‘You can trace every disease, and every ailment to a mineral deficiency’

This claim was made by Linus Pauling, a two-time Nobel Prize winner and reflects his deep belief in the fundamental role of nutrition, particularly micronutrients, in maintaining health. Pauling’s view stemmed from his pioneering work in biochemistry and later his advocacy for orthomolecular medicine, which aims to achieve optimal health through proper molecular balance in the body.

While Pauling’s claim is perhaps exaggerated, it highlights an essential truth: minerals are vital for countless physiological functions. Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and selenium support enzyme activity, bone formation, oxygen transport, and immune defense. Obviously though not all diseases arise solely from mineral shortages. Genetic factors, infections, lifestyle choices, and environmental influences also play major roles in human illness.

Seeds are nutrient-dense sources of essential minerals. Pumpkin seeds are rich in magnesium, zinc, and iron and support muscle function, immunity and red blood cell production. Sunflower seeds provide significant amounts of selenium, copper and vitamin E which provides antioxidant protection and improves skin health. Flaxseeds are high in manganese and phosphorus which are vital for bone development and metabolism. Sesame seeds supply calcium, iron, and zinc, essential for bone strength and enzyme activity.

Recipe for multi-grain Greek yogurt bread

• 375g rye flour
• 12g baking powder
• 4g sea salt
• 360g Greek yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 30ml olive oil
• 50g mixed seeds (flaxseed, sunflower, sesame, pumpkin seeds…)

Preheat the oven to 180°c and prepare and grease a bread tin. Put the flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and add the Greek yogurt, eggs, and olive oil. Mix until well combined and smooth. Spread the dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Add the seeds to the top, brush with olive oil and bake until golden brown.

While I was last in London 10 days ago, Luc was forced to stage an intervention when a procession of seven armoured vehicles, containing AK 47-toting soldiers got lost and ended up in the garden. If I’d been alone in the house, I think I might have been intimidated by the sight of a battalion rocking up in front of the house. Luc, not so much; he went outside, scantily clad, and escorted them off the property in reverse, to avoid damaging the lawn. He then sent them on their way, gently mocking the fact that they’d managed to get lost, despite their state of the art navigation systems. It takes some nerve to take the piss out of a bunch of soldiers with loaded machine guns, doesn’t it?

While Luc handles a battalion with ease, I struggle with a single naughty puppy. The puppy in question belongs to our neighbours and I have been taking him, their other dog and Java out during the day while they are at work. I thought, proudly, that I had everything in hand, and even convinced myself that I could easily manage a couple more dogs, when the little minx leapt up and grabbed the trailing cord my keys were on from my pocket. A frenetic, zigzagging chase through the pine trees ensued, culminating in me having to throw myself over the over-excited wriggler, rugby tackle-style. Dignified it was not, but I did regain possession of my mud-covered, dribble-splattered door keys.

Recipe for yuzu roast chicken with garlic and herbs (serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 5 garlic cloves, 1 of which should be crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary, plus 2 rosemary sprigs
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme, plus 2 thyme sprigs
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated yuzu zest (or lemon zest)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 chicken, gutted
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 yuzu, cut into wedges (you can use a lemon instead)
• 1 cup chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a bowl, mix the butter with the crushed garlic, chopped herbs, and the yuzu zest, then season with salt and pepper. Rub the herb butter all over the chicken, piercing the chicken skin with a fork to allow the butter to seep in, then place in a roasting tin. Add the sliced onion, remaining garlic cloves and the yuzu to the top of the chicken, as well as the remaining sprigs of herbs. Pour the chicken stock over the top and roast in the oven for an hour.

Delicious served with butternut purée and green beans.

Yuzu health benefits

Yuzu is a citrus plant and fruit that belongs to the the Rutaceae family. It is often described as a cross between a grapefruit, lime and mandarin orange. It has a distinctly sour flavour, which is much more intensely fragrant than lemon. Its oil is extracted and revered for its therapeutic effect.

The yuzu is highly nutritious, particularly high is vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin A and copper. It also contains powerful plant compounds such as carotenoids, flavonoids, and limonoids, which act as antioxidants in the body. In addition, hesperidin and naringin act as anticoagulants and antioxidants which protect the brain.

The scent of yuzu oil is particularly soothing, potentially helping reduce tension and anxiety. In one study it was shown to decrease stress markers, such as mood disturbance, tension, depression, anger, and confusion.

There is no doubt in my mind that horses chat amongst themselves. I’ve noticed a distinct pattern: horses usually arrive here quite well-disciplined, but their behaviour becomes more and more erratic the longer they stay. When Jazz arrived in September, I had rarely encountered a more angelic horse. He came when called, didn’t push and shove, lowered his head to accommodate his head collar or bridle, respected the fences, didn’t nip… Seven months on, he’s obviously been chatting with the others and picking up naughty tips because he now: takes off at full speed when I approach with the head collar, opens the field gate with his teeth, stamps his feet when his breakfast or dinner are served late, plays football with his feed bucket, and takes off to visit the neighbours’ horses without so much as a by your leave.

Thinking about the horses’ various foibles and the expressions of their ‘états d’âme’, I realised that ‘état d’âme’ is something that is almost impossible to translate correctly into English. The dictionary translation is ‘state of mind’, or perhaps ‘mood’ or ‘vein of feeling’, but it’s not that; it’s much more. It literally means ‘state of the soul’, or internal climate; it’s a unique mixture of emotion and transient thoughts. Who knew horses could be so intense!

Leeks: a multitude of benefits

Leeks, like all of the alliums are high in sulphur-based compounds such as allicin, that can help to reduce blood clotting and has prevent viruses. Alliums have also been linked to a decreased risk of certain cancers. Leeks are rich in flavonoids, which have impressive antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They are also a good source of vitamin K, which may reduce the risk of, amongst other things, osteoporosis. Leeks contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two substances that reduce the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Recipe for salmon and leek pie (serves 4-6)

• 400g puff pastry (here is my recipe)
• 50g butter
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 500g leeks, cleaned and cut into rounds
• 200ml crème fraîche
• Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
• 500g salmon filet, cut into strips
• Fresh parsley
• 1 egg yolk

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a 25cm non-stick tart tin with the pastry, setting aside enough pastry to make a top. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the shallots and leeks. Cover and leave to cook for about 15 minutes, or until the leeks have softened, then add the crème fraîche and seasoning and set aside. Meanwhile, distribute the salmon on the pastry in the lined tart tin, then add the leek mixture, and garnish with the fresh parsley. Finally cover the tart with the pastry top and brush with egg yolk. Cook for 25 minutes.

A few weeks ago, I broke a toe on a cast iron dog bowl stand. I had been rushing outside in a panic in response to a hunter friend’s urgent gesticulations outside. (It turned out he just had a few bullets left, and wanted our permission to shoot down a hornet’s nest from one of our oak trees.) I hobbled back into the house, grabbed the crutches (they are never far from reach), then skidded across the newly-varnished floor and landed up in a another heap. The second of the day.

My toe was healing quite nicely, when I somehow got it stuck down a hole and re-broke it. As if that wasn’t silly enough, later on, at a doctor’s appointment to see if he had any good tips on reoffending broken toes, I got one-sided lockjaw from a propolis gum sweet I had taken for my sore throat. While I was trying desperately to free my teeth from the persecutory gummy, my bemused-looking doctor worried I was having a stroke. Anyway, to sum up, his advice was: ‘go home and stop moving’. I think he was referring to the healing of my poor toe, but I’m now wondering if the advice wasn’t a more general ‘go home and stop being such a pain in the arse’…

We put a coat on Bijou (of drumming-in-the-night fame) the other night, as it was going to be very cold. He was quite compliant while we kitted him out, and didn’t seem to be bothered by the extra layer. This obviously wasn’t the case, however, as the next morning he was ‘sans couverture’, and not altogether displeased with himself. He had left the blanket in a heap at the end of the field and covered it with sand.

This is not a truly authentic carbonara recipe; true carbonara has no cream (or mushrooms etc.). I think the golden rule is to be careful not to overheat and scramble the eggs when you add them to the pasta.

Parsley: a natural antihistamine

I’m allergic to tree pollen, so always try to include lots of parsley at this time of year. Parsley is a natural antihistamine, as it prevents histamine from being released from mast cells in your body. It’s a rich source of anti-inflammatory nutrients, such as apigenin and carotenoids, and also increases antioxidant levels in the blood.

Recipe for tagliatelle carbonara (serves 4)

• 400g tagliatelle
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 200g streaky bacon or pancetta, cut into strips
• 4 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 3 egg yolks
• 8 tablespoons crème fraîche
• Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
• Handful of chopped parsley
• 60g Parmesan cheese, grated

Put the tagliatelle to cook in salted boiling water. Add the olive oil to a frying pain, then add the strips of bacon, mushrooms and garlic. Cook until the bacon is crispy. Place the egg yolks in a bowl, then add the crème fraîche, seasoning and parsley. Once the pasta is cooked, drain, saving a little of the water for the sauce. Add the pasta to the bacon and mushroom mixture the frying, then the egg/cream mixture, turning the heat right down. Top with the grated Parmesan and serve.