We're onto the fish tagines which are (on the evidence of one) light & delicious. This week we had monkfish with preserved lemon & mint. The fish was marinated in a classic Moroccan chermoula. Using a mortar & pestle, pound 2 garlic cloves and a finely chopped red chilli with a little salt. Add a handful of flat leaf parsley leaves & pound to a coarse paste. Bash in some saffron threads with 2 tsp cumin then bind well with 3 tbsp olive oil & the juice of a lemon. Cut about 900g (for 4) of white fish fillets into largish chunks & smother with the chermoula mix. Keeep back 2 tsp to stir through during cooking. Marinate 1-2 hours.When you're ready to eat, heat a little olive oil in your tagine & soften 1 finely chopped red onion, 2 finely chopped carrots, 2 sticks of finely chopped celery. Add 1 finely chopped preserved lemon, the reserved chermoula & a tin of tomatoes. Cook about 10 minutes to reduce then add 150 ml water & 150ml white wine or sherry. If you use a good fino sherry and it will give a good flavour. Bring to the boil, cover & simmer 10 minutes. Toss in the fish & cook gently about 8 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Season & stir through a tsp chopped preserved lemon & shredded mint leaves. I served this one with boiled new potatoes & a leafy salad.
On Saturday morning we were in Moore Wilson when the Freedom Farms guy was cooking a butterflied rump of pork which he had marinated in ginger ale & soy sauce. I tasted a piece, had to buy it & that became Sunday's dinner. We actually marinated it in Stoke's ginger beer. I served with crushed potatoes flavoured with sage and Alan Fong's greens with gin - actually my version of Alan's vegetables, which I think is a step up from Alan's original. Did I tell you when we went to Auckland we drove through Pukekohe and we looked out for Alan's veg patch? We didn't see it - lots of great vegetables though. We also saw - when all the traffic was diverted to be breathalysed at 10.00 a.m. - an amazing free range chicken farm. Couldn't see a name but the chickens looked wonderful.
But I digress. Because I had some left over meringues & some cream hanging around, I made Eton mess. I mascerated the strawberries in some cherry brandy & a little sugar. I later discovered I had some kind of strawberry liqueur that may have been better but any kind of fruity liqueur will do.
While they are better suited to autumn, I wanted to get in some parsnips before the season ended. We had a delicious roasted parsnip salad with lentils & watercress. For 4, toss 4-5 parsnips, cut unto even chunks, in olive oil, season & roast at 190 for 40 minutes until they are starting to caramelise. Cook about 100g puy lentils the way you like them. Make a vinaigrette and add a tsp of clear honey - parsnips like a bit of sweetness. Put it all together on a plate with some watercress & top with shavings of a hard goat's cheese. 
Wednesday was a birthday tea. There's no point in me telling you how to make it. Just look back over the years and there it is. The same every year. Chicken Za'atar with fattoush. This year we added grilled haloumi, Antoinette's falafels, broad beans, guacamole & carrot hummus.
Thursday we had a traditional Ligurian pasta. This was unusual but delicious. We had some homemade basil pesto so used that but the walnut-parsley version would have been interesting.Now that it is more summery, at least some of the time, I find that we just compile a selection of salady things from what we have at hand. Buy those Antoinette's falafel. A delicious addition to any meal. And cook more than you need because they are delicious in your lunch salad.
