Creamy chicken, thyme and leek

This goes really well with some plain rice, and maybe some steamed greens/broccoli.

You'll need:

3-4 chicken thighs, deboned and chopped into large chunks (it's also good with leftover cooked chicken)
1/2 small carton of cream (or whatever you've got left in the fridge)
a couple of large leeks
a clove of garlic, or a bulb of wet garlic, finely chopped
a few sprigs of fresh thyme (or a sprinkle of the dried stuff)
lots of black pepper

Chuck the chicken into a frying pan, together with a slosh of olive oil, and brown the meat. Tip in the leeks and garlic, and fry until they have softened too.

Add the cream and a little water, sprinkle over the herbs, and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (you may have to add a little more water to stop it sticking).

Tagliatelli with smoked salmon, leek and thyme

We spent most of the afternoon pottering about in the garden centre, after the exciting news that we have a share in an allotment. You've decided you want to grow 'carrots and flowers'.

Tea was courtesy of the leeks in our back yard. We only managed to grow 6 last year...

You'll need:

tagliatelli - enough for three
a pack of smoked salmon trimmings
a couple of large leeks (or several small, if they've been grown in your back yard), sliced
five or six spring onions, sliced into chunks
dried thyme (in summer, this would be lovely with some dill, I suspect)
a squeeze or two of lemon

Stick the tagliatelli in a large pan of boiling water, and cook until tender. In the meantime, chuck the leeks and spring onions in a frying pan with a good slug of olive oil, sprinkle with a teaspoon or so of dried thyme, and fry until they've softened.

Once the pasta has cooked, drain it (reserving a couple of tablespoons of water). Toss through the smoked salmon, leeks and spring onions, and then add a squeeze of lemon juice. If it's still a little dry, use a tablespoon of the reserved cooking water.

Grate over lots of parmesan cheese, and eat before it goes cold.

Roast leeks with thyme

This is a really simple side-dish, that livened up the roast chicken that we had for tea. Makes enough for two adults, and a hungry three-year-old.

You'll need:

three large leeks
a good slug of olive oil
a teaspoon of dried thyme

Stick the oven on at about 200 degrees C (or whatever temperature you're cooking your roast chicken or main dish at!). Wash out all the soil, and slice the leeks into rings.

Tear off a large square of foil, and place it on a baking tray. Tip the leeks onto the foil, slosh some olive oil over the top, and sprinkle liberally with thyme. Fold up the foil into a parcel (a biddable three-year-old comes in handy at this point).

Bung the parcel in the oven (it's easiest if you stand it on the baking tray) for about 30-40 minutes until the leeks have turned beautifully moist and squidgy, with a little bit of brown at the edges.

Leek and thyme pastries

You're still in the throes of chicken pox, so you had leek and bacon pasta for tea. Your Dad and I decided to go all sophisticated with these later on.

You'll need:

2 large leeks, sliced
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
1 egg, beaten
black pepper, dried thyme
125g (ish) puff pastry (readymade)

Stick the oven on at 180 degrees C.

Fry the leeks in a little olive oil, until they've softened. Add lots of dried thyme (I would use fresh, but there's none to be found outside at the moment) and black pepper. Leave to cool slightly.

Beat together the egg and creme fraiche, and add to the leeks.

Roll out your puff pastry into a couple of rectangles. Fold over the edges of each, to make a thin border, and place on a baking tray (preferably on a silicon sheet). Tip the leek mixture onto each piece of pastry, and spread it out evenly. It's delicious as it is, but you could also grate some parmesan on top of the leek mixture, if you'd like a stronger taste.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or so, until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.