FINGER LICKIN' FRIDAY

Panzanella

Panzanella, (otherwise known as 'that yummy tomato and bread salad Josh's Mum makes',) has been a staple at family barbecues for as long as I can remember. Sometimes, upon seeing it, I let out a little squeak of excitement and we all line up around the bench, plates in hands, deciding what to pile on. A few scoops of panzanella is always the first thing onto my plate and you can count on me to go back for seconds too. It's everything I love in one bowl; tomatoes, more tomatoes, bread and bocconcini. Be sure to season generously, and mix gently but well to ensure that each chunk of bread soaks up that zingy red wine vinegar and smooth olive oil.

FIG AND QUAIL EGG SALAD WITH BEETROOT CHIPS

Quail eggs are starting to pop up on menus all over the place, but I feel like there is still some deterring factor. I hit the nearest farmers'  market on Saturday morning, and spotted trays of quail eggs at a market stall, but my basket was overflowing and I didn't quite know what I'd do with them. I suppose they are still relatively new to most of us, a bit like quinoa. But after a huge week of moving in to our new place, we had my parents over for Sunday brunch and my Mum, who had just been to their local markets, surprised me with a tray of quail eggs! They're wonderfully tiny and uniquely speckled, but really, they're just an egg. Before heading out on Sunday night, Josh and I put together this fresh salad of quail eggs, ripe figs, crispy bacon pieces and crunchy beetroot chips. This salad will serve 2 as a light meal, or 4 as a side dish.

FINGER LICKIN' FRIDAY

Beetroot, hazelnut and feta salad

Sometimes I feel that a salad without meat just doesn't qualify as a meal. But other times, when something is so yummy, nothing but my taste buds matter. So when Josh and I sat down with a big bowls of this salad, I was happy. I was, at first, a little surprised at how delicious this flavour combination turned out to be. The hazelnuts add texture and compliment the beetroot, the strong flavour of the feta is broken up by bittersweet rocket, and it is all tied together by a good helping of balsamic oil. This salad will be a hit at your next dinner party… or, on the couch one lazy friday night.

PODDED SPRING SALAD

Podded Spring Salad

I hadn't tried broad beans until last week at a food shoot and immediately, I knew I had to eat them more often! They're such a unique spring vegetable and, with my ever-growing love for peas in check, I couldn't resist this recipe from Donna Hay. It's a wonderful combination of sweet peas, freshly-podded broad beans, zingy lemon, fresh dill and a solid hunk of buffalo mozzarella. This salad is essentially an exhibition of spring's finest flavours, and it goes down a treat on those warm but breezy spring afternoons. 

FINGER LICKIN' FRIDAY

Josh's Burgers

I'm not overly keen on burgers. In fact, I have never eaten a burger from a fast food outlet… besides Grill'd (of course). Nope, I've never even had a burger with a McHappy Meal. But every man likes a burger, right? Mine especially! Some days when we are both around for lunch, Josh suggests we make Meatball Subs, but one week, it seemed time to switch things up a little. Enter, the simple burger filled with the perfect ratio of meat:bun:rabbit food… and I do love the perfect ratio!

(Serves 4)

What you'll need:
4 burger buns, split in half
400g good quality minced beef (marbles of fat are good!)
1/4 cup of breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
250g cherry tomatoes, halved or chopped roughly
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Cos lettuce leaves
Tomato relish
8 slices of tasty cheese
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

What to do:
Preheat the grill to 180C.

In a bowl, combine the mince, breadcrumbs, egg and garlic. Season super well. Roll into balls of about 100g each and flatten slightly to form patties.

Combine the cherry tomatoes with the parsley and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Place all of the burger bun halves on a tray and grill for 2-5 minutes or until crispy. Flip each half over and grill again. Set aside.

Heat some oil in a frypan over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the patties. As the patties fry, you'll be able to see how well they are cooking. Once you can see that the patties have cooked 1/3 - 1/2 of the way up, flip it over. It should be nice and caramelised. Cook until you can see that the other side has cooked just as well. Turn off the heat and leave to rest in the pan for 5 minutes.

Spread relish over the base of each burger bun. Place two slices of cheese on each bun and then place the meat patty on top. Add the tomatoes on top of your patty and place a large lettuce leaf on top again. Pop the top half of the burger bun on and enjoy!

FINGER LICKIN' FRIDAY

Tomato & Goat's Cheese Salad

WHEN I saw this recipe in the July 2012 edition of Country Style, my eyes lit up with excitement and I let out a dreamy sigh. Tomato and goat's cheese are two of my absolute favourite ingredients and while I couldn't wait to try this recipe out I couldn't help but wonder how I didn't think of it myself! I love simple recipes like this where the fresh food we are lucky enough to have can be showcased and enhanced. It makes me so excited to bring you such wonderfully simple, flavoursome dishes.

This recipe (originally by Country Style Country Chef of the Year Awards nominee, Matt Fegan,) has been adapted a little to my taste, for instance, I opted for basil instead of mint and added some caster sugar to balance out the zingy lemon. I also knew I'd need some freshly toasted bread to soak up all of those beautiful juices which would otherwise drip right off the tomatoes and be forgotten about. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did.

What you'll need:
4 big, fresh tomatoes, sliced (homegrown is best)
1/2 red onion, diced finely
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped well 
70g goat's feta
1/3 cup olive oil (extra virgin is best)
1 lemon, halved
1 teaspoon caster sugar
Sea salt flakes
Ground black pepper

1 loaf crusty bread, sliced
Extra olive oil

What to do:
Preheat the grill to 180C. Line a baking tray and pop the bread slices on. Drizzle each slice with the extra olive oil and spread it out if needed. Grill for 5 minutes or until golden and crispy. While this is toasting, measure, slice and dice all the ingredients. Grab a nice dinner plate or something similar in size. Once the bread has toasted, remove it from the oven and place it on a serving plate or in a bowl.

Now, arrange the first layer of tomatoes around the plate and pop one in the middle. Arrange the second layer on top, covering any gaps. Arrange the third layer on top of that to cover any gaps again. 

Sprinkle over the onion and basil. Squeeze one half of the lemon over top, catching any seeds that pop out. Sprinkle on the caster sugar and sea salt. Crumble the goat's feta over top and give it a good helping of freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil as you want.

Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges and serve with any remaining olive oil. Enjoy!

FINGER LICKIN' FRIDAY

Tomato & Chorizo Salad

This is definitely my favourite salad. I am absolutely mad about tomatoes! I've always loved them in their purest form or with only a couple of components to boost their flavour. This tomato and chorizo salad features two absolutely amazing ingredients tossed together to create a simple, light, flavoursome dish. Make sure you grab a crunchy baguette to pile the salad onto and soak up the juices!

What you'll need:

1 chorizo sausage, sliced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 large tomatoes

300g cherry or heirloom tomatoes

2 shallots/spring onions, peeled and sliced

Salt and pepper

Sherry vinegar, 

Flat leaf parsley, chopped finely

Goat's cheese, crumbled (optional)

Olive oil

What to do:

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the garlic and chorizo. Stir occasionally. (It's nice to let the chorizo caramelise a little by not stirring it too often.) Meanwhile, chop the large tomatoes into chunks and the small ones into halves. Pop them into a bowl with the shallots. Season well with salt and pepper.

Once your Chorizo has cooked, add a splash of sherry vinegar to the pan and give it a stir. Pop the chorizo, garlic and pan juices into the bowl with the tomatoes and toss to combine.

Add a glug of olive oil, a splash of sherry vinegar and a sprinkle of parsley. Add the goats cheese feta if you want it. (I love goat's cheese but it is strong so taste it before adding in order to determine how much you want.)

Slice up the baguette and serve!

NOTE: If you don't have sherry vinegar and can't find any at your local shops just add equal parts white vinegar and sherry. If you also have trouble finding goat's cheese, feta is fine to substitute. This recipe has been adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe.