Serves 4

Aubergines have long been regarded with culinary suspicion: almost black in colour and, like potatoes and tomatoes, a member of the Solanaceae (nightshade) family of plants, they were referred to as Apples of Sodom in the Middle Ages. I, however, am a fan! Aubergines are so versatile and a star ingredient of cuisines as varied as Chinese, Turkish, Mediterranean and Thai. I have even written a whole book about them, although sadly now out of print! West Dean Gardens has a fine collection of aubergines of different shapes, sizes and colours in the glasshouses.

This dip proves that aubergines do not have to be swimming in olive oil to be tasty! It also makes a great salad - dollop a large spoonful in the middle of mixed leaves and other salad veg to eat with crusty bread. Use the standard, large purple aubergines for this, and there are many UK grown aubergines about. I get mine from Nick Lille at Almodington who is a fabulous grower and supplies Sainsbury’s.



2 aubergines
2 large eggs
2 large tomatoes
4-6 salad onions
1 red chilli
A small handful of parsley or mint
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp capers


1 Bake the aubergines in a hot oven at gas mark 7, 220℃, 425℉ or in the Roasting Oven of an Aga for 35-40 minutes, until slightly wizened and tender when poked with a sharp knife. Alternatively, BBQ over hot coals. Leave to cool.
2 Place the eggs in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Run immediately under cold water, crack the shells and leave in cold water until required.
3 Chop the tomatoes and slice the salad onions. Seed the chilli then chop it finely with the parsley or mint, garlic and capers. Shell and finely chop the hard-boiled eggs.
4 Roughly chop then purée the aubergines. Stir in the remaining ingredients and season well with salt and pepper. Add a little olive oil if you wish and serve, preferably at room temperature.

Tags: aubergines, dip, capers, garlic

Serves 4 as a starter, 2 as a main course

This is such a yummy dish and Selsey crabs are utterly brilliant at the moment. The picture and recipe suggest avocado for the middle of the timbale, but mango would work just as well, as would artichoke hearts. You need the tomato, though - and for more tomato ideas come along to the Totally Tomato Show at West Dean this weekend.



2 dressed Selsey crabs, hand picked if possible
Small handful parsely
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tomatoes, or 4-6 baby plum tomatoes
1 ripe avocado
Juice of ½ a lemon
2 tbsp mango chutney
Good pinch cayenne pepper
Worcestershire sauce
Dry white breadcrumbs (optional)
Fresh bread or toast to serve

1 Scoop the white and brown crab meat into separate bowls. Finely chop the parsley and mix with the white meat, seasoning to taste. Chop the tomatoes, seeding them if large. Chop the avocado flesh and toss it in lemon juice.
2 Mix the brown meat with the tomatoes, chutney, cayenne, seasonings and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Add breadcrumbs if the mixture is too moist - I use dried breadcrumbs which I always have to hand.
3 Serve layered on shredded lettuce in wine glasses, or press into oiled rings or moulds in layers and invert onto plates to serve with bread and butter or toast.

Tags: Selsey crab, shellfish, local food, salad

Serves 2

Lots of people declare that they don’t like squid - tough, chewy and greasy are often accurate descriptors of pub fried rings. Through slow cooking, squid takes on a whole new dimension in meltingly tenderness and is really rather rich as well as utterly delicious. I’ve got fresh local tomatoes and squid caught off Brighton from Jordan in Rose Green. Who needs to go to the Med?!



350g prepared squid
1 onion
1 carrot
1 stick celery
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp fruity olive oil
2 tsp Sweet or Hungarian paprika
½ tsp picante or smoked paprika (optional)
2 bay leaves
400ml passata/sieved tomatoes, 500g fresh chopped tomatoes OR 400g can chopped tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rice or pasta for serving

1 Leave the squid tentacles whole and cut the bodies into rings no more than 1cm thick. Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery and finely chop the garlic.
2 Heat a saucepan, add the oil then the squid and cook for 2-3 minutes until the flesh becomes opaque. Add the onion, carrot and celery with the paprikas and bay and cook for a further 2 minutes over a medium heat. Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer slowly for 45-60 minutes. Add a little water if the sauce becomes too thick.
3 Remove the bay leaves, season to taste and serve with rice or pasta, garnished with a little chopped parsley or celery leaf.

Tags: Squid, tomatoes, goulash, mediterranean, slow cooking

This is the best dish in the world for left-overs. It doesn’t really matter what goes into it and it is a great dish for clearing out all the bits and pieces in your fridge, which is something that I shall be doing today. Whatever you have that’s savoury, just chop it up and put it in.





You’ll need left-over cooked meat, as much as you have, and mashed potatoes. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6, 200℃, 400℉. Dice the meat finely - don’t mince or process it or you’ll have no texture in the finished dish. Add any cooked veg like leeks with left-over gravy, horseradish and mustard to taste. Alternately, cook a finely chopped onion in a little oil until soft, then add the meat. Simmer the meat and veg, moistened with gravy, stock or water, for about 5 minutes. Season to taste then pour into a suitable dish. Top with the mashed potatoes.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the pie is piping hot and the potato topping is browned. Free food always tastes best! And remember this when you mash potatoes: drain the spuds, then heat some milk in the pan before returning the potatoes and mashing them with butter and seasonings. Warm milk gives a much better mash.

Tags: left-overs, mash, mashed potatoes, family food, warming dishes

Makes about 24

These might look mean compared to some commercial offerings but, homemade with the best ingredients, these are rich and delicious and simply offer no comparison to anything mass produced. They are also expensive to make, which is another reason for small pieces!



Shortbread base:
100g unsalted butter
150g/1 cup plain flour
50g caster sugar

1 Preheat the oven to gas mark 5, 190℃, 375℉ and butter a Swiss roll tin, . Cut the butter into small pieces and rub it into the flour and sugar until the mixture is fine crumbs. Press the crumbs evenly all over the base of the tin, with your fingers or a palette knife, then bake for 25 minutes, until golden. Leave to cool.

Filling:
250g unsalted butter
397/405g can condensed milk
4 tbsp/½ cup golden syrup

2 Cut the butter into small pieces and melt it in a pan, then add the condensed milk and syrup. Stir until blended then bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until thickened then pour over the shortbread base. leave until cold and set.
If the filling splits and the butter runs out as it is boiling, you haven’t been stirring vigourously enough. Don’t worry! Pour the mixture into a bowl, allow ti to cool slightly then whisk it until the mixture is back in emulsion. Pour over the shortbread immediately.

Topping:
300g good milk or plain chocolate

3 Break the chocolate into squares and melt, either over a pan of just simmering water or in a microwave cooker, stirring every minute until melted. Spread over the cooled fudge filling then leave until set before marking into squares and cutting.

Tags: Chocolate, millionaire's shortbread, condensed milk, calorie laden treat

Serves 2

My fig tree is yielding well at present and this is one of my favourite smug (I grew it myself!) salads to celebrate my exotic harvest.



1 ripe fig
1 ripe pear - red skinned if possible
50g rocket
6 slices Napoli salami piccante
4 roast and marinated artichoke hearts
1 tbsp pistachio kernels
Salt and pepper
Olive oil and Balsamic vinegar to dress

1 Cut the figs into quarters. Cut the pear into quarters or sixths and remove the core.
2 Arrange the rocket on a serving platter or two plates, then top it with the salami, folded over and curled. Top with the fig, pear and artichoke hearts, then scatter the pistachios over. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
3 Dress the salad with a good extra virgin olive oil and a few drops of balsamic vinegar just before serving.

Tags: Pears, figs, salad, salami

Makes 12

We don't often have a pudding but we do like some cake in the tin for teatime as we both work at home. However, as it's cold and miserable and there are plenty of windfall apples around, perhaps a pudding is in order? We have great debates about this recipe - is it a flapjack or an apple bread pudding? Served warm with custard or ice cream it is a delicious pud, but you only need a little as it is quite rich. I am a great fan of flapjack and have been experimenting with fruity porridges to make an even more delicious biscuit. You can make this with regular porridge oats and add in some raisins, dried cranberries or dried apple rings, all chopped up quite small. I would suggest 350g oats and 100g fruit. My favourite Fruity Porridge comes from Dorset Cereals - do avoid those that come in 'handy individual sachets' - over-packaging in the extreme. If you use a smaller tin, 20cm square, reduce the heat to gas mark 5, 190C, 375F and cook for about 30 mins.



2 Bramley cooking apples (use 3 Granny Smiths as an alternative)
150g butter
150g/scant 1 cup Demerara sugar
450g Fruity Porridge

1 Preheat the oven to gas mark 7, 220C, 425F. Line a shallow baking tin 18 x 28cm with baking parchment.
2 Peel, core and slice the apples. Cook them with the minimum possible water - just 2-3 tbsp - until soft. Do this in a saucepan or a microwave. Stir the apples, add the butter and sugar and heat again gently until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved.
3 Stir in the porridge and fruit, then spread the mixture out evenly in the tin. Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden. If you have an Aga, bake on the wire shelf on the second set of runners in the Roasting Oven. Mark into 12 fingers while hot, and leave to cool in the tin.
4 Cut the flapjack fingers through when cold.

Tags: Flapjack, apple cake, apple, porridge, oats