Simple Summer Recipes You'll Adore
Ahead of the opening of Yotam Ottolenghi’s first Scottish restaurant on Edinburgh’s George Street this autumn, we’re revisiting two recipes from Simple, the bestselling cookbook that brought his bold, flavour-led cooking into home kitchens everywhere. Fresh, vibrant and ideal for summer sharing, these are the kinds of dishes that work just as well for a relaxed lunch in the garden as they do as part of a bigger weekend spread.
Cauliflower, Pomegranate and Pistachio Salad
It was a little moment of revelation, I remember, when I first combined roasted cauliflower and raw grated cauliflower in the same dish. So different from one another, but working so well combined. This is lovely as it is, served as part of a spread, or spooned alongside some roast chicken or lamb.
Don’t throw away the leaves of the cauliflower here. They’re lovely to eat, roasted and crisp, or grated raw as you would the rest of the cauliflower.
If you want to get ahead, roast the cauliflower up to 4 to 6 hours in advance. Keep at room temperature, then combine with the remaining ingredients when ready to serve.
Ingredients (serves 4)
1 large cauliflower (800g)
1 medium onion, roughly sliced (130g)
80ml olive oil
25g parsley, roughly chopped
10g mint, roughly chopped
10g tarragon, roughly chopped
Seeds from ½ medium pomegranate (80g)
40g pistachio kernels, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1½ tbsp lemon juice
Salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
Coarsely grate a third of the cauliflower and set aside in a bowl. Break the remaining cauliflower into florets, roughly 3cm wide, and add these to a separate bowl with the cauliflower leaves, if using, and onion. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt, then spread out on a large parchment-lined baking tray. Roast for about 20 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Once cool, place the roasted vegetables in a large bowl with the remaining oil, the grated cauliflower and the remaining ingredients, along with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss gently to combine, then transfer to a platter and serve.
Hot Charred Cherry Tomatoes with Cold Yoghurt
The contrast between the hot, juicy tomatoes and cold yoghurt is what makes this dish. The heat from the tomatoes softens the yoghurt slightly, turning it almost sauce-like underneath. Serve with plenty of crusty sourdough or focaccia alongside.
Ingredients (Serves four as a starter or mezze)
350g cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
¾ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp light brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
3 thyme sprigs
5g fresh oregano, 3 sprigs left whole and the rest picked to serve
1 lemon, skin of ½ shaved into 3 strips, remaining ½ finely grated for 1 tsp zest
350g extra thick Greek-style yoghurt, fridge-cold
1 tsp Urfa chilli flakes (or ½ tsp regular chilli flakes)
Flaked sea salt and black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
Place the tomatoes in a mixing bowl with the olive oil, cumin seeds, sugar, garlic, thyme, oregano sprigs, lemon strips, ½ teaspoon of flaked salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well, then transfer to a baking tray just large enough to fit the tomatoes snugly together.
Roast for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are beginning to blister and the juices are bubbling. Turn the oven to the grill setting and grill for 6 to 8 minutes, until the tomatoes start to blacken on top.
Meanwhile, combine the yoghurt with the grated lemon zest and ¼ teaspoon of flaked salt. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
Spread the yoghurt on to a platter with a slight lip, or into a wide shallow bowl, creating a dip in the centre with the back of a spoon. Spoon over the hot tomatoes along with their juices, lemon skin, garlic and herbs. Finish with the picked oregano and chilli flakes, then serve immediately with bread.
The chef will return to Edinburgh this September to celebrate the launch of his new book, Simple Too, with a live event at Topping & Company Booksellers. Tickets and details are available at toppingbooks.co.uk