You need to look out for the large green lipped mussels for this soup from New Zealand’s South Island. The intensely herbaceous tones of the local Marlborough extra virgin olive oil works really well here.

Ingredients:
18 green lipped mussels
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 onion
New Zealand extra virgin olive oil
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
½ cup water
1 small can tomatoes in juice
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
chopped spring onions

Method:
Wash and de-beard the mussels. Fry the garlic and onion in the olive oil until they clear. Add the chill and cook for a further minute. Increase the heat and add the lemon juice, wine and water and bring to the boil. Chop the tomatoes and add to the pan with their juices. Return the mixture to the boil and add the mussels. Cover and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open and the top shell of the remainder. Sprinkle with parsley and spring onions and serve at once with plenty of crusty bread.

LIGURIAN GREEN PIE

This is a really economical dish from the Ligurian countryside. However, it may be low in cost but it is full of flavour – just the dish for a winter’s evening. In Liguria the greens may be gathered from the countryside or grown in the garden. You can use spinach or beet leaves or Swiss Chard with whatever fresh herbs are to hand. Ligurian extra virgin olive oil makes an excellent pastry.

Ingredients:
Filling:
1 ½ kilo green vegetables as suggested above
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
Ligurian extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
6 eggs
150g grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
Pastry:
300gr plain flour
water and extra virgin olive oil in equal quantities, mixed
egg yolk, beaten

Method:
To make the filling, steam the green vegetables in a little water until tender, Drain and squeeze out as much water as you can.
Fry the onion in olive oil to soften and add the greens and seasonings. Cook for five minutes, stirring all the time.
Beat the eggs and cheese and blend with the vegetable mixture.
To make the pastry:
Mix the flour with sufficient of the oil and water mixture to make a good paste. Knead until the paste is elastic. Cut into two parts and roll out each piece making one a little larger than the other. Use the larger on to line a baking pan leaving a little pastry hanging over the sides of the pan.
Pour in the filling and cover with the second sheet of pastry. Fold the pastry from the base over the top and smear with a little egg to seal. Brush the top of the pie with the remaining egg.
Bake in a moderate oven for about an hour.

LAMB STEW WITH NIME OLIVES

Anyone who comes from Lancashire will immediately see the similarity of this dish to their own lamb hotpot. The best results are achieved with really lean cutlets, so get the butcher to trim the joint in the French manner. If you have to do it yourself this means trimming all the fat from the meat and all the meat from the bones leaving only the eye of the cutlet.

Ingredients:
25ml French extra virgin olive oil
2 lamb best end of neck joints, cut into cutlets
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
100g green or black olives, or mixed
4 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 bouquet garni, including celery stick, bayleaf, sprig of thyme all wrapped in the green part of a leek
salt
450g potatoes, peeled and sliced
150ml good meat stock or white wine

Heat the oil in a heavy casserole. Brown the cutlets. Add the onions, olives, garlic, bouquet garni and salt. Spread the potatoes over the top. Pour in the stock. Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer or bake at 190C/375F/Gas 4 for 3/4 hour. Remove lid to brown potatoes for a further 15 minutes. Serve from the casserole.