Advice & Inspiration For Your Garden

Anita’s Victoria sponge

A classic Victoria sponge uses the same weight of sugar, margarine and flour as the eggs. A large free-range egg usually weighs 56g. Using a plant-based spread rather than butter gives a lighter spong

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 lovely. 

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 tumblers. Suit

Pumpkin cornbread

Serve this delicious savoury bread with soup or strong cheeses, such as Stilton, mature Cheddar or a hard goats’ or ewes’ cheese. The bread is lovely toasted and freezes well.Makes 1 x 450g loaf250g p

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 rest of the week.

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 with spiced plums a

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 have it throughout the day

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 still warm fr

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 pudding with a sharp pl

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 airtight

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 you buy farmed,

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 richer

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 fish.For 4

Strawberry Pavlova

This is our Perch Hill version of Sarah Mead’s favourite summer pudding. She uses strawberries from The Cheddar Gorge. For 8For the meringue:110g granulated sugar110g caster sugar4 egg whites½ te

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 this, the more va

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 tum