I love the vibrancy of this dish. The lively green always brings a smile to the table as does the fresh and bright asparagus - a true nod to spring.

This recipe was originally written for Town & Country UK.

Biscotti (sometimes known as Cantucci) are Italian biscuits that originated in Tuscany. Usually flavoured with almonds, these biscuits are twice baked to give them a good crunch. Their crunchiness lends itself very well to dipping and hence, they are often served alongside a Vin Santo (Italian dessert wine) or coffee.

I meet Mike and Rika on a wet and blustery February morning. The kind where one only dares erect their umbrella if prepared to wrestle with it. I am wet, slightly frazzled and cannot feel my feet when I knock at the door of their East London home. Rika opens the door. She is wearing a blue cotton dress and has a smile so warm that even my icy feet seem to instantly thaw. Michael stands just behind her. Together they welcome me into their home.

I have been visiting Zermatt since I was eleven years old. Even then, it felt like a magical place. A place where no cars were permitted, where the air was always clear, where everywhere you turned you could see a breathtaking view of the mountains and where the people had a deep respect for nature.

I meet David on a Sunday morning at Jolene - the bakery, café, restaurant that serves very good food and wine and even better pastry. There is a comforting warmth to Jolene. It is low lit with neutral tones and tenderly on trend dusty pink walls.

 I have always been one of those that jumps when the weather turns warmer. I’ll throw off my socks and pull out my sandals and summer frocks with glee ignoring any persistently unpredictable English weather with a brisk determination for cheese and rosé in the garden.

I met Stine a few months ago. I’d ordered one of her plates online and noticed that the studio wasn’t far so opted to pick it up rather than have it sent. I remember thinking I’d probably be about twenty minutes. I ended up staying for almost two hours. We drank cinnamon tea from handle-less mugs which I hugged with my February frosted hands and chatted about craftsmanship, about how it feels to actually make something with your hands, about love, about hurt, about the hustle and bustle of the city and in true London spirit - about the weather.

Burnham Deepdale and Brancaster Staithe are not large villages. In fact you can walk the length of both in about the time it takes to enjoy an ice cream. There is a small café selling bacon butties and proper cups of tea, a shop selling postcards, tea towels, mugs and stickers all printed with lobsters. There is a convenience store for milk and newspapers, a campsite, two pubs and occasionally an ice cream van.

Living sustainably is something I work towards all the time. There’s always room for improvement and I’m constantly picking up new habits and routines; however, I do believe that the best way to live a sustainable life is to do it gradually and in a way that you find easy to maintain. As important as making the move towards sustainable living is, it’s even more important that the changes are sustainable for you. Otherwise, you’re likely to lose interest.

As I write this I am sipping on a cup of Earl Grey and snacking on a handful of honey chili roasted almonds. It has become a daily habit. I tried a similar thing at Phippen Orchard in California earlier this year and have been hooked ever since. I am transported back to the stunning vision of the rows of pastel cream and pink petaled trees - the Californian Almond orchards in full bloom are quite a sight.

I meet Adam Dant in his studio behind an unassuming grey door just off Arnold Circus in Shoreditch, East London. On the right as you walk in there is a piano. It is littered with papers, prints and scribbled notes as well as a crystal champagne flute, a human skull and a packet of hobnobs.