Globe Artichoke Pizza with Lemon Parmesan Sauce

Hola, sorry its been a few weeks since my last recipe. I've just got back from a lovely holiday traveling up the sunny south east coast of Spain working on my tan lines and feasting on the local cuisine.  Now I'm back and full of Spaniard inspiration starting with this recipe using globe artichokes which is a edible flower that grows through out Spain, Italy and Mediterranean countries. This recipe is slightly labour intensive but is a great way on brushing up how to prepare artichokes and bread dough. Enjoy.

6 tightly packed small artichokes
2 springs rosemary
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon juiced
100ml water

SAUCE:
50g butter
50g plain flour
200ml whole milk
150g grated parmesan
Pinch of sea salt

DOUGH:
400g strong flour
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
6g dried yeast
275ml warm water

METHOD:
Prepare artichokes by slicing the base off then using scissors cut the tips off each artichoke petal. Sit artichokes in baking tray and drizzle over water, lemon juice and olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover tray with foil and bake in oven set at 180oC for 30 minutes. Once cooked leave to stand for half an hour.
To make the dough, place the yeast and sugar in with water and leave to ferment for 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl add the flour and salt then roughly mix together. Add the fermented liquid to flour and start to knead, once a dough forms pour in olive oil and knead in the bowl for 2 minutes. Dust a clean bench surface with flour and turn dough out onto surface and knead vigorously for 10 minutes. Lightly grease the mixing bowl with a little extra oil and add the dough, cover and leave to stand in warm place till doubled in size. Brush a 30x20cm baking tray with extra olive oil and dust with flour then tap it round the pan. When dough has doubled in size fold out into baking tray and stretch out till it lays flat and even in the tray. Using your finger tips press the surface of dough to created small pockets, then drizzle with a little extra olive oil. Bake dough in oven set at 220oC for 10 minutes, once cooked flip the dough over gently using 2 spatulas and bake for a farther 5 minutes. When the base has fully cooked carefully flip back over in tray and leave to cool.
For the sauce melt butter in sauce pan then add flour and stir till the kitchen is filled with the smell of short bread. Add salt and very gradually pour in the milk while stirring, this will prevent lumps. Once all the milk has been added pour in the parmesan and lemon juice, stir till the cheese has just melted then remove from heat. 
To finish preparing the artichokes peel off the tough grey outer leaves till you reach the more fleshy pale part of artichoke. Cut artichokes in half and remove the purple leaves and hairy section with a teaspoon or fingers. Then cut each portion of artichoke in half once more. 
Spread the sauce evenly over dough base and gently break up and distribute the artichoke over pizza. Lastly pick off rosemary leaves and sprinkle over artichokes with a little extra seasoning and olive oil. Bake in oven at 180oC for 15 minutes, once cooked leave to stand for 5 minutes before cutting into 8 piece's.  

Virgin Caesar

Here's a recipe I created back in May but forgot about it. Sadly the hawthorn flowers are no longer in season, but you can substitute with raw almonds.
This is a fresh nutty salad with plenty of bite and peppery undertones, easy to prepare and wonderfully healthy.

1 stale baguette
500g asparagus
150g fresh peas
200g parmesan
40g hawthorn flowers
2 baby gem lettuce
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and cracked pepper for seasoning

Method:
Slice baguette into 5mm thick pieces and lay out over baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in oven set at 160oC for 30 minutes, once cooked leave croutons out to dry for 3 hours. Place a medium pot of water on to boil, snap the coarse bottoms of asparagus off and slice in half lengthways. Once water is boiling add the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes till just tender, drain and cool under cold running water. Slice parmesan into thin wedges and separate the gem leaves and wash.
To make the salad you can either make 4 individual salads or one large platter. First lay down torn pieces of gem and evenly distribute the asparagus, followed by breaking croutons and parmesan over salad. Scatter the fresh pea's over salad, then garnish with hawthorn flowers. Lastly season with desired amount of salt and pepper then drizzle over a little extra olive oil and serve.

Wild Wild Rocket and Courgette Salad

Wild wild rocket is what you probably got from the supermarket when it first appeared on the shelf in supermarkets. However over the years conservative taste buds of consumers have watered down the true strong flavour of rocket. Rocket should be nutty and incredibly peppery not weak and limp.
Its time we demand better flavours and ultimately more nutrition from our food suppliers. 
Here's a very simple salad full of wonderful strong flavours, do some research and get your hands on wild wild rocket.

1kg courgettes
70g wild wild rocket washed

DRESSING:
150g parmesan
150ml extra virgin olive oil
1 un-waxed lemon
 Small handful flat parsley
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Cracked black pepper

METHOD:
Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to the boil. In the mean time make dressing, finely grate parmesan, zest and juice lemon and place in food processor with olive oil, parsley, mustard and a good cracking of pepper. Blend together for 1 minutes till smooth and put aside till salad is ready.
Using a sharp peeler, peel the courgettes into long strips discarding the core. Once water has come to the boil gently add the courgettes and cook for 15 seconds then strain and run under cold water.
To construct the salad you can either make individual portions or one large platter. First lay down wild rocked followed buy strips of courgettes and lastly drizzle over desired amount of dressing and serve. 

Asparagus, Cherry Tomato, Lemon and Parmesan Tart

Because of the random behavior of the weather lately some plants are unsure if its winter, spring or even summer. Usually British asparagus doesn't come through till mid may but this year it started very early in MARCH! Thanks to the little heat wave which has now well and truly disappeared England has a mini batch of wonderful asparagus.
Growing up my grandparents owned a asparagus farm and my first memory of eating this vegetable was during lunch at Nana and Grandads place. Nana had just bought a copy of Alison Holst (New Zealand's equivalent to Delia Smith) new cook book which had a recipe for cream of asparagus soup and she decided to give it a go. Being very young I was hesitant to trying new foods and flavours that weren't ice cream or tomato ketchup. But knowing that Nana hadn't once cooked me something I hated I decided to go out of my comfort zone and try this new flavour. Only thing I can remember after tasting the soup is that I liked it very much and wanted more!
This recipe isn't the soup however just a lovely little tart I made up last week.
 
500g asparagus
250g cherry tomatoes
50g butter
50g plain flour
250ml whole milk
100g parmesan grated
1 lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and cracked pepper to season
4 basil leaves 

PASTRY:
300g plain flour
150g butter
50g grated cheddar
1 egg
3 tablespoons water
Pinch of sea salt

METHOD:
Start with making the pastry, place flour, cheddar and salt in large mixing bowl. Cube the butter and add to dry mixture, rub butter into flour till well blended together then add egg and cold water, lightly knead together till only just combined. Wrap pastry in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
Grease a fluted flan tin with removable base 30cm in diameter and 3cm deep. Once the pastry has rested roll out on a floured surface till about 4-5mm thick and line the tin with pastry pinch and press down around the edges and refrigerate for a further 30 minutes.
Fill a medium pot with water and place over a high heat to boil and snap the ends off the asparagus. Once water is boiling plunge in the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes, drain and cool under cold running water, slice asparagus in half length ways and cut into 2cm pieces.
Place tomatoes on a baking tray and season with salt, pepper and drizzle over olive oil, roast in oven set at 200oC for 15 minutes.
Mean while with a folk prick the base of the pastry 10 times and line with grease proof paper and fill with rice or dried legumes, bake in oven set at 200oC for 12 minutes. When the pastry is baked remove parchment paper and legumes and bake the pastry for another 6 minutes till golden brown.
Zest lemon on the fine side of the grater then melt butter in sauce pan over a medium heat and add flour and lemon zest. Stir flour into butter till a citrus shortbread aroma fills the kitchen then pour milk in bit by bit all the time stirring to avoid lumps. Once all the milk has been added squeeze in the juice of lemon and add half the parmesan, remove sauce from heat and stir till parmesan has melted.
Pour parmesan sauce into pastry and smooth over evenly, distribute the asparagus over parmesan sauce, sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top and lastly place cherry tomatoes randomly round the tart. Bake in pre-heated oven set at 200oC for 15 minutes, once cooked tear fresh basil leaves over the tart.