My garden has morphed from being barren into an abundance of herbs

Fauna is sparse in the area but there are a few fruit trees and many pots of herbs. Last year I watered the herbs a couple of times – it never got hot enough and we didn’t have many rain free days. Because of this I thought they might have taken the hump a bit and not appeared this year but if anything they’re more prolific than ever. Mint pots have produced enough for me to make up some mint chutney to serve with lamb leg steaks. The chutney is an Indian influenced one with scallions, chilli, lemon and yoghurt added to the leaves. The lamb has a spice rub of garam masala, turmeric and smoked paprika. If the weather holds out it would be delicious cooked on a barbecue but would be just fine cooked in a pan. The zingy mint accompaniment is perfect with the spice infused rich meat.

Another free thing that has popped up recently is wild garlic. Also known as bear garlic, it’s a verdant, elegant leaf in contrast to bulb garlic. Pick the plant on a slope that has been away from dogs. Give it a good rinse in cold water and pat dry on kitchen paper. The leaves can be whizzed into dressings, pesto and butter to accompany grills, soups or even stews. In the recipe here I’ve used it in a couple of ways – an oil to dress and the shredded leaves in with some cannellini beans. Minute steaks used to be a big thing in the 1980s but have fallen out of fashion. It’s hard to understand why as they can, as the name suggest, be cooked quickly and are economical. The steaks are flash fried and some of the wild garlic oil added while they rest. Onions are roasted until soft, chopped smashed with some cannellini beans, wild garlic and a good smattering of parmesan – a bit of a change from the usual steak and spuds.

Gorse or whin bushes are in full, canary yellow flourish at the moment. They have a lovely scent of coconut and vanilla and can be used to garnish desserts or in the case here, made into a sparkling wine. It’s a quick wine, that’s quite low in alcohol, that can be rustled up in a couple of weeks. You bottle it in plastic bottles that allow the bubbles to expand. Just make sure you “burp” or open the bottles every now and again to avoid a gas build up. Cheers!