A last summer supper

Autumn has begun to return to London.  

Last night I noticed for the first time that the evenings were beginning to draw in slightly, and the rain was plastering the first of the Plane tree leaves onto the pavement.  However, the sun had still been shining when I'd done my shopping so O and I had a very summery supper - courgette salad with avocado and truffle oil pasta with Portobello mushrooms, and lovely aromatic Gewürztraminer wine.  But there were also Discovery apples, briefly in season on sale in the market, and I couldn't resist buying a few, so we had these with cheese and olive bread from Pain Quotidien.  Their white flesh is stained beautifully pink in places, and they have a scent that reminds me so much of autumn, in a ripe, joyous sort of way. 

Anyway, these are the (very simple) recipes. 

Courgette and avocado salad with pea tops

This serves two.

one good, organic courgette

half a bag of pea tops

one ripe organic avocado 

rind and juice of half an (unwaxed) lemon

a couple of table spoons of good extra virgin olive oil

Maldon salt and pepper to taste

a few sprigs of fresh lemon thyme

Slice the courgette into 5mm thin slices length ways.  Place on a hot but un-oiled griddle pan.  Cook for about 5 mins and then turn once the first side has blackened strips appearing.  Cook the same on the other side and than take off heat.

Place a handful of the pea tops on each plate and then slice half the avocado onto each plate.  I cut each from almost the top and spread out like a fan, but do however you think looks nice. 

When the courgette slices have cooled enough to handle, slice each in half lengthways, and then arrange over the top of the avocado.  Grate the lemon over the top of each plate, squeeze a little juice over, sprinkle with the thyme leaves (the leaves from two sprigs is enough for each plate), and then a glug of olive oil.  Finish with Maldon salt and pepper to taste. 

Truffle pasta with Portobello mushrooms

 I used fresh white pasta for this - but dried would also be fine.  This also serves two.

1 bag of fresh pasta (tagliatelle is good)

1 jar of good quality truffle sauce

four Portobello mushrooms

a little butter (25g) to cook the mushrooms

a glug of white wine 

a glug of good extra virgin olive oil

Cook the pasta in boiling water for 3 - 4 mins until soft.  While cooking the pasta, heat the butter in a griddle pan and add the mushrooms whole.  Cook well on both sides until the mushrooms start to bronze, but not until they dry up.  I find they sometimes need pressing down a bit with a fork to cook properly.  Set aside. 

When the pasta is ready drain and then stir through the truffle sauce, a glug of white wine and also of olive oil and salt and pepper.  This is very much to taste, so just add a little, see how it tastes then if needs be add more of anything. 

We were too full for pudding, so spent the rest of the evening watching MacGuyver instead.