What I eat is dictated by the weather and this weekend, despite the muggy suffocating heat in London, I decided to stand by my Aga and cook. My parents had come over and I had no food in the house.
But I do have food in the garden. My dad and I dug up some of the potatoes including the purple skinned heritage spuds. I had plenty of courgette flowers, some tiny cherry tomatoes, a few herbs flowering and going to seed. What can I make?
I’m often inspired by colour when it comes to composing a menu. The purple and green spring onions I have in my fridge and the mauve potatoes….a Swiss rosti? garnished by the purple flowers of Oregano. Where did that idea come from? The last time I had rosti was on the Annapurna trek in Nepal, where every teahouse served it for dinner.
So I grated and chopped. My parents waited. The sweat dripped and the onions sizzled. The air was still as I fried. Even the activity of the flies and wasps seemed half-assed. I had squeezed the liquid out of the strands of potato and onion, the pale green and the purple threads (I kept the skins on). A rosti must be as dry as possible. I was dubious about this rosti however, I’d never made one before. Would it be raw inside? Does raw potato straw just cook?
I served my purple and green rosti with pale chartreuse coloured cucumber salad and cream, some stuffed baked courgette flowers, a glass of teensy tomatoes picked before blight hits, and sprinkled on the herb flowers.
A clinking of knives and forks, scrapings and sloppings were heard. Then a voice, my mum: “Can I have some more?” My dad and daughter eyed the remaining rostis, awaiting seconds.
I tasted. A rosti has a textural mouthfeel. The crispy strands on the outside were crunchy and satisfying, the insides perfectly cooked. I always want crisps, salty and oily, when it’s hot. The rosti fulfils all of those needs and more.
I made a cocktail of Rhubarb flavoured Chase vodka, frozen flower icecubes and soda water to wash it all down. The parents were impressed.
Pudding was a plate of Smarties.
But I do have food in the garden. My dad and I dug up some of the potatoes including the purple skinned heritage spuds. I had plenty of courgette flowers, some tiny cherry tomatoes, a few herbs flowering and going to seed. What can I make?
I’m often inspired by colour when it comes to composing a menu. The purple and green spring onions I have in my fridge and the mauve potatoes….a Swiss rosti? garnished by the purple flowers of Oregano. Where did that idea come from? The last time I had rosti was on the Annapurna trek in Nepal, where every teahouse served it for dinner.
So I grated and chopped. My parents waited. The sweat dripped and the onions sizzled. The air was still as I fried. Even the activity of the flies and wasps seemed half-assed. I had squeezed the liquid out of the strands of potato and onion, the pale green and the purple threads (I kept the skins on). A rosti must be as dry as possible. I was dubious about this rosti however, I’d never made one before. Would it be raw inside? Does raw potato straw just cook?
I served my purple and green rosti with pale chartreuse coloured cucumber salad and cream, some stuffed baked courgette flowers, a glass of teensy tomatoes picked before blight hits, and sprinkled on the herb flowers.
A clinking of knives and forks, scrapings and sloppings were heard. Then a voice, my mum: “Can I have some more?” My dad and daughter eyed the remaining rostis, awaiting seconds.
I tasted. A rosti has a textural mouthfeel. The crispy strands on the outside were crunchy and satisfying, the insides perfectly cooked. I always want crisps, salty and oily, when it’s hot. The rosti fulfils all of those needs and more.
I made a cocktail of Rhubarb flavoured Chase vodka, frozen flower icecubes and soda water to wash it all down. The parents were impressed.
Pudding was a plate of Smarties.
Rosti Recipe:
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 5 purple spring onions
- 5 green spring onions
- 6 purple skinned potatoes
- 6 white waxy potatoes, peeled
- 3 eggs
- 100 g of Parmesan, grated
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Put the spring onions and potatoes through the food processor grater, or grate them by hand.
- Putting a handful in your palm, squeeze any liquid out of it and put into a bowl. Continue until you have squeezed dry all the mixture.
- Then mix in three eggs and the parmesan. Season to taste.
- Squeezing a small handful of mixture, place it in a frying pan of hot olive oil. Press it down with a fish slice. Continue to add small mounds of mixture to the pan, leaving space for pressing down between potato patties.
- Allow the bottom to go golden then carefully flip over the rosti.
- Fry until both sides are golden.
Cucumber and cream salad
This is like a really sinful version of raitha, the yoghurt and cucumber salad.
Serves 5 or just one person, in front of the telly, bowl in lap.
Use a mandoline. Really. Buy one here. I've got an old wooden French one.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 3 cucumbers, peeled, finely sliced into rounds on a mandoline
- Good sea salt.
- 300 ml double cream
Instructions
- Cover the cucumber slices with salt.
- Cover and put in the fridge.
- Then drain off the salt.
- The cucumber are seasoned and crispy.
- Put in a nice bowl and cover with cream.
- Add a sprig of herbs or flowers.
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| Baby tomatoes from my garden |
Rosti's sound good. Must admit I have never made them. Zucchini flowers sound good baked to. I have only had them fried. Much to try!
It was a scorcher of a weekend! The whole meal looks delicious but what did you stuff the flowers with?
I stuffed them with cream and parmesan but I have to say they weren't as good baked.
Kensalgreens….great name
The Rostis look really nice…
The Rostis look really nice…