When I was younger I didn’t much care for vegetables. The one exception to this was my regular request for ‘Mummy’s Vegetable Soup’. I had tried soup in tins, in restaurants or at other people’s houses but nothing else came close. I think the thing that fascinated me about it was that no matter what amount or combination of vegetables went in (never potato) it would always come out somewhere between green and orange and it would be just Luxury Leek and Potato Soup with Homemade Soda Bread
When I was younger I didn’t much care for vegetables. The one exception to this was my regular request for ‘Mummy’s Vegetable Soup’. I had tried soup in tins, in restaurants or at other people’s houses but nothing else came close. I think the thing that fascinated me about it was that no matter what amount or combination of vegetables went in (never potato) it would always come out somewhere between green and orange and it would be just 
Who doesn’t like a bit of cheese? Over the last couple of years I think Cheddar has been getting a bit of a bad name. Indeed ‘cheddar’ can be used to describe any cheese where the cheddaring process had been used to make it; hence, a piece of chewy, nasty, plastic cheese can be called Cheddar along with lovely, crumbly, exemplary artisan Cheddars.
Barber’s kindly invited me to the BBC Good Food Show last year in Birmingham and I really enjoyed 
Around every corner there seems to be some sort of turkey and cranberry and/or stuffing sandwich. All those crazy festive sandwich fillings come out now for us to enjoy in an intense but short space of time; some more questionable than others. It seems you can put almost anything in a sandwich; I'm waiting for one to come out with a Brussels sprout and mincemeat filling. It is nice to be able to take in all the flavours of Christmas in one mouthful 
A few years ago a friend of mine bought me one of those blank cookery books that you write up your recipes in over time. I had always cooked with my Granny and this seemed the perfect place for her to store some of her recipes for me to refer to in the future. One of the recipes she included was one for Sage, Chestnut, Apple and Onion stuffing which had a rather festive feel to it. She had also included a recipe for sausage rolls a few pages along 
When I go out and there is a charcuterie board on offer I struggle to turn it down. I find cured meat fascinating and it’s one of my absolute favourite indulgences. One of my top five would have to be Iberico ham. I can’t get enough of it although my waist and bank balance would probably encourage me to eat a bit less. I like to make an expensive ingredient go as far as possible so this Spanish inspired potato salad is an attempt to do exactly 
Things on toast, no matter whether they are cheese, beans or mushrooms make a fantastic, easy and fast dinner. I think something on toast has a humble feel about it; it's simple and satisfying. However, humble doesn't have to be hum drum. I had a pile of broad beans and had bought some soft goat's cheese for another meal, but, after a hectic day I wanted something quick and filling: beans on toast. Well, sort of.
Ingredients
You will need (for two 
I don’t like to be rude but sometimes a cucumber can be a pain in the backside. What do you DO with it? Yes it’s very nice quartered and added to a salad; occasionally I go somewhat exotic and fork the edges of the cucumber before adding it, it's terribly exciting. I have wanted to try a chilled cucumber soup and also thin slices with a little salt, sugar and sherry vinegar but every so often I find myself simply wanting to use the cucumber for 
A few days ago it really felt like spring had arrived. I got a bit excited and even opened a window to let some fresh spring air in. It was still pretty chilly but I didn't care; there were daffodils, bumblebees and the smell of blossom in the air. When this seasonal change happens I find myself craving ripe tomato salads, ratatouille and barbecues. Sadly none of these were on offer but not to worry as I had some mint and feta cheese. 
Foraging for food is something I have started to do over the last few years. Hunting down blackberry bushes in the autumn is something I've always done but I've never considered it to be 'foraging'. To me, proper foraging involves a wicker basket, curiously shaped knives and an innate ability to avoid thorns and nettles. Since I started to appreciate the other things that can be found outdoors I have added other wild foods to my repertoire: rosehips, 
On a cold winter's day after having the wind whip around your face for a few hours it is essential to come back to a fantastic lunch. Perhaps a bowl of warm soup and crusty bread, maybe a lovely pasty or pie. For me, there is no better lunch than a ploughman's. I'm not sure why it's called as such but I'm guessing it's something to do with ploughing. Which, incidentally I have tried my hand at before and it's safe to say I won't be quitting my day 
