More like a huge pile of veggies on a puddle of cooked egg, but whatever. I am just loving the combination of ricotta and butternut squash lately. I roasted the butternut squash with lots of red onion and garlic, plus sage, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Added the broccoli to the roasting tin at the end. Then it all went into a non-stick pan - poured in the egg, swirled it around, dotted it with ricotta and stuck it under the grill for a couple minutes. Amazeville.

Vegetable revelation: you can roast butternut squash with the skin on (the skin becomes soft and perfectly edible after roasting). Life just got simpler. 

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Today's bircher consisted of:

• 25g jumbo oats
• 5g flaxseed
• 1/2 apple
• ~5 grapes
• 5g toasted pistachios
• squeeze of lemon juice
• Greek yogurt, some mixed in, some on the side

More Bircher ideas on the blog: Bircher muesli, defined and refined

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Let's get something out in the open straight off the bat: the pizza base was abysmal. I attempted to make a sourdough pizza base using this recipe and it was waaaay too sour. The toppings were good, though - I took some inspiration from smitten kitchen's shaved asparagus pizza and did ricotta, mushrooms, asparagus, spring onions and a light sprinkle of parmesan. A really nice combo, especially with some rocket salad lightly dressed with lemon and olive oil. Oh but that crust was so bad. Confession: I ended up scraping off the toppings onto a piece of toast. 

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Stuffing: a mix of pesto, basmati rice, sauteed onion, red pepper, garlic, sweetcorn, kidney beans, fennel seeds.

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Maybe a little too warm. But it was decent. Also in the salad: romaine lettuce, carrots, red onion, tomato, sunflower seeds, argan oil, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper.

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Essentially last night's leftovers.

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A slight take on Ottolenghi's chermoula aubergine with bulgar and yoghurt recipe.

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I'm loving this lately: I saute the cabbage and carrots with onion and caraway. Top with a poached egg and a sprinkle of paprika. Serve with toast, avocado and giardiniera. Comfort food.

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Had a nice lunch with Rachel Demuth at Made by Bob, pretty much the best thing going in Cirencester at the moment for good food (perhaps some Cirencester peeps can correct me on that one?).

I ordered the asparagus with parmesan and balsamic, which in retrospect was pretty meagre for lunch. Luckily Rachel shared with me some of her focaccia with Imam Bayildi, a Turkish dish of braised aubergine, onion, garlic and tomato. I'd never had before and now I totally want to make it. Rachel informs there's a recipe in Green Seasons. Imam Biyaldi coming soon.

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This was good, but admittedly it made me feel a bit greasy.

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A variation of my Vegan Breakfast Tacos (no jalapeno or green pepper, alas, but Trader Joe's Corn Salsa made up for it). Side of cabbage salad (shredded cabbage, fresh lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, salt and pepper).

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Not a bad use of last night's leftovers: sea trout, potatoes, carrots, celery, spring onion, lettuce, parsley, basil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, argan oil, salt and pepper.

See also: New Wave Fish Shop and a Great Recipe for Sea Trout

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Perhaps THE best fish dish I've ever made.

Blogged: New Wave Fish Shop and a Great Recipe for Sea Trout

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Nettle and mushroom risotto. This was my second time ever cooking with foraged nettles, and my first time making risotto! I adapted the recipe for nettle risotto from the Vegetarian Cookery School which recommends a garnish of fried morels - I wish.

Instead, I did chestnut mushrooms in the risotto, plus a trickle of white truffle oil and some Cornish yarg to finish. I was pretty happy with this and would definitely try it again. The only thing I might to differently next time is blanch and chop the nettles before adding them to the risotto. Also felt it could use a squeeze of lemon juice, but is that wrong in risotto? I just don't know!

I will say this might be the start of a risotto kick. I've got loads of risotto rice around and it would help my mission to "use up the larder". I can also see risotto working well as a stuffing for other veggies, or as a quick breakfast from leftovers. 

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Ideal Saturday morning.

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A lunch of "P"'s! And my idea of comfort food, and as I was having an unusually stressful day, this lunch really hit the spot (the spot that needed cuddles).

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How was I to know this would be my last raw kale salad of the season? But alas, it seems they've come and gone - at least that is the case with The Organic Farm Shop where I buy my kale from.

This salad was super. Raw kale, grated carrot, red onion, roasted butternut squash, roasted garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Topped with some leftover grilled tempeh, avocado and Sriracha. The only thing that would have made it better would have been some toasted sunflower seeds. Next time! Er... next year!

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A worthwhile use of the first asparagus of the season.

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