There is nothing more pleasant than sitting on the sofa with a good book and a full bowl of toasted sunflower seeds within arm’s reach. As the hours slip past, the growing mountain of hard husks is the only thing that helps you keep track of time. Or what about in the summer – sitting on the balcony in the full glare of the sun, holding a sunflower and picking out the fresh seeds until they blacken your fingers…?

When we think about Mediterranean cuisine, the flavour of olive oil immediately comes to mind. The division between those who favour butter as opposed to olive oil mainly exists for cultural reasons. Basically, in those places where olives don’t grow people use another fat in the kitchen. The history of olive oil shows that it has been with us longer than one might expect.