I had started with the intention of making a dip. It turned into a pasta sauce. And that is not a bad thing when that pasta sauce becomes an instant favourite; we've had it three times in the last two weeks, not least because a jar of it from the fridge made an excellent emergency supper when an underfloor gas leak one evening this week has led to the hob being disconnected.We are left, temporarily with a two ring burner for our cooking. So it's basic meals for the next week, I don't think a barbecue every night is an option, we're not Australian for God's sake.This does also make an excellent dip, served slightly warm with fresh flatbreads, so make enough, store in sterilised jars for up to five days and you'll have a few options. You can omit the chilli if you want to feed it to the children, but the kick you get really lifts the sauce. I'd suggest training them to love chilli instead...Ingredients2 large aubergines2 Romano peppers (just increase the bell peppers if you can't get these)1 red bell pepper1tbsp ground cumin1tbsp ground corianderA lot of olive oil, this dish really needs it for richness and depth1 dried red Scotch bonnet chilli or habanero1 good quality tin of plum tomatoes10 or so cherry tomatoes2 large cloves of garlicSalt and pepper to seasonMethodHeat the oven to 180cSlice the aubergines and peppers put them in a roasting ray with the cherry tomatoes.Blitz the remaining ingredients in a blender and pour over the peppers and aubergine. Season well and add a little more olive oil for fun. It really should have an indecent amount.Cook for 45 minutes until soft and 'done' then leave to cool.Blend roughly and serve hot with fusili. Or Malluredos, but that is next to difficult to find.This weekRead:The Sea, The Sea, by Iris Mudoch. Very funny, sublime and evocative. The main character is a self-obsessed pomposity of a man and a joy to read.Watched:The final series of Episodes. I'm glad it's over, but I'll miss it. I loved the ending, never saw it coming, but it was blindingly obvious when it did.Listened:Suanne Sundfor's new album, Norwegian interestingnessEat:Awful and boring the worst of England bland and mediocre, loveless pub food in our favourite East Sussex village. And it cost an arm and a leg each night of our stay too. The worst of this country's attitude to food.
A saucy dip
in Recipes
In the time it's taken for you to read this sentence, you could have already made this tomato sauce. It's that quick. I make mine in my NutriBullet, but a stick blender or food processor will do the job too.Make sure you use juicy, ripe tomatoes. Tinned are also a good bet when we're not quite at the height of tomato season. You can make this while the pasta is cooking, and then just stir it in and heat for a minute or two. It really does take ten seconds and is also great as a sauce for homemade pizza.Ingredients400g tomatoes, fresh or tinned2 cloves of garlic1 small onion1tbsp dried oreganoA small pour of olive oilSalt and pepperMethodBlitz all the ingredients together until smooth, heat through and serve with the pasta. See, it doesn't even need cooking, really.