Eivissa – The Ibiza cookbook recipes: From watermelon gazpacho to peach and serrano ham crackers

Anne Sijmonsbergen brings traditional Ibicenco cuisine with a contemporary influence to your table

The first cookbook to show that the White Isle so famed for partying, has far more to it than that. Author Anne Sijmonsbergen proves Ibiza is on the cusp of a food revolution.

She is the island’s only organic tomato farmer and moved there 10 years ago with her husband, taking over a 450-year-old farmhouse and immersed herself into Ibicenco life, growing almost everything that can possibly survive in the climate.

The island has always traditionally farmed and fished, but it has recently been modernised with a wave of chefs, bringing with them artisan and innovative ideas.

Sijmonsbergen’s book shows how you can recreate the flavours of the isle in your own kitchen, using flavours from apricots to almonds and asparagus to edible flowers. Recipes reflect Ibicenco cuisine and heritage along with contemporary influences.

Watermelon gazpacho

Watermelon is a summer staple on Ibiza. It is everywhere: in shops, market stalls, vegetable stands as well as decorating green vines in the fields. Sweet, crisp and juicy, it is serious refreshment when combined with the salty, sour and spicy flavours of this soup. Always eat this very cold: it is pure re-energizing hydration when the summer heat is at its peak. To eat it at its best, prepare it in the morning to serve in the evening, giving the flavours time to combine.

1kg (2lb 2oz) watermelon flesh, chopped
1 large tomato, peeled and deseeded
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
¼ sweet onion, chopped
½ red pepper, chopped
1–2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and chopped
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice and finely grated zest of 2 limes
2 tsp agave syrup (optional)
Salt and black pepper

To serve

350g (12oz) watermelon flesh, roughly chopped
1 small cucumber, chopped
1 large yellow or green tomato, chopped
¼ red onion, very thinly sliced
75g (3oz) feta cheese
Handful mint, leaves sliced into ribbons
Salt and black pepper

First make the soup base. Purée the watermelon, tomato, cucumber, onion, red pepper, 1 chilli, olive oil, a large pinch of lime zest and 3 tablespoons of the juice in a bowl or jug with a hand-held blender, or in the bowl of a food processor until smooth. Taste and add more lime juice, chilli and/or agave syrup. Season to taste and chill until ready to serve. Divide the chopped vegetables among the serving bowls then spoon over the chilled soup base. Garnish each serving with crumbled feta, mint ribbons, salt, pepper and a pinch of lime zest.

Peach and serrano ham with mahon crackers

These small bites are best made at the height of peach season, which on Ibiza is early summer. The combination of sweet juicy peach, rich salty ham and nutty and sharp Mahon crisps makes for a magnificent bite. They are sublime served with a glass of chilled cava or a rich Spanish white wine.

Makes 20 crackers

160g (5½oz) Mahon curado,
Parmesan or extra-mature cheddar cheese
100g (3½oz) thinly sliced Serrano ham
2 ripe peaches, cut into 20 thin wedges
20 mint leaves

Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F/gas mark 3, and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Use a narrow glass or a 6cm (2½in) round biscuit cutter as a guide, draw 20 circles on the paper. Coarsely grate the cheese. Fill each circle with a generous pinch of the cheese and bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes, until the cheese is melted, golden and crisp. Remove and set aside to cool completely. Arrange a slice of ham, a piece of peach and a mint leaf on each cheese crisp and serve immediately

Asparagus, beans and rocket with lemon ricotta

What a beautiful spring dish this is. The combination of two beans makes for great flavour and texture. Adding plenty of salt to the cooking water and plunging the beans in iced water helps retain their vivid colour.

400g (14oz) thin, young green beans, topped and tailed
1kg (2lb 2oz) fresh baby broad beans, shelled
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 tsp lemon juice
300g (11oz) fresh ricotta
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
100g (3½oz) rocket
750g (1lb 10oz) asparagus (about 20 spears), cooked
20g (¾oz) Mahón curado or Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and black pepper

Boil a medium saucepan of water, add ½ teaspoon of salt and the green beans. Blanch for 1-2 minutes, remove with tongs, and plunge into a bowl of cold water. Return the water in the pan to the boil and add the broad beans. Cook for 3-4 minutes until al dente, drain and leave to dry on a tea towel until they are cool enough to peel away the thin membrane. Toss the broad and green beans together with 1 tablespoon of the oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Mix the ricotta in a bowl with most of the lemon zest and season. Toss the rocket with the remaining olive oil and a pinch of salt. Divide among 4 plates. Top each with the asparagus, beans, plus a dollop of lemon ricotta. Dress with more oil, season with pepper, sprinkle over the cheese and the remaining lemon zest.

Eivissa by Anne Sijmonsbergen is published by Harper Collins, £20. Photography by David Munns