Recipes

The onset of autumn brings a a new seasonal treat into the kitchen – cobnuts. Here, Cotswolds cookery school Thyme pairs the sweet, coconutty flavour of fresh green cobs (or hazelnuts, if you can’t find them) with saffron, yoghurt and another garden-fresh autumnal delight: dill.

First things first: before you start baking sourdough you need a sourdough starter.

Now, if your principal interest is in mastering the art of baking a loaf, then you can get a lively starter from a baking friend or local baker. Older starters can also be more reliable. However, we’re starting at the very beginning here, with instructions on how to make your own starter.

For April we have turned our thoughts to the most important meal of the day (well one of them – they are all important at Thyme) … breakfast. The new harvest of garden rhubarb, replacing the delicate pink stems of the early season forced rhubarb, is tart, sharp and flavoursome. Baked and served with thick strained yoghurt and our sourdough waffles, this is the most delicious way to start your day.

Makes about 20 doughnuts (about 1 kg dough) Preparation time: 45 minutes, plus proving and overnight chilling Cooking time: 4 minutes per doughnut, fried in batches; about 30-40 minutes total

Using cauliflower rice is a quick and easy way to fit more vegetables into your diet without comprising on taste.

This easy cocktail is an ode to spring, using ingredients that are easy to find or you might already have at home. These can be served in martini glasses or iced highballs.

An absolute classic, this soufflé recipe is surprisingly simple as well as being incredibly moreish and decadent.

This lemon posset with almonds is a wonderful dessert, nodding as it does to warmer climes as we shore up against the cold of February.

This is a great way to exercise knife skills, utilise a whole chicken whilst making two dishes that are very different, seasonal and wholesome with great taste.

Wintery months call for comforting meals to warm the soul.