Valentine's Day Special. . .

Posted by Sophie Harris in Bonus Material, Fiction

To celebrate Valentine's Day and the recent success of Christina Jones' The Way to A Woman's Heart we have come up with two yummy recipes to put some sweetness into your day. Enjoy!

Escaping from corporate city life into the heart of the Berkshire countryside, Ella Maloney hopes to find rural tranquillity and a chance to sort out the problems in her long-term relationship. However, on arriving, she realises tranquillity is in short supply, but welcomes the distraction her chaotic new life offers – until she meets devastatingly gorgeous, but equally attached, chef Ash Lawrence, and realises that he’s maybe one distraction too many.

And when Ella’s favourite top-rated TV cookery programme – Dewberry’s Dinners – comes looking for a venue to film their latest show, she pulls out all the culinary stops in an attempt to keep her mind on the task in hand (and not on the sexy Ash), but it’s hard to keep your head when all around you people are losing theirs . . .

Spring time sweet pea salad

Serves 2

2 handfuls of freshly podded peas

2 handfuls of pea shoots

1 chicory, finely sliced

Juice of 1 lemon

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

50g pecorino

Chop the chicory, then tumble into a salad bowl with pea shoots and podded peas.

Squeeze over the lemon juice and a good drizzle of olive oil.

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Crumble over the pecorino and serve with warm crusty bread.

Strawberry fluff

Serves 6

450 g strawberries

100 g fine caster sugar

15 ml gelatine

60 ml strawberry liqueur

150 ml heavy double cream

3 egg whites

Fresh whipped cream, chopped nuts and chocolate flakes to serve

Cook the fruit gently with the sugar until pulpy. Sieve to remove the pips.

Dissolve the gelatine in 45 ml water, in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Stir into the fruit puree and add the strawberry liqueur. Cool slightly.

Whip the fresh cream until softly stiff. Fold into the half-set mixture.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the cooled fruit mixture

Spoon into individual glasses and chill.

Decorate before serving.