A “fool” is a great and traditional way of showcasing in season fruit. You can try and be fancy (I’ve tried many different recipes before) but I’ve yet to find anything which beats the simplicity of stewed fruit folded into whipped cream.Confusingly, rhubarb is actually a vegetable, but that doesn’t stop it being right at the top of my list of seasonal foods, and my favourite for deserts such as this. Give it a go with gooseberries or raspberries too – it works just as well.

The parsnip.  Not a very exciting vegetable on its own and certainly one that always seems to be left lurking when my vegetable box is almost empty, but one which works incredibly well with other flavours.  A curried parsnip soup is one way of using this vegetable which is becoming pretty well known, so [...]

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the cress that I’ve been growing in my kitchen. There are so many delicious kinds, I just had to come up the perfect recipe to utilise them.

This bright red beetroot soup is popular throughout the whole of Eastern Europe and it’s easy to see why – the colour is stunning and the taste is delicious!

Papa al Pomodoro is, truly, one of the most delicious and simple soups you can make, originating in Tuscany and consisting of not much more than tomatoes and bread. In my case, it’s also great for creating the illusion of summer; the reality is very wintry wind and rain hammering my window as I type!

This is another healthy recipe, perfect for those of you who fancy losing a few of those extra pounds you gained over the Christmas period. Both the broccoli and cauliflower are excellent detox ingredients, while the chilli is great for releasing endorphines – those natural feel good chemicals in your body. Garlic is a great ingredient too, with detoxifying and antibiotic properties. It’s also great for keeping away the vampires!

Broccoli is a really super healthy vegetable that is underused in the kitchen, high in vitamin c and fibre as well as being a natural diuretic with anti-carcinogenic (cancer reducing) properties. Phew – I feel healthier just talking about it!