Tea on a proper cold night

Now, I'm not one to whoop about spring coming and everything being all right now that soon we won't be cold, as I love winter in Britain and always have -- much as I relish warmth on my back, butterflies on buddleia and  and bees on thyme bushes when we have the balm of those first warm days. But I like cold, frost and winter mornings and fires in the evenings. And I love winter food. Try this followed by this.

SAUSAGES ALL IN -- IN THE OVEN

Buy as many sausages as you think you will eat, which is to say allow two per person and then probably another one each. For two, that is what I did. Get the best sausages you can find. Pork ones from happy piggies. Then stick them in a big roasting tin WITHOUT having pricked them. No no no. Never do this with a sausage, otherwise they won't get properly sticky. Add to the pan some diced unpeeled potatoes, some peeled chunks of swede, ditto of celeriac, some chunks of  carrot, a couple of good pinches of red chilli flakes, ten cloves of unpeeled garlic, a teaspoon or so of cumin seeds and a glug of sunflower oil or a mild olive oil. This goes into a medium hot oven and, about an hour later, emerges to warm you through to your toes. It needs, though, to be well cooked and hopefully the vegetables should have caught a little here and there. Serve it with some green vegetables. I'd favour some wedges of a dark green brassica. How about some savoy cabbage?

Pudding. I hope this does not offend. I see that it is a little unsophisticated. Offer up a bowl each of some good thick Greek yoghurt --low fat Greek yoghurt can be pretty good-- with a dollop of the best strawberry jam you can find in it. But get this wrong and it'll be way too close to your primary school dinner. So good ingredients. You could add some lemon zest and some grated ginger or nutmeg, if you like.

I was very happy with this.

OOOH, SPEAKING OF OVENS...I have just purchased a new one after one false start and some  unexpected plumbing issues. I became sadly, sadly obsessed over the choosing of said appliance because, this time, I was going just a little upmarket and trying to buy something that was, in fact, rather beautiful. This is not something British cookers do well. And cheapo ovens? Caveat emptor. But this one. Well, I am sure I am boring you, but I went not for the biggish range of my dreams, but for the smallish, compact champagne coloured baby range and....I will be stroking it when I am alone. It is a Stoves mini range dual fuel in, well, champagne. With big knobs.