The Food Diaries

BLT salad

Slice up a head of romain lettuce and place in a shallow dish. Cut up 3-4 small tomatoes into small wedges and dot around the lettuce. Fry up five slices of streaky bacon, cut in half till crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen towel. To make the dressing mix together 2 heaping tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise with 1 tsp creamy dijon mustard and whisk in 2 tsp sherry vinegar. Drizzle over the vegetables and season with sea salt and pepper. Distribute the bacon slices evenly overtop and serve.

Serves 3-4.

Crisp Cabbage & Bacon

Winter is coming on, but I have been in denial about it. But with the lush summer tomatoes, courgettes and berries all gone, the savoy cabbage can finally come into its own. This recipe is a one-pot, 10-minute wonder to help survive winter with a bit of brightness in the kitchen and a healthy boost of vitamins in the diet.

In a large pan over medium-high heat place a generous amount of smokey bacon rashers snipped into pieces. Fry the bacon till it starts to crisp up nicely. Add 1tbs of fennel seeds and toast lightly. Now cover the bacon with some shredded savoy cabbage. Add a dash of water to keep everything from drying out, cover, and cook for a few more minutes, till the savoy starts to soften. Don’t cook for too long - the cabbage needs to stay sharp and bright. Finish off with a drizzle of sherry vinegar (let reduce down), then add a sprinkling of sea salt and pepper and a little olive oil.