Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Tart

This is an easy-to-make tart and the earthy flavour of the beetroot pairs well with the goat's cheese for a quick lunch during the winter months. I make this with a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry though, unlike my savoury tart collection you will need to pre-cook it slightly before adding the topping.

Goat's cheese is sold in all sorts of different shapes and varying strengths. I chose to use a mild goat's cheese log to crumble over the beetroot.

1 pack of ready rolled puff pastry

450g cooked beetroot, sliced

1 goat's cheese log

a sprinkle of black pepper

chopped walnuts

a handful of rocket

Take the pastry out of the fridge about an hour before you want to use it.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC (180ºC fan) and put a large baking sheet in the oven to get hot. (This will ensure your tart has a crispy base). 

Unroll the pastry, keeping it on the baking paper supplied. Score a 2cm border around the edge of the pastry sheet and prick the middle with a fork. Take the baking sheet out of the oven and lift the pastry sheet (and baking paper) onto the tray. Return to the oven and cook for 15 minutes or until slighty brown.

When the time is up, remove the tart from the oven and if the centre has risen, gently flatten it - I used a fish slice. Overlap the beetroot slices down the middle and crumble the goat's cheese on top. Give it a quick grind of black pepper and return to the oven for a further ten minutes or until the goat's cheese has browned.

Remove from the oven and garnish with a few chopped walnuts and some rocket leaves. Serve with a simple salad for a delicious lunch.

Green Tomato Chutney

Green tomato chutney is a bit of a treat and something you will rarely find in the shops. It's also a fantastic way of using up those end of season green tomatoes from the garden, those unlikely to turn red before the first cold snap of winter!

I found this in my mother's recipe book and have brought it up to date, using the same amount of apples as green tomatoes and using allspice instead of chilli. It's a sweet and spicy mix, perfect with a mature cheddar cheese and a slice of fresh bread.

1 kg Bramley apples, cored, peeled and chopped

1 kg green tomatoes, chopped

1 large Spanish onion, peeled and finely chopped

350g granulated sugar

350g soft brown sugar

350g chopped sultanas (optional)

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp allspice

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 large garlic clove, grated

1 tsp salt

900ml white wine vinegar

This amount makes about five jars

First, sterilise your jars. Have a look at 'all you need to know about making chutney' to find out how easy this is.

Next, prepare all the ingredients and then put everything into a large enamel pan. Simmer for about an hour or until it's reduced by half. Be sure to stir frequently towards the end of the cooking time to make sure it's not catching on the bottom of the pan.

When it's done, allow to cool for a short while and then spoon into warm sterilised jars and seal. It's best to leave it to mature for a few weeks before indulging as this will allow the flavours to develop.

Too many courgettes!

Courgettes (or zucchini as they are known in the US and Italy) seem to need harvesting all at once, and they need to be picked daily so they don't get too large. Storing them is also tricky as their high water content means they do not freeze well. But they will keep in the fridge for up to a week after harvesting, as long as you keep them dry and you don't put them into a plastic bag.

If you have an excess of courgettes in your garden, there are a number of dishes you can make or bake, some of which can be frozen.

Courgettes are also delicious eaten raw and included on a plate of cruditeés with a selection of tasty dips. Or use a vegetable peeler to slice them into long, thin ribbons for a salad with feta or goat's cheese crumbled on top.

Courgette ribbons can also be put on top of a homemade pizza or a summer tart. This courgette, feta and mint tart is perfect for a summer picnic or an outdoor lunch. It's very easy to make using a ready rolled sheet of puff pastry, crème fraîche, ribbons of courgette, some chopped mint and crumbled feta cheese.

To avoid excess water in these recipes, it's a good idea to put the sliced courgettes into a colander (over a bowl), sprinkle with salt and put a plate and some weights on top. Set aside for at least an hour.

You could also make courgette 'roses' with a sheet of puff pastry, shown here ready to go in the oven.

These are made in the same way as my apple rose pastries, but the pastry sheet is spread with goats cheese and slices of courgette before being rolled up and put into your muffin tins.

These are delicious for a quick supper with a salad. Or you could try and sneak them into your child's school lunch box!

Typically, courgettes become soft and lose their taste when they are boiled so a good alternative is to roast them. This not only intensifies the flavour but means you can freeze them for later use. Simply cut the courgette into thick slices, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes at 190ºC.

I also make batches of soup to freeze for the winter months. My tomato and courgette or pancetta and bean minestrone are both tried and tested and both include a couple of chopped courgettes. Homemade croûtons optional.

And if you still have courgettes to eat up, here's a few other ideas.

Simply thread large pieces of courgette onto skewers with some red onion, colourful peppers and chestnut mushrooms and place under the grill or on the barbecue. This is a great vegetable accompaniment to your bbq meats and an often welcome alternative to salads.

Courgette carbonara is also a favourite in our house. Simply fry some cubed pancetta, add some colourful courgettes (cut into short lengths) and sprinkle over some dried thyme. When that's done, add the cooked pasta and stir in the beaten egg and cheese mixture.

And if you want to go the sweet route, you can grate courgettes into muffins or a cake making sure to get rid of the excess water first. If you like the moistness of a carrot cake, you'll love a courgette cake. Nigella Lawson includes the best recipe ever in her book 'How to be a Domestic Goddess' that uses a homemade lime curd filling and a cream cheese and lime frosting. Be sure to look it up.