We'll post pics from last night's dinner soon...in the interim, here are a couple of recipes from the Wild West menu. Both are adapted from Jamie's America, a Jamie Oliver cookbook. The watermelon salad is from his visit to a Navajo reservation in Arizona, and the baked beans are from his time on a cattle ranch in Wyoming. Both are far west of here!
Watermelon Salad: Serves 4
In a frying pan on medium heat, add a large handful of pumpkin seeds and a large handful of sunflower seeds with a little olive oil, a good pinch each of salt, pepper and chili powder. Toss and fry for a few minutes. Take pan off heat to cool when seeds are lightly colored and toasted.
Chop the flesh of 1/2 small watermelon into chunks. Thinly slice 3 spring onions. Toss watermelon, a large handful of mint leaves, spring onions and cooled seeds. Squeeze over juice of 2 limes, drizzle over a "good lug" of olive oil.
Serve with crumbled hard goat's cheese, or chunks of hard goat's cheese to sprinkle over top.
Baked Beans: Serves 8
Preheat oven to 350F. Cover 3 dried chilies with stalks removed, ancho or chipotle, with boiling water to rehydrate them - about 1 1/4 cup. Put a few lugs of olive oil in a casserole dish (or pot) on medium heat. Add 4 red or white sliced onions and 1 heaped teaspoon of smoked paprika and fry for 10 to 15 minutes, until soft and colored. Add a 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan of onions, once it's melted add 6 cans (400g each) of pinto or cannellini beans to the pan along with their juices. Add 2 cans (400g each) of chopped tomatoes,3 dried bay leaves, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Remove the chilies from the water, thinly slice them, and add them to the pan with the chili water.
Stir the pot! And bring to a simmer. Once simmering, turn the heat to low and cook slowly (just bubbling) for 1 1/2 hours. Add a little swig of white wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons molasses. Taste and add salt/pepper as needed. (Can stop at this point and put in the fridge until ready for the final step - in which case, don't bother preheating the oven!)
Put 8 rashers of FAKE bacon, 2 sprigs of rosemary leaves (not the stems), a large handful of grated parmesan, and 125g of breadcrumbs into a food processor. Pulse until you have a "fine crumb". Sprinkle this over the beans (in a casserole or baking dish) and put into the oven for 40 minutes to an hour, until the top is golden.
Baked Beans: Serves 8
Preheat oven to 350F. Cover 3 dried chilies with stalks removed, ancho or chipotle, with boiling water to rehydrate them - about 1 1/4 cup. Put a few lugs of olive oil in a casserole dish (or pot) on medium heat. Add 4 red or white sliced onions and 1 heaped teaspoon of smoked paprika and fry for 10 to 15 minutes, until soft and colored. Add a 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan of onions, once it's melted add 6 cans (400g each) of pinto or cannellini beans to the pan along with their juices. Add 2 cans (400g each) of chopped tomatoes,3 dried bay leaves, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Remove the chilies from the water, thinly slice them, and add them to the pan with the chili water.
Stir the pot! And bring to a simmer. Once simmering, turn the heat to low and cook slowly (just bubbling) for 1 1/2 hours. Add a little swig of white wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons molasses. Taste and add salt/pepper as needed. (Can stop at this point and put in the fridge until ready for the final step - in which case, don't bother preheating the oven!)
Put 8 rashers of FAKE bacon, 2 sprigs of rosemary leaves (not the stems), a large handful of grated parmesan, and 125g of breadcrumbs into a food processor. Pulse until you have a "fine crumb". Sprinkle this over the beans (in a casserole or baking dish) and put into the oven for 40 minutes to an hour, until the top is golden.
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