Mrs Green is a big fan of this recipe, and requests it regularly. Sometimes we serve it up with some sauted courgette, at other times the pasta and the sauce do not want to share the bowl with others. Yesterday we had the spaghetti mixed in with raw courgette spaghetti.

Little Boy Green adores polenta and is fortunate enough to be in Friuli in Northern Italy where polenta is like baguette to a Parisian. Here it is often served grilled to accompany a selection of barbecued meats. Since we are not fans of the traditional accompaniment, we decided to serve the polenta with Little Boy Green’s perennial favourite, beans.

Bruschetta is generally served in the guise of tomatoes and basil on bread, but there are many other toppings that sit nicely on toasted or grilled ciabatta, such as the peperonata we are suggesting. To all the purists out there - I am completely aware that I am perhaps not following strictly traditional protocol in the preparation of these bruschette, but I have a little leeway as a straniero, foreigner. That said, I do believe that most Italians would find these quite tasty. More importantly, they have been happily accepted by Little Boy Green, senza prosecco, of course.

Below are two more recipes that remind me of my days growing up in Damascus and, later, visiting Damascus as an adult. I’m not sure if there is any particular reason for this recent nostalgia manifesting itself in recipes, perhaps it is the longing for a hot and dry summer, in such stark contrast to the summer we are having. Or perhaps I am looking to develop the relatively new closeness with Little Boy Green by introducing the flavours I grew up with to him. Or maybe simply because I enjoy the food and miss it. 

This recipe came about as I was desperate for a sandwich. That desperation then turned into wanting the perfect sandwich, or one as close to what I was craving as possible. I was in the mood for tempeh, marinated in tamari and charred to perfection on our griddle plate. More importantly the tempeh had to be topped with kimchi. The raw and unpasturised brand that we regularly purchase was not available, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. 

This is a dish that takes me back to lazy Fridays (the day of rest in the Middle East) in Damascus, when my father would go out and more often than not, return with enough food to feed a small village (and no, we wouldn’t share). Among the many treats he would bring us was Foul ‘Mdamas along with some fresh flatbreads. As with many “local” dishes, there are innumerable varieties of how it should taste, be made and served. The recipe below is for one of those variations and one that is very close to those Friday brunches I fondly remember.

The run is beginning to feel like it happened a while ago, but I have been reflecting a lot on it since it took place last Saturday. I am rarely asked by others about why I participate in ultra marathons, but I find myself asking that question very frequently. Why do I put my body and mind through such challenges, and why do I keep at it? I am beginning to wonder if I will ever have an answer, and even more so as I find out something new about myself in each event.

Last week our vegetable bag contained potatoes, which it normally does not, it is not that we are opposed to potatoes, but they don't have a special place in my heart. However, it was a nice change to have some and we had some left over this week so along with the courgette and some bright and colourful rainbow chard provided in this week’s bag I went for something a little different from the usual suspects in our repertoire.