Something a little different this month… a menu for March. One that is relaxed, both for you and the people you’re having over. One that lends itself to hours of grazing, numerous refills, and candles melting down to stubs. One that celebrates the fruits and vegetables available locally this month (honestly, choice begins to dwindle at this time of year, but limitations foster creativity, or however the saying goes!).
To kick things off, it’s a dipping and dunking affair, starring an intensely savoury but light anchovy dressing, to set the tone of conviviality.
Then on to an onion, creme fraiche and gruyere galette. This is inspired by quiches found at French bakeries and bistros - specifically, ones that hold tangles of silky, browned onions, and melted, nutty cheese. The form of a galette, as opposed to quiche, lends itself to relaxed home cooking: no need for blind baking or fussing of any description; scraggly, flaky edges; perfectly imperfect. The elements can be made numerous days ahead, if that suits you, and the whole thing can be assembled and baked the day before, or a few hours before people come over.
In keeping with the inspiration of French bistros, the galette is served alongside carrotes râpées, of sorts (I’ve taken the classic for a spin), and vinegar leaves.
And finally, pudding. I’m on record as a non-pudding-person. More often than not, when I have people over I cut up fruit, tear open the foils of a few chocolate bars, and call it a day. You could do that! And I think everyone would be happy. However, this date whip is perhaps one of my favourite things I have made in recent months, in no small part due to its simplicity. It’s just sweet enough, with streaks of a salted date mixture rippled through softly whipped cream and yoghurt. There are lots of chopped nuts for essential crunch and sliced citrus for acidity and juiciness. As the seasons roll on, I would use whatever fruit is at its best.
Please take it from this non-pudding-person that this is one worth making.
In addition to the recipes, I’m also sharing a shopping list, details on what and when things can be made ahead (essential!), and my general top tips for having people over that can be applied to whatever you’re planning on cooking.
A few things to note:
~ There are deliberate overlaps in ingredients from dish to dish to streamline the shopping, and I have divided the shopping list into “from the cupboards” and “from the shops” to try and make life as easy as possible.
~ For ease of reference (and to save endless scrolling!), on this occasion recipes are attached as PDFs to click into.
~ The quantities given serve 6 but each dish is very easily scalable so double or triple if you’re feeding a larger crowd.
There’s lots to dive into, so without further ado…
Snappy veg & baguette with anchovy dressing
