5 January - a jacket potato and a burger

For lunch, it was a jacket potato with some roast red onion, goats cheese and a couple of slices of parma ham. Then this evening, we were out at the Lounge meeting a friend. I wasn't inspired by any of the specials so after lots of deliberation, I went for burger. Lounge burgers used to be fantastic, wonderfully juicy, but recently, they seem to have gone downhill and become rather dried out, burnt offerings. I was hopeful that they might be back on form, but sadly, it was rather dried and disappointing. I won't bother trying again.

13 December - squash salad and the Pump House

Last night, I roasted the whole squash, but only used half in the risotto. I also roasted some beetroot while the oven was on. So lunch today was squash and beetroot salad with a couple of slices of parma ham and few new potatoes. Great colours on the plate and really tasty too.

This evening, my creative writing group met up for meal at the Pump House. I went for hake - on the principle of choosing something I wouldn't cook at home. I wasn't totally convinced about it as a fish - a little bit chewy and not very flavoursome - but it came with a big pile of chard, smooth mash and creamy white beans, which made it still a very good meal. After we'd eaten, we read out our "homework" based around the theme of an office Christmas party. My piece was entitled "sprouts"!

30 July - melon & mozzarella and spicy meatballs

The weekend started with another trip to Ruby & White for some more meat - I think it's going to prove quite difficult to resist! Lunch was a lovely, summery salad of canteloupe melon with parma ham and creamy mozzarella, scattered with a few basil leaves and dressed with a little olive oil and lemon dressing.

For dinner, I made meatballs based on a Nigel Slater recipe:

• Mix 300g pork mince, a handful of lardons, a chopped shallot, some chopped lemongrass, chopped red chilli and a handful of fresh chopped coriander. And shape into small (walnut-sized) balls - today I made 10.
• Gently fry a few mushrooms with some sliced garlic and chilli in a wok.
• Add about 500ml chicken stock and a bashed stalk of lemongrass. Throw in a good handful of fresh peas and simmer.
• Fry the meatballs in vegetable oil for a few minutes until cooked through and nicely caramelised on the outside.
• Boil a few noodles. Add some chopped mint, coriander and basil to the broth.
• Serve a pile of noodles in the bottom of a large bowl with the meatballs on the top and the broth poured over.

The first time I came across the idea of meatballs in soup, it seemed a bit odd, but it's actually a really good combination - substantial (with the meatballs and noodles), but fresh and herby too.

20 June - pasta with spinach

There's still asparagus from Friday's vegbox in the fridge, so I have that for lunch with a couple of slices of parma ham, a few cold potatoes leftover from yesterday, fried up and a dollop of mayonnaise. You can't beat a classic combination!

The spinach on the terrace is starting to bolt, so I pull up a load to have for dinner. I get some fresh pasta from the supermarket and serve it simply with some pancetta, the spinach and some cream.

13 June - homegrown spinach

Back home, after a good long sleep in my own bed, today's been all about the veg! I had a good pile of asparagus for lunch with a bit of parma ham and some new potatoes. While I've been away, apparently there's been a mix of sun and rain which has made some of the veg on the terrace go mental, especially the spinach:

So this evening, we had a chicken and chorizo salad with freshly picked spinach leaves as a base, plus some cherry tomatoes, blanched green beans and beetroot. I cooked a chicken breast in the oven (just one between two), then gently caramelised a red onion in a frying pan, added some sliced cooking chorizo and a bit of sliced garlic. Once the chorizo was browned, I tipped in a splash of balsamic vinegar to make a lovely hot dressing to pour over the salad and sliced chicken. The whole thing was served with some saute new potatoes on the side. I could almost feel all that green goodness flowing back through my veins!

3 June - leftovers for lunch

We're heading off to Gatwick this evening ready to fly to Norway in the morning for a week away. So lunch is using up the last bits in the fridge; a couple of leeks and some ham together with a dribble of cream and some pasta. Not actually too bad with a sprinkling of parmesan on the top eaten out on a sunny terrace.

Savoury tarts from Chandos Deli on the train to London for tea.

9 May - fresh garlic mayonnaise and stuffed peppers

Lunch today was a classic combination for this time of year; asparagus, parma ham and a few new potatoes. To add a bit of luxury, I made up a batch of fresh garlic mayonnaise. A small clove of garlic sprinkled with salt and crushed with a knife point to a paste, then whisked into an egg yolk. Then olive oil (mild first, followed by some extra virgin) dribbled into the bowl, whisking all the time, until the mixture becomes so thick and shiny that it all sticks to the whisk. Then a squeeze of lemon juice brings it back to the right consistency - well worth the effort!

This evening was a bit of using up - one of the green peppers from the vegbox and the lamb mince left over from the weekend's burgers. I fried a chopped onion and some garlic, added some pine nuts, the lamb mince and then a couple of chopped tomatoes. I added some tomato puree, salt and a pinch of dried oregano, then piled the mixture into the halved pepper and baked it for about 25 mins. Served with some minty couscous, it made a tasty supper.

12 April - a lunchtime salad & cod for tea

The recent warm sunny weather is definitely on the wane, but it was still feeling summery enough to merit a salad for lunch - a big plate of nicoise-style salad (new pots, green beans, cherry tomatoes and a boiled egg), plus the rest of yesterday's parma ham on the side. The sun came out just at the right moment to snatch a quick sunny photo on the terrace, but then a cloud came over and it was back inside to eat.

Dinner was cod wrapped in pancetta and baked in the oven (about 15 mins) with the rest of the asparagus in a risotto. I'm not quite convinced about risotto as a side dish, but not bad.

11 April - asparagus & miso chicken

Today saw a classic combination for lunch and a new recipe for dinner. With the arrival of English asparagus in the shops, I couldn't resist a Spring lunch favourite; asparagus with parma ham and a handful of new potatoes. On a busy working day, I didn't really have the time or patience to make any fresh garlic mayonnaise to dip in or hollandaise to pour over, so I went for a simple poached egg on the top instead. Trouble is I was so busy arranging the ham and asparagus on the plate ready for a photo call, I slightly overcooked the egg and the yolk didn't quite ooze as it should. Note to self, don't let keeping a record get in the way of the cooking or eating!

For dinner, I was tempted to go for another old favourite, but prompted by what I said in the intro to this blog about trying new things, I opted for a recipe I'd spotted in Saturday's Guardian magazine for dinner - Yotam Ottolenghi's miso chicken. I was a bit surprised to find the key ingredient, sweet white miso paste in my local Sainsbury's and the whole thing was pretty easy to make - just mixing up the marinade mid-afternoon and then leaving the chicken until the evening and bunging it in the oven. I didn't go for the accompanying Asian slaw, because I'm not really a fan of raw cabbage, so we had it instead with a few boiled new potatoes and some wilted spinach.

The verdict - well, as someone who doesn't eat chicken skin, I rather missed out on some of the miso coating, but what I managed to scrap off was very tasty and Tris gave it a thumbs up. So it might be one to go for again, perhaps with a variation on the Asian slaw next time to add a bit more punch. Now I've just got the rest of the packet of sweet white miso paste to use up in something else ...