FEASTS FOR THE SOUL

Celebrate summer with fresh flavours straight from Nadia Lim’s farm kitchen.

Grilled peaches with marjoram and honey-marinated tomatoes and burrata

This dish is all about contrast and fragrance — warm peaches off the grill, sweet-sharp cherry tomatoes and the delicate, herbal perfume of fresh marjoram. It’s a combination that might surprise you, but the flavours work so well and are full of sun-ripened character. Creamy burrata ties it all together, making this a quick, elegant summer plate that’s perfect as a starter, side or light lunch with crusty bread. If you don’t have marjoram, you could skip it and use a good handful of torn basil leaves at the end.

SERVES 4-6 (as a side or starter)
PREP + COOKING TIME 15 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

400g ripe cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tbsp fresh marjoram, finely chopped (or basil)

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing

1 tbsp sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

½ red chilli, finely chopped (optional)

1 tsp honey, plus extra for brushing

3–4 ripe peaches, halved and stones removed

2 balls burrata cheese flaky sea salt and ground black pepper, to finish

handful of basil leaves (optional)

METHOD

Place cherry tomatoes in a bowl and add the marjoram (or basil), extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, chilli (if using) and honey. Season with a little salt and toss gently to coat. Leave to marinate at room temperature while you grill the peaches.

Preheat BBQ grill or a frypan over medium-high heat. Brush peach halves with a little olive oil and a touch of honey. Grill, cut-side down, over high heat for 2–3 minutes, or until caramelised and lightly charred.

Spoon the marinated tomatoes onto a serving platter. Roughly tear the burrata and arrange it with the grilled peaches on top.

Finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and fresh basil (if using). Serve immediately.

Halloumi with warm honey and grapes

This salty-sweet dish is quick to make and has a touch of flair. The golden halloumi, blistered grapes and sticky, herby, hot honey make a beautiful combination. Perfect served with crusty bread to mop up the juices, or with a simple green leaf salad.

SERVES 2-3 (as a starter)

PREP TIME 5 MINUTES | COOKING TIME 10 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

250g halloumi

small bunch of whole grapes

few sprigs of fresh thyme or oregano

2 tbsp honey

juice of ½ lemon

METHOD

Pat the halloumi dry with paper towels and slice into 1cm-thick pieces.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a cast-iron or non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the halloumi and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden. Don’t overcrowd the pan; you may need to cook it in batches. Once the halloumi is cooked, remove it from the pan and transfer to a plate.

In the same pan, add the grapes and herb sprigs. Cook for a few minutes, until the grapes have softened and blistered slightly.

Add the honey and cook for another minute, letting it bubble and thicken slightly.

Return the halloumi to the pan and spoon the hot honey, grapes and herbs over the top.

Squeeze over the lemon juice and serve immediately as is, or with crusty bread or leafy green salad on the side.

Last of the summer tomato, eggplant, bean and potato coconut curry

As summer slips into autumn, the garden is still giving plenty – the last of the sun-ripened tomatoes, straggler green beans and glossy eggplants hold on while cooler nights start to roll in. This gently spiced curry celebrates the overlap of sweet late summer produce with spicy, comforting flavours. Whilst you could use canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes really do make this curry sing. It’s the sort of meal you crave as the air turns crisp.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME 30 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

600g ripe, sweet summer tomatoes (enough to make 1 ½ cups puréed)

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp black mustard seeds

2–3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped

1–2 makrut lime leaves, finely sliced

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 tsp curry powder

½ tsp each ground coriander and ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cubed (or 2 cups peeled, cubed pumpkin)

1 large eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes

200g cherry tomatoes

1 x 400g can coconut milk

1⁄ 3 cup desiccated coconut

1 tsp salt

2 cups green beans, trimmed and halved

To serve: roasted cashew nuts, chopped or peanuts (optional) coriander, chopped steamed rice

METHOD

Blend fresh tomatoes in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Heat a good drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for a few minutes until softened. Stir in the mustard seeds, garlic, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, ginger, and spices. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add puréed tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, coconut milk and salt. Stir and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Add a splash of water if it looks too thick. Stir in the desiccated coconut and green beans. Cook for another 2–3 minutes, until the beans are just tender.

Serve hot, scattered with nuts and coriander if using, alongside steamed rice.

Seasonal frangipane fruit tart

If there’s one dessert worth having up your sleeve, it’s this one. A seasonal fruit tart with frangipane is simple to make but feels a bit fancy. Sure, you could take a shortcut with store- bought sweet shortcrust pastry, but honestly, making your own is way easier than you think (especially with a food processor), and it does make a difference. As for the fruit, just go with whatever’s in season. In summer, think apricots, peaches or berries; in autumn, pears, plums, feijoas and quince are all beautiful. My top picks are Elderberry Poached Pears and Roasted Quince in Rosé, Rosewater & Ginger (all of which feature in the book). The rich almond filling is called frangipane, and it’s what makes this tart so lush and special.

SERVES 6-8

PREP TIME 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME 30-35 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

Pastry crust:

150g plain flour

1⁄4 cup caster sugar

115g cold butter, cubed

3–4 tbsp iced water

2 tbsp milk, to brush

2–3 tbsp sliced almonds

Frangipane filling:

50g butter, softened

1⁄4 cup sugar

1 free-range egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g ground almonds

METHOD

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, a pinch of salt and the cold butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add iced water, starting with 2 tablespoons, and pulse until the dough just comes together.

Alternatively, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, rub in the butter by hand, and stir in the water gradually until a dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a clean surface, knead briefly to bring it together, then form into a disk. Cover in cling wrap or a damp tea towel and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Make the frangipane in the food processor (no need to clean it) by creaming the softened butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add the egg, vanilla and ground almonds, and pulse until combined.

Alternatively, cream the butter and sugar in a bowl with a wooden spoon, then stir in the remaining ingredients.

Preheat oven to 190°C. Let the chilled pastry sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly. Roll it out on a lightly floured piece of baking paper into a rough circle about 0.5cm thick. Transfer the pastry (still on the paper) onto a baking tray.

Spread the frangipane in the centre of the dough, leaving a 3–4cm border. Slice your chosen fruit and arrange it over the frangipane. Fold the pastry edges gently over the filling to form a rustic crust.

Sprinkle the tart with sliced almonds and brush the pastry edges with milk.

Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the frangipane is puffed and set. Let the tart cool slightly.

If using poached fruit, drizzle over a little of the syrup. Dust with icing sugar, slice into wedges and serve with a generous dollop of crème fraîche.