Buttery pears are exactly what we want to eat at this time of year – sweet, juicy and perfectly matched to chocolate’s rich deep flavours. The two combine beautifully in this tart which we think makes a pretty perfect end to dinner. Chilling the pastry for a little while before you roll it out helps to stop it falling apart so we recommend you do this. This has the advantage of being gluten free and vegan but you would never know! …
vegan
Summer Veg & Mustard Tart
This tart will always manage to look beautiful on a Summer table. Taking inspiration from a French recipe where mustard forms a really delicious base for your veg to sit on top of, this makes for a really tasty lunch or add in some boiled new potatoes and salad for dinner. A mix of different tomatoes sitting on top with basil leaves makes it look delicious too!…
Chocolate Strawberry Tart
This is perfection for a Summer party or as a vegan or gluten free birthday cake! It takes a little while to set so make sure you start at least 2 hours in advance of when you want to eat it! Rich with nut protein, dates, chocolate and, of course, strawberries, this really hits the spot – cover with edible flowers and leaves and you have a real treat to share. We make this one every year so thought we would share it again!…
Chocolate Beetroot Cake
What better than to use this ruby red vegetable to spoil your valentine? This cake or cakes if you decide to make small ones, far from being earthy and dense, is moist, fudgey and a divine chocolate delight – too good not to share with the one you love. We first made this cake back in November for wedding of some very dear friends and they fell in love with it. Vegan and gluten free, it doesn’t take long to make and keeps really well… so you could make it tomorrow and it will stay tasty until you ice and serve it on Tuesday – maybe with a wee glass of prosecco?! Our recipe made enough for 5 small heart cakes and a 9″ shallow cake – Lots of love x…
Vegan Apple Ice Cream
It might seem a bit chilly for ice cream but we think it’s a lovely palate cleanser after a spicy curry. Even the most dedicated vegan should be able to enjoy great ice cream! This autumnal Apple flavoured ice cream is really refreshing and great served with fresh apple slices and amaretti or other crunchy biscuits if you like. …
Vegan ginger plum cake
The texture of this really similar to a conventional gingerbread cake – just a wee bit chewy. A real hit of ginger from both fresh and dried spice varieties in the recipe brings a warm glow to the cake and balances really well with sweet sharp plums. We used both green and purple varieties of plums – but feel free to use any seasonal fruit!…
onion and olive tart
We have some gorgeous fresh onions from the garden as well as a whole load of fresh thyme so it’s time for an onion, olive, thyme tart. We’ve made a gluten free olive oil pastry for this one, so it’s a bit more crumbly before cooking than normal, but it does work – you may just have to press it into the tin with your fingers – don’t worry! …
Basil Pesto
Nothing says Summer like a bowl of basil pesto to mix in with your pasta, spread on toast or just eat! We love a good bit of zingy tang and this recipe gives plenty. Who says pesto needs parmesan?!…
Pizza!
Pizza, is usually thought of as junk food these days but if you think back in time to when pizza was first made, it was actually pretty healthy. A slab of bread with lots of tasty vegetables on top and a wee bit of cheese – less of the mountains of mozzarella and greasy slick of oil across a thick stodgy base! We’ve gone back to basics here for a gluten free pizza that really does work. It’s very quick to make with rising time not really required. Perfect for a summer picnic!…
Date Slices
This is ideal as an afternoon or morning ‘pick me up’ with coffee. Our date slices are gluten free and vegan (we also have a grain free option) and are packed full of fibre and protein to keep you going. Quick to assemble and cook this is a more interesting option than a flapjack and is really very tasty. …