Recipe: Keeping it fresh and simple for summer

Published on Saturday 23 May 2009 11:18

AS the days get longer and the weather gets at least slightly warmer, we now have our sights set on the culinary delights of summer. Cooking at this time of year is all about lighter dishes and fabulous natural pairings; from juicy tomatoes with plump aubergines, to tasty scallops with courgette.

Simplicity is the key to all cooking if you use fresh, flavoursome seasonal ingredients. Whether you're hosting summer barbecues or dinner parties with friends, these recipes are an ideal addition to any summer menu.

Both courgettes and aubergines are at their prime in terms of flavour right now. My two favourite recipes incorporate both of these key ingredients, amongst a host of other seasonal gems that are sure to get people relishing the perfect summer flavours.

The quality of the ingredients is important so make sure the vegetables are in season.

The first recipe incorporates aubergine into a dish of penne pasta with salted ricotta. I like to use sweet onion and garlic along with freshly chopped tomatoes to make this a light summer dish. This meal is ideally accompanied with freshly-baked bread and glass of full-bodied red wine. I try to choose aubergines that feel heavy and have unblemished skins and fleshy stalks. Although salting isn't really necessary, it helps to draw out bitterness and moisture. One of the benefits of salting and draining is that the aubergine won't soak up as much oil during cooking.

Aubergines are such an adaptable vegetable; you can even just brush the slices with oil and chargrill them until tender and they are perfectly complimented by fresh feta cheese.

Courgettes are one of the easiest – and quickest – crops to grow yourself, and provide enough veg to keep you going throughout the whole summer. Courgettes need very little preparation or cooking. I recommend eating them raw, whole or halved lengthways, tossed in a little olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt.

Malcolm Webster is executive chef at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa Santini restaurant. He will also be attending this year's Taste of Edinburgh Festival in Inverleith Park from 29-31 May

Penne pasta with roasted aubergine and salted ricotta

Arborio risotto rice 280g

Chopped shallot 50g

1cm diced courgettes 400g

White wine 250ml

Fish stock 500ml

Lemon juice 40ml

Zest of one lemon

Diced butter 70g

Grated Parmesan 30g

Olive oil 100ml

Smoked trout fillet 400g

Watercress 60g

Salt and pepper

Method

Heat olive oil in a saut pan, sweat the shallot. Add risotto rice and cook until transparent. Deglaze with wine and cook until wine is reduced. Add fish stock. Keep the rice moving.

After ten minutes, add the courgette and cook for a further two minutes. Add lemon juice, butter, then Parmesan. Finish risotto off with lemon zest, three-quarters of the flaked smoked trout fillet and watercress.