We are so excited to be back at school. The garden is lush and green and has lots of tomatoes ripening. This week we will be making:
Zoodles tossed through a basil pesto sauce.
A delicous tomato and basil focaccia.
A cucumber and multi coloured tomato salad.
We will also be reminding ourselves of our knife skills by making lots of colourful summer fruit skewers.
Zoodles
Ingredients:
6-8 zucchini spiralized
5 tablespoons olive oil
Method:
Spiralise your zucchini into zoodles.
On a low heat, warm up a large fry pan with olive oil.
Add the zoodles and cook for another 3-4 minutes until slightly soft (don’t over cook).
Stir your pesto through the Zoodles.
Pesto with Basil, Parsley and Sunflower Seeds
Ingredients:
1½ cups basil leaves, tightly packed
½ cup parsley leaves, tightly packed
3 tablespoons of sunflower seeds
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 small garlic clove
½ cup olive oil
Pinch of Maldon salt
Method:
Pick the basil and parsley leaves and wash them well.
Dry them thoroughly using a salad spinner.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add the sunflower seeds and cook for about 2 minutes, until they are golden.
Place all the ingredients (aside from the oil) into the food processor and process until it is finely chopped.
Add the oil gradually, through the chute while the motor is running until you get it to the right consistency.
Taste the pesto for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Summer Focaccia with Tomatoes and Basil
Ingredients:
600ml luke warm water
2 teaspoons honey
1kg plain flour plus extra for dusting
4 teaspoons dried yeast
1 teaspoon salt
Olive oil for oiling the bowl and brushing the top of the focaccia
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
1 cup basil leaves
*This makes 2 small Focaccias (enough for one class)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Combine the water and honey in the small bowl, and stir to dissolve the honey.
Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl until well combined. Make a well in the centre of the flour, then pour the water and honey mixture into the well.
Stir the dry and wet ingredients together with your hands, mixing to form a heavy dough.
Sprinkle a little flour on a dry, clean surface. Tip out the dough and pat all the pieces into a pile. Squash it down and form into a large ball. Knead the dough for 5 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough inside. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave for 30 minutes in a warm spot.
Making the Focaccia:
Divide the dough into 2 and line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Push the centre of the risen dough down, to release the air.
Tip the dough onto baking trays. Spread into a rectangle shape roughly 30 x 15 cm.
Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil over the dough. Make indentations in the dough using your fingertips so it is completely covered in indentations. Place a basil leaf over some of the indentations. Place a cherry tomato on top of each basil leaf and push the cherry tomato and basil deep into the dough so they touch the bottom of the baking tray. Leave for 10 minutes in a warm spot.
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove baking tray from the oven and allow the focaccia to cool. Cut it into slices and place it on a serving platter.
Colourful Tomato, Cucumber and Basil Salad
Ingredients:
1.5kg tomatoes in a variety of sizes and colours, chopped or halved (depending on size)
1 long cucumber or 3-4 lebanese cucumbers
½ red onion, very, very finely sliced into thin semi circles
Big handful of basil leaves, chopped
Pinch of salt
Generous grinding of pepper
5 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
Method:
Chop the onion as finely as you can and place in a small bowl of iced water for 10-15 minutes to remove the sharp tang.
Chop the tomatoes and place in a large bowl.
Chop the cucumber into small pieces.
Add the onions, basil, salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to the tomatoes and toss to combine.
Taste and add more salt, pepper or vinegar if you need.
Put the salad into three serving bowls.