my trip to borough market at the weekend, combined with a busy week, has resulted in lots of slightly past-their-best vegetables that need using up. roasted vegetables are always a great solution and the flavours can be varied enormously, depending what you fancy eating.

harissa and spices such as cumin, coriander and cinnamon are great if you want to have the vegetables with a north-african inspired couscous dish (add orange/lemon zest and juice to the couscous and serve with some mint yoghurt or the side).

today i decided to use more mediterranean flavours and make a lasagne. most of my vegetables roast well but i’m not keen on the flavour of roasted leeks so i decided to cook these on top of the cooker with the fennel.

you’ll see that i use crème fraiche instead of a white/cheese sauce – i find this makes the dish less rich, which is definitely a good thing when the weather is hot. i also like the slightly tangy flavour it gives. try it and see what you think.

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italian cantuccini are crunchy (they are baked twice so they dry out) almond biscuits, traditionally from tuscany. having bought many different types over the years i thought it was time to try making my own. dried lavender from my friend liz’s garden provided me with the flavour inspiration i needed.

these biscuits are usually served with coffee or sweet wine. i prefer these with sweet wine, not least as this really brings out the orange flavour.

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london’s borough market is a food lover’s paradise. stocked with a huge range of fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs; fish, seafood and meat; cheeses, breads and preserves; chocolates, cakes and other sweet treats as well as drinks (alcoholic and not), kitchen essentials such as spices and not so essential pots and pans, it is a place where money quickly leaves my purse and i become laden with bags.

every time i visit i try to buy at least one new thing. this week it was a pot of fresh goats’ curd from neal’s yard dairy.

the curd was like the freshest soft goats’ cheese you’ll ever taste - a perfect partner for the beautiful tomatoes that i also bought.

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london has been a very wet and slightly chilly place this august bank holiday weekend. food that can be pulled together quickly and easily to provide maximum “mmmmm” feelings was needed and this spinach, lemon and peppered mackerel pilaf certainly hit the spot. nice and cheap too!

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