Claret cup Rather like a posh sangria, this is more subtle and less sweet because it uses good-quality red wine and sparkling water instead of plonk and lemonade. It’s ideal for when the weather is
My favourite granola/muesli This is a good healthy way to start the year and start the day. Hard to beat, with a delicious taste and texture and very sustaining. Serve with natural yoghurt, topped with fresh fruit. Kept
Dairy-free spiced plum cranachan Start preparing this the day before, so the filling can set in the fridge overnight and then be assembled and the fruit add in no time when ready to serve. We serve these in clear glass tumble
Greek Garden Pie This is a pie to make the most of gluts and excess veg — delicious warm and almost as good cold. The Greeks make it at the weekend and then eat it cold for breakfast or lunch for the res
Spiced Plum and Chestnut Roulade One of our favourite puddings for special parties and events — easy for when you’re feeding lots of people. Through the autumn and winter, and over Christmas, this is great stuffed
All-day gazpacho This gazpacho has no onion or garlic because when it’s hot, or I’m on holiday where there are plentiful delicious tomatoes and peppers, I make this a huge amount – and often
Spiced Oat Biscuits Rather like homemade Hobnobs, these biscuits make a nice, light change from flapjacks, good with mousses or just as a straight biscuit with a cup of tea. They’re at their very best eaten
Devonshire honey cake with plum or damson compote With its quite dense texture and fantastic taste of honey, this cake almost makes you feel like you’re eating straight from the comb. It’s delicious but sweet, so serve it as a pud
Tom Yum A classic south-east Asian soup which, served with a bowl of red or black rice, makes a meal. Whenever you’re buying prawns, look out for tiger, green or white prawns, ideally wild. If y
Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes I love the sharp tang of buckwheat flour, more interesting than plain wheat, but you can use that too. Serve for breakfast scattered with blueberries, blackcurrants (now being heralded as even
Sweet potato, ginger and coconut gratin This is a massive family favourite. We might eat it as a main course one day with a green salad, and then often have the leftovers as a side veg the next day, delicious alongside chicken or fi
Strawberry Pavlova This is our Perch Hill version of Sarah Mead’s favourite summer pudding. She uses strawberries from The Cheddar Gorge. For 8 For the meringue: 110g granulated su
Mushrooms with polenta Anything with a strong flavour and a soft texture is good with polenta. I love polenta with braised chicory and it’s wonderful with mushrooms. You can use a real mix of mushrooms for thi
Strawberry Cranachan Start preparing this the day before, so the dairy filling can set in the fridge overnight and then be assembled and the fruit add in no time when ready to serve. We serve these in clear glass&
Blood Orange Sorbet with Campari One of the best drinks on the planet is a Blood Orange and Campari Soda. Here it is in a pudding bowl. For 6 8 blood oranges 100g caster sugar Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Cauliflower couscous This so-called ‘couscous’ made from nearly-raw cauliflower is an excellent side dish to have with any of the chillies or curries. It looks great with multi-coloured cauliflower, of
