In season

Make the most of our organic citrus, locally-grown berries, capsicums, aubergines and more

Muhammara salad with spiced olive oil and walnuts

Mixed Capsicums

MUHAMMARA SALAD WITH SPICED OLIVE OIL AND WALNUTS

This salad is a twist on the famous dip and is best served with fresh crusty bread.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

400g SpinneysFOOD Mixed Capsicums (green, yellow, orange, red)

100g walnuts

For the dressing

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Chilli Flakes

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cumin

To serve

SpinneysFOOD Fresh Pomegranate Jewels

20g SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley

Sliced fresh bread

1 Place the capsicums over a gas flame or under a hot grill and char them on all sides until soft. Place in a bowl, cover with cling film and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Remove the burnt skin and seeds and carefully tear into large pieces. Arrange on a platter. 2 Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Set aside. 3 Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together. 4 Drizzle over the capsicums then sprinkle over the walnuts, pomegranate rubies and chopped parsley. 5 Serve with freshly sliced crusty bread.

Berries

Kefir Cr Me Fra Che Pots With Seasonal Berries

Crème fraîche is usually made with buttermilk and cream but this recipe uses gut-healthy kefir to make a home-made crème fraîche. While it may require a bit of patience, the results are worth it. Kefir crème fraîche is luscious and thick – the perfect accompaniment to sweet seasonal berries.

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus overnight resting time)

Cook time: 5 minutes

Makes: 4

2 tbsp full-fat kefir 500ml single cream

1 vanilla bean

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

100g fresh seasonal berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries)

30g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

To serve

Berries of choice

1 In a sterile large jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the kefir and cream. Scrape the vanilla bean and add the seeds to the jar. Stir with a spoon and cover with a clean piece of cheesecloth. Keep in a warm place (preferably 22°C) overnight. 2 Remove the cheesecloth and pour into a saucepan with the caster sugar. Heat gently until thickened. Set aside to cool slightly. 3 Place the berries and white sugar in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have softened. Spoon into the bottom of four small glasses. 4 Top with the kefir crème fraîche and more seasonal berries and refrigerate until chilled.

Aubergines

BURNT AUBERGINE FATTEH

Aubergines are at their best when they are cooked until almost falling apart so the flesh melts in the mouth.

If you don’t have a gas burner, you can do this in the oven under a preheated grill or on a barbecue.

Prep time: 30 minutes (plus overnight soaking time)

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves: 4

400g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight

2 SpinneysFOOD Cinnamon Sticks

4 SpinneysFOOD Bay Leaves

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Cumin Seeds

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

2 medium aubergines

SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil, for frying

4 wholewheat pita breads or wraps

125ml tahini

1 lemon

2 garlic cloves

50g whole almonds

30g pine nuts

250ml plain yoghurt

Small handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley

Small handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Mint

SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling

1 Place the soaked chickpeas, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon of salt in a saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil over a medium heat. Simmer gently until the chickpeas have softened, approx. 40 minutes. Drain and discard the spices. 2 Place the aubergines over a gas flame or under the grill of the oven and slowly char them, turning often until they are burnt and very soft. Place them in a bowl, cover with cling film and set aside for 5 minutes. Carefully peel off the aubergines’ burnt skin to reveal the soft flesh. Run a knife down the aubergine to cut it into four long slices. Set aside. 3 Heat the oil in a frying pan or deep fryer. 4 Slice the bread into triangles and fry in the hot oil until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Drain on paper towels and set aside. 5 Place half the chickpeas in a blender along with the tahini, juice of 1 lemon, garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon of salt and blitz until smooth. Add a little water if it is too thick. 6 Toast the nuts in a dry pan over a medium heat until golden and fragrant. 7 When ready to serve, break the crispy bread into a shallow serving dish. Spread the smooth chickpea mixture on top and top with the yoghurt, whole chickpeas, aubergine, parsley, nuts and drizzle with the olive oil.

Blood Oranges

Blood Orange Spritz

To make a fancy garnish, use a peeler to remove a strip of orange peel. Wrap it around an olive and secure it with a toothpick. Serve with this spritz.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serves: 4

2 blood oranges

SpinneysFOOD Ice Balls

125ml Belvoir Farm Bitter Orange Spritz

125ml non-alcoholic sparkling wine

125ml soda water

To serve

Blood orange slices

Green olives

1 Juice the oranges. 2 Fill two large glasses with ice and add the orange juice, aperol, sparkling wine then top up with soda water.

3 Serve with blood orange slices and green olives on a cocktail stick.

Citrus

Overnight Citrus And Fennel Seed Cake

The secret to this incredibly moist and flavourful cake is to rest the batter overnight so that the polenta absorbs all the liquid.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves: 8

For the base

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fennel Seeds

50g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

2 oranges, unpeeled

1 clementine, unpeeled

1 lemon, unpeeled

For the batter

280g fine polenta

280g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

1 tbsp baking powder

4 tbsp grated citrus zest

1 tsp ground fennel seeds or fennel pollen

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

345g SpinneysFOOD Unsalted Butter

300g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

6 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs, at room temperature

180ml SpinneysFOOD Fresh Orange Juice