Sweet violet scented sugar

Fortune cast me a favourable glance this afternoon. Trudging back along a muddy path towards the railway crossing, I stumbled across a patch of sweet violets huddled underneath two old chestnut trees. The small purple flowers were in abundance, so I felt guilt-free in confiscating a handful. I've yet to decide what to make with the sugar, but I'll keep you posted. Kind of feels like I need a bit of zesty lime in the equation somewhere...

Sweet violet scented sugar

A handful of sweet violet petals

Granulated sugar

Scatter a layer of violet petals at the bottom of a jar. Cover with sugar and repeat the

process, building up petal/sugar layers until the jar is full. Leave for about a week,

then remove the violets.

Blue mussels

Roast beetroot with smoked mackerel, horseradish cream and hawthorn shoots

The countryside yields a meagre harvest in the final few weeks of winter. I found myself clutching at straws in late January; returning from the wood with nothing but a couple of herb bennett leaves and a bag of pine needles. There's a bit of young nettle growth knocking around, but that's about it.

So it was with genuine excitement that I wrote about the emergence of hawthorn shoots last week. These young leaves have a gentle nutty flavour; it's best to pick them now as they get increasingly bitter with age. Spring abounds. Nearly.

Serves 4

8 Small beetroots

4 Smoked mackerel fillets

3tbsp Creme fraiche

3tbsp Creamed horseradish

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

1 Lemon

Hawthorn shoots

Heat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Give the beets a good scrub; dry with kitchen paper, then quarter. Season in an oven-proof dish, drizzle with olive oil and roast for about 45 minutes. Mix the creme fraiche and horseradish together in a small bowl. When the beetroot is cooked, transfer into a medium-sized bowl, flake in the mackerel and spoon in the horseradish cream. Toss briefly with salad tongs, just so the beetroot and mackerel lightly catch the horseradish cream. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh hawthorn shoots.

Artichoke and pancetta ciabatta

It felt like spring was in the air yesterday. The sun was shining, slender crocus buds peered skyward out of flower beds - there was even a light peppering of Hawthorn shoots among the hedgerows on Highgate Lane. These young leaves were known as 'bread and cheese' back in the day, and are great nibbled straight off the hedge or gathered and tossed into a spring salad. For a moment I completely forgot about warming soups, thick stews and brooding winter sustenance, raiding the fridge in search of something quick and zesty. Today it's raining.

Artichoke and pancetta ciabatta

Serves 4 as a light lunch

1 Large ciabatta

A pack of marinated artichoke hearts

8 Rashers of smoked pancetta

A handful of rocket leaves

Parmesan shavings

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Lemon wedges, to serve

Brush a piece of ciabatta with olive oil and place oil-down on a hot griddle pan. While the ciabatta's toasting, fry the pancetta for a couple of minutes until crispy and transfer onto kitchen paper. The rest is essentially an assembly job; artichoke hearts, broken pancetta splinters and a scattering of rocket leaves. Finish with parmesan shavings, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and a good squeeze of lemon juice.

Butterscotch mousse

This is essentially the same way that I make chocolate mousse; beat

the cream, whisk the egg whites but fold in velvety butterscotch

instead of melted chocolate.

75g Unsalted butter

100g Light brown sugar

300ml Double cream

Seeds from 1 vanilla pod

2 Eggs, separated

Slowly melt the butter in a pan on the hob. Add the sugar, vanilla and

a splash of cream. When the sugar has melted, take off the heat and

stir in the egg yolks. Whisk the remaining cream to thicken, then stir

in the butterscotch. Whisk up the egg whites; when they're fluffy

carefully fold into the creamy mixture. Spoon into teacups; chill in

the fridge for a couple of hours before serving with a sprinkle of

chocolate shards.

Shards

Chunky fish and potato stew

Circa 1987, having a food-based forename lent itself to some pretty

creative verbal roughhousing at school.

"Yeah? Well, why don't you make a stew, cook it in an oven, then

eat it in your den? With some art".

Or words to such effect. Even at the time it was amusing in it's absence of bite;

I just thanked my lucky stars that I wasn't Michael Pratt come morning break.

This week it's all about fish stew; complete with art (primitive chalk spoon),

briefly cooked in an oven and consumed in an impromptu residence under

the stairs. I lied about the stairs bit.

Serves 4

400g Skinless sustainable white fish (I used Coley)

400g Red skinned pototoes, cut into rough chunks

120g Chorizo, chopped into small pieces

1 Large red onion, sliced

1 Red chilli, chopped

1 Green chilli, chopped

2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 Tomatoes, chopped

2tsp Smoked paprika

300ml Fish stock

1 Bay leaf

A few thyme sprigs, stalks removed

A small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Briefly soften the garlic and chilli in a

pan on the hob before stirring in the chorizo; then add the onion, thyme and bay.

Sauté everything for 5-10 minutes on a medium heat. Tip in the potatoes,

sprinkle with paprika, then add the tomatoes and stock. Simmer for about

10 minutes until the liquid has reduced slightly, and the potatoes are nearly done.

Pour everything into an oven-proof dish, then carefully stir in the fish. Put the lid on

and pop into the oven for 10 minutes. Serve with a sprinkling of chopped parsley

and crusty bread.