Respect your elders

It's now late May, nearly everything is fully laden with flowers and the leaves hang heavily from the trees and bushes looking like a 1950's film star in a fur coat.And now there is also a legitimate reason to lurk in the bushes in your local park. Here inLondon the elderflower is showing off at every turn. So grab a bag and some snippers and head out foraging.It's such an exciting part of the year and I wait for a day where the sun is blasting down, (not always an option, I know) before heading out. Let the morning dry the flowers a little with its light and warmth then carefully snip from the tree. Be gentle with them, try to keep as much pollen on them as you can, fill a bag and scamper home.You can make cordial too if you like, I reckon a carrier bag full is enough for both, you don't need that many for fritters. If you want these to be vegetarian, you'll have to make sure all the bugs are out first. Tap them over a white tray or plate until you've got rid of as many as you can.You can leave the spicing out if you prefer a subtle and pure elderflower taste, they're still delicious. Either way, it a lovely way to fritter away a morning.IngredientsA bagful of elderflowers on their stalks100g plain flour1tbsp baking powder2tsp ground cardamom4 cloves, ground1tbsp ground cinnamon1tsp fennel seeds, ground1 egg185ml fizzy waterIcing sugar to dust1l rapeseed oil to fryMethodHeat the oil to 180c in a deep-fat fryer or heavy-based deep saucepan making sure it doesn't go more than halfway up. It will expand when the battered flowers go in.Whisk together the batter ingredients and let it rest for five minutes.Dip a head of elderflowers in the batter and when the oil is hot enough gently drop them in. Cook for a minute or so, turning over every now and then until light golden and crisp. Drain on some kitchen paper then lay out on a tray while you repeat and finish the rest.Leave to cool a little then dust with icing sugar to serve.This weekRead:Out of Africa by Karen Blixen. I had no idea she wrote Babette's Feast, nor did I think this book would be as charming and readable as it was. I even laughed out loud at one story such is her gentle style. I thought it would be all Meryl Streep-y gnashing of teeth and wailing about 'My Africa'. Not that I've seen the film, but that's the impression I had.Listened:A R Rahman. Lots of his excellent film music, beautiful and uplifting and at times melancholy. Although most upsetting was hearing the Pussycat Dolls appear on one trackEat:Far too many slices of very bad supermarket pizza with sweetcorn and barbecue sauce on. I know. Don't judge me, it's all there was on the shoot and I was ravenous.Saw:Brooklyn 99. As the final series draws to a close (although apparently it's been taken up by another network) I remembered so much of what I love about it. The relentless positivity and the camaraderie is a refreshing change in a hard-hitting dark cop drama. (Err? - Ed.)

Prawn to be wild (garlic)

I'm a busy man, I don't have time to separate my free-range, organic araucana eggs for homemade mayonnaise. In the cut and thrust world I live in I barely have time to put clothes on before I leave the house and take the children to school.*Why not just buy a jar of mayonnaise I hear you ask? To be honest, it's been a quiet couple of weeks here, so I blatantly have more time usual, hence the fresh bread issuing forth from the oven and the children eating proper food on the weekends and after school.The reason I didn't separate the eggs was to see what whole egg mayonnaise was like. And it's pretty good, hardly different to the usual method. It's just a little more liquid to begin with so emulsifying the oil takes a little more time, but in a food processor it's easy. And it tastes so much better than a middle-class posh jar with French words and has the added benefit of having no stuff in it for a year on the shop shelf.I found the remains of some wild garlic, flowers and all, in a still fairly good state in a bag in the fridge. They were starting to become slightly frilly and not quite as fresh as when I picked them. They were certainly good enough, however, for a pesto, sauce or in this case accompaniment to plump and juicy prawns on hot toasted sourdough. If I'm lucky, there may still be some lurking in the garden for the risotto I'd originally planned, but for now, this is a delicious use for them.As far as the monk's beard goes, the season for that is even shorter. If you've missed it, although I suspect it's still available (Natoora and Ocado stock it), samphire works perfectly in it's place. And failing that, some tender British asparagus tips, halved lengthways and lightly steamed will also work.*I do get dressed. And it's mainly because the alarm is such shock to the system I snooze it until the last minute. I'm not a morning person. Getting up earlier is not an option with my lack of discipline.Ingredients, lunch for two8 large tiger prawns, shell and head on2 free-range organic eggs1tbsp Dijon mustardA pinch of saltRapeseed oilA tablespoon or two of olive oil to finishA splash of water to loosenA small bunch of wild garlic, flowers too if you have any (they're peppery)A small bunch of monk's beard or a couple of handfuls of samphireJuice and zest of half a lemonSourdough bread to toastMethodMake the mayonnaise. You can do this in the mini bowl of the food processor or by hand with a whisk.Stir the mustard and a pinch of salt into the eggs. With the motor or your whisk hand running, pour in the rapeseed oil at first slowly drop by drop until it starts to thicken and emulsify. You can then speed up the pour, spinning all the time until thick and 'mayonnaise-y'. Now continue with the olive oil. Add a splash of water to loosen a little. If you're doing this in the processor,  throw in the garlic now and blitz until completely shredded to pieces in the mayo. If doing it by hand, slice, slice and slice again then chop. Now stir it in well. This keeps in the fridge for a few days in a sealed jar so make it ahead if you fancy.Sauté the prawns with the shell on in some olive oil and chopped garlic until cooked, then remove from the pan and leave to cool a little.Remove the tough stalks from the monk's beard. These make good, if temporary weaponsQuickly sauté the leaves in the pan the prawns were cooked in and add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt at the end.Toast the bread, dollop a spoon of mayonnaise on top and spread it around.I shelled the prawns over the toast and mayo, squeezing the heads as I did so to get more of the juices out, giving it an even bigger punch of flavour.A sprinkle of salt and pepper, the still warm monk's beard leaves and perhaps a few chilli flakes and lunch is ready.

Nettle and wild garlic pesto with prawns and sweet potato

Nettles grow like mad this time of year. Now, after many childhood tears, it’s time for revenge.They have a grassy, earthy flavor that goes well in risotto or soup and if you like spinach, sorrel and other greens, you’ll love nettles. They’re also free, although ridiculously I’ve seen them for sale in a few farmers’ markets.I’ve paired it with wild garlic in this pesto recipe; it’s coming to the end of the season now it’s June so I’m trying to cram it into everything I can, flowers and all. Mix the pesto through pasta, preferably trofie or trenette, serve it with seared tuna and a tomato salad or toss it through buttery new potatoes or cauliflower. Here I’m serving it with some fresh prawns and sweet potato fries. It keeps for a couple of weeks in the fridge, just top it up with oil every so often.Wear a pair of rubber gloves when picking nettles (they lose their sting after boiling for one minute) and if you don’t have any in your garden, try and avoid picking them from areas well used by dog walkers or foxes…Makes:                          A big tubfulPreparation time:      10 minutesCooking time:            10 minutesIngredients150g stinging nettles3 cloves of garlic40g parmesan180ml rapeseed oil1 green chilli100g toasted pine nutsA handful of wild garlic leaves and flowersSalt to seasonRapeseed oil for frying180g raw, shelled tiger prawns per person1/3 of a sweet potato each5cm of cucumber1 tbsp black sesame seeds1 tbsp ground turmeric2 spring onions2 red birdseye chillies, slicedJuice of a limeMethod1.  Blanche the nettles in boiling water for one minute, refresh in cold water then pick the leaves and discard the stems.2.  Add all the ingredients apart from the oil to a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.3.  With the machine running, pour in the oil in a steady stream until you have a fairly coarse but loose paste. Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed.4.  Decant into an airtight jar, pour over some oil and store in the fridge.For the prawns and sweet potato:1. Heat about three centimetres of rapeseed oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan to about 180c. For each person use about 1/3 of a sweet potato, skin and all, and cut it very finely lengthways into long matchstick chips. I use a mandoline for this with a julienne blade.2. Fry the potato in the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Season with salt, black sesame seeds and turmeric powder then set aside.3. Toss some shelled, raw tiger prawns (I use about 180g per person because I’m greedy) in rice flour and fry in batches in the oil until cooked and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper then stir through a couple of tablespoons of the pesto and toss well. Set this aside for a minute too.4. Salt the cucumber then squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Mix the cucumber, spring onion and red chilli together and season well.5. Divide the sweet potato between the plates, top with the prawns in pesto and the cucumber mix. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lime juice.

Hawthorn tea

It’s hawthorn blossom season in London at the moment and while the trees are in bloom it's a great time to make fresh tea or dry the flowers for future use.

The tea has a subtle flavour and apparently is good for circulation, blood pressure and mental wellbeing. Plus it’s free.I find it really satisfying to make things from stuff you’ve grown or found so get picking. Just watch out for the thorns on the hawthorn tree.

IngredientsAs many leaves and sprigs of hawthorn flowers as you can get, without, obviously, ruining the tree.Just use one sprig per cup, no need to remove it, it looks pretty in the cup.

Wild garlic risotto

Wild garlic is in full flower in late April and May, so now is the time to get it. Mine grows in the garden, but it’s easy to find in churchyards, woods and fields. The flowers are edible and tasty, as well as looking really pretty on the plate. Its uses range from pesto to soups and, in this recipe, risotto. I like to use Carnaroli rice for its creaminess, but feel free to use other types. You could even substitute spelt for the rice, adjusting the liquid and cooking time as required.Serves: 4Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking time: 25 minutesIngredients1l vegetable stock, preferably homemadeOlive oil2 garlic cloves, finely chopped4 small shallots, finely slicedHalf a glass of white wine, better still, vermouth (optional)A large handful of wild garlic leaves and a good sprinkle of the flowers2 tbsp butter2 tbsp grated parmesanA dash of truffle oil if you’re feeling luxuriousSalt to season Method

1. Heat the stock in a saucepan and keep it warm on the stove.
2. In a deep, heavy bottomed pan sauté the garlic and shallots in a little olive oil until soft, then add the rice and a pinch of salt. Stir well and toast the rice for a minute.
3. Add the vermouth if using and let it reduce right down. Add the stock a ladleful at a time, only adding another when the previous ladleful has been absorbed. Make sure you keep stirring the rice to release the starch for a creamy risotto.
4. Halfway through, add half of the finely sliced wild garlic leaves and stir well.
5. Finish adding the stock, then vigorously stir in the butter and Parmesan while shaking the pan.
6. Stir in the remaining leaves, cover and rest for five minutes. Check the seasoning; add the garlic flowers and serve.