8 June - home-smoked salmon by a fjord

For the next five days, I'm on a photography course, based in a fantastic wooden lodge right next to a fjord; Hardangerfjord. Our host and chef, Jarle (below), is cooking us three traditional Norwegian meals a day. Breakfast was a spread of bread, cheeses, jam and eggs, then lunch was hearty pea and ham soup.

For dinner, we were outdoors at a long wooden table in the lovely evening light. We started off with salmon that was home-smoked by Jarle's mum and had to be the best smoked salmon I've ever tasted. Served in lovely thick slices with soured cream ... mmmm! Then there was pollock cooked with loads of veg and served with boiled potatoes. And of course, a glass of Jarle's home-brewed cider to wash it all down!

28 May - chicken in cider

We had the rest of the vegetable tart for lunch with a few sauted new potatoes and a big dollop of mayonnaise - yum!

The recipe for dinner is based on another Nigel Slater, from an old Observer Food Monthly. I browned some chicken thighs in a pan with some oil and butter, until golden then removed them. I fried a handful of button mushrooms in the same pan, then added about 250ml of dry cider, returned the chicken and brought it to the boil. I turned it down, covered the pan and simmered for 30-40 mins. Then at the end, I added about 75ml of cream and a big handful of chopped tarragon. Served with a big pile of spinach cooked with some wet garlic and some asparagus. Really tasty!

19 April - using up; salad & a pie

My last day in Brighton meant trying to use up the contents of the fridge. Lunch was a salad of spinach, cherry tomatoes, the rest of the goats cheese, the last few chunks of pancetta and a few new potatoes. Then this evening, I had more spinach and some green beans to use up, but nothing to go with them. So I gave in to something pre-prepared - a pork and cider pie from a Jamie Oliver shop - yes, he gets everywhere! Actually pretty good, washed down with some really nice pear cider.

Now I've just got to decide what to do with the last few bits of food in the kitchen. I hate throwing things away, but some things just aren't going to travel. I won't feel too bad about binning the rest of the rather unexciting French dressing and I don't think butter's going to fare too well on a warm day.