september

Beef stroganoff, of sorts : strips of sirloin steak, sauce of onion, garlic, mushroom, white wine, brandy, stock, cream, black pepper; leeks stewed in stock, pappardelle

Cheesecake, passion fruit

Lunch: Cavollo Nero, saucisson, cream, stock, sherry vinegar; polenta

Dinner: Waitrose brie and tomato tartlets

Chicken goulash, broad beans, noodles

Lunch: Ate out

Dinner: Gorgonzola risotto, salad with beetroot and walnuts

Salad of avocado, bacon, grilled aubergine, rocket; ciabatta

Raspberries, framboise, cream, shortbread

Smoked trout fishcakes with lemon myrtle, wasabi crème fraîche; stirfried kohlrabi, red pepper, shallot, garlic, mint, mirin

Nectarines, passion fruit with some mango-passion smoothy, cream, crème fraîche, yoghurt

Beetroot in thin strips, caraway, bacon strips fried; soured cream, yoghurt, horseradish, garlic, shallot

Tomato focaccia, rocket salad

This didn't work. I baked the tomatoes, then made a pizza base, put tomatoes on top. But they were too liquid. Sometimes I really don't know what I'm doing

Ate out

Pork slices, leftover from the last roast; cos lettuce with mirin, sesame oil, garlic, soy, olive oil; ciabatta

Apple, blackberry, damson crumble; crème fraîche

Dolmades; cream and yoghurt with herbs, lemon and garlic

Persian Lamb, from the freezer, but with a dried lime added; fried courgettes and onions, yoghurt; bulghar wheat with onions, garlic, pistachios, sour cherries

Lunch: at Simon and Helen's

Dinner: Gratin of cavollo nero, onions, bacon, garlic, bechamel, breadcrumbs

Mushroom dumplings with onion, sherry sauce

This didn't work

Persian lamb, red pepper, chilli, onion; red quinoa

Venison steaks, sauce of stock, red wine, crème de myrtilles, cream, shallot, garlic, mushrooms; mangetout, new potatoes

2 icecubes of reduced red wine, 2 icecubes stock, 2 tbs crème de myrtilles, cream. This was very good, proportions seem right.

Pears poached in red wine, the syrup reduced; gorgonzola

Ate out

David and Bobby

Butter beans, leeks, serrano ham, porcini, morels, truffle oil

4oz dried beans, soaked and cooked. About 4 small porcini slices, 4 large morels soaked. Strained and reduced the soaking liquid. Chopped the porcini and fried them, then added 3 leeks, sliced, and garlic. Stewed this in the mushroom liquid with 2 stock icecubes, 2 pork jelly cubes, and two medium slices of serrano ham, cut into small pieces. When leeks were soft, added cream and the beans. Fried the morels separately, and added truffle oil at the table.

Slow-roast pork shoulder, stuffed with herbs and garlic; roast fennel, pattypan squash, shallots, lemon zest; sourdough bread

Pork in hot oven at breakfast, until it crackled, then on lowest setting for the rest. Last 10 mins or so back on high. Then rest

One large fennel, one squash, 8 shallots. Added lemon zest to serve

Sourdough. Sunday evening, made starter, left in airing cupboard with some nice yeasty socks. Tuesday evening, added water and 4oz flour, back in airing cupboard. It goes all liquidy. Wednesday eveing, add water and 8oz flour, left in kitchen, still goes liquidy. Thursday morning, add water and 12oz flour, enough water to make it kneadable but not too wet, form into ball, put on baking tray, dust with flour, cover with cling film and leave in fridge. Thursday 330pm, open fridge door gingerly. Dough has risen and not collapsed. Ride to Stroud and back, quite fast. Oven on full blast, slash the loaf, cook it. It rises. It's a bit dense, but it has a good flavour.

Tarte Tatin, cream

David and Bobby say they like Tarte Tatin, so I gave them a demo. So next time they can cook it for us! (This is a hint, you two). I followed the Alistair Little recipe, more or less.

Gorwydd Caerphilly – Perl Lâs – Pant Ys Gawn

Pork slices, some of the gravy; salad of local lettuces, lemon-oil dressing; toasted sourdough

Figs with Pant Ys Gawn, balsamic jelly

Lunch: spag with a sauce of some leftover pork, garlic, gravy, cream, horseradish

Dinner: Cod wrapped in serrano ham; spinach with lime juice; butter beans, shallot, garlic, chilli, white wine, cream; new potatoes

Mango filo parcels, creamed coconut

1 mango, 6 leaves of pastry. Sauce was 1 sachet of creamed coconut, about 1/2 lime juice, 1/3 a chilli, 2 tbs white rum. The plan had been to put the coconut in with the mango but we thought it might be too liquid - which it isn't. Whatever way, this was delicious

Lunch: Pappardelle with chicken livers, onions, cream, stock.

I used the fat rendered from the pork from Thursday - it has a good flavour

Dinner: Guineau fowl stuffed with bread, pine kernels, orange, thyme; gravy; mangetout; baked potatoes

About 1 inch slice of ciabatta, half the zest of the orange, 3 slices from the orange. Good balance.

Tarte tatin and cream

Serrano ham, figs marinated in raspberry vinegar

Roast squash with garlic, roast tomatoes with anchovy-basil sauce, sourdough

Guineau fowl legs in cashew-curry sauce; roasted onions with kalonji seed; rice

Roast plums on toasted brioche, cream and yoghurt

Black pudding, green split peas, pickled walnut

Risotto of cauliflower and blue cheese

Ate Out

Tomato and basil soup

Cauliflower in sesame-spice-pomegranate sauce; bulghar wheat with spinach and olive oil

Lunch: Spag with olives-cream-garlic-lemon

Dinner: Thai-spice pork sausages (Waitrose), Thai spice and coconut sauce; baby corn; thai rice and black rice

Quince in syrup, with cream

First quince from our tree – a windfall

Lunch: Spag with cherry tomatoes, chilli, chorizo

Dinner: Moroccan lentil soup

Chicken with olives and preserved lemon; green beans and almonds; couscous

Baklava (from Waitrose)

Antipasti: Smoked chorizo, artichokes, ovendried tomatoes, roast peppers, olives

Grilled aubergine slices with red pesto, roast tomatoes, rocket, ciabatta

Ate Out

Venison steaks with Australian Pepperberry, cream, stock, garlic; peas, mashed potato

Figs marinated in balsamic and honey, pink peppercorns, cream

Sardines with chilli, caramelised onions with cumin and kalonji, dhal, lime pickle

Squash satay, green beans, basmati and wild rice

I used Sybil Kapoor's chicken satay recipe from 'Taste'

Mushroom dumplings; savoy cabbage with chilli, garlic, lemongrass, mirin, soy, cilantro, spring onions

4oz flour for the dough. Filling was 4 large flat mushrooms, about a dozen dried shitake, soaked – all chopped and cooked till dry – garlic, shallot, oyster sauce

Plums in 5-spice syrup, crème fraîche

Mum's plums

Lunch: Spag with sardines, somked paprika, tomato purée

Dinner: Runner bean soup

Fillet steak, red wine and horseradish sauce, spinach, polenta and parmesan cakes

Polenta and parmesan cakes – Alistair Little’s recipe. Perhaps too much parmesan.