Seed muse
VOL. 4
julia BUSUTTIL NISHIMURA
Julia is a food writer and cook who takes a seasonal, sensory approach to her dishes. We
visited her Fitzroy North home to chat through all things summer entertaining – and get a pair of recipes to
welcome the warmer weather.
- FOOD WRITER
- COOK
Q: What’s your food philosophy?
For me, it’s all about simple, seasonal home cooking. It can be really pleasurable,
the act of cooking and eating. It’s about ritual-making. With something as simple as your morning coffee,
you’re creating these moments in your home. I talk about seasonality a lot but it really does excite me:
capturing those fleeting, beautiful moments in the year. I love celebrating the first peach, the last
tomato, before you know it the next one comes along and the cycle continues. That’s what underpins it
all.
Q: Are your boys interested in food?
Yuki is three and a half and Haru just turned eight, and they love being in the
kitchen. As soon as I’ve got mixing bowls out Yuki’s there with his stool at the bench. Haru is getting
really involved in hosting – he made lemonade for everyone over the weekend, and he’s started to get a
kick out of making people happy with food and drink. It’s how I grew up too, helping my mum with her
dinner parties.
Q: Are your boys interested in food?
Yuki is three and a half and Haru just turned eight, and they love being in the
kitchen. As soon as I’ve got mixing bowls out Yuki’s there with his stool at the bench. Haru is getting
really involved in hosting – he made lemonade for everyone over the weekend, and he’s started to get a
kick out of making people happy with food and drink. It’s how I grew up too, helping my mum with her
dinner parties.
Serves 4-6400g semola (semolina flour), plus extra for
dusting200ml water800g cherry tomatoesHandful of basil leaves, plus extra to
serve4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped4 tbsp extra virgin olive oilSea salt, to
taste150g fresh full-fat ricottaGrated parmigiano reggiano, to serve
Method
To make the pasta dough, place the flour onto a clean work surface. Make
a
well in the centre and slowly pour in 3/4 cup (180ml) warm water. If the dough feels very dry
or
difficult to bring together, sprinkle over a little extra water. Using your hands, bring a
little flour at a time into the water until you have a rough dough. Use a pastry scraper to
bring it all together. Knead for 10 minutes or until smooth. Cover with an upturned bowl and
set
aside for at least 30 minutes.
Working with a small piece of the dough at a time, roll dough into a rope about 1 cm thick. Cut the rope into 5 cm lengths and use your four fingers to press down and roll to create a small cavern. This is best done on a flat wooden board. Place the cavatelli onto a board or tea towel generously dusted with semolina flour. Repeat with the rest of the dough, arranging cavatelli in a single layer to ensure they don’t stick to each other.
For the sauce, place the cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil in a deep-sided frying pan with a good pinch of sea salt over a low-medium heat. Cook the sauce until the cherry tomatoes have collapsed and the sauce is thick and rich. Check for seasoning.
Working with a small piece of the dough at a time, roll dough into a rope about 1 cm thick. Cut the rope into 5 cm lengths and use your four fingers to press down and roll to create a small cavern. This is best done on a flat wooden board. Place the cavatelli onto a board or tea towel generously dusted with semolina flour. Repeat with the rest of the dough, arranging cavatelli in a single layer to ensure they don’t stick to each other.
For the sauce, place the cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil in a deep-sided frying pan with a good pinch of sea salt over a low-medium heat. Cook the sauce until the cherry tomatoes have collapsed and the sauce is thick and rich. Check for seasoning.
Q: What do you like to keep in mind while entertaining over the festive
season?
I like to keep things really simple for this time of year. Summer produce lends
itself to uncomplicated recipes – when you’ve got beautiful fresh ingredients you don’t need to do much
with them. I love to set the table to create a sense of occasion. A beautiful tablecloth, flowers in the
middle of the table, and nice glassware will go a long way. It’s about making people feel welcome – you
want it to feel effortless but that actually does take a bit of effort. Lean into the season. Everyone
feels relaxed, no one expects anything extravagant.
Q: What inspired the recipe you’re sharing today?
Earlier this year, I spent quite a lot of time in Puglia in southern Italy. It was
just starting to warm up when I was there, and I wanted to capture that holiday feeling. Hand-rolled pasta
is such a fun thing to make, it’s something the kids can get involved with and you don’t need any fancy
equipment.
Q: What inspired the recipe you’re sharing today?
Earlier this year, I spent quite a lot of time in Puglia in southern Italy. It was
just starting to warm up when I was there, and I wanted to capture that holiday feeling. Hand-rolled pasta
is such a fun thing to make, it’s something the kids can get involved with and you don’t need any fancy
equipment.
Serves 4-63 red capsicums150g (3 slices) sourdough bread,
crusts removed500g Italian flat beans, cut into 5 cm lengths4 tbsp extra virgin
olive oil2 tomatoes, cut into large piecesLarge handful mint leaves, tornLarge
handful parsley leaves, roughly chopped40g toasted pine nuts½ red onion, finely
sliced1 tbsp red wine vinegarSalt and pepper, to taste
Method
Grill the capsicums on a grill plate or over a gas flame until
blackened, charred and beginning to collapse. Alternatively, capsicums can be roasted in a hot
oven until blackened. When cool enough to handle, peel off the blackened skin to reveal the
deep red flesh. Discard the core and seeds and set the flesh aside.Grill the
sourdough
bread until golden and beginning to char. Tear into
3-4 cm pieces and set
aside.Place the beans and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a bowl and season with salt.
Grill on a grill plate
or a frying pan over a high heat for 4-5 minutes until tender and nicely coloured. Place in a
large bowl along with the capsicums, grilled bread, tomatoes, mint, parsley, pine nuts and
vinegar. Toss to combine.In a small bowl whisk together the remaining olive oil with
the
vinegar
and season with salt
and pepper. Drizzle over the salad, toss to coat and serve.
Q: What do you look for when you’re shopping for homewares?
I love mostly neutral tones and then I’ll add pops of interesting glassware and
cutlery. From Seed, I love the Ava plates, the Eli tumblers, all the ash wood serving pieces. Summer food
is so vibrant, you want the table to be simple so the food can be the star. The Seed range is perfect for
that.
Q: How would you describe your personal style?
I have to be comfortable when I’m cooking, but I still like to feel beautiful. I’ll
be in natural materials like linen and cotton all summer. I love something breathable, something I can
move in. I love floaty dresses, big sleeves, that combination of comfort and elegance. Basically I’m
always trying to capture the feeling of being in southern Italy.
Q: How would you describe your personal style?
I have to be comfortable when I’m cooking, but I still like to feel beautiful. I’ll
be in natural materials like linen and cotton all summer. I love something breathable, something I can
move in. I love floaty dresses, big sleeves, that combination of comfort and elegance. Basically I’m
always trying to capture the feeling of being in southern Italy.
