The changing season brings a renewed appetite for bold, sunlit flavours. With warmer weather and the impending release of my new book, MEDesque, I am fully focused on sunshine food and Mediterranean flavours. At home, I am leaning heavily on recipes from Claudia Roden, such as her bean stew with chorizo and bacon, and chicken traybake with olives and boiled lemon.
I am also gravitating towards lighter pasta dishes like Georgia Levy’s broccoli and anchovy farfalle, Giorgio Locatelli’s pasta con le sarde, and Yotam Ottolenghi’s straccetti with red mullet, harissa and black olives. For those not ready to give up on wintry ragu, Anna Tobias’s lamb shanks and orzo is a joy, cooked in the eastern Mediterranean style where pasta absorbs the meat juices.
I have started cooking outdoors, reawakening our wood oven for Greek Orthodox Easter kleftiko. Nigel Slater’s pizette recipes are great for homemade pizza, and The Ultimate Wood-Fired Oven Cookbook by Genevieve Taylor is a bible. I’m yet to dust off the barbecue, but I cannot wait for the smell of pork souvlaki and spiced adana kebabs.
For a sweet fix, I am a fan of gelato and sorbet. Felicity Cloake’s lemon sorbet is a winner, and Helen Goh’s almond and honey semifreddo is perfect for guests. Yotam’s grownup granitas also transport you to a sunny Italian spot.
The first UK tomatoes are now being harvested from Isle of Wight Tomatoes, perfect for Greek salads. Having tubs of gelato in the freezer is an adult must; Nonna’s Gelato and Baboo, which makes small batches in Dorset, are favourites. For barbecue, Melissa Thompson’s new book Fired Up offers weeknight grilled peanut and cumin lamb chops, courgette and halloumi buns, and larger projects like coffee-rubbed smoked short ribs.
