Strawberry Mascarpone Tart [#94]

As Nigel says, the easiest tart ever - although I think I may have chosen unwisely with the shortbread as the biscuit base, as it has set quite firm, instead of being short and crumbly, as Nigel envisaged. Tastes good though, and that's what matters! I can see this working with loads of fruit toppings. Don't overbeat the mascarpone and egg yolk, as it almost split.

Baked Salmon [#93]

Nigel's original recipe calls for dill, which I didn't have. Still lovely, though, a great big side of organic farmed salmon, baked in parchment and foil with lemon and a touch of Noilly Prat vermouth. Served cold with a dish of grated cucumber mixed with mayo and Greek yoghurt, lemon juice and mustard, and with Jersey Royals and asparagus to accompany. Very English, very early summer, loads of leftovers. Followed with the remaining little Lemon Amaretti Cream Pots from yesterday. Heaven.

photo courtesy of www.apotofteaandabiscuit.blogspot.com

Lemon Amaretti Cream Pots [#92]

Phew! Third Nigel recipe tonight, but I had some catching-up to do this month. These were delicious little pots, with the creaminess cut a little with yoghurt and lemon curd. Nice and simple after the spicy main course, served with some shortbread (bought, I'm afraid - come on, I'm not bloody Superwoman!)

Bulghur Wheat with Aubergines and Mint [#91]

We went way back to the January section for this accompaniment to the Five Spice Quail - much more appropriate on a warm evening with grilled meat than on a cold mid-winter night. Bulghur Wheat has a curious texture, and I think I prefer couscous on balance, or I prefer just a small quantity in a proper Tabbouleh. Anyway, it is essential to big up the flavours with masses of garlic, aubergine, onion, tomatoes and - most important, mint, parsley and lemon juice. Loads left over for Hubby to eat for lunch at work tomorrow with the remaining carved quail.

Five-spice Quail [#90]

Hmmm....I always knew I'd have a slight problem with this recipe. Not the flavour, which was very nice (good spicing) but just because of my inherent reluctance to eat such a dinky little creature - or two of them indeed. As I've mentioned before, I don't like sucking on bones (erm......you KNOW what I mean!) and I hate the plate to look like a visit to the Roman catacombs with all those carcases! My fault. Anyway, they were pleasant enough to eat, and the leftovers look much more acceptable carved into small pieces for Hubby's lunch tomorrow with the remaining Bulghur Wheat salad (see next entry)

A Cooling Crab Salad [#89]

This recipe was meant to be for a hot day! Instead, we ate it on a grey and cool late-May evening. Still, it made us think of our warm, sunny holiday in Cornwall and The West Country last week, where I enjoyed Brown Crab on Toast at Mark Hix's Oyster & Fish House in Lyme Regis. This recipe depends utterly on the freshness of its ingredients - so I ordered a tub each of Seafood and Eat It white and brown crab from Ocado. It was spankingly fresh. However, unlike Nigel's recipe which calls for 300g of white crab meat for two people, I made do with 100g of white mixed with about 20g of brown, and this was plenty, being such a rich product. The rest will go into crab fishcakes for tomorrow. Surprisingly delicious and delicate dish - nearly missed the ginger out of the dressing, which would have been disastrous, so thanks to hubby for spotting my omission!

Try as I might, I can't track down an online recipe, which is a shame - essentially it is a composed salad of watercress, melon, cucumber, crab, dressed in lime juice, sugar, grated ginger and masses of mint. Go get the book!

Red Mullet with Lemon and Rosemary [#88]

More lovely fresh fish from Stein's Deli in Padstow, this time two beautiful red mullet. Again, Nigel gives them a simple treatment, rubbed with a paste of garlic, rosemary and olive oil, then grilled until succulent. Lovely with Jersey Royals and some finely shredded, steamed and buttered, Cornish greens. No online recipe, I'm afraid, but it is as simple as I've described above!

Grilled Mackerel and Tomatoes [#87]

Well, a bit of a blog blackout as we have been holidaying in North Cornwall, sans IT connectivity. However, I still managed to get a couple of Nigel recipes in, mainly because of the fantastic local fish on sale. Ultra fresh mackerel, rigid and glistening, beckoned us from the fish counter of Stein's Deli in Padstow. Rather than filleting the fish, as in the recipe, I slashed the whole fish and grilled it until the skin blistered. I also grilled the sliced tomatoes and their garlicky dressing for a few minutes. Simple and scrummy, consumed greedily while sitting at our apartment balcony, watching the deep greeny-blue waves of the Atlantic below.

Fruit and Almond Crumble [#86]

In the book, Nigel uses greengages, but these won't be in season for several months (around July/August) so I substituted rhubarb and strawberries, which are a lovely combination. We have been spoiled this year by fantastic outdoor rhubarb (Raspberry Red variety) from the Rectory Farm Pick-your-own, who also do brilliant asparagus, sprouting broccoli etc. Will re-visit this recipe in the greengage/plum season. Good crumbly topping with ground almonds adding richness to the recipe.

Orecchietti with Roast Tomatoes and Basil Sauce [#85]

Perfectly nice recipe, just like the sort of thing I would make myself. One thing I did differently from Nigel was to skin the tomatoes first, but then I was using large ones rather than the cherry toms he suggests (although I did fling some of them in as well!). Nice wholesome veggie supper, with English strawberries and some juicy navel oranges to follow - we feel quite virtuous! No online recipe, sadly, but basically, loads of ripe tomatoes, garlic, olive oil - grill or roast till jammy and brownly blistered, mush through cooked pasta with a touch of cream or creme fraiche and loads of fresh basil. Add grated parmesan - voila!

White Bean and Tarragon Soup [#84]

A nice clean, delicate soup, with enough for our lunch at work tomorrow. I used tinned cannellini beans instead of cooking them from scratch. Also, got a lovely stock (about a pint) from steaming leeks - the water left over in the steamer bottom was very intensely flavoured. Nice cheap, wholesome recipe - thanks Nigel!

Lemon Ice Cream [#83]

Actually, lemon meringue ice cream, and easily made, consisting of softly whipped double cream, Greek yoghurt, lemon curd, lemon zest and juice , and bought meringues broken into large chunks. Only needs a light stirring as it freezes, so no ice cream machine needed. Lovely and sprightly end to our Bank Holiday feast of asparagus and goats' cheese tart, and roast chicken with garlic and pea pilaf. Sadly, another recipe with no official online presence, so if this doesn't make you go out and get the book, I don't know what will! The flat is full of the fragrance of lilac from our huge trees at the end of the garden - spring has sprung!

Chicken Roasted with New Garlic and a Pea Pilau [#82]

A whole head of lovely fresh garlic, boiled and skinned, is added to the roasting chicken near the end of its time in the oven and then mashed into the pan juices, which I also scented with fresh bay leaves. Very nice with the pea pilau that accompanies it. Lovely Spring supper, with glazed Chantenay carrots and purple sprouting. No online recipe available, I'm afraid, so 'buy the book'!