Here is a brilliant solution to the question of what to do with radishes, from Con McLoughlin and Karen Austin, of Lettercollum House, in Timoleague, Co Cork. Radish Tzatziki is delicious, simple, and its pink colour looks great on the plate. In Lettercollum, the tzatziki accompanies rack of lamb with roasted Mediterranean vegetables.
6-8 radishes, trimmed, grated, but not peeled 1 small red onion, grated 2 cloves garlic, crushed Quarter pint (150ml/5 fl oz) Greek-style yogurt 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Half teaspoon sugar A few chopped chives Mix everything together. Correct seasoning and serve.
Beetroot and Coconut Ragout
3 beetroots, cooked, plus leaves Quarter to half teaspoon cumin seeds Quarter to half teaspoon black mustard seeds 1 oz creamed coconut 1 tablespoon scallion oil
Heat oil. Add the seeds. Add the leaves. Add cooked, segmented beetroot. Grate in coconut. Correct seasoning. Serve.
Cauliflower With Fresh Coriander
A recipe from Viana la Place's book Unplugged Kitchen, and a tribute to Denis Healy's cute baby cauliflowers.
3 very small heads cauliflower, each about half a pound 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Half a cup water Sea salt 1 big bunch coriander, leaves and tender stems chopped 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed Juice of 1 big lemon
Trim cauliflower and separate into florets. Saute in hot olive oil for a few minutes. Add water and salt, and cook until florets are tender. Add coriander and garlic, and saute a few minutes until coriander turns bright green. Squeeze lemon juice over and stir.
Huevos Rancheros
Theresa Hernandez gives out recipe leaflets for this Mexican classic, which is brilliant brunch food. She also sells the tortillas, chilli sauce, and refried beans . . . "to eat Huevos Rancheros without refried beans," she writes, "is like eating bacon and cabbage without the bacon".
Per person:
2 fried eggs 2 corn tortillas 2-4 tablespoons Dona Theresa's Chilli Sauce Refried beans (see below) 2 tomatoes 1 clove garlic 1 onion, chopped Chicken stock (optional); oil Creme fraiche or fromage frais Wensleydale or white cheddar, grated Bunch fresh coriander, chopped
To make refried beans:
Take 1lb of pinto beans and boil in plenty of water in a large pot for approximately 2 hours. Add 1 teaspoon salt 15 minutes before the end of cooking. Heat 4 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard to smoking in a large metal pot, carefully add a ladleful of beans (they must sizzle), then add the rest of the beans, heat to boiling and mash to a creamy consistency.
To make the Huevos Rancheros:
Moisten 6-10 frozen corn tortillas under a warm tap - leave to rest for five minutes. On a medium-hot skillet or heavy-bottomed pan, heat the tortillas two at a time and one on top of the other, flipping them over two or three times until all sides have been warmed. Don't let them dry out or harden. Keep warm in a tea towel in a dish in the oven.
To make classic ranchero sauce:
Liquidise the tomatoes, garlic, onion and some cilantro with some chicken stock or water. Pour this mixture into some hot oil and add half tablespoon Dona Theresa's Chilli Sauce. Simmer for five minutes. Keep hot.
To serve, place two eggs on two warm tortillas with the refried beans on the side. Pour the ranchero sauce over the eggs and garnish with a dollop of creme fraiche. Crumble the Wensleydale on top and sprinkle with the coriander. Drizzle with a little more chilli sauce on top.