I had totally missed out on this West Country drink but it does resonate with many – perhaps remembering their grandparents having tipples or even being given watered down versions themselves. J. R. Phillips is the oldest surviving wine merchants in Bristol. They still make lovage cordial. Founded by William George in 1739. James Phillips…

It has been an exceptional year for damsons. I made my first batch using fruit from Julie, my ‘Egg Lady’s’ south facing hedge. The jelly tasted good but I was disappointed with the set – I like a proper jelly texture. My second batch was perfect; the trick was to break the nuts to extract…

It has been a week of alchemy. I very much enjoyed reading Madeline Miller’s Circe, the sorceress who collects and boils up brews of herbs to work her witchcraft. For me it was for the making of borscht. It started by seeing some beef bones in the butchers and cooking these with onion, carrots and herbs (bay…

As there was a fear of blight on our allotment site, it was wise to pick all our tomatoes which are now stored on wicker trays and ripening nicely. A change form our usual Sunday breakfast was to have this Sichuan dish. The Chinese combine eggs and tomatoes in all sorts of ways but this…

We had a surfeit of cream and I am now digging into my row of Charlotte potatoes. A good time to make gratin Dauphinois. It needs only a simple meat dish such as grilled lamb chops to accompany it and a green salad to follow. Elizabeth David writes a brilliant essay on gratin Dauphiois as…

Fattoush is the rustic salad of Lebanon and Syria. Di, an allotment neighbour, gave me some purslane, both plants, to put into my new herb bed, and tops, for the most perfect salad. By chance I had all the ingredients to hand to make a quick and refreshing lunch. Of course, there is a wide…

My cookbook bookcase had to be cleared to make way for moving furniture around the house and laying some new carpets. A good chance to go through the books that I have. One, The Cook and the Gardener by Amanda Hesser, was a revelation. Published in 1999 and with a sticker on the jacket saying…

This is a great dish to make while having a day of cooking. Carrots are at their best in July but be careful not to buy any that have been kept too long in plastic bags. I like to serve this dish as part of a first course. 500g carrots 100ml virgin olive oil 2…

Sometimes recipes just come your way. My local shop supplies many of the best restaurants in Bath. While I was being served, a young chef came in wanting lovage. There was none in the shop but I have plenty of fresh lovage growing again after the first leaves had been cut down. The lovage was…

This dish marks another point in the allotment calendar. The asparagus season finishes on 18 June (Waterloo Day) and remaining spears are left to grow. We will weed the asparagus bed and give it a good feed. Bring on the next dish! This is very special. Its origin is in southern Italy where it is…