SALAD DAYS WITH JOE WOODHOUSE

Maybe it stems from growing up on a working farm, where there was neither time nor tolerance for egos. Maybe it comes from being a photographer, which entails spending more of life behind the camera than in front. Whatever the reason, Joe Woodhouse is one of the most selfeffacing male chefs on the scene right now, whose sole focus, whether cooking at home or promoting his debut cookbook Your Daily Veg, is family, friends and feasting.

When it comes to hosting, Woodhouse would rather be cooking than sitting down: “Showing people different ingredients we’ve found, cooking over fire outside as it’s fun and interactive for people to hang around.” He’s no fan of man-to-man barbecue chat though, describing wryly the “strange insecurity some men have when you’re cooking with fire. It’s like they need to show they’re a real man by asking what charcoal you’re using”. Again, it seems Woodhouse has no time for any approach to food that centres around the self.

What he does have time for is having friends over: once, twice, even three times a week, together with his wife Olia Hercules, herself a highly successful food writer. What starts off as a group of two or three invariably ends up as six or eight. “Sometimes it is double that by the time the day comes,” he laughs. “Olia really likes to add people.” Once the group gets past a certain size, Woodhouse leans toward pizzas, fired outside in his pizza oven, as “once you’ve made the dough, it’s a relatively simple thing to keep knocking out”.

WORDS: CLARE FINNEY

PHOTOGRAPHS: TOM GRIFFITHS

BOBBY BEANS, SMASHED ROASTED TOMATOES, RED ONION, CAPERS, BASIL

“A salad bursting with summer flavours. I can’t get enough of this salad when green beans start appearing in the summer. If left alone I could easily sit down and finish off this whole serving. I love the balance of the tanginess from the tomatoes and vinegar, with the crunchy onion and salty capers. All draped over just cooked green beans. Absolute heaven. Best eaten, if possible, outside in the sun. With some wine and crusty bread.”

Serves 4

500g green beans, trimmed

6 slow roasted tomatoes

1 red onion, 2 tropea onions when available can also be great here

1 bunch of basil

30g capers

3tbsp red wine vinegar

3tbsp good quality olive oil, plus more to dress sea salt and black pepper for seasoning

1. Heat the oven to 160°C. Cut the tomatoes across their equator, and arrange cut side up on a baking tray. Season with salt, pour over 2 tbsp of oil and roast for 1 hour. They still want to be juicy, but the flavours concentrated. I normally do a bigger batch of these as they keep well in the fridge, and can be used in many different ways.

2. While the tomatoes are cooking, finely slice the onion. Add the onion to a mixing bowl, along with the picked basil leaves and capers.

3. Once the tomatoes are done, blanch your beans in salted water until tender. They should be cooked through but not overly floppy; test one when you feel they are getting to the desired stage. I like to refresh them briefly in cold water, so that the cooking stops but they remain at room temperature rather than ice cold.

4. Add the drained beans to the mixing bowl with the remaining olive oil. Crush the tomatoes either in your hand, if cool enough, or with the back of a wooden spoon and add to the bowl. Turn everything over a few times to combine with a couple of grinds of coarse black pepper. Arrange on a serving plate with your hands.

The merits of pizzas speak for themselves: “Everyone likes pizzas. They are versatile. They are kid-friendly,” Woodhouse continues. At an age where most of their friends have young children, they are ideal. And as the nights get lighter and longer, the idea of firing up the pizza oven and inviting friends to gather around a table festooned with fairy lights and flowers has a particular appeal – even at their most sophisticated, pizzas mean party. “There is just that instant gratification,” says Woodhouse. “The kids are fed, and then the adults can hang out.”

As the title of his book might have led you to guess, Woodhouse is vegetarian – making for a slightly different approach when it comes to entertaining.

BECAUSE YOU DON’T HAVE AN ANIMAL PROTEIN OR FISH, THE MEAL IS AROUND A THEME RATHER THAN A CENTREPIECE.

“Because you don’t have an animal protein or fish, the meal is around a theme rather than a centrepiece. Usually that’s a particular country or region, represented by a collection of dishes,” he says, “though sometimes I lean toward doing one big dish like an aubergine parmigiana or a pie.” The aim is to keep it simple, so as to maximise mingling time.

When choosing which dishes to present, Woodhouse aims for “different textures, showing off vegetables in different ways.” His butterbeans with courgettes and basil, and green beans with roast tomatoes and capers are prime examples. “I love green beans. They’re so easy – you just blanch them, cool them down and leave them until you’re ready to dress them,” he continues. Vibrant, crunchy and fresh, they encapsulate everything that’s most enjoyable about summer entertaining: “Throw the bits together, toss, and you’re ready to go.”

Looking at food through a photographer’s eyes means presentation is crucial for Woodhouse; having plenty of colour, from the food, table setting and crockery is key. When it comes to feeding a crowd outdoors, he recommends shallow soup bowls, “like those you get in bistros. A lot of my food is spoonable, and if you’re standing up the rim means you can scoop easily”. Starters are invariably an array of homemade dips, which can be prepared in advance, and allow early arrivals to immediately tuck in.

“The more we’ve hosted, the looser it’s become,” he smiles. Having bountiful platters of food that people can simply get stuck into while chatting is not incidental; it’s fundamental, he says. “It’s easy for you, and it’s good fun for all the people around you. All you need is plenty of wine, and everyone feels satisfied. Everyone is well fed.”

COURGETTE, BUTTERBEAN, ONION AND DILL SALAD

“Salads of this nature are a mainstay at lunch for me. Light but with enough flavour and substance to carry you through the afternoon. Great for piling high when friends come over. The included ingredients evolve as the seasons change and with what you have on hand. Don’t be afraid to swap in other bits of fresh crunchy veg or herbs. Perfect enjoyed outside in the sun with a glass of white wine to help ease into the afternoon.”

Serves 2 as a side, or 1 as a more hearty lunch

325g cooked butterbeans

2 small courgettes

1 Tropea onion, or 3 spring onions

2-3 cornichons, finely sliced

25g dill a generous splash of red wine vinegar extra virgin olive oil, to taste a healthy pinch of chilli flakes salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Slice the onions into rounds, as thinly as possible. Separate the rings into a large mixing bowl. Add a decent slug of good quality red wine vinegar. This will take the edge off the onions and temper them slightly.

2. Finely slice the courgettes, either by hand or on a mandolin. Add them to the bowl.

3. Add the cornichons and roughly chopped dill to the bowl, along with 3-4 tablespoons of oil and the butterbeans.

4. Toss to combine, add some salt, check seasoning and adjust accordingly. Similarly with the vinegar and oil levels. You are looking for a punchy, well-seasoned mix with a good slick of oil bringing everything together.

5. Arrange in a bowl or serving platter and scatter liberally with chilli flakes to serve.