organic kitchen garden
With its beautiful deep colour and sweet flavour, beetroot is a versatile vegetable to cook with. The results are always comforting and full of flavour, as well as attractive; thanks to the pink kiss it gives to everything it touches. Having planted an entire pack of beet seeds this year (thanks to an incident on… Continue reading Beetroot, potato and ricotta tart recipe
There are few things more delicious and satisfying to eat in the summer than a slice of warm homemade quiche with a crunchy side salad – and maybe a buttery new potato or two!
It was Sunday morning, I was considering what to bake and as usual, didn’t really know what I fancied. I wanted to try something different, and when the thought occurred to me that if you can have a lemon drizzle cake, why not other fruit drizzle cakes, I immediately settled on an orange one. I love… Continue reading Orange drizzle cake recipe
When anyone asks me what my favourite cake flavour is, it’s a difficult choice between lemon cake, chocolate cake and a classic Victoria Sponge. Actually, it’s a difficult choice between all cakes, but sometimes simple is best. These little Victoria Sponge fairy cakes make the most of the simple, timeless combination of vanilla sponge, vanilla… Continue reading Victoria Sponge Fairy Cakes Recipe
We've all been there. You go to get the bread out to make a soft sandwich, or even a slice of toast, and are faced with a sorry, hard lump of stale bread, which really isn't good for anything. Except, it's absolutely perfect, for making homemade croutons. It's already started drying out, so it's really… Continue reading Crunchy, herby croutons recipe
This lemon drizzle cake is perfect for an Easter celebration, and I always associate it with spring and summer. As with most of my favourite baking recipes, this is one I’ve inherited from my mum, and it reminds me of hazy afternoons spent eating freshly baked scones and lemon cake in the garden, watching insects… Continue reading Lemon drizzle cake recipe
How to make a Valentine’s night in special: Treat yourselves to your favourite meal. Double points if you both love the same food – this makes it much easier to make! And serve it nicely! Sprinkle heats in the table, set places with napkins, wine glasses and a candle (or 10!) to set the mood.… Continue reading 5 ways to make a Valentine’s night in special & 4 things to cook to make them feel loved!
After Christmas is over, January drags its heels in a seemingly endless parade of grey sky and perpetual drizzle. The complete opposite of a month of sparkle and celebration in December, and unsurprisingly, it’s a struggle to stay motivated for the goals we optimistically set ourselves on New Year’s Day. It’s far too easy to slip into a dull routine, forget the resolutions for another year, and nothing changes. But, instead of all this, I think now is the best time to look after ourselves for a bit.
Christmas is a barrage of friends, family, parties, and as much as we love them all, it’s exhausting! (Especially for us introverts.) I’m lucky in that Dad’s birthday is January, so there has always been something to look forward to after Christmas, but it has meant that I hadn’t taken any time out for myself to recover. This year could be the start of a new routine – something wonderful. The month of me.
The ultimate savoury taste of a steak and ale pie I difficult to beat, I love it best when freshly baked: puff pastry layers crackle under the knife, and dark, sticky gravy oozes out onto the edges of the pastry. I love chunky steak, sweet carrots and earthy mushrooms. I love rich saucy gravy edging slowly across my plate, muddling with muddling with creamy, buttery mashed potato. Drooling yet? I am.
Before holly, trees, presents and cards, my first whiff of Christmas in the air is always signalled by the reappearance of mince pies in my life. Usually in early November, hopefully sooner. The garish boxes appear in the supermarkets far earlier, but, call me fussy, these can never match up to a home baked mince pie. I’m talking dreamy wafts of Christmas seeping through the house, leading to bites of crumbly, buttery pastry melting away in my mouth to reveal tangy fruits, rich spices and a hint of alcohol, all rounded off with the sweet drizzle of glace icing over the top. The pie in my hand almost falls apart in surrender: ‘eat me!’, and the filling is jewelled with glace cherries so red it’s almost offensive. But it’s Christmas: red goes.