There were plenty of lemons and limes at the farmers market this week. Feeling inspired by the Gourmet Farmer and the 100-Mile diet, and also keen to start filling our pantry, I thought I would try my hand at a bit of preserving. I have been stocking up on jars from garage sales in preparation.

This morning I made a small batch of preserved lemons. There are a lot of recipes online but I chose to use Ottolenghi’s recipe because they added rosemary and chili which I thought would look nice in the jars as well as add great flavour. It was very quick to prepare; now we just have to be patient and wait four weeks until we can try them.

Preserved Lemons adapted from Ottolenghi The Cookbook

6 unwaxed lemons

6 tblsp sea salt

2 sprigs rosemary (more if desired)

1 large red chilli (more if desired)

juice of 6 lemons

olive oil

- Start by preparing a sterilised jar which will fit the lemons tightly

- Wash the lemons and cut a deep cross into each one. You should be left with four quarters attached.

- Stuff a tablespoon of sea salt into each lemon

- Push the lemons tightly into the sterilised jar. Seal and leave for a week

- After a week remove the lid and press the lemons to squeeze out excess juice. Add the rosemary, chilli and juice from 6 lemons. Cover with olive oil, then seal and leave for a minimum of 4 weeks.

I also made a delicious, if I do say so myself, lime tart. Once again thanks to Nigel Slater for a foolproof recipe.

I am a huge fan of the slow food movement and I believe if you take the time to prepare your own food you appreciate it more. In turn you are more likely to care about where your food comes from and to choose food that is high quality, seasonal, fresh and hopefully has reduced impact on the environment. I also think that food is an important way to bring people together, whether through the sharing of gardening tips and produce or swapping favourite recipes. I love it when friends share homemade goodies or something from their garden.