How To Make The Most Of Those Final Weeks Of Summer With Simple, Healthy Recipes
Welcome to summer’s final stage! August and September are the seasons of blue skies, cooler nights and a hearty appetite for fresh seasonal ingredients that work well with extra virgin olive oil.
If you’re ready to explore this magical time of year in your kitchen, then look no further – we’ve got the perfect recipe for late summer cooking with extra virgin olive oil.
With its unique flavour profile that varies from earthy to fruity depending on its origin and how it’s been processed, extra virgin olive oil adds an intense taste dimension when used in dessert or savoury dishes while still allowing other flavours to come through. Join us as we explore how it can be used alongside flavourful late-summer ingredients such as aubergine and plums in delicious recipes that will give each one of them a unique spin!
This satisfying vegetarian alternative to beef lasagne from bbc good food is a great way to use up those seasonal aubergines, or egg plants depending on which side of the Atlantic you live!
Aubergine Parmigiana Lasagne With Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ingredients
- 3 large aubergines, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthways
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 250g vegetarian mozzarella, drained and coarsely grated
- 50g vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, grated
- 1 bunch of basil, leaves picked and roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
- 8 dried lasagne sheets (egg lasagne sheets are best for this)
For the tomato sauce
- 3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp golden caster sugar
- 6 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- For the sauce, heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the garlic for 1 min until golden. Add the sugar and vinegar, simmer for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes. Season with salt and return to a simmer. Bubble for 10 mins, then remove from the heat and set aside. Can be prepared up to two days ahead and chilled.
- Heat a griddle or large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brush the aubergine slices on both sides with the olive oil and season with a little salt, then griddle in batches until the slices are softened and slightly charred (ensure the heat isn’t too high or the aubergine will char before it softens). Transfer the cooked slices to a plate as you go.
- To assemble, lay a third of the aubergine slices over the base of a rectangular or square gratin dish, then pour over a third of the sauce. Scatter with a small handful of both cheeses (you’ll want to keep most of the cheese for the top) and half the basil, then top with half the lasagne sheets. Repeat once more, then finish with a final layer of aubergines topped with the rest of the sauce. Scatter over the remaining cheese.
- Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the dish on a baking tray and bake for 30 mins until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbling at the edges. Leave to cool for at least 10 mins, then scatter with the reserved basil and serve.
Mozzarella, Plum And Burnt Leek Salad
Ingredients
- 100ml red wine vinegar
- 100g caster sugar
- 4 plums
- 3 large leeks
- Extra virgin olive oilto drizzle
- 80g watercress
- 2 balls mozzarella, torn into large chunks
- 4 tbsp toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Put the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Warm through until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat. Meanwhile, cut each plum in half and remove the stones. Put the plum halves cut-side down in the pickling liquid, then set aside for at least 30 minutes to lightly pickle, giving them the occasional stir.
- Heat a grill to its highest setting. Put the leeks on an oven tray, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season. Grill, turning occasionally, until blackened all over (about 10 minutes). When cool enough to handle, trim the ends and peel away the burnt outer layer of the leeks. Slice the soft insides into bite-size pieces.
- Toss the watercress with a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of pickling liquid, then season to taste. Arrange the plums, leeks, watercress and mozzarella on a platter, then scatter with the hazelnuts. Finish with a grind of black pepper and an extra drizzle of oil and pickling liquid.
Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Crispy Chickpeas And Yoghurt Sauce
Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes: 3 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into wedges
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Crispy Chickpeas One 14-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted dry
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt
- YOGURT SAUCE: 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (such as Fage)
- Juice of 2 limes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Thinly sliced scallions or chives, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Have ready two unlined baking sheets.
- MAKE THE SWEET POTATOES: In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, olive oil, honey (if using) and crushed red pepper flakes. Season generously with salt and pepper, and toss until the sweet potatoes are evenly coated. Arrange the sweet potatoes on one of the prepared baking sheets in a single layer. Transfer to the oven and roast until tender and caramelized, 25 to 30 minutes.
- MAKE THE CHICKPEAS: Meanwhile, spread the chickpeas in a single layer on the second prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle over the cayenne, and season with salt. Transfer to the oven and bake until crispy and golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
- MAKE THE YOGURT SAUCE: In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt and lime juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Divide the roasted sweet potatoes between dinner plates, top with some of the crispy chickpeas and drizzle with the yogurt sauce. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions or chives, if using.
Mozzarella, Plum And Burnt Leek Salad
Nothing quite captures the closing stages of summer than an abundance of ripe plums and this stunning salad with a Mediterranean twist from delicious magazine just jumped out at us as the perfect canvas for a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Crispy Chickpeas And Yoghurt Sauce
If the end of August and the advent of September leaves you reaching for a bit of kitchen comfort, there is no finer heart-warming choice than the Sweet Potato (recipe above) and a delightful number from Purewow.com is so simple and satisfying.
Seasonal recipes for late summer via Morocco Gold
