
A quiet perusal of a bookshelf will tell you rather more about a bibliophile than the identity of their favourite author or genre. Perhaps not a window on the soul, more a quick character sketch. A collection of cookery books may give you an insight into someones food preferences but may also reveal what type of cook they are or profess to be.
My library of cookery books, covers some 40 years or so, and contains some much loved favourites, which may be rarely used, but hold too many memories to be sent to the charity shop. Some are just collections of recipes, and so have to be very good to retain their place; others are about food and cooking and place the recipes they contain in their geographical and cultural context. These are the books I read and cook from, but most of all they inspire me.
The recipes I have posted on this site have all been influenced by my favourite food writers, and are largely based on the fruit, vegetables and herbs grown in my garden. They are also the food I like to eat.
The ingredients and quantities are not set in stone, they work for me, but will need to be “tweaked” to suit to you. They are intended to kindle an interest and perhaps encourage you to try something a little different. Food is about sharing, cooking is about taking time and a desire to produce something good, nutritious and wholesome for those you love.
Soup:
Broccoli Soup
Cauliflower Soup
Celeriac Soup
Hungry Gap Soup
Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
Mushroom Soup
Plentiful Summer Soup
Pumpkin and Chickpea Soup
Tomato Soup
Baking:
Apple Pecan Muffins
A Cake for Christmas
Pesto Muffins
Rhubarb Spelt Cake
Sourdough Pancakes
Winter Fruit Salad with Spiced Almond Cake
Preserves:
Blackberry Jam
Candied Citrus Peel
Redcurrant Relish
Strawberry and Sichuan Pepper Conserve
Fruit & Vegetable Miscellany:
Broad Bean Purée
Courgette Cakes
Dried Fruit Compote
Spinach – Spring Salads
Vegetable Beanpot