NATALIA Conroy knows a good deal about having too many cooks in the kitchen.

Author of new cookery title The Kitchen Orchard, the 26-year-old is married to fellow chef Jonathan, who she met while working at London’s famed River Café restaurant, which boasts Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall as a former employee.

But far from squabbling over saucepans and meddling with each other’s menus, theirs is a harmonious kitchen, and the two often take it in turns to cook in the evenings, or team up for their private dining clients.

“It’s a real partnership,” says Conroy, who studied Russian and German literature and language at Oxford University and only started to consider cooking as a real career choice after a stint waitressing at River Café in her summer holidays.

Understandably for two chefs, the kitchen is the “hub” of the house. “It’s the room we’re in most of the time,” she says. “There are a lot of cookery books in piles on the floor. We’ve got a sofa in there as well; there’s no way any other room is going to win over a room with a fridge and a sofa.”

Among that “mountain” of books, is a treasured copy of Nigella Lawson’s Feast.

“When I was younger, Nigella was a massive inspiration.”

Here are recipes from Conroy’s book to try at home:

CARROT, YOGHURT AND CUMIN SOUP (Serves 4)

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped
1/2tsp crushed dried chilli
3tbsp olive oil
20 carrots, finely diced or pulsed in a food processor
2 1/2tbsp honey
1tsp ground ginger
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
1tbsp ground cumin
500ml milk
250ml double cream
250ml water
Salt and pepper
Coriander leaves, to serve
Nigella (black onion) seeds, to serve
Greek-style yoghurt, to serve

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, fry garlic, parsley and chilli in the oil over a medium heat, until garlic starts to turn a light golden. Add carrots, honey, ginger, nutmeg and cumin.

Cook the carrots over a medium heat until they are very soft and sweet. Add the milk, cream and water and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes, then check the seasoning.

Pour half the contents of the pan into a blender and blend until smooth, then return this to the pan. Serve with coriander leaves, nigella seeds and yoghurt.

AUBERGINES, MINT AND RAISINS (Serves four as a side dish)
2tbsp pine nuts
At least 1 litre sunflower oil
1 aubergine (about 400g), cut into 2cm cubes
3tbsp red wine vinegar
2tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 1/2tbsp honey
4 large plum tomatoes, blanched in boiling water, then peeled, seeded and roughly diced
200g celery, roughly chopped and boiled until soft
2tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1tbsp capers
1tbsp raisins
Salt and pepper

Gently toast the pine nuts on a baking sheet in a low oven (about 150C/Gas 2) until golden.

Boil some water and pour it over the tomatoes – the skin will start to peel away. After about 30 seconds in the hot water, put the tomatoes into another bowl with ice and water.

Fill the largest pot you have with sunflower oil so that the level of oil reaches one third of the way up the sides.

Heat the oil until extremely hot. Fry the aubergine in batches and when dark golden on all sides, drain on kitchen paper.

While the aubergines are still hot, sprinkle with one tablespoon of the vinegar and some salt.

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat and fry the onions and garlic with the honey.

Season with salt and pepper and when they are very soft – about 15 minutes – and then add the tomato and celery.

Finally, in a large mixing bowl, toss the aubergine with the tomato mixture, remaining vinegar, mint, capers, raisins and pine nuts.