Potato and Chorizo Soup

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrots, sausages, garlic and rosemary, cover and cook gently until the onion is very soft.

Add the potatoes and stock, season and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender. Mash some of the potatoes to make a coarsely textured soup.

Add the cabbage and simmer until just cooked. To serve: Stir in the flat-leaf parsley and ladle into warm bowls. Top with a dollop of pesto.

Vegetable Stock: heat a little oil in a large pot and add a chopped onion, leek and carrot, a stick of celery, a tomato, a few mushrooms and 2 cloves of garlic. Toss, cover and sweat the vegetables over a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so as not to let them scorch. Add 2 1⁄2 litres of water, 4 peppercorns, a few parsley stalks and a bay leaf. Bring slowly to the boil, skimming as necessary and simmer for 2-3 hours.

Cool and strain, pressing down on the vegetables to extract maximum flavour. Refrigerate for 2-3 days or freeze.