This barley, beetroot and beef pie—easily turned vegan or vegetarian—comes from the most easterly region of Germany near the Czech border. Steeped in the delicious flavours of celery, mushrooms, spinach, curly leaf parsley and caraway seeds, it's notable for having both a summer style and a winter one. Either is delicious. Furthermore, it freezes very well if you make a number of pies with these quantities.

8 best side dishes for warm weather.A collection of delicious and less obvious side dishes originally created for specific recipes. But, they all share being able to work with a far wider range of dishes. Some are classics, others a little more leftfield and many are a good way to stop leftovers from going to waste. Issue no.1 of what I hope to be an occasional series and focuses on side dishes that work well in warmer weather. So, ideal for those who live in hot places or a

A Namibian German recipe for duck with kumquats served with spätzle with beetroot and horseradish. It's incredibly easy to cook. All it takes are good quality ingredients and a little patience to end up with a restaurant-quality dish.

Mustard chicken with beetroot soured cream spätzle is a gorgeous combination of North German Baltic flavours

My recipe for a duck inspired by oranges in a Provençal mode served with ratatouille, beetroot and green salad with fresh orange