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Tuscan Tomato, Cucumber & Bread Salad

“Panzanella, little swamp, is another tomato favorite, a salad of oil, vinegar, tomatoes, basil, cucumber, minced onion, and stale bread soaked in water and squeezed dry - a true invention from necessity. Since bread must be bought every day, Tuscan cooking makes good use of leftovers.” Nothing could be easier. I used 3 small tomatoes cut up in small bites, half a cucumber also cut up into small bites, minced onion, fresh local basil, 8 slices of leftover hard baguette seasoned with salt and pepper. Like many Tuscan cooks, I added the olive oil and vinegar by eye but you should know the typical ratio is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. The bread was soaked in water and squeezed as dry as possible. At first I didn’t think it would taste very good but after dressing the salad and letting it sit for a while, the bread gave the salad a wonderful texture and absorbed some of the seasoning with the juices from the vegetables. It was amazing.  And it went great with a chilled bottle of Prosecco!

For the sea bass4 sea bass fillets 2 tbsp olive oil 25g/1oz butter4 tbsp white winesaltfreshly ground black pepperFor the sauce1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 15g/½oz butter3 anchovy fillets2 shallots, finely chopped1 medium courgette, finely chopped 300ml½ pint vegetable stock200g/7oz rocket, roughly chopped, plus a few handfuls to serve

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 15g/½oz butter3 anchovy fillets2 shallots, finely chopped1 medium courgette, finely chopped 300ml½ pint vegetable stock200g/7oz rocket, roughly chopped, plus a few handfuls to serve

Method 1. First make the sauce. Heat the extra virgin olive oil and butter in a pan, add the anchovy fillets and cook, stirring over a gentle heat, until they have almost dissolved into the oil. 2. Add the shallots and courgette and cook until the shallots begin to soften, then add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for one minute. 3. Stir the rocket, season with black pepper and simmer for a couple of minutes.4. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly, then mix in a blender until smooth. 5. Return to the pan and stir over a high heat with a wooden spoon until nearly all the liquid has evaporated and the sauce becomes creamy.

just let it be savory There's nothing inherently wrong with pairing pork tenderloin with fruit. It just shows a collective failure of imagination that it is all anyone ever seems to want to do with this leaner, milder cut more prized for its tenderness than its flavor. As with a filet mignon, a generous seasoning of coarsely ground salt and pepper paired with high heat can transform a pork tenderloin.   temp, not time

Peacamole - 300 grams (10 1/2 ounces, 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon) shelled green peas, frozen or fresh but not canned - 1 drop cilantro essential oil for cooking, or a small bunch fresh cilantro - 2 tablespoons whole almond butter (like peanut butter but made with unblanched almonds; look for it at natural foods stores) - 1 clove garlic, minced (optional) - 1 dash Tabasco sauce - Salt, black pepper Makes enough for an appetizer for 4.

Steam the peas for 14 minutes, or until tender, and let cool to just above room temperature. If you're using fresh cilantro, pluck the leaves and set aside. In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the peas, almond butter, cilantro (essential oil or fresh leaves), garlic if using, Tabasco sauce, a little salt and some pepper. Process until smooth. If the mixture is a bit too thick for the blade of the food processor to mix properly, add just a little bit of water, a teaspoon at a time, until soft enough to mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spread on pieces of multigrain crispbread and serve. The peacamole can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge in an airtight container; it will keep for 2 to 3 days. Recipe originally developed for ELLE à table, issue #63, March/April 2009.