I love the ritual of blackberry picking, time spent, basket in hand choosing the ripest juiciest fruit for dessert. When my children were small it was a family affair and a competition as to who could pick the most berries. Now I’ll take a friend and my dogs to forage and chatter. Is it me…
Recipes
Sumac Spiced Courgette Dip
It’s virtually impossible to grow courgettes without getting a glut? They grow so very easily and rapidly and virtually pest free. So what to do with them? Well I wanted to share this recipe with you as although it’s not the prettiest dish, it’s packed full of flavour and utilises a fair amount of the…
Courgette, Pistachio & Lime Cake
Some years ago I supplied cakes to a lovely local coffee shop in Marlow. Without doubt this along with my carrot cake were their best sellers. Made with sunflower oil it seems to keep for several days in the fridge without deteriorating, if you can resist! You can also make a dairy free version by…
Herby Courgette & Feta Tart
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reacquainting myself with my vegetable plot this year having given it a wide berth for a while, why you ask? Frustrated to say the least with the battle of copious slugs and French partridge! Time is a great healer and a little more giving these days which has definitely helped. Courgettes are…
Cherry, Lemon & Almond Cheesecake
The cherry season is so very short, this makes them all the more desirable to me. So when I stumbled across this recipe in a Swedish publication Lantiv Sommarmat (Country life – Summer Food) on my resent trip to Stockholm I just had to make it. This is a cheescake but not as you know…
Danish Stenalder Brød (Seed & Nut Loaf)
Delicious, nutritious and filling, this ‘bread’ is so delectable you’ll want to bake it weekly. I’ve honestly made four loaves this month so far for a variety of friends and functions. A healthy snack eaten on its own or add a little cheese or smashed avocado and you have a scrumptious lunch. I say ‘bread’…
Prinsesstårta
Quite simply the loveliest and most popular celebration cake in Sweden. Let me explain, this is Prinsesstårta or Princess cake, so called because Princesses Margaretha, Märtha, and Astrid, daughters of Prince Carl, brother of King Gustaf V loved it so. And they weren’t alone. It promptly became popular in Sweden and Finland. Every year around 500,000…
Tomato & Mascarpone Tart
Last week was rather higgledey-piggledey and a little stressful, it felt like I hadn’t stopped. That is why I decided Sunday was a complete day of rest, spent in the garden. I rusted up a salad, bought some cheese, concocted a few dips and made this tomato and mascarpone tart. It was a scrumptious lunch…
Blueberry, Buttermilk & Lime Cake
This blueberry, buttermilk and lime cake has a delicate zesty flavour from the limes with a lovely moist crumb from the buttermilk. This bake really needs nothing else with it other than a cup of tea or coffee. Sweet summer blueberries are an absolute joy, it doesn’t take me long to work my way through…
Pea & Dill Cakes with Beetroot Yogurt
It’s almost that time of year when we are besieged by green vegetables. After a few years off planting in my little kitchen garden, I’ve taken an almighty leap and sown all my veggie beds. Many are still tiny shoots but I eagerly anticipate harvesting courgettes, carrots, beetroot, kale, Swiss chard and peas. Assuming (the…
