As the glut of homegrown fruit and vegetables reaches its' peak, here is a good way to preserve fresh basil leaves in the fridge for a week or two. Pick the fresh basil leaves and layer in an empty jam jar, with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt between the leaves and some very good olive or rapeseed oil to cover. The basil will retain a vibrant green colour and the oil a lovely flavour, both can be used in pesto or salads.   

Our Dish of the Day is Adam, selling his fresh Lowestoft fish of the day. Find him on Thursdays in Long Melford 2.30pm - 5.00pm. On Fridays at Clare Market Hill 8.00am - 10.00am, Lavenham Market Place 11.00am - 1.00pm and Depden Farm Shop 2.00pm -5.00pm. On Saturdays he is at Willow Farm Shop, Glemsford from 9.00am to 1.00pm

Well they chose the right name for this! As suffolkfoodie had complimentary tickets we went to take a look at Meatopia at London's Tobacco Dock, and taste everything of course. At £5 a go for small portions it was hard on the pocket but once we had fought our way through the smokers, the smoking barbecues and the hacking of bones we found the most exciting thing there...whole Somerset goats wrapped in chicken wire on the outdoor fire pit ... and a very long queue for the roast ox which was going to be at least another four hours according to the woman basting it every few minutes. Great delicious tasting food - but now all I really want is some lentils.

• Cutting up the goat meat
• Goat wrap with chili
• marrow bone and curry sauce
• marshmallows
• the ox roast...
• still going...
• smoked pig cheek with foie gras
• spatchocok chicken and mustard sauce
• the Tobacco Dock
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One of my best meals this week. Chinese Pork and Halloumi Cheese, cooked on the washing machine drum barbeque at the AlsYaGal scrap heap caff.

Pouring with rain all day but the ackee and saltfish, curry goat and jerk chicken keeps on coming at Notting Hill Carnival.

The recently formed Slow Food group promotes good, clean and fair food. Lots of interesting events on their calendar which are worth a look.

I took Johny Cakes out for a cup of tea today to one of my favourite, unconventional tea rooms in Norfolk. Caroline Dwen runs the quirky and tiny Rosy Lee's Tea Room in Loddon. Expect the warmest of welcomes, an enormous snack menu, local crab sandwiches and homemade cakes freshly baked by the W.I. Caroline suggested tea in the secret garden, across the road. Jack delivered the tea in a hamper basket. The pot of tea for two with two big slices of cake was £5.60.

• Vintage decoration
• Jack
• Head Gardener
• Bambi
• Caroline
• Enjoying the tea
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It's still there, it's still worth a day out and so I went with Dad and we had Lemon Sole and chips twice. And very crispy batter and moist fish it was too (he told me to write that, but it's true)

Borough Market that is, I thought it would be jaded and expensive but was totally wrong. The best walnut and gorgonzola pasta ever (£3.50) fresh oysters shucked while you wait - next door to a Prosecco stand, scallops fried to order and mountains of other things too tasty to mention.

In what appears to be one of the most expensive towns in the region we are looking for lunch. The Cafe CouCou has a window full of fab cakes and we can see some home-made quiches so we take a seat. After a bit of confused waitressing about whether the falafel had been made there or not, and if there was any leek and bacon quiche left or not, and if the pear and frangipani tart was still on the menu or not, we order the falafel which came with flat bread, tzaziki and lots and lots of leaves, and a goats cheese and beetroot flan with olives and lots and lots of leaves. Both were fresh, home-made and really nice. A more interesting choice of accompanying salads would have taken it to the £10 per dish level it was, and although slates to serve it on are clearly still fashionable in Essex, give me a plate that the food doesn't fall off and a well informed waitress every time.