Newsletter: A spotlight on Valentine Warner + some seasonal treats

Valentine Warner – all year round and for every occasion

Valentine Warner is serious about good food. In our new Author Profile: Valentine Warner, Gabriella English interviews the chef, author and TV presenter. His enthusiasm for his subject jumps out of our screens, and fills his books with food you want to eat.

We are delighted to now have four of Valentine Warner’s books on ckbk, so you can immerse in his food and philosophy. Growing up with two great cooks for parents and in amongst the ingredients in rural Dorset, he always understood the connection between what he was eating and the land. His food is rooted in its location and the seasons, and he is on a mission to show how ‘delicious, easy and inexpensive cooking can be.’

In The Good Table: Adventures in and Around my Kitchen Warner sets out to explore what eating well means to him, and feeding others well in the process. With recipes such as this Spanish Salad and a vibrant Fresh Raspberry Jelly, you will be very well fed indeed. In What to Eat Next Warner brings together uncomplicated recipes, that have no compromise on flavor or using good ingredients. Try Cauliflower and Cannellini Bean Soup, for a bowl full of comfort, or this classic Quiche Lorraine.

The two books What to Eat Now (Spring & Summer) and What to Eat Now (Autumn & Winter) accompanied his TV series on seasonal British cooking, and are a joy to explore. He writes with great love, evoking all that is wonderful in the field, garden and kitchen. These are recipes you will want to make. Spaghetti Arrabiata is a fine example of how uncomplicated food can taste glorious. While his recipe for Barbecued Bavette Steak with Anchovies, Red Wine and Garlic is one of many that demonstrate his understanding of the full range of meat and game.

His books abound with recipes you will want to make, and his writing is evocative and utterly tempting. Who could resist a Chocolate Tart that comes with the encouragement: ‘This tart is foolproof – that is unless you are a complete nincompoop.’ Good cooking!

Find all 100+ recipes from What to Eat Now (Spring & Summer)

Pictured above: Unctuous Slow-roasted Tomatoes from What to Eat Next by Valentine Warner

Cooking with wild mushrooms

There is a time of year, when summer is waning, and a few days have passed since a rainy spell, when those in the know, and who know where to look, go out hunting for mushrooms. Of course, mushroom picking is a potentially dangerous pastime, and not to be undertaken by those who don’t know precisely what they are looking for, so be sure to take expert advice before venturing out. Roger Phillips' two bibles on this subject, Mushrooms and Wild Food, remain unrivalled and include extensive guidance on identifying what is safe to eat.

If you are not confident in your mushroom identification skills, don't worry — as wild mushrooms are also widely and safely available at markets and specialist food retailers. Whichever way you source them, now is the time of year when many varieties of wild mushrooms are at their best to work their magic in the kitchen.

Porcini mushrooms, also called ceps (France) or penny buns (UK) are the kings of the forest floor. With a firmer flesh than most mushrooms, and a lower water content, they respond exceptionally well to drying. But if you are lucky enough to eat them fresh they will reward you with stunning depth and complexity of flavour. Try a Cep Tart, or this indulgent Haute-Lozère Porcini Risotto, Beef Jus. We’ve put together a Cooking with Wild Mushrooms: Porcini (Ceps) collection for you to explore.

Chanterelles (girolles) are another mushroom worth celebrating, again with a distinct earthy flavor. They combine beautifully with eggs – try Poached Egg and Chanterelles, and work well both in a rich Chanterelle, Black Truffle and Chestnut Soup, or a late summer Broad Bean, Pea and Girolle Salad.

Ingredient spotlight: plums

The plum is a member of the Prunus plant family that includes apricots, peaches, sloes and cherries. Plums ripen to sweet perfection in mid to late summer. The numerous varieties come in a range of sizes, shapes, and colours, from tiny golden mirabelles to tender greengages and bloomy-skinned red and purple varieties.

Enjoy them just as they are or bake them into pies, cakes, and tarts. Try this Damson Tart with Plum Zabaglione, or this Plum Clafoutis, which gently shows the fruit’s great affinity with spice. Don't miss out on trying them in savory dishes, too – try Focaccia with Goat’s Cheese, Plums and Caramelised Onions.

For more tasty ways to make the most of the plum harvest explore these 12 Ways with Plums.