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      One of Jean’s favourite herbs but very powerful. If she starts to weed her rosemary border with a headache, she finds her headache is gone by the time the job is finished – rosemary is marvellously aromatic and can be relied upon to clear the head! A small sprig or two is wonderful with spring lamb.

      Salad Burnet

      A very useful little plant which remains green all through winter. The leaves are very decorative for use in salads and sauces and have a slight cucumber flavour.

      Salad Rocket

      A superb salad plant whose leaves have a delicious spicy flavour. Use it to add interest to a mixed green salad. It does very well in a pot.

      Sorrel

      Much prized in France but neglected in Britain. It is very easy to grow, a hardy perennial and the young leaves in spring are good in salads or with eggs, as in an omelette. A little goes a long way as it has diuretic properties!

      Tarragon

      If growing your own, make sure you have the French variety. Russian tarragon lacks the wonderful subtle flavour of French tarragon. It seems to have a special affinity with chicken and eggs and is very useful in cream sauces.

      Thyme

      There are so many kinds to choose from but lemon thyme or the more usual Thymus vulgaris – ordinary culinary thyme – are the most useful in the kitchen.

      Winter Savory

      A small and perennial cousin of summer savory which goes so well with all bean dishes, especially broad (fava) beans, and is known as the bean herb. You can grow winter savory in a pot or in the garden and it does much the same job as its cousin but you need less of it.

      Spices

      Dr Hay warned against highly spiced foods that could irritate the digestive tract, but a judicious use of spices adds subtle flavour and helps to reduce the use of salt. Spices must be fresh, so only buy a little of any one at a time. For preference buy the whole seeds and grind just before using.

      Cinnamon

      Cinnamon sticks can be used in the cooking process and removed. However they are difficult to grind at home and if you need ground (powdered) cinnamon it is best to buy a small quantity and use it up quickly.

      Cloves

      Buy whole cloves and grind your own in a spice mill, or crush using a pestle and mortar.

      Coriander

      Coriander is useful in savoury dishes, and a few seeds freshly ground add a new dimension to ratatouille.

      Ginger

      Use fresh ginger root for preference. Peel and chop finely before adding to stir-fry dishes.

      Mace

      Mace subtly enhances the flavour of many winter vegetables such as cauliflower. It is best to use blade mace; if you buy ground get only a small quantity as it soon loses its flavour.

      Nutmeg

      Buy nutmeg whole and grate a little as needed. It transforms spinach and mushroom dishes.

      Paprika

      Made from dried sweet red peppers, paprika stales very quickly so buy only a little at a time. It goes well in dishes cooked with yoghurt or soured cream.

      Pepper

      Indispensable in the kitchen; we usually use black peppercorns freshly ground, but white peppercorns can also be used. The black peppercorns are the dried unripe fruit; the white peppercorns have been harvested when almost ripe.

      Vanilla Pods

      These can be used to scent custards – rinse and dry after use. Each pod can be used several times.

      Nuts and Seeds

      These are a delicious addition to salads, stir-fries, desserts, etc., and can be dry roasted for extra flavour before sprinkling over dishes. When buying sesame seeds buy the unhulled variety; these are a rich source of calcium, and the sesame seed paste, tahini, is useful for the store cupboard.

      Bran and Cereal Germs

      Wheat, oat or soya bran for extra fibre – and wheat or oat germ containing valuable vitamin E – can be added to breakfast dishes if desired. They are relatively starch-free and are regarded as neutral. Wheat germ should be bought in small quantities and as fresh as possible; store it in a cool place as it can go rancid very quickly. ‘Stabilized’ wheat germ is sometimes a better buy.

      Pulses

      Pulses and legumes are not usually recommended for the Hay system because they contain too high a proportion of both protein and starch to be compatible in themselves, and can cause digestive problems in people who are not accustomed to them. Vegetarians can build up a tolerance for them and, combined in the way we suggest in the Recipes section, can find them a useful addition to their diet.

      Equipment

      Good basic kitchen equipment will make all the difference to the ease and speed with which you can prepare Hay meals. Some of it is expensive but most items will last a lifetime.

       If possible buy stainless steel saucepans in preference to aluminium which may be one of the factors implicated in the cause of Alzheimer’s disease

       Heavy cast-iron frying pans are best for omelettes. Two such pans, one with a 20-cm/8-in diameter and the other with a 25-cm/10-in diameter, would be ideal. The larger one can be used for stir-frying vegetables if you do not possess a wok, but this, too, would be a useful addition to your kitchen

       A good chopping board, a set of good kitchen knives and good kitchen scissors are essential, likewise a salad spinner and a reliable set of weighing scales

       In the Hay kitchen, vegetables are cooked as little as possible to preserve the essential vitamins and flavour. For this a steamer, preferably with two or three tiers, gives the best results

       For speed, an electric hand whisk, a blender and a food processor will pay dividends in time saved in food preparation

       An enamelled cast-iron casserole is useful for many dishes which can be started on the top of the cooker and then transferred to the oven to finish. Another useful piece of equipment is a slow cooker; so many casserole dishes can be prepared in advance and left to cook gently until needed, a bonus when entertaining and the guests are late!

Notes on Terms, Quantities, Oven Temperatures and Freezing

      Most recipes serve four unless otherwise stated. They are designed to be flexible so that they can easily be scaled down or up as needed.

      Quantities are given in metric, imperial and US cup measurements. Do not try to interchange them – for best results use one set of measurements rather than a combination. The American terms for ingredients and equipment, where these differ from the UK ones, are given throughout.

      Spoon measures given are level unless stated otherwise.

      Oven temperatures are given in Centigrade, Fahrenheit and Gas Mark. Oven efficiency varies enormously so you may need to make adjustments to suit your oven.

      Because many of the recipes are low in fat, or use raw or only lightly cooked vegetables, they are not suitable for freezing; where a dish will freeze well this has been specified.

TABLE OF COMPATIBLE FOODS

      Columns I and III are incompatible (see note below right)

      I FOR PROTEIN MEALS

       Proteins

      Meat of all kinds: Beef, lamb, pork, venison

      Poultry: Chicken, duck,

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