Tom Kha and Harry

I bought a bird feeder from the hardware superstore the other day. Along with a new huge barbecue and quite a few other things you're allowed when you graduate from Dad school.Except it seems to be badly calibrated. In this part of South east London it seems the only birds it attracts are squirrels. And three very shifty looking pigeons. And while I may proudly wear a 'For the many' lapel badge on my jacket, in this situation I am taking a hardline stance on scroungers and layabout animals wanting something for nothing. I threw a tennis ball in their general direction earlier and they retreated to a safe distance, eyeing me with beady contempt.But while the level of seeds and nuts dimishes quicker than my enthusiasm for the new season's hot weather after two days of sneezing my face off, my excitement at the garden grows daily as new things pop out here and there, seemingly overnight. Violets and forget-me-nots appeared from the garden's edge like a very slow jack-in-the-box and the tulips opened wider than I thought possible to soak up the strong, bright sunlight shining constantly on the borders.We cooked outside for the first time this year. In April. Which surely is unheard of. I over-catered in my excitement. Chicken, slender sausages, langoustines with garlic butter, burgers, lamb chops marinated in harissa, za'atar, cumin and rosemary, flatbreads, charring in parts until the edges shatter when you tap them. I roasted aubergines on the coals until soft and blackened then mashed them with olive oil, plenty of garlic and some more cumin and we sat outside stuffing our faces in the late afternoon warmth.After a weekend of overeating and behaving as if we were battery chickens busted out into the freedom of the garden, Monday night called for a calmer supper.I made this tom kha, trying to recreate the one from our local Thai restaurant. And while not quite the same as theirs -- I have a feeling they may lace it with sugar -- it was fresh tasting, spicy (but with a nice heat that sort of punched you in the face then left you alone, rather than one that slowly builds like a kind of gaslighting) and ready in about 20 minutes. Halve the amount of chillies if you like, but I do rather enjoy the rush you get from something that is almost too much.I put prawns in this one, but chicken is equally delicious. As is pigeon or squirrel. Possibly.IngredientsA thumb sized piece of galangal, finely sliced3-4 red chillies (birdseye or finger)2 sticks of lemongrass, bruised and sliced into 3cm pieces1 tin of coconut milk (400ml)6 or so kaffir lime leaves1 shallot, finely sliced2 medium-small tomatoes, choppedAbout six meaty mushrooms (I used chestnut, but would have preferred oyster)300g raw tiger prawnsJuice and zest of a limeA dash of fish sauce and a little pinch of salt to tasteA bunch of coriander, choppedMethodThrow the galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, shallot and chillies into a saucepan with the coconut milk and slowly heat, stirring gently and occasionally.Cook for about five minutes then add the mushrooms and prawns and bring to just below the boil. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the prawns are cooked through then season with the lime juice and fish sauce to taste. Try to get the balance between salty, sour, sweet and sharp.Add the chopped coriander and lime zest and serve straight away with more lime wedges and chilli slices on the side.This weekWatched: Swan Lake ballet for children at the theatre. About my level really. I still found the whole thing preposterous though. I mean really...Read: The Leopard, by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. Sicily, a prince in the 1860s. I mean, it's perfectly readable, but I had no great desire to rush home and pick it up.Eat: Neil from Eugene cooked us great steaks the other night, before he and Linda returned home. Delicious food and great company.Listened: Some new English jazz, would you believe. Ivo Neame featuring Shabaka Hutchings. Good stuff, interesting, and wide-ranging.

Sea aster time

    It's STILL the Easter holidays.The children have not stopped talking to me for two solid days. I think they must breathe through their ears. It's been a stream of consciousness/relentlessness that James Joyce would have struggled with.And from Joyce to Danté. We've just taken Charon's ferry to the new and as yet undiscovered circle of Hell called Gambado, a soft-play torture centre.While the sadistic and at the same time surely masochistic staff feed the crazed children sugary snacks, doubtless aware of the aftermath, all I can do is try and find a quiet corner (unlikely) and hide from their incredible energy levels like out of control hybrid chihuahua-mosquitoes.The children are having a complete riot. I still smell of prawns underlayed with a kind of lingering seaweed scent. No amount of aftershave can mask the possibility that Poseidon is decomposing under my chair.The reason for this is my need for an early lunch to fortify myself. I'd been to the Crystal Palace market on Saturday to visit my favourite fishmongers and support my friend Roberto of trufflestories.co.uk.The prawns wouldn't keep until today, so I'd frozen them when I got back. They were magnificent, and at £7 for two, while not cheap (and why should they be?) they are so much nicer, in my opinion, than lobster. I'd rather four of these, cooked in garlic butter than one small lobster any day.I'd also picked up a large handful of sea aster, reminiscent of samphire crossed with spinach. I bought a bag of truffle taglierini to go with them and that was all I needed. Cooking amazing food really can be this simple. Great ingredients and this dish was ready in about ten minutes, not taking into account the boiling of the pasta water. Make sure you wash your hands well after peeling the prawns and rootling about in the sea aster. Unless you like being chased by cats.Ingredients for two4 huge prawns, shell on50-60g truffle taglierini. If not, normal taglierini or angel hair spaghetti will do the job. God forbid, but you could possibly add a dash of white truffle oil if you were desparate for the funkiness of truffleA handful of sea aster1 large clove of garlic, crushedA pinch of chilli flakesA grating of nutmegExcellent quality olive oil. It really does make a difference hereMaldon salt to seasonMethodBring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and toss through with some olive oil.Meanwhile, cook the prawns in some olive oil with a little salt in a very hot sauté pan, then when done, add the garlic and cook for about a minute more on a slightly lower heat so you don't burn it.Throw in the sea aster and wilt it for a minute, give a good twist of nutmed and a pinch of salt to taste then mix through with the pasta. Serve immediately with another little drizzle of oil. 

Taco Chance on Me

We've recently started taco evenings with the children and they've been a roaring success. I suppose it's the spread of food in front of them and the feeling of building your own meal that appeals to them. We're sharing everything together and I think it means they feel quite grown up and part of the fun.Usually, I'll just make a chicken dish seasoned with cumin, oregano, chilli and other bits and pieces (we call it taco seasoning, it could be called adobo spices), but this time I got the heavy guns out and went a bit nuts. There was plenty left over which went in freezer bags for next time, so it wasn't as crazy as it looked when I lay it all down. I'd suggest picking one or two dishes depending on how many people you're feeding and depending on how long you want to spend in the kitchen. I was in a food frenzy, you may not want to be.Whatever you do, you must serve the tacos with guacamole, sour cream, chopped tomatoes and grated cheddar.The dishes we had are as follows (deep breath):Homemade corn tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo, adobo sauce, chicken with taco seasoning, red onion pickle, sour cream, slow cooked shredded pork cheek with barbecue sauce, fried prawns with Old Bay seasoning, lime and coriander mayonnaise, shredded gem lettuce,spring onions, coriander leaves  and lime wedges.All this for an early evening supper with the kids. Totally bonkers and never again on such a scale, unless someone pays me.The children loved making the tortillas though, and if you don't have a tortilla press (they're cheap and available on mexgrocer.co.uk along with almost everything you may need for mexican receipes) you may want to save yourself the bother and buy corn tortillas ready-made. Of course, they're not as good and often have wheat flour in but if it saves your nerves from becoming as shredded as the pork, then it's probably a good thing.The pickled red onion recipe is here, but for the rest (apart from guacamole, I'm not going to bother giving a recipe for that) hold your breath and keep reading.Corn Tortillas:One part masa harina (corn flour) to one part warm water and a pinch of salt.Simply mix the ingredients together until they form a dough much like 'playdoh', leave to rest and then form into small balls and press between sheets of plastic (I used a cut up ziplock sandwich bag) on the tortilla maker. Cook on a volcanic cast-iron griddle pan until both sides are tortilla-like then throw on a plate and continue until you have a pile of them. Cover and leave until you're ready to eat.Pico de Gallo:This is essentially a fiery tomato salsa, but here, I've left the cherry tomatoes quite large so it's a little like a salad. Just mix together a load of chopped cherry tomatoes, some finely sliced onions, a chopped serrano chilli, some fresh coriander, salt and a good squeeze of lime juice. Leave to rest for about twenty minutes before serving.Adobo Sauce:I soaked a large dried ancho and chipotle chilli in hot water for about half an hour then blended it with a thumb of ginger a tablespoon of ground cumin and a pinch of salt. That's it. It's pretty intense and sharp, but goes really well with the other dishes.Chicken with Taco Seasoning:Take one chicken breast and slice it thinly across. Toss it in a bowl with as much as you feel of paprika, pepper, onion powder, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, salt, chilli powder and ground coriander. Why don't you start with equal amounts of each, see what you like and adjust it from there. Then, as I have done, you can make a big jar of it and you've got tacos a-go-go hey presto!Sauté the chicken in a hot frying pan with some olive oil until cooked. Add a splash of water at the end to deglaze the pan and pour everything into a bowl.Shredded Pork in Barbecue Sauce:This is a slow-cooker winner. I now buy all my meat from the incredible Anne Petch at Heal Farm in Devon. It's close to the supermarket prices and miles above in quality and welfare. She sends it by courier the next day and I cannot recommend her highly enough. I discovered her in Jane Grigson's 'English Food' and was delighted to find she's online and thriving. I felt I knew the pigs I was eating, and being in London feel much more connected to the food as is possible in a city.Take one onion, two cloves of garlic and 500g of pork cheek (diced) and brown them in a pan with some olive oil. Season well and add to the slow cooker.Add one sliced green chilli and some dried thyme sprigs and turn the slow cooker onto high. If you don't have one, you could cook this in a casserole in a low oven for the same amount of time.Make the barbecue sauce by stirring together: 1tsp tomato purée, a pinch of coconut sugar (or brown if you don't have any), a good squeeze of lime juice, probably about a lime's worth, a large pinch (depending on the size of your fingers) of garlic powder, some chilli powder, Cayenne pepper, thyme leaves, dried oregano, ground cumin, finely diced onion, chipotle paste, a good splash of Worcestershire sauce, a spoonful of Dijon mustard and some tabasco sauce. As for exact amounts, just trust your nose and instincts. I make mine with varying pinch sizes every time and it's always delicious.Add the barbecue sauce to the pork cheeks, stir well and cook with the lid on on high for four hours. Cool a little and shred with a pork. Pour into a bowl to serve. This one's a winner the next day in a sandwich too.Fried Prawns with Old Bay Seasoning:Or shrimp, as the Americans would have it, is a version of the famous fish taco. You can buy Old Bay here and I'd recommend a box for the packaging alone. I made a quick batter with flour, sparkling water and a good few spoons of Old Bay then deep-fried them until crisp. Easy as that.Lime and Coriander Mayonnaise:Make some mayonnaise and stir in some lime juice, lime zest, pepper and chopped coriander. What else do you want to know?And that's pretty much all you need for a taco party. Just make sure you're wearing elasticated trousers and have no plans for the evening. Even if you're having these at lunchtime.

Miso soup with prawn, scallop and samphire

This is one of the simplest and quickest meals you will ever make. And one of the most delicious. To make it work, though, you must get absolutely fresh tiger prawns and plump, large scallops. Don't be tempted to scrimp here, this is such a pure tasting dish and as there are so few ingredients there is nowhere to hide.I don't think you can beat a really good prawn. I prefer them to lobster. Keep the shells and heads in the freezer to use for bisque or stock.  If you're feeling hungry, a small bowl of jasmine rice on the side should satisfy you.I often will have a cup of miso in the morning, instead of tea or coffee. I feel purified and revitalised when I drink it. Again, buy a good paste, I like to use Clearspring's unpasteurised barley miso, it's organic and has nothing nasty in it. You can keep miso in a sealed jar in the fridge almost indefinitely, so it makes a great staple for when you're stuck. You can add some dried mushrooms to it or some fresh vegetables and you have a nutritious dish in a few minutes.I eat this more than an hour ago, and I still have flavours coming back to me. Like the best of things, this simple dish has left me wanting to come back for more.Ingredients (Serves 2)2 squares of dried kombu seaweed2 tbsp miso paste1 tbsp yuzu seasoning (lemon juice will do if you don't have any)2 large tiger prawns2 large scallops, coral attachedA small handful of samphire1l water2 tsp black lumpfish roe (or caviar if you're rich)MethodSoak the kombu in boiling water for about 20 minutes.Sear the scallop on both sides in some hot brown butter, then set aside.Bring the water back up to the boil and add the prawns. Cook for a couple of minutes then add the samphire and yuzu. Stir in the miso paste and make sure it blends in well.Peel the prawns, leaving the tails on if you like. Cut the seaweed in two and place at the bottom of a warmed shallow bowl. Add the scallops and samphire.Add a teaspoon of roe on top of the scallop then pour over the hot miso and serve immediately.

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.