Carrot Top Tea

This is such an unbelievably delicious drink and great for detoxifying and strengthening the kidneys. Excellent for anyone suffering from urinary complaints.

Take a handful of carrot leaves (home grown are always best but shop bought carrots can be used as long as you thoroughly wash then to remove any chemical residues), tear them up and put them in a tea pot. Pour over boiling water and leave to steep until the tea is cold. Strain to remove the leaves and put them on the compost heap, then place the tea in the fridge to chill. It will last well for about 3 days if it hasn't all been drunk before then.
Carrots store best with their tops removed so making tea from the leaves is an excellent use of resources. Young leaves can also be used in salads.

Chilled Tomato & Basil Soup

1½kg ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 large tins of organic tomatoes (preferably citric acid free)
1 medium red onion
1 large handful of basil leaves, coarsely chopped
100ml extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ -1 lemon, to taste
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Ses salt, black pepper & tamari, to taste

Puree the tomatoes, basil and onion together in a food processor working in batches if necessary. Add the olive oil and seasonings then press through a sieve to remove the seeds and pulp. Adjust seasoning as required then chill well before serving. Makes 6-8 bowlfuls or 12-16 servings in tea galsses.

Tomato Soup that tastes like Heinz (only better)

½ small leek, coarse green leaves removed & chopped small
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped small (or sweet potato)
700g ripe tomatoes
420ml vegetable stock or water with a tablespoon of tamari added
Sea salt and black pepper to season
85ml Greek yoghurt or creme fraiche

Melt the butter then add the leeks and potatoes, cover the pan and sweat for about 5 minutes on a very low heat. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 3 minutes. Stir in the hot stock, bring the soup up to simmering point and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, liquidise and sieve (pushing through as much pulp as possible). Return to the pan, add the yoghurt or creme fraiche, heat gently, season and serve. Makes 4 generous helpings.

Chocolate Dessert Cake with Blackberry Sauce

A little indulgence after a good healthy main course is really necessary from time to time. This is definitely a dessert cake rather than a cake to serve at tea time.

420ml plain organic wholemeal flour
420ml organic caster sugar
180ml unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ heaped teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs
180ml strong brewed coffee, cooled
180ml rice milk
120ml sunflower oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Makes 12 servings

Loads of fresh blackberries plus a couple of windfall apples. Rinse the fruit thoroughly then place in a non-reactive saucepan with just enough sugar to take the edge off the tartness. Place over a low-medium heat until the fruit is nicely stewed then pass though a sieve, check once more for sweetness and leave to cool. Any of the puree not served with the cake can be refridgerated and added to yoghurt, or frozen to use at a later date. Adding the apples isn't a necessity but they do help to thicken the sauce nicely.

Preheat the oven to 190C then lightly oil a 25cm cake tin and line with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients, and in a large bowl whisk together the wet ingredients.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and combine until thoroughly blended.
Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes, or until a wooden cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Place the tin on a rack and allow to rest for 10 minutes then loosen the cake form the tin and invert onto a plate leaving the tin over the top for another 15 minutes. Remove the tin and allow the cake to cool completely.
To serve — Place a generous amount of the blackberry puree onto a plate and lay a slice of the cake on top.