A nice way to cook carrots, which accentuates their sweetness. Chervil is a pretty herb and always makes a good garnish, but equally works well as an ingredient. It has a mild aniseed flavour. You may find it hard to get hold of, so you could use tarragon instead, or...

This is one of those dishes which you just want to eat on its own. A simple thing such as browning the butter seems to transform the dish. Remember to dry the parsnips in the pan on a low heat; this removes the excess water and therefore concentrates the flavour. You...

Acorn squash is so called because of its shape. If you are having trouble getting hold of it, just use butternut squash – they have slightly different flavours but you should spend your time cooking, not shopping. Peanuts are one of those little ingredients you forget...

The best part of this dish has to be the lentils; adding the red wine during the cooking process lifts them from a hippy staple to something a bit special. Puy lentils are the little dark green ones; they are from France and grow in a region which is known for its...

Just to clear up any confusion, globe artichokes are the big green spiky things and Jerusalem artichokes are the little knobbly things that look like potatoes. They have an unusual sweet flavour that is difficult to describe. Word of warning: they oxidise quickly, so...

Goat’s Cheddar is a wonderful thing; there are lots of varieties on the market and if you can get hold of a mature version it will make this recipe even better. These puddings are based on soufflés but are denser, so make for a more substantial dish. As they need to...