I have been visited a few times this month by a local resident who goes foraging for wild mushrooms in Surrey. This week he had a couple of large puffballs and some wonderful parasol mushrooms. The puffballs are quite amazing. Dense and meaty they are delicious drizzled with a herb infused oil and then cooked on a hot ridged griddle pan. Served with a peppery rocket salad, some shavings of Parmesan and slightly tart vinaigrette they make an excellent starter or light meal.

Puffballs can also be coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried to create a wonderfully satisfying and earthy fritter. The recipe below would work with a hens egg but it’s better with the slightly more intensely flavoured duck egg.

Puffball Fritters with Fried Duck Egg and Chorizo & Smoked Paprika – serves 4

1 large puff ball – cut into thick fingers
1 egg – whisked with a splash of milk
1 cup – plain flour – seasoned
1 cup – breadcrumbs
4 thick slices chorizo – cut into large lardons
4 duck eggs
Smoked Paprika
Caper vinaigrette

• Dip the fingers of puffballs into the egg wash, then into the flour, then into the breadcrumbs.
• Fry the chorizo until crispy, remove and keep warm. Wipe out the frying pan and gently fry the duck eggs in plenty of butter until the white is set (leave the yolk runny).
• Deep fry the puffballs until golden, blot with kitchen paper and serve with the egg. Sprinkle over the pancetta lardons, drizzle over some vinaigrette and dust with paprika. Serve with a small baby spinach salad.

Vegetables:  Aubergine, Beetroot, Sweetcorn, Squash, Pumpkin, Cabbage, Fennel

Fish:               Sea Bass, Mackerel, Oysters, Mussels

Meat:             Lamb, Venison, Partridge, Grouse, Wild Duck

Fruit:              Fig, Pear, Plum, Apple

We are now well into the summer and many of the seasons ingredients have a distinctly Mediterranean feel. Plump aubergines, bright red tomatoes, crisp peppers and firm courgettes dominate the shelves and market stalls. These ingredients have a natural affinity with olive oil, onions, rosemary and basil, and although they are traditionally combined and stewed to produce ratatouille and caponata, there are many different cooking techniques that can be used to get the very best from them.

Aubergines can be baked until soft and chopped with spices and herbs to produce a wonderful puree that is delicious with grilled flatbread. Peppers can be stuffed and gratinated under a hot grill Perfectly ripe plum tomatoes need little more than a twist of salt and pepper. For a real treat keep your eye out for baby courgettes with the flowers still attached. Stuffed and deep fried in a light tempura batter they epitomise summer eating.

Courgette Flower, Goats Cheese and Chive Tempura with Peach Chutney – serves 4

8 Courgette flowers with baby courgettes attached

200g Goats cheese, rind removed and processed until smooth

Chopped chives to taste

• Open the leaves and stuff with a ball of cheese puree. Don’t over fill
• Dust with seasoned flour and then dip into the tempura batter.
• Deep fry until golden & crispy.

Tempura Batter

1 Egg

1cup Iced water

1cup Plain flour

½ cup Corn flour

P Salt

• Stir ingredients together until just combined.
• Refrigerate.

Peach chutney- makes a large jar

1Onion – finely chopped

1 Orange – juice & zest

150g Caster sugar

P Cinnamon

P Nutmeg

P Cayenne pepper

1 Tablespoon Ginger – finely chopped

150ml White wine vinegar

1T Salt

P Saffron

4 Peaches– peeled & chopped

• In a saucepan combine everything except last three ingredients.
• Cover & cook gently for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Add fruit & cook for 20 minutes uncovered.
• Pour off any juice & boil it down to a syrup add back to chutney & bring back to boil.
• Pour into sterilised jar.

Seasonal Ingredients

Vegetables:  Aubergine, Courgette, Cucumber, French Beans, Pepper, Sweetcorn, Spring Onion, Radish, Marrow, Tomato, Globe Artichoke

Fish:               Grey Mullet, Sardine, Crab, Scallop

Meat:             Lamb, Venison

Fruit:              Raspberry, Greengages, Nectarine

July is a great month for British raspberries. Soft and fragrant they are truly at their peak. In this month’s recipe I have added them to a crème brulee, to give a classic dessert a burst of summer freshness.

When making crème brulee there are two points to pay close attention to. First, don’t whisk the boiled milk immediately into the egg yolk mix. Allow it to cool slightly, and then pour it in, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon. This will ensure there are no air bubbles, which would otherwise rise in the oven, spoiling the texture of the custard.

The second point is to make sure the baking tray is completely sealed by the aluminium foil. Any holes or gaps will greatly increase the cooking time and could ultimately affect the quality of the dessert. After 20 minutes remove the foil and give one of the ramekins a slight shake. The custard should have a slight wobble but it should not look runny. If it isn’t yet set, cover again, and return to the oven for  another 5 minutes.

When the crème brulee is set, dust with icing sugar (this will prevent a skin from forming) and chill. To caramelise, sprinkle with caster sugar and gingerly wave the flame from a small blowtorch over the surface until it turns a rich golden brown.

Don’t serve just yet – the sugar will not have set and, more importantly, it will be like molten lava. Place in the fridge for a couple of minutes until the sugar surface is hard to the touch.

Raspberry Crème Brulee – makes 10

570ml Milk

570ml Whipping cream

11 Yolks

100g Caster sugar

1 Vanilla pod

2 Punnets of Raspberries

• Bring the milk & cream to the boil.
• Scrape out the vanilla seeds & whisk into the yolks & the sugar.
• Pour in the hot milk and stir together. Pass through a sieve & skim off the froth.
• Place 3 raspberries in each ramekin then pour in the custard mix.
• Place in a deep baking tray & pour in enough boiling water to come up halfway up the edges of the ramekins.
• Cover with foil, at 140C for 20 minutes or until just set
• Remove from water & dust with icing sugar. Cool
• Sprinkle with a light covering of sugar and caramelise with a small blowtorch (or under a very hot grill).
• Chill for 2 minutes to set the caramel, and then serve with shortbread & a few more fresh raspberries to decorate.

Seasonal Ingredients

Vegetables:  Broad Beans, Peas, French Beans, Watercress, Tomato

Fish:               Sea Bass, Wild Salmon, Sardine, Crab, Mackerel

Meat:             Lamb, Venison

Fruit:              Raspberry, Strawberry, Apricot, Cherry, Greengages, Peach, Redcurrant

I am very excited about our new “Brunch in the Garden” menu which is coming to The Guildford Arms very soon. It gives us a chance to make the most of the fantastic summer produce currently in season and to create some new and exciting dishes.

Locally sourced strawberries, asparagus and tomatoes will all feature on June’s menu. After brunch we will be lighting up the barbeque and grilling some fresh mackerel, marinated squid and Hereford rib-eye steaks.

Making a good hollandaise sauce is the first step to mastering brunch. A vital component in Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine, it is also the perfect accompaniment to grilled asparagus and slow roasted tomatoes. A pinch of freshly chopped tarragon turns it into Béarnaise sauce.

Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes on Toasted Sourdough with Béarnaise Sauce – serves 4

• Cut a punnet of cherry tomatoes in half. Sprinkle with chopped garlic & chopped herbs. Drizzle with olive oil & season generously.
• Roast for 40 minutes at 120C.
• Gently melt 250g of unsalted butter. Skim off any foam from the top.
• Whisk 2 egg yolks with 1 teaspoon of water over boiling water until thick and pale.
• In a very slow trickle gradually whisk in the melted butter (don’t add the milky liquid at the bottom), adding a drop of hot water if it looks too thick. Season and add lemon juice to taste.
• Toast the sourdough bread, pile on the tomatoes & spoon over the béarnaise sauce.

Seasonal ingredients

Vegetables:    Asparagus, Broad Beans, Peas, French Beans, Watercress, Tomato

Fish:               Sea Bass, Wild Salmon, Sardine, Crab, Mackerel

Meat:              Lamb, Venison

This month spring produce really hits its heights. Wild salmon, asparagus and Jersey Royals are the star names but there are plenty of other ingredients that are worth mentioning. Sardines are plump and fleshy right now. Brushed with garlic and rosemary oil and grilled they are fantastic served with a wedge of lemon and a simple green salad. Morels are another seasonal treat. Sautéed lightly in butter and added to a sauce they add a wonderful earthy dimension. In the vegetable patch beautiful pink radishes are starting to appear. Watercress also comes into its own; for although it is available all year round; it is in the spring when it flourishes.

Watercress is very versatile. It adds a warm bitter note to salads, peps up sauces and makes a very fine soup. The astringent kick from the leaves counteracts the rich oiliness of fish, so a watercress sauce is perfect with poached salmon. Buy watercress that has bright green leaves and crisp stalks. Avoid any with yellowy patches that has starting to wilt. This is a sure sign that its best days have passed. Wash the watercress thoroughly, shake of the excess moisture and store in an airtight plastic container or bag. It will last a few days but will gradually lose its flavour and heat.

A successful watercress soup is all about the balance of flavours and the final colour. You want the flavour and the colour of the watercress to be dominant, so there is no need to add more than onions and leeks in the way of aromatic ingredients. Don’t let them colour, or they will give the soup a brown tinge. The soups body comes from the potato. Slice the potatoes very thin; the soup will cook quicker and fewer nutrients will be destroyed. Using good stock is vital. Given the choice I would use chicken stock, as the soup will be richer with a greater depth of flavour.

To produce a vivid green soup it is important not to overcook the leaves. The best way to do this is to make a watercress puree and stir that into the soup base at the last minute. Pick the leaves and plunge into rapidly boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and refresh immediately in iced water. This will preserve the colour. Now liquidise until smooth.

Watercress soup –Serves 4

• Finely slice half an onion and 1 leek. Melt 50g of butter and gentle cook the onion & leek with a generous pinch of salt. Cover with a lid to trap the moisture and stop the onions from browning.
• Wash and remove the leaves from a 200g bunch of watercress. Roughly chop the stalks.
• When the onions are soft add a large potato, peeled & very finely sliced, and the stalks.
• Stir around and then add 750ml of vegetable or light chicken stock.
• Bring back to a gentle simmer.
• Blanche the watercress leaves in boiling water for 1 minute then refresh in iced water. Squeeze out the water and liquidise until thoroughly blended.
• Once the potatoes are soft liquidise the soup base.
• Pass through a coarse sieve to remove any lumps and return to the pot.
• Stir in the puree, check the seasoning, reheat and then serve.

Seasonal produce for May

Vegetables:    Asparagus, Watercress, Spring Onion, Morel, Jersey Royals, Radishes

Fish:               Sea Bass, Wild Salmon, Sardine, Crab

Meat:              Lamb, Venison

Fruit that has been forced to grow outside its natural season is, by and large, disappointing. English strawberries in spring are tasteless in comparison to an August crop. Hard, acidic hot house tomatoes are no substitute for sweet and juicy sun ripened ones. Fruit grown in this way is purely a commodity to sell; the quality of the produce has been compromised beyond recognition. There is, however, one exception: forced rhubarb.

February sees forced rhubarb at its best. Grown in hot sheds in virtual darkness the young shoots grow quickly in a desperate search for light. The shoots are delicate and must be handpicked in a very low light to avoid damage. Pinker and less acidic than the outdoor variety, forced rhubarb has the added advantage of tender stems, which don’t need peeling. With such a scarcity of fresh British fruits available this month a dessert made with this is just about your only seasonal option. This month’s recipe is for the ultimate comfort food – rhubarb crumble and custard.

Forced Rhubarb Crumble with Fresh Custard – serves 6

• For the crumble mix place 500g of plain flour in a large bowl and rub in 300g of soft butter until it becomes sandy in texture. Rub in 275g of caster sugar and refrigerate.
• Rinse and cut the leaves from 14 rhubarb stalks. Cut into bite sized pieces, sprinkle generously with sugar, drizzle with a little water, cover and cook on a tray in the oven until tender.
• Place the rhubarb in a suitably sized oven dish and sprinkle over enough crumble mix to give an inch of topping.
• Bake in the oven at 190C for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden & crunchy.

Fresh Custard

• Heat 500ml of milk with 1 vanilla pod (cut open lengthwise to let the seeds out).
• Whisk 6 egg yolks with 75g of sugar, 50g of corn flour and 50ml of cold milk.
• Pour the hot milk onto the yolks & whisk.

• Place on medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until thickened.
• Pass through a fine sieve into a serving jug.

Seasonal Ingredients

Vegetables: Leeks, Swede, Winter Kale, Beetroot, Brussel Sprouts, Savoy Cabbage, Salsify

Fish:                       Sea Bass, Oysters, Clams, Cockles, Halibut

Fruit & Nuts:      Forced Rhubarb

Meat:                     Vension

January has become the month for restraint. A time to re-think that flagging diet, reduce alcohol consumption and generally pay the piper for any festive indulgences. Well, I think this year restraint should be put on hold. Our economy is in freefall, the country is skint and the cost of living is rising. This January we want comfort food. We deserve comfort food.

Of all the foods tagged comfort food, few are more comforting than a treacle tart; served warm with a dollop of cream it’s proper old fashioned indulgence. My version of treacle tart packs a lemon and ginger punch. I find that this helps cut through the sweetness, improving the overall flavour. If, however, you are after something lest zesty then you can easily reduce the amounts, or leave them out altogether.

Making the pastry is the only tricky part of this recipe. You can of course buy pre-made sweet pastry but your efforts will be rewarded if you decide to make it from scratch. After making the pastry always chill it before rolling it out. This ensures the pastry firms up as the butter hardens, improving the texture and making it easier to handle. Once you have rolled it out and lined the tart ring place it in the refrigerator to chill the pastry again. You want the pastry to be very cold when it goes into the oven. This ensures the pastry begins to cook and set before the butter softens, giving the pastry shell a good shape. By contrast making the filling is extremely easy. You simply beat together all the ingredients and then pour them into a pre-baked pastry case.

Warm Treacle Tart

• For the pastry, process 125g of diced (room temperature) butter and 90g of caster sugar until smooth. Mix in an egg then pulse in 250g of sifted flour.
• Knead lightly and chill for 20 minutes. Roll out between 2 sheets of cling film and line a greased tart ring. Put back into the fridge to set the pastry.
• Beat 5 eggs & mix in 600g of golden syrup, 180g of breadcrumbs, a pinch of grated ginger and the juice & zest of 1 lemon. Stir in 450ml of double cream.
• Blind bake the pastry case at 180c until cooked. Remove the paper & baking beans. Brush with egg wash and return to the oven to seal.
• Remove the cooked pastry case, pour in the mix and bake at 150c until golden and set – about 25 minutes.

Seasonal Ingredients

Vegetables:      Leeks, Swede, Winter Kale, Beetroot, Brussel Sprouts, Savoy Cabbage, Salsify

Fish:                 Brill, Cod , Coley, Haddock, Hake, Halibut, Plaice, Scallops, Turbot, Whiting, Mackerel, Mussels

Fruit & Nuts:      Apples, Pears

Meat:                Hare, Vension