Over the years, Olives Et Al have developed an incredible range of what we call ‘Sauces’. Some of our favourites are Pesto alla Genovese, with fresh Italian Basil, whole pine nuts and 18 month aged Parmesan, (which won awards within a month of being launched last summer!) and the brand new Chilli Harissa, with wickedly hot chillis crushed with garlic, herbs and spices - amazing with chicken (see our Harissa Chicken recipe here), but also excellent with fish and stirred into tagines, rice, dips, couscous, on a jacket spud and stirred into favourites like pasta sauce, Spaghetti Bolognaise and Chilli.
Sometimes though the oldies are the best and recently we’ve had a lot of requests for things to do with good ol’ Putney. Putney, made with sundried tomatoes, wine vinegar, red peppers, onions, extra virgin olive oil, chilli, lemon juice and pepper is, to all intents and purposes, a tomato sauce or relish but, it’s a tomato sauce with a difference. Firstly, and most importantly, there’s nothing artificial in Putney, or any of our sauces, (we think that’s really important because Olives Et Al is all about happy, digging in at the table together, family-time food and we don’t want to feed our family any nasties), so you can feed your brood in confidence. Secondly, it just tastes incredible and bursts with flavour and thirdly, it’s an absolute staple in the kitchen (and essential in our house) because it’s so quick and easy to use and, let’s face it, quick suppers are much appreciated!
So, this is what we do with Putney:
- A base for pizzas and tartlets – chuck some on and smooth it over
- As a pasta sauce (just cook the pasta and stir in the Putney)
- Stuffed into chicken (then wrap the chicken with bacon and roast for a bit)
- Stirred into rice with cooked chunks of chicken
- The perfect base for Spaghetti Bolognaise
- Gorgeous dolloped onto fish and then baked (you can also throw a few oats and possibly cheese on top too if you fancy it)
- The best burger relish
- Sarni filler (most excellent with cheese - in the OEA delis, we have ‘goats cheese and Putney paninis’ and ‘Putney, choritzo and Cheddar paninis’)
- Quiches – Line a big dish with shortcrust pastry, bake blind for a bit and then layer up slices of cooked sausage, new potato, peppers, mushrooms and Putney (as many layers as you can fit in). Whisk up 5-6 eggs with milk, salt and pepper and pour over the whole thing, throw grated Cheddar over the top and then bake in a medium oven for an hour or so. Eat warm or cold (preferably on a picnic).
- Great with sausages and pork chops (try adding to chopped veg to make a sausage casserole)
- As a base for Chilli Con Carne (try OEA ‘Hot Putney’ too)
- Hearty Mixed Bean Stew – Throw a can each of Kidney, Borlotti, Cannalini beans, Chick Peas and chopped tomatoes into a big pan. Add a jar of Putney and some seasoning and warm through. Stir in a large bunch of fresh Spinach, stir until wilted and then serve with fresh crusty bread or over a nice jacket spud.
- KETCHUP – Putney goes with anything the red stuff goes with. e.g. It’s amazing in Bacon sarnies!
So there you have our list of Putney recipes and ideas, but I’m sure you’ve got great ideas too and we’d love to hear them! So much so, that if you email your recipe to hello@olivesetal.co.uk, along with a picture of your Putney creation being enjoyed and we’ll send you a jar of Putney to say thank you! Please remember to include your address (so we can send you your Putney) and let us know if your not happy for us to put your recipe and photo up online.
If you’d like more recipe ideas or if you’d like to find out more about any of the Olives Et Al products or your nearest stockists, please email us, hop onto Facebook or Twitter or give one of the lovely Oliveers a buzz at Olives Et Al HQ in Dorset. All of our contact details are available here.
Have a very happy weekend!
