June

I'm very much afraid that June will never be fully completed as the 28th demands 'a warm summer fruit compote' which consists of loganberries and red or white currants. I can say with 98% certainty that I have never seen a loganberry in my life and don't hold out much hope of getting hold of any, or the currants come to think of it, here in The People's Republic of Manchester. My eyes will remain peeled though. In terms of this month I have to say that the Strawberry Mascarpone Tart is taking the crown as recipe of the month as it was so beautiful to look at as well as to eat. Later this week I'll be marching on ahead of schedule into July as July needs to be finished in time for me to go on holiday on the 23rd.

Gooseberries with mascarpone cream

For those who know The Kitchen Diaries well, you'll know that this recipe featured in early June. However, due to the weather in England this year gooseberries have been late to come and are only just appearing in the shops. I grabbed a small punnet while I could, with only a slightly crazed look in my eye. I don't think I heated (cooked would be exaggerating the process here) the gooseberries for long enough and they were still sharp and al dente but the lovely custardy cream still worked really well with them - we are sharp taste lovers in this house, being big sweet shop fans, and the sharper the better for me generally.

Clams with ham and sherry

Now this is fast food at its best! I really enjoyed this dish which I had for lunch - I sneaked it in whilst the daughter was out so I could enjoy it without the myriad of moaning that fish/seafood/lamb inevitably brings.

A cooling crab salad

When I presented this lovely salad to my daughter she threw in a 'you know I hate melon' accusation at me - I had no idea she hated melon, and it is a little unfortunate that she does as this is a pretty melon heavy dish. I love melon and really enjoyed this salad even though I wouldn't have made this in a million years under normal circumstances, so, once again, thanks Nigel.

Rosewater and yoghurt panna cotta

We felt that initially the rosewater flavour was overpowering in this incredibly easy to make pud, but after a few spoonfuls the vanilla came through and made for a lovely light dessert. I love panna cotta but have always been scared to death of making it so am very grateful to Nigel for getting me over the initial hurdle and I'll probably try a more conventional recipe next time.

Roast lamb with cumin and fresh mint

By the end of this year of recreating The Kitchen Diaries I'll know a million ways to cook lamb, or that's how it feels. Fine by me as I love lamb but I always try and wait for my daughter to go out so I can really enjoy it without the low level sniping and having to watch something which I think is gorgeous being pushed around the plate. Tonight's the night! This has soared straight up my favourite ways to cook lamb list and is neck and neck with the lamb fillet and anchovy from a while ago. And the gravy was beautiful, really beautiful.

Broad bean and dill 'hummus'

Ooh! Who knew? This is lovely. I added sea salt to mine which brought out the flavour and I probably add more lemon than Nigel would but I love lemony hummus anyway. I wouldn't have dreamt of making this had it not been part of the project but I would definitely make it again.

Grilled chicken with harissa and mint

I went a little off piste with this one and rather than use boned chicken legs I went for a breast/quarter. I suspect it didn't make a great deal of difference to the taste but made a massive difference to whether it got eaten by the fussy daughter or not. I liked this well enough but would have preferred a bit more spice taste wise. Another rubbish photo but you must understand that when I take these photos I'm starving and can't wait to sit down to eat!

Vietnamese beef salad

This salad had it all - hot beef, cooling cucumber, lovely herbs and a delicious sweet yet spicy dressing. A perfect lunch for a hot day.

Strawberry mascarpone tart

And, leaving the best till last, this beauty. It's difficult to see on this photo but the tart is heart shaped. I'm not sure if it was the biscuits I used, which were posh and orange flavour as suggested in the recipe, but the base didn't hold together as well as it could have. It didn't matter though as the tart was beautiful. If I'd have been given this in a restaurant I'd have know that I'd chosen the right thing. I'm reasonably sure that this will become a summer dinner party staple for me as it was so easy to make, could be made ahead of time and is so pretty visually. Tastes fantastic too - thanks Nigel.

Orecchiette with ricotta, broad beans and mint

Not the greatest food picture I've ever taken! This was ok, but overall the flavours were just a bit too mild for my liking and I doubt I'd make it again.

A radish, mint and feta salad

Not a salad lover, as regular readers will know, but am a feta lover. However, I was really apprehensive about this dish due to the inclusion of radishes. Radishes are what my mum put in salads in the 70s and this is what I attribute my hatred of salads to, even though Nigel has proved me wrong time and time again during this project. Nevertheless, I know that my boyf likes radishes as I remember him growing some a few years ago so thought that I could fish them out of my salad if needs be and he could eat them all. There was no need to worry, though, as Nigel came through for me once again. The mint in this salad really made it, offsetting the powerful flavour of the cheese.

A three cheese night

I am, unfortunately, girlfriend of a vegetarian, so often end up making 2 separate meals if I have Nigel to catch up on. However, last night my (meat loving) daughter was out so I took the opportunity to make a nice 3 course meal for me and my man without having her moaning about the lack of meat. Had wine with the meal so didn't update there and then. The three updates that follow this are what we had.

Broad beans in their pods with dill and yoghurt

I've not been particularly looking forward to today as I have not felt particularly inspired by what was inevitably on the menu, but ( I've said this before) Nigel, why do I ever doubt you? Today you have given me a satisfying, healthy, substantial yet simple lunch which was just what was needed on this boiling hot day. Thank you. For complete disclosure purposes, my crusty bread was bacon and cheese bread from my local bakery.

Chicken and rice salad

Leftovers with a bit of added magic. It was as substantial as salad gets too.

Strawberries with fromage blanc

This is very simple to make but reminded me of the lovely cream you get in posh restaurants. Very civilised.

A chicken roasted with new garlic and a fresh pea pilau to go with it

Of all Nigel's recipes I've done (so far) I found this chicken one the most confusing to follow, mainly due to the way he describes the timings. The gravy that came from this beautiful bird was delicious and went really well with the fragrant rice.