Yummy Berry Pavlova
Ingredients
6 free-range egg whites

pinch salt

350g/12oz caster sugar

2 tsp cornflour

1 tsp white wine vinegar

For the filling
600ml/20fl oz double cream, whipped until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed

250g/9oz strawberries, hulled

250g/9oz blueberries

crystallised flowers, to decorate (see Top recipe tip below)

icing sugar, for dusting

Preparation method
1.Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2.Draw two 20cm/8in circles and a 15cm/6in circle on greaseproof paper and place onto three separate baking trays.

3.Whisk the egg whites and salt in a large clean dry bowl until they form soft peaks when the whisk is removed. Slowly whisk in the sugar and continue to whisk until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Whisk in the cornflour and vinegar.

4.Spoon one-third of the mixture onto one of the 20cm/8in circles. Spoon another third onto the other 20cm/8in circle.

5.Spoon half of the remaining mixture onto the 15cm/6in circle. Pipe the remaining meringue around the edge of the 15cm/6in circle in a crown shape.

6.Reduce the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1 and bake the meringues for 1-1¼ hours, or until the meringue is crisp outside, but feels soft yet set inside. (If you notice that the different meringues are not cooking evenly, swap the shelves.) Switch off the oven and leave the meringue to cool down in the oven.

7.To assemble the pavlova, carefully peel the greaseproof paper off the bottom of the meringues. Place a 20cm/8in meringue onto a large, flat serving plate. Spread one-third of the double cream onto the meringue and top with some of the strawberries and blueberries. Top with the other 20cm/8in meringue. Spread another third of the cream onto the meringue and top with more strawberries and blueberries. Top with the 15cm/6in meringue and fill with the remaining cream, strawberries and blueberries. Decorate with the crystallised flowers and dust with icing sugar.

Top Tips:

You can always use seasonal berries, so leave out the Blueberries and add Raspberries instead.
To make your own crystallised flowers: arrange rose petals, primroses and violets on a cooling rack. Lightly whisk an egg white in a bowl and carefully brush it over the flower petals. Sprinkle over caster sugar, ensuring the sugar sticks to the egg white. Set aside to dry overnight, or until completely dry and firm.

Asparagus Risotto
Ingredients
For the risotto
1 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

200g/7oz risotto rice (eg carnaroli or arborio)

250ml/9fl oz white wine

500ml/18fl oz hot vegetable stock

4 asparagus spears, blanched, chopped

25g/1oz unsalted butter

75g/2¾oz parmesan, grated

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the parmesan crisps
150g/5½oz parmesan, grated

Preparation method
1.For the risotto, heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the shallot and garlic until softened but not coloured.

2.Add the rice and fry for one minute, stirring frequently, until coated in the oil.

3.Add the wine and simmer until absorbed by the rice.

4.Add the hot vegetable stock a ladleful at a time, stirring between each addition to allow the liquid to be completely absorbed, until the rice is cooked and all the stock has been absorbed.

5.Add the asparagus, butter and parmesan, season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir well.

6.For the parmesan crisps, place six small handfuls of grated parmesan onto a non-stick baking sheet at wide intervals. Press the piles of parmesan down to flatten them, then transfer to the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden-brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool and set.

7.To serve, divide the risotto equally among two serving dishes and top with the parmesan crisps.

Courgette Soup
Ingredients
60ml/2fl oz extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp chopped garlic

handful basil leaves (preferably Italian), chopped

sea salt and ground white pepper, to taste

1kg/2¼lb green courgettes, cut lengthways into quarters then into 1cm/½in slices

750ml/1¼ pint chicken stock

60ml/2fl oz single cream

handful flatleaf parsley, chopped

50g/2oz freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

To serve
crusty bread

green salad

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method
1.Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat.

2.Cook the garlic, basil, salt and courgette slowly for 10 minutes, or until the courgettes are lightly browned and softened.

3.Add white pepper, to taste, then pour in the stock and simmer for 8 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the heat.

4.Put three-quarters of the soup mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth.

5.Return the mixture to the pan and stir in the cream, parsley and parmesan.

6.To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle over more parmesan, to taste. Serve with crusty bread and a green salad.

Courgette Pickle
Ingredients
500g courgettes
3 shallots , finely chopped
2 tbsp non-iodised salt

FOR THE PICKLING LIQUID
500ml cider vinegar
140g golden caster sugar
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp celery seeds
½ dried chilli , crumbled
1 tsp ground turmeric

Method
1.Thinly slice the courgettes using a sharp knife, mandolin or slicing blade on a food processor. Put in a bowl with the shallots and sprinkle over the salt. Cover with ice-cold water, stir to dissolve the salt and leave for 1 hr. Drain the courgettes thoroughly and pat dry using kitchen paper or tea towels. If they stay too wet, the water will dilute the pickling solution.
2.Meanwhile, put the pickling ingredients into a pan and bring to a simmer. Bubble for 3 mins, making sure the sugar has dissolved, then leave to cool until warm but not hot. Add the courgettes and stir.
3.Scoop the mixture into 2 x 500ml sterilised jars (see below to find out how to sterilise a jar). Seal and leave for a few days in the fridge. Kept chilled, these will keep for a couple of months.

How to sterilise your jars
Wash them in hot, soapy water, then dry in an oven heated to 170C/150C fan/gas 3 for at least 10 minutes. Always ladle pickles, jams and chutneys into jars while the jars are still warm.
Per serving

Strawberry cheesecake
Ingredients
250g digestive biscuits
100g butter , melted
1 vanilla pod
600g soft cheese
100g icing sugar
284ml pot double cream

FOR THE TOPPING400g punnet strawberries , halved and stoned
25g icing sugar

Method
1.EQUIPMENT: 23cm loose-bottomed tin, baking parchment, plastic food bag, rolling pin, large bowl, dessert spoon, chopping board, kitchen knife, electric mixer, spatula, serving plate, blender or food processor, sieve
2.Make the base: Butter and line a 23cm loose-bottomed tin with baking parchment. Put the biscuits in a plastic food bag and crush to crumbs using a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl, then pour over the melted butter. Mix thoroughly until the crumbs are completely coated. Tip them into the prepared tin and press firmly down into the base to create an even layer. Chill in the fridge for 1 hr to set firmly.
3.Remove the vanilla seeds: Slice the vanilla pod in half lengthways, leaving the tip intact, so that the two halves are still joined. Holding onto the tip of the pod, scrape out the seeds using the back of a kitchen knife.
4.Make the filling: Place the soft cheese, icing sugar and vanilla seeds in a bowl, then beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Tip in the cream and continue beating until the mixture is completely combined. Now spoon the cream mixture onto the biscuit base, working from the edges inwards and making sure that there are no air bubbles. Smooth the top of the cheesecake down with the back of a dessert spoon or spatula. Leave to set in the fridge overnight.
5.Un-moulding and topping: Bring the cheesecake to room temperature, about 30 mins before serving. To un-mould, place the base on top of a can, then gradually pull the sides of the tin down. Slip the cake onto a serving plate, removing the lining paper and base. Purée half the strawberries in a blender or food processor with 25g icing sugar and 1 tsp water, then sieve. Pile the remaining strawberries onto the cake, then pour over purée.

Can't get it out of the tin?
If you find the cake difficult to un-mould, then either let it sit for a little longer, or wipe the outside of the tin with a warm cloth. This heats the edges and should allow you to remove the tin easily.

Filling hasn't set?
The cheesecake may have needed more time in the fridge. The mixture should be quite firm to begin with, but a long chilling time (preferably overnight) is essential to ensure the filling sets well.

Base hasn't set?
To ensure the base sets properly, the melted butter must be thoroughly mixed through the biscuit crumbs. Make sure you also leave it in the fridge to firm up for at least 1 hr before adding the filling so that the crumbs do not mix into the soft cheese mixture.

Try a different flavour
Lemon: Beat the finely grated zest & juice 2 lemons with the soft cheese & icing sugar instead of the vanilla seeds. Top with lemon curd & leave to chill. Raspberry: Replace strawberries with fresh raspberries. Passion fruit & mango: Make a delicious passion fruit sauce by sieving the pulp of 4 passion fruit and sweetening to taste with a little icing sugar. Top the cheesecake with chopped mango, then pour over the sauce, dotting the top with a few of the passion fruit seeds.

Potato salad with broad beans
Ingredients
200g broad beans , fresh and podded, or frozen
750g salad or new potatoes (I used Charlotte)
1 red onion , very thinly sliced
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp sugar
150ml pot soured cream
bunch chives , snipped
½ tsp Dijon mustard

Method
1.Heat a pan of salted water; once boiling, add the broad beans. Bring the pan back to the boil for 2 mins, then lift the beans out with a slotted spoon into a bowl of cold water. Tip the potatoes into the pan, then boil for 15-20 mins or until tender. Drain and leave to cool. While the potatoes are cooking, put the onion into a shallow bowl, splash with the vinegar and scatter over the sugar, then leave to soak. Pop the beans out of their jackets.
2.For the dressing, mix the soured cream, chives, mustard, 1 tbsp water and plenty of seasoning, measure 2 tsp of the vinegary juices from the onion, then stir to combine. Taste and add more of the vinegar if you like, then discard the rest. Peel the skins off the potatoes if you like, then cut them in half or into quarters and toss with the dressing and onions.

Parmesan-crusted potatoes
Put 750g new potatoes in a roasting tin, coat with 1 tbsp oil. Roast at 220C/ fan 200C/gas 7 for 30 mins until golden. Mix 50g finely grated Parmesan with a little pepper and scatter over. Roll potatoes in cheese. Roast for another 10 mins until cooked through and crusted with cheese.

Creamy Courgette Lasagne
Ingredients
9 dried lasagne sheets
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion , finely chopped
700g courgettes (about 6), coarsely grated
2 garlic cloves , crushed
250g tub ricotta
50g cheddar
350g jar tomato sauce for pasta

Method
1.Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Put a pan of water on to boil, then cook the lasagne sheets for about 5 mins until softened, but not cooked through. Rinse in cold water, then drizzle with a little oil to stop them sticking together.
2.Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan, then fry the onion. After 3 mins, add the courgettes and garlic and continue to fry until the courgette has softened and turned bright green. Stir in 2/3 of both the ricotta and the cheddar, then season to taste. Heat the tomato sauce in the microwave for 2 mins on High until hot.
3.In a large baking dish, layer up the lasagne, starting with half the courgette mix, then pasta, then tomato sauce. Repeat, top with blobs of the remaining ricotta, then scatter with the rest of the cheddar. Bake on the top shelf for about 10 mins until the pasta is tender and the cheese is golden.