Recipe | Salt & Vinegar Nettle Crisps

Photograph by Ali Allen

It’s hard to compete with crisps made from potatoes but these come close and they’re a wildly healthier swap – even better if you use a vinegar infused with other wild ingredients (such as wild garlic).

Serves 2-4

A few handfuls of nettle leaves, washed, drained and dried
Drizzle of olive oil
Pinch of sea salt
Spritz of apple cider, wine or malt vinegar

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/ Fan 160C/Gas 4. Lightly oil a baking sheet and arrange the nettle leaves in an even layer. Sprinkle with sea salt.

2 Bake for 5-10 mins, checking every 2-3 mins and moving around. Cook until deep green and crispy.

3 Allow to cool, which will help them crisp further. Finish with a spritz of vinegar (ideally from a spritzing bottle), or, gently shake a few drops of vinegar across the nettles instead.

This recipe is from our feature ‘Tipping Point’ from our March issue, in which Rachel de Thample shows us ways to eat saps, buds and shoots. Photography is by Ali Allen. The feature also includes recipes for Tree Sap Syrup, CleaversWater, Wild Salad, Nettle Falafel with Lemon Balm Yogurt and Horseradish Trout with Pea Wasabi.

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Recipe | Pepper, aubergine & feta pithivier

This is a Mediterranean take on pie – a delicate puff pastry pithivier filled with peppers, aubergines and feta. It doesn’t need a hefty potato mash, but sweet potato and olive oil mash suits it very well indeed.

Makes 2
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 red onions, peeled and sliced
4 sweet peppers, sliced
1 aubergine, diced
50g feta cheese, crumbled
1 sheet all-butter puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Gently heat half the olive oil in a pan and add the onions and peppers. Season and cook gently for at least 30 mins, stirring as you go, until the peppers are collapsed and slippery.
2 In the meantime, heat the rest of the oil gently in another pan, tip in the aubergine, and season; then cook until it is soft and has lost all ‘bounce’. Remove both pans from the heat until you are ready to fill your pithiviers.
3 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/ Gas 6. Flour your work surface and roll out the pastry until it is around half the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out two circles, around 15cm across, and two more, around 17cm across.
4 Lay baking parchment onto a baking tray and then place the smaller circles on it. Divide the pepper and onion mixture between them, placing it centrally, and then do the same with the aubergine. Sprinkle feta on top.
5 Paint egg around the exposed edge of the pastry, then drape the larger circle of pastry over the mound and trim any excess. Paint egg all over the mound, then use a sharp knife to make a pattern on top. A small hole at the top will help steam to escape.
6 Bake for 35–45 mins, or until the pastry is crisp and browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

This recipe was first published in issue 69 of The Simple Things. National Pie Week runs from 3-9 March. To mark it, we have collated some of favourite Simple Things pies from across the years in our March issue. Pick up a copy to find the other recipes, which include Chicken & Mushroom Pie, Spanakopita, Fish Pie with Crunchy Salmon & Leek Topping, Picnic Pie and Pork & Egg Lattice Pie.

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Tipple | Orangey Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate’s great, but add orange (and perhaps a splash of Cointreau) and it’s hard to go back.

Serves 6

2ltr whole milk
1 large orange
6 tbsp dark hot chocolate powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp grated fresh nutmeg Cointreau (optional)

1 Warm the milk in a large saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer.

2 Cut the orange in half, cutting each half into half-moon slices. Put six aside and add the rest to the saucepan, along with the hot chocolate powder, ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

3 Simmer gently for 5 mins, keeping the heat low to prevent it from boiling. Stir frequently to avoid the milk from catching on the pan. Once ready, discard the orange segments.

4 To serve, pour into cups and add a shot of Cointreau for a boozy extra, if desired. Garnish each cup with one of the orange slices set aside earlier.

This recipe is just one of the ideas from our March ‘gathering’ pages, which this month is a menu for a crafternoon of ‘loose ends’ projects. It also includes recipes for Carrot & Ginger Soup, Spiced Chicken Skewers, Roast Paprika Sweet Potato Wedges, Whipped Feta & Pistachio Dip and Pear, Dark Chocolate and Cardamom Muffins. Recipes are by Kay Prestney and photography by Rebecca Lewis. Ceramics kindly supplied by Francesca Atkinson of Frankie’s Ceramics @frankieceramics.

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Tipple | Ginger & Maple Hot Toddy

Sweet, spicy and soothing, this cocktail also eases a sore throat and helps clear the sinuses. In fact it’s practically medicinal. Best enjoyed on a bracing walk by the sea

Makes 1 cup

3 slices of fresh ginger

1 ginger teabag

1 tsp maple syrup

Lemon slice

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

A shot of brandy or whisky (optional)

Place all the ingredients in a mug and top up with boiling water – use the cinnamon stick to stir it all together. If you plan to serve the hot toddy while out, make the ginger tea and add to a flask with the maple syrup and brandy or whisky, if using. To serve, pop the ginger, lemon slices, star anise and cinnamon sticks into each mug, pour over the ginger tea and enjoy.

This recipe is taken from our ‘gathering’ feature, which in our February issue is a bracing walk on the beach with hot drinks and snacks, followed by a make-ahead lunch at home. You’ll find all the recipes, including Granola Bars, White Bean Puree with Crunchy Topping, Mushroom Ragout, Gremolata and Jam Crumble Tart from page 6. The recipes are by Louise Gorrod and the photography by Emma Croman.

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Cake | Chocolate Coconut Squares

When only chocolate will do, bake these moist, coconutty squares for an oh-so-satisfying
cocoa nibble

Serves 9

150g coconut oil, melted and cooled

200g soft light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract or essence

60g plain flour

45g self-raising flour

30g cocoa powder

40g desiccated coconut, plus extra

for scattering (optional)

For the topping:

100g dark chocolate

100g soft, but not liquid, coconut oil

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Using a little of the coconut oil, grease and line a 20x20cm tin.

2 Place the rest of the coconut oil, the sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a bowl and stir until combined.

3 Whisk the flours and cocoa in a separate bowl to remove any lumps, then stir in the desiccated coconut. Make a well in the centre, pour in the coconut oil mixture and stir until completely combined.

4 Spread the mixture evenly into the lined tin and bake for 25–30 mins, or until just firm. Leave to cool in the tin.

5 Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate in the cooling oven, then beat in the soft coconut oil until it’s a thick icing.

6 When the base is cool, spread over the icing and leave to set. Cut into 9 squares and scatter extra coconut on top, if you like. This will keep for up to five days in an airtight container.

Cook’s note: Coconut oil can be used like-for-like to replace butter in recipes. Depending on what temperature you store it at, it can also be solid in the same way as butter. The more refined coconut oil doesn’t have a distinctive coconut flavour and so works well in dishes that you don’t want to taste of coconut.

This recipe from our February issue is taken from Every Last Bite by Rosie Sykes (Quadrille). Photography: Patricia Niven

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Recipe | Chocolate, Bay Leaf and Spelt Oat Cookies

Chewy, chunky cookies. Add ice cream to make it a pudding, or keep for whenever the need arises. You’re never too old for a midnight snack, after all.

Serves 1

125g salted butter

2 tbsp honey

70g light brown sugar

3 fresh bay leaves, very

finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

50g plain flour

100g spelt flour

½ tsp baking powder

85g jumbo oats

75g dark chocolate

60g blanched hazelnuts, chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/Gas 5. Place the butter, honey, sugar and bay leaves into a saucepan set over a low heat and allow everything to melt together. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 mins, then whisk in the egg.

2 Combine all the other ingredients in a separate bowl, then pour over the butter mixture and stir together to make a stiff dough.

3 Spoon tablespoons of the dough – as many as you want to eat now – onto a lined baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between them, then bake for 10-12 mins, or until just golden on top. Leave to cool and harden a little before serving.

Cook’s note: The dough freezes well, so make as many as you want for yourself, then come back for the rest whenever the need strikes.

This recipe is just one of the ideas from our feature ‘Please Yourself’ in which Kathy Slack devises a seasonal menu to cook and enjoy alone. You’ll find the rest of the recipes, which include cauliflower, leek & mushroom bean bake, bitter leaves and fennel with hazelnut dressing, and malted turmeric milk, in our January issue, out now.

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Recipe | Jansson's Temptation

We don’t know who Jansson was but there’s no need to resist this Swedish winter staple – a potato dish proven to warm body and heart.

Serves 4-6

30g butter, plus extra for greasing

2 white onions, finely sliced

1kg maris piper potatoes, cut into batons

100g jar of anchovy fillets (or 2 tins pickled sprats – anchovies are an alternative option for those of us outside of Sweden)

500ml double cream

3 tbsp breadcrumbs

1 Melt the butter in a large pan and add the onions plus a generous pinch of salt. Cook gently for about 15 mins, or until they’re soft and golden, taking care to stir often to avoid them catching.

2 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6 and grease an ovenproof dish with a little butter.

3 Season the potatoes and then split them into three equal piles. Layer the first pile at the bottom of the dish, next add half of the cooked onions, followed by half of the anchovies or sprats. Add a second layer of potatoes, the remainder of the onions and the remainder of the anchovies or sprats. Finally, top with the last third of the potatoes.

4 Pour over the cream and push down any uncovered potatoes. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and cook for 60 mins. You want the top to be golden and the potatoes underneath to be soft. If the top is cooking too fast, cover it with foil and increase the cooking time until all layers of the potatoes are cooked. Let the dish rest for about 10-15 mins before serving.

This recipe is taken from our January issue’s ‘Gathering’ feature, a hygge Swedish feast for friends, which we have called ‘Comfort and Cheer’. It also includes recipes for Herring & Beetroot Salad, Swedish Glogg, Cucumber Pickles, Danish-Style Salad and Boozy Rice Pudding. The recipes are by Catherine Frawley and the photography is by Kay Prestney.

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Tipple | Fireside Old Fashioned

Make a woodsy variation on the classic Old Fashioned for a chilly January evening by adding smoky maple syrup for a warming fireside tipple.

FIRESIDE OLD FASHIONED

Serves 1

½ tsp maple syrup

2 dashes Angostura bitters

60ml bourbon or rye whiskey

Orange-peel coin, to garnish

Rosemary sprig, to garnish

1 Stir the maple syrup, bitters and whiskey together in a lowball tumbler. Taste and add another ½ teaspoon of syrup, if desired.

2 Squeeze the orange-peel coin, peel side face down, over the cocktail to spritz orange juice over the top.

3 Add ice, stir for 10 secs, and serve with an added sprig of rosemary.

Bartender’s note: You can make an Old Fashioned with spirits other than whiskey – try this recipe with brandy, apple brandy, aged rum or a barrel-aged gin, too.

Taken from New Camp Cookbook: Fireside Warmers by Emily Vikre (Harvard Common Press)

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Recipe: Slow Orange Poppy Seed Cake

Cake is never off the menu at The Simple Things, even post-Christmas. But this gluten-free cake is as healthy as they come – no refined sugar, and you can even pop it in a slow cooker and head out for a walk

Serves: 8
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 3 1⁄2 hours (slow cooker) 1 1⁄4 hours (oven)

200g ground almonds
120g quinoa flour
2 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp poppy seeds
finely grated zest and juice of 2 oranges (approx 250ml)
125ml light olive oil
130g Greek yoghurt
185ml honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Candied oranges and syrup
juice of 1 large orange
4 tbsp honey
1 large orange, thinly sliced

In the slow cooker:
1 Grease slow cooker and line with baking paper. Cover the lid of the slow cooker with a clean tea towel, securing corners around the knob with string or an elastic band – this is to prevent condensation dripping onto the cake as it cooks. 
2 Combine ground almonds, flour, baking powder and poppy seeds in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the orange zest and juice, oil, yoghurt, honey, vanilla and eggs, then gradually whisk into the almond mixture to make a batter. 
3 Pour cake batter into the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hrs until a skewer comes out of it clean. Turn off slow cooker but leave the cake in another 30 mins.
4 For the candied oranges and syrup, put juice and honey in a small, non-reactive pan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Add orange slices and cook for 5 mins each side until oranges caramelise.
5 Remove the cake and top with the candied oranges and syrup. 

In the oven:
1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160/350F. Grease and line a 24cm cake tin. Follow step 2, above.
2 Pour batter into tin and bake for 55 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Cover cake with foil if browning too fast. Follow step 4, above.
3 Turn out the cake and top with the candied oranges and syrup.

Recipe from Whole Food Slow Cooked by Olivia Andrews (Murdoch Books)

* This cake was made in a 5.5 litre slow cooker. If yours is larger or smaller than this, the cooking time may vary, so keep an eye on your cake for the last hour or so.

This blog was originally published in January 2016. We still have at least one cake in every issue of the issue. Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

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Solstice Tipple: Clementine Cocktails

Great for a midwinter get-together, this vibrant punch fuses the sugary appeal of fizzy orange with grown-up bitters and bourbon

For the ice ring:
Freeze 4 sliced clementines in a Bundt pan with water overnight

For the clementine cocktails:
960ml clementine juice
960ml soda water
240ml bourbon
Angostura bitters

Mix all ingredients in a small punch bowl or large mixing bowl and serve with a ladle. Add the ice ring just as guests arrive. Let guests make their own sugar-rimmed glasses by rubbing the glass edge with a half
clementine, then dipping it in a small dish of raw sugar. Garnish with a straw pushed through the centre of a round clementine slice. Use mandarins if you can’t find clementines.

Recipe and photography from The Forest Feast Gatherings by Erin Gleeson (Abrams)

This recipe was first published in January 2017. Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

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Recipe | Christmas Kraut

It’s worth taking time in late November or early December to make this good-for-your-gut sauerkraut with a festive twist

MAKES APPROX 1kg

1 red cabbage, quartered then finely shredded
1 thumb fresh ginger, grated
Zest and juice of 1 orange or 2 clementines
150g fresh or dried cranberries
2 tsp mixed spice
2g sea salt for every 100g
12 fresh bay leaves

1 Put the cabbage and ginger in a large bowl, then grate in the zest of your orange or clementines. Halve the fruit and squeeze in the juice. Next, add the cranberries and spices.

2 Weigh the mixture and add 2g sea salt per 100g veg/fruit mix. Fold the salt through to distribute. Then, scrunch together to help soften the cabbage and massage the salt in.

3 Spoon the juicy cabbage mix into a 1kg jar, or a mixture of smaller jars, adding it little by little and packing down each layer as you go. It’s important to exclude as much air as possible. Pour any leftover brine in the bowl over the cabbage.

4 Use the bay leaves (overlapping them) to fully cover the compacted cabbage. Add a pinch of salt to the leafy cap and fill the jar right to the top with water. Screw an airtight lid onand place it on a plate (to catch any juices that bubble over during fermentation). Transfer it to a dry spot, at room temperature, out of direct sunlight.

5 Let the kraut ferment for two weeks at room temperature, then eat straightaway, or store at room temperature in a dark, cool place for up to 1 year (check occasionally and top up with an added pinch of salt and water to come right to the top of the jar, if needed).

Cook’s note: Refrigerate once open. This kraut will happily keep for weeks in the fridge.

This recipe for Christmas Kraut is from our December Home Economics feature, which also includes recipes for an upside-down turkey with all the trimmings, Boxing Day pasties, winter Waldorf salad, turkey, lemon and thyme risotto, turkey skin crackling and parsnip skin crisps. The recipes are by Rachel de Thample and the photography is by Ali Allen.

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Recipe | Walnut and Rosemary Dauphinoise

This decadent dauphinoise is given a depth of flavour by parboiling the potatoes in stock and then the texture and taste of walnuts on top.  Serve it alongside the Christmas turkey and other sides from our Home Economics feature in our December issue, as a side to any meat dish, or on its own, on the sofa under a blanket any time you like.

Serves 6 

1.5kg floury potatoes (like King Edward or Maris Piper), peeled and cut in 1cm slices  

750ml veg or chicken stock, warmed 

4 garlic cloves, chopped 

4 sprigs of rosemary, chopped 

2 tbsp butter 

400ml cream 

75g walnuts, crushed 

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. Place the potatoes in a large pot (save the peels for potato skin crisps – a great pre dinner snack or good for Boxing Day). Cover with the warm stock and boil until just tender. 

2 Place the garlic and rosemary in a large baking tray in the oven with the butter. 

3 When the potatoes are tender, gently spoon them into the dish with the butter, which should now be melted. Scatter the garlicky herbs over with a good pinch of pepper and a little salt, if needed, as you layer in the potatoes. Pour in the cream so it just covers the top of the spuds, if needed top up with the stock from cooking the potatoes.  

4 Scatter the walnuts on top. Slide into oven for around 30 mins to cook through, thicken and brown the top. 

 Find the rest of our recipes for Christmas Dinner (and clever ideas for using up the leftovers, too) in our December issue. The recipes are by Rachel de Thample and the photographs are by
Ali Allen.

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Recipe | Hasselback Squash with Chestnuts, Pancetta & Mushrooms

Photography by Kirstie Young

Serving a winter squash whole, or at least virtually intact, really brings home how majestic a vegetable they are. This roasting technique gives them maximum surface area to caramelise for extra deliciousness.

Serves 4

1 large winter squash (approx. 2kg whole weight)
6 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs
25 sage leaves
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 fat garlic cloves, unpeeled
180g vacuum-packed chestnuts
250g pancetta
1 tsp thyme leaves, chopped
200g mix of wild and cultivated mushrooms

1 Preheat the oven to 185C/Fan 165C/Gas 4-5. Halve the squash lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Turn both halves cut side down, then use a very sharp knife to slice 1cm slits in the flesh across the squash, taking care not to cut all the way through. I like to place a wooden spoon on each side of the squash to stop my knife before it reaches the chopping board.

2 Transfer to a baking tray, cut side down. Stuff the bay leaves, the sprigs of thyme and 10 sage leaves into the slits then drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season generously. Roast the squash for 1 hr.

3 After an hour, add the garlic cloves and chestnuts to the tray and return to the oven for a further 15 mins.

4 Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the remaining sage leaves and fry for 2 mins, turning halfway, until they stop fizzing, which means the water has cooked off. Remove from the heat, drain, and leave to cool on kitchen paper, where they’ll turn crispy. Set aside.

5 Next, in the same frying pan, fry the pancetta over a medium heat for 5 mins. Add the chopped thyme and the mushrooms, tearing any large ones as you go. Turn the heat up a touch and fry for 5 mins more.

6 By now the squash, chestnuts and garlic should be ready, so remove the tray from the oven. Tip the chestnuts into the pancetta, squeeze the flesh from the garlic skins and stir into the pancetta mixture.

7 Lift the squash onto a serving dish. Tumble the pancetta mixture over and around the squash, then top with the crispy sage and serve.

Cook’s note: This can be made vegan by replacing the pancetta with chopped hazelnuts.

This recipe is from our November Tales From the Veg Patch pages, in which Kathy Slack cooks up a seasonal feast. The other recipes include Smoky Squash Beans & Chorizo Stew, Quick Squash Chips with Herby Mayo and Rye Spiced Pumpkin Loaf.

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Recipe: Cinder Toffee

Shards of crunchy cinder toffee are made for sharing – but we doubt they’ll last long

Cinder Toffee

330g caster sugar
1 tablespoon black treacle
4 tbsp water
15g butter, plus more to grease tray
pinch of salt
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

1  Butter a 24cm-square baking tray and set aside. 
2  Put all the ingredients except the bicarbonate of soda into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat gently, stirring until all the sugar crystals have dissolved. This takes a while but don’t move on to the next stage until the mixture looks like a completely smooth sauce, grit free. 
3  Turn the temperature up slightly so that the mixture gently bubbles, using a sugar thermometer to monitor its temperature. 
4 When the temperature reaches 138C, take the pan off of the heat and tip in the bicarbonate of soda, then whisk thoroughly so that it is well dispersed through the mix. The mixture will bubble up and grow and you will need to move fast, tipping it out onto the greased tray. 
5  Leave it to cool and set completely, then break it into shards and eat.

This recipe was first published in issue 41 (November 2015)

We have more food ideas to enjoy around the fire in the November issue of the Simple Things, on sale now.

November's The Simple Things is out now - buy, download or subscribe.

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Tipple | Fig Leaf Horchata

Horchata, a traditional Mexican drink, is a blend of rice milk, cinnamon and sugar that makes a comforting sip, whether you drink it warm or cold. It’s an excellent tipple for sipping around the bonfire, too. Add toasted marshmallows if you don’t scoff them straight off the stick...

Serves 8

3 ltr almond milk (we used Rude Health almond milk)
5 cinnamon sticks 
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 fig leaves (optional, but they add a deliciously unique flavour)
45ml amaretto shot per person (optional)
Toasted marshmallows (optional)

1 Add the almond milk, cinnamon sticks, maple syrup and fig leaves to a large fireproof pan. There’s a nip in the air, so all the more reason to pop an extra marshmallow in your horchata… or perhaps a splash of amaretto?

2 Gently warm through over a low heat. You want to heat the ingredients slowly so that they infuse their flavour into the milk without evaporating too much of the liquid away. Stir occasionally to ensure the milk doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.

3 Taste and check the sweetness, if you have a sweet tooth, add a little more maple syrup.

4 Once ready, leave to cool, then place in the fridge until needed. When ready, reheat gently. To serve, ladle the liquid into your favourite mug, add a shot of amaretto if desired, and add a toasted marshmallow or two.

Cook’s note: We've used Rude Health here because the base of their milks is organic rice milk, making this a much speedier version of the classic, where you have to soak rice in water overnight before blending it.

This recipe is from our November ‘Gathering’ feature, Dark and Chilli Nights, a menu for a Mexican(ish) get together around a fire. The menu also includes Chipotle Chill Pork Shoulder Tacos, Lime Pickled Onions, Pickled Slaw, Pulled Wild Mushroom Chipotle Tacos, Smoky Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Avocado, Basil & Jalapeno Cream, Jalapeno Salsa Verde, Chipotle Crumb and Churros with Chocolate Orange Dipping Sauce. The recipes are by Amy Moore and the photography by Jonathan Cherry.

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Lessons | From Nigella

We can hardly begin to count the excellent lessons we have learned over the years from Nigella Lawson. Here we’ve compiled just a few of our favourites. 

Nigella on life’s simple things

“Good food doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes the simplest dishes are the most satisfying.”

Nigella on chicken

“You could probably get through life without knowing how to roast a chicken, but the question is, would you want to?”

Nigella on peeling beetroot

“Wear gloves when peeling a roasted beet unless you want more than a touch of the Lady Macbeths”

Nigella on custard

“Custard should be firm but not immobile; when you press it with your fingers, it should have a little wobble still within. Soft, warm and voluptuous - like an 18th century courtesan's inner thigh.”

Nigella on being a domestic goddess

"Sometimes...we don't want to feel like a postmodern, postfeminist, overstretched woman but, rather, a domestic goddess, trailing nutmeggy fumes of baking pie in our languorous wake."

Nigella on her ham in Coca Cola recipe

“Only those who have never tried this raise an eyebrow at the idea. Don't hesitate, don't be anxious: this really works. No one who cooks it, cooks it just once: it always earns a place in every repertoire.” Ham in Coca  Cola

Nigella on keeping dinner parties fun

“Tension translates to your guests. They'll have a much better time having chilli and baked potatoes than they would if you did roast duck with a wild cherry sauce and then had to lie down and cry for a while.”

Nigella on her Naan Pizza

“I beg you to keep the wherewithal for this fantastic instant snack-cum-supper in your storecupboard. It's a lifesaver! All I feel strongly is that while shop-bought pizzas are vile, packet naans, when heated, are not.” Naan Pizza

Nigella on cooking

“I don't believe you can ever really cook unless you love eating.”

Nigella on Fondue

“I don't suppose this is ever going to win plaudits from the World Health Organisation, but a cheese fondue is surely the stuff of dreams. On the plus side, health-wise, I love it best with radishes, chicory, spears of radicchio and carrots dipped in, but I don't know why I am trying to engage with that particular argument.Make a vat of this, and supply nothing other than fruit afterwards or, at most, a little palate-tickling sorbet.” 

In our October issue, we remember domestic goddesses from across the years in our feature ‘Household Names’ which starts on page 88. 

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Recipe | Rainbow Minestrone Soup with Basil Mayo Topping

A soup to make when you think there is no food in the house. This simple bowl of veg and pasta is a vibrant creation that brings new life to everyday cupboard ingredients.

Serves 2

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ carrot, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tin of top-quality finely chopped tomatoes
75g soup pasta
75g frozen sweetcorn
75g frozen peas
2 tbsp top-quality mayonnaise
2 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp basil, torn

1 Warm the oil in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, then add the carrot, onion and a pinch of salt, and fry gently for 10 mins until soft. Add the garlic for the final 2 mins.

2 Add the tinned tomatoes. Fill the empty tin half-full with hot water and add that to the pan. Turn the heat up and, once boiling, add the pasta and cook for 5 mins. Add the sweetcorn and peas for 1-2 mins, then check the seasoning. Remove from the heat.

3 Mix the mayonnaise, yogurt and basil together. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with a dollop of the sauce and parsley, if you have it.

This recipe is from our feature ‘Souper Foods’ from our October issue, which includes recipes for lots of delicious soups, with tasty toppings. The recipes are by Kathy Slack and the photography by Kirstie Young.

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How to | Stock a Storecupboard

While humans can’t hibernate (NASA are working on it), some store cupboard friends can see you through the winter

Stow somewhere cool & dry:
Squash: If kept airy with no bananas, should last to March.
Garlic: As above – not breaking up the bulbs helps longevity.
Potatoes: Pop into the dark for three months of spuds.
Tins (if not dented): ‘Low acid’ contents will last longer, for example, not tinned fruit.
Spices: Ground keep for up to 3 years and whole spices for 5.

Stow somewhere cool, dry – and in an airtight container:
Nuts: Varies by type, reckon on them keeping for 6–9 months.
Rice: The brown type will keep through to spring, while white can last for up to 30 years.
Beans: Tinned beans are fine; dry beans do a whole year.
Beverages: Loose tea keeps longer than bags, but coffee beans (not ground) last for up to 6 months, even when open.
Chocolate: Good news! Solid milk chocolate copes for up to a year, and dark for double that.

The big freeze:
Things last almost forever in the freezer, but suffer taste-wise. Think 3 months for curries, soups and stews, 6 for uncooked meat, 8 for baked goods. Low-water content veg (for example, not the likes of celery) is good for around a year.

The miracle workers:
Honey: The natural stuff is low water/high acidity, a sweet spot meaning it won’t go off. Can use in treating wounds.
Salt: If not ionised, lasts just about forever. Helpful for a saltwater gargle, too.
Spirits: The high alcohol keeps it from going off if unopened: it’ll keep into spring, if you dip in.

This feature is from our October Miscellany where you’ll find lots more seasonal ideas each month.

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Recipe | Apple & Cinnamon Rose Cake

Pretty as the flower, this tastes and smells like autumn. An extra pat on the back for hand-picked apples.

Serves 8-12

For the apple topping:
50g unsalted butter
4 tbsp soft brown sugar
4 apples, washed, cored and finely sliced
Juice of 1 lemon

For the cake:
280g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
100g unsalted butter at room temp
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
100ml milk
1 apple, washed, cored and grated
1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus ¼ tsp to sprinkle on the top~
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tbsp sieved icing sugar to decorate

1 Start by making the topping. In a large saucepan, heat the butter and brown sugar for a few minutes, stirring until melted. Add the apple slices and the lemon juice, and heat for a few minutes until the apple slices start to soften. Set aside.

2Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/Gas 5 and grease a 25cm cake tin.

3 In a large bowl, stir together the flour, a pinch of salt and the baking powder.

4 In a stand mixer, whisk 100g butter and the caster sugar until blended. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and lemon zest, and continue mixing until the mixture is smooth. Add the milk and blend until combined.

5 Add the dry ingredients slowly to the mixer on a slow speed. Stir the grated apple into the mixture along with the cinnamon before adding to the greased cake tin. Tap the tin to

level the mixture.

6 Take your bowl of preprepared apple slices and lay them in an overlapping circle on top of the mixture, with the sliced edge facing down into the batter. Sieve a ¼ tsp of ground cinnamon on top.

7 Bake in the preheated oven for 35–40 minutes. Test it is baked by putting a metal skewer into the middle; it should come out clean. Grate the nutmeg over the cake and sieve the icing sugar on top too.

This recipe is taken from our feature ‘Life is Brewtiful’ from our October issue, a menu designed for an autumnal late afternoon tea. It also includes recipes for Ginger Fizz, Pear & Cheese Toasties, Smoked Fish & Kale Quiche, Parmesan & Chive Savoury Scones, Spiced Autumn Tea and Spiced Biscuits. The recipes are devised and styled by Kay Prestney and photographed by Rebecca Lewis.

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Cake | Sweet Potato & Chocolate Loaf

Otherwise known as Torta Do Patata Dolce e Cioccolato, this simple Italian loaf cake with added veg is great for a teatime snack or for breakfast with a strong coffee

Serves 6-8

1 large sweet potato (approx. 300g)
3 eggs
150g caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
150g butter, melted
225g 00 flour, sifted
16g baking powder (we used a 16g sachet of Paneangeli baking powder)
60g dark chocolate, finely chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4 and line a 900g loaf tin with baking paper.

2 Start by cooking the sweet potato. Either bake it whole in its skin in the oven for about 50 mins, or bring a pot of water to the boil and cook it for about 40 mins until tender. Alternatively, for speed, you can peel it, chop it into small chunks and place in a bowl with about a tablespoon of water, then microwave it for about 8 mins until tender. Once cooked, mash the potato, then set aside.

3 Meanwhile, place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat until creamy and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the mashed sweet potato, the lemon zest and melted butter until well incorporated, then fold in the flour, baking powder and chopped chocolate.

4 Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the oven for about 50 mins, or until well risen and golden on top. Leave to cool in the tin, then carefully remove, slice and serve.

This recipe featured in our September issue and was taken from Gennaro’s Verdure: Big And Bold Italian Recipes To Pack Your Plate With Veg by Gennaro Contaldo (Pavilion Books) Photography: David Loftus

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More cakes to bake…