And the nights are drawing in. Summer's almost gone, before we know it we shall be wearing makeup and knocking on neighbours doors demanding sweets. Even if you don't have children, this is great fun. I'd even suggest doing it mid-July if you fancy a laugh.But before then, it's my favourite time of year. The leaves turn gold and orange, the crisp, blue mornings with their low sun skies turn the walk to school into a show of colour and misty breath, wrapped up against the coming winter. It's the time to eat comforting food that's not quite long slow-braised beef shin stews, thick, rich and brown, but bridges the seasons.Cooking the pasta in the pan with everything else gives it real depth and reminds me of some of the meal in a bowl soups my mum used to make for us. There's so much going on, but really takes very little effort to make. Fresh bay leaves from the tree make the difference here, but use dried if you must. And don't bother doing your own peppers, just buy a good jar of them. There are some things that just aren't worth the fuss.Ingredients for four4 skin on chicken supremes4 garlic cloves, peeled1 red onion, cut into wedges1tbsp dried oregano2 bay leaves1 jar of roast red peppers, drainedA handful of good black olives250g orzo1tsp bouillon powderBoiling water to coverOlive oilSalt and pepper to seasonMethodHeat some oil in a large, lidded, heavy and shallow pan. Fry the chicken, seasoned, skin-side down until golden then turn and cook for a couple of minutes.Add the garlic and onions and cook for a minute longer.Throw in the peppers, olives, bay, bouillon, and orzo then just cover with boiling water. Sprinkle over the oregano and cover with the lid.Cook gently for about ten minutes, until the orzo is soft, but with a little bite.Serve from the pan at the table.
olives
French Tarts, or Taking the Pisaladière
in Recipes
I love a French tart. As Barry Cryer once said, "if you want an innuendo, I'll give you one", but that is beside the point. I prefer them sweet, but I'm not averse to the occasional savoury one such as tomato and herbs or roast vegetable. The best by far though, is the pisaladière. Sadly, I'm the only anchovy fan in this house which means we never have it. It's not the kind of thing you make in single portions. I have, therefore, made this alternative which uses strong olives and mushroom powder. I find the olives a pretty good substitute and often use them in salsa verde too.The key to this is long and slow. You must take the onions out for a romantic meal, a walk along the Seine, across the Pont Neuf with the lights of Notre Dame twinkling behind you. You must slowly kiss along their arm, whispering sweet nothings by the light of the moon.Then, and only then can you think about the next stage. What's good about this dish is that it is fairly effortless, unless you make your own puff pastry- which I would recommend every once in a while, and yields results that are far greater than the sum of its parts.That is to say, that like the French, you do a little work, then have a long break and sit down to lunch. Whether you have an affair in between is up to you. But the melting, sweet onions and the slightly sharp saltiness of the olives combined with the crisp flakiness of the pastry make this an affair to remember.Ingredients500g white onions, finely slicedSalt to seasonOlive oil320g puff pastryA few sprigs of thymeA pinch of rosemary leaves1tbsp dried mushroom powderA few handfuls of mixed olives, sliced and choppedExcellent olive oil to drizzle (I have a separate special bottle for this purpose)MethodCook the onions in some olive oil in a lidded pan with a pinch of salt, the thyme and rosemary for about an hour on the lowest heat you can. Take the lid of for the final 15 minutes then leave to cool.Heat the oven to 180c.Roll out the pastry on to a lined 32cm baking sheet and trim the pastry to fit. If you've made your own, bravo. It will make a difference. If, however, you feel life is too short or you just couldn't be bothered, never mind. It will still be delicious. (Try and get all butter puff pastry if you buy it.)Prick the base all over with a fork then spread over the onion, leaving a one centimetre gap around the edge. Brush the edge with beaten egg.Spread the onion all over, dust with the mushroom powder then dot with the olives. Cook for about 15-18 minutes until the pastry is golden. This is best served warm, not hot, so leave to cool for about 20 minutes. A tomato salad with the hint of shallot and some crusty baguette is perfect with this.