The best rich chocolate tart

Try our rich chocolate tart with a hint of cardamom and cinnamon and you'll be smitten. It's the perfect finale to a romantic supper or a weekend indulgence with friends. Divine.

Few desserts make a dinner guest’s eyes light up like a rich chocolate tart. Serve in lavish quantities.

RICH CHOCOLATE TART Cloves, cardamom and cinnamon make for a grown-up take on a gooey pud.

• 375ml double cream
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 3 tsp cinnamon powder
• 3 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 150g dark chocolate, chopped
• 150g milk chocolate, chopped
• A few whole cherries with stems for garnish

1. Prepare and bake a pastry case in a 25cm tart tin. To make life a little easier, you could buy a ready-made pastry case as the base for your tart. We promise we won’t tell…

2. Take a small saucepan, add the double cream and spices and place over a medium heat.

3. Bring to the boil and then immediately remove and set aside. Leave for about 30 mins.

4. Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl and set aside.

5. Place saucepan back on the heat and bring to the boil. Remove immediately and then pour over the chopped chocolate. Stir until the mixture is lovely and glossy.

6. Pour the chocolate mix into the prepared pastry case. Transfer to the fridge and leave to set for approximately 2 hours.

7. Serve tart at room temperature topped with the whole cherries.

Photography: MINDI COOKE Recipes & styling: LYNDEL MILLER

Find the recipes for a complete Valentine's Day Supper including Mushroom Soup, Herbed Buttered Oysters and Pomegranate Mignonette Oysters in issue 20 of The Simple Things. 

Bliss in a bite

Impress your friends by offering up these delectable macarons.  

Macarons (makes about 30)

175g ground almonds

175g icing sugar

50g (1-2 eggs) egg whites

100g egg whites (about 3 egg whites)

200g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For different flavourings: Pistachio macarons (replace ground almonds with ground pistachios), Coffee (add 2 tsp instant coffee),  Raspberry (add 1 tbsp freeze-dried raspberry powder) and Mango (1 tbsp freeze-dried mango powder).

Cookie cutter (about 4cm), large piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle, baking sheets lined with greaseproof paper.

1. Take the cookie cutter and a sheet of paper or card. Draw around the cutter to make rows of circles on the paper, leaving a bit of space inbetween. This is your  template.

2. Put the ground almonds and icing sugar in a food processor and process to a fine powder. Transfer to a mixing bowl with the 50g egg whites and beat together with a spatula until paste-like. Set aside.

3. Put the 100g egg whites in a separate, heatproof bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until soft peaks form. Get a saucepan ready on the heat with a shallow depth of simmering water. Set the bowl on top of the saucepan making sure the bottom doesn't touch. Add the sugar to the egg whites and whisk until it starts to increase in volume.

4. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to whisk until thick, glossy and cool. Add the vanilla, gently fold in the almond mixture being careful not to over-mix. Add flavourings if using and a couple of dots of food colouring paste to boost the colour if you like.

5. Slip your template between the prepared paper and baking sheet. Fill a piping bag with mixture and pipe rounds onto the paper, gently pulling the template out after you've finished. Set aside for 30-60 minutes to firm up and form a slight skin. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 160C (325F) Gas 3.

6. Sprinkle any chosen decorations on top but not too much otherwise they won't rise. Bake the macarons with the oven door slightly ajar for 10-12 minutes, keeping an eye on them in case they brown too quickly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Fill with creme patisserie, (loosened with a mixture of whipping and double cream)  a flavoured ganache (see below) or just jam.

Recipe taken from Patisserie at Home by Will Torrent, Photography Jonathan Gregson (Ryland, Peters and Small, £19.99). For details on how to make raspberry, pistachio, coffee and mango ganache see page 108 of the book. 

Read our mouth-watering interview with king of patisserie, Will Torrent, in Issue 20 of The Simple Things, on sale 31st January. 

Make your own simple spit

    In the new issue (on sale 30 January), our adventurous River Cottage chef Gill Meller wraps up warm and prepares fire-roast leg of lamb. But first you need your fire – and something to roast it on. Gill used an old estate railing he found but for those of us not so lucky, click here for instructions to make your own. And if that's too much trouble, you can buy one here. How to light the fire? You're on your own there.

Just fondue it

You don't need to live in the Alps - or, indeed the 1970s - to enjoy the fun of a fondue. Our gathering this month have reinvented this unfairly ridiculed dish into a pretty classy looking supper party. Fancy having a go yourself? John Lewis has a cast iron fondue set. And here's the recipe for a classic version:

Cheese fondue (for 4)

800 g cheese (Gruyère, Comté, Appenzeller, Beaufort)

250 ml white wine

1⁄2 garlic clove, peeled and halved

1 teaspoon cornflour

1. Cut the skin off the cheese and grate it.

2. Using the cut side of the garlic clove, rub the bottom and side of the fondue pot. Pour the wine into the fondue pot and warm over a medium heat until the wine starts to simmer.

3. Turn down the heat and add the cheese step by step, stirring constantly (drawing an eight pattern)*. When all the cheese has melted and the texture is smooth, mix the cornflour to a paste with a little water and then add to the pot. Stir well. Remove from the heat and place the fondue pot on top of the burner on the table. Serve with cubes of good quality bread.

* If your cheese starts to curdle just add extra warm white wine.

Etsy Christmas table

Want to make your own christmas table a little more creative this year? Seek out handcrafted products from Etsy and let your imagination fly.

Christmas Table curated by The Simple Things

Online marketplace Etsy asked us to be one of the first UK partners to curate our finds through Etsy Pages. Click on any of the images above and it will take you straight to The Simple Things Christmas Table Page, packed with inspiring ideas for a festive top table.

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Get some bangers and bread in for British Sausage Week

Celebrate British Sausage Week (4-10th November) by whipping up this traditional pork sausage sarnie recipe from TV chef, Simon Rimmer. Breakfast perfection...

FANCY PASTRIES AND ELABORATE MUESLIS are all very well, but sometimes all you want is a good-quality, tasty sausage between two doorsteps of freshly baked white bread. So follow the lead of chef, restaurateur and British Sausage week ambassador Simon Rimmer and celebrate the beloved British banger. The British Sausage week campaign, now in its 17th year, will take place from 4-10th November 2013 – and includes new recipes and a competition to find the greatest sausages in the land. As for the humble sarnie? Choose the best banger your butcher has to offer, add fried onions and dollops of mustard and ketchup, and you’re in breakfast heaven.

TRADITIONAL PORK SAUSAGE SARNIE

SERVES 2

4 lean pork sausages

10ml wholegrain mustard

4 large slices of bread or 2 bread buns

For the relish:

1 tsp oil

1 onion

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

1. Preheat the grill or barbecue and cook the pork sausages for 10-12 mins, turning once.

2. One minute before the end of cooking time spread wholegrain mustard over the bread or buns and lightly toast.

3. Meanwhile, make the relish. In a small saucepan heat oil and fry the onion, thinly sliced, for 3-4 mins or until soft. Add tomato ketchup and wholegrain mustard. Heat through.

4. Make two sandwiches, topping the sausages with the relish.

During the year to July 2013, the nation consumed 188,270 tonnes of sausages at home. That’s a lot of sarnies... Find this and more facts at www.lovepork.co.uk/pork-products-cuts/sausages/sausage-week.

Find this and lots of other tempting recipes in Issue 16 of The Simple Things magazine. To buy or subscribe visit http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/TSTW1B/

Top 5 ways with pumpkins

Don't waste your Halloween pumpkins! More than just a scary face, these big and beautiful winter squashes can be cooked in all sorts of ways for a delicious supper.

5 ways with pumpkin

1. Pumpkin Pilaf Heat 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter in a saucepan with lid. Add 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp each of cumin, fennel and black onion seeds, and cook for 3 mins. Add 400g basmati rice, cook for 2 mins. Add 400g diced pumpkin and 800ml chicken stock, bring to boil, then simmer. Cook without stirring for 10 mins until liquid is absorbed, turn off heat, stand for 5 mins.

2. Broccoli, pumpkin & pine nut tart Mix 700g sliced pumpkin, 1 sliced red onion, 2 sprigs thyme and 2 tbsp olive oil in a roasting tin. Roast for 15 mins at 200°C. Add 200g Tenderstem broccoli (in 4cm pieces) and garlic to tin, mix and roast for 5 mins. Roll out puff pastry, place on baking tray. Place cooked mixture on top, sprinkle with pine nuts and dot with crème fraîche. Bake for 20 mins.

3. Shallot, red pepper and pumpkin soup Place 4 quartered, deseeded red peppers skin side up on a baking sheet and roast at 200°C for 25 mins, until the skins char. Cool, peel off skins, reserve flesh. In a pan melt 30g butter with 1 tbsp rapeseed oil. Add 6 shallots, 750g diced pumpkin and 1 red chilli, season, then sweat vegetables for 5-10 mins. Add 4 garlic cloves, sprig of thyme, 1.2l veg stock and simmer for 15 mins. Add red peppers and simmer for 5 mins. Blend.

4. Pennoni regati, butternut squash and pumpkin seeds Peel and dice a small squash. Season and sauté for 5 mins in 1 tbsp olive oil. Peel and add 20 small shallots. Cook and drain 300g pasta. Toast 50g pumpkin seeds. Mix a quarter of the cooked squash with 1 chilli and 6 tbsp water. Cook until it just starts to break down. Add a knob of butter, sprig of chopped rosemary and remaining squash and shallots. Mix in pasta. Add Parmesan to serve.

5. Baked pumpkin with a rosemary, chilli and orange topping Roast 12 shallots in olive oil and butter at 200°C for 15 mins. Add 1kg diced pumpkin, roast another 15 mins. Heat 4 tbsp olive oil with 3 cloves of garlic. Add 1 red chilli, 1 tbsp rosemary, 2 tbsp parsley and zest of 1 orange, stirring. Add 120g breadcrumbs, cook for 1 min. Spread breadcrumb mix over the squash and shallots mixture and return to the oven at 180°C for 30 mins.

Courtesy of www.ukshallot.com, www.loveradish.co.uk and www.tenderstem.co.uk.

Save £20 at Gousto!

It’s 6.30pm, you’re on the bus, and dreaming of getting home to a healthy dinner. Trouble is, a detour to buy fresh parsley/tahini/black eyed beans is out of the question. Wouldn’t it be great if all the ingredients could be magically waiting at home for you? 

Friends James Carter and Timo Schmidt thought so — which is why they set up Gousto for people committed to home-cooking, but lacking the time to shop for ingredients.

It’s a temptingly simple solution. Go online, choose from a ‘Couple Box’ and a ‘Family Box’, select the recipes that appeal to you, and they’ll deliver (for free) the necessary portions of the local, fresh, organic ingredients you need — along with easy-to-follow recipe cards.

Gousto’s recipes are developed by a team of professional chefs, cover all cuisines and styles, and are tested by friends and families first. Every week, the selection is updated to make sure there’re plenty of new recipes for you — recent dishes include chicken in mascarpone/chilli/lemon zest sauce and rice, and honey-roasted beetroot with warm bulgar wheat and beans. And, since the assumption is you’re busy, most dishes take no more than half an hour to prepare and cook.

Fancy giving it a go?

How to redeem your £20 coupon

1. Visit www.gousto.co.uk
2. Select your box
3. Enter your code SIMPLE20 at checkout to save £20
4. Select your recipes

Get into whisky

Alwynne Gwilt aka ‘Miss Whisky’ has a simple goal – to turn the ‘armchair & slippers’ image of whisky on its head.  

What tips can you give us about buying whisky for friends in the run-up to Christmas?

All the whisky outlets will be doing tastings, so go along and try some. At the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in London, Edinburgh and Leith you can buy tickets to events where you can sample interesting single cask whisky. Don’t assume that just because it’s old it’s good – it comes down to what you personally enjoy. And when buying for friends, think about what they already drink. If they enjoy red wine, sherry or port, they’ll probably prefer a whisky that’s had a sherry maturation. If they already drink bourbon, then they might like to try a Scotch whisky which has been finished in a bourbon cask. Just go into a specialist shop and have a chat. There are no ‘wrong’ questions!

You can read the rest of our interview with Alwynne in issue 16 of The Simple Things, which is on sale now.

Diwali dinner idea: pumpkin coconut curry

Pumpkin coconut curry with split peas, chickpeas & leek This light, sunshine-hued curry promises not to make your eyes water – just your mouth…

Serves 4-6 2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

1 leek, roughly chopped

1 litre vegetable stock

1 can coconut milk

230g kabocha squash/pumpkin

65g yellow split peas

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2¹/₂ tsp curry powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

¹/₈ tsp allspice

¹/₈ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated

¹/₈ tsp red pepper flakes

65g kale, chopped small

1. Add onion, garlic, leek and olive oil to a frying pan over medium heat.  Sauté for 5-10 mins or until it starts to brown. Add vegetable stock, kabocha or pumpkin, split peas and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer and cover for 20-25 mins.

2. Once pumpkin and split peas are tender, add chickpeas, all spices and kale. Stew for 10-15 mins until well combined and tasty. Top with shredded coconut or natural yoghurt.

Find more yummy ideas in issue 16 of The Simple Things, which is on sale now.

Seed to Stove: Autumn roots

Introducing… Seed 2 Stove: Autumn roots.

In the first of a new series for the magazine, keen allotmenteer Lia Leendertz cooks up her colourful autumn crop.

"My allotment sits at the top of a hill in north Bristol. Much of the time my two kids are climbing the apple trees and demanding drinks or snacks, but not now. Autumn is a gentle, quiet time to be here. They’re in school and the mad tsunami of summer bounty is behind me. My autumn crops sit and wait until I’m ready for them. What a change. I can think and tend and decide what to cook, rather than the allotment dictating.

It’s a time for reordering summer growth and chaos. Grass edges that have crept into beds can be sliced into satisfying sharpness with a spade, and new areas of the plot must be conquered, the white couch grass roots slowly disentangled from the earth and thrown straight onto a little smoky fire. Some things will need planting soon too: new fruit bushes must be ordered, as well as garlic and broad beans – promises of flavours to come."

In season this month "Beetroots and carrots are pretty malleable and dependable crops. I sow direct into the soil every few weeks from early summer to late summer, picking the babies earlier in the year but leaving some to get big for autumnal roasts and pickles. You can, of course, sow carrots and beetroots that look just like the ones in the shops, but where’s the fun in that? It’s precisely as easy to sow and grow white and yellow beetroots, candy striped ones, yellow, black and white carrots as it is the usual suspects, and this year I really went for it. They make for a pleasingly colourful and unusual autumn crop.

At this stage of the game they’ve toughened up a little, so we’re not really in salad territory here. These roots are best when slowly cooked and dressed with spices to bring out their inherent sweetness and complexity. Suits me."

Try something new There’s a world of unusual colours and varieties to try. The future is not necessarily orange for the humble carrot.

1. White Belgian "I’ll let you into a secret – these huge, heavy fellows were once commonly grown on small farms to be used as animal feed. But don’t let that put you off! They’re deliciously tender and mild, and look great pickled in jars with their orange friends."

2. Spanish Black "This year I also sowed some of these striking black carrots. They were around long before the orange sort, and are popular across Asia and the Middle East. Roast, don’t boil them as you’ll lose the colour (and taste)."

3. Jaune Obtuse du Doubs "A French heirloom. That makes these carrots sound almost too special to eat, but eat them you must as they’ve got a great, strong, sweet taste and look brilliant grated in a salad."

Join Lia Leendertz and photographer Kirstie Young every other month for seasonal recipes and growing tips in The Simple Things magazine.

Don't miss: National Craft Bakers' Week

National Craft Bakers’ Week 7-13th October 2013 Bakers from across the country are coming together this October to tempt people into their bakeries to support National Craft Bakers’ Week. A range of fabulous bread, cakes and pies will be available for people to try and buy, with promotions and events taking place around the country during the week.

National Craft Bakers’ Week is organised on behalf of hundreds of craft bakers across the UK who form a key part of the British high street. It aims to encourage support for bakeries from local communities and highlight the variety of produce made by these skilled craftspeople every day. The campaign is supported by TV baking stars Tom and Henry Herbert, the Fabulous Baker Brothers, who run Hobbs House Bakery in the Cotswolds at Chipping Sodbury. Tom and Henry are passionate about getting the public to support craft bakers: “There is rightly a great feeling of pride about British food at the moment and National Craft Bakers’ Week is a great way to remind everyone that bakers are very much part of this story,” says Henry. “Baking is a real skill and one that we need to celebrate and support. It can take years to learn the craft as there are so many techniques to master, from traditional bread making and caring for a sour dough culture through to icing cakes. So please show some love for your local baker by visiting them this October – it will be worth it!”

National Craft Bakers’ Week supports the Teenage Cancer Trust and bakers will be fundraising on behalf of the charity. For more, visit www.craftbakersweek.co.uk.

£20 off at Hello Fresh

We've teamed up with Hello Fresh to provide you with an exclusive offer on a delivery of fresh ingredients and recipes.

As a The Simple Things reader just enter the code ST20 to claim a tasty £20 to spend on your first box across all Hello Fresh boxes.

To Claim the Offer

• Visit www.hellofresh.co.uk/ST20
• Choose your box
• Select your number of meals and portions
• Hello Fresh will send you your first box full of fresh ingredients, £20 off.

Hello Fresh deliver recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, with all the required fresh ingredients in the exact quantities, direct to your door.

'We source the highest quality, freshest ingredients the UK has to offer and bring it all to you direct from the very best independent suppliers.' Patrick Drake, Head Chef.

Our Fishmonger – James Knight of Mayfair For royally appointed James Knight fresh is best and when it comes to fish or seafood you can be sure that you’re tucking in to the most sought after produce in the UK. With HM Queen and HRH Prince of Wales as two of his most loyal customers, you’ll be dining like royalty every week. All the fish we source is coastal fresh, line-caught and free from any artificial preservatives, for which reason we recommend you eat it first, within three days of your delivery.

Our Butcher – Tom Hixson Tom Hixson is certainly a man that knows his meat. A third generation butcher based in Smithfield’s market for more than 30 years, Tom is part of a family tradition that works to provide the highest quality meat available. All the meat we supply you is ethically reared. His beef, veal, lamb and poultry is the most sought after, owing to the finest standards and quite simply procuring the finest produce they can.

www.hellofresh.co.uk/ST20

The Simple Things Etsy Pages

Discovering and curating our favourite things through NEW Etsy Pages.

Nesting curated by The Simple Things on Etsy

Above: our favourite ways to NEST…

When Etsy asked us to be one of the first UK Partners selected to curate our finds through Etsy Pages we were thrilled. At The Simple Things we constantly use Etsy to source talented designer-makers to showcase in the pages of our magazine.

You can now follow our inspiration boards via Etsy Pages. Use them for gift ideas and trend-watching or as a starting point to make your own discoveries. Just click and you're taken directly to the item and seller featured!

Here's a look at some of our Etsy Pages. We will be constantly updating so be sure to visit regularly…

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Simple Style curated by The Simple Things on Etsy

Above: our favourite ways to SIMPLE STYLE

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Thinking curated by The Simple Things on Etsy

Above: our favourite ways to THINK

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Notes on orchard fruit

Raw or cooked, dried or jammed? Here's how best to eat the season's fruit harvest.

A nice cup of chai

Tea or coffee? Hmm, tricky. If only you could cram the benefits of both hot beverages into one mug – the perkiness of tea mixed with the warmth of a cinnamon latte. Well, you can! It’s called chai.

An Indian pick-me-up made with strong black tea (usually Assam), milk (buffalo, if you seek total authenticity), sugar and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and pepper, chai converts pretty much everyone who encounters it – be they riding a train in West Bengal or nursing a hangover at a boutique festival.

Careful, though – often chai is the first step on a longer path to “finding oneself”. Yoga comes next. In certain extreme cases, people have even been known to purchase books by Deepak Chopra.

Like any ritualised refreshment that’s been around for hundreds of years, chai comes in numerous subtly different modes according to region and vendor. Over here you can buy ready-made teabags from just about anywhere, although enthusiasts swear brewing your own is worth the effort. Just sip from a traditional earthenware cup and try to remember where you put your backpack…

* Or to be specific, since “chai” is the generic word for tea in several countries, “masala chai”

Moroccan feast

Scatter the cushions and get on the floor for a zesty, aromatic supper that’s made for sharing. Food stylist and photographer Chantelle Grady produces exclusive recipes and sumptuous photography for a ten page feature in the magazine this month. Try her spiced coffee and almond fekka recipe tonight.

SPICED COFFEE

Your cafetiére won't know what's hit it when you concoct this warming, perky after-dinner brew .

Serves 4-6

3 whole cloves

5 cardamom pods

¹/₂ tsp black peppercorns

25g espresso beans, ground

¹/₂ tsp ground cinnamon

¹/₂ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

¹/₂ tsp ground ginger

1 litre boiling water

Warm milk, if desired

Sugar, if desired

1. Place cloves, cardamom pods and black peppercorns in a mortar and pestle. Grind until cardamom pods split open, and remove papery shell. Grind seeds and cloves into a fine powder.

2. Transfer to a bowl. Add the ground coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and mix to combine.

3. Transfer coffee mixture into a cafetière, add boiling water and steep for 5 mins. To serve, add sugar and warm milk if desired.

ALMOND FEKKAS

These crisp, just-sweet-enough little dainties are Morocco's answer to biscotti.

Makes about 40 biscuits

85g raisins

145g unsalted butter, melted

220g caster sugar

3 eggs, plus 1 egg lightly beaten

2 tbsp orange-blossom water

¹/₂ tsp almond extract

320g plain flour

1 tbsp baking powder

¹/₄ tsp salt

1 tbsp aniseed

1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

160g whole almonds, toasted, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C (160˚ fan), gas 4, 350˚F. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Place raisins in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to soak for 10 mins, and then drain and set aside.

3. Place the butter, sugar, 3 eggs, orange-blossom water and almond extract in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir until all ingredients come together. Add the aniseed, sesame seeds, almonds and raisins and mix to evenly distribute. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.

4. Turn dough out onto prepared baking sheet and divide into 2 balls. Moisten hands with water and form 2 loaves about 5cm in width, allowing space between each loaf. Brush with egg wash and bake in oven for 30 mins, or until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

5. Once cool, use a serrated knife to cut into 1cm slices and lay out on 2 baking trays lined with baking paper. Bake for a further 8 mins, flip slices over and bake for another 8 mins, or until golden on both sides. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Serve with spiced coffee.

Enjoy!

Inspired by...ice cream!

You'll never met someone who didn't like ice cream, celebrate your love for this summertime treat with our favourite recipes and ice cream inspired accessories from around the web.

Top row (left to right): Wheel thrown ice cream bowls JD Wolfe Pottery, strawberry and mint froyo, mint chocolate ice cream print Painter Peeps

Bottom row (left to right): Roasted strawberry and coconut lollies, personalised ice cream pots Randomalia Designs

Find out more about everyone's favourite summer treat from our ice cream expert inside issue 13.

Janis' cake in the house: Pistachio raspberry loaf

Photographer, design buff and native Vancouverite Janis Nicolay shares the recipe for her favourite loaf cake to keep in her home over the summer. Bake and enjoy.

Pistachio Raspberry Loaf - makes one 3.5 x 8 inch loaf

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons orange zest 2 eggs 2 cups all purpose flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup milk 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries 3/4 cup chopped pistachios Icing: 1 1/4 cups icing sugar, sifted 2-3 tablespoons orange juice

Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Line a loaf tin with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the orange zest, butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Sift the flour and baking powder over the butter mixture, then add the milk, and fold through. Fold in the pistachios and raspberries, making sure not to over mix. Pour mixture into tin and bake for about 55-60 minutes, or until a skewer, inserted in centre, comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes, before turning out onto to a cooling rack. To make icing, sift icing sugar into a medium bowl. Add orange juice and stir until smooth. Pour over cooled loaf.

You can see more from Janis and her home town of Vancouver inside issue 12, and don't forget to visit her on her blog Pinecone Camp for more beautiful design, bakes, DIY and travel.

The perfect summer lunch: Gazpacho

Honour the tomato with this cold Spanish soup. Top with croutons and Serrano ham for a perfect lunch.

Serves 6 6 large tomatoes 2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped 2 yellow peppers, deseeded and chopped 1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped 3 spring onions, chopped 1 large garlic clove 1 tbsp sherry vinegar, or a splash to suit your taste A splash garlic olive oil 1 tbsp good olive oil 1 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1. Put the tomatoes into a bowl of boiling water with small crosses cut into them to help the skins to peel off. Remove the skins, wait until the tomatoes are cool and chop finely. 2. Chop everything up, removing the green part of the spring onion and deseeding the cucumber. If you have a blender or food processor, add all of the vegetables and blitz. Otherwise just carry on chopping until a paste-like consistency is reached. 3. Add the oils, sugar, sherry and paprika and taste. Add additional seasoning if it needs it. Serve toppings in separate bowls so people can help themselves.