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fresh turmeric, found at the organic store. The skin was a little wrinkled, but it was the first time I'd seen any for sale, so I jumped at the opportunity anyway. As the young man who rung up my purchases remarked, the rhizomes look like cut fingers (he's lucky it's my kind of humor). They can be peeled, grated, and used much like ginger, and just like ginger, the fresh stuff has little to do with its dried and ground persona, which I've always thought tasted a bit musty. The one caveat is that fresh turmeric is a powerful tincture that will, if you're not careful, stain your countertop, hands, sleeves, food processor, left cheek, and favorite napkin with highlighter yellow, near indelible blotches. Just thought you might like to know.

Tuscan Tomato, Cucumber & Bread Salad

“Panzanella, little swamp, is another tomato favorite, a salad of oil, vinegar, tomatoes, basil, cucumber, minced onion, and stale bread soaked in water and squeezed dry - a true invention from necessity. Since bread must be bought every day, Tuscan cooking makes good use of leftovers.” Nothing could be easier. I used 3 small tomatoes cut up in small bites, half a cucumber also cut up into small bites, minced onion, fresh local basil, 8 slices of leftover hard baguette seasoned with salt and pepper. Like many Tuscan cooks, I added the olive oil and vinegar by eye but you should know the typical ratio is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. The bread was soaked in water and squeezed as dry as possible. At first I didn’t think it would taste very good but after dressing the salad and letting it sit for a while, the bread gave the salad a wonderful texture and absorbed some of the seasoning with the juices from the vegetables. It was amazing.  And it went great with a chilled bottle of Prosecco!

6 large prawns, butterflied, shells on, but heads removedpinch sea salt drizzle vegetable oillarge handful fresh coriander1 lime, juice onlyFor the sweet and sour sauce4-5 tbsp white wine vinegar3-4 tbsp caster sugar4cm/1in piece fresh ginger, unpeeled1 mild red chilli, finely choppedMethod1. To butterfly the prawns, first remove the head by twisting it off, then discard. Don't remove the shell. Place the prawn on its back on a cutting board. Using a small, sharp knife, cut through the centre of the body from below the head down to the tail. Don't cut all the way through the flesh. Repeat with the remaining prawns.2. For the sweet and sour sauce, pour the vinegar into a small pan (not aluminium) over a medium heat. Add the sugar and heat through.3. Slice the ginger into thick slices and add to the sauce in the pan.4. Slice the chilli and add to the pan. Simmer the sauce until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is reduced and sticky - about five minutes. Taste and adjust flavour as needed by adding a touch more sugar or vinegar, as necessary.5. Meanwhile, heat a ridged grill pan until hot. Sprinkle the sea salt over the prepared prawns. Pour over the oil, then rub it into the prawns.6. Place the prawns on the hot grill pan and grill until cooked through and slightly charred (this will take about 2-3 minutes). Press down lightly with tongs to ensure even cooking. Turn the prawns over and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side.7. Chop the fresh coriander. When the prawns are cooked, transfer them into the pan with the reduced sauce.8. Add the coriander and a squeeze of fresh lime juice to the pan.9. Stir together until the prawns are coated in the sauce. Serve straightaway.

Chewy, olive oil-enriched Italian focaccia is filling and delicious, either on its own, as an accompaniment to a meal, or with a green salad for a light lunch. The pizza-like flatbread tastes great plain, or with anything you want to add — herbs like rosemary, nuts, fruit or prosciutto, fennel and mozzarella. Start with our basic recipe for focaccia. Then go wild.

Radish Leaf Pesto - 2 large handfuls of good-looking radish leaves, stems removed - 30 grams (1 ounce) hard cheese, such as pecorino or parmesan, grated or shaved using a vegetable peeler - 30 grams (1 ounce) nuts, such as pistachios, almonds, or pinenuts (avoid walnuts, which make the end result too bitter in my opinion) - 1 clove garlic, germ removed, cut in four - a short ribbon of lemon zest cut thinly from an organic lemon with a vegetable peeler (optional) - 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to get the consistency you like - salt, pepper, ground chili pepper Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender or mini-chopper, and process in short pulses until smooth. You will likely have to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. This produces a thick pesto; add more oil and pulse again to get the consistency you prefer. (This can also be done with a mortar and pestle; it's great for your karma and your triceps.) Taste, adjust the seasoning, and pack into an airtight container (I use a recycled glass jar). Use within a few days (it will keep longer if you pour a thin layer of oil on the surface) or freeze.

Lamb and Orange Khoresh - 4 organic oranges, about 700 grams (1 1/2 pounds) total - 30g (2 tablespoons) butter - 2 tablespoons sugar - 1 tablespoon olive oil - 1.8 kilos (4 pounds) lamb, half from the shoulder and half from the neck (bone-in), cut into 4-cm (1 1/2-inch) cubes - 400 grams (14 ounces) yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon - 4 pods green cardamom, smashed with the blade of a knife - a pinch saffron threads (optional) - 1 lime - 600 grams (1 1/3 pounds) carrots, peeled and thinly sliced - 2 tablespoons orange flower water - 40 grams (1/3 cup) unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped - a handful of fresh mint leaves - salt, pepper Serves 6.

Prepare the candied orange peel. Wash 3 of the oranges well and use a vegetable peeler to peel off the very surface of their peel: the goal is to get the orange part and as little of the white as possible. Cut the peel in matchstick-size strips (I use kitchen shears). Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan, add the orange peel and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and return to the pan. Add the butter, sugar, and a good pinch of salt. Melt over medium heat and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the pan smells like salted butter caramel and the strips are lightly browned. Don't overcook or they will be bitter. Lift the peels from the pan with tongs or a slotted spoon, letting the melted butter drip down, and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to cool. Reserve the butter that remains at the bottom of the pan. (This can be made a day ahead.)

Cook the stew. Heat the oil and reserved butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (I use my cast-iron cocotte) over medium heat. Add the meat without crowding (you may have to work in two batches) and cook for a few minutes on each side until browned. Set aside on a plate. Pour in a little water to deglaze the bottom of the pot, add the onions, sprinkle with a little salt, and cook for a few minutes, until soft. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and saffron, and cook for a minute to toast the spices. In the meantime, squeeze the juice from the lime and 2 of the oranges (one of them now naked). Return the meat to the pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour in the citrus juices, and add a little water so the liquids almost cover the meat but not quite. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every once in a while. Add the carrots 30 minutes before the end of the cooking. Segment the 2 remaining oranges and add the segments to the pot 10 minutes before the end of the cooking. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the orange flower water at the last minute, and serve with basmati rice (I opted for brown basmati rice) and a sprinkle of candied orange peel, pistachios, and mint cut into strips -- I just passed these toppings around in small bowls for each guest to help himself.

Peacamole - 300 grams (10 1/2 ounces, 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon) shelled green peas, frozen or fresh but not canned - 1 drop cilantro essential oil for cooking, or a small bunch fresh cilantro - 2 tablespoons whole almond butter (like peanut butter but made with unblanched almonds; look for it at natural foods stores) - 1 clove garlic, minced (optional) - 1 dash Tabasco sauce - Salt, black pepper Makes enough for an appetizer for 4.

Steam the peas for 14 minutes, or until tender, and let cool to just above room temperature. If you're using fresh cilantro, pluck the leaves and set aside. In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the peas, almond butter, cilantro (essential oil or fresh leaves), garlic if using, Tabasco sauce, a little salt and some pepper. Process until smooth. If the mixture is a bit too thick for the blade of the food processor to mix properly, add just a little bit of water, a teaspoon at a time, until soft enough to mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spread on pieces of multigrain crispbread and serve. The peacamole can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge in an airtight container; it will keep for 2 to 3 days. Recipe originally developed for ELLE à table, issue #63, March/April 2009.