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Persian style chard, fresh herb & feta frittata

Persian style chard, fresh herb & feta frittata
This recipe is inspired by kuku sabzi, an amazing Persian style frittata packed full of fresh green herbs and aromatic cinnamon, cardamom and cumin. Traditionally the recipe should also contains a few tiny dried rose petals, but those are harder to come by so I’ve left them out of this recipe; feel free to add…
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Shaved fennel, apple & cucumber salad

Shaved fennel, apple & cucumber salad
This fresh salad is perfect when fennel is young and tender. Make sure you trim off any tough outer leaves before slicing.  The salad pairs beautifully with grilled oily fish like salmon or mackerel; the gentle acidity, fruitiness and acid in the salad perfectly balancing the rich oils from the fish. You can, of course,…
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Fusilli bucati with chard, marjoram, lemon & ricotta

Fusilli bucati with chard, marjoram, lemon & ricotta
This quick and simple recipe is a great way to use any soft green leaves you may have in the fridge. In the height of summer, there are all sorts leaves available to us so feel free to use the likes of kale, cavolo nero or spinach if you can’t get any chard. The slight…
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Chicken cacciatore, the love of bringing people together, Food for Life

Chicken cacciatore, the love of bringing people together, Food for Life
It's now 8 months since I moved away from the corporate 9-6 world. I ‘d planned, of course, to write a regular blog about my ongoing progress on the path to sustainable self-employment; but I’m afraid I’ve failed miserably at that. Indeed, over the past few months, I’ve learnt to set myself more manageable goals…
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Spaghetti with feta, cavolo nero, olives, capers & lime

Spaghetti with feta, cavolo nero, olives, capers & lime
This recipe is perfect for the early summer when cavolo nero or kale is in plentiful supply.  The salty acidity from the cheese, lime and capers works so well with the slightly bitter minerality of the dark green leaves, rich in iron.  The trick here is to add enough of the pasta cooking water to…
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Broad bean, feta, mint and basil crostini

Broad bean, feta, mint and basil crostini
Broad beans are delicious. But by the time you’ve removed the larger ones from their tough outer skins, one tends to be left with a fairly modest quantity. So it’s not the kind of vegetable you can expect a whole plate of; instead, dot them through pastas and risottos or use as one of several…
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Beetroot velouté with black olive crumb

Beetroot velouté with black olive crumb
This is a very simple soup recipe that’s delicious served hot or cold.  What makes it special is the balance of sweet, smooth and earthy beetroot and salty, crunchy slightly bitter olives. Recipes are always about balance and I think this hits the nail quite nicely on the head. Dehydrating the olives takes a bit…
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Persian style jewelled fragrant rice

Persian style jewelled fragrant rice
I’ve been fascinated by Persian cooking for some time now. It’s so wonderfully fragrant and fresh, overflowing with vibrant herbs and warming spices and there’s a balance of sweet and savoury that’s second to none. I’ve cooked a few of Najmieh Batmanglij’s (a true guru of Persian cooking) recipes in recent years and she’s taught…
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2 simple, delicious salads

2 simple, delicious salads
Many recipes are merely starting points, the foundations for a skyscraper's worth of variations, alternatives and tweaks. For me, a recipe shouldn't be seen as gospel; it's there to give you ideas and inspiration rather than represent the only way. As Nikki Segnit explains at length, in Lateral Cooking, a recipe is merely one expression…
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