Growing vegetables

Quickcrop

Almond, fruit and pancetta soup

Ajo blanco:

Serves 4

I used loquats for this one, but melon is easier to find and the first delicious orange ones are just coming into season. I’m not crazy about raw garlic, but if you are you should make this with four or five cloves, not one.

Ingredients

1-4 cloves of garlic

1 tsp coarse sea salt

150g/5oz Spanish almonds

3 or 4 small slices of stale baguette or soft white bread

3 tbsp sherry vinegar

5 tbsp good olive oil

600ml water

8-12 thin slices of pancetta

Half a charentais melon or 2 loquats or a handful of dark red cherries or grapes

• Crush the garlic in a pestle and mortar with the salt. Add it and the almonds to the food processor and blend until really fine, add a drizzle of water and continue to blend for a few minutes until the mixture is a smooth thick paste, then add the bread and blend more. Slowly add the vinegar and oil, still blending, followed by the water, until the mixture is a little thicker than double cream.

• Taste and add more vinegar or salt if it needs it. Chill for a few hours. Fry the pancetta gently in a little olive oil until completely crisp. To serve, cut the fruit into very small slices or dice and sprinkle over the soup. Top with the pancetta and a little olive oil. Eat while still cold.

Ajo blanco:

Serves 4

I used loquats for this one, but melon is easier to find and the first delicious orange ones are just coming into season. I’m not crazy about raw garlic, but if you are you should make this with four or five cloves, not one.

Ingredients

1-4 cloves of garlic

1 tsp coarse sea salt

150g/5oz Spanish almonds

3 or 4 small slices of stale baguette or soft white bread

3 tbsp sherry vinegar

5 tbsp good olive oil

600ml water

8-12 thin slices of pancetta

Half a charentais melon or 2 loquats or a handful of dark red cherries or grapes

• Crush the garlic in a pestle and mortar with the salt. Add it and the almonds to the food processor and blend until really fine, add a drizzle of water and continue to blend for a few minutes until the mixture is a smooth thick paste, then add the bread and blend more. Slowly add the vinegar and oil, still blending, followed by the water, until the mixture is a little thicker than double cream.

• Taste and add more vinegar or salt if it needs it. Chill for a few hours. Fry the pancetta gently in a little olive oil until completely crisp. To serve, cut the fruit into very small slices or dice and sprinkle over the soup. Top with the pancetta and a little olive oil. Eat while still cold.

Tortilla soup

Sopa de tortilla: Serves 4 2 chicken carcases 2 red onions 2 inches of ginger 2 green chillies 1 tsp allspice 1 450g/1lb tin of whole tomatoes, rinsed of their juice 1 bunch of coriander A few leaves of tarragon, dill and mint 100g/4oz spinach 1 pinch dried oregano 200ml of sunflower oil 2 10cm corn tortillas 2 tbsp fresh ricotta 1 small ball of buffalo mozzarella Preheat the grill in your oven. Hack the chicken carcases into three or four pieces and cut the onions, ginger and chillies in half. Place the chicken and vegetables flat in a roasting tray and grill for a few minutes until slightly blackened. Turn over the pieces in the tray and grill a little more. Once quite nicely brown and a little bit black, transfer the contents of the tray to a large saucepan and just cover with water. Add the allspice, the stems of the herbs and the tomatoes, then cover with cold w ater. Skim any scum that rises to the surface and try not to let the pan boil. Simmer for two hours. • Shred the spinach and chop the herbs with a large sharp knife, then mix together, leaving a few leaves of coriander whole on the side to garnish. Heat the oil in a pan, cut the tortillas into strips and fry them until crispy in the hot oil. • Strain the chicken stock you have made through a colander, pushing through any of the vegetables that will go into the stock. When you are ready to eat, add the spinach and the herbs including the dried oregano (but not the coriander you have set aside) and boil for a few minutes. Season with salt. Put the broth into bowls and top with little bits of mozzarella and ricotta, the fried tortillas and the coriander leaves.