THE SUN-SOAKED PLATE...Mediterranean recipes for family and friends

Apples and pears are so versatile…while they are great to eat raw; they also make a delicious addition to baked goods, salads, sauces or stews. Personally, from a cooks perspective, I prefer to use pears in my cooking. There are more than 3,000 varieties of pear cultivated all over the world, but it is thought that the wild pear originated in Asia and the ancient Greeks introduced them to Europe. They come in different shapes and sizes and vary in sweetness and texture and so can be used in different ways. Most cooks tend to prefer the Comice pear for their sweet, aromatic flavour and good texture,

Pretty soon now, potatoes should have been lifted and stored for the winter. Consequently, a wide range is now available and it’s a good time to experiment with the world’s favourite tuber. Potato & parmesan soup with walnut-watercress pesto I think the potato is a fantastic ingredient for any cook. They are so versatile, can be cooked in so many different ways and they are also a great vehicle for absorbing loads of other flavours. My favourite pairings for potatoes include truffles, bacon, capers, anchovies, watercress & caviar. The combination of warm roasted new potatoes topped with sour cream & caviar is simply awesome and must rate as my preferred canapé of all-time. Potatoes were by no means an instant success in the western world; they were thought to have originated in Chile when prehistoric tribes took them to the Andes region of Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. The potato had been cultivated for centuries in South America before the Spanish conquista...

Autumn is all about the harvest....it's the time for gathering and collecting…making Jam, making wine & bottling preserves. The golden colours take over from the vivid display of summer and cooking takes on a different character too. T he flavours are more powerful and pronounced, as the ingredients lend themselves to more robust, earthy dishes with game, root vegetables, Brussels sprouts, pumpkin and wild mushrooms all coming into season. Mushroom & Spinach Tartlets There’s something special about wild mushrooms. The fact that they have still defied modern cultivation methods and only grow wild in woodlands and meadows adds to their mystery. Wild varieties have been gathered since 3500bc. The Greeks exported them to the Romans who considered them food for gods and the Egyptians would only serve them to the pharaohs as they were judged to be far too good for ordinary mortals like you and me. These days’s mushroom picking is a national pastime in Spai...

Cool summer soups are a refreshing addition to warm-weather menus. Just as the cauldron of hot soups, broths & stocks provide comfort and solace on a winter’s day; chilled soups are a refreshing respite from the heat of summer. As t he great French Chef Auguste Escoffier said, “ Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite", while Beethoven claimed” Only the pure of heart can make good soup". But in this sweltering heat, they have to be chilled right down and served iced cold. The king of cold soups is gazpacho. In essence, they are wonderful thirst-quenching, liquid salads, made with fresh, raw vegetables and ripe tomatoes; and they are the perfect thing for long, hot summer days.

LAMB KOFTE KEBABS WITH FRESH HERB & CUCUMBER YOGHURT Ingredients Serves 4 Kofte Kebabs 500kg     good quality lamb meat (from the leg or shoulder) 1            clove garlic, 1            teaspoon ground cumin 1            teaspoon dried oregano ½            teaspoon sweet paprika ½            teaspoon freshly ground black pepper              A generous pinch of hot paprika 6            fresh mint leaves              Salt to taste    ...