The Tiny Kitchen: Recipes from the ASCC

The Tiny Kitchen: Recipes from the ASCC

Happy New Home!

Happy Housewarming Ann & James!

To mark the occasion, we have compiled an ASCC cookbook with all of our favourite recipes. Enjoy – and bon appetit!

With love from all at ASCC xxx

Fishcake tacos with mango, lime and cumin yoghurt Ann, this is my favourite meal from Ottolenghi’s Simple cookbook – I hope you enjoy it too. Take care, Lis

450g plaice fillets (or use a similar white fish, skin and pin-bones removed, cut into 2-3cm chunks) 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 large egg 1½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and finely crushed in a pestle and mortar 4 limes: finely grate the zest of all 4, then cut into wedges, to serve 20g coriander leaves, finely chopped 120g Greek-style yoghurt ½ red onion, finely sliced (40g) 1/3 mango, peeled and julienned (100g) 1 red chilli, deseeded and julienned (10g) 3 tbsp vegetable oil 12 corn flour tortillas, 15cm wide, warmed through Salt

Place the fish, garlic and egg in the large bowl of a food processor with 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, three-quarters of the lime zest and ¾ teaspoon of salt. Blitz briefly, just until the fish forms a rough paste, then transfer to a medium bowl. Add half the coriander, mix together, then form into 12 round fishcakes, each weighing about 45g. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes (and up to a day ahead), to firm up.

Put the yoghurt, the remaining ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds, the remaining lime zest and 1/8 teaspoon of salt into a small bowl. Mix together and set aside.

In a separate small bowl, combine the onion, mango and chilli and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and place on a medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the fishcakes in batches and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden-brown and cooked through. Transfer to a kitchen paper-lined plate.

Serve each taco warm, with one fishcake, cut in half, a spoonful of yoghurt and the mango mix. Finish with a sprinkle of the remaining coriander and a squeeze of lime.

Pasta Fagioli Soup Hi Ann, so happy for you that this long-awaited day has finally arrived! Hope you are able to unwind, settle into your new spot and get some calm and relaxation. This pasta fagioli recipe is very cosy, especially for some of our cooler summer (?!) days. -Erin 1 cup dried cranberry beans or red kidney beans, soaked and cooked, or 3 cups canned cranberry or red kidney beans, drained ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp chopped onion 2 tbsp chopped carrot 3 tbsp chopped celery 3 or 4 pork rips, or 1 ham bone with some lean meat attached (can leave out meat and substitute with 2 tbsp of soy sauce) 2/3 cup canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice Approximately 3 cups beef broth or vegetable broth Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste ½ pound small, tubular macaroni (ditalini works well) 1 tbsp butter 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese If using dried beans: Wash and pick over beans; put into a medium bowl with 3 inches of water to cover. Cover bowel lightly and soak beans overnight. After soaking, rinse well, put into a large pot with 3 inches of water to cover. Cover pot, and heat to medium. When the water boils, adjust heat to simmer beans gently. Cook until tender, but not mushy, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not add salt until beans are almost done. Turn off heat and reserve in their liquid.

Put olive oil and onion in a large soup pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until onion becomes pale gold. Add carrot and celery, stir once or twice to coat them well, then add meat. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning meat from time to time with vegetables. Add tomatoes and their juices, adjust the heat so that the juice simmers very gently, and cook for 20 minutes.

Add the drained cooked or canned beans, stirring them thoroughly to coat well. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the broth/stock, cover the pot, and bring soup to a gentle boil.

Scoop up about ½ cup of the beans and mash them in a food mill or with a masher in a bowl, then pour back into the pot. Add salt, a few grindings of black pepper, and stir thoroughly.

Check the soup for density: it should be liquid enough to cook the pasta in. If necessary, add more broth, or, if you are using diluted canned broth, more water. When the soup has come to a steady, moderate boil, add the pasta. Stop the cooking when the pasta is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 6 minutes. Before turning off the heat, swirl in 1 tablespoon of butter and the grated cheese.

Pour the soup into a large serving bowl or into individual plates, and allow to settle for 10 minutes before serving.

(Makes 6 servings.)

Orecchiette with chickpeas, tomatoes and capers Congratulations on your new home Ann! Hope that you can finally relax and enjoy it now the move is over. This is the recipe which Lucie and I are always going on about – it’s probably my favourite pasta dish. There’s quite a lot of ingredients (classic Ottolenghi) but once you’ve got them it’s not too time-consuming and is delicious! Hope you enjoy it. Georgina x 50ml olive oil, plus 2 tbsp extra to serve 6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and patted dry (reading this, I’ve realised I never bother with the patting dry part and they are fine…)

2 tsp hot smoked paprika 2 tsp ground cumin ¾ tbsp tomato paste Salt and black pepper 40g parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped 2 tsp lemon zest 4 tbsp baby capers 80g good-quality green olives, pitted and roughly torn Roughly 250g cherry tomatoes 2 tsp caster sugar ½ tbsp caraway seeds, lightly toasted and crushed 250g dried orecchiette (or a bit more if you’re hungry, but then obviously you’ll need a bit more liquid) 500ml vegetable stock Put the first six ingredients and two teaspoons of salt in a large saute pan for which you have a lid, then put it on a medium heat and fry gently for eight minutes, stirring often, until the chickpeas are slightly crisp. Transfer a third of the chickpeas to a small bowl, to use as a garnish. (I sometimes forget about the chickpeas while I’m prepping the caper mix and leave them to get a bit burny but they’re usually fine!)

In a second bowl, combine the parsley, lemon zest, capers and olives, then add two-thirds of this mix to the saute pan with the cherry tomatoes, sugar and caraway seeds, and cook for two minutes more, stirring often.

Add the pasta, stock and 200ml water, and bring up to a simmer. Turn the heat to medium, cover with a lid and leave to cook, undisturbed, for 12-14 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.

(Sometimes I find this needs a bit longer or more liquid so check and adjust if necessary!)

Stir in the remaining parsley mixture, drizzle with the remaining two tablespoons of oil, and garnish with the fried chickpeas and a good grind of pepper.

(You can make this with other pasta like conchiglie and it’s still good but it is definitely nicest with orecchiette!)

Smoky Chipotle Pork with Red Slaw I think I got this from an old Waitrose recipe card (lol) and it’s delicious. If you want to make it meat-free you can just skip the pork and cook the beans with the marinade ingredients. When we do this we have it with avocados, it’s also nice with some rice or quinoa. Enjoy! Georgina x 185g Pibil paste 4 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted, plus extra to serve Zest and juice of 4 limes, plus extra wedges to serve 8 cloves garlic, peeled 28g fresh coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves torn (this is roughly 1 medium bunch) 450g pork fillet, trimmed 3 tbsp olive oil 400g can black beans, drained and rinsed small red cabbage, shredded (I always struggle to shred it finely enough – a mandolin would be great here if you have one!)

150g mixed radishes, sliced For the marinade, whizz the pibil paste in a food processor (before we got one we just used to chop finely) with the sesame seeds, grated zest and juice of 3 limes, garlic and coriander stalks until combined. Season the pork and rub the marinade all over. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in deep, heavy-based frying pan. Remove the excess marinade from the pork, reserve, then sear the pork in the frying pan for 1-2 minutes on all sides, until well browned. Add the reserved marinade, 150ml water and the black beans. Cover and simmer briskly for 18-20 minutes, turning the pork regularly, until the meat is piping hot and cooked through. Turn off the heat and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the cabbage and radish in a large bowl and stir through the remaining 2 tbsp oil, grated zest and juice of the remaining lime, and the coriander leaves. Slice the pork and serve with the black bean sauce, slaw and lime wedges, and sprinkle with extra sesame seeds.

Sweet Potato, Coconut and Lime Soup When I had my first job working in a café they used to make a sweet potato, coconut & lime soup, and it was so amazing it made me like creamy soups which I’d hated before! I finally tracked down this recipe which is pretty much exactly it – I love it so much, it’s perfect in both summer and winter – and pretty easy to adapt how citrusy/coconutty you want it because it’s easy to taste while blending! Enjoy cooking in the new kitchen! Georgina x 2 tbsp oil 1 medium yellow onion peeled and chopped 1-2 tablespoons red curry paste 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger 3 garlic cloves peeled and minced 650 g sweet potato peeled and diced (this is usually 3-4 sweet potatoes but obviously depends how large!)

2 carrots peeled and diced 750 ml vegetable or chicken broth 1 can coconut milk full-fat or light 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper (fine to skip this if you don’t have it!) juice and zest of 1 big lime salt to taste Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 3 minutes.

Add the ginger, garlic, and curry paste, then saute another 2 minutes. Add the diced sweet potatoes, diced carrots, and broth. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 15 or until the vegetables are tender. Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Add some more broth or coconut milk if the soup is too thick. Stir in the rest of the coconut milk (if you want to – I prefer not to add the whole can or I think it gets too coconutty, so keep tasting!) along with the lime juice (again, you can do this to taste), lime zest and white pepper. Season with salt or soy sauce to taste. Serve garnished with lime wedges and coriander.

Salad with tomatoes, chickpeas and rose harissa Lovely, easy and fresh for the first summer in your new home! And reminds me of your delicious looking ‘work salads’. Send me a picture - it’s so colourful. - Hannah Prep 20 min Serves 2 (or 4 as part of a bigger spread)

For the dressing: 2½ tbsp rose harissa 2½ tbsp olive oil 2½ tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp fine sea salt

For the salad: 240g cooked jarred chickpeas (or 1 x 400g tin) ½ red onion, peeled and finely sliced 30 baby plum tomatoes (300g), halved 1 cucumber, deseeded and cut into 1cm half-moons (250g net weight) 20 pitted kalamata olives, halved 20g coriander, finely chopped 15g mint leaves (i.e. from about 8 sprigs), finely chopped 2 pitta breads, to serve

Put all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and stir. Drain the chickpeas, tip into a large bowl, and add the onion, tomatoes, cucumber and olives. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix well. Sprinkle over the coriander and mint, and fold through the salad.

Put the pitta bread into the toaster and toast until very crisp and golden. When cool, cut into rough pieces.

Tip the salad out on to a serving platter, arrange the pitta around the edge and serve.

Roasted panzanella salad I made this so much over winter, it’s delicious! Don’t scrimp on the mustard or capers, but I don’t include the grapes – so your call on that one. Hope you enjoy! - Hannah Prep 25 min | Cook 35 min Serves 4-6 4 banana shallots, peeled and halved 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled 200g red grapes 400g root vegetables, chopped into rough 2cm chunks Olive oil Salt and black pepper 150g sourdough bread, torn into 2cm chunks 2 sprigs sage, leaves picked 1 small bunch parsley, leaves picked and stalks finely chopped 2 tbsp baby capers 350g winter greens (kale, sprout tops or purple sprouting broccoli) For the dressing: 1 tsp dijon mustard ½ unwaxed lemon: juice and zest 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Heat the oven to 190C (170C)/gas 5.

Put the shallots, garlic cloves, grapes and root vegetables into a large baking tray, then add two tablespoons of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, until the root veg is starting to soften.

Remove the tray from the oven and add the sourdough, sage, parsley stalks and capers, and toss. Add two more tablespoons of oil and bake for a further 10 minutes, until everything is tender and golden, adding the greens for the last five minutes.

In a jar or small bowl, shake or whisk together the dressing ingredients, then pour over the tray, scatter with the parsley leaves, toss and serve.

Orange and olive oil syrup cake Syrupy and so delectable. I never get the sliced oranges right (always very chewy...) But with your superior skills I’m sure you’ll do better than me. Have with tea, and eat as much as you want. - Hannah Serves 8-10 100ml mild olive oil, plus extra for oiling 3 oranges 425g caster sugar, plus 3 tbsp extra for the syrup About 100ml non-dairy milk 1 tsp vanilla Seeds of 20 cardamom pods, crushed 225g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp fine salt

Set oven to 170C/325F/gas 3½. Lightly oil a 22cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line with baking paper.

Finely slice 1 orange, leaving the skin on. Dissolve 200g in a pan with 200ml water. Add the orange slices. Simmer gently for 1 hour or until soft. Remove from the syrup with a slotted spoon and arrange neatly in the base of the prepared tin.

Meanwhile, peel 1 of the remaining oranges and blitz the flesh. Pour into a measuring jug, add 100ml oil and enough milk to make 300ml of liquid. Add the vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, 225g of sugar and half the ground cardamom. Add the finely grated zest of the remaining orange, reserving its juice. Add the oil mixture and stir. Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 45 minutes, or until skewer comes out clean.

While the cake is cooking, pour the reserved orange juice into a pan. Add the remaining 3 tbsp sugar, 100ml water and the remaining cardamom. Simmer until reduced to a syrup.

Poke deep holes in the cake with a chopstick. Pour over the syrup, getting as much into the holes as possible. Spoon any syrup that pools around the edges back over the cake.

Let the cake stand for 5 minutes before inverting on to a plate. Release the cake from the tin, then carefully remove the base and peel off the paper. Enjoy warm or cold.

Jaffa cakes I sent you a picture and you wanted them – so this is as close as I can get to making them for you!

Hope they live up to the hype‌ Hannah Prep 30 minutes Cook 8 minutes Makes 15 100 g self-raising flour 60 g caster sugar 100 ml soya or rice milk 50 ml (3 tbsp + 1 tsp) light rapeseed or other flavourless oil 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence Topping: 150g chocolate chips, or a bar broken into pieces 50 g (3 tbsp + 1tsp) margarine 1/2 orange, grated zest 12-15 tsp orange marmalade Grease a bun tray. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and caster sugar. Add the milk, oil and vanilla, stirring until just combined.

Drop a small spoonful of the batter into each of the holes in the prepared tray and bake for about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the tray for 2 minutes before turning the bases out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Melt the chocolate and margarine in a pan on a low heat, stirring constantly until combined. Remove from the heat and add the orange zest.

Once the cakes have cooled, and before removing them from the wire rack, spoon a dollop of orange marmalade on top of each one.

Spoon the chocolate evenly over the cakes so that the tops are completely covered. The excess chocolate can drip through the wire rack leaving the bottoms free of chocolate.

Refrigerate on the rack for about 20 minutes until set. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve them.

Green Risotto A classic J ES from 2018!

I have also made with asparagus J Jacqui x 1 litre chicken stock 500g fresh peas Small bunch of mint, leaves only Small bunch of parsley, leaves only Big bunch of basil, roughly chopped 1 tsp mustard 4 slices Parma ham 200g ricotta ½ garlic clove, crushed Zest and juice of 1 lemon 1tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp butter 1 red onion, finely diced 1 celery stick, finely diced 2 leeks, finely sliced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 bay leaves 200g risotto rice 200ml white wine 50g grated Parmesan Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan and add the peas, mint, parsley and half the basil (save the rest for serving) for 3-5 minutes, until the peas are just tender. Remove from heat and set half the peas aside for later. Whizz everything else up in a blender with the mustard.

Heat a slosh of olive oil in a pan and fry the Parma ham until crispy. Drain on a kitchen towel. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the ricotta, with garlic, lemon zest and juice. Season.

In another large pot, heat the olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Add the onion, celery, leeks, garlic and bay and saute for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the rice and stir continually for a few minutes until the rice has gone translucent. Pour in the wine and reduce while stirring, for another 5 minutes. Turn the heat down and slowly ladle in your herby pea stock, waiting until each ladleful is absorbed before adding the next. Keep stirring.

We like to keep this risotto loose and on the soupy side so add an extra ladleful of water if needed. Then stir in the other tablespoon of butter, Parmesan and the reserved peas. Serve with a dollop of ricotta, a crispy piece of Parma ham and the rest of the basil.

Lucie’s Greek Feast These recipes were given to me by my closest friends’ mum, she was also one of my mum’s best friends – we all grew up together and she is an amazing cook. She used to live in Greece and these are recipes she’s shared with me. I caught my love of Greece when I first went to stay in her house on Skopelos. I hope one day you’d like to use them as part of your own Greek feast! -Lucie Greek Beans 225g dried haricot beans I bulb garlic (yes the whole bulb!), crushed 120ml olive oil 1 bay leaf 2 tbsp tomato puree 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 lemon Cook beans for 10 mins and soak for 1 hour. Drain.

Simmer beans, olive oil, onion, garlic and bay leaf for 15 mins.

Add enough water to cover by 2cm, plus tomato puree.

Bring to boil and simmer for 2 – 2.5 hrs.

Towards end let the sauce condense a little and add a few grinds of pepper and 1 tsp salt.

Sprinkle over lemon juice once pan is off the heat.

Greek Potatoes New potatoes (however many you want for 2 people!)

1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly ground in pestle and mortar 1 small onion, sliced into thin half moons 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced Generous handful of black olives (the wrinkly, stone in ones are definitely best for this) 2 tbsp olive oil Salt & pepper Fry onion and garlic in the olive oil in a frying pan til light brown, beginning to caramelise Add par boiled potatoes and cumin.

Stir until potatoes are crispy – you want the onions and potatoes to be a delicious tangle of crispy bits.

Add olives and seasoning.

You can also do this in the oven if you’d prefer. Just put into a baking dish after mixing the pots into the fried onions and garlic.

Chicken Burritos Congrats on moving into your new house Ann! Here’s a starter and main that are great for summer. Mike xx

For the chicken 2 limes, juice only 2 garlic cloves, crushed 4 tbsp olive oil 1 heaped tsp dried oregano 1 tsp chilli flakes 1 tsp brown sugar 4 chicken thighs, boneless, skin removed flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper For the chipotle crema 2 chipotles en adobo, finely chopped 2 tbsp soured cream 2 tbsp mayonnaise 1 lime, juice only For the pico de gallo salsa 2 large ripe tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped ½ onion, finely chopped handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped 1 green serrano or jalapeno chilli, finely chopped 1 lime, juice only For the guacamole 1 green jalapeno or serrano chilli, deseeded and finely chopped ½ small onion, finely chopped 1 large ripe avocado, stone and skin removed 1 lime, juice only small handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped To serve 150g/5½oz long-grain white rice 4 large flour tortillas 4 tbsp freshly grated mozzarella 4 tbsp soured cream ½ Little Gem lettuce, shredded

To make the chicken, mix the lime juice, garlic, oil, oregano, chilli, sugar and salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Add the chicken, cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Meanwhile, to make the chipotle crema, mix the chipotles en adobo, soured cream and mayonnaise with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and set aside.

To make the pico de gallo, mix all the ingredients together with ½ teaspoon of salt in a bowl and set aside.

To make the guacamole, pound the chilli in a pestle and mortar with the onion and Âź teaspoon of salt, into a lumpy paste. Add the avocado and break up the flesh roughly with a fork. The result should be lumpy not smooth. Stir in the lime juice, to taste, and the chopped coriander.

Place a frying pan over a high heat and cook the chicken thighs, without the marinade, until browned and sealed. Add the marinade to the pan, cover with a lid and cook for 10–15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through as the juices run clear. Slice the chicken into strips.

Meanwhile, cook the rice according to packet instructions.

Divide the tortillas between four plates and top with the rice, chicken, sauces, mozzarella and lettuce. Fold up the bottom of each tortilla, then fold the sides in and roll to contain the filling. Cut in half to serve.

Deep-fried coconut prawns 24 raw king prawns, peeled, tails on (about 600g/1lb 5oz frozen raw shell-on prawns) For the batter 175g/6oz plain flour 1½ tsp baking powder 1 medium egg, beaten 150ml/5fl oz ice-cold water 60g/2¼oz panko breadcrumbs 60g/2¼oz unsweetened desiccated coconut 600ml/200fl oz corn oil, for deep frying salt and freshly ground black pepper For the papaya dipping sauce 1 large papaya, skin and seeds removed, roughly chopped ½–1 habanero chilli, stem and seeds removed, roughly chopped 1 banana shallot, roughly chopped 1 garlic clove, halved 3 tbsp cider vinegar 2 thin slices fresh root ginger, skin removed 1 lime, juice only 1 orange, juice only 1 tbsp soft brown sugar 1 large pinch ground allspice ½ tsp salt

To make the dipping sauce, place all the ingredients into a food processer and blend until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook gently over a low heat for 5 minutes. If the sauce gets too thick, add a few tablespoons of boiling water.

To make the batter, sift 125g/4½oz plain flour, the baking powder and pinch salt into a bowl.

Make a well in centre and break in the egg. Bring in the flour from the sides to make a paste then whisk in the cold water to make a smooth batter.

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and fill a deep-fat fryer or a large, deep, heavybottomed pan two-thirds full with the oil. Heat to 180C (a cube of bread should turn brown in one minute when dropped in.)

Tip the remaining 50g/1¾oz flour into a shallow bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix together the breadcrumbs and coconut in a separate bowl.

Coat each prawn in the flour, shaking off any excess, then holding it by the tail, dip it into the batter. Lift it out and let any excess batter drip back into the bowl. Roll the prawn in the

coconut crumbs, pressing down so the mixture sticks. Put the prawn on the prepared tray and repeat until all are coated, leaving space between each one.

Deep-fry the prawns in batches for 1 or 2 minutes until golden-brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.

Serve at once with the papaya dipping sauce.

Preserved Ginger Cake Ann, this is my favourite cake recipe and it always works for me. Have fun in your new kitchen. Sarah 225g self-raising flour 1 slightly rounded tsp baking power 175g spreadable butter 175g golden caster sugar 3 large eggs 1 tbsp black treacle 1 level dessert spoon ground ginger 2 tbsps milk 1 heaped tablespoon ground almonds 2 tbsps ginger syrup (from the preserved ginger 7 pieces preserved ginger

Begin by placing the opened tin of black treacle in a saucepan of barely simmering water to warm it and make it easier to spoon.

Meanwhile sift the flour and baking powder into a roomy mixing bowl, lifting the sieve quite high to give the flour a good airing as it goes down, then add the butter, golden caster sugar, eggs, treacle and ground ginger. Now, using an electric hand whisk, combine them for about 1 minute until you have a smooth creamy consistency.

After that fold in the milk, along with the heaped tablespoon of ground almonds and the ginger syrup. Then chop 5 of the pieces of stem ginger fairly small and fold these into the cake mix too.

Spread the cake mix in the tin, level it off with the back of a tablespoon and bake for 40–50 minutes near the centre of the oven or until the cake is risen, springy and firm to the touch in the centre. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift the cake out of the tin using the liner and place it on a wire rack. Then, holding the liner at one end, use a palette knife to slide the cake directly onto the rack, and leave until cold.

For the icing: sift the icing sugar into a bowl and mix with enough lemon juice to make the consistency of thin cream. Spread the icing over the top of the cake, and never mind if it dribbles down the side in a few places – it looks nice and homemade. Cut the remaining 2 pieces of stem ginger into 15 pieces and arrange in lines of three across the cake.

For serving, cut the cake into 15 squares.

Thanks for reading!

Below are some titles we considered but did not use: Bin Eating Ann, Savour your Colleagues’ Cooking!

The Archivist’s Cookbook ASCC: Quarantine Kitchen