Tomato & Mascarpone Tart

As is usual during the first few weeks of September, it has been busy! Bowls & baskets full of fruits & vegetables line the kitchen floor, counter tops piled high with jars of preserves, a sink constantly covered in mud, roots or peelings, a fridge bursting with colourful odd shaped bits & an oven that …

Summer Berry Yogurt Ice Lollies

I’m determined to keep summer alive (I mean, it is still mid August) so I’m throwing it back to a lovely little recipe I made earlier in the season when the sun was shining, the temperature appropriately melting & the summer berries were coming into their own. I love the vibrant stained fingers that can …

Granola

I think my love for honey would rival Pooh himself but as a fully grown adult, I unfortunately cannot digest quite as much as this little bear & need a little balance in my diet. Exploring healthier ways to enjoy my favourite sweets treats though is all part of the fun in the kitchen, challenging …

Elderflower Ice Cream

Is there a single dessert that says summer, more than a frozen one? When summer does show up (it’s got a bad habit of disappearing for weeks on end here), it’s glorious, filled with sunshine, colour & quite often warmth. Whilst it’s no small secret that I love a good cake, when the weather is …

Lemon & Nettle Cake

Normally, I’m not exactly the worlds biggest fan of weeds, particularly invasive ones that have the potential to give you a nasty sting like nettle. They are honestly my biggest bug bare at the allotment as they seem to grow much faster than any of my vegetables?! Well, today I get my revenge, as I …

Earl Grey Elderflower Cooler

I may have found my perfect summer cocktail, it’s been on my mind for a while now as I wondered what would happen if I paired two of my upmost favourite flavours on this earth, Earl grey tea & elderflower. Throw some gin at it & we’re in a very happy place indeed. Refreshing is …

Pimm’s Lollies

You’d better believe that is the sun making an appearance coincides with a bank holiday here in the UK, then there will be booze, plenty of it! Is it stereotypical? Yes. Do we really care? No. Let’s face it, we work all of the hours, usually through any spurt of nice weather & for a …

Fruit Scones

Afternoon tea is a British constitution, it’s as much a part of our fabric & culture as baked beans & the Queen. Dainty little finger sandwiches (of which cucumber is clearly the best), scones with jam & proper clotted cream all followed up by the pièce de résistance, slabs of beautiful cakes & delicate pastries, all …

Rhubarb Frangipane Tart

Is there anything more summery than a fruit tart? (well other than the healthy alternative of simply fruit that is). As temperatures rise, nights draw longer & (hopefully) the sun begins to shine we are blessed with a plethora of colourful fruity offerings. It’s the season of preserving, foraging & green fingers. This year I’ve even …

Lilac & Honey Cake

Did you know that edible flowers work just as well inside a cake as they do decorating it? Particularly the fragrant blooms of Spring & early Summer. Fleeting as their moments are, there’s a sense of excitement & urgency with some seasonal ingredients & the spring lilacs are no exception. Beautiful as they are, blink …