JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE FARRO AND HAZELNUT SALADServes 4, Prep: 15 minutes, Cook: 40 minutes200g farro500g Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed clean but not peeled, each cut into quarters2tbsp olive oil50g baby spinach leaves1 small red onion, finely sliced50g hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped4 medium free-range eggs1tsp red chilli flakes, for sprinklingSalt and freshly ground black pepperFor the dressingJuice of ½ lemon2tbsp cider vinegar50ml extra virgin olive oil2tsp coriander seeds, crushed with a pestle and mortar1 Tip the farro into a medium saucepan and cover with 5cm of water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and continue to cook over a low heat for about 25 minutes until the farro is tender.2 Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Place the artichokes on a roasting tray, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until soft and cooked through.3 Make the dressing by combining the lemon juice, vinegar, oil and coriander seeds and pour this over the cooked farro. Stir through the spinach, red onion and 25g of the chopped hazelnuts. Finally, add the artichoke.4 Bring a wide saucepan of water to the boil. Poach the eggs gently in the water for a couple of minutes until softly set (2 eggs at a time might be easier than all 4 at once).5 Taste and add more seasoning to the salad if necessary. Serve your farro salad warm, topped with the poached eggs, the remaining hazelnuts and a sprinkling of chilli flakes.TASTY BITEFarro has a beautiful nutty flavour and becomes tender quickly without turning mushyGARLIC AND WHITE BEAN STEW WITH GREMOLATAServes 4, Prep: 15 minutes, Cook: 40 minutes20 garlic cloves (about 2 bulbs)25g salted butter2 celery sticks, finely sliced into crescents2 thyme sprigs200ml white wine1 x 400g can cannellini beans, drained1 x 400g can butter beans, drained2 bay leaves250ml vegetable stock75g young leaf spinach3 tablespoons crème fraîcheFor the gremolata2tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley1 fat garlic clove, crushedZest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons1 Put the garlic cloves in a medium bowl with their papery jackets still on. Pour over boiling hot water, about 300ml, and leave for 2 minutes. Remove the garlic from the water, keeping the water for later and, as soon as the garlic is cool enough, remove the skins and cut each clove in half lengthways.2 Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Add the garlic cloves, celery and thyme and cook slowly for 3-4 minutes, being careful not to colour the mix. Pour over the wine and increase the heat, allowing it to bubble and reduce by half.3 Stir the beans, bay leaves, vegetable stock and garlic water into your pan. Reduce the heat to low and allow the pot to bubble at a languorous pace for 30 minutes, until the sauce has both thickened and reduced in quantity. Use a potato masher to gently mash some of the mixture at this stage, making the sauce a little thicker. Stir through the young leaf spinach just before serving and allow the leaves to wilt in the warmth of the stew.4 Meanwhile, make the gremolata by combining the parsley, crushed garlic and lemon zest and juice.5 Once the beans are beautifully tender remove the pan from the heat. Stir through the crème fraîche and season well. Serve in bowls with a spoonful of gremolata over the top.TASTY BITEInspired by the Spanish Caldo Gallego stew, garlic is the star of the show here, but don’t be alarmed; the cloves soften in lengthy cooking and provide a gentle backdrop to the white beans.HOT TIPYou can serve this with natural yoghurt or pesto instead of gremolata, if you preferRAINBOW CHARD MOZZARELLA AND HERB PANZANELLServes 6, Prep: 40 minutes, Cook: 10 minutes300g rainbow chardA thick slice of butter3 garlic cloves, crushed4-5 slices day-old ciabatta (roughly 100g)1 × 200g ball of mozzarella2tbsp (heaped) tarragon leaves2tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley1tbsp (heaped) chopped dill fronds100g pine nutsSalt and freshly ground black pepperFor the dressing4tbsp extra virgin olive oilJuice of 1 lemon1 Start by cooking the chard. Remove any tough-looking leaves and roughly chop the stems and leaves into 4cm chunks. Heat the butter in a medium shallow pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chard. Stir well and put the lid on. Steam for 3-4 minutes and remove immediately before all colour has left the stems.2 Tear or cube the bread into 2-3cm chunks and put into a large bowl. Add the buttery garlic and chard mixture. Toss lightly to combine and evenly distribute all the ingredients.3 For the dressing, mix together the olive oil and lemon juice. Pour over the bread and chard mixture, then leave to sit for 20 minutes in the fridge to give all the flavours a chance to combine.4 Just before serving, toss through the mozzarella, herbs and pine nuts. Season and serve, preferably when you are holidaying in Italy!HOT TIPThe general rule with chard is to cook the leaves as you would spinach and the stalks as you would asparagusPUMPKIN TERRINEServes 6-8, Prep: 45 minutes, Cook: 1 hour 20 minutes2 long courgettes, thinly sliced lengthways (you can use a mandolin)Olive oil, to grease500g pumpkin flesh, peeled, deseeded and cut into 7.5mm thin slices70g rocket leaves, plus extra, to serve75g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped75g blue cheese, crumbled250ml double cream2 medium free-range eggs, beaten1tbsp Dijon mustard20g Parmesan, finely gratedSalt and freshly ground black pepper900g/2lb loaf tin (23 × 13 × 7cm)1 Brush the courgette slices with oil and then griddle (see tip) over a high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden and softened. Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan/320°F/Gas Mark 3. Brush the loaf tin with oil to lightly grease.2 Lay the strips of courgette across the base and up the sides of the tin – don’t worry about any overhang, this can be tidied away later. Finish each end with more charred strips, reserving some for the top.3 Arrange a third of the pumpkin over the courgette and top with half the rocket, half the chestnuts and a third of the blue cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Make another layer using half of the remaining pumpkin. Top with the remaining rocket and chestnut and half of the remaining blue cheese. Season and then add a final layer of pumpkin.4 Put the cream, egg, mustard, Parmesan and the remaining blue cheese in a medium bowl. Season and whisk gently until well combined. Pour the cream mixture over the pumpkin. Gently tap on the work surface to ensure the cream has run into any small holes. Fold over any overhanging courgette slices and then top with the remaining slices to cover.5 Put on a baking tray and cook in the preheated oven for 1¼ hours or until the pumpkin is tender and the mixture is just set. Remove from oven and set aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly. Turn out onto a platter and use a serrated knife to cut into eight thick slices.TASTY BITEFor a variation, replace the pumpkin with butternut squash.HOT TIPIf you don’t own a griddle pan, simply fry the courgette slices until they are a little charredSTRIPY COURGETTE TOMATO AND POLENTA TARTServes 4, Prep: 20 minutes, Cook: 1 hour 10 minutesFor the polenta crust500ml hot vegetable stock140g polenta1tbsp unsalted butter50g Parmesan cheese, finely grated1 free-range egg, lightly beatenSalt and freshly ground black pepperFor the tart1tbsp olive oil2tbsp crème fraîche1 courgette, thinly sliced2-3 medium tomatoes, sliced horizontally into thin slices1tbsp thyme leaves, plus extra to garnish25g Parmesan cheese, finely grated21cm square tart tin1 Start by making the polenta crust. Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan and pour the polenta into the water. Keep your pan over a low heat and, using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture constantly, thrashing out any lumps that try to form. Continue for around 6 minutes until the polenta is very thick – it’s a good idea to set a timer as it is easy to think you’ve done enough stirring at the 2-minute mark!2 Remove the mixture from the heat and add the butter and Parmesan and stir until they have disappeared. Then stir through the beaten egg and a healthy seasoning of salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and allow the polenta to cool slightly.3 Lightly grease the tart tin with olive oil. Put the polenta in the centre and, using a spatula or oiled fingers, gently tease it up the sides of the tin to create the sides of the crust.4 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Smother a thin layer of crème fraîche over the base of your tart and top with alternating slices of courgette and tomato. Finish with the thyme leaves and the Parmesan.5 Cook on the middle shelf of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and cook for a further 15 minutes. Remove and allow the tart to cool for 5-10 minutes to allow it to ‘come to’. Serve in slices.TASTY BITEThis recipe is a very informal version of a tart – it’s a little bit messy, a mixture of courgettes, tomatoes and silky crème fraîche. The polenta base is gluten-free and adds a wonderful texture and flavour.ASIAN SLAWServes 6, Prep: 10 minutes, Cook: 5 minutes20g vermicelli noodles (also known as glass noodles)½ head sweetheart cabbage, finely sliced¼ small head red cabbage, finely sliced60g mangetout, sliced on the diagonal1 large green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped6 small spring onions, finely slicedA large bunch of mint, roughly chopped, keeping a few leaves whole to garnish150g salted, roasted peanuts, roughly chopped, keeping a few whole to garnishFor the dressing2 garlic cloves, finely chopped2tbsp fish sauce1tbsp caster sugarJuice and zest of 2 unwaxed limes1 Soak your noodles in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Drain and run under cool water until the noodles are separated. A good trick is then to take scissors to your noodles, cutting them into shorter lengths; this makes the noodles a little more manageable to eat.2 Meanwhile, make your dressing by combining all the ingredients. Allow it to sit for a few minutes, if you have the time. The garlic will infuse with the lime juice and it will taste all the better.3 The next step is super simple. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and use a ‘lifting’ motion to make sure the whole salad is dressed.4 Serve with fresh mint and a few peanuts sprinkled on top.