This  is a recipe that brings many of my childhood memories.  Helping my Mom to make this cake, my first task I was allowed to do was to take the stones out of the dates and then onto chopping with my Mom overseeing.  It is such a simple recipe that was then and still is [...]

So sorry if I gave you false hope.  Ummm…that really good peeler, with the ceramic blade and twisty thing for the left or right handed, the all singing all dancing one is now condemned to the bin.
I know,  I was so pleased to find one that was going to be perfect but alas, it was [...]

I have to admit to loosing my old and ancient peeler, I believe it gone to the  great compose bin in the sky but more probably the big one down the bottom of the garden.
You would think that replacing a peeler would be a simple thing to do but this isn’t so, or rather, I [...]

The Jerusalem Artichoke was brought into England  back in 1617 and John Franqueville gave two small tubers to John Goodyear.   The original name for this tuber was  Girasol and then to Girasolem and onto Jerusalem Artichoke,  is actually from North America but grew so well that it is said John Goodyear stocked all of Hampshire, [...]

I have been trying out a few ideas over the holiday, savory crackers and sweet biscuits. It’s been such fun just to mess about with ingredients. The ‘fire’ in the crackers comes from chillies and ginger, a great combination with a touch of fresh coriander. The options though are limitless, so don’t hold back, check [...]

While I was away last Sunday ‘the apprentice’ took over the kitchen and made this lovely winter garden soup.

Fresh from the garden;
4 carrots
4 small winter radish
2 jerusalem artichokes
1 medium leek
4 bay leaves
1 small celery head
2 ‘Rooster’ potatoes
2 ‘Pink fir apple’ potatoes – both waxy so hold together well in soups.
Olive oil to sweat the vegetables
From [...]

This recipe comes from Diet for the 21st Century written by David Wright, it is egg free and meatless cooking with 100 non-dairy recipes too.  If you want to get hold of a copy:  ISBN 0-9692669-0-1 .
This is an all in one recipe and I can usually find most of the ingredients in my cupboard.
To [...]

Looking for a good recipe for apple cake and found this one, I have made it quite a few times now and it’s always successful. It’s simple to make and quick too. The apple and lemon taste lovely and it makes a really good ‘cut and come again’ cake.
When I make this cake I double [...]

Today has been beautiful outside, bright and dry and perfect for planting garlic. I have three different varieties to go out and hopefully they will all flourish and be ready from June onwards.
The varieties are Garlic Jolimont, Garlic Cloves Purple White and Garlic Illico, this one can be used as ‘green garlic’ from May onwards.  [...]

Medlars are a very old fashioned fruit that is not often used nowadays.  It has been used in English kitchens since the 16th century but now is hardly known.  Its origins are in eurasia but even there,  it is now rare.
The fruit of the medlar has to be ‘bletted‘ (or left to soften) and the [...]