Late summer is peak time for outdoor tomatoes and capsicums – they’ve had all summer to swell up and get juicy and flavoursome, so make the most of them before we’re back to only hothouse produce. Eaten fresh they’re wonderful but with a little gentle cooking they become incredible.

 

 

Capsicum and Tomato Spaghetti
This sauce is very simple in flavour and not too difficult to make but the tomatoes and capsicums must be ripe and sweet. I like to serve this dish as a first course as it’s quite light but you can serve it as a main course, adding some fried chorizo or smoked fish.

 

3 capsicums (a mixture of red, yellow and orange if possible) 6 tomatoes 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 2 bay leaves, torn into pieces 50ml olive oil 2 tablespoons orange or lemon juice 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (more or less to taste) 30ml extra virgin olive oil 500g dried pasta (I used spaghetti but most varieties will be fine) 1 small handful of soft herbs (tarragon, basil, mint, parsley – a mixture or just one or two) Freshly grated parmesan cheese

 

Grill or barbecue capsicums until blackened and place in a plastic bag to cool then peel them, remove stalks and seeds and cut flesh into strips.

 

Cut a shallow cross in the top or base of tomatoes and plunge them into a pot of boiling water. If they’re very ripe, leave just 15 seconds; firmer ones may need 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, plunge into a bowl of iced water and leave for a few minutes. Take from water, peel off skins and set skins aside.

 

Cut tomatoes in half crossways and scoop out seeds. Place seeds in a small pot with the skin, garlic, bay leaves, olive oil and orange juice. Bring to the boil, squashing it all together as it cooks, and rapidly simmer for 10 minutes. Pass through a fine sieve into a large pan, squeezing out as much juice as you can.

 

Add chilli flakes, extra virgin olive oil and capsicum strips to pan. Cut peeled tomato into wedges and add these too. Bring to the boil and simmer rapidly for 5 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente, drain and keep warm. Once pasta is cooked, add fresh herbs to sauce, check seasoning then toss it on to the pasta and mix really well. Serve with parmesan on the side. Serves 8 as a starter

 

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Baked Capsicums Stuffed with Basmati Rice and Lamb

These always make me think of summer in the Mediterranean, where stuffed vegetables seem to be the norm whether they be tomatoes, capsicums, courgettes or eggplants. The filling makes quite a lot so you might want to adjust quantities, but allow two capsicums per person. They can be eaten straight away but they’re even better eaten at room temperature the next day.

 

4 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons olive oil 6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 1 red chilli, chopped (or use chilli flakes) 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 2 pinches of saffron 400ml red wine 500g minced lean lamb 2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped 200g basmati rice 2 teaspoons salt 12-15 capsicums (depending on size) A handful of mint leaves

 

Heat up a pot and sauté 2 of the onions in the oil until they begin to caramelise. Stir in garlic, chilli, rosemary and cumin and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.

 

Meanwhile, soak the saffron in the red wine.

 

Stir the lamb mince and tomatoes into the onions and mix well. Add saffron and wine and bring to the boil. Stir in rice and salt and bring back to the boil. Cover and simmer rapidly for 12 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Using a small, sharp knife, cut tops off capsicums, keeping them and their stalks intact. Using your fingers or a teaspoon, pull out seeds. Find a deep-sided dish or two that will comfortably hold them all in one layer. Scatter remaining sliced onion on the base.

 

Once lamb rice is ready, mix in the mint and taste for seasoning then spoon it into the cavities of the capsicums, allowing a little room for expansion. Place them upright in the roasting dish and pour 1 cup of boiling water into the bottom of the dish. Cover loosely with foil and bake 20 minutes then remove foil and continue to cook until they begin to colour and soften. Serves 6-8

Cooking en papillote (literally “in parchment” in French) is a brilliant way to keep fish and poultry moist. The meat is wrapped in parcels so it steams as it bakes in the oven. It can be a very low-fat way of cooking and a great way to cater for a crowd without needing a huge steamer. Serve this dish with a green salad.

 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut 4 pieces of baking paper about 30cm square then fold each one in half to produce a centre seam and reopen.

 

Lightly season chicken and sprinkle with parsley. Place 1 breast on each paper square, up tight against the centre fold.

 

Sauté rosemary and garlic in oil in a wide pan over moderate heat until garlic begins to go golden. Add tomatoes and cook until about half of them have popped a little, shaking the pan from time to time. Spoon tomatoes on top of chicken then drizzle with the pan juices.

 

Position chicken on the paper in front of you with the centre seam going away from you. Fold the left side of the paper over the breast to bring it level to the right-hand side.

 

Take the top end of the paper in your right hand and put your left forefinger next to the top of the breast. Fold in the paper at a 90° angle then keep folding and twisting the paper in around the edge to seal the join. Don’t make the parcel too tight, though, as you need to allow some space for the cooking steam to expand. Tuck the final fold under itself to keep it sealed, or secure with a paper clip.

 

If all this seems too difficult, simply use a small oven bag or foil (which is easier to seal than paper).

 

Place the packages on a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes. Take from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving, snipping the package open with scissors at the table. Serves 4

 

 

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This Catalan vegetable dish is similar to ratatouille but is more closely related to the Tunisian grilled salad, mishwiyya. It’s great served alongside grilled pork or fish but equally lovely served on bruschetta with salad leaves and goats’ cheese. For best flavour, make it a day ahead.

 

2 red capsicums 2 tomatoes 1 eggplant 1 carrot (optional but gives a lovely texture), peeled and cut lengthways into small wedges 1 red onion, peeled and cut 1cm thick crossways 6 spring onions (white part only) 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 2 tablespoons lemon juice 100ml extra virgin olive oil 1 small handful of mint or basil leaves, torn

 

Grill capsicums and tomatoes (don’t oil them) until their skins blister and blacken and they begin to soften – do this on a barbecue, over an open flame on a gas hob or in a heavy skillet. Transfer to a plastic bag.

 

Prick eggplant skin several times then grill eggplant the same way until skin is black and you can almost squeeze it inwards. Place in a plastic bag also.

 

Barbecue or grill carrot and onion slices until carrot is golden-brown all over and onion has darkened and softened. Place these on a plate. Grill spring onions until blackened and softened and place on the plate too.

 

Combine garlic, lemon zest and juice and set aside.

 

Take cooled capsicums, tomatoes and eggplant from bags, remove stalks and peel. Gently squeeze out excess moisture from eggplant as this can be bitter. Squeeze out excess seeds from tomatoes. Chop vegetables (or cut into strips), all separately, keeping them a little chunky, and add to the lemon juice.

 

Chop carrot and red onion and add to mixture. Slice spring onions into 5mm pieces and add these too. Give it all a good stir and leave for 20 minutes.

 

Mix in the olive oil and add salt to taste and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. If possible, leave overnight for the flavours to develop. Mix in fresh herbs just before serving. Serves 6-10

 

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While I’m not a fan of smooth, creamy soups, especially in late summer, this recipe is a lovely way to bring out the subtle character of capsicums and tomatoes.

 

2 leeks, washed and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
60g butter
1 teaspoon salt
8 capsicums (green ones don’t work so well)
50g sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
400g peeled potatoes (a floury variety will work best), diced
50g tomato paste
500ml vegetable or chicken stock
1 litre cream

 

In a wide pot with the lid on, sauté leeks and thyme in the butter and salt until softened, stirring occasionally. Avoid colouring the leek.

 

Halve capsicums, remove stem and seeds and cut flesh into strips. Add to leeks along with sun-dried tomatoes. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add potatoes, tomato paste and stock, bring to the boil and simmer until potatoes are tender. Use a stick blender to purée soup then pass it through a sieve into a clean pot. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve immediately.  Serves 6-8