3 Ways With... Alliums

• 1 welsh onion
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon English mustard or mustard seeds
• 100ml olive oil
• Good splash of apple cider vinegar

• Place the chopped green stalks of the welsh onion into a stick-blender jug or liquidiser, along with the crushed garlic and the rest of the ingredients.
• Blend until one homogeneous, bright green liquid
• Pour into a small glass and serve over crisp lettuce leaves and your favourite salad ingredients.

Should keep in the refrigerator for 3 - 5 days.

(Makes two focaccias of size 20x27cm)

• 500g '00' white flour
• 1/2 packet instant yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 480ml lukewarm water
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 onion
• 1 aubergine
• Half a red pepper
• 15 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 50g light cheese such as mozzarella
• Salt & pepper to taste

• 3 garlic chives, finely chopped
• Herbs such as rosemary or thyme

The '00' flour is traditionally used for Italian recipes such as pizza and pasta, but if you can't find it, the recipe works just as well with plain flour, or you can even try experimenting with other grains such as spelt and wholewheat.

• Mix the water and the yeast in a separate bowl and stir with a fork. Leave for 5 minutes until frothy.
• Place the flour and salt into a large bowl or pan and stir together. Add the yeast mixture and stir everything together with a fork, then start to knead it until the dough holds together and becomes smoother. Cover with a lid or a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for around 6 hours, until the dough has at least doubled in size.

Around six hours later:

• Take a look at your bread dough and see if it has risen, then coat the surfaces of your baking tins in olive oil. Separate the dough into two and pour each one into a pan of its own, smoothing out the dough with your fingers until it reaches the edges of the pan.
• Smooth and press down with your fingers making dimples in the dough, then drizzle with more olive oil and leave to rise again whilst you prepare the topping
• Heat the 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan and add the crushed garlic and chopped onion, caramelizing on a low heat.
• Cut the aubergine into slices widthways and quarter them. Add to the pan and cover with a large lid for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Chop the pepper into thin slices and add to the pan with a generous pinch of salt, stirring until the aubergine starts to brown. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
• Use a skimmer or a fish slice to remove the cooked vegetables from the pan, and distribute evenly onto the focaccia doughs. Spoon some of the remaining oil from the pan generously over each dough. Do not worry about over-oiling as the bread will absorb all of the oil, making for a crunchy yet chewy crust.

Finally...

• Chop the cherry tomatoes into quarters and sprinkle over the dough. Dot bits of cheese around the toppings and bake for 40 minutes or until golden.
• There may be olive oil bubbling around the edges but don’t worry about this - the bread will absorb it all once cooled slightly.
• Sprinkle with herbs and garlic chives and cut bread into slices. This can be enjoyed hot fresh out the oven or cold to be taken for a picnic.

• Olive oil
• 8 medium sized potatoes
• 5 welsh onions
• 100g grated cheese such as hard sheep's cheese, cheddar etc
• Salt & pepper

• Preheat the oven to 200°C
• Chop the onions and add to a pan on a low heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil
• Wash the potatoes well and slice into rounds. I like to leave them skin-on for a more rustic effect. Add to a separate frying pan on a low heat with a generous coating of olive oil
• Let the onions cook until soft for around 15-20 minutes, then turn off the potatoes and carefully start to arrange in a spiral pattern in a well oiled circular cake tin.
• Layer one round of potatoes, onions, cheese, salt & pepper and so on until you have used all of the ingredients. Top with a final layer of cheese and a generous drizzle of olive oil and bake for 40 minutes until crispy and golden brown
• Top with some chopped fresh onion stalks and serve as a main with salad or as a side accompaniment to another meal