French pizza and Scottish tagine

This is the tagine I first made the day after I was given the book.  It never fails to please.  Make a marinade with one grated onion, 3 crushed garlic cloves, a knob of grated ginger, finely chopped parsley, a pinch of saffron threads, juice of a lemon, salt & pepper, 3 tbsp olive oil.  Add chicken thighs with bone in, or legs.  You could get Maryland pieces and cut them in two then you have both.  You want 1-2 pieces per person depending on the size of your diners.  Rub the marinade well into the skin & refrigerate 1-2 hours. 
Heat a tbsp olive oil with a knob of butter, in your tagine.  Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade & brown well on both sides.  Pour over the marinade & add just enough water to come halfway up the sides of the chicken pieces.  Bring to the boil, cover & bake in the oven at 180 for about 45 minutes.   Add 2 preserved lemons, cut into strips, 175g cracked green olives & 1 tsp dried oregano.  Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes.  Sprinkle some fresh oregano over the top to serve.  I served it with steamed carrots tossed with toasted cumin & coriander seeds & mint.
Sunday being rugby I decided we should do the right thing & eat pizza in front of the telly.  I made RWC Final Pizza - one half black & white, the other red, white & blue for Le Tricolore.
I also made Olivo's delicious parsnip skordalia for rugby snacks.  Toss 500g parsnips, quartered lengthwise, with 1 tbsp Helen's cumin oil and 2 tsp cumin seeds and place in a roasting pan. Put in the oven and roast at 190 for about 25 minutes until cooked through and golden. Cool.  Place the parsnips in a food processor and pulse until mashed. Add 3 cloves garlic, salt to taste & an egg yolk then pulse again. Gradually drizzle in about 1/2 cup cumin oil while pulsing, then finally add the juice of 1/2 a lemon. If the mixture is too thick add a little warm water to the desired consistency.  As well as a dip Helen suggests serving it as an accompaniment with sausages.
Monday night I made one of the best soups ever.  Pea & parsley with scallops.  If you don't eat scallops (you must be crazy) you could leave them off but they are a magnificent addition.  For 6 people, soften 1 finely chopped onion with a finely chopped stick of celery and a bay leaf in a little butter for about 10 minutes.  Add 3 cups of chicken stock & season.  Bring to the boil & add 1 kg peas.  Sadly, frozen, as mine aren't ready & I don't think I could ever harvest that quantity for a single meal.  Bring back to the boil for about 3 minutes then stir through 1 cup finely chopped parsley, 3/4 cup cream & white pepper.  Blend with a stick blender, then add 2 tsp red wine vinegar & adjust the seasoning.  Keep warm & prepare the scallops.  Heat about 50g butter in a pan & sprinkle with a little mineral salt.  Fry 3-4 scallops per person with some fresh tarragon or mint leaves, for about 1-2 minutes per side.  Top the individual soup bowls with scallops & the fried leaves then drizzle with the scallop pan juices. 
A couple of weeks back, I had a sorrel risotto at Floriditas & as I have some in the garden, I thought I would try this at home.  I made a basic risotto using finely chopped onion & celery as the base then at the end I stirred though 1/2 dozen finely chopped sorrel leaves & the zest of half a lemon.  I finished off with the juice of the lemon half & a knob of butter.  It was wonderful.  You should grow sorrel.  It is delicious cooked & in salads & grows so easily.  I found the half dead seedling languishing in a dark corner at the garden centre & this week I am planning to separate the plant as it has flourished.
I had a small piece of pumpkin that needed to be eaten.  Enter Moroccan chicken with rice & pumpkin.  Tie 2 boneless chicken thighs per person, with kitchen string so that they keep their shape.  Heat the oil in an oven proof dish & brown the chicken on all sides.  Set aside.  For 6, add finely chopped onions & carrots with 3 cloves crushed garlic & cook until softened.  Add 1 tsp each ginger, turmeric, smoked paprika & cinnamon plus the zest of a lemon & cook a further 2 minutes.  Stir in diced pumpkin then 2 cups chicken stock.  Scrape up all the sticky bits at the bottom of the pan.  Add a cup of basmati rice - I used brown - & sit the thighs on top.  Cover & bake 45 mins at 180.  
A reader sent me a photo of her egg & kefte tagine & I want to share it with you.  Do you have any photos to share?  I think the tagines have been a hit and many of you are making them.  Good old  Ghillie.  You may be surprised to discover she is actually Scottish.  She has also been shortlisted "Pasta Journalist of the Year".   Who knew their was such an honour?  Does anyone know who won?