My birthday meal tonight- cooked by me!

However, special but not complicated. The Osso Bucco follows a simple Elizabeth David recipe. Risotto is easy. The special ingredient tonight was fresh peas from the garden. Afters: fresh raspberries, again from the garden, with yogurt. Oh yes, and a bottle of 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape!

Osso Bucco

2 slices shin of veal

4 tablespoons dry cider

1 tin chopped tomatoes

stock, or water and a chicken stock cube

Brown the veal on both sides in vegetable oil. Pour off the excess oil. Add the dry cider and let it bubble until almost dry. Put in the tomatoes, add stock, or water and stock cube, to cover the veal. Let simmer for about 90 minutes with the pan covered. Reduce the liquid, if necessary, when the veal is cooked. Just before serving sprinkle with gremolata. (See labels)

Risotto with fresh peas

Arborio rice- about 300g- makes 4 servings, but I like to have leftovers

1 onion finely chopped

4 tablespoons dry cider

chicken stock(stock cube is fine)

peas

grated parmesan, about 100g, or more to taste

First soften the onion in a little olive oil. Put the rice in the pan. Stir around for a couple of minutes, put the cider in and let evaporate. Add enough hot stock to cover, turn heat down and let the rice absorb the liquid. Add more liquid as it evaporates, and stir rice occasionally. After about 15 minutes, with the rice still tasting slightly chalky, add the uncooked peas. Add more liquid as necessary, and cook for about another 10 minutes. When the rice is cooked turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan.

Pork in tomato sauce with gremolata, risotto

A lot of my cooking I look at what we've got, then plan the meal. Today we have lots of parmesan; so risotto. But what to have with it? No chicken thighs in the freezer. Along the road at the butcher I settle for cubes of pork leg. There is also tomato sauce left over from last night.

Pork in tomato sauce

500g cubed pork leg

medium sized onion

2 sticks celery

2 medium carrots

4 tbsp dry cider

200mls tomato sauce

Dry the cubes of pork and brown in a little olive oil. Remove from the pan. Cut up the vegetables and reduce almost to a puree in a food processor.  Put the puree in the same pan and cook gently for 10 minutes. Put the pork back in, turn up the heat. When the meat is sizzling pour in the cider and let evaporate. Add the tomato sauce, turn down to a simmer, and cook for about an hour. For serving, sprinkle over the gremolata. This really perks up the flavours.

Gremolata

6 sprigs parsley, chopped very finely

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Finely grated zest half a lemon

Mix all together.

Simple tomato sauce

1-1/2 tins chopped plum tomatoes, (14oz size tin)

1 medium onion, peeled

30g butter

Put all ingredients in large pan. Put the onion in whole. Bring to the boil, turn right down and simmer for about an hour. Discard the onion before serving.

Risotto

200g arborio rice

1 small onion chopped

1 tsp chicken stock powder

2 tbsp dry cider

grated parmesan

Use  a large frying pan. Soften the chopped onion in a little olive oil, the add the rice and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the cider and let evaporate. Add the stock powder and enough hot water to cover the rice. Stir, keep the rice mix at a simmer, and as the water is absorbed add more water. It will take 15-20 minutes and is cooked when there is just a slight bite left in the rice grains. Take off the heat and stir in parmesan to taste.