Three good things

When you become pregnant, you expect strange things happen to you. Things taste and smell different, you gain weight in inexplicable places and you mysteriously cry at adverts for building societies.
The strangest side effect thus far however, has been developing a monster, raving, crush on Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

No, seriously. I come home from work and praise our Lord Bowie for inventing the TiVo series link, and have been known to lick the television screen during those cherished River Cottage re-runs.

When the well respected food journalist, chef and philanthropist mastered the telly-chef scene in the late 90s as a smallholder, my first impression was that he was waaay too obsessed with meat, had ridiculous hair but was insanely jealous that he was in a position to be self-sustaining and wholesome. After all he had chickens. CHICKENS!

By the mid 00s, I openly admired Hugh Fearlessly Eats It All‘s dedication to “real” food,  ethical farming and community projects, but still despaired of his hair.

10 years later came River Cottage Veg and I am now hopelessly in love with him for championing vegetables. After all, the most irritating question ever asked of a vegetarian is “oh I couldn’t be a vegetarian – WHAT DO YOU EAT?!” Anyone who asks this question instantly gets my sincerest pity, and preferably a scornful slap. With a leek.

For people to be so closed-minded that they believe meat maketh the meal… well that’s just sad. We are fortunate to live in a country that offers us access to an abundance of wonderful fresh produce, staggering varieties of fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, cereals, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, oils and dairy/non-dairy products… the traditional view of a meat and two vegetable dinner is generations behind us. Light years behind us.

I may not eat meat myself, but I do cook it for my husband and friends because I don’t like to push my beliefs onto others (glossing over the fact that my columns here do just that!!) though when I do serve vegetarian food, I have never had anyone complain that their dinner lacks meat. It’s more than possible to create a delicious, satisfying and fully balanced meal without meat, fish or fowl.

For HFW, a meat-lover of epic proportions (I seem to recall him triumphantly cooking roadkill…) to not only turn vegetarian for a period of time in order to prove this, but to also cut off his Byronic mop of unruly curls… oh be still my beating heart.

If I didn’t know better, I’d strongly suspect that someone had dropped an Alka-Seltzer down my pants.

(Sorry Daddy, if you’re reading)

His recent series, Three Good Things (We’re back on Hugh now, not my Daddy) is adorable. The ever charming Hugh is back on the meat and fish, but I do rather like his latest cause – the principle of creating simple meals which feature uncomplicated but magnificent food combinations.

Maybe it’s just because that’s the way I cook – celebrating my ingredients with passion and conviction, rather than focusing on the way something looks (oh come on, you try taking professional looking blog photos whilst slapping away the hands of your hungry husband as his dinner cools in front of him!) or should conventionally be made (who says I can’t make risotto with spelt!?) but I really admire his approach.

I even bought his Three Good Things book hoping that my husband would be inspired to learn how to cook so that when I pop out The Starchild and am too busy breastfeeding or sleeping to get into my kitchen, he can keep me well-fed.

Here are some examples of “3 good things” combinations from Everything Goes With Toast that unlike the classic basil, tomato and mozzarella mash up, you might not have tried.

 Tzatziki: Rose, yoghurt, cucumber
>> view recipe
 Poicamole: Pea, almond, parmegiano
>> view recipe
Brioche bake: brioche, leek, parmegiano
>> view recipe
Fig jam: fig, goats cheese, bread
>> view recipe
Risotto: Fennel, goats cheese, rice
>> view recipe
Sailor Jerry’s sauce: rum, raisin & caramel
>> view recipe
Meatballs: turkey, orange & stilton
>> view recipe
Soup: chestnut, salsfy and pumpkin oil
>> view recipe

What are your suggestions for combining 3 great ingredients?