The dates make a fudge like filling and the walnuts add bite and crunch to this terrific tart.

Have as a dessert or with a cuppa.

Ingredients

Pastry
- 110g (4 oz.) flour
- 60g (2 oz.) butter
- 60g (2 oz.) castor augar
- 1 whole egg

Filling
- 450g (1 lb.) dates (weighed with stones in)
- 110g (4 oz.) chopped walnuts
- 110g (4 oz) butter (preferably unsalted)
- 110g (4 oz). Caster Sugar
- 110g (4 oz.). Ground Almonds
- 2 Eggs

For a 23 cm.(9ins.) tart or quiche tin

Method
Set the oven to Gas 2, 150C, 300F.

Blend the butter with the flou, either by rubbing in or in a food processor. Knead in the egg and use this pastry to line a 12ins. tart tin. Stone the dates and chop into a coarse puree (you can do this in the food processor but do not over process, they are better when they keep some texture). Then toss the chopped walnuts in a hot pan until they brown. Spread the chopped dates on the pastry base and sprinkle over the nuts.

The next part can also be easily done in a food processor. Beat the butter with the sugar until light. Beat in the eggs, and then the ground almonds. Spoon this mixture over the dates and walnuts and smooth the top with a palette knife Bake at 150C/300F/Gas 2 for 45 minutes. Test with a skewer like a cake Serve warm or at room temperature, with a dollop of whipped cream or creme fraiche

A lovely fresh jam with a bite, terrific to wake up the mouth when eaten with toast in the mornings.

Ingredients
This jam is best made in small quantities.
- 450g (1 lb.) Rhubarb
- 425g (12 oz.) Jam Sugar (Sure set or Gem)
- 1 Thumb of stem Ginger

Method
Trim the ends from the rhubarb and cut it into 1 cm (half inch) slices. Peel the ginger (this is most easily done with a teaspoon) and cut it into the thinnest slices you can. Then cut these slices into thin julienne, again the thinner the better. If you find this difficult you can grate the peeled ginger.

Put the rhubarb, ginger and sugar into a large pot (they want plenty of room to boil without boiling over). Bring them to a good rolling boil and then boil hard for just 4 minutes (or as long as they specify for jam on the sugar packet) Pot it off into sterile jars.

Cooked like this the rhubarb keeps some of its texture and freshness. This is a great breakfast jam with bread or toast. The rhubarb gives it a good tartness and the ginger a bite. Terrific for opening up the taste buds.

Unusual in a salad the carrot is cooked. This is a great salad to have with sausages in a barbecue or any grilled meats.

Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 Ibs.) carrots.
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped mint
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 225g/(8oz.) dates (weight with stones)

Method
Stone and roughly chop the dates (put to one side.)

Peel and slice the carrots and the garlic. In a pan cover the carrots and garlic with water, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the lemon juice and simmer for five minutes until just tender. Drain and cool but keep the liquid.

Boil the cooking liquid over high heat to reduce to 1/2 cup. Pour the mixture over the carrots. Add the cumin, cayenne, mint, and parsley. Mix these together well.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a medium pan on gentle heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the dates and cook gently for another 5 minutes until the dates are softened.

Toss the onion and date mixture with the carrots. Let cool.

Serve at room temperature.

Dried Fruit Breakfast with Vanilla Yoghurt

Ingredients
500g (1 lb.) of Dried fruits

Use a mixture of some of the following.
- Apricots
- Prunes (without stones)
- Figs
- Large Muscatel rasins (stoned)
- Dates (which you will have to stone your self)

For Vanilla Yoghurt
- 1 tub of Plain Yoghurt (250g) preferably Greek Yoghurt or Fromage Frais.
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Castor Sugar.

Method
To prepare the fruits, cover them with water and bring them to a very gentle simmer. Simmer them slowly until soft and tender. I find the best thing to do is to hover over them with a slotted spoon and remove each fruit as it is ready, they do vary depending which brand you use The prunes are usually soft first and the figs take longest.

Put the fruits and the liquid into the fridge and serve cold, they will last several days covered in the fridge.

Serve with the vanilla yoghurt which is made just by whisking the ingredients together. If you can find some low fat yoghurt or fromage frais this is the basis for a very healthy breakfast.

This is a special dish in a restaurant near us in France.

The chef told me he imports Irish mussels for this as he finds the French Mediterranean ones too salty.

Ingredients
(Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a starter)
- 2 kg (4 lbs) Mussels
- 110g (4 oz.) streaky rashers (unsmoked)
- 1 Tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 medium onion
- 4 tablespoons Crème Fraiche
- Black Pepper

Method
Scrub the mussels and beard them. (Always do this just before you cook them as they will die and spoil once bearded). To beard just with your thumb and a knife cut the fibres which are hanging out of the shell, it takes just a second to do each one once you get used to it. Don't run these beards down the sink as they will block your drain.

Chop the bacon into dice and cook in a pan with the oil until crisp. Drain off the pan with a slotted spoon. Dice and cook the onion in the fat in the pan gently until soft. Add the creme fraiche to the pan and take off the heat.

Put the mussels into a large lidded pan with a half cup of water. Put on the lid and put on a high heat. Shake and stir the mussels in the pan for a few minutes until all the mussels have opened. Line a large sieve or colander with a cloth and strain the mussels through this, keeping the mussel liquor. Remove the top shell from the mussels and put them somewhere warm in their bottom shells.

Add the mussel juice and the bacon to the pan with the onions and boil fast for a few minutes. Put the mussels out into soup bowls and spoon over the sauce. Serve with spoons and plenty of bread to soak up the juices.

This is a lovely easy cake which has a delicate flavour and a soft set but needs no cooking

Ingredients
(For a 28cm tart tin-serve 6 to 8)

For the base:
- 125g (5 oz.) wholemeal biscuits
- 60g (2 oz.) unsalted butter
- Grated rind and juice of two oranges.
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 110g (4 oz.) cream cheese
- 350g (12 oz.) plain yoghurt (Greek yoghurt is good)
- 175g (6 oz.) good white chocolate
- 1 orange peeled and sliced for the top.

Method
Crumb the biscuits (in a food processor or by hand) and melt and add in the butter. Mix these together and press in evenly into a 28cm tin. Put this into the fridge (or freezer) to set. (Line this with a piece of tinfoil if you want to remove after setting).

Put the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water until melted or melt in a microwave at defrost.

Mash the cream cheese and then beat in the yoghurt, the orange juice and zest until you have a smooth cream.

Beat the melted chocolate into the cheese mixture and then spoon over the base. Smooth the top with a palette knife. Put this in the fridge for a couple of hours to set.

You can decorate the top with slices of peeled orange. You can lift this out carefully and put on a plate if you have lined with the foil.