Served warm or cold a delicious rhubarb cake

Ingredients
250g golden caster sugar
300g Rhubarb cut into 2cm pieces
2 large eggs
40g icing sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
100g butter, melted, cooled slightly
125g self-raising flour

Method
Preheat the oven to 170C, lightly grease a deep 20cm round cake tin, without a loose bottom, and
line the base with baking paper.
Put the golden caster sugar in a saucepan with 80ml of water and heat gently, shaking the pan
occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and cook until it turns a pale caramel
colour. Pour the caramel into the tin and press in the rhubarb pieces.
Beat the eggs, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture is pale
and frothy. Fold in the melted butter. Sift the flour over the top and fold in to form a light batter.
Spoon the mixture over the top of the rhubarb.
Bake for 45 minutes or until set on top. Run a knife around the side of the cake and turn out
carefully on to a serving plate.
Serve hot or cold with cream, custard

Ingredients
1 cauliflower or Romanesco Cauliflower
2 tbsp olive oil
3 sprigs dill leaves picked
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
Coriander leaves
Pomegranate seeds
Tahini dressing
140g plain yoghurt
2 heaped tbsp tahini paste
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey
80ml water
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. To make the tahini dressing, combine the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice,
honey, salt and water and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
Combine the oil, dill, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Place the cauliflower on a large basking
tray lined with non-stick baking parchment and drizzle over the oil, dill mix and roast for 20-25
minutes or until the cauliflower is golden. Put the cauliflower on a serving plate and drizzle over the
tahini dressing and scatter over coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds. Serves 4-6

A warming winter pudding made stickier by using medjool dates.
Ingredients
175g medjool dates, stoned and roughly chopped
200ml boiling water,
1tsp bicarbonate soda
85g butter
150g soft dark brown sugar
1 tbsp black treacle
2 large eggs
150g self- raising flour
0.5 tsp baking powder
75g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
Sticky Toffee Sauce
100g butter
75g soft dark brown sugar
75g soft light brown sugar
150ml double cream

Method
Preheat the oven to 170C and grease a 20x26cm, approximately, baking dish with butter.
Put the dates into a small bowl with the bicarbonate of soda and pour on the boiling water, stir and
leave for 10minutes.
Put the butter and sugar into a large bowl and cream together until pale and fluffy, whisk in the
black treacle. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each. Sift the flour and baking
powder together over the mixture and fold in. Stir in the dates and their soaking water, and then
fold in the pecan nuts.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, spreading it out evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until
firm and springy to the touch.

Make the toffee sauce by melting together the butter, sugars and cream in a saucepan over a low
heat. Bring to the boil and let it bubble for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the
back of a spoon.
Preheat your grill to high or 200C. Pierce the pudding all over with holes using a skewer and pour
over half to three quarters of the sauce in an even layer over the top of the pudding. Place under the
grill for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling, keeping an eye on it so it does not burn.
Serve with the remaining toffee sauce, cream, custard, ice-cream and even fruit.

Savoy Cabbage salad with Papaya and Toasted Cashews

Finely shred washed savoy cabbage leaves and place in a large bowl.
Make a dressing by mixing extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, zest and
juice of one lime and honey to taste. Mix in one finely diced red chilli, roughly
chopped fresh coriander, mint and season to taste. Pour over the cabbage
mixing well. Scatter over roughly chopped papaya and combine carefully so as
not to break up. Scatter over roughly chopped toasted cashew nuts.

Ingredients
320g puff pastry sheet
4 tbsp caramelised onion chutney
4 figs, thinly sliced
300g goats cheese log, thinly sliced
3 sprigs thyme leaves picked

Method
Preheat the oven to 200˚C/180˚C fan/ gas 6. Unroll the pastry and cut a 0.5cm border around the
pastry, making sure you don’t cut into the pastry too far. Spread the caramelised onion chutney over
the base of the tart but avoiding the border. Top with slices of goats cheese and fig till the whole tart
is covered but not the border. Sprinkle over the thyme leaves.
Bake for 15- 20 minutes until golden brown, leave to cool and serve warm or cold.
Great served with a rocket salad.

Corn with Maple, lime and chilli butter

Cut your corn into cobettes, depending on the size you require, cut each one into three or four. Steam or boil the cobettes for 5 minutes.

Make the butter by mixing softened butter with maple syrup, lime zest and some chilli flakes. Smear on to the par cooked cobettes and oven at a high temperature for 10 – 15 minutes, basting halfway through. Serve drizzled with the melted butter.

Plum and Cinnamon Tarte Tatin with Cinnamon Mascarpone

Tarte Tatin’s are such easy desserts to make and many fruits can be used. They are best eaten on the day they are made.

Ingredients

100g caster sugar

50g butter

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp vanilla extract

800g plums, can use any plums, halved and stoned

1 x 5oog pack puff pastry

250g mascarpone

25g icing sugar

½ tsp cinnamon plus extra for dusting

Method

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/180˚C fan/ gas 6. Melt the sugar in a heavy base, oven proof frying pan or tarte tatin tin, over a medium heat. As the sugar starts to melt give it a little shake until it’s all melted. Remove from the heat and add the butter, cinnamon and vanilla and stir, it may look crumbly but it will right itself in the oven. Arrange the plums in the tin.

Roll out the pastry and trim to 3cm larger than the tin, a large plate can be used. Lift the pastry on to the tin and tuck it down between the plums and the inside of the tin. Make a few slits through the pastry with a knife to allow the steam to escape. Chill for 20 minutes.

Bake the tarte tatin for 25- 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Cool for 5 minutes before carefully inverting on to a plate. Serve with cinnamon mascarpone.

Mix the mascarpone with the icing sugar and cinnamon and serve.

Serves 4

Pastry
100g Plain Flour
25g diced cold butter
25g diced cold lard
½ tsp salt
Filling
Knob of butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion- sliced
1 medium courgette
3 medium eggs
1 egg yolk
150ml double cream
Salt and white pepper
30g cheddar cheese grated

Method
Mix the flour and salt together. Rub in the butter and lard until it resembles breadcrumbs. Gradually
add just enough cold water (around 2-3 tbsp) to bring the pastry together. Tip the pastry onto a
lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth. Wrap and place in the fridge to chill for at
least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile melt the butter and oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions
and a pinch of salt. Cook slowly for at least 20 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the mixture
is golden brown. Add a splash of water if the onions begin to catch.
Heat your oven to 200c/Gas 6.
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and line a 20cm deep loose bottom tart tin. Bake blind for
15 minutes then remove the baking beans and parchment and return to the oven for 8-10 minutes
until the pastry is dry and cooked through.
Use a speed peeler and cut the courgette into ribbons.
Whisk the eggs, yolk and cream together. Season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the courgette ribbons in a spiral pattern in the cooked pastry base. Carefully spoon the
onion in between the courgettes. Sprinkle over the grated cheese. Carefully pour the egg mix
between the courgettes ensuring it covers all the tart.
Bake for 25-30minutes or until the filling is just set abs golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin for 5
minutes before removing.

Blueberry and Lemon Cake

This cake makes a delicious dessert cake with its cheese cake style topping or with a cup of tea as a treat.

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

190g caster sugar

1 lemon, zest and 2tbsp juice

1tsp vanilla paste or extract

3 large eggs, beaten

100g self-raising flour

100g ground almonds

250g blueberries

Topping

200g full fat cream cheese

4 tbsp best lemon curd

Method

Preheat the oven to 170C, grease and line a 20cm spring form or loose bottom tin, with baking parchment. Put the butter and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer or wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon zest, juice and vanilla. Add the beaten eggs in small amounts, scraping down the sides of the bowl. The mix may split a little but it will come back together. Add the flour and stir in using a large metal spoon followed by the ground almonds. Fold in 150g blueberries, keeping the rest for the top. Pour into the prepared tin and cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until risen, firm to touch and springs back when lightly pressed. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then take out of the tin and cool on a wire rack.

Put the cream cheese into a bowl and beat lightly. Add the lemon curd beat until completely mixed together. Chill the cream cheese topping in the fridge until ready to serve the cake. Spread over the cake and top with the blueberries.

Hollandaise can be a tricky but this is an easy version and good if you are in a hurry.

Ingredients

Asparagus

200ml crème fraiche, full fat

1 tsp cornflour

2 large egg yolks

2tsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp lemon juice

30g butter, softened

Seasoning

Method

Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the woody ends. If you want the chef style look, run a speedy peeler over the ends to make them very tender and pretty. Steam the asparagus according to preference.

Meanwhile, spoon the crème fraiche into a small saucepan, then add the rest of the ingredients except the butter. Whisk them all together with a whisk, then over a medium heat, bring the whole lot up to simmering point, whisking continuously, until the sauce has thickened. Now remove it from the heat, taste and add seasoning, more vinegar or lemon juice if needed. Whisk in the butter and serve with the steamed asparagus. The sauce can be reheated, if made in advance.