Toast | Spring peas, broad beans & flowers

Full of the things that shine in spring.*

Serves 4
100ml extra virgin olive oil
350g podded broad beans and peas
Handful of parsley, stalks and all, finely chopped
Handful of mint, leaves picked, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 dried chillies
1⁄2 lemon
4–8 slices of sourdough

TO SERVE
Lemon
Ricotta
Edible flowers
Cook’s note: You can now buy edible flowers at the supermarket, usually stocked alongside the fresh herbs.

1 Heat 80ml of the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a low heat. Add the broad beans, peas and a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry for about 10 mins.
2 Grind the parsley, mint, garlic and chilli with the remaining oil to a paste using a pestle and mortar. Add to the pan with the veg and fry for 2–3 mins. Remove from heat and add a squeeze of lemon juice.
3 Boil the eggs for 6 mins and toast the bread.
4 To serve, peel and halve the eggs, spoon the broad bean mix on the toast, then top with the eggs, a squeeze of lemon, some ricotta, a pinch of salt and freshly ground or cracked black pepper, and a scattering of flowers.

Turn to page 31 for more from our Grown & gathered feature to find out how Australians Matt and Lentil have learned to live alongside nature, adapting an ancient way of life for the modern world. Hear their story and try a few more of their recipes. 

* ...if you’re in Australia. In temperate Britain, you’ll have to wait until early summer!

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How to host a salon

A salon supper, dotted with informal talks, brings the promise of knowledge to the table, and good food, too

We all know a bit about something – whether from work or study, travel or a hobby. These pearls of wisdom, however, are unlikely to come up in conversation. Yet, with the right setting, good food and willing friends, you can create a memorable evening, peppered with stories shared (see how on page 29). A modern salon calls for dishes that impress without stealing the show – a menu that needs only the lightest of last-minute prep. The result? Appetites sated and minds broadened.

How to host your own salon

Think about space
How much room have you got for people to sit comfortably? A nice full room creates a buzz, but too many people makes the space seem squashed. Where will you position food and drink? It needs to be accessible without disrupting speakers.

Check, one, two
If you’re not meeting in a house or flat, but in a pub or another borrowed venue, it’s worth checking your speakers can be heard without a microphone.

Be the curator
What do you want your salon to look like and who speaks? It could be that you’re
a group of friends and you all share, or that each of you brings an interesting person to speak.

Choose a theme
This will help an evening hang together. Keep it broad to allow for interpretation and creativity. You can either go abstract – new or lost, for example – or concrete – topics such as holidays or school.

Play the host
Beyond serving food and drink, you’ll need to introduce the event (or ask someone else to): thank people for coming, set out the theme of talks, and describe the shape of the evening – how many speakers there are, when breaks will be – so that guests know what to expect. Then just see where the night takes you.
 

Turn to page 22 of the April issue for more from our salon Gathering, including Beetroot & horseradish dip, Mixed olives with lemon zest, Asparagus spears with parma ham & toasted almonds, Spring lemon & cardamom chicken, Rainbow roasted carrots with cumin and Jewelled couscous with watercress, peppers & pomegranate.

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Recipe | Brown butter and toffee cookies

The addition of browned butter gives these cookies a rich, nutty edge, making them all the more moreish. The recipe also works well with white chocolate

BROWN BUTTER & TOFFEE COOKIES
Makes 16
150g unsalted butter
1⁄2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1⁄2 tsp mixed spice
300g plain flour
1⁄2 tsp salt
150g light brown soft sugar
100g caster sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp whole milk
150g chocolate-covered toffees, such as Fazer’s Dumle*, or white chocolate, chopped
Sea salt flakes (optional)

1 Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat until it starts to bubble noisily. Eventually the bubbles will become smaller and stop. Swirl the pan – you will see and smell the change from yellow butter to brown. Immediately remove from the heat. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool a little.
2 In another bowl sift together the bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice, flour and salt.
3 Mix both sugars into the browned butter until well incorporated. Add the egg and egg yolk, syrup, vanilla extract and milk. Add the dry ingredients, then the toffees or white chocolate and stir to combine. Cover the bowl or wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for a few hours.
4 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Form egg-sized rounds of cookie dough using your hands and place on the lined baking sheets. These cookies spread a lot during baking, so leave a minimum of 8cm between each round.
5 Sprinkle with sea salt flakes, if using. Bake for around 8 mins until slightly brown at the sides but not entirely puffed up. Remove from the oven and let cool (if using Dumle, let cool for a bit longer before eating).

Recipe from ScandiKitchen Summer by Brontë Aurell (Ryland, Peters & Small).

Cake in the House is our monthly recipe feature - get a cake recipe every month in The Simple Things!

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Homemade nut butters

All you need is a blender and a bag of nuts and you can make your own homemade nut butter in no time. Delicious spread on hot toast or oatcakes, stirred into porridge or sneakily licked off a finger.

Hazelnut butter

Makes about 150g
130g hazelnuts, skins removed
1 tbsp neutral-tasting oil, such as grapeseed or sunflower
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder (optional)

1 Blitz the hazelnuts in a food processor for 8–12 mins, depending on your machine. First you’ll get a fine powder, but continue blending until you get a denser, softened nut butter.
2 Add the oil, vanilla, salt and cocoa or cacao powder (if using) and blitz to combine for 2–4 mins until smooth. Store in the fridge in an airtight jar for up to a month.
 

Cashew butter

Makes about 250g
240g raw cashews
Pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp neutral-tasting oil, such as grapeseed or sunflower

1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Place the cashews on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake in the preheated oven for 6–9 mins until lightly toasted.
2 Allow the cashews to cool completely before transferring to a food processor. Add the salt and blitz. Once you have a rough paste (after 6–7 mins), slowly add the oil with the motor running. Blend for 8–12 mins in total. Be patient: you will get a nut butter eventually! 

Cook’s notes: You’ll have to scrape down the sides a few times between blitzes. Store in the fridge in a jar for up to a month.

Recipes from The New Porridge by Leah Vanderveldt (Ryland, Peters & Small).
 

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Lemon posset pots with ginger crunch

Easy to make ahead, and refreshing with orange and mint

Serves 8
600ml double cream
150g caster sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
150g stem ginger biscuits
1 orange
1 small bunch fresh mint

1 Place the cream, sugar and lemon juice into a large saucepan and bring to the boil, simmer for 4 mins, stirring constantly to avoid it catching on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2 Once cooled, tip the mixture into a jug and pour into small vintage glasses (you could also use pretty china tea cups, ramekins or wine glasses). Chill for at least 4 hours in the fridge to firm up.

3 Roughly crush the stem ginger biscuits using a pestle or heavy-duty rolling pin and scatter on
top of the possets.

4 Finely slice the skin of the orange so you get a flat piece of orange peel. Cut it into thin strips with a sharp knife and arrange the strips of zest on top of the biscuits. Top each glass with a couple of small, fresh mint leaves and serve.

Turn to page 22 of the April issue for more from our salon Gathering, including Beetroot & horseradish dip, Mixed olives with lemon zest, Asparagus spears with parma ham & toasted almonds, Spring lemon & cardamom chicken, Rainbow roasted carrots with cumin and Jewelled couscous with watercress, peppers & pomegranate.

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Recipe | Nettle & seed crackers

Spring brings tender new nettle shoots. Harvest them to bring a punch of flavour to these delicious, seedy crackers. These crunchy, tasty crackers are great for dipping, loading with toppings or just eating alone

Makes 16–20 crackers
50g sesame seeds
50g linseeds
80g sunflower seeds
80g pumpkin seeds
20g chia seeds
50g buckwheat flour
2 large tbsp dried or fresh nettle tops (blanched)*, plus extra to scatter
Pinch of xantham gum
31⁄2 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil or good olive oil
150ml boiling water
1⁄4 tsp salt
Flaky sea salt, to taste

1 Preheat oven to 150C/Fan 130C/Gas 2. Take two baking sheets and line with baking parchment. Add all the ingredients (apart from the sea salt and extra nettles) to a bowl and stir well.
2 Split the mixture in half and place one half on each lined baking sheet. Place another piece of baking parchment on top (sandwiching the mixture between) and roll out the mixture thinly and evenly to fit the baking sheet.
3 Remove the top layer of parchment and scatter with more nettles (for a stronger flavour) and some flaky sea salt, to taste. Repeat with the second batch of mixture. 
4 Bake for around 50 to 60 mins – do keep an eye on them to check the seeds don’t brown too much – until they are completely cooked and dry. Then turn the oven off and leave crackers in the oven while it cools down, to ensure they are completely dry. Break it up into smaller pieces and store in an airtight container.

Taken from ScandiKitchen Summer by Brontë Aurell (Ryland, Peters & Small).

 * If using fresh nettles, harvest in spring. To remove the sting, immerse in boiling water and 16 make sure you press all the water out before use or the crackers will be too wet.
 

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More baking:

Recipe | Lemon and Earl Grey loaf cakes

A twist on the classic lemon loaf cake, these mini loaves would make a lovely Easter gift

LEMON & EARL GREY LOAF CAKES
Makes 6 cakes
1 earl grey tea bag (or 1 tsp loose leaf earl grey)
120g golden caster sugar or demerara sugar
1⁄2 yellow courgette, grated
1⁄4 swede, peeled and grated
15g lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
2 eggs
40g rapeseed oil
75g ground almonds
90g rice flour
11⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1⁄4 tsp xanthan gum (optional)*
Coconut oil, for greasing

for the icing
120g golden icing sugar
Juice of 1⁄4 lemon
25g (2 tbsp) strongly brewed earl grey tea
1 tsp loose earl grey tea (from tea bags or loose leaf)
Blue cornflowers (optional)

1 Empty the contents of the tea bag into a bowl with the sugar, cover and infuse for a few hours or overnight if possible. Then grind in a blender until fine.
2 Place the courgette between sheets of kitchen towel to soak up excess moisture. Place 80g swede and 80g courgette into a bowl; add lemon juice and zest, and set aside.
3 In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and oil for 5 mins, or until pale and slightly thickened. Fold in the grated vegetables. Sift together the ground almonds, flour, raising agents and xanthan gum, if using. Fold into the cake mixture gently, until it is lump free. Leave for 10 mins.
4 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Grease 6 mini loaf tins, each about 9x6cm, with coconut oil, and line with baking parchment or disposable loaf cases. Fill the tins almost to the top with the mixture and bake in the top half of the oven for 30 mins, or until the tops spring back and an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean.
5 Cool the cakes in the tins until just warm, then turn out onto a wire rack. For disposable cases, just cool in the cases.
6 Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the lemon juice and enough brewed tea to form an icing the thickness of double cream. Pour over the cooled cakes, and top with a sprinkle of tea leaves and cornflowers, if using.

Recipe from Nourish Cakes by Marianne Stewart (Quadrille).
  
* Xanthan gum is used to replace gluten, helping to bring the cake together. If you don’t have it, just leave it out.

Cake in the House is our monthly recipe feature - get a cake recipe every month in The Simple Things!

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Recipe | Chocolate, orange and almond cake

This moist and decadent chocolate loaf cake with a gorgeous caramelised almond brittle crust is sure to have you sneaking back to the tin for more

CHOCOLATE, ORANGE & ALMOND CAKE
Makes 1 large loaf
50g butter, diced
130g soft brown sugar
Zest of 1 orange
40g honey
150g flaked almonds
170g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
11⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
225g softened butter
340g caster sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1⁄2 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out (or 1⁄2 tsp vanilla paste)
160g buttermilk

1 Preheat oven to 160C/Fan140C/320F. Grease and line a 9x22x10cm loaf tin.
2 Melt the 50g of butter, brown sugar, zest and honey in a pan over a low heat, stirring, until thick and syrupy and the sugar has dissolved. Pour into the prepared tin, evenly sprinkle over the almonds. Set aside to cool. 
3 In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa and bicarb with 1⁄4 tsp of salt, then set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4 In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla seeds (or paste). With the mixer running slowly, gradually add the eggs to the butter mixture, ensuring each addition is fully
incorporated before adding the next.
5 Alternate between adding a third of the dry ingredients and a third of the buttermilk to the mixture, mixing well between each addition, until all the ingredients are added and the batter has just come together.
6 Pour over the almonds in the tin; bake for 60–70 mins, until firm and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7 Leave to cool for a few minutes in the tin, then set a wire rack over a tray lined with
baking parchment. Invert the warm cake on to the rack and gently lift off the tin, taking care to avoid the caramel, which will be extremely hot*. Leave to cool completely.
8 To serve, cut with a serrated knife, gently sawing through the topping. The cake will keep for a few days in an airtight container.

Recipe from The Tivoli Road Baker by Michael James with Pippa James (Hardie Grant). 

  * If the topping sticks in the tin or falls off when you invert the cake, use a spoon or spatula to quickly stick it back onto the cake, taking care not to touch the scorching caramel.

Cake in the House is our monthly recipe feature - get a cake recipe every month in The Simple Things!

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Recipe | Comforting little casseroles

Tender spiced meat topped with cheesy mash... What’s not to like?

Makes 4 portions
600g stewing beef, cubed
50g butter
Olive oil, for frying
3 onions, finely chopped
1 bottle of dark beer
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1⁄2 tsp ground ginger
1 bay leaf
1 thick slice of ginger loaf (about 50g)
1.25kg floury potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
150–200ml hot milk
50g butter
2 egg yolks
125g mature cheddar cheese, grated
Fresh nutmeg, for grating

1 Season the beef and set aside for 5 mins. Heat the butter and a splash of oil in a heavy-based pan and sear the meat for 3–5 mins, turning, until browned. You will need to do this
in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2 Fry the onions in the same pan for 10 mins, until golden. Add the beer, vinegar, mustard, ground ginger and bay. Crumble in the ginger loaf and return the meat to the pan. Bring to the boil, cover and turn the heat down as low as you can. Cook for about 2 hrs, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender. You might need to add more liquid, or reduce the liquid at the end.
3 Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in a large pan of salted boiling water for 20–25 mins. Drain and mash with the milk and butter. Mix in the yolks and half of the grated cheese, then season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
4 Season the meat to taste, and divide among 4 mini casserole dishes. Top with the mash and remaining cheese.
5 To eat at once, bake in an oven preheated to 200C/Fan 180C/400F for 10 mins, until the cheese has melted. For a crisp, golden crust, brown under the grill for the last few mins.

TO FREEZE AND REHEAT
Wrap, dish and all, in freezerproof clingfilm or put in freezer bags, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw, unwrap and reheat for 20–25 mins in an oven preheated to 200C/Fan 180C/400F. Reheat from frozen for 45–60 mins at the same temperature.

Turn to page 46 of February's The Simple Things for more meals for one. It does take time, but when you’re done, you’ll have a wealth of comfort food to squirrel away.

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Recipe | Smoked parsnip soup

With a mug of soup to thaw the hands and warm pasties to tuck into, a winter walk on the beach can be a jolly affair

Root veg cooked over woody herbs make a great soup.

Smoked parsnip soup

Serves 4–6
4 tbsp uncooked rice (any kind)
10 sprigs of rosemary and/or thyme, plus extra to serve
1 cinnamon stick, broken
750g parsnips, topped and tailed but not peeled
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
750ml vegetable stock
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
250–500ml almond milk
Zest of 1 lemon, and a squeeze of juice
A pinch of mixed spice

1 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F. Line a heavy lidded casserole with two sheets of foil large enough to fully line the pot.
2 Tip the rice, herbs and cinnamon into the pot, arrange the parsnips on top and set over a high heat.
3 When the rice starts to smoke, add 2 tbsp of water, cover tightly with a lid and smoke the parsnips over a high heat for 10 mins. Transfer to the oven and cook for a further 20 mins or until the parsnips are tender.
4 Meanwhile, in a large pan, simmer the onion and garlic in the stock for 10–15 mins until tender.
5 Cool the cooked parsnips slightly, then either strip the skin off with your fingers or scrape it off with a teaspoon. Transfer the parsnips to a blender, add the apples and blitz, adding the stock a little at a time, until you have a smooth, thick purée.
6 Blend in as much almond milk as you like, until the soup is your preferred consistency and creaminess. Use milk or cream, if you prefer.
7 Add lemon zest, juice, mixed spice and seasoning, to taste. Warm through the soup just before serving, and finish with a sprinkling of fresh thyme and a grinding of black pepper.
  
Blow the cobwebs away with a bracing winter wander on the beach, fuelled en route by toe-warming fare - turn to page 26 of February's The Simple Things for more, including Apple & thyme soda bread scones, Kale & feta rolls, Fish pie pasties, Marmalade brownies and Chai coffee.
 

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Tipple of the month | Pisco Sour

Raise a glass to Peru’s best export (apart from Paddington)

The South American brandy, pisco, made from muscat grapes, was said to have been first made into the famous cocktail by Victor Vaughen Morris, an American bartender working in Peru, in the early 20th century. The first Saturday of February is National Pisco Sour Day.

MAKE IT: pour a 1⁄2 measure of lime juice, 2 measures pisco, 1 tbsp beaten egg white into shaker with ice.
Add a dash of gomme syrup and a dash of angostura bitters.
Shake. Strain into glass.
Salud!

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Birch Tree Wine

A tapped birch can give around 4 litres of sap over 24 hours (above). Fermented with lemon and raisins, it makes a lovely wine 

Birch tree wine

4 litres of birch sap (as fresh as possible - see the feature on page 36 of February's The Simple Things for how to tap a birch tree)
1kg sugar
200g raisins
Juice of 2 lemons
5g wine yeast (1 sachet)

You will need:
1 large bucket
2 x 4.5 litre demijohns with airlocks*
Sieve
Funnel
4 or 5 x 750ml bottles

1 Give everything a good scrub and sterilise with hot soapy water. Put the sap in a large pan and bring to the boil. Add the sugar and simmer for around 10 mins until the sugar dissolves. Pour into the sterilised bucket and add the raisins and lemon juice. Leave to cool.
2 ‘Activate’ the yeast according to the packet instructions and sprinkle into the bucket. Cover loosely with a cloth and leave to ferment for around 3 days at room temperature.
3 Strain out the raisins and decant into into one of the demijohns. Seal with an airlock. Leave upright in a warm, darkish place for around 4 weeks. Sediment will collect at the bottom of the jar.
4 Decant the liquid into the second demijohn without disturbing the sediment and seal again with an airlock. Discard the sediment. Leave upright in a warm, darkish place until fermentation is complete (when no more air bubbles rise into the airlock). This could take another 4 weeks.
5 Decant the liquid into your sterilised wine bottles, again without disturbing the sediment and seal. Discard the sediment.
6 Store the bottles on their sides in a cool place (if you’re using corks, make sure they’re tight!) and leave to ‘age’ for at least 3 months. Best after a year, if you can wait that long!
 
* For wine-making supplies, try homebrewcentre.co.uk or wilko.com.

Recipe by Kate Turner.
 

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Recipe | Fluffy Banana Sultana Pancakes

The best thing about February? Pancakes, of course. Bananas and sultanas are meant for each other, especially when snuggled up together in a tender pancake like this.

Makes 8
100g self-raising flour
1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large ripe banana, mashed, plus sliced banana to serve
100ml whole milk
1 large egg
1 tbsp melted butter
40g sultanas
Melted butter or vegetable oil, for frying
Runny honey or maple syrup, to serve

1 In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, the cinnamon, the mashed banana, milk, egg, and melted butter and gently whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until well combined. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture or the pancakes will be tough; some small lumps are fine. Stir in the sultanas.

2 Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and brush with butter or oil. Drop 60ml batter into the pan and cook for about 1 min, or until golden underneath. Adjust the heat as needed to ensure the pancakes don’t burn before they’re cooked through. Flip and cook for a further 30 seconds to 1 min. Repeat with rest of the batter.

3 Serve straight from the pan or keep warm in an oven preheated to 150C/Fan 130F/ 300F while you cook the remaining batter.

4 Serve the pancakes with slices of banana and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

Recipe from Posh Pancakes by Sue Quinn (Quadrille)
 

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Spinach, sausage and orzo soup

This spinach, sausage and orzo soup offers a whole meal and a big dose of comfort in one bowl for those midwinter days when you want dinner on
the sofa and minimal washing up.

Serves 4
6 plump sausages (ideally with lots of onion or garlic)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 stick of celery, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp tomato purée
A generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
A small pinch of dried oregano
800ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
100g orzo or other small pasta
150g spinach, stems removed, roughly chopped
2 tbsp single or double cream 

TO SERVE:
Fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh basil, chopped
Freshly grated parmesan

1 Remove the sausage casings and shape the meat into little meatballs. Place the oil in a heavy-based pan with a lid over a medium-high heat and add the sausage meatballs. Brown them all over, then lift out and set aside. Turn the heat down to medium and to the same pan add the onion, carrot and celery, and season; sauté for 10 mins, until soft and beginning to brown.
2 Add garlic and tomato purée and cook, stirring for 2 mins. Next, add the nutmeg, oregano, stock and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 mins.
3 Add the orzo*, spinach and meatballs and simmer for 4 mins, or until the orzo and meatballs are cooked. Remove from the heat, add the cream and remove the bay leaf and check seasoning.
4 Serve in wide bowls, and garnish with herbs and parmesan.

Recipe from Leon Happy Soups by Rebecca Seal and John Vincent (Conran Octopus).

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Marmite and cheddar welsh rarebit

Winter comfort food doesn’t get much better than this

Serves 2
4 slices sourdough
20g unsalted butter
20g plain flour
200ml amber ale
100g mature cheddar, finely grated, plus extra for sprinkling
1–2 tsp Marmite, to taste

1 Preheat grill to high. Toast the sourdough, either under the grill or in a toaster.
2 Put the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Once the butter has completely melted, add the flour and beat to a thick paste with a wooden spoon.
3 Still on the heat, add a splash of the ale and beat in. The mixture will turn into a very thick paste but just keep beating. Add the ale gradually, beating well after each addition. As the mixture gets looser, switch to a whisk and whisk continuously, while pouring in the ale – it’s easier to get rid of any lumps while the mixture is thicker, so whisk like your life depends on it and add the ale gradually. Allow the sauce to come to
a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer and leave it to cook for about 10 mins,
stirring occasionally.
4 Once the floury taste has cooked out of the sauce – test it to be sure – add a generous pinch of black pepper (I wouldn’t use any salt until the end as Marmite can season this enough). Add the cheese and stir over a low heat until melted. Add the Marmite a little at a time, to taste – you may think more is more, but do go carefully; a little goes a long way. Taste for seasoning, adding more pepper and salt if required.
5 Spoon the sauce onto the slices of toast and sprinkle over a little more grated cheese. Place under the hot grill for a minute or two, until the sauce bubbles up and burnished, blackened little flecks appear.

Recipe from Comfort by John Whaite (Kyle Books). 

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More comfort food:

Vietnamese lemongrass tea

A simple, aromatic brew that’s brilliant for taming achy tummies, soothing coughs and helping to prevent colds and flu

Makes 2x250ml servings
4 lemongrass stems
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
1⁄2-1 tbsp coconut sugar or raw honey, to taste
Lime slices to garnish (optional)

1 In a medium saucepan, bring 600ml water to a boil over a high heat. Bash and cut the lemongrass into thin shreds. Peel and julienne the ginger. Add both to the water and boil for 5 mins.
2 Reduce the heat to low and simmer the tea for an additional 5 mins. Sweeten to taste with coconut sugar or honey.
3 Serve warm, or refrigerate and serve over ice, garnished with lime slices.

WHY LEMONGRASS?
With its distinct lemon flavour and citrussy aroma, lemongrass offers an impressive array of medicinal benefits. The main component of the grass is lemonal, a compound that has powerful antiseptic and astringent qualities. It’s widely used in Southeast Asia for its well-reputed health benefits that also include lowering cholesterol, treating insomnia, improving respiratory function and aiding digestion.

Recipe from Tonics & Teas by Rachel de Thample (Kyle Books)

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Tastebud travels | Aloo gobi

Homemade rather than takeaway, this dry, potato and cauliflower curry is a revelation. Originally from the Punjab, it is now popular across India and Pakistan.

Serves 2 (or 4 as a side)
3 medium potatoes
1 medium cauliflower
4–5 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
1⁄2 tsp block mustard seeds
About 12 fenugreek seeds
1⁄2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
1⁄2 tsp each of ground turmeric and ground cumin
1–2 dried red chillies, finely chopped
1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 tbsp frozen peas (optional)

TO GARNISH
Finely chopped fresh red chilli
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Shavings of fresh coconut

1 Boil the potatoes in their skins until just tender when pierced with a skewer. Drain, leave to cool completely and then peel and cut into chunks.
2 Blanch the cauliflower in a pan of boiling water for 2 mins. Drain, cool and divide into small florets.
3 Heat the oil in a large shallow pan, add the mustard seeds and fry until they begin to pop. Add the fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and ground spices, along with the chillies and onion. Stir well and fry over a low heat until the onion is soft and golden brown – approx 10 mins.
4 Add the cauliflower, cover the pan and cook for 5 mins or until almost tender. Add the peas (if using) and potato chunks, season with salt and re-cover the pan. Cook for l0 mins or until the potatoes are heated through. 
5 Serve garnished with chopped red chilli and coriander leaves, plus shavings of fresh coconut. 
 

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Recipe | Good morning pizza

Start the day with a breakfast worth lingering over

Serves 2
Readymade pizza dough, halved to form 2 circles
2 eggs
Baby spinach
Grated cheddar or mozzarella
Pine nuts

1 Preheat oven to 220C/Fan 200C/ 425F. Spread about 4 tbsp grated cheese over each base. Top with roughly chopped baby spinach leaves making a slight ‘nest’ in the centre.
2 Carefully break an egg in the centre. Sprinkle the pine nuts around the egg.
3 Bake for 15 mins, or until the base is brown and crisp and the egg has set. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and serve. 

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Recipe | Spinach and lemon bars

News just in: you can get your greens from eating cake. No, really. Cake that tastes nice. These lemon-curd filled bars get their green stripe with the addition of spinach to the shortbread base. Almost virtuous!

SPINACH AND LEMON BARS
Makes 16
75g spinach leaves
75g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
2 tbsp caster sugar, plus extra to finish
115g plain flour
FOR THE FILLING
4 large free-range eggs
200g granulated sugar
150ml lemon juice (from about 4 lemons) 
3 tbsp lemon zest
40g plain flour
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp icing sugar, to serve

1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Grease and line a 20cm square baking tin. 
2 Wilt the spinach in a pan with a small amount of boiling water, then run under cold water to refresh, before squeezing out the moisture. Purée with a hand blender until smooth.
3 In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth, but not too fluffy and aerated. Add the spinach pureé and beat well. Sift in the flour and mix gently.
4 Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spread to the edges and press down firmly with the back of a damp spoon. Be sure that the mixture goes right into all the edges and there aren’t any holes. Bake for 25 mins, or until the edges begin to turn golden.
5 Meanwhile, make the lemon filling by whisking the eggs and sugar in a saucepan until well combined, then add the lemon juice and zest and gently whisk until completely incorporated. Gradually sift in the flour, whisking gently to combine, and add the butter. Heat the mixture, stirring constantly, until thickened and the butter has melted.
6 Spoon the mixture over the warm crust, spread evenly to the edges and bake for 25 mins, or until the edges begin to turn golden. The filling will firm up as it cools. Leave to cool completely in the pan, then dust with the icing sugar and cut into squares to serve.

Recipe and photography from Veggie Desserts + Cakes by Kate Hackworthy (Pavilion)
 

Cake in the House is our monthly recipe feature - get a cake recipe every month in The Simple Things!

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Recipe | Bay and lemon wrapped salmon

Fish baked with lemon and bay makes a simple supper

Use bay to protect delicate salmon from the heat of the oven, and to infuse it with its fragrant notes.

Serves 2
2 salmon steaks
2 bay leaves
1–2 lemons, thinly sliced (you’ll need 8 slices)

Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/ 400F. Lay each piece of salmon on a piece of baking parchment, around 25cm square. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then lay on bay leaves and lemon slices alternately and drizzle with a little olive oil. Fold the paper around each piece of fish and tie with string, then place on a baking tray and bake for 25 mins. Serve hot alongside a salad or with salad potatoes and green veg.

Turn to page 37 of January's The Simple Things for more bay recipes. 

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