Peter Gordon: Mini crops to liven up salads

I like the idea of using micro-greens like snow peas or lettuce mixes in salads this summer. Do you just use ordinary seeds from a packet or are there special versions of seeds you should use? - Maggie

Use regular seeds - a micro-cress or micro-green is simply a baby version of the adult.

My home-made bread has developed a habit of slumping in the middle. I do not use a bread-making machine. It rises well, is cooked well, is good to eat and of good texture but the appearance is poor. I keep the dough as dry as possible and bake at 180 degrees for 50 minutes. I have experimented with various temperatures and times without success. Can you tell me what I am doing wrong please? - Graham Going, Hamilton

It may well be your dough is too dry. Make it looser/wetter next time, prove till not quite double in size, bake first at 220C for 15 minutes, then drop to 190C till cooked. If made in tins it helps keep its shape.

I was given a smoker for Christmas and would like to try smoking chicken as well as fish. What spices would you recommend for smoked chicken? - Murray

Try a tandoori mixture, or garam masala, or five spice. A mixture of chopped fresh red chilli, ginger and lime leaves is delicious too.