Turn leftover mash into a smashing superfood with Susan Jane White’s recipe for ricotta and herb cakes

Windowsill herbs can bring buckets of nutrition and magic to dishes, and growing your own is easy. Without the vibrancy and fragrance of fresh herbs, dishes can fall flat. But don’t take my word for it — try and find an Italian more than two metres away from a cargo of fresh basil. It’s impossible!

Parsley is among the humblest of superherbs. Its army of antioxidants is backed up with collagen-boosting vitamin C, bone-building vitamin K and blood-thumping iron.

You can add any fresh herb you fancy to these ricotta cakes — each one will have its own unique chorus and crescendo.

Ricotta cakes & harissa ketchup

Serves 4-6 For the potato cakes, you will need: 600g freshly mashed potato 400g ricotta Large handful of fresh herbs, chopped (such as basil — but feel free to use any fresh herb/herbs you have to hand) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 eggs, beaten 40g plain flour or brown rice flour, for dusting the worktop Ghee, butter or olive oil, to fry

For the harissa ketchup, you will need: 1 tablespoon harissa paste 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup

1 Beat the freshly mashed potato with the ricotta, the chopped fresh herbs and some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir through the beaten eggs, and refrigerate the bowl for 20 minutes to help the mixture to firm up.

2 Pour the plain flour or the brown rice flour, whichever you are using, out on a clean, dry counter top. Remove the chilled bowl of mash mixture from the fridge, and drop an apricot-sized piece of mixture on the floured counter. Roll it into an oblong-shaped fingerling, and place it on a clean plate. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. Use the mixture the same day you make it.

3 Time to fry! Heat a skillet or a frying pan on a medium heat, along with the ghee (best for high temperatures), butter or olive oil, whichever you are using. Unscented coconut oil is also excellent. When the fat is hot enough, fry the potato cakes evenly on both sides, until they are golden on the outside and warm on the inside.

4 Serve immediately, alongside a dot of harissa ketchup (to make, just mix the harissa and the ketchup together). A side of sharp green salad will bring vibrancy and crunch.