THE end of the festivities doesn't mean the onset of the blues! Nigel Slater dishes up some delicious post-Christmas grub.

Try these recipes for some tasty ideas that can be enjoyed into the New Year and beyond...

SWEET POTATO SOUP, POTATO SKINS AND COCONUT

Makes enough for four)

  • 1.5kg sweet potatoes
  • Rapeseed or groundnut oil
  • 600ml coconut milk, maybe a little more
  • A little freshly grated coconut

Set the oven at 200°C/GAS 6. Remove four wide strips from one of the potatoes with a vegetable peeler, place them on a baking sheet, then brush with a little oil and season with salt. Bake for 25 minutes or so, until crisp, then remove and set aside.

Peel the remaining potatoes, cut them into large pieces and place in a roasting tin with a little rapeseed or groundnut oil. Season with salt and black pepper.

Roast for about an hour, until soft enough to mash. Tip the potatoes into a blender or food processor and reduce to a puree with the coconut milk, adding enough to bring it to a thick pouring consistency. Put the soup in a pan over a moderate heat and stir gently, checking the seasoning as you go. It should be thick and sweet.

Ladle into bowls and place some of the potato skin on top with fresh coconut.

A SALAD OF PEARS AND CHEESE WITH SPROUTED SEEDS

(Makes enough for two)

  • 2 crisp pears
  • 4 handfuls of bitter leaves such as frisee or trevise
  • 150g firm, fruity cheese such as Berkswell
  • A couple of handfuls of assorted sprouts (radish, alfalfa, sunflower, etc)
  • For the dressing: 150ml natural yoghurt 2tbsp olive oil
  • A handful of herbs, such as chervil, parsley, chives

Put the yoghurt into a bowl and whisk in the olive oil and a little salt and black pepper. Chop the herbs and stir them into the yoghurt.

Halve the pears, remove the cores and slice the pears thinly, then add them to the herb and yoghurt dressing.

Put the salad leaves in a serving dish. Pile the pears and their dressing on top. Using a vegetable peeler, shave off small, thin slices of the cheese and scatter them over the salad with the assorted sprouted seeds.

The Kitchen Diaries II by Nigel Slater is published by Fourth Estate, priced £30. Available now.