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…

My mint patch is up and running. We use so much that all the caveats about being overrun with mint do not apply. Mint in salads and tabbouleh, with potatoes and, of course, lamb. Mint pesto is a great alternative to the basil version. As well as serving it with pasta and lamb dishes, it…

Welsh rarebit has been a staple quick meal all through my life, on a par with beans on toast or scrambled eggs. Usually we have fresh bread and a soft cheese for Saturday lunch along with a sherry or Madeira but last weekend there was enough of our toasting bread remaining and some local Cheddar…

This dish is one of the first delights of the year. I like it as a first course, served warm with broken pieces of feta cheese scattered on top. Offer crusty bread to soak up the juices. Trim young broad bean pods and cut them at an angle into lengths of about 2 cm. A…