Whether it’s gorgeous or glacial, I’m determined to eat outside this bank holiday weekend. Fresh air I will find and alfresco I will call it! I’m not even talking a full decamp to the nearest common or heath – picnic planning still feels a bit too wishful; I’m thinking more outside the confines of the kitchen, so garden table, front doorstep, balcony: whatever we have, we should take, I think. Even an open window would count, with a chair perched beside it, plate on knees, searching for the sun.
Beetroot pkhali with marinated beetroot and olive salsa (pictured top)
Pkhali is the Georgian take on a vibrant vegetable paté or spread. It’s often made with aubergine or spinach, but the walnuts are non-negotiable. Make the pkhali and the marinated beetroot up to two days ahead of serving: the flavours only deepen with time. Bring everything back to room temperature before assembling and serving.
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 6-8 as a side
1kg red beetroot, ideally all of a similar size
2 tbsp good-quality balsamic vinegar
For the pkhali
100g shelled walnuts, untoasted, blitzed to coarse crumbs
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
10g coriander leaves, finely chopped
10g parsley leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp maple syrup
Fine sea salt and black pepper
For the beetroot marinade
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
10g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
For the olive salsa
2 tbsp olive oil
60g pitted nocellara olives, or other green olives, cut in half
1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
15g fresh coriander, soft stalks and leaves, finely chopped
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the beetroot on an oven tray, then roast for 45-60 minutes, until the tip of a sharp knife goes through easily. Remove, cover with foil and leave to steam for 15 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
Peel all the beetroot, weigh out 225g, then coarsely grate this into a bowl. Stir all the pkhali ingredients into the grated beetroot with a half-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, then cover and set aside (it will keep well in the fridge for up to a day).
Cut the remaining beetroot into 3cm-wide wedges and put these in a second bowl. Stir in all the marinade ingredients with a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, mix well and leave to marinate for at least an hour (or overnight, covered, in the fridge).
Just before serving, mix all the olive salsa ingredients and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Pour the balsamic vinegar into a small pan on a medium heat and cook for 30 seconds to a minute, until slightly thickened.
Spoon the pkhali on to a platter, then arrange the marinated beetroot on top – use a slotted spoon so you hold back the marinade. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar reduction all over the top, spoon on the olive salsa and serve at once.
Grilled lime prawns and courgettes
If the weather allows, these would be great for a barbecue this weekend (or any weekend, for that matter). If you don’t have a barbecue, however, or the weather does not allow, use a griddle pan in a well-ventilated kitchen. The dressing also works well on all sorts of grilled veg, especially hispi cabbage.
Prep 15 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4
For the dressing
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
25g coriander, roughly chopped
15g mint leaves
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fish sauce
Fine sea salt
75ml olive oil
For the prawns and courgettes
16 king prawns, shells removed, but heads and tails left on, deveined
3 courgettes (640g), cut in half lengthways, then each half cut diagonally into 4
3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
30g roasted salted peanuts (skinless), roughly chopped
First make the dressing. Put the garlic, ginger, chilli, coriander, 10g of the mint, the lime zest and juice, sugar and fish sauce in a food processor with half a teaspoon of salt, add two tablespoons of the oil and blitz to a paste.
Put the prawns and courgettes in two separate bowls, put a tablespoon of oil and a half-teaspoon of salt im each bowl and toss to coat.
Put a griddle pan on a high heat and, once hot, lay in the courgettes flat side down; depending on the size of your pan, you may need to grill them in batches. Press them down firmly, cook for three minutes, until they have nice char marks, then flip over and cook for another five minutes on the other side. Transfer back to their bowl, dress with a quarter of the dressing while they’re still piping hot, then set aside.
With the grill pan still on a high heat, cook the prawns for a minute on each side (again, you may have to do this in batches), return them to their bowl and dress with another quarter of the dressing.
Whisk the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into the remaining dressing.
Arrange the courgettes on a large platter, top with the prawns and drizzle over half of the remaining dressing. Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds, peanuts and the last 5g of mint and serve with the rest of the dressing alongside for dipping.
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