It's a time of reflection and hope for the new year

There are many food traditions associated with New Year across the globe. Hogmanay in Scotland is a celebration that’s much bigger than Christmas. Cock-a-leekie soup is one of the many foods cooked on New Year. It’s simple but delicious and there are as many recipes for it as there are days in the year. Mine uses pearl barley as opposed to the more classic rice. The essential elements are chicken and leeks. Buy a good chicken, preferably free range, it might cost a bit more but it will taste infinitely better.

Go to a farm shop and buy regular leeks or soup leeks which are more slender but equally flavourful. Supermarket leeks tend to be trimmed of most of their greenery so buying them directly from a farm makes sense from a waste point of view. Finish the whole soup off with lots of chopped parsley. A hearty, healthy way to bring in the new year.

Duck legs are readily available now and are quite an economical way of enjoying this rich poultry. Duck confit is where the legs are cured in an aromatic salt and then gently cooked in fat. Here they’re served with lentils that are served across the world at new year. The little legumes are supposed to represent coins, ensuring a wealthy 2024. Your health is your wealth and lentils are a great source of protein and are packed with B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and potassium. They contain a broad range of plant compounds called phytochemicals which protect against heart disease and type 2 diabetes. A win/win situation.

In Greece pomegranate is hung over the front door during the festive period. On New Year’s Eve, at the strike of midnight all the lights in the house are turned off and everyone leaves. Like the Scottish a first footer is chosen to enter the house and smash the pomegranate against the front door. The more seeds that escape the more luck for the household for the new year. In Greece they also bake a lemon cake with a coin in it. Whoever finds the coin will supposedly have good luck for the whole year. Rather than mess the front door step with pomegranate seeds the recipe here calls for them to be the garnish for a lemon cake. A much less messy and wasteful way of serving them. If you have a whole pomegranate cut in half and place seed side down into a bowl. Tap the top with a wooden spoon and the seeds should come out easily. Any juice left over is lovely added to a chilled glass of sparkling wine. Whether you plant a coin in the mix is up to you – just let your guests know in case of any unlucky potential trips to the dentist in early 2024.

Whatever you do over New Year I wish you a very happy and healthy 2024.