Pea and mint soup

A garden fresh soup starter from Jo Wood

Ingredients:

Serves six 1 tbsp sunflower oil 250g onions, peeled and chopped 450g potatoes, peeled and chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 litre vegetable stock 650g podded garden peas 2 round lettuces, shredded 250g double cream 1 small bunch fresh mint, chopped

Method:

1. Heat the oil and sweat the onions and potatoes gently for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the stock, then simmer until the potatoes are tender.

2. Add the peas and lettuce and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the cream, and heat gently. Be careful not to let it boil.

3. Take the soup off the heat and add the chopped mint. Liquidise until smooth, then place in the fridge and chill overnight. Serve cold in mismatched cups, with a pea pod on the side

If you like the sound of Jo's recipes, then you'll love this: from Wednesday 19 May - Saturday 5 June, Jo's pop-up restaurant Mrs Paisley's Lashings will be returning to her family home, Holmwood House, for the final time. Yes, she's selling up, so this is your last chance to join the party at the sprawling hunting lodge, replete with rock n roll memorabilia and gypsy caravan in the garden!

The event, co-founded by eco-aware chef Arthur Potts Dawson, will run for 10 nights only, offering a delicious three-course menu as well as house wine and a cocktail for £125 per head. All the ingredients are locally sourced or grown in Jo's garden, and she'll be polishing up her best vintage crockery to be used on each evening.

Profits raised will be used to create sustainable Mrs Paisley's gardens in schools across the UK. For reservations call 020 7407 1407 or visit mrspaisleyslashings.com