It may say April on the calendar, but it doesn't feel very spring-like at the moment. Friends in England are reporting snow and Arctic winds, despite their calendars reading 'British Summer Time'.

By this point in the year I find myself craving fresh vegetables, my body crying out for food that reminds me of the summer to come. But this year I have had to find other ways of beefing up my salads - green leaves don't offer any psychological comfort when it's cold outside.

Which is why I have taken to eating my greens mixed with roasted beetroot and crumbled goats' cheese, a substantial meal that still has a feeling of freshness, not stodge.

Roasted beetroot and goats' cheese salad

• 1 small raw beetroot 
• 250g creamy goats' cheese, crumbled
  
• 4 blood oranges, peeled and finely sliced 
  
• mixed salad leaves
  
• 75g hazelnuts, halved and toasted
  
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 
• Dijon mustard to taste
  
• 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 
  
• ¼ tsp runny honey
  

1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. Trim the beetroot and coat it in olive oil, salt, and pepper before wrapping loosely in tinfoil. Roast for around 40 minutes, but until the beetroot is tender.
3. To speed cooling, plunge the roasted beetroot into a bowl of iced water. Once cooled, peel and quarter.
4. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and honey, then season to taste. Toss the salad leaves, sliced oranges, and nuts with the dressing, before topping with the roasted beetroot and crumbled goats' cheese.
5. Serve with hunks of crusty bread.

It's been a chilly start to the year, and sometimes all I want for supper is something easy that I can eat as I read in front of the fire.

This morning was market day in one of the local villages, and as I stocked up on bits and pieces for the weekend ahead, my eye was caught by the stall selling fresh cabécous, a type of local goats' cheese. My wife is passionate about the sharp cheeses, and would eat them by the handful if she could, but I usually prefer the Tomme d'Audrix made by my neighbour.

Today, however, with some eggs and potatoes to use up, the cabécous were perfect for a latke-inspired meal.

4 cabécous (any semi-firm goats' cheese will do in a pinch)
4 large potatoes
2 egg yolks
a bunch of fresh basil
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
a pinch of fennel seed

1. Peel, wash and grate the potatoes. Mix with the egg yolks.
2. Finely chop 8 - 10 basil leaves and add to the potatoes. Season and mix well.
3. Form the mixture into 4 ‘cakes'. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then fry the cakes for 5 minutes on each side. Place on absorbent kitchen roll.
4. Place potato cakes on the grill pan, and top each with a Cabécou du Périgord goat's cheese. Grill until the cheese is lightly golden.

Serve garnished with the remaining basil and the fennel seeds.

Recipe via www.frenchgoatscheese.com.