Producer & Styling Anna Flanders

Recipe Development Amanda Daniel

Food Prep & Styling Fenella Peacock

Serves 4

Savoury onions and caramelised grapes on chewy sourdough make pizza look boring. The added luxury of Persian feta will make you feel like you’ve dined out. Like most things, this is good with anchovies. Toss the mix through pasta or gnocchi, or serve with venison, duck or quail. Great with a boutique brew or a super barnyardy red like a pinot. Concentrated sweet grape acid balances the savory onion.

2 large red onions, peeled and cut into thin wedges

2 cups seedless grapes, washed and plucked

3 long stems of rosemary

Pepper

Grey salt

Olive oil

Persian feta 

Piece of fresh orange 

4 thick slices of crusty sourdough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with fresh orange zest

300g drained Persian feta

Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper, add onion, grapes, rosemary and a good splash of olive oil. Toss in pepper and salt. Bake until tender and caramelise (about 50mins). Make toast and rub it with the sliced side of the orange. Pile onion mix on top and add some Persian feta over the top. Finish with extra fresh pepper and a squeeze of zest.

“ Savoury onions and caramelised grapes on chewy sourdough make pizza look boring ”

Serves 2 as an entree, 4 as a side

Broccoli. This nutty green kitchen staple is transformed with the salt of olive, hit of garlic and crunch of toasty almonds. Have it as a side or pile on to anything from baked fish to seared steak and even roasted pumpkin. Keep it simple with shaved parmesan. Good with anchovies or capers, too. Try it as a tapenade through pasta. Extra nice with a glass of earthy grenache.

1 small head of broccoli, stem peeled and chopped small (or pulse in a processor)

Fresh black pepper

Grey salt

1 shallot, sliced

Pinch chili flakes (optional)

Pinch cinnamon powder

1 handful Italian parsley, roughly chopped

For the tapenade

4 cloves garlic

1 handful pitted black Kalamata olives

1 handful toasted almonds 

Pinch fresh thyme leaves 

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) 

Fresh black pepper

Add a big splash of olive oil to a large heavy-bottomed pan, toss in broccoli and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Saute over moderate heat until it starts to get tender (about 6mins). Add the shallot, chili and cinnamon, and cook for a moment more. Mix in parsley. Set aside. For the tapenade, rough chop garlic, olives, almonds and thyme together by hand with a knife. Place in a bowl, mix in some pepper and a splash of EVOO. Taste and adjust seasoning. To assemble, pile broccoli into a large bowl, top with tapenade and give it all a gentle mix. Sprinkle with extra toasted almonds, if desired.

Serves 4 as a main

This roasted butternut pumpkin could not be easier – it’s not even peeled – and is an easy main or side dish. The autumnal roasted base pairs with the fragrant couscous. Good with a braised lamb dish or something grilled. Other additions can be shredded chicken or pork. Serve hot and family-style with the fragrant couscous on the side. Adults can try it with a spicy white.

1 small butternut pumpkin, cut into 1cm thick slices or diced

½ red onion, peeled and sliced into thin quarters 

Olive oil, for cooking 

1 tbsp honey 

1 tsp garam masala 

Fresh pepper Grey salt

For the pomegranate salad 

1 pomegranate, all the seeds and juice 

Good-quality salt 

Fresh black pepper 

1 tablespoon EVOO 

1 tablespoon rose water (or fresh orange juice) 

1 cup fresh-picked mint leaves

For the saffron couscous

250ml water Pinch saffron threads 

Fresh black pepper 

Good-quality salt 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

245g 5-minute couscous 

2 tbsp butter 

2 tbsp rosewater (optional, or water)

Preheat oven to 190°C. Coat the bottom of a baking dish with a thin layer of oil. Add pumpkin and onion to the dish. Toss with oil, honey, garam masala and seasoning. Bake until tender and it starts to colour (about 45mins, depending on your baking dish). For the pomegranate salad, add pomegranate seeds and juice to a bowl with 2 pinches of salt, some pepper, oil and rosewater. Mix and set aside. Taste and adjust seasoning, add honey if you like sweetness. For the couscous, bring water to the boil, add saffron, all seasoning and oil. Leave to steep the saffron for 30mins. Bring to the boil again, turn off the heat, stir in couscous. Leave covered to swell for 15 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork. Check and adjust seasoning. Set aside. To serve, sprinkle couscous with rose water. Add butter. Sprinkle with a pinch of garam masala. Gently reheat on the stove or in the oven at 200°C for about 10 mins. Place pumpkin and red onion mix in a baking dish, top with the pomegranate salad, randomly drizzle over the juice and add mint leaves. Serve reheated couscous on the side.

“ This roasted butternut pumpkin could not be easier... and is an easy main or side dish ”

Serves 2

Spinach and pear with cumin is surprisingly fabulous on its own, but it’s even better with tart kefir. The spiced pomegranate molasses sauce brings everything together to show off your lamb chop skills. Think about a dry cider with this one.

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp cumin seed 

1 tsp turmeric powder Good-quality salt 

1 tsp pomegranate molasses

Olive oil, for cooking 

1 pear, quartered, cored and sliced into thin quarters 

Fresh black pepper 

4 sprigs fresh thyme 

Pinch cumin seed 

1 bunch soft English spinach with stems, washed and roots trimmed (or baby spinach) 

Dirty Clean Food lamb chops 

Fresh thyme 

Olive oil, for cooking 

Butter, for cooking 

1 cup Kefir, smooth, natural style

For the cumin sauce, place olive oil, cumin, cumin seed, turmeric and a pinch of salt to a small saucepan. Warm oil gently to heat spices. Don’t burn. Remove from heat and add pomegranate molasses. When cool, taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside. For the spinach and pears, add a splash of oil, pear, seasoning and thyme to a large pan. Saute until tender and starting to colour. Add a pinch of cumin seed. Cook a moment longer, then add spinach. Toss with pears, then turn off heat and let spinach wilt. Stems should retain a slight crunch. For the chops, press chop into shape and season all sides well. Add a small twig of thyme to each side. Place some butter and oil in a heavy-based pan and turn up to high heat. When butter foams, add the chops. Depending on thickness, cook each side for 70 seconds, take off heat, cover with a lid and rest at least 5mins. To assemble, add a spoonful of kefir to the side of the plate, pile up the spinach and pears, and arrange the chops. Just warm the cumin sauce and spoon over the chops and kefir. Serve excess sauce on the side.