GET CREATIVE IN THE KITCHEN - Festival food ideas from Gaby
When I was asked by Emma to write about some of my favourite festival-inspired recipes I was overwhelmed with joy… and indecisiveness.
That’s right.
There are simply too many dishes I love, the list is immense as I like all sorts of cuisines, any time of the day, over the course of a festival weekend.
To me, festivals, are not just about music, mingling with friends, sipping ice-cold Prosecco in the sun, they are also about long queues at the most popular food stall, smoky grills, spicy jerk marinades smothering anything from succulent chicken pieces to halloumi.
So, I have picked a few of recipes that should be super easy to prep ahead and to cook on the day and enjoy during the Together 2020 House Party weekend!
What is your favourite festival food?
Share your share your recipes with us or show us how your dishes turned out here.
Bon appetite!
Gaby and the Together Team x
Gaby is a foodie and founder of The Pass resturant marketing
Focaccia
This Italian flatbread can be made one day ahead (but it gives its best if baked on the day) and it is super easy to whip up. You can slice it open and filled it with your favourite cold meats or grill ed vegetables, or simply grab chunks of it and sink in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serves 4 to 6 people
500g strong bread flour
7g dried yeast (or 10g fresh yeast)
1tsp sugar
2tsp salt
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
320ml luke warm water
Mix all together to form an elastic dough and let rest for at least 1 hour in at warm room temperature until it has doubled its size.
Pre-heat the oven at 250C
Place the dough on a very well oiled metal tray lined with baking paper (the secret here is the amount of oil used during cooking…Focaccia needs a very generous serving of olive oil), press the tips of your fingers on the dough, sprinkle with high quality salt flakes, rosemary or oregano, and drizzle more oil on the top.
Turn the oven temperature down to 230/220 and cook until golden and the edges are lightly crisp. This should take around 20 minutes.
Let it cool down before serving.
A Greek Feast – Souvlaki, with homemade flatbread and tzatziki
This dish works well as meat of veggie – choose lamb, chicken breasts/thighs or halloumi/vegetables to marinade
For the marinade:
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried mint
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp ground cinnamon
zest and juice 1 lemon, plus 1 lemon cut into wedges to serve
4 garlic cloves, crushed
For the pitta wraps:
300g strong flour
150ml water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil, plus a little for greasing
For the tzatziki:
½ cucumber
200g Greek yogurt
small bunch mint , finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, crushed
Juice ½ lemon
To serve
1 butter or round lettuce
4 large tomatoes, seeds removed, chopped
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
If BBQing You may need 4 long metal skewers.
First, make the tzatziki. Peel the skin of the cucumber away in strips – you want some but not all of it. Then coarsely grate the cucumber, pile it into the centre of a clean tea towel and squeeze out most of the excess liquid. Put the garlic cloves onto a chopping board, sprinkle with a large pinch of salt and crush into a smooth paste with the flat blade of a large knife. Tip the yoghurt into a bowl and stir in the cucumber, garlic, spring onions, dill or mint, olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside (or in the fridge) until needed.
Cut the lamb/chicken or Halloumi into strips and cube. Put the meat or cheese into a bowl with all the marinade ingredients and leave to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
For the flatbreads, sift the flour, salt and yeast into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add 250ml warm water and olive oil and mix together to make a soft dough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Put back into the bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
Punch back the dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead once more until smooth. Divide into 8 pieces and roll each one into a ball. Cover and leave to rise for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 240°C/Gas Mark 9. Working with one ball of dough at a time, roll it out flat until it is about 22cm across. Place it on a greased baking sheet, spray lightly with a little water and bake for 2-3 minutes. Keep warm in a tea towel. Repeat for the rest of the breads.
If BBQing: Light your barbecue. Thread about 5 pieces of meat or cheese, folding the thinner strips in half, and cook.
If frying: Make sure your pan is really hot before putting the meat or cheese in the pan so you get a crispy coating.
Cook until they are nicely browned on the outside and cooked through but still moist and juicy in the centre. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm while you cook the remainder.
Serve with the flatbreads, tzatziki, ripe tomatoes, pickled cucumbers or gherkins, pickled chillies and paprika.east – Souvlaki, with homemade flatbread and tzatziki
Aubergine Parmigiana
A classic Italian one-pan meal that it’s as versatile as it is as you can replace the aubergines with courgettes or squash if you prefer. There are a few versions for making parmigiana. My mum usually dips each slice in batter and fries until golden before layering, I normally chargrill the slices for a smoky flavor.. It’s totally up to your preference. This serves four
4 or 5 medium/large aubergines, thickly sliced, about 2cm
1lt of tomato passata
2 Very good quality mozzarella balls
Finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano (or vegetarian alternative)
A few fresh basil leaves1
1 medium sized white onion
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Chargrill or cook the aubergines slices over a griddle pan until firm but soft inside.
In the meantime gently simmer the tomato passata (I usually add some wam water to the empty bottle and pour it in the pan to make the passata smoother) all together with the whole onion, basil leaves, crushed garlic, a good drizzle of olive oil and seasoning.
Slice the mozzarella balls and let drain over a bowl to let the juices out.
Once all is cooked, layer the aubergine slices with the tomato passata, the mozzarella, and a sprinkle of grated Parmigiano, finishing off with more mozzarella, passata, and grated cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes at 180C until lightly crisp and bubbling on top!
BBQ Marinade
This marinade is from Rodrigo Navarro, head chef at Park Tavern SW18
They specialise in South African food cooked on the braai. All of their recipes are perfect to share and cook in the sun!
The honey caramelises and the lime balances the sweetness. Works very well for both chicken or pork.
Toast the Fennel seeds and Chinese Five Spice, then grind them with a pestle and mortar or blend them in a food processor. Now add the rest of the ingredients