The ultimate veggie roast dinner

Joining in with the tradition of ‘Sunday roast’ has to be one one of my favourite things about moving to England. In a cozy pub with a pint of ale or at home cooked with friends and a few glasses of wine, it’s just the perfect way to make Sunday feel relaxing and fun and to completely forget you’ll be back at work the next day.  But despite all those lovely words about roasts, I have to admit I’m a bit picky when it comes to choosing one…

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Herb and greens pie

This was the perfect quick autumn meal the other night – lighter than winter stews and roasts but heavier than a summer salad, it’s filling, tasty, and a great way to use up herbs and greens from the garden or the shop…

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Wholegrain salad with summer vegetables (and green leaf pesto)

All that digging and sowing and watering has finally resulted in some food this month! And some yummy recipes for using it all up…

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Roasted cauliflower salad with capers and parsley

A few weeks ago one of my ultimate food heroes, Yotam Ottolenghi, appeared on a tv show called the Great British Food Revival to champion the cause of the cauliflower. Sadly I can see why he felt the need! Lots of people seem to have bad memories of over-boiled cauliflower or claggy cheese sauces but this vegetable doesn’t deserve its bland reputation. There are lots of ways to celebrate its sweetness in soup or bring out its nuttiness by roasting it. Here are some of my favourite ways to challenge the cauli haters…

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Classic recipes: Winter slaw

I heart slaw! Not that limp, sour stuff that sometimes comes on the side of your sandwich at a diner – but the fresh stuff you can make at home. I couldn’t believe how easy it is to make a basic coleslaw the first time I tried it – grated carrot, cabbage and onion with mayo, lemon juice and bit of mustard and done! Why even eat that slimey store-bought version when you can make it yourself so quickly?

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What to do with pumpkin and squash?

No butternut squash risotto allowed! Sorry, I don’t hate risotto but am I the only one who’s noticed that this is the ‘go to’ dish for any chef who needs a vegetarian option for their menu?? I don’t mind if I only get one option at a restaurant or pub but I’d love it if that option was just a little bit more creative please. Anyway! Here are a few different recipes for these very versatile vegetables…

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What to do with broccoli?

Broccoli has always been one of my favourite veggies. Before I got my vegetables via a box scheme delivery service (like an American CSA), I would buy it religiously every week. And then I didn’t eat any for ages – I guess I got a bit distracted by all the other vegetables I was discovering and I just forgot about good ole broccoli. But these are the recipes that remind me why I will always go back to where my love for vegetables began…

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Classic recipes: Homemade pizza

Does a pizza stone make any difference? I got one for Christmas because we like to make our own pizzas for dinner, but is it really worth the money (and the cupboard space)?? So we decided to test it out…

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Classic recipes: Quiche

Quiche is quite possibly my favourite thing to cook. I went through a period of quite a few months where I was making quiche about once a week. I kept tweaking the recipe, trying different doughs, different fillings and just generally being amazed by how easy it is to throw a quiche together yet how good it looks and tastes, how versatile it is to take for lunch or to a party, to eat hot or cold, with just about any kind of salad you can imagine. If you’ve never made one, now is the time to start!

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