Alfresco Dining – Recipes to enjoy outside

COME OUTSIDE

Make the most of good weather and the company of friends and family with some great recipes

Greek-Style Cheese Pie with Roast Sweet Pepper & Cherry Tomato Salsa

Tuck into this Greek inspired pie and vibrant salsa accompaniment – a wonderful summertime lunch or supper dish.

SERVES 4-6

FOR THE PIE 2 eggs 200g feta cheese, crumbled 200g full-fat soft cheese or cream cheese 250g ricotta 25g (5-6 tbsp) chives or the green parts from 2-3 spring onions, finely chopped 3 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped Freshly ground black pepper 4 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil 100-150g (4-6 sheets) filo pastry

FOR THE SALSA 3 red and yellow bell peppers Vegetable oil 250g cherry or baby plum tomatoes Half a small red onion, finely chopped 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped Half tsp crushed red chillies Half tsp caster sugar Half tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil or extravirgin olive oil Pinch of sea salt flakes Large handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

TO MAKE THE PIE 1 You will need a 20cm square or round ovenproof baking tin, at least 5cm deep. Preheat the oven to 190C/ Gas 5.

2 Start by making the filling. Put the eggs, cheeses, chives or spring onions, parsley and seasoning into a bowl. Mix together into a lumpy paste. 3 Take the baking tin and brush the insides well with oil. Reserve one sheet of filo pastry for the top of the pie. Put the next sheet of filo into the tin, overlapping the sides, and brush the pastry with oil. Place another sheet of filo on top of the first, again overlapping the edges, and brush with oil. Repeat until you have covered the inside of the tin completely and made a ‘shell’ for the filling. 4 Spoon the cheese mixture into the pastry shell and then cover the top layer by layer with the overhanging filo sheets, like wrapping a parcel, brushing with oil as you go. Finish by layering over the reserved filo sheet, folding and ‘scrunching’ to form a lid for the pie. Brush the top thoroughly with oil. 5 Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the outside and set in the middle. Serve warm in squares or wedges.

TO MAKE THE SALSA 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Start by washing and cutting the peppers into quarters. Put the peppers in a roasting tin, drizzle with a small amount of oil and roast in the preheated oven until soft and slightly charred at the edges. This takes about 30 minutes. 2 Meanwhile, chop all the little tomatoes in half and put them into a medium-size bowl. In a small bowl, combine the finely chopped onion and garlic with the chillies, sugar, balsamic vinegar, oil and salt. Pour this mixture over the tomatoes and stir well to combine. 3 When the peppers are done, take them out of the oven and leave until they are cool enough to handle. Roughly chop each quarter into 6 or 7 smaller pieces and add them to the tomato mixture. Stir the salsa to combine the flavours, adding any juices from the roasting tin. 4 Scatter over the basil and gently mix through. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe taken from The Food We Love by Natalie Gerrelli, with photography by Tim Green, £22, mezepublishing.co.uk or Amazon.

THE LIST

Jamie Oliver Atlantic Green Digital Kitchen Scales RRP: £39.99

Harts Price: £31.99

OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner RRP: £30.00

Harts Price: £28.50

Tramontina Grano 30cm 3-ply Stainless Steel Frying Pan RRP: £49.99 Harts Price: £37.49

Tagliatelle with Burrata and Burst Vine Tomatoes

Burrata is a fresh, creamy cheese from southern Italy that has been called the queen of Italian cheeses. Here it is used in a simple but sumptuous pasta dish that only takes a matter of minutes, so you spend less time in the kitchen and more outside enjoying your meal.

SERVES 2

225g tagliatelle 3 tbsp olive oil A good pinch of rock salt 1 tsp oregano 220g cherry tomatoes on the vine, a mix of colours is nice Half tsp of dried chilli flakes 1 tbsp of garlic oil 1 burrata ball Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 2 large sprigs of basil, torn 1 sprig of fresh parsley, chopped

1 Cook the tagliatelle in a large pan of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally until cooked al dente. 2 Meanwhile, pour the olive oil into a roasting tin and heat in a hot oven for approximately 3-4 minutes. When the oil is hot, carefully remove from the oven and add the tomatoes, sprinkle over the rock salt, oregano and the chilli flakes and roast for 5-8 minutes until just starting to burst. 3 Drain the pasta and toss with the garlic oil, then season with salt and pepper. 4 When ready to serve, nestle the tomatoes into the pasta and half the burrata cheese between both plates. Scatter with the chopped parsley and torn basil and season with more salt and ground black pepper. Recipe courtesy of Gemma Simmonite, chef, food blogger and co-founder of all-day restaurant, Gastrono-me, www.gastrono-me.co.uk.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMMA HAWLEY

THE LIST

Stellar 1000 22cm Deep Saucepan with Helper Handle RRP: £100.00 Harts Price: £65.00 Rosti Margrethe 1.5L Colander

Harts Price: £7.96

Artisan Street Spaghetti Server RRP: £8.95 Harts Price: £7.15

Chicken Shawarma with Lebanese Watercress Salad and Garlic and Watercress Flatbreads

The following recipe has been created by Dorset-based chef Suze Morrison to celebrate British watercress. Grown in Dorset and Hampshire and in season from now until October, watercress is a nutritious addition to any summer salad.

SERVES 4

FOR THE CHICKEN SHAWARMA 1.5kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into thin strips 2 onions, finely sliced 5 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cardamom 1 tbsp mild curry powder 1 tsp baharat (a Middle Eastern spice mix) Half tsp sumac 2 tbsp honey 1 tbsp chicken stock powder

FOR THE SALAD 4 baby cucumbers, shaved into strips with a vegetable peeler 3 tomatoes, diced 1 red onion, finely diced 50g watercress, chopped 20g flat leaf parsley, chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp lemon juice Salt and pepper to season

FOR THE FLATBREADS 250g plain flour 1.5 tsp baking powder Half tsp salt 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp honey 170ml milk 1 tsp garlic, minced 2 tbsp watercress, finely chopped Plain yogurt and lemon wedges to serve

1 For the Shawarma, mix everything apart from the onions and oil in a large ceramic or Pyrex bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. 2 Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the chicken and onions in batches until cooked through and lightly charred. Set aside. 3 Meanwhile, add all the ingredients for the flatbreads to a large bowl. Mix until combined. You are looking for a soft but not too sticky dough so add a little extra flour if needed. 4 Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes or until soft and fully hydrated. Cover with a damp tea towel and rest for 10 minutes. 5 Weigh the dough and divide into 6 balls. Roll each ball so it is approximately 5-8mm thick, the thicker the dough, the fluffier the bread. 6 Heat the oil over a medium heat and cook each flatbread for 2 minutes each side or until puffed and lightly charred, stack and store wrapped in foil. 7 For the salad, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. 8 Serve the flatbreads, piled with the chicken, salad and served with yogurt and lemon wedges. Recipe courtesy of www.watercress.co.uk, photography by Lara Jane Thorpe. For more Dorset-related recipes, visit www.dorsetfoodanddrink.org.

THE LIST

Global G-4765BD 2-Way Board & Vegetable Knife RRP: £399.95 Harts Price: £199.96

James Martin Bakers Dozen Bakeware 13.5” Large Roaster RRP: £20.00 Harts Price: £13.00

Pyrex Cook & Freeze 2.0L Square RRP: £12.99 Harts Price: £11.24

ABOUT SUZE

Suze Morrison lives in the village of Sutton Poyntz, near Weymouth and runs Gourmet Glow, a platform for recipes, services, hints and tips. After working in Michelin-starred restaurants, she now devotes her time to creating recipes with a holistic approach to health.