This is a version of a recipe that I’ve seen Nigel Slater and Nigella both do. We were having lamb steaks for dinner and I looked at the salad and realised that, not only would Bert not eat it, the very sight of it would offend him deeply.

Served 2

1 400g can white beans (we used cannellini, butter beans would do nicely)

50ml water

1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped into 3 or 4 pieces

Dessert spoon of sour or double cream

Teaspoon of butter

Tip the butterbeans into a pan, add the water and garlic and simmer for 10 minutes or so, till the beans are warm and the garlic soft. Add the butter and cream and a bit of salt and pepper, and puree the lot.

We had ours with yoghurt marinated lamb steaks (the same recipe as the kebabs, but whole steaks, cooked in olive oil on top of the hob for about 12 minutes) and salad; leaves for me, cucumber for Bert.

I’ll be honest – Bert didn’t eat a single mouthful of this, but I liked it.