Daffodil Soup London

Here’s another tasty and colourful side dish that works well hot or cold, as an accompaniment to a main meat or fish course or as a vegan or vegetarian option on its own.  It looks stunning on a buffet, too. Today's recipe was devised on the hoof while cooking for a lunch delivery. The main starch element to accompany beef meatballs loaded with sweet onions, parsley and mozzarella, was giant couscous also known as ptitim , or Israeli couscous. It is in effect, pasta, so it takes flavour very well.   Ingredients Serves 4 400g giant/Israeli couscous, wholemeal if preferred 1 bunch raw beetroot  1tbsp poppy seeds 1tbsp nigella (kalonji) seeds  Olive oil to taste Sea salt and black pepper Juice of half a lemon Method To make the puree, peel the beetroot and cut into even-sized chunks. Toss them in a little olive oil with sea salt and black pepper, wrap securely in a foil parcel and roast in the oven at 180C for 60-90 minut...

This is a decadently delicious tart, and a fine example of how a few basic store-cupboard ingredients can quickly deliver on richness, flavour and visual impact. Who doesn’t have a tin of golden syrup in the cupboard (probably out of date but as it’s made from inverted sugar it really does not go off)? You might think using sourdough breadcrumbs in this is an affectation but I did it for two reasons. I make all my own sourdough at home, so I always have leftover crusts and I hate throwing them away. Plus, I was interested to see whether the slight sourness from the crumb would have any flavour impact on the extremely sweet filling. And it does. It adds a dimension that is subtle but noticeable, and improves the balance of flavours. To make it even simpler, you can use shop-bought shortcrust pastry, or even a pre-baked pastry shell (I won’t judge. Or tell).  And if you’re making your own pastry you could substitute dairy-free spread and make it vegan. You ...