Recipes serve 4

Rocket Salad with Grilled Vegetables and Puy Lentil Dressing

Ingredients:
3 medium courgettes
1 red onion
1 red pepper
extra virgin olive oil
75g fresh wild rocket

For the dressing:
75g puy lentils
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and left wholesea salt and black pepper
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil, plus whole leaves to garnish

Directions:
1. Slice the courgettes on an exaggerated diagonal so they are about 12cm long. Peel the onion and cut into rounds, keeping the layers together. Lay the pepper on its side, cut off the stem and slice into rings, removing the seeds and pith.

2. Heat a ridged grill pan or frying pan, brush the vegetables with the olive oil and fry over a medium high heat until soft and coloured, about 10 minutes, turning over half way through cooking. You may need to do this in batches. (This can be done in advance and kept in the fridge or at room temperature until ready to serve.)

3. Meanwhile make the dressing. Place the lentils in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain off excess water and return to the pan. Mix the vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, pepper and basil and add to the warm lentils. The dressing can also be made in advance. Leave at room temperature.

4. To assemble, lay a handful of rocket on each plate and arrange the grilled vegetables on top. Spoon over the lentil dressing, discarding the garlic clove. Garnish with freshly torn basil leaves.

Chicken with Grapes and Tarragon Sauce

Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, preferably free range
2 shallots (or one small onion), finely chopped
200ml dry white wine
300ml good quality chicken stock
sea salt and black pepper
150g red or black grapes, deseeded
1 heaped tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
250g mixed wild and basmati rice
steamed green vegetables, as accompaniment

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and quickly brown the tops of the breasts, then remove to a plate on the side.

2. Fry the shallots or onion until soft but not coloured, about 5 minutes, then add the wine and bring to the boil, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce by about one half, then add the stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil.

3. Return the chicken to the pan, turn down the heat, cover and simmer gently until the chicken is done, about 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to instructions on the packet.

5. Remove the chicken and keep warm. Boil the sauce until slightly thickened, taste for seasoning then add the grapes and tarragon, stirring until just heated through.

6. Serve the chicken on a bed of rice, either on a large serving plate or individual dinner plates, with the sauce spooned over. Serve fresh steamed green vegetables on the side. Purple sprouting broccoli, when in season, would be a wonderful accompaniment.

Wild Mushroom and Black Olive Risotto

Ingredients:
25g dried porcini mushrooms
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
225g chestnut mushrooms, chopped
250g risotto rice
75ml dry vermouth or dry white wine
450ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
sea salt and black pepper
2 tbsp black olive paste (tapenade)
freshly chopped chives, to garnish

Directions:
1. Cover the porcini with 200ml boiling water and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Drain through a fine sieve or kitchen paper and reserve the liquid. Place the stock in a saucepan and heat just to boiling.

2. Heat the oil in a large frying or heavy-based saucepan and fry the onion and celery until soft.

3. Add the chestnut mushrooms and fry for 5 minutes, then stir in the rice until it is coated with the oil, about 1-2 minutes.

4. Add the vermouth or white wine, stir and simmer until most has evaporated off.

5. Begin adding the hot stock, one ladle at a time, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon and cooking over a medium heat. The rice will soften and absorb the stock as it cooks, about 20 minutes in total.

6. When it is just done (al dente) add the chopped olives, salt, pepper and stir in the olive paste. Serve garnished with chopped chives.

Apples with Blackberries and Cassis

Ingredients:
250g blackberries
150ml dry white wine
150ml creme de cassis
juice of half a lemon and 2 strips of peel
1 stick cinnamon
100g sugar
4 Granny Smith apples

Directions:
1. Set aside some of the blackberries for garnish (about 12). Place the remaining blackberries, wine, cassis, lemon juice and peel, cinnamon and sugar in a large, shallow saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Meanwhile, peel the apples neatly, cut in half and carefully remove the cores with a teaspoon or melon baller. Place the apples, cut side up, in the poaching liquid, cover with a lid and simmer very gently for 15 minutes or until the apples are just tender. Baste frequently with a spoon.
3. Take the pan off the heat and leave the apples to cool in the poaching liquid, basting from time to time as they cool.
4. Carefully remove the apples to a plate and sieve the syrup into a clean saucepan, discarding the solids. Boil the sauce until reduced to a thick syrup, about 5-7 minutes, then leave to cool.
5. When ready to serve, lay two apple halves on individual dessert plates, spoon over the sauce and garnish with the reserved fresh blackberries. Offer Greek yoghurt with a pinch of cinnamon stirred through in a separate bowl as an optional accompaniment.