These mushrooms and beans make a good accompaniment for steak; or with chicken.

It will keep in the fridge for a day or so, but you will need to warm it up again with a little additional olive oil to loosen it up.

Recipe for mushrooms with mascarpone and truffle oil; and borlotti beans

For four (or two with a steak or chicken, and then two the following evening as an amuse bouche)

• 500g/1 lb 2 oz mushrooms
• 1 onion, cut into thinnish wedges
• 120ml/½ cup olive oil, plus a bit more for frying and to keep loose
• 2 tbsps thick balsamic vinegar
• A few sprigs of thyme
• 400g/14 oz tin of lovely, nutty, ready-cooked borlotti beans
• Smoked salt and, ideally, some Urfa pepper…. or generous grinds of ordinary black pepper
• Juice and zest of half a lemon
• 1 small garlic bulb
• 150g/generous half cup of mascarpone (or throw in the whole 250g tub for good measure)
• 1 tbsp truffle oil
• A sage leaf or two
• 50g/2 oz blue cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 210ºC, and take the mascarpone out of the fridge.
2. If the mushrooms need peeling, peel them. Save the stalks, cut off the earthy ends and use those as well. If they are huge cut them into smaller pieces, but remember they do shrink.
3. Oil a roasting tin and spread the mushrooms and onion over the surface.
4. Make a dressing of the olive oil, vinegar, and some salt and pepper and pour it over the vegetables. Throw in the sprigs of thyme.
5. With a sharp knife slice off the top of the garlic bulb. Enfold it in a large square of foil, pour over a splash of water and a tbsp of olive oil. Close the foil up gently (you need to open it easily later while it’s still hot.
6. Put this on the roasting tin with the mushrooms and onions and put the lot in the oven for 25 minutes.
7. Meanwhile drain and rinse the tinned beans.
8. Take the vegetables out of the oven (keep it on, but reduce the heat to 180ºC. Take out the sprigs of thyme which should now be bare and minus their leaves. Add the beans, muddle. Return to the oven for another ten minutes.
9. Take the vegetables out, and add the lemon zest and juice.
10. Squeeze the soft and fragrant garlic out of its skin. Mash into the mascarpone.
11. Add the mascarpone to the vegetables, muddle again.
12. To serve, put into a pretty bowl, drizzle over some truffle oil, and snip over the sage leaves.