Category: Side Dishes

700g new potatoes – something waxy like charlottes

Dressing –
6 tbsp mayo
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
4 sliced spring onions

boil and cool the potatoes, cut and add to the dressing.

According to Google – The origin of the dish is in the area around Provence and Nice. Originally, the word “ratatouille” means from 1778 a motley stew. … It is composed of pieces of cooked vegetables, especially eggplant, onions, zucchini, peppers and tomatoes, and garlic. (Thats Aubergine and Courgette to everyone speaking English). Here’s my version – but I think it changes a little every time I make it.

4 Aubergine – 1cm dice
4 Courgettes – 1/4 discs, 1cm length. deseeded)
2 onions – fine dice
2 cloves garlic (pressed/minced)
6-ish mushrooms (closed cup)
2 red peppers
2 green peppers
2 cans tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
2 bay leaf
Basil, Oregano – fresh or dried. (or Italian mix)
salt to taste

So – the ingredient list is a handy helper – no need to be exact here. Key to a good ratatouille (in my opinion) is getting the dice size right, so that it’s not too chunky, and cooks evenly. Ideally everything diced to circa 1cm – apart from the onion, which is more background sauce. Also – don’t overdo the tomato – it can overpower. Get all the ingredients n the pan, then just enough canned tomato to ‘wet up and make a sauce’.

With a decent size pot – onion in first. fine dice. fry off till softened. Add peppers then courgettes, aubergines, mushrooms. sweat it all off till a little soft. add the remaining ingredients and stew for 15 mins. Might need a bit of water to wet up – not much, its a stew not a soup. Salt to taste finish with the herbs, taste and serve.

Makes about 16 rosti.

700g waxy potatoes, peeled
salt, pepper
4 tbl self-raising flour
2 eggs
3 tbl chopped chives
1 tbl melted butter
4 tbl veg oil

Grate the potatoes into a colander. Sprinkle with salt and mix. Stand in the sink and let them drain for 15 minutes. Squeeze them out to remove excess moisture. Beat together the flour, eggs, chives and butter. Stir in the potatoes and plenty of salt & pepper.

Dollop the big spoons of the mix into a frying pan, and fry for 5 mins or so, turning once.

1 medium white cabbage (about 1kg)
1 tablespoon  salt
1 tablespoons caraway seeds (optional)

Righto – we’re brewing stuff so clean everything. The right bacteria will come with the cabbage. Wash your hands too (you’ll need to handle the cabbage.)

First – Slice the cabbage – bin the wilted, limp outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into quarters and trim out the core. You can use a mandolin to slice thinly, or carefully by hand. You’re looking for thin ribbons of cabbage.

Next – mix the cabbage and salt in a bowl. Work the salt into the cabbage by squeezing the it with your hands. Gradually the cabbage will give out a lot of water, and become limp. Work it for 5-10 minutes. Add the caraway seeds if you wish.

Pack the cabbage into the jar – stuff it in tight. Pour any liquid released by the cabbage into the jar and press it down. The liquor should cover the cabbage.

Weigh the cabbage down with weights or a smaller jar – this will help keep the cabbage submerged beneath its liquid. Cover the jar (muslin or paper) so that particles stay out, but it can breath.

Keep an eye on it daily. Press it down, make sure the liquid covers the cabbage. Add extra liquid, if needed – 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of water. Add enough to submerge the cabbage.

The cabbage is going to bubble as it ferments. Ferment the cabbage for 3 to 10 days. the bubbles will lift the cabbage up, so keep pressing it down daily. Leave it at room temperature – 21˚C ideally.

Once it has the zing you want, put a lid on and keep it in the fridge. As long as it still tastes and smells good to eat, it is.

2 beef tomatoes, seeded & fine-diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
chopped corriander
1 lime, juiced
salt, pepper to taste