Prep time:

Cooking time: 2 minutes

Total time:

Serves: 4

8 slices parma ham

150g soft goat’s cheese

4tbsp crème fraîche

100g fresh podded peas

100g broad beans

Pesto

Bunch of basil

Clove of garlic

2tbsp grated parmesan

Olive oil to loosen

Pinch of salt

Dressing

Half a lemon

1tsp Dijon mustard

5tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Chopped chives and mint

Slotting home cooking into a hectic schedule can be a challenge but Toby Welfare of The Cloudberry in Cranbrook shows how with some good stand by staples and a few chef's shortcuts delicious family meals can be rustled up in no time

  1. Blanch the peas and broad beans for a minute in boiling water then refresh under cold running water. Mash the goat’s cheese and crème fraîche until you have a smooth paste – this is your ‘goat curd’. Heap two tablespoons of curd onto each plate.
  2. Bash the pesto ingredients in a pestle and mortar slowly incorporating the olive oil until you have a thick pourable consistency (this tastes even better if you do it the day before). Pour a little over the ‘goat curd’. 
  3. Fold two slices of parma ham around the goat curd, fat side up so they look a little like tulip petals. Dress the broad beans and peas and scatter around the parma ham and goat curd, scatter the chopped chives and mint over the top.

The Cloudberry, Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent
01580 712336 thecloudberryrestaurant.com
Open for lunch, 12-3pm and dinner, 6-11pm, Tuesday to Saturday

Peach & pistachio cake

This is an end of summer take on a Victoria sandwich, using peaches and mascarpone instead of jam and cream. Rose and lemon drizzle keeps the cake moist and rich, while pistachios add colour and a luxurious crunch.

Beetroot & feta salad

Beetroots are very easy to grow, and the great thing about home grown is that they can be picked when the roots are nice and small, which will make them sweeter when cooked (I roast them unpeeled in a low...

Grilled mackerel with roasted vegetables

It is the height of the mackerel season around our shores and this is such a tasty and very healthy fish, really easy to prepare and served on a simple dish of colourful Mediterranean vegetables.