food, reviews & life in my kitchen
As the start of meteorological autumn, September heralds the beginning of the new season in all its golden glory, and as soon as my birthday is over (3rd September), I can’t help but start planning for Christmas! (However early that may seem…) But, looking out into my garden, the seasons seem to have a different… Continue reading September Kitchen Garden Diary
This pasta bake, with ricotta filled conchiglioni (giant pasta shells) in spicy, tangy tomato sauce, is one of my favourite pasta recipes. It is simple to make, yet feels luxurious and special thanks to the creamy cheesy filling in each shell, which goes oh-so well with the spicy tomato sauce. Just a little bit of… Continue reading Baked ricotta stuffed conchiglioni recipe
Butter Chicken (or Makhani) is one of the more popular Indian style dishes on curry takeaway menus, but it’s rare to see a veggie version of this classic. ‘Butter Veg’ doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, but grilled crispy vegetable skewers dunked in a creamy butter style sauce definitely appeals to me. This… Continue reading Tandoori vegetable skewers with chickpea Makhani sauce recipe
We’re finally tucking into courgettes from the garden, I haven’t bought carrots since June, and I have more beetroots than I really know what to do with! There are also little cucumbers and tomatoes finally forming on the plants, and as our chilli seeds didn’t sprout in the end, we bought a couple of chilli… Continue reading August Kitchen Garden Diary
It feels like such a long time since I wrote my last update, even though it’s only been a month! But what a month – with hot weather, a homemade irrigation system, our first taste of garden carrots and beetroots, and a delicious summary recipe to enjoy them too! If you’re just here for the… Continue reading July Kitchen Garden update & my Easy Root Veg Salad Recipe
I can’t believe I’m writing my June update already – where did May go? One of the longer months of the year has shot past, and the veg has shot up! The carrots and beetroots are looking really bushy and healthy, and well on track for harvesting next month, maybe even this month – I… Continue reading June Kitchen Garden update
At the end of a busy Bank Holiday weekend, I just wanted to share a quick update from the garden, because I can’t believe we’re already harvesting and eating our home-grown produce in May! The recent rain and sun weather combo has probably helped a lot, but I didn’t expect to be eating from our… Continue reading May Kitchen Garden update – first harvest!
Roast dinners are simple, but comforting. The smell of roast meat cooking makes me think of family dinners around a table crowded with dishes of potatoes and veg ready for us to help ourselves. Having a roast has always been a Sunday tradition in my family, and even though I no longer live with my… Continue reading Cook the perfect roast potatoes every time with this easy recipe!
We love eating lots of fresh veg and salad, so this year we’re growing our own. As you can imagine, I’m very excited. Having grown up in a village where having a vegetable patch is the norm, I was determined that I would do this myself when I left home – it’s just on a… Continue reading The Start of the Kitchen Garden: Growing our own veg
This is a really easy recipe, that’s perfect for a midweek pasta dinner. The leeks go perfectly well with the creamy ricotta cheese and this is really satisfying. Serves 3–4, cooking time 40 mins You will need: 3 leeks, trimmed 1 stick of celery 1 tsp dried mixed Italian herbs 250g ricotta cheese (1 regular… Continue reading Leek & Ricotta Lasagne recipe
