Barry is such a tart. A tart for tv programs with lists. More of the “100 greatest albums of all time”, and not so much the “When cats go bad” kind of programming. Tonight, he’s watching “40 great scary movies”. I gave up half way through from all the screaming and wide-eyed terror in people’s eyes. One thing new I learnt while watching it – there are quite a few well-endowed female characters in Scream.

Thankfully, he’s also a tart for cooking programs with a twist. We recently watched a BBC program called In Search of Perfection, in which Heston Blumenthal attempts to create his perfect version of classic British dishes. In the first episode, he uses his own scientific approach to making bangers ‘n’ mash and treacle tart. Supposedly you can recreate these recipes at home too, but I can’t really see myself making toast-water to flavour sausage mince, and I haven’t a clue where to source dry ice from (though if I did, I certainly would be purchasing a small amount for some home-made ice-cream!).

An example of a recipe that you don’t really want to mess with, is a freeform tart. It’s as simple and as rustic as it gets – although, if you want to trick it up a little to impress your friends, you can tell everyone you made a crostata. There’s something about a crisp berry tart that just speaks of relaxed Sundays, even though this particular Sunday was soggy and grey. I used a recipe from a book I got from last Saturday’s Food and Wine Fair. The original recipe by Maeve O’Meara calls for fresh figs, but as we are figless at the moment, I settled for raspberries and blueberries : the colour of our impending summer. Blueberries are my favourite berries. Not only are they delicious, but high in anti-oxidants as well. One of those happy collisions between eating something that’s good for you, and that tastes good at the same time.

For the tart, a shortcrust pastry is rolled to form a large circle, over which you strew almond meal (to soak up the juices from the berries), then the berries that have been macerated in Marsala. The edge of the pastry is pleated to form the rim, and the whole is baked until golden brown. What you end up with is a mound of juicy berries cradled by crispy sweet pastry, and 1 very heavenly smell that cheers up the entire house instantly. Maeve serves this with honey flavoured ricotta, but there’s nothing I like better than a big ole fashioned scoop of vanilla ice-Scream!