I was invited to a joyous meal at The Beckford Bottle Shop with old friends Chris and Inge. A generous bottle of St Véran 2020 was especially appreciated. The dish of burrata was our overall food favourite. It was served with sobrasada (a spicy chorizo type paste) and mojo sauce. My memory of burrata is…

One of my favourite recipes in The Allotment Kitchen has to be the Mark Hix inspired rhubarb with spices. For breakfast I have started to indulge in an early morning version. 5 long stalks forced rhubarb, cut into 2cm cubes120g granulated sugarJuice of 1 pomegranate (or a splash of grenadine)A few chilli flakes (optional)A small…

After a hard day office clearing, supper was an ‘invention test’ to use up what was left in the fridge. It turned out to be a delicious, one pan feast more than enough for one – or two or more if used as an accompaniment. Merguez sausages with rice or lentils would be ideal. By…

I cook this so often that it was a surprise when I realised I had never added it to the website. It is my most favourite way to cook cauliflower. 1 cauliflower2-3 tbsps olive oil2 tsp turmeric1tsp ground cumin½-1 tsp paprika or Aleppo chilliesPinch of salt Oven at 180°C Take a whole cauliflower and separate…

This is a lovely recipe giving cheer in mid winter. I think of it as a Monday dish as it goes so well with slices of cold roast meat. Any hard winter vegetable could be used – turnips work well in place of kohlrabi – and the herbs can be changed depending on the meat…

Elizabeth David’s recipe for irresistible, roasted almonds is already given but here is a quick alternative, great to offer to unexpected guests. Place a handful or two of cashews into an oven proof dish and add a knob of butter. Put into a hot oven (around 190°C). After just a minute, take out of the…

This is a quick recipe for January inspired by going through kitchen cupboards checking to see what dry ingredients were nearing the end of their ‘use by dates’. 3 leeks, trimmed, halved lengthways and finely sliced across200g kale, stalks removed and torn into small pieces30g butterA few drops of olive oil25g dried barberries (or use…

Christmas 2021 and somehow it didn’t feel Christmassy enough for a turkey or goose but a large free range chicken from Woolley Grange was perfect. Chicken and all the trimmings! My favourite Christmas stuffing is the potato and apple stuffing already given but I wanted something fresher for a chicken. I found this recipe in…

Very excited about this dessert as it’s festive and a great alternative to pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. Oven at 190°C. Use a 20-21cm diameter fluted pie dish Sweet shortcrust pastry I make mine from: 200g plain flour120g butter1 egg yolk1 tbsp caster sugarpinch saltVery cold water Prepare the pastry and wrap in cling film. Leave…

Tuiles are useful but impressive things to make. They are a boost to a quick dessert of ice cream or poached fruit. I hadn’t made them for ages but, for an impromptu lunch party, they were just the thing. They are a good way to use up a spare egg white left over from making…