Don't add a stock cube whole

Plum tart

This tart made with sweetcrust pastry and almond cream is especially tasty with those rather sour little plums that can be found in such profusion in late summer.

Creamy spinach and potato gratin

This is a gratin with a difference: before going in the oven, the layers of spinach and potato are topped with cream in which Mont d'Or cheese has been melted (or another cheese, if you prefer).

Roast in the bag pork with fondant vegetables.

Roasting "in the bag" is a simple but long method. The meat is sealed in a bag and cooked slowly at moderate temperature, keeping it very tender and with an amazing flavour. Meat cooked like this produces delicious juicies without adding anything else. These can be used to cook vegetables to a melting texture as a perfect accompaniment for the meat. This recipe might look complicated, but it is really very simple, just a bit long, and the flavour and texture are out of this world.

Spinach and Mushrooms with Pesto

For this simple recipe, thinly sliced and sautéed mushrooms, accompanied by cooked spinach, are combined with a pesto sauce.

Chestnut cake

This delightful cake is doubly chestnutty: it contains chestnut flour, and sweet chestnut purée.