DRINKING THE SUMMER LIGHT
TWO RECIPIES INSPIRED BY STOCKHOLM MIDSUMMER
After a recent trip to Stockholm and its archipelago, I witnessed midsummer for the first time — that magical, never-ending light
which dips low before returning, spent in the company of friends at a beautiful lakeside home. I felt truly privileged to experience
this phenomenon in such an authentic way. These simple recipes are designed to capture that feeling of drinking the summer light:
seasonal, quick to prepare, and made for sharing with friends.
Stove-Top Confit Tomatoes on a Bed of Harissa Yoghurt
To Serve
- 500g Greek yoghurt
- Harissa paste
- For the Confit Tomatoes
- 100g olive oil (enough to cover at least half the tomatoes)
- 400g ripe tomatoes, cherry or vine
- 1 tsp sugar
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 sprigs oregano
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme, plus extra leaves picked, to garnish
Method
Place the olive oil, tomatoes, sugar, oregano and thyme in a small saucepan. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes, then add the garlic cloves and continue cooking for a further 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes have softened but still hold their shape. Adjust the timing to suit the size of your tomatoes.
Set aside to cool completely, then stir through the fresh oregano leaves. Spread the yoghurt over a plate and swirl through a teaspoon of harissa paste, making a well in the centre. Top with the confit tomatoes and serve with fresh thyme and the confit garlic cloves.
Courgette Gazpacho
A twist on the classic gazpacho, and a welcome way to use up a glut of courgettes. Smooth and elegant, it is the ideal way to cool
off through these increasingly sub-tropical summers — and can be lifted with a touch of fennel liqueur for a more festive occasion.
For the Soup
- 400g courgettes, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 large cucumber, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 banana shallot, roughly chopped
- 20g fresh dill, plus extra chopped, to garnish
- 10g fresh mint, leaves picked
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 150g organic full-fat milk, or plant milk
- 200ml vegetable stock
- Sea salt and black pepper
For the Croûtons (optional)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 100g day-old bread, lightly toasted and torn into 2cm pieces
Sea salt
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6.
- Tear the bread into large chunks, remove the crust, and add to the milk to soak.
- Halve the courgettes and cucumber and remove the seeds. Roughly chop the deseeded courgette into 2cm
chunks. - Place the courgettes in a roasting tin, drizzle with a tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt. Roast for
20 minutes, then leave to cool. - Place the cooled courgettes, cucumber, garlic, shallot, dill, mint, lemon juice and the remaining olive oil in a
food processor or blender and blend until very smooth. Add the milk-soaked bread and continue to blend
until well combined and smooth. Transfer to the fridge to chill for at least three hours. - Fry the cubed bread in the olive oil and season to taste.
- Serve the soup in bowls, loosening with a little chilled vegetable stock if too thick, and top with the croûtons,
if using. Garnish with chopped dill, fennel fronds and a drizzle of olive oil.
