oil over each cube until submerged, top up any air pockets.
4. 4Freeze overnight, then pop out and store in a labelled bag in the freezer.
5. 5Drop a cube straight into a hot pan when you're cooking in January and summer comes back for a minute.

Ingredients

• 3 big handfuls basil (leaves only)
• 50 g pine nuts or toasted sunflower seeds
• 1 clove garlic
• 50 g grated parmesan (add later to keep the freeze cleaner)
• 150 ml olive oil
• Sea salt

Method

1. 1Blitz the basil, nuts, garlic, oil and salt to a rough paste — leave the cheese out for now.
2. 2Spoon into ice cube trays, freeze overnight, pop out into a labelled bag.
3. 3When you use one, thaw it in a warm pan then stir the cheese through fresh — the flavour stays clean.

Ingredients

• 2 kg ripe tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• A few basil stalks
• Sea salt

Method

1. 1Score the base of each tomato with an X, drop in boiling water for 30 seconds, then into cold water. Slip the skins off.
2. 2Chop roughly and simmer with the garlic, basil stalks and salt for 40 minutes until thick.
3. 3Pass through a food mill or sieve to remove seeds. Cook down another 10 minutes if it's still watery.
4. 4Pour into sterilised bottles/jars, screw lids on tight while hot. Keeps 6 months in a cool cupboard, or freeze in plastic bottles.