Remember when a date with Tom Cruise was tempting...

Love a lamb roast - it's one of the few appealing cuts of organic meat that Mr B can source from the supermarket. There's always an awkward moment when he returns from the outside world, my cave man with his kill, and I ask whether the woolly mammoth had a nice life.

I've been thinking that tempting some of our footloose and fancy free friends with a hot midday meal might be a good way to socialise - I'll only serve meals I can make fairly well in advance, and The Berry can snooze in her own bed while we chomp and chat. Our first attempt, I must say, was a great success. We invited just one couple, an easy-going pair, and we had the roast with cauliflower cheese, beans and polenta.

A partial overhead of the spread - I'm a bit sheepish about taking photos when we have company...

Super fresh and delicious cauli, covered with cheesy sauce, reminds me of my childhood.

The lamb roasted on a bed of onion, garlic, lemon and rosemary. We gobbled up the gooey roast garlic cloves that turn to sweet delicious morsels in the oven. Pan juices were also whipped into one intense gravy with a splosh of red wine...

The little lamby, studded with garlic and home-grown rosemary. Thank you, lamby.