Summer Hosting with chef & food writer Olivia Cavalli
Summertime is best shared. The long evenings, the impromptu dinners, the garden gatherings that stretch past midnight. We’re celebrating the best that this season brings: the golden hours at the table, among friends, food, and flowers.
That’s why we’ve invited chef, food writer and stylist Olivia Cavalli to share some of her favourite recipes for our arranging guides this summer. So, indulge in the taste of the season and pick up some tips for your summer entertaining.
We’ve caught up with Olivia to chat about all things seasonality, hosting, and the Italian roots that influence it all, so let’s dive right in.
As someone who runs regular supper clubs, what are your hot tips for summer hosting?
It’s not exactly groundbreaking but if you want to actually be able to spend time with your guests, the most important thing is to have done as much as possible before they arrive. You don’t want to be spending all your time in the kitchen so make everything up to the point where all you have left to do is re-heat, assemble or finish off. Preparation is everything.
How do your Italian roots inspire the ways you approach cooking and entertaining guests, especially on an English summer’s day?
I think keeping it simple and making those crowd-pleasing dishes that you know like the back of your hand. Remember that the main reason people are there is to enjoy your company, so don’t stress too much about the food and make it easy for yourself. If you’re trying too hard, people can feel that, so do something you’re comfortable with and relax. Sometimes I think I’m not a great host because I won’t have set the table in time or forgotten to offer someone a drink, but I quite like everyone getting involved and helping themselves. When I think of Italian gatherings, they’re big, quite chaotic affairs - far from being perfectly put together and that’s what makes them fun.
With flowers, we’re always working with the seasons - and that’s something you also do with your cooking. Your book “stagioni” literally translates to “seasons” and celebrates recipes evolving with seasonality. Tell us a bit more about that.
I grew up in London where it’s quite easy to walk into a supermarket and find any ingredient at any time of year. This disconnects us from the seasons completely. In contrast, in Italy if you’re shopping at the market (which is still a huge part of the culture all over the country), then you’re only buying what’s been grown by the local farmers and sellers at any given time. It’s a huge reason that the food tastes so much better - because they’re eating and cooking with the produce that is at its prime rather than something that’s been shipped in from another country. Their cooking and eating habits are led by what’s available at that time of year and so there’s more excitement for ingredients coming in and the dishes that they’ll go into - the first juicy peach of the summer, mushrooms and truffles during autumn in risotto and pasta, fresh peas and broad beans eaten raw in the spring…
Out of the recipes you’ve shared for our arranging guides this season, which is your favourite and why?
Probably the crostini because I love the salty and sweet combo, plus basil makes everything taste amazing.
Olivia’s Summer Recipes
Peach, Prosciutto, Ricotta and Basil Crostini
SERVES 6
INGREDIENTS
approx. 1/2 baguette
Extra virgin olive oil
160g ricotta
4-6 slices prosciutto crudo
1-2 ripe peaches or nectarines, sliced thinly
Runny honey
A few basil leaves, torn
METHOD
Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees (fan).
Slice the baguette thinly into 12 rounds, around 1/2 cm each. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and arrange on a rack over a baking tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden. Remove and allow to cool.
Whisk the ricotta until smooth then season with a little salt. When the crostini are cool, smear the ricotta on top of each slice with the back of a teaspoon to spread to the edges.
Tear the prosciutto and arrange on top of the ricotta followed by a couple of peach slices. Finish with a drizzle of honey, a scattering of torn basil and some cracked black pepper.
Italian-ish Gazpacho with Garlic Crumbs
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
For the gazpacho:
approx. 1kg ripe tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 red pepper, deseeded
2 slices stale bread, crust removed
150ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
60ml red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled
Handful basil leaves
For the crumbs:
4 slices stale bread, crust removed
Extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled but kept whole
METHOD
Roughly chop the tomatoes, cucumber and pepper. Put in a high speed blender and blend to a pulp. Add a splash of olive oil or water if it needs help to blend.
Briefly run the stale bread under water to rehydrated, then squeeze out any excess water. Add the bread, olive oil and red wine vinegar to the blender. Grate in the garlic and add the basil leaves, along with a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth.
Put a sieve over a large bowl and pour in the soup. Let it drain through, stirring with a spatula to help. You’ll be left with a silky smooth soup. Season to taste and chill in the fridge until cold.
Meanwhile, make the crumbs. Pulse the bread in a food processor to make chunky crumbs.
Pour a puddle of oil into a frying pan set over a low-medium heat. Add the garlic and let it sizzle gently, being careful not to let it burn. Add the breadcrumbs, along with a pinch of salt, and fry for 5-10 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil and leave to cool.
Serve the chilled soup in bowls, scattered with crumbs, freshly torn basil and a drizzle of olive oil.
Balsamic Strawberries
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
500g strawberries
2 tbsp caster sugar
1-2 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)
METHOD
Trim the stalks off the strawberries and slice lengthways into quarters. Put into a mixing bowl and sprinkle the sugar over them and toss so the sugar dissolves. Leave to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or so (closer to an hour is better) to let the strawberries release their juices.
Divide strawberries between bowls and drizzle each with a little balsamic. Serve with cream or ice cream if you like.
Freddie’s Rose and Elderflower Spritz
SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS
Handful ice cubes
60ml elderflower cordial
160ml rosé wine
100ml soda water
1 tsp rose water
A pinch of dried rose petals, to serve
Mint, to serve
METHOD
Scoop ice into each glass. Follow by dividing the elderflower cordial, rosé and soda water between two glasses. Add 1/2 tsp or rose water to each glass and muddle slightly with a spoon. Garnish with a pinch of rose petals and a sprig of mint and serve.
Freddie’s Rose and Elderflower Spritz
SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS
Handful ice cubes
60ml elderflower cordial
160ml rosé wine
100ml soda water
1 tsp rose water
A pinch of dried rose petals, to serve
Mint, to serve
METHOD
Scoop ice into each glass. Follow by dividing the elderflower cordial, rosé and soda water between two glasses. Add 1/2 tsp or rose water to each glass and muddle slightly with a spoon. Garnish with a pinch of rose petals and a sprig of mint and serve.
