Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated, a skill disappearing with our great-grandmothers or a knowledge harboured only by chefs of great talent. Cooking is, or at least can be, the simplest thing in the world. It’s about having respect for ingredients and where they came from that really ups our game, allowing everyone to produce remarkable and delicious dishes with very little effort.

Of course, seeking out the finest ingredients can be an expensive endeavour, so eating plenty of plants and the whole ingredient mitigates this cost. Even the cooking liquid from a simple boiled vegetable or grain can be saved and used as stock, the base of a soup or, if the boiled ingredient is of particular note, rendered delicious with nothing more than the application of a little love and a pinch of salt.

Barley water

Drinking the water from the grains we cook for food is the ultimate way to obtain every last nutrient from our food and waste nothing. Drinking grain water is a practice that has been around for millennia, possibly because it has long been thought to be an elixir with many health benefits that help with detoxification and nourishment.

150g barley

2 litres water

100ml sweetener – local honey, maple syrup, date syrup, xylitol or even sugar

Zest and juice of 2 unwaxed organic lemons

1 sprig mint and ice, to serve

Put the barley and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, turn down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid into a jug or bowl (keep the barley to make a salad or to serve as a carb with your next meal). Add the lemon zest and your chosen sweetener to the hot liquid, then leave to cool. Once cold, stir in the lemon juice and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Serve with plenty of ice and a sprig of mint.