Whisk together 1/4 cup natural yoghurt, 1 tablespoon mustard (I use a wholegrain or seeded mustard), 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Season with a pinch of salt and lots of cracked pepper and then stir through 1 handful of fresh coriander (or mint or parsley) which has been finely chopped. Taste and add extra mustard, lemon juice or black pepper, according to your taste buds.

 

 

So far I've made this T ofu and Mushroom Pot Pie. I downscaled the recipe from its twelve portions to six, used a combination of reconstituted shiitakes and button mushrooms, and added some white miso to the filling - the flavour just needed a little more oomph. I also ignored what I can only believe is a typo, where it says the pastry crust will be "one inch thick". Mine was about 75mm and quite biscuity enough. It was absolutely delicious, did us for several meals and I will definitely be making this again.

 

For our New Year's Eve picnic I cooked a Tomato and Pesto Tart based on Martha Rose Shulman's recipe. I made the yeasted olive oil pastry - which turned out really well. Rather than using mustard and goat cheese I spread the base of the tart with home made pesto, topped that with fresh tomatoes and then put a few more dollops of pesto on top. It was a big success.

 

For the same picnic I also made this Giant Couscous and Chickpea Salad, again by Martha Rose Shulman. I wanted this to have a bit more vegetable content and variety, so I doubled the red capsicum and also added three big handfuls of mixed rocket and baby English spinach leaves. I also wanted it to be dairy free, so I left out the yoghurt and feta. I completely forgot to add the pine nuts and ended up doubling the lemon juice, as to my taste buds it needed a little more sour. Again, this was delicious and the leftovers the next day were even better.

 

While I often hear watermelons dismissed as “just water”, I love them. They are sweet, refreshing and there are not many things better on a hot day than a slice of cold watermelon, straight from the fridge.

 

Despite it's juicy texture watermelon actually contains a surprising range of nutritional goodies. While it's true the fruit is 90% water, watermelon also contains potassium and vitamin C, as well as small amounts of iron and some of the B vitamins. Moreover watermelon is a good source of lycopene, the red carotenoid antioxidant also found in tomatoes.

 

When buying a watermelon, select one with bright red flesh, as these have the highest lycopene content. If you're buying a whole watermelon choose one which seems heavy for its size, as this will mean it's full of juice.

 

You can eat watermelon straight or add it to a fruit salad - I've always wanted to make this watermelon shark. However, one of my favourite ways to use watermelon is in this wonderful salad with feta and black olives.

 

I love these vegetables. They're full of flavour and used sparingly and carefully they can make an otherwise boring meal interesting. Some, like rocket and young radish or beetroot leaves, can be used raw, while others with a stronger flavour and hardier texture, benefit from a quick blanch in hot water. They go really well with punchy flavours like chilli, bacon, lemon juice, garlic and anchovies. I also find it helps to add a pinch of salt, which takes the edge off the bitterness. Using a little fat, for example cooking in olive oil or serving with avocado or a creamy cheese, also helps to improve the flavour.

 

 

Migas:& nbsp;This is a wonderful Portugese side dish I've discovered recently. I make this recipe with whatever greens I have in the house and it's particularly good with a mixture of bitter greens. While the recipe doesn't specify a cooking time, I tend to give the greens a good 10 - 15 minutes, so they are well cooked and softened.

Japanese rice and greens: A lovely dish on Hannah Kaminsky's Bitter Sweet Blog, which really benefits from adding a couple of bitter greens to the leaf mix. I often replace the romaine and baby spinach with young radish or rocket leaves.

Jamie's basic Italian greens: When I can't think about what else to do with bitter greens, this is my fall-back recipe. Blanched and then cooked in olive oil with garlic and a good squeeze of lemon juice, there is something deeply satisfying about this simple dish.

A simple salad: I love Lucy's recipe for the simplest of salads. Made with bitter radicchio leaves, combined with rocket, avocado and feta and then topped with a dressing of cider vinegar, olive oil and mustard. Delicious summer food.

Leeks with greens: Another beautiful side dish, this time Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstal's recipe for greens added to leeks which have been slowly cooked in a bit of butter. Hugh recommends cabbage, spring greens and kale, but you could use any of the more hardy bitter greens.