zucchini and basil salad

Sometimes you want something delicate and refined. Like a zucchini and basil salad with shavings of parmesan. But then sometimes, people need a little more substance…and a little less wankery. Sometimes, these needs take place concurrently, running parallel to one another, and only occasionally colliding. so a compromise was found because in the words of a grandmother I know “im not making six different dinners”. It was thus, that this dual salad was created. For those seeking little – stop at the basil and zucchini. For those who seek more, grill some haloumi, some broccolini, make some couscous and don’t write a blog. To each according to his need. So here it is – a theme and variations of dinner proper, entitled ‘refinement…revisited’.

Ingredients

4 zucchinis

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

handful of basil leaves (green and purple – if you can)

handful of parmesan shaved

handful of hazelnuts

4tbsp olive oil

1tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

first cut the zucchini diagonally– about 2cm thick. Put in a bowl with 1tbsp olive oil and the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Put on a crazy hot griddle pan and cook until the black marks appear. Cook it through or not…whatever does it for you. Take off the grill and put into a bowl. Pour over remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Check for seasoning. To serve, scatter the basil leaves onto a plate – add some rocket or spinach if it feels right to do so. Top with the zucchini, then the parmesan shavings and finally scatter some hazelnuts atop.

But it might be arctic out there. The elements, your immune system and the whole world might be against you…and you may need more. The cold can make a beast of a man. If this man is you then after having done your zucchini, chop up some more garlic and one red chilli.

Put some broccolini into boiling salted water for 1 minute. Then put broccolini into a bowl with the garlic, chilli and olive oil and grill until tender (not too soft). While the broccolini is grilling, make some couscous. Then grill some haloumi…its hot right now and from what im reading, it’s the new parmesan. Add broccolini, and haloumi to afore-elaborated salad and combine. Serve with couscous.

broccoli, chilli and garlic

spectacular though the last ottolenghi – schlepseleh chef d’oeuvre was, i felt it needed something more. and a spicy tomato sauce was good but not good enough. and long weeks of living life make us all weary…still not quite sure why its all so hard all the time. so a vegetable it had to be…broccoli because its green, chilli because its hot and garlic because as if you wouldnt. it works with all the rice and lentils because it cuts and brightens and texturises and when put together flavours mix in a very desirable way…one might even say its an stroke of inventive smarts to combine the two…not me though, that would just be indulgent self-congratulatory bollocks.

ingredients

2 heads broccoli

4-6 garlic cloves finely sliced

1-2 red chillies finely sliced

handful of toasted flaked almonds

olive oil

first, par boil the broccoli florets in a pan full of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. remove with a slotted spoon and put into some iced water to refresh. in a bowl mix the broccoli, the garlic and the chilli with a few tbsp’s of olive oil. then either transfer this to very hot griddle pan or throw into a fry pan on the stove. cook until the broccoli is softened but still biteable through. sprinkle over some toasted flaked almonds or chopped whole almonds depending on what you have on hand at the moment of inspiration. serve over the rice and love it.