Get together at home with family and friends and these trans-seasonal dishes that taste like good times.
We’ve worked with Gretchen Lowe in many ways over the years, from sharing her recipes to featuring her food styling, photography and home renovations. It has been a joy to see her bring all of that creativity together in her first cookbook.
My Weekend Table reflects her relaxed, instinctive approach to cooking, with recipes that are both impressive and easy to make. Shaped by a life spent in and around the kitchen, the book offers dishes that are thoughtful, flexible and full of flavour. Here we’ve selected a few of our favourites to share.
Artichoke, hazelnut, sumac & parmesan crumb
MAKES APPROXIMATELY 2 CUPS
Let me introduce you to a simple showstopper. Prior to having children, Blair and I lived for two years in Grand Cayman in the Caribbean, where we hosted the most elaborate dinner parties for our friends. While this recipe isn’t from the region, it became a staple stirred through wholewheat pasta loaded with extra parmesan, piled sky high over roast chicken, or over salads or soups. You could take it in any direction by changing out the herbs or nuts, or even adding chorizo.
½ loaf stale sourdough or any leftover bread, roughly chopped
½ cup artichokes from a jar, drained and roughly chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, grated
salt and pepper
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
zest of 1 lemon
1½ tsp sumac
½ cup grated parmesan
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION
Swap the sourdough bread for gluten-free bread.
Blend the bread roughly in a food processor until it resembles a mix of coarse breadcrumbs and croutons.
In a pan, fry the bread, artichokes and thyme in the oil until lightly brown, stirring regularly for an even coating. Add the garlic and stir through, cooking for another 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper then add remaining ingredients and stir until everything is just warmed through.
Kūmara gnocchi with burnt sage butter & pecorino
SERVES 4
We often cook this meal with music and a dry riesling on ice. The process is relaxed, the flavours rich, and the evening is perfectly set for making memories. You can even make the gnocchi dough in advance, so your evening’s cooking consists solely of finishing the dish and browning the aromatic sage butter.
500g kūmara
1 cup good ricotta
½ cup grated pecorino or parmesan, plus extra for serving
1½ tsp salt
1¼ cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting
olive oil
knob of butter, plus 150g
20 sage leaves
lemon zest, to serve
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION
Swap the flour for gluten-free flour.
Preheat the oven to 190°C fan bake. Line a tray with baking paper. Place the kūmara on the lined tray and prick with a fork a few times. Bake for an hour or so, turning once. Once cooked and cool enough to handle, carefully scoop out flesh into a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Mix through the ricotta, pecorino, salt and flour, then transfer the dough onto a cutting board and knead for one minute. Add more flour if needed. You should have a compact yet soft and slightly moist dough. Be careful not to over-knead.
Quarter the dough, then roll each piece into a sausage about 30cm long and cut into even, bite-sized chunks. Lightly press using the back of a fork, then set aside on baking paper. You can do this a day ahead and store the gnocchi in the fridge.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Working in batches, drop the gnocchi in and cook for 2–4 minutes until they rise to the surface, then scoop out using a slotted spoon.
Set up a plate lined with a paper towel. Add the oil and knob of butter to a large frying pan. Fry the gnocchi for 4–6 minutes, turning often until golden and crisp on the outside. Remove gnocchi from the pan and transfer to your paper towel-lined plate.
To make the brown butter, melt the 150g butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook, swirling the pan so it browns evenly. When it begins to sizzle add the sage leaves and continue swirling the pan. It will foam and the milk solids will start to brown, and the leaves will crisp up. Remove from the heat. The process should take 3–4 minutes.
Add the gnocchi back to the pan and gently toss through. Serve with freshly grated pecorino and lemon zest.
Roast butternut & beet salad with orange whipped feta & hazelnuts
SERVES 4-6; GF
I’ve made this beautiful winter salad for years now and it’s a true favourite. The caramelised veggies are deliciously sticky and sweet, making them a perfect side to a roast chicken. The feta, whipped with orange, is basically a quicker version of labne, adding creamy, tangy contrast that really lifts the dish. It all comes together on one platter, finished with a sprinkle of crunchy hazelnuts for texture.
6–8 baby carrots
8 baby beetroot, trimmed and quartered
2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
½ butternut squash, skin on, cut into thin wedges
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
ORANGE FETA WHIP
200g feta
¼ cup Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp olive oil
zest of 1 orange
sea salt and pepper
toasted hazelnuts, to serve
fresh herbs, to serve
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan bake and line a roasting tray with baking paper. Lay all the vegetables out on the lined tray, drizzle with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for another 20 minutes or so until golden brown.
Make the Orange Feta Whip by combining all ingredients in a food processor and blitzing until smooth for 1–2 minutes.
Serve the vegetables on a large platter on top of the Orange Feta Whip and top with hazelnuts, herbs and extra oil.
Persian roast chicken with melted onions
SERVES 4; DF
The irresistible aroma of this dish cooking always seems to signal a gathering of friends and family in our home. The heady spices of cumin and coriander marry perfectly with the rich, comforting flavour of chicken and the sweetest melted onions. Easily doubled to feed a crowd, it’s a dish every guest will find satisfying.
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 whole chicken
¾ cup olive oil
5 onions, cut into thin rings
sea salt and pepper
4 warmed flatbreads
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup hummus
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
lemon wedges, to serve
fresh herbs, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Rub the coriander and cumin into the flesh of the chicken. Place in a heavy casserole dish and dry roast for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Add the oil and onions to a heavy-based frying pan and cook over a low heat until the onions are soft and lightly brown — about 10–15 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven and add the onions and oil. Season with salt and pepper, cover with a lid and roast for another hour.
Remove the lid and continue baking, uncovered, for a further 20 minutes until cooked.
Tear the chicken and place on a serving plate. Serve on warmed flatbreads with lemon zest and hummus. Drench with onion and oil mix, allowing the juices to run into the bread, and sprinkle with pine nuts.
Edited extract from My Weekend Table by Gretchen Lowe (Bateman Books).
Recipes & photography Gretchen Lowe
Lifestyle photography Helen Bankers