These tartlets are summer on a plate. A few years ago when I was staying in Hobart, Tasmania I discovered lemon verbena. My friend Marion grows it in her garden as a straggly bush. In summer she picks the leaves and places them in hand thrown bowls her mother makes. The leaves dry in the warm air and fill her spacious, weatherboard house with a fresh lemony scent which smells clean and welcoming.
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Blackberry and cardamom porridge - a simple bowl of goodness
I picked up this beautiful, scalloped spoon at the weekend from the antique fair in Ilkley. It was £3.00 and I had to find something to stir. Hunger pangs helped me to find inspiration. When I returned home, I set about creating breakfast --- ummmhhh blackberry and cardamom porridge. Will it work?
Read MoreArtichokes in spring
I walked into the greengrocers in Ilkley where I live and saw a basketful of large artichokes from France.Two things caught my eye. Their beautiful mauve, scaly bracts and their size. If artichokes are large their 'hearts' are big enough and nutty enough to stuff and make a satisfying meal. If they are too small I don't really think they are worth bothering with.
Read MorePeppers stuffed with rice, saffron, pine nuts and mushrooms
To make the tomato sauce:
sweat the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add the canned tomatoes, chilli flakes, sugar and seasoning. Cook gently for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. Liquidise with a stick blender to a smooth sauce. Set aside.
Read MoreChard and Parmesan soufflé with a purple and green salad
My front garden has to be cleared for new planting and so I pulled up the last of the rainbow chard and spinach and placed them in my trug. I cut chives, which I swear weren't there a week ago. I found lemon thyme in a pot and some pea shoots which I planted with my three year old next door neighbour Tilly and her mum, Emma. They are now a few inches tall with tendrils that wind around anything close. My trug filled up with possibilities and supper began to look good. It's a hybrid concoction somewhere between a soufflé and a fritatta studded with vegetables and a little cheese.
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