Sharing a love of good food - recipes from my kitchen - eating out - great producers & suppliers
Wild garlic, in season from March to June, is a wonderful (and free!) ingredient. Found in most of Britain, it’s probably the most easily recognisable foraged food, making it perfect for beginners. In this post I’ll tell you where to look for wild garlic, how to identify …Read more
Piccalilli is a traditional British pickle of mixed vegetables in a thick, tangy sauce flavoured with mustard and turmeric. So easy to make at home, Piccalilli is a great addition to a ploughman’s lunch, eaten alongside pork pie, ham, cheeses, salads, or in a sandwich. …Read more
Main course salads are a great way of eating. Packed with veggies, proteins, and flavourful ingredients, they’ll keep you satisfied for hours. So forget relegating salad to a side dish and take a look at my round-up of favourite main course salads. BEAN & …Read more
Bean & Tuna Salad is a simple main course salad or antipasto that’s beautifully flavoured with olive oil, lemon, red wine vinegar, sliced red onions, garlic, and parsley. Based on Italian fagioli e tonno, it’s richly flavoured yet healthy. My quicker version of this classic …Read more
Sausage Salad is a great way to serve up a favourite ingredient in the warmer months. In this easy recipe, a simple base of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber is made extra special with lightly roasted slices of apple and red onion. They’re joined by just-warm …Read more
Aïgroissade is a simple, adaptable, lovely salad based on a traditional French dish from Provence. In my version, a colourful mix of lightly cooked then cooled fresh vegetables plus canned artichoke hearts and chickpeas are dressed in a garlic mayonnaise lightened with yogurt. Choose whichever …Read more
Watermelon Salad, flavoured with mint and lime, was made for hot summer days. Refreshing, quick, and incredibly good. Joining juicy cubes of fresh watermelon are crunchy diced cucumber plus a little red onion and lime zest. A simple olive oil and lime juice dressing brings …Read more
Using this easy Mixed Grain Salad as a template, you can create a whole range of salads by changing which grains, vegetables, and seasonings to include. My grain mix includes brown rice, spelt, bulgur wheat, quinoa, and couscous. But almost any combination will work. I …Read more
Artichoke Spread, made using a jar of chargrilled artichokes, is an easy treat to make at home. Enjoy it bruschetta-style on toasted Italian bread or dipped into with raw veggies. With the pungent flavours of garlic, lemon, fresh mint, plus optional red pepper flakes or …Read more
Marinated Roasted Peppers are even more delicious than regular roasted peppers. Here they take up the spicy flavour of the marinade which becomes infused with the peppers’ charred smokiness. Temper that spicy, smoky heat with creamy yet tangy goat’s cheese for a perfect pairing. Served …Read more
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus is a smoky, spicier take on traditional hummus. It still has the classic ingredients of chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon. But the earthy original is given a lightly sweet and smoky edge with roasted red pepper and Spanish paprika. For extra …Read more
Waldorf Salad is an easy classic. At its simplest, just crunchy apples and celery in a mayonnaise dressing, these days it usually includes walnuts too. In my version there’s also plump raisins (substitute halved grapes if you prefer) and a dressing that’s lightened with natural …Read more
Prawn Cocktail is a classic and rightly so. Tender, juicy prawns in a lightly spicy, creamy Marie Rose sauce atop fresh salad. While you can buy bottles of the sauce, making your own takes just a few minutes. All you need are mayo, ketchup and …Read more
Do you have a glut of homegrown tomatoes to use up? Or maybe you’re looking for recipes for those market, veg box, and shop-bought tomatoes? In this post you’ll find a dozen of my favourite ways to use tomatoes. I only have a few pots …Read more
Panzanella is a simple but delicious Italian salad of tomatoes, bread, and onions. Wonderfully refreshing, it’s dressed with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and basil. My version includes multicoloured tomatoes plus red onion, cucumber, celery, and a little garlic. I like the salad …Read more
Scandi-Style Smoked Fish Salad is an easy, colourful main course salad. You can include any smoked fish you like in this Scandinavian/Nordic-inspired dish. I’ve used pan-fried, lightly smoked salmon fillets, but regular smoked salmon, smoked trout or smoked mackerel will all work well. Potatoes, beetroot …Read more
Tuna & Potato Salad with an Italian twist: capers, olives, garlic, lemon and optional anchovies. Full of gutsy flavour, plus filling ingredients like potatoes and hard-boiled eggs, you’ll find this a tasty and satisfying salad. Enjoy on its own or as one of several dishes, …Read more
Cucumber & Sesame Noodle Salad is quick, easy, refreshing and utterly delicious. Especially good during hot weather, the only cooking required is your choice of noodles. I’ve used egg noodles, but rice, soba or your own favourite will work too. The noodles are tossed with …Read more
Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Salad with Mint Pesto is one of my current favourite dishes. Aromatic cumin seeds, fruity and warm Aleppo pepper plus refreshing mint, transform earthy root veg and pulses into a great summer salad. The Mint Pesto that’s the star of the …Read more
Mint Pesto is a lively condiment that takes little more than ten minutes to make. Without the cheese included in the classic Italian basil version, vibrant Mint Pesto is hugely versatile. All you need are: almonds (or substitute your favourite nuts), garlic, a lemon, salt, …Read more
Bang Bang Chicken Noodle Salad is full of bold spicy, nutty, salty, sweet and savoury flavour. Based on a Chinese classic, my version takes tender shredded chicken, a knock-out 5-minute sauce, and combines them with noodles and lots of fresh vegetables to create an easy, …Read more
Strawberry & Cucumber Salad with Mint is light and refreshing. So quick to make, it’s perfect for hot summer days. Lovely as a side with fish, meat or barbecued foods. Or try it as a main meal salad topped with feta or goat’s cheese. …Read more
Smacked Cucumber with Chilli Oil is a refreshing, flavour-packed salad based on a Chinese classic. Smacking or smashing the cucumber gives more surface area to be cloaked in the salty, sweet, hot and sour dressing. Flavoured with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and …Read more
Potato Salad with Smoked Mackerel takes a classic side dish and makes it extra special. Creamy, smoky and with a hint of horseradish, hard-boiled eggs add to the interest along with flakes of mackerel. Pair with a green salad to enjoy as a main meal …Read more
Roasted Radishes may sound unusual, but they’re surprisingly tasty. Fast roasting in olive oil for around ten minutes mellows the radish’s natural pepperiness and makes them delectably juicy. Flavoured with garlic and a squeeze of lemon, I think they’re great as a side dish, warm …Read more