Roasted carrot and white bean salad

I love a good bean salad to serve alongside lamb or pork, or turn it into a lunch for two with some grilled halloumi or crumbled feta. A note on the fresh herbs, dill is what I used and would be my first choice for this salad. I find it a difficult herb to grow in abundance in the garden (or as much as I would use it) so I always have my homing beacon on at the markets for a bunch (or three). It can be frozen, either as loose leaves in a ziplock bag, or blend with olive oil and freeze into small containers. The addition of garlic in the salad is optional – I am not a big raw garlic fan myself – but I do find when combined with the lemon and sweet carrots it brings the perfect pungency to complete the dish.

Preparation time: 20 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Serves 4

■ 4 large carrots, about 600g

■ 3 tbsp olive oil, divided

■ 1 tsp smoked paprika

■ Pinch of salt

■ 400g can cannellini or butter beans, drained

■ Juice of half a lemon, about 1-2 tbsp

■ 1 garlic clove, finely grated (optional)

■ Small bunch fresh herbs, finely chopped – dill, parsley, mint

■ 2 spring onions, sliced

■ About 100g rocket or baby spinach

Preheat the oven to 200C (fan 180C).

Peel the carrots and cut on a diagonal into 5cm thick slices. Put onto a roasting tray and drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Add the paprika and a big pinch of salt and toss to combine. Spread out in a single layer and roast for 25-30 minutes until tender and coloured around the edges. Cool a little on the tray.

Put the drained white beans into a bowl. Add the remaining olive oil (2 tbsp), lemon juice, garlic if using, herbs and spring onion. Mix to combine, checking the taste, adding extra lemon juice and/or salt as needed. Add the warm carrots and combine.

Spread the base of a salad platter or bowl with the rocket or spinach and pile the carrot and bean mixture on top. Sprinkle with a little extra chopped herbs and serve.

With my new cookbook, The Homemade Table, coming out this week it is a good enough reason to celebrate with cake. Invariably, if I ask my whā nau what type of birthday (or celebration) cake they would like, carrot cake is often at the top of the list. So carrot cake it is. In this version I focus on the carrot and spice being the heroes, without additions such as walnuts – although you could add cup chopped walnuts if you like. I have also added grated apple, similar to adding crushed pineapple in a way, since I had some lonely apples in the fruit bowl. (End of season apples are not appealing for lunchboxes it seems.) I decorated the cake with edible flowers – plum blossom petals and calendula – crushed walnuts would also work.

Preparation time: 20 minutes Cook time: 35-40 minutes Serves 10

Carrot cake

■ 2⁄3 cup (100g) brown sugar, packed

■ 3 free-range eggs

■ 150ml light olive oil (or use a neutralflavoured oil)

■ 1 cup (150g) finely grated carrot*, firmly packed

■ 1 small apple (about 150g), grated

■ 1 cup (150g) plain flour (can use spelt or gluten-free flour mix)

■ 1⁄2 cup (70g) wholemeal flour or extra