COOK VEGETABLES RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7.
  2. Peel and halve the potatoes, then parboil in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and leave to steam dry for 2 minutes, then give the colander a few shakes to chuff up the edges.
  3. Squash the garlic cloves with the back of knife, separate the rosemary into sprigs, then put half to one side. Scatter the rest over the potatoes with the garlic, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, 4 tablespoons of oil and 30g of butter. Toss again.
  4. Tip into a roasting tray and arrange in one layer, then roast for 45 minutes, or until golden.
  5. Scrub the parsnips clean, then slice in half lengthways. Parboil in boiling salted water for 10 minutes, then drain well.
  6. Pick the thyme leaves. Toss the parsnips with the honey, thyme, a pinch of salt and pepper, 10g of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil.
  7. Tip into a roasting tray and arrange in one layer, then roast for 40 minutes, or until golden.
  8. Peel the carrots, then place in a pan of cold salted over a high heat. Bring to the boil, and cook for 15 minutes, or until tender, then drain.
  9. Meanwhile, pick and finely chop the remaining rosemary, then finely grate the orange zest and mix together.
  10. Toss the cooked carrots with the remaining butter, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the orange zest and rosemary, then serve.

Steps:

• 1. I think it’s quite nice to have different shapes and sizes in a salad, so cut your medium tomato into wedges, halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the beef tomato into large rounds. Put all the tomatoes into a large salad bowl. Slice the onion very finely so it’s wafer thin and add to the tomatoes. Scratch a fork down the sides of the cucumber so it leaves deep grooves in the skin, then cut it into thick slices. Deseed your pepper, slice it into rings and add them to the salad along with the cucumber.
  2. Roughly chop the dill and most of the mint leaves, reserving the smaller ones for garnish. Add the chopped herbs to the bowl of salad, then squeeze your handful of olives over so they season the vegetables, then drop them in.
  3. Add a pinch of sea salt, the vinegar and the extra virgin olive oil. Quickly toss everything together with your hands. The minute all those flavours start working with the veg is when the magic starts to happen. Have a taste, and adjust the flavours if need be.
  4. To serve, pop the block of feta right on the top of the salad. Sprinkle the oregano over the top along with the reserved mint leaves, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and take it straight to the table. It’s confident and scruffy with a bit of attitude. Delicious.
  5. PS I’ve been known to pop leftover Greek salad into a liquidizer with a splash of extra virgin olive oil and a few ice cubes, then blitz it up to a smooth consistency so it's basically a Greek gazpacho. It’s not a classic thing to do, but it is very delicious, not to mention a great way of using up leftovers!