this being a tale of a quest for lemon perfection

I freely admit that I am not, and never have been, a baker. I've never really tried; something to do with being a little underwhelmed by anything sweet. This you may feel is something of a hindrance in the cake department, which, on balance, tends to be full of sweet things.
But I'm British for god's sake. Our cuisine may have been notorious around the world, our cooking ridiculed, but our cakes and pudding are renowned, and in a good way. So I decided that I needed to stand up and be counted; I hadn’t baked a cake since the dreaded Home Ec classes of my early teenage years (which put me off cooking until I was in my 20s) but I thought this might be a good challenge to take on. Besides, I had 22 lemons kicking around the kitchen after my Pancake Day party and I needed some satisfying ideas for a cold, damp day in March.

garlicky mussels with guinness . . . my goodness!

garlic and guinness mussels

I am going to nail my colours to the mast . . . I like green, I really do. It is one of my favourite colours. I’m a girl with green eyes; I love the ethos of “green” and I particularly like all things green in their natural habitat – such as plants and leaves and, in particular, vegetables; they are really ratherwonderful. What I don’t like is green in my drinks or in my cakes. Yes, you’ve guessed it, I’m feeling a bit bah-humbug about tomorrow’s Saint Patrick’s Day.

a tale in which I conquer a fear of pancakes!

I don't have a pancake phobia, but for some reason, illogical though you might think it, I had thought pancakes were difficult to make. They rather worried me. They involve batter and while I can usually make Yorkshire Puds, my Toad-in-the-Holes have been a bit dismal. But an article in a newspaper announced that 90% of Brits couldn't cook a pancake if their lives depended on it and laid down the gauntlet, challenging me to face my batter fears.

a favourite sandwich: hot-smoked salmon and goat's cheese

hot-smoked salmon and goat's cheese sandwich

My favourite sandwich is a pure serendipity; the happy accident of what I like and what is usually in my fridge. It is merely the assembly of slices of fresh sourdough bread (homemade, she says smugly), a smear of goats cheese (I include the rind as I like its tangy flavour and velvety texture), layer with a few slices of baby plum tomatoes and sprinkle with flakes of hot-smoked salmon.

what's in season: march

My garden leeks - M.P.Bruin

Nigel Slater says that March is a terrible month for cooks, for the greedy and for those who take good care of their tummies; it is not often that I am forced to disagree with the Sainted Nigel, but it’s really not all dire, although perhaps a bit monotonous. I am beginning to hate the sight of rhubarb!
Spring has sprung and winter is running out of steam, but in food (and gardening terms) this is very much the “hungry gap”. Between last year’s store crops and the advent of early vegetables (grown in poly tunnels. It is still a bit early for spring vegetables, although there should be purple sprouting broccoli to hand, so not all bad).

glamorgan sausages

glamorgan sausages

From Medieval times in Britain, most towns, cities and counties had a sausage of their own. These usually reflected the foods and herbs grown locally and the popularly used spices of the region. Think peppery Cumberland or zesty Oxford sausages.

Glamorgan sausages are first recorded in the 19th century, although I suspect that like many recipes had been around for much longer. Glamorgan sausages are skinless and don’t actually contain any meat, being a mixture of breadcrumbs and cheese.I am sure that any thrifty cook would have found these meatless sausages a bit of a frugal godsend, as well as being delicious.

mincemeat crumble traybake

mincemeat crumble traybake

I was a bit late last year in making my own mincemeat, so Christmas came and went before mine was really ready to eat and by then I was rather "mince pied-out". Several weeks later, I decided to have a go at making this traybake, essentially a shortbread biscuit base, topped with mincemeat and a scattering of crumble mix. What is not to like?

o frabjous day! calloo! callay!

She chortled in her joy . . . *

What, you may reasonably ask, am I on about? Quite simply I have managed to upload some digital photographs from my camera to my computer. Not in itself something that should be difficult but I was, as usual, flying a little blind.

leek and butterbean soup

spring leeks

A versatile recipe, one that can be used in several ways, is a thing of beauty and this soup recipe is one of the fairest of them all. While butter beans may not sound very promising, it is their bland mushiness that makes a perfect base for a soup that zings with flavour, even in the middle of winter. 

This soup is full of flavour; the tartness of the lemon and vinegar or verjuice makes it quite refreshing too. If you use all the green bits from the leek, this soup is the most tantalising lemony green colour. Really rather beautiful.

what's in season: february

the fish market

I heard . . . oh voiceless trees
Under the wind, I knew
The eager terrible spring
Hidden in you
Sarah Teasdale

While February may seem a little dismal, as the poem says there is that fabulous feeling of anticipation that spring is just around the corner as well of lots of excuses for celebratory feasts, with Candlemas, St Valentine's Day, Pancake Day (also known as Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras) as well as Chinese New Year.

chicken tagine with peach and mango salad

A dish designed for a warmer climate was guaranteed to prolong my sunny mood today, despite north London's drizzly, grey backdrop. Although this is not seasonal, I felt in need of something light and fragrant; a temporary banishment of stodge in my winter diet.  


While this tagine tastes rather sumptuous, it is actually ideal as either a simple supper (any leftovers are for lunch tomorrow), and a perfect dinner party recipe as it is simple to prepare ahead; served with a bejewelled vegetable couscous, spicy chickpeas (see tip below) and a variety of refreshing salads, you can get everything ready in advance, ready to serve when your guests arrive, without having to spend too much time in the kitchen. 

cheesy potato loveliness. . . oh my still beating heart!

This indulgent gratin of creamy potatoes layered with mushrooms, Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses is the perfect antidote to a grey winter's day. This is adapted from Nigel Slater's Real Food, of which he says that it is better described as "garlic mushrooms and melting cheese in a Parmesan mashed potato crust" . . . and who am I to disagree?

This is a perfect vegetarian main course, served with a green salad or Nigel's suggestion of buttered spinach. It also makes a very satisfying accompaniment to a Sunday roast.