These biscuits are Scandinavian inspired and great to serve with drinks. The pastry is a bit like a puff pastry but the aim is to make the biscuits light but not too risen. To make 36 biscuits 600g plain flour400g butter, chopped10g salt1 egg, beaten2 tbsp poppy seeds1 tbsp sesame seeds50g Cheddar (or similar) cheese,…

An allotment neighbour has just given me a large handful of coriander. Good to be able to put it to immediate use. As Monisha Bharadwaj writes, ‘Green coriander chutney is the ubiquitous dipping sauce in India’. Quick, easy and delicious. Try it with onion bhajias, samosa or cold chicken. Nearly every Indian cookery writer will…

There must be endless versions of this dish but common to all are white poppy seeds, mustard seeds and chillies. The poppy seeds act as a thickener and mustard gives the distinctive flavour. I am very aware that what I am making is an Anglicized version of a much loved Bengali dish. The original idea…

This meal provoked debate. The motion was ‘A Spanish Omelette is not a Simple Meal’. However, both sides agreed it tasted really good. Discussion about whether or not a Spanish omelette should contain onion is probably centuries old and, by now, can be quietly left to individual taste and preference. Also left to individual choice…

Deciding that more ‘pulse based’ salads were needed, I have been experimenting with quinoa. So far, I have been offering quinoa as a second salad, served beside a lettuce based, green one. Yotam Ottolenghi describes it well, ‘The striking texture is light, sandy and almost crunchy’ and, again, ‘the mild nutty flavour is a wonderful…

We have never had such a good season for courgettes. For a quick snack to have with an evening drink, try courgette batons, coated in seasoned gram flour in which a teaspoon of turmeric has been mixed, and then fried in olive oil. A simple pleasure.

It’s mid July and beetroot and chard are in plentiful supply. This recipe was given to me by Margaret Kelland, a friend since junior school. Her farm shop, near Tring, stocks locally produced rapeseed oil* which is excellent and comes in a variety of flavours. She had used the chilli infused oil but without this,…

Researching recipes for cocktails is a process that cannot be rushed. The idea of using sherry in a cocktail for a summer evening was new to me but worth pursuing. Pimm’s has never been my favourite drink and my quest was to find a sherry based alternative. There is a tradition of using sherry in…

My one criticism about The Guardian’s Saturday food supplement, Feast, is that the front covers tend to look very alike. A plate of brightly coloured food, dotted with feta or an egg (think Matisse here for a dollop of something white), seen from above and set on a marble top. Just such a plate was…

I have three untidy artichoke plants. I love the nutty taste of artichokes and pick mine small. When in a hurry, I use only the prepared bases and most often cook these with sautéed potatoes. They are also delicious cooked slowly in a little water and olive oil together with broad beans and onion. Best…