An Organic Chef Shares Her Weekly Online Order

Mushrooms: If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know I am fanatical about mushrooms. I’m lucky enough to know how to forage my own, but when I don’t have time to find them myself, I always have them in the fridge. I don’t eat much meat, so they’re a great and natural alternative when I want something that replicates the taste and texture of meat but isn’t super processed. I love roasting mushrooms until they’re crispy and using them as a topping, or adding them to a ramen, which is something I make often. 

Garlic: I panic when I don’t have garlic in the kitchen. It’s an everyday staple that can make any dish more delicious. It also lasts a long time, so you can hang onto it for a while. I usually spend part of the summer in France, so I always buy a few strings of garlic from the French food markets which I’ll then hang in my kitchen for the rest of the year. 

Lemons: Much like garlic, most dishes can be elevated with a lemon. I get unwaxed lemons so I can also use the zest. I finish a lot of soup or stew recipes with a squeeze of lemon juice and I like to squeeze it onto blanched green veg or over a tray of roasted vegetables. I also have lemon water each morning, as it wakes up my metabolism after a long night of sleep.

Cavolo Nero: Even though I eat healthily, and follow a mostly plant-based diet, I do struggle to eat enough green vegetables. However, I love dark leafy greens like cavolo nero, which is delicious made into pesto with lots of fresh basil.

Bananas: I generally try to buy local fruit and veg where possible, but bananas are an exception – as long as they’re organic. I eat bananas pretty much every day. In winter it’s usually on porridge or as a snack with peanut butter, or banana bread – my favourite. I love Anna Jones’s recipe which includes chocolate. During the summer months, I’ll have bananas in smoothies in the morning or I’ll freeze overly ripe leftover bananas and blend them up with cinnamon and a bit of oat milk for a milkshake.

Parmesan: Pasta is a go-to supper in my house, so parmesan is always needed. I also love it sprinkled over soup or a stew, and add the rind into a pot of minestrone for extra flavour. 

Oat Milk: This goes in everything from porridge to tea and matcha lattes. I love the Minor Figures Organic Barista oat milk for its flavour and consistency, but I also like to use the Plenish milk in porridge. Lots of oat milk brands are packed with nasty oils so make sure you check the ingredients before you buy them. 

Kimchi: I’m a big pickle person, so there’s always at least one jar of kimchi in my fridge. I like to eat it on its own as a snack, but my style of lunch is often a feasting plate of whatever I have in my fridge, so kimchi will be added on top. Eaten Alive is one of the best brands I’ve discovered – I like the spicy kimchi best. It’s also easy to make yourself at home, but realistically I don’t have time to do that every week. 

Capers: I always have a jar of capers on the go. I have a very savoury tooth and love umami flavours, so I add capers to lots of things. They can lift a green salad, a plate of roasted veg, or even a runny or fried egg. I love the bigger, juicier ones. 

Natural Yogurt: I always have a tub of Yeo Valley Natural Yogurt in the fridge. It’s the perfect flexible ingredient that can be added to sweet or savoury dishes, especially topped on a soup at this time of year. I love making a herby yogurt to go alongside various dishes. Finely chop whatever green herbs you have – for example, parsley, chives and dill – and add it to a small bowl of yogurt with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.