Mulberry Jelly 🥣 Autumn has had a confusing start, with this unexpected heat wave, but before it began Autumn was on her way. One of the great joys at this time of year, and a family tradition, is the mulberry harvest in our garden in Kent. Our mulberry tree is ancient, certainly several hundreds of years old. It is so old that it has split into several parts and grows wearily into the lawn, some parts of the tree have fruit, others have given up. Amongst the tangle of low slung branches you can have many adventures, we always sat in it as children and built dens. Then by late Summer you can find wonderful giant mulberries. If you haven’t tasted a mulberry, they are a superior berry with a frustratingly short fruiting season. They don’t travel well, bruise and bleed easily and stain everything. They almost collapse as you pick them, making them the most elusive of all the berries. The best thing to do is harvest them quickly and then make the juice for this jelly. It’s not something you can buy, making it all the more special. Homemade Mulberry Jelly 1 pint mulberry juice, make your own from about 450g fruit sugar to taste, approx 1/2 cup 4 gelatine leaves, or substitute with a vegetarian equivalent First make the mulberry juice by cooking about 1lb (450g) of fruit in water until soft, mashing and blending the mixture. Then strain to remove all the seeds and pith. To make the jelly dissolve the gelatine, according to the instructions, squeeze out excess water and add into the mulberry juice. Pour into glass bowl and leave overnight to set in the fridge. Then enjoy. P.s. If you have a mulberry tree make this, or if you can find a friend who does borrow some to make this, or even better why not plant a mulberry tree so you can make this. You can tell I am obsessed. I promise you won’t regret it.

An Indian Summer bringing back all the memories of the first one 💛 #oursummer

July days 🌼 odds and bobs, all the highlights, favourite moments and eats… 1. Our raspberries are finally in, we grow yellow and red ones. The yellow ones are so sweet, and are worth rummaging for as they are much harder to spot. Hoping this rain calms down, so the crop can come through 🤞🏻 2.&3. Bouncing away George’s first 5 years, with a small birthday tea. Sandwiches a must. 4. Mums beautiful roses in full bloom all around the front door. I have no idea how many she planted but they are beautiful and quite a sight when in full bloom. 5. Summer holiday snack boxes - keeping me sane - and the kids happy. Less meltdowns and hangry moments 😳 So much produce to try too at the time of year, I find them a great way to get them to eat better. 6. Dear friends came to stay and these easy baked brioche with a cheat vanilla custard are an easy way to feed a crowd. Will be making again. 7. Pony rides, reminds me so much of my childhood. I spent every weekend I could in a pony. Hacking out near where we lived. 8. Fresh watermelon 🍉 I always eat it with a pinch of sea salt, like my Grandma did. 9. Dopamine Land, South Ken London. A sensory experience and a fun family day out. We all enjoyed it ✨ 10. Making vanilla ice cream - my project of the Summer - trying to perfect mum’s recipe but so nearly there. Will share a reel once I have mastered it 🍨

June Weekends, the best bits 🌸 1. My kids being free and wild in my late mum’s garden. You can’t see the front shot which shows them covered in mud and strawberries, but for London kids this is where we get to just be. 2. A whole bed of peonies, planted by my late Mum, they opened in her memory on June 16th, which was her birthday. They are so fragile they really do last for less than a week and thunder storms mean they were even quicker to disappear this year 3. The first strawberries, we ate and picked every single one we could find 4. Lettuce from the garden, you just can’t buy lettuce that tastes like home grown 5. Poppies in the veg patch 6. Podding peas 7. Sweet peas, or the best of the pick, the heat hasn’t helped them this year 8. Wild Strwaberries, which grow under the more impressive strawberry troughs. George hadn’t learnt to find these yet, but Jemima is an experienced harvester 🍓 9. Chicken and chips for supper, on the nursery table my dad had a child. It’s where my kids love to eat “tea” at his house 10. Crocs and wellies, because exploring the garden means all the best accessories 😉

Spinach and Cheese Pie 🥧 This recipe is taken from Ina Garten and I cooked this on stories recently, queue lots of requests for it… understandably as it’s delicious. Ina is a a heroine of mine in the kitchen. In my 20s and most days before work at Harrods I would watch @inagarten very early on the food network whilst drinking strong coffee (I’m not naturally a morning person). Her beautiful garden in the Hamptons, generous hosting and expertly delivered recipes were so comforting, before heading straight into a very long of buying appointments and store walks. Food, cooking and gardens weren’t really a focus at the time in my life, but that short 20 mins in the early hours were pure escapism. I was absolutely hooked. This is an ode to that time and here is my version of Ina’s beautiful spinach pie. I wrote the recipe down on a scrap of paper and have enjoyed making it ever since. 1. Take 2 onions, finely diced and softened in unsalted butter for 5 mins. Add 2 cloves of garlic, crushed add to the softened onions and cook for 1-2 mins 2. Take a 500g bag frozen spinach, defrosted overnight, squeeze out as much water was you can 3. Combine the onions/ garlic and spinach with 3 spring onions, finely diced, 100g grated Gruyere cheese, 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, 4 eggs lightly beaten and 1-tablespoon dried breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg and 2 tablespoons pine nuts. 4. Take 2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, defrosted overnight in the fridge. Lay one on a tray lined with a baking sheet and add the filling in a flat layer, leaving an edge. Use 1 egg for an egg wash that you brush around the border. Then take the second sheet of puff pastry and secure on top, seal and crimp the edges. 5. Brush the whole pie with more egg wash, cut air holes with a knife into the top of the pastry, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon fennel seeds all over the top. 6. Cook at 190c for 35 mins until cooked and golden. Cool and serve warm. #homecooking #spinach #spinachpie #fromthegardentothetable #familytime

Following trends at 40… #youbetternotactlikeyoureinawesandersonfilm #wesanderson #thisis40 Celebrating with you best friend @maison_lyons 💗 @harrods The big 4-0 tomorrow ✨

Summertime Coleslaw ☀️ The easiest side dish for the warmer months, but also good enough to eat on its own. This is the simple slaw I had so many requests for and there is nothing to it. It will taste better than anything you can buy, with lots of crunch and bright flavours. Assemble just before eating and enjoy. For the slaw base - 1 small white cabbage, outer leaves removed 6 spring onions, finely diced Big handful of parsley, chopped (or 25g) 2 eating apples, cut into matchsticks and tossed in the juice of 1 lemon For the dressing - 1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 heaped teaspoon grain mustard 4 tablespoons natural yogurt 4 tablespoons mayonnaise 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar Teaspoon honey Generous amounts of black pepper Prep the salad base and set aside. I prep the apple and lemon just before serving. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Throw everything together in a big serving bowl, just before eating and mix well. #summerfoods #coleslaw #summersalad #summersalads #sidesalad

Whiling away the extra bank holiday and something that means a lot to me is being in Mum’s vegetable garden. She loved this corner of her garden and it brings us all great comfort to see it thriving. This weekend there was new season asparagus just waiting to be cooked. I’ve just been teaching Jemima how to find it, cook it and eat warm with butter. A family tradition not forgotten 🤍 and surely one of the great pleasures of English springtime. #seasonalfood #asparagus #homegrownfood

Spicy Turkey Lettuce Cups 🌶️🥬 We made this at the weekend and loved it, so here is my simple version of the recipe. It is full of flavour but is also fresh and light at the same time, it makes a delicious family sharing platter. My kids love a little heat in their food (and enjoy this level of gentle spice) but you can omit the chilli as needed. Serving with rice is also a great way to stretch the dish further and make it more filling. It also mellows out the level of spice. I am using turkey mince, which is a good neutral base for the spicy and aromatic flavours in the dish. You could substitute with pork, or chicken mince, both would work brilliantly. Serve with more sweet chilli sauce and wedges of fresh lime. Go to www.mimisbowl.com (linked in the bio) for this recipe and more 💯

Memories not Things 🎄 Sending strength to anyone who feels (like me) they are battling an endless to-do list this week…. Content has been non-existent as general life admin has taken over. So if you are feeling overwhelmed too, you aren’t alone. I’m trying to stay focused on memories not things, as a mantra ✨ 📷 stunning photo and crackers from @happy.crackers 💕I secretly want them all!

Twice Baked Cheese Cake 🍰 I couldn’t resist making mum’s favourite cheesecake, it’s twice baked and flavoured with vanilla and lemon. She made this a lot during the 90s, when we were growing up in London. I remember it clearly sitting in the fridge waiting to be eaten. Or devoured. It’s delicious on its own but also with a fruit compote alongside it. My choice would be cherry. I hope you’ll love this recipe too. Ingredients ~ 3/4 of a packet of digestive biscuits 2 tbsp melted butter 2 eggs, whites and yolk separated 1/2 cup sugar juice and rind of 1 whole lemon 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 lb (450g) Philadelphia cream cheese 2 small cartons of sour cream 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp sugar 9” cake tin with removable sides To make ~ Line the base of your cake tin with greaseproof paper, or for a smoother edge rub the sides of the tin with butter. Blend the biscuits until crumbs are formed, mix with melted butter, and press this base into the bottom of the greased tin. For the first filling: blend together egg yolks, sugar, lemon rind and juice, vanilla, and cream cheese. Separately, beat egg whites until stiff and fold gently into the cream cheese mixture. Pour this mixture into the tin. Bake 145C for 45-50mins. For the second filling ~ combine sour cream, vanilla, and sugar. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and pour over sour cream topping. Bake for a further 10 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let the cheesecake cool and set before removing the sides of the baking tin. Serve on its own, or with a fruit compote alongside. Enjoy 💛 #recipesfrommymotherskitchen #cheesecake #familyrecipe #familyrecipes #bakedwithlove

Soda Bread and Butter 🍞 To celebrate my mother’s Irish roots I wanted to make Mary’s soda bread recipe, served simply with butter. This is a recipe my Mum loved, borrowed from Mary, one of the few cooks she allowed over the threshold of her kitchen. I’ve never made this before and so Jemima my little girl helped me along. Recipes are powerful things they connect you to your past, celebrate the present and invisibly cast a line forward to the future. To make Mary’s soda bread you will need ~ 450g coarse wholemeal flour 115g plain bread flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp demerara sugar 2 handfuls of bran 1 handful wheatgerm 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 heaped tsp cream of tartar 1 pint buttermilk loaf tin To make the bread ~ Grease a bread tin. Heat the oven to 175-180c. Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon. Slowly add the liquid ingredients and stir until the dough resembles a thick porridge mix. Cook for approximately 75 minutes, until the loaf shrinks away from the tin and forms a nice crust. When you turn out the bread, the base must be cooked and the loaf should sound hollow. Serve warm with butter. #recipesfrommymotherskitchen #breadrecipe #breadandbutter #bakingbread #madewithlove