Courgettes with Saffron and Pine Nuts

If I were to pick a favourite time of year, I wouldn’t hesitate to choose autumn.  And if I were driven to choose just one month, then September would be my focus.  Never has a time of year seemed more perfectly formed: the day is not too long or short, but just right.  The weather remains bright, but begins to crackle with morning crispness; the rain hurls itself down, encouraging you to find warmth and sanctuary indoors, a cup of tea clasped in your hands.  Yet, the last of summer’s bounty is still to be had: potatoes, tomatoes, courgettes, beans, beetroot, chard can all be found in greengrocers and in driveways, still fresh from the garden; while apples, plums, aubergines, gooseberries, pears and raspberries come into their own at the beginning of September.  Literally, we are surrounded by abundance and we should revel in all that is seasonal, fresh and where possible, local. 

This year, as well discovering how to make the most delicious  lemon tart (revolutionary), I’ve seen a lot mentioned of September being the new, New Year.  Now is the time to redress any imbalances in your life: fresh from the summer holidays, the sun is still shining and no Christmas guilt at hand, September is perfect for taking stock and starting afresh.  The idea suits my mood this year, and so I’m happy to embrace my artificial New Year, apart from my usual list of resolutions (be healthy, be happy, wear lots of cashmere), I want to focus even more closely on cooking with seasonal, fresh and pure ingredients.  Using what is naturally abundant to create both delicious food and also to show how rich and varied an allergy-free diet can be.  With that in mind, I thought I’d start off on the right foot with this delectable dish of courgettes with saffron and pine nuts.  I can’t lay claim to its origin as I came across it recently in a magazine.  I’ve tampered with it a little (why, of course) and have made the addition of some coriander leaf as it just felt right to do so.  I think it would be delicious whether eaten hot or cold, but I served it on a bed of brown basmati rice with a herb leaf and tomato salad – it felt like a wonderful start to this lovely month.

COURGETTES WITH SAFFRON AND PINE NUTS

Serves 2

30g raisins

Pinch of saffron

450g small sized courgettes

2 tbsp olive oil

30g pine nuts

A small bunch of coriander

Place the raisins and saffron in a small bowl and pour over 2 tablespoons of boiling water.  Leave to stand for 20 – 30 minutes, this will allow the raisins to plump up while encouraging the saffron colour and flavour to imbue the water and raisins.  Trim the ends from the courgettes and cut into quarters lengthways, if the courgettes are quite long, cut each quarter in half lengthways.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy based pan.  Add the courgettes to the pan, laying them flat so that they each have a chance to turn golden, and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the courgettes are just tender and turning golden.  Add the pine nuts, saffron water and raisins to the pan, turn up the heat a little and cook for a further 2 minutes or until the water has nearly all evaporated.   Finely chop the coriander and season the courgettes before scattering over the coriander and serving.

Sicilian Roasted Cauliflower with Penne

It was the wonderful Rose Prince who introduced me to this Sicilian method of cooking with cauliflower.  At first, it was just a brief mention in a Telegraph article: having rued the demise of the cauliflower’s popularity, she casually dropped in to conversation that ‘Sicilians fry florets in olive oil then add some saffron-infused water, capers, currants and pine nuts’ before stirring into pasta, perhaps with a handful of toasted breadcrumbs.   I read no further; my attention fully and completely taken with such a simple but glorious method of using cauliflower.  But then, that’s what the Italians & Sicilians are renowned for: simple, spectacular food.  A few weeks later I came across her version of that very same dish - again, in the Telegraph, which left aside the capers and currants and instead added the pungent bite of mustard seeds. 

I think both would be good, but I am choosing to stay with the original, although with the addition of a little chopped parsley, the exclusion of the breadcrumbs and the introduction of some lovely gluten-free corn penne (but who’s to argue?)  I think in both cases it’s important to use good quality olive oil, the flavour being very much an integral part of the dish. My natural inclination is always to roast rather than fry and I so love the flavour of lightly roasted brassicas – especially cauliflower and broccoli, although it isn’t a popular method of cooking them.  I was so keen to make this, having been lured in by just that one sentence, and I truly wasn’t disappointed.  The florets roast just long enough that their balmy white stalks become tender and start to crisp and crunch where they lie against the pan, the gold of the saffron intensifies the caramelised hue that they take on, while the stark green of the capers and parsley sits serenely between.  Creamy whites, golds and green: such a beautifully calming coloured plate of food, only slightly out done by its flavours.  Delicious.

SICILIAN ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH PENNE

Serves 4

400g/12oz gluten free penne – I recommend Doves Farm Penne

1 cauliflower

12 strands of saffron

50g capers, drained and rinsed

50g raisins

50g pine nuts

A small bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic

4 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 180c (160c Fan).  Roast the pine nuts in the oven until golden and toasted, and then set aside to cool down.  Trim the outer leaves and base from the cauliflower and then cut into small florets.  Peel the garlic cloves and slice into fine rounds.  Cover the raisins in boiling water, leave for 20 minutes or so and then drain and set aside for later.  Place the cauliflower florets into a large roasting pan, scatter over the sliced garlic and saffron threads and then pour over the olive oil.  Season well and mix together gently.

Roast the cauliflower in the oven for 20 minutes until the florets are tender and just starting to caramelise on their edges – you may find that the garlic starts to really crisp up, don’t be too alarmed, it adds a rather lovely smoky element to the overall flavour.  Meanwhile, heat a large vat of salted water until at a rolling boil.  Tip in the penne and give the pasta an initial stir to ensure it doesn’t stick.  Cook for around 10 minutes (follow the packet guidelines) or until al dente in texture, drain the pasta and tip in to a large serving bowl.  Add the cauliflower, capers, pine nuts, raisins and parsley to the penne.  Season, drizzle over a little extra olive oil and then give the whole mixture a gentle stir to ensure everything is combined and the penne is coated in the saffron oil, and then serve.

You can also see this recipe at Cybele Pascal's Allergen Free Cuisine