Seasonal suppers: whole new meaning to alphabet soup

Raspberry, radish, rocket. Mackerel, mangetout, mushroom. Sometimes I let first letters guide me. If only just for fun. Yet, you can come across some interesting combinations that sometimes push your senses onto less trodden paths.

Asparagus, apples, Alexanders. Blanch the asparagus. Cook and purée the apples. Blend the Alexander leaves with light rapeseed oil to make a vibrant green oil. A little swish of purée, three seasoned asparagus spears, Alexander oil. Finish with a few summer flowers: did you know that violas are edible? You could also grate a little roasted hazelnut over the entire dish. Or add a little Galway goat’s curd. Though that would end the lovely alliterative nature of the dish.

Raspberries and radish may seem an unlikely couple, but the sweetness of the raspberry counterbalances the bitterness of the radish.

At this time of year, I like to make raspberry vinegar for dressing salads. There are a few different ways to do this, but I find the easiest is to submerge raspberries in white wine vinegar. Leave for a week or two, until the vinegar absorbs the colour of the raspberries. If you like your vinegar a little sweet, then add sugar to the vinegar at the start of the process and dissolve by gently heating the vinegar. You can do the same with most summer fruits, such as strawberries and blueberries.

Give your radishes a quick blanch and refresh and then dress them with raspberry vinegar, cold pressed extra virgin rapeseed oil and a little sea salt. Toss through some organic rocket and finish with plenty of rocket flowers.

There’s no need to fry the mackerel. Just take a flamethrower to its skin and by the time you have crispy skin, the fish will be warmed through. Slice button mushrooms and dress them. Leave the mangetout raw, they have a beautiful bite. Three dishes whose principal ingredients all begin with the same letter.