Summer fresh

Tomato and cheddar galette with buckwheat poppyseed crust

(Serves 6-8) 

The beauty of a free-form galette is that you can roll the pastry directly onto your baking paper without the fiddly task of transferring it to a tin. Simply add the fillings, fold up the edges and bake! 

Ingredients 

• 150g (1 cup + 3 tbsp) buckwheat flour 

• 1 tsp poppyseeds 

• 1½ tsp salt 

• ¼ tsp ground black pepper 

• 75g cold butter, cubed 

• 200g Cheddar, grated  
  (2 packed cups) 

• 1 large egg yolk 

• 1-2 tbsp iced water 

• 500g (about 4–5 medium-sized) tomatoes, sliced into 1cm rounds 

• 2 tbsp olive oil 

• 1 large sprig fresh thyme, plus a few small sprigs to garnish 

Method 

1. Put the buckwheat flour, poppyseeds, ½ teaspoon of salt and the black pepper in a food processor and briefly pulse to combine. With the motor running, add the butter one cube at a time, until the mixture is the consistency of breadcrumbs. Add a quarter of the Cheddar and the egg yolk, followed by 1–2 tablespoons of iced water until the dough clumps into a ball. Wrap tightly with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 
2. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake. 
3. Put the tomato slices in a large bowl, sprinkle over the remaining salt and toss to coat. Leave for 10 minutes, to draw out the moisture. Drain the tomatoes through a sieve, then arrange on paper towels and pat dry. 
4. Shape the pastry dough into a disc and roll out between 2 sheets of baking paper until roughly 30cm in diameter. Remove the top sheet of baking paper and, keeping the pastry on the bottom layer of baking paper, transfer to a baking tray. 
5. Sprinkle the base with the remaining grated Cheddar, leaving a roughly 7cm border around the edges. Arrange the tomato slices over the top of the Cheddar and fold the edges of the pastry up to encase the filling. 
6. Brush the edges of the pastry with half the oil. Scatter over the thyme leaves, drizzle over the remaining oil and season well with black pepper. 
7. Bake for 1 hour, until the pastry is crisp and the tomatoes are cooked and deeply coloured. Allow to cool slightly before garnishing with thyme, then slice and serve hot. 

Charred nectarine and broccolini salad with spiced honey

(Serves 4-6 as a side) 

This salad combines my favourite things: stone fruit, broccolini, soft cheese, nuts, honey and sweet spices. 

Ingredients 

• 200g (1¼ cups) corn kernels (fresh or frozen) 

• 1 tbsp olive oil 

• 150g broccolini, cut into florets and stems cut into thirds 

• 4 nectarines, pitted and sliced into 1cm wedges 

• 2 large handfuls cos lettuce, torn 

• 400g can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 

• 125g fresh mozzarella, sliced 

• 50g (1/3 cup) hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped 

• 25g (3 tbsp) shelled pistachios, chopped 

• small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped 

• ¼ tsp chilli flakes 

• Spiced honey dressing 

• 60ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil 

• 60ml (1/4 cup) red wine vinegar 

• 2 tbsp honey, gently warmed to liquefy 

• ½ tsp salt 

• ½ tsp ground cumin 

• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon 

Method 

1. Lay your corn kernels on a clean tea towel and pat dry. 
2. Heat a large, dry cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes until they develop char. Remove from the pan. 
3. Pour the olive oil into the pan. Add the broccolini and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred underneath. Remove from the pan, and gently wipe the pan clean. 
4. Put the nectarine slices, on their side, into the pan. Cook for 2–3 minutes, flipping halfway, until lightly charred on both sides. Remove from the heat. 
5. To make the spiced honey dressing, vigorously whisk all ingredients together until emulsified. 
6. To assemble, arrange the cos lettuce leaves on your serving platter. Scatter over the cannellini beans, followed by the broccolini, corn, mozzarella and nectarine slices. Evenly drizzle over the dressing. Sprinkle over the hazelnuts, pistachios, coriander and chili flakes. Season with salt and black pepper. 
7. Serve at room temperature or chilled.