Food Flies

ISLAND HOP

I had the chance to stop off very briefly in the Azores recently from a cruise ship. There was a port strike so we didn’t get onto land until late. The food was similar to that of Portugal and there were some fantastic ingredients. I had a chunk of grilled swordfish with fresh lime on top, and wood-roasted peppers with a bit of olive oil, oregano and marjoram. Simple, really, but all you need on a warm evening.

SOUPER GREEN While

it’s still around, asparagus is great in soups, but as with all soups the secret is not to overcook it. If you want to make the result a really bright green then add a bunch of parsley before you blend it and keep the blender going – it will become greener the more you blitz it.

IN THE MIX

To make growing salads easy I’ve planted mixed salad leaf seeds, which is working really well. It means you have peppery leaves and sweet leaves in the same row, so chard, lamb’s lettuce, mizuna and rocket all come up together. You just cut them and wash them, and then a week later they’ll have grown back again.

BLOCK STAR

There was a lot of interest on my Saturday Morning show on ITV in my chopping board, which is basically a log chopped in half. I was getting backache bending over so much, so I chose a solid block of wood about 8in thick, which means I don’t have to reach down as far. I recommend wood because it doesn’t blunt your knives like glass chopping boards. Good places to look for wooden boards are Chinese supermarkets or at summer food festivals that are happening across the UK.

TV chef James Martin shares his culinary secrets with Weekend