Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2020 i Good Food

We’re creating a holiday atmosphere at home this month by making the recipes we love best from our previous travels, filling the kitchen with the scent of summer. Come along as we dig out the paella pan, saffron and paprika; drizzle honey over feta or sprinkle it with oregano; sizzle chillies and garlic for the perfect pasta, and say ‘ola’ to a giant Portuguese custard tart (p30). Cocktails, spritzes, fizz and frosés also conjure up sunny shores – find our full holiday escape cover feature on page 21. To keep the restaurants and holiday destinations we miss so much front of mind, we’ve invited chefs to share their insight, tips and recipes in these pages, in our live Q&As and new episodes of the BBC Good Food Podcast with Tom…

I sometimes disagree with Joanna Blythman’s opinions, but I couldn’t agree more with her article about eggs (June). They really are one of the most nutritious and versatile foods available, and, as Joanna highlights, are very planet-friendly. If only greedy supermarkets didn’t grab the majority of the profits from egg production. If only farmers were allowed a fair price for their hard work, dedication and expert care for their chickens who produce a superfood that feeds the nation so wholesomely. Thanks Joanna for supporting chicken farmers across the UK. Rebecca Sockett, Shrewsbury…

When Ayesha Pakravan started her catering company, The Plattery, she was optimistic for the future. The Plattery specialises in grazing boards for large corporations, so when the coronavirus pandemic happened, like many others in the food hospitality industry, her orders disappeared. But, she was determined to put her skills to good use. She used 10 per cent of her profits and her own money to start Vital Meals, a non-profit initiative offering home-cooked meals across London and the south east to the elderly and high-risk individuals, plus NHS staff, key workers, children unable to access cooked meals, those on a low income, homeless shelters and more. At the time of writing, she’s donated over 4,500 meals – an average of 200 a day. Now, with £23,000 raised via GoFundMe, she…

El Cocido Spanish cooking set £30, ibericaspanishfood. co.uk This kit contains everything needed to make cocido madrileño (a chickpea & chorizo stew), but these quality ingredients can be used for much more. Inside you’ll find olive oil, paprika, chorizo, pancetta and two jars of large chickpeas – use together to make a tapas dish or pasta sauce, or separately, as you like. Olives by post £12.90, borougholives.co.uk Plump and packed with flavour, the olives from Borough Olives (usually found at food markets across London) are now available by post. Choose from a huge range of olives, including green, black and Kalamata, plus antipasti like sundried tomatoes, cornichons and tapenade. This a great gift for Mediterranean flavour-lovers. The Jimi box £30, thecheesegeek.com Cheese fans will love this fun, modern…

CELEBRITY MASTERCHEF What does tennis guru Judy Murray have in common with Death in Paradise star Shyko Amos and drag queen Baga Chipz? They’re among this year’s band of celebs vying for the Celebrity Masterchef crown. On BBC One and iPlayer in July. MY LIFE IN FIVE DISHES A gem from BBC World Service’s The Food Chain series. In each 30-minute show, Emily Thomas tells the story of a top chef or food writer through the dishes that inspired them. Search The Food Chain on BBC Sounds. THE KITCHEN CABINET Jay Rayner and the panel are back to answer listeners’ questions on all manner of cooking conundrums. Listen in live on BBC Radio 4 at 10.30am on Saturdays until 1 August, or catch up on BBC Sounds. Kathryn Custance…

Professional black cotton apron Anyone at the helm of a barbecue needs an apron like this – comfortable, durable and dark-coloured (perfect for hiding charcoal stains!). It’s also machine washable. £20, John Lewis & Partners Galileo wooden handle BBQ basket There are some foods that seem to always stick to the barbecue (we’re looking at you, halloumi and fish!), so a basket like this is handy. It’s a good size for small-medium barbecues, fitting four burgers inside. £16.99, wayfair.co.uk Set of three Purbeck bowls A barbecue just isn’t a barbecue without all the salads and sides. This trio of lightweight bamboo bowls comes in different sizes; ideal for salads, sides and nibbles. £25, gardentrading.co.uk Marley’s Monsters unpaper towels Sticky chicken wings, stuffed-to-bust burgers and dripping BBQ sauce – napkins are…

SERVES 6 PREP 15 mins COOK 6 hrs 25 mins EASY * 1 tbsp vegetable oil 12 Toulouse-style sausages 200g bacon lardons 2 onions, finely chopped 2 celery sticks, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbsp smoked paprika ½ bunch of thyme, leaves picked and roughly chopped 200ml white wine 400g can chopped tomatoes 200ml chicken or veg stock (fresh or1/2 a stock cube crumbled in 200ml water) 400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed 400g can haricot beans, drained and rinsed 1 tbsp caster sugar 1 tbsp red wine vinegar crusty bread, to serve (optional) 1 Set the slow cooker to low (ours had a 5-litre capacity). Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and brown the sausages on each side – you don’t…

1 BBC Good Food Together Join our fast-growing community on Facebook created with you in mind. facebook.com/groups/ bbcgoodfoodTOGETHER Need baking inspiration, guidance on starting sourdough or keen to give the latest craze for hybrid doughnut-muffins a go? Join our wonderful community of home cooks to share tips, tricks and advice (and even some baking fails) with each other. 2 Food inspiration direct to your inbox Sign up to our free Good Food newsletter at bbcgoodfood.com/howto/ guide/sign-good-foods-newsletter and get extra recipe inspiration straight to your inbox. Our regular email update gives you a first look at brand-new recipes, plus our take on foodie news and events, and exclusive reader offers and promotions.…

SUNDAY Smoky beans & baked eggs The beans freeze well if you have leftovers – portion into freezer-friendly containers without the eggs. Serve with toast or flatbreads for extra sustenance. SERVES 3 (or 2 adults and 2 children) PREP 10 mins COOK 35 mins EASY V * 2 tbsp oil 1 onion, chopped 1 red pepper, sliced 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp smoked paprika 1 tbsp ketchup 400g can chopped tomatoes 2 x 400g cans black or pinto beans, drained 4-6 eggs handful of coriander, leaves picked 1 Heat the oil in a wide, shallow pan and cook the onion for 8-10 mins until softened. Add the pepper and cook for 5 mins, stirring regularly, until softened. Stir in the garlic, paprika and ketchup, then tip in the tomatoes.…

WELL-BEING Food to boost your mood A good mood can’t be achieved through diet alone, but eating a balanced, healthy diet can help us feel better. We asked nutritionist Kerry Torrens what the body needs. Vitamin D Our bodies make this from sunlight, but it’s found in eggs, oily fish, and fortified foods such as breakfast cereals, too. Tryptophan & vitamin B6 This amino acid is a key building block for the good-mood hormone serotonin. Chicken, oily fish, dairy, soya, nuts and seeds are all useful sources. Vitamin B6 helps us use mood-lifting tryptophan – find it in brown rice, beans and pulses. Iron & vitamin B3 These support energy levels and balance blood sugar. Iron is found in liver, beef, shellfish, leafy green veg, dried figs, beans, lentils and…

0-5 mins Prepare and season the duck breasts, then start cooking. 5-10 mins Meanwhile, marinate the tomatoes for the salad. 10-15 mins Add the plums and pak choi to the pan with the duck breasts, and flip the breasts over, then transfer to the oven. 15-20 mins Start caramelising the peaches for dessert, and whisk the mascarpone. 20-25 mins Remove the duck breasts from the oven and leave to rest while you finish the plums, greens and sauce. Keep warm, and set aside until you’re ready to serve. Finish the peach sauce for dessert. 25-30 mins Plate the salad, serve and enjoy. The next two courses can be plated and served when you’re ready.…

1 If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 mins before using to prevent scorching. Slice skinless, boneless chicken breast or thigh into long strips. 2 Weave the chicken onto the skewers bending it back on itself to make ‘S’ shapes. 3 Pull the chicken down as you go and finish by skewering the pointed end of the chicken strip. Add another strip for larger kebabs. Get confident in the kitchen with Barney Desmazery THIS MONTH Bake next level sausage rolls, p106 Japanese food made easy, p110 Summer cocktails, p114 Sustainable barbecues, p116 Get pro tips to improve your cooking from Jesse Dunford Wood on page 113. Watch Barney’s NEW videos at bbcgoodfood.com/video We love to see what you’re making, too:…

EXPERT ADVICE APERITIVI Head chef of deli and restaurant group Lina Stores, Masha Rener gives us some insight into all things aperitivo – and the lowdown on amaro. 1 WHAT IS AN APERITIVO? An aperitivo is usually an alcoholic beverage (but can also be non-alcoholic), generally served before a meal to stimulate the appetite, and is therefore usually dry rather than sweet. 2 WHAT MAKES A GOOD PRE-DINNER DRINK? The key to a perfect pre-dinner drink is having the right balance between the ingredients used to create it. Aperitivi such as Campari, dry vermouth and gin tend to be bitter to wake up the palate and digestive system making them ready for the meal ahead. 3 WHAT EXACTLY IS AMARO? Amaro is traditionally made by infusing grape…

It happened in the blinking of an eye. Overnight, Britain got hands-on in the kitchen again. Before coronavirus, asking people to cook from scratch on a regular basis seemed hopelessly romantic, positively anachronistic, even. Voices, such as my own, that constantly opined accordingly, proved intensely irritating for many. (‘Try fitting that into my life schedule.’ ‘I’m way too busy to cook every day, or even every other day.’) And when I looked at these people’s demanding lives, I could see their point. Book publishers increasingly based their plans on the assumption that scratch cooking was a hard sell. Titles had to have ‘quick’ or ‘easy’ prominently in the title, or look so beautiful that they could be used as a decorative item for barely used kitchens. How many of us…

Biggestandbest We’re proud to be Britain’s biggest-selling food magazine and the UK’s No 1 food website, bbcgoodfood.com. Our contributors – BBC chefs, our in-house cookery team and confident, outspoken columnists – are experts in their fields. Meet us at the UK’s biggest food shows (visit bbcgoodfoodshow.com for dates and details). Our best-selling cookbooks feature our trusted recipes – you’ll find these in bookshops. Recipesforeveryone There are at least 70 new recipes in every issue – that’s more than any other food magazine in Britain. We always include quick, easy dishes, ideas for relaxed entertaining and more challenging recipes for when you want to take your skills up a notch. Look out for our regular easiest-ever recipes. Testedandtrusted All our recipes are triple-tested – once by the writer or chef, once…

FEELING HOT, HOT, HOT Keep your cool Make the most of summer s warmest days with icy sweet treats, freezer-friendly ideas and refreshing drinks in our seasonal guide to chilling out Turn over for ideas and recipes In for the chill The BBC Good Food team share top tips, speedy recipes and fun activities to make summer refreshment a breeze easiest ever ice cream No-churn ice cream Don’t have an ice cream machine? No problem! Condensed milk is the magic ingredient in this simple no-churn ice cream – the end result is still creamy and smooth. SERVES 8 PREP 5 mins plus a few hrs freezing NO COOK EASY V * Put1/2 a 397g can sweetened condensed milk, 600ml double cream and 1 tsp vanilla extract in a large…

Don’t feel guilty about your food pleasures, no matter how weird or wrong (to other people) they may seem. I’m partial to spaghetti carbonara and Marmite for breakfast, justifying it by saying it’s merely an umami-pumped take on eggs and bacon. But, haters gonna hate! The conversation was sparked by news of M&S launching the chilli-cheese hot cross bun...for burgers! Wrong? Perhaps. But also right? Most definitely. This got us thinking: what other food combos are so ‘out there’ they make us simultaneously wince and nod in appreciation? Here’s a small selection from the Good Food team, and friends in our BBC Good Food Together group on Facebook. • Jarred mint sauce on all roast meats (not just lamb) • Crisps inside a prawn cocktail sandwich • Cheeseburger spring rolls…

BEER Wainwright Golden Beer Named in honour of legendary Cumbrian fell-walker Alfred Wainwright, who trekked more than 100,000 miles in his 84 years (so he more than deserved a drink!), this golden beer from Thwaites is a perfect thirst-quencher. Packed with citrussy hops and Maris Otter malt, lending a subtle sweet flavour, it’s brilliant with burgers, kebabs and other barbecue favourites. And with an ABV of 4.1%, it’s a fabulous session brew. From £1.50 (500ml bottle), widely available at major supermarkets FLAVOURED GIN Two Birds pink grapefruit & pomegranate gin The latest gin from Two Birds Spirits is a surprising pairing of grapefruit and pomegranate which, together with a whack of juniper, produces a flavour profile a little like a light amaro – a mix of bitterness and rhubarb-like sweetness.…

Aegean by Marianna Leivaditaki (£26, Kyle Books, on sale 2 July) The ultimate in armchair travel, Aegean is an ode to Crete, the Greek island where writer Marianna Leivaditaki grew up. The book intersperses evocative memories and beautiful images of the island with Cretan recipes. Expect dishes like red mullet with rosemary, tomato and vinegar, and lamb breast with spicy feta sauce, photographed on sun-dappled tables, which will have you yearning for sunny Greek island holidays. Must-try recipe Courgette & feta fritters The Roasting Tin Around the World by Rukmini Iyer (£16.99, Square Peg) Rukmini Iyer’s cookbooks all have a common theme: they’re made in just one roasting tin. Her latest book features 75 one-tin recipes inspired by her global travels. Examples of Rukmini’s hassle-free, flavour-packed…

1 ‘E Ye Ye’ Quantic & Nidia Gó ngora 2 ‘Chan Chan’ Buena Vista Social Club 3 ‘The Next Time Around’ Little Joy 4 ‘Dónde Estás, Yolanda?’ Pink Martini 5 ‘The Rhythm of the Saints’ Paul Simon 6 ‘Old Pine’ Ben Howard 7 ‘Send Me On My Way’ Rusted Root 8 ‘Santa Maria da Feira’ Devendra Banhart 9 ‘Shoeless’ I am Kloot 10 ‘Limehouse Blues’ Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli…

Quinoa, goat’s cheese & peach salad SERVES 4-5 PREP 40 mins COOK 15 mins EASY V 200g quinoa 100g chard, finely shredded 4 peaches or nectarines, stoned, 2 quartered and 2 finely sliced 1-2 lemons, juiced 4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 50g hazelnuts, roughly chopped 25g each parsley and mint, leaves picked and finely chopped, plus extra mint leaves to serve 4 tbsp capers, drained 2 tbsp sumac (optional) 1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar 100g soft goat’s cheese, crumbled 2-3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 4 and cook the quinoa following pack instructions. Drain and mix with the chard, then leave to cool. 2 Put the sliced peaches in a bowl with the lemon juice. Toss the quartered peaches with 1 tbsp…

This family meal planner has been designed to feed a family of four, with two adult-sized portions and two half-sized children’s portions (or three adults). Children’s appetites vary, so although the portions are generous for younger children, you may want to make extra if your children are older, very active or have large appetites. Our recipes give you a head-start on your five-a-day. You can add a few snacks of fruit or veggie crudites, a glass of juice or a generous handful of salad leaves, and you’ll meet the five-a-day target. If you can, start the meal plan on a Sunday. You can get organised and do your food shopping on the Saturday, and spend time prepping for the week ahead on Sunday – this isn’t essential, but it will…

SUNDAY Roast chicken with squashed new potatoes & cheesy creamed spinach SERVES 3 (or 2 adults and 2 children) PREP 15 mins COOK 1 hr 5 mins EASY 700g baby new potatoes 2 tbsp olive oil 1 lemon, zested 4 garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled small bunch of thyme, leaves picked 4 bay leaves 5 chicken legs, including thighs and drumsticks (some of the chicken can be used for tomorrow’s lunch) ½ tsp paprika 300g carrots, cooked, to serve For the creamed spinach 200g bag baby spinach knob of butter 1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp plain flour 300ml milk generous grating of nutmeg 20g mature cheddar, grated 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Halve any large potatoes so they’re all roughly the same…

Lentil salad with tahini dressing Ginger and lemon zest add some zing to this dish. Ginger helps relieve swelling and joint pain, while pumpkin seeds add crunch and provide zinc for healthy skin. SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 20 mins EASY V 2 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil 320g sweet potatoes, cut into small dice 2 large carrots (around 320g), cut into matchsticks 2 large courgettes (around 375g), cut into chunks 2 medium red onions, halved and sliced 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 tbsp finely chopped ginger 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds 2 x 390g cans green lentils, drained 2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder 1 lemon, zested handful of mint and parsley, roughly chopped 21/2-3 tbsp tahini 1 garlic clove, finely grated 2 x 120g pot bio yogurt pinch of smoked…

Elderflower season may be over, but if you have a bottle of the cordial in the cupboard, you can keep the flavour going all year long. Along with strawberries, elderflower is the smell of English summertime. It’s floral, but also ‘green’ (it’s enhanced by lime juice) and has a whiff of nettles and gooseberries. Many fragrant ingredients can be rather sickly, but not elderflower. I collect blossoms every year to make cordial. As soon as I realised there were loads of elder trees near my home, I was out with the secateurs. The individual flowers look like tiny stars; en masse, they create huge, frothy clouds of blossom. There are few activities more bucolic than an afternoon spent picking elderflowers. I always end up feeling like a character in a…

Patchwork strawberry & gooseberry pie This pretty summer dessert is a lovely way to use up seasonal gooseberries. If you can’t find them, it’s easy to mix and match the filling with any soft summer fruits. A patchwork topping is something you see more in America, where they take their fruit pies very seriously. It’s the perfect halfway between a pie and a tart, as you still have pastry top and bottom but get to see the sticky fruit poking through. SERVES 10 PREP 40 mins plus chilling COOK 1 hr MORE EFFORT V 1 large egg, at room temperature, separated 225g unsalted butter, softened 1 tsp vanilla extract 50g caster sugar 350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting extra-thick cold cream, to serve For the filling 500g ripe strawberries,…

Japanese food has the reputation of being hard to make and taking years to master,’ says Aya in the introduction to her cookbook. It’s an image problem that Aya tackles head on, stating that most Japanese food ‘can be made very quickly, as long as you can get fresh ingredients and a few simple seasonings’. These seasonings include soy sauce, miso, vinegar, sugar, salt, sake, dashi stock and mirin: eight flavours, used in different proportions, combined with fresh foods, that are the essence of Japanese cooking. Now, I have an emotionally vested interest in this: Japanese food is my wife’s favourite cuisine. She loves the umami-ness, that quintessential savoury hit that satisfies the appetite, while also being light and delicate. Aya’s book is full of recipes for dishes you’ll be…

Wrapping cheese in cloth is a traditional way of protecting a cheese during maturation. The cloth is applied after pressing, usually with the aid of lard, and then helps protect the cheese for as long as 24 months in the case of vintage cheddars. Natural moulds grow on the cloth during maturation and contribute to the development of the rind. The method of binding cheese in cloth is most common with makers of British territorial cheeses such as cheddar, cheshire and lancashire. Mrs Kirkham’s in Goosnargh is now the last raw milk, clothbound lancashire producer in the country. HOW TO ENJOY: As part of a regionalised Ploughman’s lunch with home-cooked hams, pickles and fruity chutney. PAIR WITH: A hoppy beer is a safe bet for British clothbound cheeses. 3 TO…

First meal cooked? you Dhal. Last supper request? Saag paneer with homemade paratha and yogurt. One ingredient you couldn’t live without? Canned tomatoes. Your worst food? As a vegetarian, anything tripe-related makes me heave. Your favourite food? Toast. Yes, really. One recipe you would love to master? Meringues. Favourite comfort food for stressful times? Again, toast (with Marmite) and a cup of builder’s tea. Your favourite piece of kitchen equipment? My Thermomix.…

To make brânza de vaci, or curd cheese, bring 3 litres whole milk to just below the boil (or 92-95°C on a thermometer) in a pan set over medium heat. Remove from the heat, pour in 50ml cider vinegar and stir once or twice. Leave to cool. Pour the cold mixture through a muslin cloth into a bowl. Lift the cloth around the curds, tie the top with string and suspend over a bowl to drain overnight. To use the cheese in the pie (left), weigh it the next day and stir in some Greek yogurt until you have 500g.…

A household name Also known as a Victoria sandwich, this classic cake is named after Queen Victoria. It’s thought to have been her favourite treat at afternoon tea. Light as a feather Reigning from 1837-1901, Queen Victoria was the first British monarch to enjoy sponge cake as we know it today – it wasn’t until 1843 that baking powder was invented, giving cakes their light, sponge-like texture. Twist on tradition A classic Victoria sponge consists of two sponge cakes sandwiched with a layer each of jam and whipped cream. The top is not iced, but is usually dusted with icing sugar. Turn to page 46 to try one of our two twists on this great British bake.…

Corned beef hash A tried and tested thrifty storecupboard dish made healthier with lean corned beef and extra veg. SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 30 mins EASY 200g celeriac, finely diced 200g carrots, finely diced 1 tsp vegetable oil 1 onion, finely chopped 200g can lean or reduced-fat corned beef or equivalent, diced 1 tbsp tomato purée 1 tsp Dijon mustard 100ml beef stock 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce low-cal olive oil spary 4 eggs 1 Put the celeriac and carrots in a pan and pour over just-boiled water from the kettle to cover. Bring back to the boil, then put the lid on and simmer for 7 mins until the veg is tender. Drain thoroughly. 2 Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion…

Vegetarian Summer magazine Find lots of new meat-free and vegan ideas, including great bakes, to enjoy the best of the season. On sale now, £5.99. On tablet your Download our interactive app at the Apple App Store. Good Food how-to videos Sharpen your cookery skills with our videos. Find over 200 at bbcgoodfood.com/ feature/videos. Tune in for lively chats with the Good Food team, Tom Kerridge and Britain’s best and brightest in food. Available at bbcgoodfood.com/ podcast…

Ginger chicken & green bean noodles SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins COOK 15 mins EASY ½ tbsp vegetable oil 2 skinless chicken breasts, sliced 200g green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks 2 garlic cloves, sliced 1 ball of stem ginger, finely sliced, plus 1 tsp syrup from the jar 1 tsp cornflour, mixed with 1 tbsp water 1 tsp dark soy sauce, plus extra to serve (optional) 2 tsp rice vinegar 200g cooked egg noodles 1 Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat and stir-fry the chicken for 5 mins. Add the green beans and stir-fry for 4-5 mins more until the beans are just tender, and the chicken is just cooked through. 2 Stir in the fresh…

esther After an unfortunate episode at age seven that involved a trip to a fruit-picking farm and me eating about 300 strawberries, I suddenly became intolerant to them (my own fault, really). Ever since, I’ve had to avoid strawberry jam, but that has never stopped me enjoying one of my favourite classic cakes. I love apricots, so I use a sticky apricot compote in my Victoria sponge alongside some vanilla whipped cream. The lemon thyme in the compote adds freshness and gives the whole thing a real taste of summer. There’s a reason why this is one of Britain’s best-loved bakes. You can enjoy it even if you can’t eat or don’t like strawberries. Esther Clark, deputy food editor liberty Growing up, a Victoria sponge filled with strawberries and cream…

Eggy cheese crumpets SERVES 3 (or 2 adults and 2 children) PREP 5 mins COOK 12 mins EASY V 3 eggs 50ml milk 6 crumpets 250g cherry tomatoes, halved drizzle of vegetable oil 40g cheddar, grated 2 small ripe avocados, sliced 1 Heat the grill. Beat the eggs and milk together in a wide dish. Submerge the crumpets in the egg mixture, turning them once, then set aside for a few minutes. 2 Arrange the tomatoes cut-side up on a baking tray and grill for a few minutes, then cover the tray with foil to keep the tomatoes warm. 3 Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the crumpets for a few minutes on each side until the egg has set – you may have to do this…

LEARN & GROW 5 sensory play ideas Allowing children the freedom to be messy is not only good fun, it also helps develop their motor skills. Kids can try these tactile activities with a little grown-up supervision. 1. Blowing bubbles Mix one part washing-up liquid with six parts water to make your own bubble mix. If you don’t have shop-bought wands to hand, have fun improvising. Try making bubbles using a biscuit cutter, paperclip, or colander. 2. Fun with foam Use an electric whisk to mix bubble bath and water in a bowl with a few drops of food colouring. Whisk until you have foam that holds its shape, then repeat to make as many colours as you like. Kids will love playing with rainbow foam in the garden on…

TOM KERRIDGE Staying in really is the new going out, especially now it’s the only sensible thing to do. But, that shouldn’t mean you can’t treat yourself – in fact, it’s probably even more reason to make yourself something a bit special. Enjoying a nice meal and cooking good food are small joys we can all appreciate, so I’ve devised this menu to share. It uses seasonal ingredients, it’s quick and easy (find out how to get it on the table in 30 minutes on page 80), and you won’t need to find anything special in the shop. Had it been able to go ahead, I would have made this menu at the Good Food Summer Show, but now you can bring the dishes to life in your kitchen. Stay…

Being a courgette grower, I’m as excited about the large, delicate blossoms that sprout on my courgette plants as I am the green gourds. That’s because I love filling them with lemon zest-spiked ricotta and deep-frying them, or adding them to salads, and swirling them into risottos or frittatas for a vibrant pop of colour. Usually, I find myself with too many courgettes and not enough flowers – a nice problem to have, but I know that for plenty of people the ‘courgette glut’ is something that brings a sense of panic. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with courgettes, they just don’t have much flavour. Sometimes I’m at a loss as to what to do with them – though gifting to friends and neighbours is a good place to…

WHAT MARINADES DO Depending on what’s in your marinade and how it’s used, it can tenderise food as well as adding flavour to it. If a marinade includes sugar or salt, it will have a gentle softening effect, but if there’s an acid such as lemon juice, vinegar, buttermilk or yogurt mixed in, the marinade will, over time, transform the surface texture of any meat it’s used on. HOW LONG TO MARINATE FOR If you leave any meat in an acidic marinade for too long, the surface texture will eventually become stringy and dry. As a general rule, you shouldn’t leave meat to marinate in acid for any longer than overnight. About 5-6 hours will impart the best flavour and texture, but even 10 minutes of marinating will add flavour.…

TOP TOAST Cheese on toast is the greatest thing – use the strongest cheddar you can get. To go posh, add a grating of gooey cheese, like gruyère. But, normally, it would just be toast with some sliced cheddar and a little Worcestershire sauce, put under the grill. I drop the grill tray to a lower shelf to slowly melt the cheese and stop the toast from burning. That gives the cheese time to caramelise and get crispy at the edges. FEELING BLUE Blue cheeses, like stilton, cashel blue and roquefort are fantastic with their underlying saltiness and powerful flavour being great for seasoning. Roquefort is one of the strongest cheeses around, with a salty, greasy, big punchy flavour. The moment that you add that to something, it doesn’t become…

1 Muffin tins are great for baking with kids. They make what has the potential to be a messy mound into a neat little round. Like everyone else recently, we’ve been baking banana bread, but individually as mini ones, and we make pastry-less quiches, which are basically beaten eggs poured into the holes and sprinkled with toppings. 2 Don’t be scared of using sugar in savoury food. Vinegar enhances flavours and sugar evens it out. You shouldn’t be able to taste either of them – they are just a great way to season. 3 We make our own self-raising flour. It’s really simple: you just add two teaspoons of baking powder to every 150g of plain flour and that’s it – no need to ever buy self-raising flour again! 4…

We were close enough to the Mediterranean to be able to smell it, burning our fingers in our haste to eat oily, garlicky prawns, and spooning pungent onion and tomato salad onto our plates. I can still remember the wine. It wasn t expensive and it wasn’t rare, just a bottle of white made amongst the hills inland from Barcelona that you can buy from an English supermarket. Torres Viña Esmeralda 2018/19 (around £9, Tesco and Waitrose) is tantalisingly aromatic – one of those wines that shimmers out of the bottle. It’s made from two floral grapes, muscat and gewürztraminer, and it smells of fresh grapes and freesia with citrus peel. It’s also very slightly off-dry, though you probably won’t notice any sweetness, the wine just feels gentler and more…

Always read the recipe thoroughly before starting, and use standard measuring spoons for accuracy. Where possible, we use humanely reared British meats, high welfare chicken and eggs produced under the British Lion Code of Practice, and sustainably sourced fish. We avoid waste by using full packs, or suggesting how to use leftovers. If egg size is important, we’ll state it in the recipe. Helping you to eat well Our BANT-registered nutritionist analyses our recipes on a per-serving basis, not including optional serving suggestions. You can compare these amounts with the Reference Intake (RI), the official amount an adult should consume daily: Energy 2,000 kcals, Protein 50g, Carbohydrates 260g, Fat 70g, Saturates 20g, Sugar 90g, Salt 6g (please note, RIs for total fat, saturates, sugar and salt are the maximum daily…

Cheesy ham hock, spinach & ricotta lasagne SERVES 6 PREP 35 mins plus cooling COOK 1 hr 10 mins EASY 70g butter 70g plain flour 1 litre whole milk 1 bay leaf 80g grated parmesan or gruyère 2 tsp Dijon mustard pinch of cayenne pepper 600g spinach 250g ricotta a grating of nutmeg 300g ham hock, shredded, or thick-cut ham, chopped 12 dried lasagne sheets 50g grated mozzarella 1 Melt the butter in a pan until foaming, then stir in the flour to make a paste. Cook for 2 mins. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. Add the bay leaf, return to the heat, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 4-5 mins, whisking continuously until thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk in 50g parmesan,…