Everything but the buns in Bath

I've recently returned from my first trip to Bath - a beautiful city with a strong food and drink culture to match.

One of the highlights was the farmers' market at Green Park station. It was the first indoor farmers' market I've been to for a while, and being under cover seems like a definite advantage on cold February days.

Green soup with pasta

There's something soothing about a plate where the dominant colour is green. Or perhaps it's just me, after eating rather too many cakes, chips and suchlike in recent days. Anyway, this soup - or is it a stew - or a pasta dish? - looked appealingly healthy. And it tasted remarkably good, while being a simple dish to knock together.

You could vary the veg in this as you see fit, but I think it's nice to stick to a green palette. Next time I might add some peas.

Cake part 2: Ultimate carrot cake

This was a cake to mark a half-century. It had to look good. It had to taste better. Who does one turn to in these situations? Why, Delia, of course. I'm sure Nigella's and Lorraine's creations are wonderful, but I needed to know that it would turn out exactly as it was supposed to - and I reckon you can't beat Delia for that.

Cake part 1: Lower-fat lemon drizzle cake

I can barely remember when I last made a cake. I've admired the activities on Great British Bake-off with interest, but they haven't stirred me to create Sachertorte or Victoria sponge. I even met a man who takes pride in making French-style macarons, those dainty jewel-like objects in pastel colours, which possibly have the greatest ratio of effort to each mouthful of any food I can think of. All I could think of is, why? (Something about the need to master something really difficult, I think, although if I had that urge I'm not sure I'd use it for patisserie.)

Lower-fat lemon drizzle cake, with raspberries