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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.

Ingredients750g octopus1 head of garlic3 bay leaves3 sprigs of thyme1 chilli175g white wine2 onions4 tbs olive oil250g risotto rice200g peeled and chopped tinned tomatoes 2 tbs chopped flat parsley1 tsp pimento (piccante)1 tsp chopped garlic1 tbs lemon juice½ tsp flaked sea salt

Method● Rinse the octopus in cold water. Place it in an oven tray on top of the bulb of garlic sliced in half, the bay leaves, thyme, chilli and white wine. Cover and seal with aluminium foil and then place in a medium oven (150ºC) and cook for one hour. Test with a sharp pointed knife for tenderness. ● Once the octopus is cooked, remove from the tray and leave to cool. Strain the cooking juice, saving the two pieces of garlic. Peel and chop the onion very finely. In a large casserole warm half the olive oil and add the chopped onions, letting them stew very gently for 15 minutes. Add the rice, season well and stir until the rice starts to stick before adding the tomatoes and stirring those in turn. Squeeze the sweet pulp out of the cooked garlic cloves and add these to the rice before slowly adding the cooking liquor. Proceed to make a risotto in the usual way, adding water at the end if there is insufficient cooking liquor to cook the rice.● While the risotto cooks, separate the octopus tentacles, cutting them in half if they are very large, and cut the heads into four pieces. Toss these pieces with the remaining olive oil. In a large bowl, make a paste from the parsley, pimento, chopped garlic, lemon juice and salt. ● Just before the rice is cooked, heat a flat dry griddle pan until quite hot and lay the octopus pieces in it, letting them sear for two minutes before turning them and searing on the other side. Once hot and nicely browned, remove and place in the bowl with the parsley mixture. Serve the risotto on to six plates with the griddled octopus pieces on top.

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.