I had a great harvest of both eggplants and capsicum this summer, unfortunately coinciding with not being able to eat them (gut issues due to long covid). I had frozen both in the hope that I could eat them this winter but with so much in my freezer in that category, I decided to turn them into preserves that I could share with others, and adapted a relish recipe to suit. It takes quite a while to prepare all the ingredients for this Eggplant & Capsicum Relish Recipe - but the result is … [Read more...]
Roasted Cauliflower & Romesco Sauce
I have a freezer full of cauliflower because they always seem to come at once in the garden no matter how I space out the planting times. But this is a good thing because there is always a good supply when I am inspired to make something using them. They are so versatile and can be used as the feature of a meat-free meal. This recipe comes from Jamie Oliver, although I've made a few changes based on the ingredients I had available. You can of course roast and skin your own capsicums/red peppers … [Read more...]
Beans with Walnut Tomato Sauce Recipe
Green beans (especially scarlet runners) are one of the joys of summer. It is nice to be able to serve them so that they are a stunning feature themselves rather than just a side. This Beans with Walnut Tomato Sauce recipe combines green beans, colourful capsicums, and Middle Eastern spices with crunchy walnuts. 1kg green beans (I used scarlet runner beans) 2 small capsicums, mixed colours 425g can tomatoes 1 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp ground … [Read more...]
Layered Eggplant & Capsicum Salad
This layered eggplant & capsicum salad is a tasty and colourful way of presenting late summer vegetables. I love the use of fresh herbs and the combination of Middle Eastern flavours. Although the recipe gives quantities, just go with what you have. The first time I made this I didn't have any capsicum ready in the garden and I'd used the last of my frozen capsicum so I used a jar of preserved capsicum. 3 medium red capsicum (but use whatever colour you have) 1 kg eggplants (the long … [Read more...]
Capsicum & Chilli Jam Recipe
The rich red colour of this Capsicum & Chilli Jam is so festive - and it tastes delicious too, so it makes a great gift (if you can bear to part with it). It is very versatile - you can use it with meats and cheeses, to liven up your savoury muffins, eggs, frittatas or even just a cheese toastie. The autumn harvest is often a very busy time trying to preserve all the produce from the garden, so chillies and capsicums are fantastic because you can just throw them in the freezer … [Read more...]
Chickpea Ratatouille
Traditional Ratatouille is a famous French vegetable stew made in autumn when the main ingredients (eggplant, zucchini/courgette, capsicum, tomatoes) are plentiful. Purists would make it exactly to the traditional recipe but there are many variations now that people call ratatouille, even versions baked in the oven rather than as a stew. I like to stay true to the original vegetable stew concept but add whatever vegetables I happen to have, such as green beans. Some recipes sauté the … [Read more...]
Tomato & Capsicum Soup
Adding capsicum to tomato soup adds extra body and sweetness. I grill and skin capsicums when they are plentiful and freeze them in small bags of one or two so that they are easy to add to tomato soups (or to hummus - another favourite). In summer I boil tomatoes until they are soft and remove the skins. You can put everything through a sieve and remove the seeds as well or just skim out the skins with a slotted spoon. Then I boil until the tomatoes are reduced down to a thick soup before … [Read more...]