I have to honestly say that ginger is one of my favourite spices, be it in savoury food or in sweets. The problem is that once you cook it it tends to become quite hot and spicy, so you need to be careful with how much you use, no matter what you’re cooking. But, eaten fresh, this root is beautifully refreshing. It’s versatile and is relatively cheap as ingredients go. Go outside your comfort zone and give it a try if you haven’t cooked with it before. I can promise you that, in one form or another, you’ll take a liking to it.

Blueberry, ginger and almond upside down muffins

Makes 12

130g self-raising flour
200g golden caster sugar
60g margarine
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
120ml full fat milk
A handful of fresh blueberries
20g freshly-grated ginger
100g roasted flaked almonds

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a muffin tray. Cream the margarine and the sugar till soft and grainy. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside. Beat the milk and egg into the creamed mix. Fold in the flour mix and then the blueberries, grated ginger and almonds. Bake for 20-25 minutes until very slightly risen. Remove from the oven and turn out of the muffin moulds and leave to cool.

Lemon verbena ginger ale

A good handful of lemon verbena leaves
5 tbsp dark brown sugar
500ml tonic water
50g fresh grated ginger
Juice of 3 lemons
Plenty of ice

Crush the leaves in a mortar and pestle with the grated ginger and sugar. Put the ice into a jug and pour over the lemon juice. Add the sugar mix and top up with the tonic water. I like to add some extra sugar for the extra bit of sweetness and less tonic water so the flavours of the ginger and lemon come through more fragrantly.

Mint and ginger lemonade

200ml water
Juice of 5 lemons
A handful of fresh mint leaves
6 tbsp granulated sugar
20g of peeled and grated ginger
Water to top up
Plenty of ice

Put the water and sugar on the heat until the sugar has dissolved. Take off the heat and add the mint leaves. Pass through a fine sieve and pour into a jug over the ice. Top up with water and add the ginger and the lemon juice. Stir well.

Orange segments with ginger and lemon verbena syrup

Serves 1

1 orange
5 fresh lemon verbena leaves
50g ginger, peeled
3 tbsp granulated sugar
50ml water

Put the water and sugar on the heat in a small saucepan. Once the sugar has dissolved, cut the ginger into slices and crush the verbena leaves in a mortar and pestle, then add them to the syrup. Leave this to boil for 5 minutes and then pass through a fine sieve. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, peel the orange and cut it into segments. Place them on a plate and pour over the cooled syrup and serve straight away.