• CharmianC on July 18, 2012

  This books is the same as Nigel Slater's RIPE.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• A cake for midsummer

  • Jane on July 24, 2017

    A lovely cake and perfect for summer fruits. I didn't have enough apricots so made up the difference with mango. I think it would work with peaches and nectarines too.

  • Astrid5555 on August 06, 2012

    Quick and easy. Made it twice already over the past weeks and was a huge success!

  • JFM on August 02, 2012

    Made it twice so far - brilliant! Definitely one of my new favourite recipes. And so easy!

  • evatoad on May 28, 2021

    A favorite. I’ve made this many times, sometimes with the recommended fruit and often with different fruit substituted. Sometimes I find it tricky to tell when it’s done and have underbaked it more than once.

• Plum crumble tart

  • Jane on October 19, 2014

    This isn't really a tart as no pastry and not really a cake as no eggs but whatever it is, it's a lovely autumn dessert. The base is pressed down crumble mix then plums laid on top and scattered with the rest of the crumble mix. I liked the addition of ground almonds and pine nuts to the crumble. I served it with buttermilk ice cream.

• Rhubarb cinnamon polenta cake

  • Fiona on June 26, 2014

    This ticks all the criteria for perfect desserts for me. The combination of rhubarb and polenta which are two favourite ingredients meant I had to give it a go, which I'm pleased I did, as were my guests. It's almost like a pie, with a base and lid and fruit in the middle, but as simple as a crumble. Unfortunately I wasn't able to give it the "morning after test" - when desserts like this so often taste even better, as it all went on the night!

  • eliza on July 11, 2022

    Really delicious cake! I used lemon zest instead of the orange and it worked well. I made 2 smaller cakes; one was 6" and the other 7" in diameter. These smaller cakes took about 30-35 min to bake at 350 convection. As others have said, this dessert is a bit like a crumble pie/cake. Loved the polenta in it. I'm going to try freezing one of them for later. Will definitely repeat this cake. Edited to add; slices froze perfectly.

  • emott on May 29, 2020

    Loved the flavours here. Simple and all about the beauty of the rhubarb. Might poach the rhubarb with a bit of orange juice next time instead of water though. My cake didn't cook through on the bottom in the very middle. Think it's essential to use a cake pan that will sit flat/flush with the preheated baking sheet. Lining the bottom with parchment paper really helped get it out of the pan.

• Chocolate chip hazelnut cake with chocolate cinnamon butter cream

  • mziech on May 07, 2016

    Nice cake, cinnamon flavor was not very prominent. For me, the layer of chocolate cinnamon butter cream was too thick/heavy, will use less the next time.

  • Melanie on February 24, 2012

    p959. Madeleine made this recipe :) it is a 20cm cake and turns out quite small but it tastes lovely. Made hazelnut brittle shards to sprinkle over the top.

• Wholemeal apple and marmalade cake

  • PatriciaScarpin on April 11, 2011

    Delicious without being too heavy - I did not expect this cake to be so tender, for it's made with whole wheat flour alone.

  • Melanie on October 28, 2011

    p684. Very lovely. Perfect accompaniment to a pot of tea!

  • sharifah on November 28, 2014

    Delicious, moist cake. It gets better and better from the second day onwards.

• Slim apricot tarts

  • Astrid5555 on August 10, 2012

    Quick and very easy. Left out the apricot jam. Made a double batch of the apricots and stored the remaining ones in their cooking liquid. I used them for a week as a topping for my morning oatmeal. So delicious!

• A moist cake of damsons and spelt

  • Astrid5555 on August 13, 2014

    Lovely cake, a bit sweet though. Probably due to the fact that I used very sweet regular plums.

  • vitapano on September 21, 2013

    Added some amaretto and flaked almonds for the top. Very nice indeed.

• A cake of pears, muscovado and maple syrup

  • Astrid5555 on November 04, 2012

    Lovely - the maple syrup adds a great touch to the pears. Substituted demerara sugar for muscavoado, worked well.

  • evatoad on December 28, 2020

    Quite tasty. I found that the pears gave off far more juice than the recipe seemed to imply, so I removed them from the syrup and reduced the syrup for another few minutes, then returned them. Also found that the pears didn’t sink into the cake as indicated—they formed a lovely layer on the top. Next time, I think I’ll either mix some through the batter before baking or layer them in the middle.

• Lamb with quinces

  • Astrid5555 on October 14, 2012

    Absolutely delicious! The lamb was finished in less time than indicated in the recipe. If you like quince this one is a must make. Will repeat next year again.

  • junklight on December 04, 2012

    I loved this too - but my partner thought it was too sweet. I have noticed the Mr Slater has a very sweet tooth. I'm wondering if this could work as a dessert if you missed out the lamb? (either that or make it for myself again when my partner is not around)

• A tagine of lamb with apricots

  • JFM on June 26, 2013

    Followed exactly the recipe - apart from the meat: I used pork. Brilliant. 21.6.2013

• Apfelstrudel

  • Melanie on February 24, 2012

    p694. Low effort for a fancy result. I didn't have any apricot jam so I substituted honey. It took a little while to cut the apples but the end result was worth it.

• A cake of apples and courgettes

  • Melanie on February 24, 2012

    p685. Quick and easy to prepare. Lovely cake for a relaxing afternoon tea.

• A salad of chicken, mint and peaches

  • sharifah on November 27, 2011

    Not sure about this one - interesting flavours. Followed recipe to the letter, but used supermarket ready-cooked roast chicken. It was a bit too salty and too sour. Need to add a bit more sugar next time, and more chillies.

• A 'pudding-cake' of honey, cinnamon and plums

  • okmosa on September 22, 2017

    This cake could easily have 'golden syrup' in the title because I surprisingly had enough in a jar on my American kitchen shelf. I found this recipe through Molly Wizenberg's blog Orangette. She's right in her directions - stick with this one - it comes out right in the end. I may cut back on the cake by almost half next time. It's very tasty but I like a lot more fruit to cake ratio. I also made it in an 8X8 pan, maybe more plums and a larger pan next time. The fruit all fell to the very bottom, though. Absolutely a delicious and moist cake. Sort of wintry with cinnamon and brown sugar.

  • lorcalon on November 11, 2013

    Replaced the cinnamon with ground ginger and it was fabulous!

• Gooseberry pie

  • Phil.Adams on July 10, 2014

    Pg. 914 Not in the index, neither under Gooseberries, nor Pies, Sweet!

• Turkey with pistachio and apricot stuffing

  • joneshayley on August 11, 2019

    Lovely stuffing and a great way to make the most of a turkey leg.

• Blackberry and apple betty

  • KateW on October 07, 2015

    This is old fashioned but delicious, the topping is like treacle tart on top of stewed apple and blackberries.

• Steamed fig pudding

  • Bradley on March 02, 2019

    When you boil the figs place a lid over the saucepan. There is very little liquid to start off with so you will find if you don't use a lid, there will be no syrup left.

• Apples and quinces baked in cream

  • tekobo on January 06, 2017

    Made for NY's eve. Wasn't particularly popular. Cream may have split due to over cooking... Was easy to make though and would make a nice base for a crumble. Good that the quince gets poached first and is nice and soft.

• A casserole of parsnips, chestnuts and mushrooms

  • tekobo on February 11, 2017

    Great casserole. Remember to substitute veg stock if you want to serve it to vegetarians!

• A rosewater meringue with blackcurrants and cream

  • metacritic on June 04, 2022

    A fabulous showstopper of a dish. The rosewater comes through and balances the tang of the blackcurrants.

• Pot-roast guinea fowl with sausage and apple

  • Daniela164 on November 17, 2019

    This was originally featured in Sainsbury magazine 2006. Have cooked it many times since.

• Black pudding with apple and mustard sauce

  • Elbea on September 29, 2020

    Really easy and very tasty, although I will core and halve or quarter the apples next time. The mustard sauce is a must.

• Baked apples with mincemeat and brandy

  • Ganga108 on May 09, 2022

    How I love the way that Nigel Slater describes food. He has a way of describing is so exactly that you can see and smell the food even before you start on the recipe. These apples, stuffed with mincemeat, are absolutely delicious. I soaked the mincemeat in some orange juice (we were out of brandy as I used it all in a blueberry ice cream), and then added a slug of a liqueur that I had on hand. The apples required longer baking than the stated time (but that might be my oven). Served with the brandied blueberry ice cream for a wonderful dessert.

• Roast figs with Marsala and muscovado

  • Ganga108 on February 25, 2022

    Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

• A quick damson ice cream

  • Ganga108 on January 07, 2023

    I have some store-bought custard left over from xmas and wondered if it could be used in icecream. Indeed it can be! Nigel Slater has this recipe in 2 of his cookbooks, would you believe. Still, it is a good one. I made it using tinned alphonso mango puree, omitted the sugar and added the juice of half a lemon. Divine eating on this 39C day.

• A crisp salad of red cabbage and pears

  • Ganga108 on October 19, 2021

    You couldn't get a simpler salad. That is what I like about Nigel Slater's recipes - simple with impact. Red and white cabbage layered with slices of crispy pear and crumbled blue cheese. Whip up a dressing of creme fraiche, mustard and I used rice vinegar. Delicious!! (Healthy!) Fabulous!

• A winter salad of pears and blue cheese

  • Ganga108 on October 21, 2021

    Stunning! I kept it even more simple than Nigel Slater does. Shaves of pear and fennel, crumbled blue cheese, chopped walnuts, drizzled with lemon juice then hazelnut oil. It doesn't need the creamy dressing. Don't tell anyone, I ate the whole salad.

• A dish of baked pears with Marsala

  • Ganga108 on February 25, 2022

    Marsala has gone out of fashion here and can be hard to track down. But it is worth it. Pears (and apples) are great cooked with it.

• Roasted grapes

  • Ganga108 on February 25, 2022

    When I first heard of roasted grapes from an Italian friend I was both shocked and intrigued. Whoever thought of roasting grapes? This is now standard late Summer fare at our place. Slater suggests it with roasts, but honestly, it goes with anything. Try a bowl on a platter with various bits and pieces including burrata or treccia. I often cook them in a foil pan on the BBQ.

• Crisp pork belly, sweet peach salsa

  • Ganga108 on February 25, 2022

    We make the Sweet Peach Salsa with crispy cubes of marinated tofu. It is divine! Yum!

• Peaches with lime leaves and lemongrass

  • Ganga108 on February 25, 2022

    To this one I add some coriander pods and star anise. Wonderful, refreshing, Summery dessert.

• A salad of peaches, mozzarella and basil

  • Ganga108 on February 25, 2022

    This is so wonderful, we make it all the time even without the peaches. If you haven't got peaches add some small tomatoes, basil, mint, even cucumber and just drizzle with evo and a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar. A definite favourite. (We leave off the ham.)

• Kitchn

  Who doesn't dream of having a backyard devoted to a garden, brimming with vegetables, berries, fruits? If you have such a backyard, these books are for you for their helpful gardening/kitchen advice.

  Full review