Therefore, I’m dedicating the month of March to recipes to celebrate and enjoy every last bit of summer. 

For me, the end of summer is always bittersweet. Even though the days are still warm and the nights beautifully balmy, you know that you’re “summering” on borrowed time.  Somewhere in the back of your mind, a little voice whispers: “Enjoy wearing those short sleeves and sandals, because woolly jerseys and boots will soon be your destiny!” 

As you crawl between your cool summer sheets, windows thrown open to let in the cool night air, your mind will drift towards the linen closet and the thick winter blankets and duvets it treasures within.  And as you dig into refreshing cold salads, ice creams and juicy slices of sweet watermelon, you know that pretty soon all you’ll want to eat are soups, stews and steaming hot pies…. Okay, maybe winter isn’t all bad!

As we celebrate the last lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer (in the words of Nat King Cole), let’s make the most of summer’s bounty and the amazing weather we are lucky to have.  As I’m writing this, Europe, the UK, and the USA are in the grips of unrelenting snow storms and record low temperatures. 

Enjoy these last few weeks of sitting outside in the evening with your tipple of choice, summer braais and the languid sounds of a cricket bat hitting a ball as children play outside until early evening.  Pretty soon, you and your duvet will be best friends again…

THE LITTLE PARIS KITCHEN – SALAD NICOISE WRAPS

When a colleague at OFM saw Rachel Khoo’s cookbook, The Little Paris Kitchen, on my desk she practically had a meltdown. When a hardened journalist - used to asking politicians, police chiefs, and economists the hard questions - gives a little happy dance and starts enthusing about that iconic sandwich, Croque Monsieur, then you know you’ve got a hardcore fan.

Like most of the chefs I admire and follow today, I saw Rachel Khoo and her tiny Paris kitchen on television for the first time.  She made me realise that magic can happen in a kitchen practically the size of a shoebox.  I feel there is a lesson to be learned here, so listen up all those Masterchef contestants.  You don’t need a blast chiller, sous vide machine, or liquid nitrogen to make good food – just great ingredients and a lot of passion!

The recipe I chose this week, is ideal for those evenings outside, watching the sun set – with or without friends. It’s quick, light and tastes of summer.  The measurements given are for twelve wraps, but you could adapt it to the number of wraps you want to make.

A pinch of salt and sugar

12 green beans, topped and tailed

1 little Gem lettuce

12 anchovies (pat them on kitchen paper to remove excess oil)

12 black olives, pitted and sliced

6 cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved depending on size

6 radishes, thinly sliced

1 spring onion, thinly sliced

2 soft-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into thin wedges

2 tablespoons, capers, finely chopped

For the vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ clove of garlic, crushed to a paste

Juice of ½ lemon

Pinch of sugar (or a squeeze of honey)

Salt and pepper

Make the vinaigrette by whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl. Taste for seasoning.  Keep in mind that the anchovies and olive will make the dish quite salty already.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the salt and sugar, followed by the green beans.  Blanch for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water.

Separate the lettuce into individual leaves – you’ll need 12 in total (or however many wraps you make). Divide the remaining ingredients between the leaves. Drizzle some vinaigrette over the top and serve the rest in a small bowl.

According to Rachel, additional ingredients you could add are boiled small potatoes, cut into dice (which I did), sweetcorn and/or a sliver of seared tuna.

Follow me on Twitter (@ilse123) or on Facebook (https://web.facebook.com/IlseCooksTheBooks/) to chat about food and more!

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