Roast Summer Vegetables

Ingredients

1 garlic bulb separated into cloves and skinned
2 lemons cut into small wedges
4 tbsp olive oil
3 large red peppers deseeded and cut into chunks
3 small red onions cut into wedges
4 large courgettes cut into wedges
200 g packet feta cheese crumbled into chunks
400 g can chickpeas drained
crusty bread to serve

Method

  1. Toss the whole cloves, peppers, onions and courgettes into the olive oil, and put into a roasting tray.
  2. Roast in the oven for an hour at 200℃.
  3. Add the feta, chickpeas and lemon wedges to the roasted veg and cook for 10-15 mins, to warm through in the oven.

Serve with crusty bread to soak up any juices.

Roast Vegetables

You will Need

root vegetables potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beetroot, onions, etc.
peeled and cut into similar sized pieces
2 tbsp lard or Trex
2 tbsp olive oil
Optional
ingredients 		lemon juice
vinegar

Method

Put the lard and oil onto a large shallow baking tray, and put to heat in the oven at 200°C.  The oil gives good flavour, but the lard or Trex gets it hotter and helps them crisp up.  If you intend to use a tablespoon or two of the lemon juice or vinegar, add this at the same time.

Peel and part cook the vegetables.  (Strictly speaking you don’t need to part-cook the veg, but it speeds up the cooking and makes them crunchier.)  You can part-cook either in the microwave or by boiling the veg (not onions) for a short period.  In either case make sure that you toss the part cooked veg to “fluff” the edges - this is what will make it crispier.

Tip the veg into the hot oil and make sure it is coated, then put back in the oven.  Cook for a further 45 mins, turning the veg within the fat halfway through.

Smoky Beans with Basil and Bacon

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil for cooking
1 small onion finely chopped
2 rasher smoked back bacon
420 g can canellini beans rinsed and drained
2 large tomatoes roughly chopped
6 large basil leaves
Tabasco sauce

cheddar cheese or similar grated

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the bacon until golden and crisp.  Remove from the pan, leaving the oil.
  2. Add the finely chopped onion.  Stir and soften for about 5 mins.
  3. Add the tomatoes and beans.  Stir well and cook for another few minutes until the tomatoes soften.
  4. Shred the basil and add to the pan along with a few drops of Tabasco, to taste.

Serve on hot buttered toast with the bacon and top with the grated cheese.