We have just returned from the most relaxing week in Cornwall. Eating out, walking with our dogs, exploring some of our old favourite haunts and dealing with the odd unexpected heavy downpour of rain. You can always rely on very varied weather in the west country. On the days where we stayed at home, we…
Salads
Charred Vegetables with Tonnato Sauce
Ever heard of Vittelo Tonnato? It’s a dish from Northern Italy, very popular in ’80’s. Consisting of a creamy mayonnaise-like sauce flavoured with tuna and anchovies, served with cold sliced veal. It may sound odd to you but this combination works tremendously well. The dish was born thanks to a particularly creative chef who wanted…
Beetroot Carpaccio, Pickled Blackberries, Halloumi & Granola
I adore the deep purple hue of beetroot and its sweet, earthy flavour. Paired with cheese and you have a match made in heaven. I’ve teamed this beetroot carpaccio with a tempting savoury granola, with hints of fennel and pickled blackberries for acidity. Extra virgin rapeseed oil is fast becoming a staple in my kitchen. …
Griddled Vegetable & Rocket Salad with Spiced Almonds
I absolutely adore the combination of griddled courgettes and roasted peppers, with the addition of peppery rocket and a creamy yogurt dressing. So fresh and delicious, beautiful summer flavours and perfect as a barbecue side salad. Here I’ve added chickpeas to make it more balanced and nutritious. But this would also work really well with…
Kale, Broad Bean and Avocado Salad
You can never go wrong with a salad in the spring and summer. Massaged kale is a surprising good ingredient, add a delicious dressing with a few other tasty vegetables and you have a balanced and nutritious meal. This would also work really well with peas or chickpeas which could be instead of the broad…
Sri Lankan Coconut Salad (Gotu Kola Sambol)
This is the perfect accompaniment to a Sri Lankan curry, the fresh zingy flavours work incredibly well with any rich and spicy dish but especially good with the earthiness of beetroot. Gotu kola is in fact Indian pennywort. A herbaceous perennial plant, native to Asia available to buy online however I have substituted it…
Harissa Lentils with Roasted Vegetables and Feta
This is just the sort of winter salad I love to cook. A base of hearty spiced lentils, layered with charred roasted vegetables, scented with garlic and topped with salty feta and crunchy cashews. This combination of flavours and textures makes for a winning mid-week meal for me. Option to be made vegan Tips…
Roasted Cauliflower and Butternut Squash Salad
Cauliflower used to be boring, well not anymore! Its reputation couldn’t be more different today, as more and more health conscious people adopt a gluten free, low carb, plant based diet, a growing number of us are replacing flour, rice and other simple carbs with vegetables. Cauliflower, in particular because of its mild flavour and…
Warm Winter Salad of Beetroot, Kale & Creamed Goats’ Cheese
I’ve enjoyed the pleasure of growing my own vegetables, for a few consecutive years, but the french partridge and pigeons feasted more on my bounty than myself! I gave up. The location of my garden is just too exposed to the local wildlife! So when I discovered a local supplier Maxwell and Webb Potager who were…
Smoked Mackerel Salad with Miso Dressing
If you asked me what my perfect lunch would be I would say without doubt salad! Spring, summer and autumn. This lunch offering has a great balance of flavours, with a miso dressing, yielding a rich umami flavour. Salty, sweet, bitter, and sour—these are the four types of taste we recognise. Is that really all…
