Winter is my favourite time to cook. As our winters are short here (in August the days can be quite balmy!) I like to make the most of all the winter produce I can get my hands on. At this time of year, the market stalls are awash with plump bulbs of fennel, peas and beautiful squeaky beans, cauliflowers, creamy avocados, thick pink stalks of rhubarb, and an abundance limes, lemons, and oranges – including exquisite blood oranges. I’ll create different menus for each month depending on what’s in the market, our garden, and what my wonderful farming friends have grown.

As with all my classes, the recipes for these Spring classes will vary from month to month. In September we’ll focus on making the most of early spring produce such as peas, the first sweet strawberries, and blueberries (which we buy by the bucketful from the farmer); while October will bring broad beans (I do so love them!), amazing shatoot mulberries, and local asparagus. By November, we should be cooking with an abundance of stone fruit and special handmade cheeses from our award-winning local cheesemaker, Debra Allard of Cheeses Loves You. (I suspect in the last classes of November I’ll focus on easy entertaining ideas.)Together we’ll cook up a feast of beautiful dishes before we sit down with a glass of wine and enjoy it together.

What a great idea! Give your friends or family members a real treat for a birthday, anniversary or any other special occasion (or just because you want to spoil them) by giving them a Gift Voucher to one of my classes.

We get a number of enquiries about the possibility of doing exclusive hands-on private classes for groups – friends, family, or for corporate development. We’re really happy to do so, as long as there are 8 – 10 people in the group. If you would like to find out more about these special events, please contact me at belindajeffery24@gmail.com