Turnip for the Books

I had a couple of packets of baby turnips in the fridge. I always struggle with them, as in, what is their point? I've always thought of them as a bulbous, soft crunch of flavourlesness. A little like eating a toasted tennis ball.To give them a chance, I threw some of my favourite flavours at them, knowing that whatever I did would be an improvement. It's hard to improve upon slowly caramelised onions, and the thought of draping them over the turnips once they had been roasted in some chilli oil was enough to get the oven on first thing this morning.Three quarters of an hour later and I had a delicious mid-morning snack with enough chilli punch in it to finally get the day going after having survived my children's joint birthday party with no fatalities and I think all children safely returned. We may yet find one or two in the bushes.So turnips are safe, for now. This would make a splendid accompaniment to spatchcocked, grilled tandoori-spiced chicken or roast coriander and cumin slow-roast lamb shoulder. Now there's an idea for next weekend.Ingredients:A few packs of baby turnips2tbsp chilli oil1tbsp chilli flakes1/2 white onion1/2tsp ground coriander1/2tsp ground cumin1/2tsp ground turmeric1tsp ghee or vegetable oilSalt and pepper to seasonMethod:Heat the oven to 180c and roast the turnips, drizzled with the chilli oil for about 45 minutes.While they are cooking, finely slice the onion and slowly sauté in the ghee with the spices and a little seasoning. Cook slowly until they are golden and starting to ever so slightly caramelise.Spoon over the turnips, drizzle with a little more chilli oil and scatter with chilli flakes.Serve immediately, being careful to not burn your tongue on the onions like I did.

Ramen Corner

Before you start, this isn't ramen in the proper ramen way, more of a broth with some things in, one of those things being a beautiful piece of seared sirloin.But as with real ramen, the key is the depth of the stock, so try and use a homemade one full of flavour, and when heating it up for the final dish, add in kombu, plenty of fish sauce, lime and lemon juice. It's quick (well, once you've made the stock), nutritious and rammed with flavour.Ingredients (for two)150g sirloin fillet per person1l chicken stock1 book Choi, halvedA few slices of gingerTwo or three red chilliesA couple of garlic cloves, sliced60g cooked buckwheat noodles (soba)A few sheets of kombu, slicedA handful of coriander leaves2tbsp lime juice2tbsp lemon juice2tbsp fish sauceMethod:Bring the stock to the boil and keep hot.Sauté the garlic and sear the steak, then remove from the pan.Sear the book Choi quickly then add the kombu, lemon, lime and fish sauce to the broth with the chillies, ginger, noodles and garlic.Cook for a minute then put the cooked noodles, bok choi and steak in a bowl and pour over the broth and serve with coriander.

Gooseberry with Mackerel, Chilli and Galangal

It's been such a long time since I've eaten gooseberries. Perhaps since childhood, picked from the bushes in friends' gardens. Maybe once in jam at Badger's Tea House in Alfriston. A really toothsome Victoria sponge with elderflower buttercream.We rely on supermarkets so much these days that it's easy to miss short seasons, food we all knew. If you're lucky enough to have a good farm shop (I have Franklin's near me), market or grocers nearby you should be able to get gooseberries. And for that matter lots of other stuff the big shops can't be bothered with.This recipe is a semi-classic, (in fact, 'groseille à maquereau' is French for gooseberry) but I've added a hint of spice to it to give it a little zing. You don't need a million ingredients to make a great meal, and as well as being incredibly quick to make, I'd be more than happy if I was served this in a restaurant.Use the freshest mackerel you can get, and if gooseberries aren't available, try rhubarb or grapefruit instead.Ingredients:2 mackerel fillets1/2tsp coconut oil2 green chillies, sliced1 thumb-sized piece of galangal1tbsp raw honeyA handful of gooseberries (depending on your hand size, about 160g)1/2tsp ground coriander2 cloves1tbsp double creamMustard cressA drizzle of lemon oilSaltMethod:Add the coconut oil to a saucepan and put in the chillies and grate in the galangal. You could use ginger root if you don't have any, but the flavour will be stronger.Add a pinch of salt and the spices, then the gooseberries and honey. Stir well and cook on a medium heat until the berries begin to soften and collapse a little.Stir in the cream and remove from the heat.Heat a cast iron sauté pan, score the fish skin and season well. Put the fillets in skin side up. While they are cooking, use a blowtorch to cook the top of the fish, charring it well so it turns black and gold. If you don't have a blowtorch, finish the fish under a hot grill.Let the fish rest for a minute, then serve with the sauce, a few raw, sliced gooseberries, the cress and lemon oil. A crisp green salad with hazelnut oil dressing and some charred baguette slices finish this off perfectly. 

Bass Player

 A warm July Monday morning and I have just deposited the children at school for the day. Peace and an unheard silence start the week and I feel almost a little lost.It's been a busy weekend with the 6th NCT birthday party at a farm in apocalyptic flood rains, a night out at the Southbank including the worst burrito ever from a street food van, making us wonder if they picked the ingredients off the street (and this van was parked outside the restaurant, so God knows what the food was like inside) and then a school friend's sixth birthday party, fortunately nearby and lovely. I honestly don't know how children's entertainers do what they do without needing to sit in a dark room for a day after. He was, actually, more fun than the adult show we saw on Saturday. C'est la vie.So when you start the week feeling broken, cooking can be either therapy or chore. I know it's Monday, and the advice is always that fish is not to be trusted, like a shadowy figure appearing from a dark soho alley after a lost weekend, but I do have some nice sea bass that has been well looked after.Monday, for me is normally a low calorie day, I usually have a light supper as the only food I eat. I'm trying to keep my body from turning into a temple of doom. So here we are with something so simple it almost hurts. But the beauty of this is it's so simple it's amazing.Four main ingredients that take minutes to put together, but the result is light, delicious and healthy and tastes like a rather special treat. Sea bass, mushroom, artichoke (my favourite brand is El Navarrico) and pine nuts. The artichoke, slightly acidic acts like lemon would do with the fish.You can have this on the table in about five minutes. And on a sunny day, you can imagine yourself sitting by the harbour as the fishing boats come in on the clear azure waters of the Mediterranean. Unless you actually are there, in which case, just look around you and imagine yourself in the busy city and smile.Ingredients (for two):Two sea bass filletsA handful of pine nutsA few cooked artichoke hearts eachA head of shimeji or enoki mushrooms (sliced oyster ones will do if not), separated from the baseHalf a clove of garlic, choppedParsley and a  hint of rosemary, choppedOlive oilSalt and pepperMethod:Heat a griddle pan until you can melt rocks on it.Rub some olive oil on the fish skin and season well.Place the fish skin side down on the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until charred with the lines of the griddle and the fish lifts away without tearing.Turn the fish over and add the mushrooms, some more oil, the garlic and pine nuts.Cook for a minute then transfer to a plate. Add the artichoke, mix in a few herbs and serve with black pepper.

For the Chop

It's not often I'll cook pork at home. Or anywhere else for that matter. I'm not a huge fan really, apart from in sausages, which doesn't really count. I just find it pretty dull. Loin, fillet, medallions, snore. Occasionally a chop will appear, but generally I prefer the rest of the pig.So why is there a pork chop recipe here? Because I believe in second chances. Although in porkies case, it's been far more than two chances. This time I've thrown loads of flavour at it and because of it's big, dense meatiness, it can take it.Sweet onions and charred tomatoes with the spicy chilli and chorizo all melting in with the garlic and onion are hearty and satisfying. Here's a twenty minute meal, then, that has saved pork from the chop.Ingredients for two:2 pork chops, preferably bone inA few handfuls of vine on cherry tomatoes10cm chorizo, diced1 red onion, cut into eight wedges2-3 garlic cloves1tbsp dried rosemary1tbsp dried parsleyA handful of radishes, quarteredA couple of green chillies, sliced lengthways2 spring onions, slicedDried onions to garnishOlive oilSalt and pepper to seasonBalsamic vinegar to deglazeMethod:Heat the oven to 180c.Heat some oil in a saute pan and add the onion nd garlic. Cook slowly for about 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally until golden.Sprinkle the rosemary  and parsely over the pork and season well.Add the chorizo and stir well. Cook for . few minutes and add the pork, standing it up on its fatty edge so it browns.Add the tomatoes and sit the pork back down flat.Add the radishes and chilli then drizzle over a little more olive oil.Put the pan in the oven and roast for about 10 minutes.Stir through the spring onion, sprinkle over the dried onions and serve straight to the table.

Everything's Rosy

I have a vague, dusty memory somewhere of my mum making coconut macaroons. Specifically, the rice paper underneath and the wonder that you could actually eat it.They weren't the delicate Ladurée type, but larger, more like a soft coconut biscuit. They were delicious.I haven't had them for years, and while I was making batch after batch of pink and white macarons for a shoot, I decided to polish the memory and make some of my own.They are a lot more forgiving than the delicate egg white and sugar version, the coconut helps hold the mix together and allows it to keep its shape while it rises. If you're lucky, you should get the prized 'feet', but don't be disheartened if not, they still taste great. They may take just a little practice, but once you get it, you get it.Use rice paper on the base if you like, and feel free to sandwich them together with a chocolate ganache, orange blossom buttercream or something like that. I like the hint of rose with these.Leave them for 24 hours to mature if you can and be warned, they're very moreish. Ingredients:2 egg whites2tbsp caster sugar60g ground almonds100g icing sugarDessicated coconutDried rose petalsMethodWhisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks then whisk in the caster sugar until glossy.Sieve the icing sugar and almond together into a bowl then gently fold into the egg whites until you have a smooth, batter-like mixture. Stir in a few tablespoons of the coconut and a pinch of some crumbled rose petals, put into a piping bag and pipe four centimetre circles onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Whack the tray on the bench to force out any air bubbles. This should prevent them cracking as they rise.Leave to rest for about 30 minutes, until they are no longer sticky. This will make them rise rather than spread.Heat the oven to 150c and bake the macaroons for ten minutes. Leave to cool then gently peel off the paper and store for 24 hours in an airtight container to improve the texture.Sprinkle over the remaining rose petals and serve with cardamom coffee.

Ail Be Back

I seem to be roasting rather a lot at the moment. Maybe it's down to this peculiar summer we're having or perhaps in a counter-intuitive way because I'm busy.As I've mentioned before, letting the oven take care of things is a great way to cook if you need to be getting on with life.I'm not suggesting here that you just eat a load of garlic for supper (although just spread on good bread it makes a pretty good snack) but it can be part of a good spread of charcuterie and salad if you're after something light.I clearly remember the first time I had a whole bulb of roast garlic. At a pub called The George in Alfriston, West Sussex (one of our favourite villages) back when we were footloose and fancy-free. Angels sang, light poured from the heavens and I was enlightened. I've used fresh garlic here, as it's now bursting forth everywhere. It's mellower and milder than the winter stuff but equally interchangeable and delicious in this recipe if you don't have any.Just get a load of garlic, wrap in foil with some thyme and rosemary, drizzle with olive oil and roast for about and hour at 160c. So simple, and the kitchen will smell amazing.

Root One

I suffer from low curry levels if I go more than four days without one. This clearly quite serious situation can result in either a delivery, a trip to Ganapati in Peckham or  a whole, and very enjoyable afternoon crafting a feast of Moghul wedding proportions.Saturday night, however, and I was like the walking dead with tiredness and while we fancied an 'Indian', we weren't really hungry enough for any of the above. This is where my ten minute curry comes in. Freezer and storecupboard combining in perfect symmetry. I even surprised myself with how quick this was. The rice took the longest to cook here, so it's quicker than a delivery too. And you're not left with that slightly dirty feeling afterwards...The fresh turmeric here gives an amazingly vivid flavour. Mush better than dried. And it's so good for you, apparently. This curry is slightly sweet with a nice chilli kick and plenty of spices. Feel free to adjust he chilli as you need. You'll be able to make this quicker than the time it takes to phone your order through.So with normal levels restored we could face the crowds and mud at Glastonbury from the comfort of the sofa. Perfect.Ingredients:Coconut oil1 onion, sliced1bsp ginger puree1tbsp garlic puree3 small green chillies (or fewer)250g shelled tiger prawns1tbsp ground cumin1/2tbsp ground coriander3cm grated fresh turmeric (or 1tbsp dried)1tbsp ground fenugreek1tsp poppy seeds1tsp yellow mustard seeds (I was just throwing things from the spice boxes in by this point, so feel free to stop if you like)1/4 tin of coconut milkSalt and pepper to seasonA squeeze of lemon juiceChopped coriander to serveMethod:Heat a frying pan and soften the onions in some coconut oil then add the purees, chilli and spices. Cook for a few minutes.Grate in the turmeric and add the prawns. Turn the heat up and cook the prawns for a minute until they start to turn pink. Add the coconut milk, season and stir well. Bring the sauce to the boil and reduce the heat to a simmer for about four minutes.Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and some fresh coriander leaves and a big portion of fluffy basmati rice.

There May Be Truffle Ahead

My friend Roberto, who runs www.trufflestories.co.uk brought me back a few black truffles from L'Isola d'Asti the other day while we painfully wait for the white truffle season to start.Guiliano, the truffle hunter who found these (along with his dog) recommends cooking with the black truffles and saving the white ones for grating over scrambled eggs or shaving them finely onto fresh pasta. So with that in mind, I made a fresh pasta dough the usual way with 400g strong flour, four eggs and two egg whites and grated some truffle into the mix.Hey presto! Ready-made truffle tagliatelle.Chicken is great with truffles, not too overpowering so I made a kind of white coq au vin using prosecco and to finish the dish, some truffle butter poured over it. It's nourishing, comforting and a little luxurious, if you can call scrubbing Italian forest mud off a truffle with a toothbrush luxury.Ingredients:Fresh black trufflePasta dough, as above1 poussin per person2 carrots1 onion1 celery stick1 large glass of prosecco500ml chicken stock60g butterSalt and pepper to seasonMethodSear your poussins in a little oil and set aside. Add the chopped carrot, sliced onion and celery to the pan, season and cook until softened. Pour in the prosecco and reduce a little. Add the poussins and some more shaved truffle (be generous) back to the pan and top up with stock. Cook on  low for about 30 minutes with the lid on.Melt the butter and slice some truffles into it. Leave it to infuse for a bit.Cook the pasta and divide between bowls.Top with some of the veg and the broth, put a poussin in each bowl and pour over thee truffle butter.

Scallops with Celeriac Remoulade

Celeriac makes a great doorstop. If you have some time and patience on your hands (which you must be prepared to shred on the mandoline), a remoulade is another, and tastier way, to use this boulder of a root vegetable.It's earthy celery taste, crunchy against the creamy dressing sit very well with the soft, rich sweetness of seared scallops. I like to add a pinch of chilli and curry spices to liven things up, but you could equally make this with paprika or just simply seasoned with salt and pepper.I've used the zest of a lemon, shredded among the celeriac to give a little zing. Apple and caper would make a welcome appearance if you felt like going a step further. Whatever you do, let the remoulade rest for about half an hour to soften a little before serving simply on toasted sourdough.Ingredients1 celeriac rootJuice and zest of a lemon4tbsp good quality mayonnaise (or homemade if you have the time)2tbsp creme fraiche1tbsp chopped parsley1tbsp chopped chivesSalt and pepper to seasonFor the scallops2 scallops each1tbsp coconut oil or butter for fryingA pinch of curry powder on each scallop1 slice of sourdough per personMethodSet aside the morning to peel the celeriac. Or just use a knife to pare away the skin.Using a mandoline with a fine julienne attachment, shred the celeriac into a bow trying to leave as much skin on your fingers as possible. If you don't have a mandoline, you can grate the root or slice it with a knife, but to be honest, life is too short. Do something else.Mix the shredded root with the lemon juice then stir in the rest of the ingredients and leave to sit for 30 minutes.Heat a griddle pan and toast the sourdough bread with a dash of olive oil and set aside.Heat a sauté pan with the coconut oil, season the scallops and sprinkle with the curry powder. Sear each one for about a minute each side, basting with the oil as you go.Serve the remoulade on the toast topped with the scallops and a pinch of chilli flakes. 

Roast Squash with Juniper, Thyme, Garlic and Paprika

Sometimes it's the little things. The touches here and there that make a meal special. And they don't have to be tricky or crazy, sometimes simple is best.I love the accompaniments that you put together and throw in the oven, letting it do the work for you. That's why I love roasting vegetables to go with weekend lunches, although in this case, with a good loaf of sourdough bread, this could be the lunch itself.I've used cochina squash, but butternut would be fine. One is enough for four people, and as part of a larger meal is probably plenty for six. It goes so well with roast meat, and with a salad or two on the table as well, it's going to be a colourful meal.You can throw whatever spices and herbs you like at a squash and they'll generally work out. I often roast them with garam masala, or just some chilli and cumin, but here I've added juniper, thyme and smoky paprika for a change. And don't forget to roast the seeds as well for a little crunch.  Serve with a slow cooked chicken and roast tomato dish if you fancy. Pile everything on the table and let the hordes dig in.Ingredients1 large squash, cut into six wedges, seeds kept for roasting1tbsp crushed juniper berries1 bulb of garlic, halvedA few thyme sprigs1tbsp smoked paprika1tbsp poppy seedsOlive oil and balsamic to drizzle overSalt and pepper to seasonMethodPut the squash wedges, skin and all (thank God, that saves a job) in a roasting tray and throw over the remaining ingredients. Roast at 180c for about 45 minutes to a n hour and serve in the dish at the table.        

Salmon and Pearl Barley with Pesto and Wild Garlic Pods

For those of you who regularly read my recipes (hello Mum!), you'll know I love using wild garlic. Having used all that I had access to this year, all that remained were the seed pods. Desperate to cling on to the last of this short season I made sure I had a supply of them in the fridge to use like little bombs, giving blasts of peppery garlicness to dishes.Salmon and pesto is a simple and perfect match. Rich and dense, the fish is cut through by the aromatic basil. I've started to use a variety of nuts in my pesto, from pistachio to walnut, just for a little variety, and I don't always have pine nuts in the house. So feel free to use what you fancy.I had complaints from the boss about pearl barley, but I'm sticking with it. She likes it in soup but apparently would be happy to never have it again. And certainly not in place of a risotto. Well that's fine. It's another dish on the home alone menu. I happen to like the slightly chewy edge it has, and it makes a change from rice. It's also far simpler to cook than a risotto, so when you just want to get something healthy on the table quickly this is an easy win.Ingredients2 salmon steaks, skin on2 handfuls of pearl barleyA couple of tablespoons of homemade pesto1tbsp wild garlic seed podsRapeseed oil, chervil and fennel fronds to serve, if you have any. If not, a few basil leaves'll do.MethodSalt the salmon for about twenty minutes before cooking. This sets the proteins and prevents that horribly milky-white stuff coming out when you cook the salmon. Be sure to rinse it well before cooking or there will be serious complaints.Make your pesto, if you haven't already. When you've done that, cover the barley in vegetable stock, bring to the boil and simmer for about twenty minutes, or until it's cooked through. Drain and stir through the pesto. Add the garlic pods and check the seasoning.Heat a sauté pan with a little olive oil and gently fry the salmon skin-side down for about four minutes. Turn it when the skin is crisp and golden. Cook for one minute then turn the heat off and leave to rest in the pan.Divide the barley between two plates, drizzle with the oil and top with the salmon, chervil and fennel if using. 

Chive Talkin'

It's officially the first day of summer and true to form here in England, the rain is torrential. Nonetheless, we carry on regardless, cheerfully wearing shorts, smiling and saying things like "Nice day for it" or "A bit wet out, isn't it?"The bad weather isn't going to affect my cooking though. I'm not going to suddenly revert to turnip stew just because there are lifeboats sailing past my first floor windows. I'll pray for sunshine tomorrow, and hope the barbecue will make an appearance or two this year.With that in mind here are some fresh summer green beans, cooked for a matter of minutes in boiling water then run through a hot pan with a clove or two of crushed garlic and olive oil. They are more delicious than chips, and that's a fact. It's a simple accompaniment  to many dishes I make and a necessity with Sunday lunch.Being summer, though, there are so many plants and herbs growing like magic beanstalks that it seems rude not to use as much as possible. So I jazzed up the beans with chives and their flowers, fennel fronds, chervil and some of the remaining wild garlic I had instead of the usual crushed cloves. A good drizzle of olive oil - just enough to make them silky, not too much that they are swimming in the stuff - and some salt finished this off nicely.We eat it cooler than I would usually serve to protect the delicate flowers. Served with a little fish and butterhead salad it's a quick and easy summer supper. Even if it's a monsoon rain.Ingredients250g dwarf beans (extra-fine if you can)A few chive flowersA small bunch of chives, finely choppedSome fennel frondsA small handful of chervil, finely choppedA few wild garlic leaves, chopped. (If not, a clove of crushed garlic)Olive oilSalt to seasonMethodCook the beans in salted, boiling water for about three to four minutes. Drain and run under cold water to stop them cooking.Heat a pan with some olive oil and add the chopped garlic (leaves or cloves) and chives. Swirl around for a few seconds then add the beans back in and mix well. Season with a little salt then leave to cool for a minute.Add the chive flowers, fennel fronds and chervil, drizzle with a little oil and serve.

Matcha the Day

I don't think I've had a choc-ice since primary school. I'd forgotten the joy of the thin chocolate cracking as you chill your teeth on the ice cream.I wanted to make a dairy-free ice cream, not because I have any particular needs, more to try other ingredients. Coconut milk is rich and thick enough to work and it comes with its own ready-made flavour. You can infuse it with whatever additional flavours you like and here I've used matcha green tea and cardamom as well as adding a little cheeky pinch of chilli and salt into the coating.The joy of recreating 'Ice-Magic' at home is so easy and such fun (it also only has two ingredients in it when it's homemade). Watch it freeze as it hits the ice cream. And using coconut oil with the chocolate makes sense. If the amounts of syrup and matcha in the ice cream seem a little much, remember that freezing things softens their flavours.Ingredients2 tins of coconut milk4-5tbsp maple syrup1tbsp arrowroot powder or 2 of cornflour mixed with 2tbsp water1 level tbsp matcha powder1tsp ground cardamomFor the chocolate200g 70% cacao chocolate80ml coconut oilA pinch of sea saltA pinch of chilli powderMethodIf you have an ice cream machine, great. If not, you'll have to whisk the mix every hour as it freezes to prevent ice crystals forming. Some machines require the bowl to be frozen overnight, so make sure you've done that.Pour the coconut milk, cardamom, maple syrup and matcha into a heavy-based saucepan and bring to just below the boil. Whisk well to dissolve the tea and prevent it turning lumpy. Add the arrowroot powder, and whisk while heating for a few minutes until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Just like custard.Chill in the fridge for about 3-4 hours then churn in your machine until you have ice cream. Pour into a rectangular container and freeze for another few hours to harden.Make the chocolate coating by melting the chocolate and oil in a pan with the salt and chilli. Leave to cool and set aside.Cut the ice cream into bars, coat well with the chocolate (I use a skewer to dip them) and keep in the freezer unless you're eating them immediately. Which I did. Use this method and recipe to make other flavours with vanilla seeds, orange extract, cocoa, pandan, or whatever takes your fancy.

Roast Vegetables

Throwing a load of vegetables in a tin with some herbs, oil, salt and pepper is about as easy as cooking gets. Easier than boiling an egg, even. It's a great accompaniment to roast meat and steamed fish and gets a load of different colours on your plate. I love picking out the caramelised, sticky and juicy bits that have caught in the pan while roasting, it's such a comforting and delicious treat that the cook gets all to their sneaky self.Often I'll roast a chicken or joint of pork on top of the veg, that's a real treat. The meat takes on a deep flavour, and the juices in the pan are so rich and delicious, you just pour them over, there's no need to make a sauce.I've even roasted a load of sausages in among the vegetables, a perfect one pot meal. All it takes is a little peeling and chopping then the oven does the rest.  You can throw in some tomatoes too, they give off their juices and mingle deliciously with the other veg. Fennel softens beautifully, giving off its light, mellow aniseed to the pot and onions turn golden, sticky and sweet.Use what is available at the time and keep an eye on it while cooking so it doesn't burn. 35-45 minutes at 180c is normally about right, depending on what veg you use. One tip I'd give is to have the more delicate vegetables at the bottom and harder ones such as beetroot, carrots and the like on top.Drizzle everything in olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Mix through some hardy herbs such as rosemary, sage and bay leaves and finish off with some young thyme and perhaps chilli flakes as it comes out the oven. Put it straight on the table and dig in.

Tomato Salad

While I happily eat my way through bowl after bowl of dressed green leaves, some dishes call out for a tomato salad. Ripe just to the point where the juices burst out as you slice them, but still firm enough to hold their shape is when they're at their sweetest best.I don't really believe my son Noah's claims to not like tomato. His love of bolognese and other tomato sauces is at least a gateway I can give him a shove through. My daughter Maya, however, eats them like the world's last sweets. Especially cherry tomatoes so I often put a handful in her lunchbox which unlike bananas and apples, never return home. I'm sure Noah will come round to them one day, how sad life would be without tomato salad in it.This works equally well with vinaigrette, but here I've dressed it lightly with excellent olive oil and a splash of thick, aged balsamic. Summer joy.Ingredients3-4 good sized ripe tomatoes1 small round shallot, finely choppedAn inch of cucumber, deseeded and finely choppedA few pinches of chopped, fresh parsley1 spring onion, slicedGood olive oil and good balsamic to dressSalt and pepper to seasonMethodSlice the tomatoes and mix in the shallots. Leave to rest for about fifteen minutes then add the cucumber and spring onion. Drizzle with the oil and balsamic, sprinkle over the parsley and season well.This is great with charcuterie and good bread or equally delicious with grilled fish such as mackerel or a juicy steak.

Taking Stock

When I worked in the restaurant, every afternoon we made big simmering vats of stock which we would then reduce overnight. Each time, we would peel and halve kilos of onions, throw in countless chicken carcasses and pigs feet, top and tail sacks of carrots before peeling them then leave the lot to gently poach for hours. This was not a one person job. Nor was it a particularly fragrant one, either. I'm grateful I didn't have to sit next to myself on the train home.Bee complains about the smell whenever I make stock at home. Generally, it's only chicken based, but occasionally I get a few bags of bones from the butcher and return to the restaurant method to make a deep, rich broth, meaty and gelatinous and full of flavour. For me, the smell of stock cooking is comforting, homely and cosy. It speaks of the nourishing meals to come, from ragùs to Thai broths, fancy sauces to simple soups.All you need to do is get the largest and deepest pan you have, get a load of bones from your butcher as well as plenty of carrots and onions (peeled) and throw them all in. Cover with water, bring to the boil and let simmer for at least six hours. Add some herbs such as thyme, rosemary and bay for the last hour or so then leave to cool. You can use it now if you like, (strained) but I prefer to add another stage just to really concentrate the flavours:The next day (unless you fancy doing it right away, up to you), remove all the bones and vegetables, throw them out and strain the stock back into the pan.Bring to the boil for ten minutes then simmer until reduced by about half. Let it cool then cover and put in the fridge. It freezes well, so if you have plenty you may want to do this. If not, it should keep for about five days. It may seem like a long process, but I  promise your gravy will be amazing.

Hasselback Jersey Royals with Gribiche Sauce

When I think of Jersey, instead of potatoes and cream, I think of Bergerac and John Nettles. And Hasselback obviously sounds like Hasselhoff, so this recipe should be extraordinarily good at fighting crime.A good Maris Piper potato salad, dressed lightly with mayonnaise and chives, or new potatoes gently robed with a zingy vinaigrette always sit well on the summer table. Warm Anyas, butter melting and pooling around and tossed through with parsley, salt and pepper as well is a perfect side-dish with a barbecued and charred rib-eye steak or some grilled sea bass with a herby oil.This potato salad has the crisp salty crunch of delicious jacket potaoes. The ridges absorb all the flavours and juices. Let it sit a while before dressing so it cools down.The gribiche sauce is a classic normally served with veal's head. It's a kind of cross between egg mayo and tartar sauce. While that may not sound instantly appealing to some, it really is delicious and gives this dish a little twist.So the only crime worth fighting here is probably going to be the British summer. Oh well, maybe I'll have a Magnum anyway.Ingredients500g Jersey RoyalsOlive oilSalt to seasonFor the gribiche:2 egg yolksSalt to season2 cooled hard-boiled eggs (about eight minutes)5 cornichons1tbsp capers1 small shallot2tsp Dijon mustard1 small red chilli (optional)Olive oilRapeseed oilSome parsleyMethodHeat the oven to 180c.Score the tops of the potatoes all the way across the top a millimetre apart slicing down just a little so they look stripy.Put them on an oven tray and roll them about in olive oil and salt then roast for 45 minutes.While the potatoes are cooking, make the gribiche.Whisk the egg yolks, mustard, hard boiled egg yolks (keeping the cooked whites aside) and some salt together in a bowl then gently drizzle in the olive oil, drip by drip at first, whisking all the while until it starts to form a thick emulsion. If you have a mini food processor, by all means use it for this stage.Now switch to the rapeseed oil and continue until you have a nice pot of mayonnaise. Thin it down with a little water or lemon juice if you like.Finely chop the parsley, shallots, cornichons and chilli then lightly run your knife through the capers and dice the cooked egg whites.Add all of this to the mayonnaise then mix well. Taste and season more if you like.Let the potatoes cool just a little then stir through the sauce and serve.

Mayan Sandwich Loaf

Every weekday Maya needs a packed lunch for nursery. That will come to an end as she moves into year one in the autumn, but until then, each morning I will continue to run around like a loon with one shoe on, half a cup of coffee reheated from the night before and a slight sense of panic that there is only a questionably fresh slice of ham or two in the fridge to go in her sandwich along with the banana that has been making day trips to class with her.I do, however, know there will be bread. On Sunday I make the loaves for the week. Usually two. One sourdough and one of these. This is so easy and quick to make there really is no need to buy bad bread ever again. If you have a mixer with a dough hook, it's about two minutes work and a little waiting while the yeast does its job. If not, well it's not an hour of knead, more like ten minutes and surely that's worth it. You can add all kinds of extra things to it as you see fit. I'll often throw in some pumpkin seeds, rye grains, quinoa or sunflower seeds.Half an hour in the oven and you have a loaf of homemade bread with no funny business going on. It's a challenge well worth rising to.Ingredients250 organic stoneground strong white flour (I like Gilchesters)50g rye flour50g wholemeal flour7g dried yeastA large pinch of salt225-250ml warm waterMethodAdd the yeast to the warm water and let it foam for about five minutes.Add everything else to the mixer's bowl and start it off slowly.Pour in the water and yeast and let the machine knead it for about ten minutes.Heat the oven to 180c.Put the dough into a 1kg greased loaf tin and let it rise somewhere warm for about half an hour, or until it's filled the tin and risen well.Throw an ice cube in the oven to create a little steam then bake the dough for about half and hour.It should be soft yet still sound hollow when tapped. Leave to cool in the tin and store in the bread bin.