Summary: <p>Diana Henry discusses her book, <em>How to Eat a Peach: Menus, Stories and Places</em>. Henry offers menus that are introduced with personal essays about places and journeys that explain her choice of dishes. This is a rebroadcast of a segment that originally aired June 22, 2018.</p> <p><em>This segment is guest hosted by Melissa Clark</em>. </p> <p>Roast tomatoes, fennel & chickpeas with preserved lemons & honey</p> <p><em>It might seem a hassle to roast the fennel and tomatoes separately, but it does make things easier when you come to assemble this, as each element stays intact and keeps its shape. You can use flat-leaf parsley or mint leaves instead of cilantro in the dressing, or extend the dish by adding salad greens (arugula, watercress, or baby spinach) if you like, though then you’ll need to make a bit more dressing. You can make all the elements ahead of time. Serve with saffron couscous—it’s a great contrast in both color and texture—or flatbread.</em></p> <p>Serves: 6 </p> <p>For the tomatoes:10 large plum tomatoes3 tablespoons regular olive oil1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar1½ tablespoons harissa2 teaspoons superfine sugarsea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepperfor the fennel2 large fennel bulbsjuice of ½ lemon2 garlic cloves, crushed½ teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely crushed in a mortargenerous pinch of crushed red pepper2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed</p> <p>For the dressing:2 small preserved lemons, plus 2 teaspoons juice from the jar 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1½ tablespoons liquid honey ¹⁄³ cup extra virgin olive oil¼ cup chopped cilantro</p> <p>1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.</p> <p>2. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and lay in a single layer in a roasting pan or ovenproof dish. Mix the regular olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and harissa and pour this over the tomatoes, tossing to coat well, then turn the tomatoes cut-side up. Sprinkle with the sugar and season.</p> <p>3. Quarter the fennel bulbs, cut off the stalks, and remove any coarse outer leaves. Pull off any tender fronds (reserve these) and cut each piece of fennel into 1-inch thick wedges, keeping them intact at the base. Toss in a bowl with the lemon juice (it stops them from discoloring). Add the garlic, fennel seeds, chile, and extra virgin olive oil, then season and turn everything over with your hands. Spread out the fennel in a second roasting pan and cover tightly with foil.</p> <p>4. Put both pans in the oven. Roast the fennel for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender (the undersides should be pale gold), then remove the foil and roast for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until soft, golden, and slightly charred. Roast the tomatoes for 35 to 40 minutes, or until caramelized in patches and slightly shrunken. Stir the chickpeas into the fennel and taste for seasoning. Let both cool to room temperature.</p> <p>5. Now make the dressing. Discard the flesh from the preserved lemons and cut the rind into dice. Whisk the wine vinegar with the preserved lemon juice, honey, and extra virgin olive oil, season, and add the lemon rind and cilantro. Taste for seasoning and sweet-sour balance.</p> <p>6. Arrange the fennel, chickpeas, and tomatoes on a platter, adding all the juices from the roasting pans; there might be quite a lot from the tomatoes. Scatter any fennel fronds you reserved over the top. Spoon on the dressing, or serve it on the side.</p> <p>Asparagus, peas & radishes with pistachio pesto</p> <p><em>The pesto here is rich, so you need the radishes to provide a clean contrast.</em></p> <p>Serves: 6</p> <p>For the pesto:1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, divided8 scallions, trimmed and chopped1 tablespoon unsalted butter1 fat garlic clove, crushed¾ cup extra virgin olive oil4½oz fresh ricotta½ cup finely grated pecorino or Parmesan cheesesea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepperFor the vegetables:8 to 10 radishes, preferably French breakfast radishes1½lb asparagus3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil2½ teaspoons white balsamic vinegar7oz fresh raw peassmall handful of pea shoots, cress, or microgreens </p> <p>1. Start with the pesto. Boil two-thirds of the pistachios in water for 4 minutes; this softens them and makes the pesto creamy. Drain and dry them in a dish cloth. You need to rub off all the papery skin (laborious but therapeutic). Lightly toast the rest of the nuts in a dry skillet for about 30 seconds. You will be able to smell the toasted aroma. Immediately transfer to a plate. Cook the scallions in the butter in a small saucepan until soft, but not colored. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so.</p> <p>2. Blitz all the nuts with the scallions and garlic in a food processor, gradually adding the extra virgin olive oil. Stir in the ricotta and pecorino or Parmesan. Season and taste.Now for the vegetables. Shave the radishes using a mandoline slicer, or cut them very finely with a sharp knife.</p> <p>3. Break or cut off the base of each asparagus spear (if you use your hands instead of a knife, you can feel where the natural break is). Bring a pan with about 3 inches of water to a boil. Stand the asparagus in this, bases in the water, spears leaning against the side (they cook in the steam). Cover with a lid. Cook until only just tender, testing with a point of a knife. How long it takes depends on the thickness of the asparagus. If it’s of average thickness, I reckon on 7 minutes, but I usually start checking after 4.</p> <p>4. Lift the asparagus out of the pan, then quickly remove excess moisture by patting it with a clean dish cloth. Add a little of the asparagus cooking water to the pesto to loosen and thin it.</p> <p>5. Mix the extra virgin olive oil and the white balsamic vinegar together and season. Divide the asparagus, raw peas, radishes, and pea shoots among 6 plates—or put them all on a platter—and drizzle with the white balsamic dressing. Spoon on some of the pesto and offer the rest at the table.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>
