GOAT'S CURD AND LEMON PANCAKES

Goat's curd - a creamy, fresh and mild goats cheese that is made by straining the whey from milk - is heaven. I smooth it onto rye toasts with a sweet/savoury honey walnut pesto, or I toss it through cooled, cooked potatoes with crushed garlic and thyme for an easy potato salad.

It's easier to make than buy - though Neals Yard Dairy do a delicious unpasteurised version at about £8 a yogurt pot sized tub (not cheap but it's worth it). Better to make your own by straining wholemilk goat's yogurt through a muslin or clean dishcloth overnight, neatly tied up over a bowl, so the whey drips away, and the solids thicken.

These pancakes make for a perfect weekend breakfast, piled high on a plate and drizzled with honey. You can swap the curd for ricotta for a classic version, but the goat gives a gentle tang that makes them completely moreish when balanced with sweet fruit and sticky syrup. Makes 6-8 small, fluffy pancakes.

Goat's curd and lemon breakfast pancakes

30g unsalted butter, plus extra, melted, for brushing

3 medium free range eggs

200g goat's curd, plus extra to serve

20g caster sugar

zest of a small lemon

50g plain flour

honey, raspberries and nectarines to serve

1. Melt the butter in a pan and leave to cool. Separate the egg whites into a large scrupulously clean bowl, and the yolks into another.
2. Whisk the goat's curd, sugar, lemon zest into the egg yolks until smooth. Fold in the butter, followed by the flour.
3. Beat the whites with a clean hand whisk to stiff peaks. Stir a tablespoonful of  whisked egg whites into the yolk mix to loosen, then gently fold the rest in, using a metal spoon, being careful not to knock the air out.
4. Brush a pan with a little butter and put over a medium heat. Gently dollop 6-8 large tablespoonfuls of the mixture into the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and speckled, and just cooked through.
 5. Plate up immediately, dousing the pancakes in honey and top with fresh fruit. Serve with extra curd if you like. 

SAUSAGE, CHILLI TOMATO AND RICOTTA PASTA

SAUSAGE, CHILLI TOMATO AND RICOTTA PASTA

SERVES 2

1/2 tbsp olive oil

small knob of butter

1 shallot, very finely chopped

1 stick celery, very finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

3 free-range pork sausages

8 chilli blush tomatoes (Sacla do a good version), chopped

4 tbsp chicken stock or water, hot

1 tbsp tomato puree

100g ricotta

150g amori pasta

handful chopped parsley leaves

Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan over a medium-low heat. When the butter has melted, add the shallot, celery and garlic and sweat, covered, for 5 minutes until soft but not coloured. 

Remove the meat from the sausages and add to the pan, breaking up lumps with the back of a wooden spoon. Fry gently for 10 minutes until browned and starting to caramelise. Then, stir in the chopped chilli tomato, hot chicken stock/water and tomato puree. Season with salt and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Cook for 8 minutes until al dente or according to according to pack instructions. Drain, reserving 1 tbsp of the pasta water and stir through the sausage sauce. 

Stir the ricotta and the chopped parsley through the pasta and season again to taste. Serve with a crunchy salad and bread for mopping.