Monty Don in his kitchen.

Turning the tables: Monty Don in his kitchen | Life and style | The Guardian:
I have not tasted yet!
"Chilled cucumber soup
This recipe was modified as a result of lunch with Nigel.
1 1/2 cucumbers
1 pint lowfat yogurt
1/2 pint light chicken stock
juice from 1/2 a lemon
good handful of chopped spearmint
salt and freshly ground pepper
ice cubes

Roughly chop the cucumbers, leaving the skin on, and liquidise in a blender.
Add the yogurt, chicken stock and lemon juice and whizz together.
Put into a big bowl, stir in the chopped mint and season.
Refrigerate for an hour before serving with an ice cube in each bowl.

Boned leg of lamb
large leg of lamb, preferably this year's
olive oil
whole head of fresh garlic, chopped with the skin on
large bunch of fresh thyme, roughly chopped
4 lemons
salt and freshly ground pepper

Either bone the leg yourself, cutting down around the bone so it remains in one piece, or get the butcher to do it for you. (If he balks at this it is time to buy your meat from somewhere else.) Then carefully remove all fat and sinew so you are left with completely lean lamb.
Place in a large roasting pan and cover with a good amount of olive oil, the garlic and the thyme.
Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice over the meat, then add the lemon shells to the mix.
Add plenty of seasoning, then thoroughly mix the marinade with your hands so that every nook and cranny of the meat is covered.
Cover with a cloth and leave in a cool place (but not the fridge) for at least an hour - 3 or 4 hours is ideal.

Warm another roasting pan and transfer the meat to it, minus the lemons, and roast in a very hot oven for about 20 minutes, according to taste.
It is a pity to overcook it, so check it after 15 minutes.
Let it rest for 15-20 minutes before serving in thick slices.

Salsa verde
3 large cloves fresh garlic
6 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
6 anchovy fillets
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt
1 big bunch basil leaves
1 bunch parsley
1 handful mint (spearmint)

Put the garlic, 2 tablespoon of olive oil, vinegar, the anchovies, mustard and the salt into a blender and whizz.
Add all the leaves and blend briefly until they are just chopped - avoid mushing them into a purée (or mash).
Add the rest of the oil and whizz for a couple of seconds to mix it in.
That's it.

Fresh tomato sauce
6 tablespoon good olive oil (I often use much more)
6 fat gloves fresh garlic
12 large (cricketball-size) tomatoes or 24 medium ones
salt and freshly ground pepper

This is really easy. Put a couple of millimetres of oil in a large saucepan and gently heat while chopping the garlic. Soften the garlic in the oil (but do not brown). Chop the tomatoes into inch-square cubes and add to the pan. Add a good splash of oil. Simmer for about half an hour, stirring so the sauce does not stick to the pan. Add plenty more oil (I add two or three good splashes as it cooks) and season well. It does not need to be fully broken down, but should not be too lumpy.

Sarah's summer pudding
250g raspberries
250g redcurrants
250g blackcurrants
125g caster sugar
2 tablespoon water
8 slices day-old white bread (approx one large loaf)
double cream to serve

For the sauce:
550g blackcurrants
100g caster sugar
2 tablespoon water

Pick over the raspberries and place them in a bowl.
Top and tail the redcurrants and blackcurrants and put them in separate saucepans with the sugar and water and cook for a few minutes to release the juices.
Add to the raspberries and mix it all together.

Remove the crusts from the bread and cut into thick slices. Have ready a 1-litre Pyrex or china pudding basin large enough to take the fruit.
Line it with the bread by cutting a circle out of one slice and lining the base of the basin with it, then place the slices side by side, making sure not to leave any gaps.
Place the fruit on top, really packing it down, then add a final circle of bread over the top.
Cover the pudding with a plate, weight it down and leave overnight for the juices to saturate the bread.

Make extra juice for a sauce by stewing blackcurrants with sugar and water.
Turn the pudding out on to a plate when you are ready to serve and pour over the blackcurrant sauce, carefully covering any remaining white blotches of bread.
Serve with lots of double cream."