Hake, Celeriac Puree, Mustard Leek Sauce. Something a little different to make for dinner tonight on this damp and rainy day; transform hake fillets and a couple of leeks and celeriac you may have in the fridge into this comforting creamy fish dish. Made with a splash of white wine, crème fraîche, Dijon mustard and in less than half an hour, this is the perfect fish dish that is low in carbohydrates ..read more

Asian food is a strong contender as one of my favourite cuisines. A broad choice of countries to choose from, from Thailand to Sri Lanka and Indian to Vietnam.  However Japanese, with its incredible sushi and sashimi, dishes such as ramen, yakitori and donburi to name but a few is one of my favourites. One of my best-loved vegetables, well actually a fruit, is aubergine, lends itself to spice incredibly well, absorbing so much flavour ..read more

I love the ritual of blackberry picking, time spent, basket in hand choosing the ripest juiciest fruit for dessert. When my children were small it was a family affair and a competition as to who could pick the most berries.  Now I’ll take a friend and my dogs to forage and chatter.  Is it me or is the season starting earlier and earlier each year? I guess that’s a whole other subject! This week I have found a treasure trove of these fragrant berries ..read more

I can’t remember when I first tasted houmous but I do remember loving the garlicky chickpea dip. Once upon a time in the West it was an ethnic delicacy with a hippy following, now its available in every supermarket! This ancient peasant dish – the authentic version contains chickpeas, mashed and flavoured with sesame seed paste (tahini), olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and served with unleavened bread, used for dipping. Delicious in its simplest form the humble chickpea puree has, it seems had some flavour enhancements over the years, lending itself to infinite riffs and applications – as a di ..read more

If you’re looking to try something a little different on the barbecue this summer, then you really must make these Spiced Vegetarian Beetroot Burgers with a Herby Sumac Relish. It’s been a summer of al fresco dining and barbecues, I cannot remember when it last rained! I’ve been making salads and savoury tarts lately, keeping cooking to an absolute minimum as I have a kitchen that’s in full sun in the late afternoon ..read more

The inevitable part of growing your own tomatoes is that you’ll find yourself with unripe green fruit at the end of summer.  If like me you’re not a chutney lover than why not try Fermented Green Tomatoes! Fermented Green Tomatoes are unripe tomatoes that have been preserved in a mildly salty brine.  With a pleasantly sour, slightly fizzy and marginally salty flavour they tastes similar to traditional pickled green tomatoes. However, unlike the vinegar pickled version, fermented tomatoes are full of probiotics much like sauerkraut, kimchi and kefir ..read more