Asparagus Spring Salad with Dijon Dressing.

This salad can be served warm or cold.
First make the dressing by placing a chopped shallot, a couple of teaspoons of Dijon mustard, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil in a blender and whizzing until smooth.
Finely chop a few spring onions and place in a bowl with lemon juice.
Next boil some jersey royal potatoes in salted water. Ten minutes or so before they are cooked place the trimmed asparagus in a steamer above the potatoes.
Three or four mins before the potatoes are cooked add some broad beans and peas to the boiling water under the steamer.
When they are all cooked drain, then and add a knob of butter to the pan leaving the butter to melt as the potatoes, beans, peas and asparagus cool slightly.
When cooled enough add finely chopped mint and the lemon juice from the spring onions and roll the veg around in the dressing.
Chop some radishes and add some mixed leaves and ripped mint leaves to the pan and dress.
Plate and drizzle with the Dijon dressing before serving.

Asparagus with Bacon, Capers, Lemon and Mint.

Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus and trim off the tough outer skin towards the bottom of the stems.
Put in a steamer and steam over salted water for 8-12 mins depending on the size and thickness of the stalks.
While the Asparagus in steaming chop a rasher or two of bacon and fry in a pan until crispy, add a couple of tea spoons full of capers and grate some lemon zest into the pan.
when the Asparagus is cooked rolling the pan with the bacon and plate with a good scatering of chopped mint and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Tomato, Cucumber, Red Onion, Caper and Basil Salad.

This salad is best made at least a few hours before serving as it allows all the flavours to merge and mingle.
It goes very well with barbecued meat and white fish.
Finely slice a red onion and place in a bowl.
Add chopped tomatoes and cucumber, season with salt and pepper.
Tear up a small bunch of basil leaves and add with a couple of spoons full of capers.
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar and roughly mix.
Cover and refrigerate for a few hours but bring back to room temperature before serving.

Asparagus with Breadcrumbs, Capers, Lemon and Herbs.

For the caper, lemon and herb crust lightly toast some white bread crumbs in a pan.
Place in a mixing bowl and add chopped capers, the zest of a lemon, chopped parsley, grated parmesan and melted butter.
Mix and reserve.
Remove the woody ends of the asparagus, place in a baking tray, roll lightly in rape seed oil, add a dot or two of butter, season and bake at 180 for 10-15 mins, depending on the thickness of the stems until tender.
Plate the asparagus, pour over the melted butter from the baking dish, scatter with the topping and serve.

Stuffed Tomatoes with Basil and Herb Salsa Verde.

For the stuffing tear up some semi stale bead and lightly toast until it colours slightly (you can also use bread crumbs if you keep them in store), place in a mixing bowl with a good bunch of chopped parsley leaves.
Chop a few shallots and fry in good oil until crispy but be careful not to burn and add to the bowl.
Grate in some good cheese, I used pecorino,  but you can use parmesan, comte or any good quality cheese, add to the bowl drizzle in some melted butter, add some ground pepper and mix together.

For the basil salsa verde place a large bunch of basil in a blender. Add some other herbs such as parsley, a little mint, chives etc but nothing to over powering as you the basil to be the dominant flavour, a little dijon mustard, a dash of sherry vinegar and capers.
Blitz while drizzling in extra virgin olive to make a smooth sauce.
this sauce also work very well with tomato and tomato based salads.

Cut the top off your tomatoes, de-seed and cut out the cores and discard but save any flesh for the stuffing.
Lightly season the inside of the hollowed out tomatoes with salt and stuff with the breadcrumb mixture.
Replace the tops and lightly brush the outside with oil. Place on a baking tray and bake for 180 degrees for 20 - 35 mins depending on the size of your tomatoes.
Plate up and drizzle with the basil salsa. Serve.

Griddled Little Gem with Grapes, Shaved Pecorino and Pecorino and Mint Dressing

For the dressing finely grate some pecorino cheese into a container and add a good glug of extra virgin olive oil, some good quality vinegar (I used sherry vinegar), and chopped mint leaves.
Season and leave for the flavours to mingle.
Half or quarter your little gem, depending on size and cut off any tough stem.
Lightly toss in rape seed oil (don't use olive oil as it will go bitter when cooked).
Heat the griddle pan to a very high heat and place the lettuce on to cook.
Once the lettuce has cooked on one side flip to the other, rotate to cook on all sides.
You want griddle lines on the lettuce and for it to be wilted and cooked on the outside but still cold and crisp in the centre.
Place on a plate with halved black grape and pecorino shavings.
Drizzle with the dressing and serve.

Autumn Minestrone Soup

In a mortar and pestle crush up a couple of cloves of garlic, a bunch of chopped parsley and a glug of olive oil until it is almost a paste.
In a saucepan add a good glug of olive oil and lightly fry the garlic and parsley paste for a few mins being careful not to burn or colour the garlic.
Add finely sliced carrot, celery and onion and soften.
Then add diced turnip, you can use any season veg available at this stage, and soften.
Add a good squeeze of tomato puree and stir in, then add a piece of parmesan rind, if you have any (this will add a real depth of flavour as it cooks down to nothing), before adding water.
Bring up to a gentle boil the reduce the heat to a low simmer.
When the turnips and other veg have cooked through add sliced mushrooms (wild if you can get them), some shredded cavolo nero and curly kale (again any autumnal veg is good) and a couple of handfuls of pasta (I used broken up linguine, but any will do) and simmer until cooked.
Serve.