almost al fresco

I could talk about how miserable I am because of the weather, but we're all in that boat so let's skip it. The cold has upped my travel plans though, so stay tuned to hear me bang on about that!

Although autumn/winter are my homies, and I'm totally on board with having the colder months as my favourite time of year, even I am up for mr sunshine right now. But more than that, I'm craving the beautiful, light bathed, al fresco dining that comes with it.

I think the best outdoor meals are served when the sun is starting to fade, a hazy orange glow falls over the sky, and everyone has a balmy twinkle in their eye. The food should be simple, the drink should flow and the laughter can take care of itself. These are three of my favourite bits to serve outside with a glass of wine and a gang of friends.

You will need
A beautifully baked crusty ciabatta, and some garlic flatbread.

Jambon Iberico with Spanish Tomato Bread
Apparently I ate this as a young child when I briefly lived in Spain, but it was reawakened properly last year when I visited Barcelona. It's so very simple, but the flavours of this easy open sandwich are too perfect to describe.

Two very finely diced tomatoes
Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Flaked sea salt
Black pepper
One crushed garlic clove
Thinly sliced, high grade Iberico ham.

Cayenne Crab with Chive
An updated seaside classic, the cayenne gives it a real zing.

A few handfuls of white crab meat
One tablespoon of creme fraiche
Two tablespoons of mayonnaise
Handful of finely chopped chives
Generous shaking of cayenne pepper
A little extra virgin olive oil
Salt
White pepper

Roast Tomato, Pepper and Basil Pâté with Mozzarella
Mediterranean vegetable pâtés seem to be popping up all over the place recently, and it's because they are delicious. Partner with some mozzarella and you've got a winner.

Vittoria or cherry tomatoes
A sliced red pepper
A couple of large handfuls of basil
Two hundred grams of chickpeas
A tablespoon of cream cheese
A red chilli
Three garlic cloves
A glug of extra virgin olive oil
Olive oil
Salt
White pepper
Onion granules
Ball of mozzarella

Phew!

First things first, toast your big hunks o' bread. If you bought them in the supermarket, just follow the instructions. If you got it at a bakery, they should be able to advise you as how best to toast it, but I suggest ten minutes under a medium grill as a rough estimate.

Once you have a crusty ciabatta and some crispy flat bread you can slice them up ready for toppings!

For the Iberico ham and tomato topping, you have got it easy my friends. Chop up your tomatoes as finely as you possibly can and then mix in the olive oil, salt flakes, black pepper and crushed garlic and leave it to infuse for half an hour or so.

This tomato-y gloop works almost like a marinade for the bread, giving it a flavour that's far better than the sum of its parts. To serve, spoon and spread some tomato over slices of toasted ciabatta and throw on a few lashings of ham. BONITO.

The crab is, as you can imagine, equally as easy as the ham and tomato.

Mix together all your ingredients in a bowl, but keep it rustic. Don't turn the bowl's contents into a paste, we still want big chunks of crab meat showing through. Serve it by piling the mixture high on toasted ciabatta and shake on some extra cayenne.

For your last topping, roast your Vittoria tomatoes along with the red pepper, chopped chilli, and some halved garlic cloves until soft and juicy.

Whip out your food processor and shove the roasting pans contents in with all the other ingredients except the mozzarella and a couple of sprigs of basil. Whizz the mixture up until you have a chunky paste.

To serve, dollop some pâté onto a toast slice, put some mozzarella on top and a few torn basil leaves and slide under the grill until the mozzarella is melted, finish by sprinkling on some salt flakes.

What's the garlic flat bread for, you ask? For mopping up the rest of the pate of course!

All that's left to do is tuck in...

Hamilton