We are in the middle of those golden autumn weeks, where the days dawn bright and sunny, the early fog burning off quickly under the sun. The woods are full of giant, brightly coloured mushrooms and toadstools, tucked away under the falling leaves. While the nights are already too cool
Continue ReadingTag: summer
Zwetschgendatschi – Bavarian Plum Tart
I have had a bit of wanderlust recently, so you might have noticed that many of the recipes I’ve been sharing are from far-flung places as I travel in my imagination around the globe. I love the way the smell can taste of food can transport us directly into other
Continue Reading
Greek Village Salad Horiatiki
The very best Greek Village Salad or Horiatiki you will ever eat will be in a small, unassuming restaurant somewhere in the Mediterranean, with the sun shining, plates of delicious mixed meze and lashings of local wine. No matter how hard you try to recreate the recipe at home, this
Continue Reading
Banana Berry Ice Creams
Well, the weather may be getting colder, but in my opinion, it’s still warm enough to eat ice cream! I love making ice blocks and always have some ready to go in the freezer. Whether you know them as popsicles, ice lollies or freeze pops, the winning combination of a
Continue Reading
Tangy Redcurrant Jelly
I have written a lot about how much I love redcurrants, those ruby coloured strands of beautiful summer berries. While I usually use them in baking, as they are so good within a Redcurrant Crumble Cake, they also make a brightly coloured and tangy Redcurrant Jelly, made with only two
Continue Reading
Italian Caprese Pasta Salad
Yesterday it rained properly for the first time in weeks, and today we woke up to cool misty weather. It wasn’t long, of course, before the sun burst through, but it was a little hint that my favourite season of all, autumn, is on the horizon. Don’t get me wrong,
Continue Reading
Tomato and Rosemary Focaccia
At the very first restaurant I ever worked in, we would bake up huge trays of focaccia every evening, varying the topping throughout the week, from classic sea salt and rosemary, through caramelised onion with feta, or even red onion and romesco. Sliced and served with some olive oil and
Continue Reading
Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce
Is there anything better than a perfectly ripe, juicy summer tomato? When tomatoes are ripe and in season they are a wonderful reminder of how good simple food can be. It’s a taste of sunshine that, properly prepared, can last all through the year. In summer when tomatoes are cheap
Continue Reading
Berry Chia Seed Jam
Ever since I was a little boy I have been fascinated by jam making. It started with watching my grandmother, Nana Fay, making her legendary plum jam, one of the highlights of summer. Since then, I’ve cooked up just about every combination of jam flavours you can imagine and even
Continue Reading
Red Currant Crumble Cake
The most beautiful of all the summer berries has to be the red currant. Those long strands of jewel-like ruby coloured berries will always tempt me when they appear in the markets, and there is no better match for their delicate, tart flavour than a buttery, nutty crumble. While I
Continue Reading