fashion

1 CHEF, 3 SUMMER RECIPES

Get set to wow your guests with these summer dinner ideas and summer salad recipes from food stylist Iain Graham. His CV includes BBC Good Food, Taste London, Vogue Japan and of course, our summer campaign: so you just know his summer recipes are bonefide. Consider your appetite whetted...

FENNEL SUMMER SALAD

Ingredients:

- 1 bulb of fennel

- 1/2 green apple, cut into small sticks or a handful of halved grapes

- 1/2 a cucumber

- 1 red onion

- 3 sticks of celery

- 1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented

- 2 spring onions

- 1 head of chicory

- 3 carrots

- 30ml lime juice

- 40ml olive oil

- 40ml vegetable oil

- 20ml white wine vinegar

- 100g grated Parmesan

- 1 large pinch English mustard powder and or chilli flakes

Method:

Mix the Parmesan with the chilli flakes or mustard powder (or better still both)

Sprinkle the Parmesan onto a parchment lined tray and bake in the oven at 160C for 12 minutes, or until the Parmesan is crispy.

Peel the carrots and chop into evenly sized sticks, then boil until soft. Drain, and put them into a blender with the oils, vinegar and lime juice, blend to a super smooth puree.

Finely slice the vegetables using a mandolin and put into a large bowl with a good pinch of salt.

Add grapefruit segments, juice and chopped apple.

Spread the dressing onto a large plate. Mix the shaved veg salad and pile it on.

Finish by breaking the crisp Parmesan onto the top of the salad.

MARINATED TOMATOES, PARMESAN AND COURGETTES WITH HONEY BALSAMIC DRESSING

Ingredients:

- 1 Courgette

- 4 Vine tomatoes

- 100g Manchego cheese broken into pieces

- 100ml Olive oil

- 100ml White balsamic

- 1 clove garlic

- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary leaves picked off the stalk

- 1 tbs balsamic vinegar

- 1 tbs runny honey

- An extra 50ml olive oil for the dressing

Method:

Gently fry the rosemary with 1 tbs olive oil, then add the honey. Once this starts to bubble, add the balsamic and 50ml of olive oil. Turn off the heat.

Mix the olive oil, white balsamic, and garlic.

Cut the tomatoes into wedges, and put into the oil and vinegar mix along with the manchego (this also works with slow roasted tomatoes). Marinate for at least one hour, but no more than 24, or the vinegar will be too strong for the cheese.

Cut the courgette into discs, season with salt and pepper and pan fry.

Place the courgette onto a plate, and drizzle with the warm honey balsamic dressing.

Lift the cheese and tomatoes from the marinade and place onto the courgettes. Serve immediately.

NO WASTE BHAJIS

Ingredients:

- 1/2 onion

- 1/4 cauliflower

- 1/4 stem broccoli

- 1/2 carrot

- 3 mushrooms, broken with fingers

- 1/4 cabbage sliced

Dry Mix:

- 5 tbs corn flour, 3 tbs plain flour, 3 tbs rice flour

- 1 tsp bicarb, 1 tsp baking powder

- 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp chilli powder, 2 tsp turmeric

- 2 tsp curry powder, 1 tbs flaked sea salt

- 500 ml vegetable oil

For the mint yoghurt:

- A handful of mint leaves roughly chopped, 150g thick Greek yoghurt

- 1/4 cucumber, grated

Method:

Chop the vegetables and season with salt. Then add the dry mix and spices. Scrunch the veg together using your hands.

Slowly add a few splashes of water until the mix starts to clump together, like a thick lumpy batter.

Heat the oil in a deep pan, making sure you have room for the Bhajis to fizz and bubble as they cook. Test the heat by putting a bit of veg in the oil, if it starts to fizz then you're good to go.

Spoon the mix gently into the hot oil, taking care not to splash. Fry the Bhajis until crisp, then scoop out onto kitchen paper using a slotted spoon. Season with salt as they cool.

They're delicious with mint and cucumber yoghurt, but equally good for using up dips lurking in the fridge.