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…

There are some drinks that are very special for the right occasion. A warm evening, relaxed, with a simple supper of fish to look forward to, then it might be time for a gin gimlet. As it happens, I am rereading Raymond Chandler’s The Long Good-Bye which is what I was reading when I had…

Eades, our local green grocer’s shop, is an Aladdin’s cave. Used to supplying vegetables to many of the Bath hotels and restaurants, in the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, it now has many new, private customers. I was surprised to see jars of sumac being put on the shelves. I had discovered sumac…

Coronavirus continues and new patterns of life become habit. Apparently, nationally there is less food waste and certainly I would be reluctant to throw out anything bought after queuing for hours and then having to carry home. From all this, little ‘meze’ dishes are starting to become part of meals. These courgette batons are great…

This is a lovely recipe adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s book, Simple. It is fine by itself for a mid week supper, served with a green vegetable, but is also great with spiced chicken pieces. In his recipe YO, uses Urfa (Isot) chillies which have a curious chocolaty favour. I prefer Aleppo chillies. When in season,…