Bread

Nothing is more satisfying in the kitchen than baking your own bread. And, if you've never done it before, it's easier than you think and never fails to impress your friends! This is a herb bread, so I could incorporate some garden ingredients, but you could just as easily leave the herbs out or add any other flavourings you fancy.

I use several 'proves' (allowing the bread to rise) in this recipe, which gives the bread a lighter, finer crumb, but this isn't as necessary if you're using the recipe for a foccacia or a pizza base. Another thing I find makes life easier, is to buy a large container of dried yeast, rather than the little sachets, and store it in the freezer. Ours has kept for at least six months this way.


Herb bread

Bread:
4 cups plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
1 pint tepid water
2 tbs dried yeast
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs salt

Herb mix:
A handful of mixed herbs, such as thyme, sage, rosemary, chives, oregano, etc.
2 cloves of garlic (unpeeled)
1 pinch of crushed dried chillies
3 tbs olive oil
1 pinch salt

Make a well in the centre of a pile of flour. Carefully pour the water into the well and sprinkle over the yeast, sugar and salt.

Use a fork to work the flour into the water, continue til the dough comes together, so your hands don't get gooey when you stick them in.

Knead the dough with your hands, turning and pushing it into itself and adding extra flour as needed, til your ball feels smooth and silky and springs back when you poke it. This should take about ten minutes. Form it into a neat ball and score a cross in the top with a knife.
Place the ball in a large, floured bowl, cover with a tea towel and set in a warm place. Leave to prove for 45 minutes to an hour, til the ball doubles in size.

While the dough is proving, tear your herbs and place in a mortar and pestle with the garlic, chili, salt and oil. Pound to combine (you can easily remove the garlic skins once the cloves have been crushed), until the oil takes on the vibrant green of the herbs.

Remove the dough from the bowl and 'knock it back', meaning punch the air out of it. Knead in the herb mixture til well incorporated and, again, form into a neat ball, score the top and leave to prove til it doubles in size again.

Knock the dough back once more and halve it. Shape each half into a loaf (I plaited one and left the other plain) and place each in a floured loaf tin. Leave to prove again for another 20 minutes before baking in a hot oven for around 30 minutes or until the loaves have browned lightly and sound hollow when you tap them.
Serve with good butter.


From the garden: herbs, garlic.

Simplest tomato pasta sauce

In the heat of summer, the last place you want to be is in front of your stove and when the first trusses of tomatoes redden, you don't want their freshness and vibrancy muted by the process of cooking. Yes, this pasta sauce requires no cooking. It is simply the best of your tomatoes in their simplest form, surrounded by their greatest friends.

A good friend brings out your best qualities and helps you show your true colours. A tomato's best friends are salt, to draw out the sweetness; olive oil, to round out the tartness; and basil, to brighten the flavours. And with a preparation time of five minutes, this has to be the fastest way to enjoy the fruits of your gardening labour.

Oh, and be sure to slurp up the juice that has gathered in the bottom of your bowl - it is pure, liquefied summer! Come to think of it, this sauce would make a great cold soup - a gazpacho of sorts - and with a hunk of crusty bread, would make a fabulous meal.

Tomato sauce

5 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (they have to be the best tomatoes - soft, juicy and aromatic - there's no point doing this with those cardboardy, supermarket varieties)

a handful of basil leaves, torn

1 clove of garlic, crushed
balsamic vinegar

olive oil

grated parmesan or fresh ricotta

salt

pepper

Place the chopped tomato in a medium-sized bowl and, with clean hands, dig in, sqeezing the tomatoes (this is the best bit), til they have a pulpy, lumpy consistency. Stir through the garlic, a good glug of olive oil, a splash of balsamic, basil and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve atop your pappardelle with a drizzle of olive oil and crumble over the cheese.

From the garden: tomatoes, basil, garlic