A RECIPE: Cheese biscuits

Trips back to the UK always leave me rather unsettled. Inevitably I always spends the first 48 hours bemoaning the rain, the filthy hot trains, the even filthier and reliably inconvenient tube service and the cost of absolutely everything. I find myself saying things like “my subway pass costs half the price in Manhattan” and “why can’t people dispose of their litter properly?” The kind of things that make me sound really old and boring. The kinds of things I’ve heard my mother say. Once I get over the initial discomfort and price shock I find myself embracing the cool damp weather and sitting around the patio table in layers of clothing because it’s not raining and the sun is periodically appearing so even though it’s bloody freezing we should enjoy the fresh air. It’s what we Brits do- we grin and bear it. My mother and I had the heating on in the car the other night- we slurped on mugs of soup for dinner (soup in August! Now that’s unheard of this side of the Atlantic) and in the evenings we pulled our chairs close to the aga with cups of tea.

And then there’s the food. I only realise how much I miss it when I head back these days. An apple that you can eat in it’s entirety without feeling greedy, big fat juicy raspberries, meat that is labeled where it’s from, without the worry that it’s packed full of hormones and granary bread-Oh! Granary bread and the butter!  The downside to my diet is that I always find myself reaching for processed foods more in the UK- the kinds of things I avoid like the plague in this country- flavoured yogurts, sausages, crisps, Bombay mix, sweeties, orange squash and mini cheddars. Is it dreadful that I miss mini cheddars so much?  Light and crispy little cheese biscuits that you can let dissolve on your tongue or plunge into taramasalata.

I blame my mother- mini cheddars have always been a family favourite-their moorish qualities kept them in every picnic basket and many a lunch box and Christmas stocking. Along with Licorice allsorts, Wine gums, Polos, Hobnobs and Cadbury’s chocolate we are a family united by tuck shop preferences. Although, when it comes to tea we are a family divided between those favouring the richly flavoured PG tips and those with thwarted tea taste buds who stand firmly behind the watery taste of Sainsbury’s Earl grey (bleh!). Mini cheddars hold a little space in my pinnacle taste memories- those foods you find yourself day dreaming about and reminiscing when you eat.

With little spare room in my suitcase, past the baked beans, Marmite and tea staples I was going to have to learn to make my own or leave the UK without them. I’ll agree that my version doesn’t look like mini cheddars but these come without hydrogenated oils- so I think that we can make visual allowances. Plus, they will make leaving coming home, so much easier.

QUICK FIXES: 5 ways with courgette

If you’re not a courgette enthusiast then you’re probably finding the farmers markets and food bloggers rather tedious of late. Fortunately, for myself I adore them- which is why I’m jumping on the courgette bandwagon. Well, it would be rude not too.

Here are five of my own quick ideas to help you use up your courgette

Grilled courgette with feta and mint

Slice courgette thinly into any shape you like, lightly brush with oil and cook on a grill until nicely char-striped on both sides. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with Maldon Salt and scatter over crumbled feta and freshly torn mint leaves. This is also great served as bruschetta.

Simple roasted courgette salad

Roast chunks of courgette and yellow squash coated generously in good olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper until golden.  Toss with freshly steamed green beans or a can of rinsed and drained beans (your choice). Squeeze over lemon juice to serve.

Courgette Fritatta

Sauté thin slices of spring onion in olive oil in a nonstick frying pan. Fill the pan with thinly sliced courgette rounds and toss over a high heat until beginning to go golden.  Stir in chopped fresh herbs of your choice. Add beaten eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper and let cook for 1 minute, then place top with shreds of proscuitto and place under a hot grill (broiler) until set and lightly golden on top. Slice into wedges to serve

Raw courgette and strawberry salad

Slice courgette paper thin using a mandolin and serve topped with slices of strawberry, toasted chopped walnuts and a drizzle of lemon vinaigrette. Also delicious with a few slices of grilled cheese such as feta or halloumi.

Crispy courgette bites

Brush thin rounds of courgette with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and equal quantities of panko bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese. Place under a hot grill or in a hot oven until crispy. Serve immediately.

How others are using up their crop:

Zucchini ricotta cheesecake (101 cookbooks)

Spaghetti with zucchini and mint (Bitten- Mark Bittman)

Zucchini fritters (Simply Recipes)

Zucchini strand spaghetti (Smitten Kitchen)

Garlic and herb stuffed zucchini (The Wednesday Chef)

Chocolate & zucchini cake (Chocolate & Zucchini)