I know at this point, I should probably advocate real ales – my boss would as many a business trip has involved a brewery ‘drive-by’ – but it’s not something I have ever had the correct palette for.

There is something really homely and loveable about a pub that welcomes dogs. On a recent holiday in the Cotswolds, one local whose dogs had made friends with us commented that it’s one of the best ways of meeting people. His dogs always made friends for him.

One pub chain has not only welcomes four-legged friends, but has gone one step further by offering their canine visttors delicious grub. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jul/24/dogs-pubs-food What a fabulous idea! I don’t think I will go as far as taking my two cats out to my local, but if I ever have a dog then I will be seeking out gourmet experiences for both of us.

I’m afraid the Dairy Diary doesn’t offer canine recipes, but I am sure you will be delighted with the Salmon and Ginger Fishcakes from the forthcoming Good Food, Fast: Dairy Cookbook. It is a fabulous 30 minute recipe full of Thai flavours yet is quick and simple to prepare.

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Time 30 minutes
Calories per portion 281 Kcal
Fat per portion 14.9g
of which saturated 2.6g
Serves 4

Red chilli 1, deseeded and finely chopped
Caster sugar 2 tsp
Thai fish sauce 1 tsp
Lime juice 1 tbsp
Rice vinegar 1 tbsp
Cucumber ½, halved and cut into long, thin strips
Yellow pepper 1 small, deseeded and cut into long, thin strips
Carrot 1 small, peeled and cut into thin strips
Cherry tomatoes 12, halved
Skinned salmon fillets 500g (1lb 2oz)
Root ginger 4cm (1¾oz) piece, peeled and very finely chopped
Spring onions 4, trimmed and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil 1 tsp
Coriander a bunch, stalks removed

1 For the salad, put the chilli, sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and vinegar into a screw-top jar and shake well. Set aside. Toss the cucumber, pepper, carrot and tomatoes together in a bowl.

2 Chop the salmon until you have a coarse, mince-like mixture. Put into another bowl with the ginger and spring onions and season to taste. Mix together and divide into eight. Using slightly wet hands, shape into eight fishcakes.

3 Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the fishcakes for 1½ minutes on each side, until lightly golden and cooked.

4 Toss the dressing and coriander leaves through the salad. Divide between four plates and top each with two fishcakes.

Cook’s tip
Chopping and preparation is so much easier with good equipment. Buy good-quality knives and always keep them sharp.

Recipe taken from Good Food, Fast: Dairy Cookbook.

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Each had been using the Dairy Book of Home Cookery over the past few weeks and had recorded their thoughts on it in the Dairy Diary.

We were trying to find out how to improve the book for its new launch next year – the overwhelming response was ‘don’t fix it if it aint broke’! Everyone who uses this book – from young to old – loves it! So with a few very minor teaks I think we can make a great book even better. The ‘tweaks’ we agreed on were:

• Modern cover
• New more contemporary recipe shots
• Nutritional information for each recipe
• Better portion sizes (this was its only criticism)
• The addition of some new ‘classics’, such as wraps, tacos and risottos
• Remove fondues!

As a Dairy Book of Home Cookery fan, do you have any suggestions for the new book?

Win a set of muffin cases
Many like to use the book for baking. As a very special treat I have a set of 8 silicone muffin cases to give away.  To win visit http://www.dairydiary.co.uk/mailinglist.html

You will have to wait for a sneak preview of the Dairy Book of Home Cookery, but try these irresistible Orange Iced Cup Cakes from Good Food, Fast – Dairy Cookbook, available from September..

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Time 25 minutes
Calories per cake 180 Kcal
Fat per cake 10.2g
of which saturated 6.1g
Makes 18 cakes
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing without the icing

Butter 125g (4½oz), softened
Caster sugar 125g (4½oz)
Self-raising flour 125g (4½oz)
Baking powder ½ tsp
Eggs 2, beaten

For the butter icing
Butter 75g (3oz), softened
Icing sugar 150g (5oz), sifted
Orange 1, grated zest and 1 tsp juice
Sugar flowers to decorate

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5 and line 18 bun-tin holes with pretty paper cases.

2 Tip all the ingredients for the cake mix in a bowl (it is very important that the butter is at room temperature and thus softened). Using a hand-held electric whisk, mix well until the cake batter is smooth and creamy.

3 Divide the cake batter evenly between the bun cases. There is enough mixture to three-quarters fill each bun case, so don’t over fill or the mixture will go all over the oven. Bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes or until well risen, golden and cooked. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

4 Meanwhile, make the butter icing. Beat the butter with a hand-held electric whisk or wooden spoon and gradually beat in the icing sugar. Beat in the grated orange zest and enough orange juice to taste and give a soft but not runny consistency.

5 When the cakes are cold, spread the orange icing on top and decorate with sugar flowers. For a special event, pop the iced buns in a pretty tin and pipe a letter on each cake to spell Happy Birthday or Happy Christmas.

6 Check on the internet for some great mail order cake decorating suppliers who stock coloured paper cases and dainty iced flowers to decorate these cakes for a very special occasion.

Recipe taken from Good Food, Fast – Dairy Cookbook.

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King William III

Today’s bank holiday commemorates the Battle of the Boyne. For many years I have edited this in the Dairy Diary but I have never really known much about its history. Time to find out…

This year’s bank holiday will mark the 320th anniversary of King William’s victory in Ireland. Interestingly, it is very important to the history of the British Monarchy (I think we should all be entitled to this bank holiday!)

Because of his old church beliefs, in 1688 powerful establishment figures forced King James to abdicate and invited William to take the throne. King William III was the Protestant head of the Dutch royal house of Orange. When James and his wife Mary landed in England, the royal army defected and James fled to France. James was deterrmind to win back his throne and, with the help of the French King, amassed an army of 25,000 (mainly Irish Catholics and French).

He landed in Ireland and fought against King William. William’s 36,000-strong army conisted of protestants from several European countries and both kings led their armies in person. It was a bloody battle at Oldcastle, near the mouth of the river Boyne, which saw a victory for William and it glued William and Mary firmly on the throne. It consolidated the momentous changes in the British way of government known as the Glorious Revolution.

Today’s fabulous Blueberry Crumble recipe comes from Just One Pot, Dairy Cookbook – still available for just £2.99 – and makes the most of this seaon’s delicious blueberries.

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Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
Calories per portion 388 Kcal
Fat per portion 25g
of which saturated 10.2g
Serves 6
Suitable for vegetarians

Blueberries 450g (1lb)
Caster sugar 150g (5oz)
Lemon 1, grated rind and juice
Breadcrumbs 75g (3oz)
Ground almonds 75g (3oz)
Butter 110g (4oz)
Slivered or flaked almonds 25g (1oz)

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Mix the fruit, 75g (3oz) of the sugar and lemon rind and juice in a shallow baking dish.

Make the crumble by mixing the breadcrumbs, ground almonds and remaining sugar in a large bowl. Rub in, or cut in, the butter roughly and spoon the mixture evenly over the fruit. Scatter with slivered or flaked almonds.

Bake the crumble for about 30 minutes, turning the oven heat down to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 after 15 minutes when the top has browned. Serve warm or cold with plenty of cream – clotted or double!

Cook’s tip
Crumbles are pretty flexible with the cooking temperature. If you’re cooking other things in the oven at the same time, the crumble will cope – just cook it until it looks good.

Recipe taken from Just One Pot, Dairy Cookbook

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The Dairy Diary office is now just down to one very busy person! In the 2011 Dairy Diary we have lots of fab holiday tips, including this handy checklist. Perfect for those who always forget something when they go away!

Not many of us are in the mood for cooking when we return, so why not plan ahead and freeze this delicious Ratatouille and Ham Pasta Bake.

For more freeze-easy ideas try Clever Cooking for One or Two, Dairy Cookbook available online or for free – if you’re lucky!

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Aubergine 1
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pasta shapes 300g (11oz)
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Onion 1, peeled and chopped
Red pepper 1, deseeded and chopped
Courgette 1, trimmed and chopped
Chopped tomatoes with garlic 2 x 400g cans
Dried mixed herbs 1 tsp
Cooked lean ham 225g (8oz), diced
Mozzarella 175g (6oz), grated
Grated Parmesan cheese 4 tbsp

1 Trim the aubergine and cut into small pieces. Layer in a colander or large sieve, sprinkling with salt. Set aside to drain for 30 minutes, then rinse well in cold water and pat dry.

2 Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet’s instructions. Drain well and set aside.

3 While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion and pepper for 5 minutes until just softened. Add the aubergine and courgette, and cook, stirring, for a further 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, herbs, ham and black pepper and stir. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and leave to simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

4 Preheat the grill to hot. Stir the pasta and 110g (4oz) of the mozzarella into the vegetables. Pile into a large shallow ovenproof dish and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese. Place under the grill and cook for 4–5 minutes until the cheese has melted and is bubbling. Serve immediately or cool and freeze, as described opposite.

Cook’s tip
To freeze, allow to cool. Transfer to individual freezer containers. Freeze for up to 6 months. Allow to defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat in the oven in a small ovenproof dish, covered with foil, until piping hot.

Shopper’s tip
For a quick version, replace the vegetables and chopped tomatoes with 4 x 390g cans ratatouille.

Recipe taken from Clever Cooking for One or Two, Dairy Cookbook.

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It seems that we have very wide ranging tastes when it comes to that humble of British inventions (introduced by the 4th Earl of Sandwich), the sandwich.

I was most sceptical about the DBoHC’s orange and mackerel, or bacon and banana ensembles but willing to give them a try (the latter, when toasted and drizzled with maple syrup is a bit of a revelation.) However, on browsing the Guardian blogs this morning, I was appalled to see that Tesco have launched a Lasagne Sandwich http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/jun/16/tesco-lasagne-sandwich-lasandwich-why. Initially, I checked the date of the blog assuming it was an April fool, but no, it was published in June. Surely no one with a tastebud would want it? Is it me?!

I would love to know if you have given it (or something equally bizarre) a try. When looking on Tesco’s website, it doesn’t seem to be there so perhaps it has made a rapid disappearance from their shelves – and no wonder!

For an appealing alternative to the ‘lasagndwich’ try this Chicken & Avocado Salad Sandwich from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook.

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Preparation time 10 minutes
Calories per sandwich 397 Kcal
Fat per sandwich 16g
of which saturated 2.8g
Makes 4 sandwiches

Avocado 1 very ripe large
Lime or lemon juice 1 tbsp
Mint leaves 8 shredded, optional
Mixed grain bread 8 slices
Cooked chicken breast 200g (7oz), shredded
Cucumber slices 12
Baby spinach leaves 4 handfuls, rinsed and dried

1 Halve the avocado, remove the stone and scrape out the flesh onto a plate. Mash it with lime or lemon juice and add the shredded mint, if using. Spread the mashed avocado mixture over the 8 slices of bread.

2 Arrange the chicken evenly on 4 of the slices and season to taste. Put the cucumber slices on top and then pile up

the spinach leaves.

3 Place the other piece of bread, avocado side down on top to make 4 sandwiches. Press them together gently and cut each into two pieces.

Cook’s tip
Use fresh salmon or tuna instead of chicken in the sandwich.

Recipes taken from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook.

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It dates back several millennia, and many stone circles (such as Stone Henge) are aligned to the sunrise on this day.

Midsummer fires would be lit all over the countryside, and it was customary for people to jump through the fires, folklore suggesting that the height reached by the most athletic jumper would be the height of that year’s harvest. After Christianity was adopted in Britain, the festival became known as St John’s Day; the birthday of St John the Baptist. Traditionally St John’s Eve was seen as a time when fairies were thought to be at their most powerful (hence Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream).

Back to reality and modern life, I don’t think too many of us will be jumping fires on Thursday, but we can enjoy today’s Summer Solstice. And what a glorious day for it! The sun is shining, and hedgerows and gardens bursting with flowers.

Why not make the most of the extra daylight and make the Foliage Fountain – it’s an elegant hanging basket and it only takes an hour. And for such minimal effort, what a result! The vivid colours will brighten up any porch or doorway.

To celebrate summer, we are giving away two portable gardening sets

Each portable set contains a handy pouch with a fork, trowel, dipper and secateurs. It takes just a few seconds to enter online – so why not do it now? Good luck.

Project taken from Seasonal Garden Ideas now available from the Dairy Diary store.

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Plant in late spring or early summer for a display that will last throughout summer. Planting will take an hour or so.

Plants required
Large black Mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’).
Sedge (Carex hachijoensis ‘Evergold’).
Coral flower (Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ or ‘Licorice’).
Morning glory (Ipomoea tricolor ‘Heavenly Blue’).
Two deep pink busy Lizzies (Impatiens).
Fairy fan flower (Scaevola aemula ‘Blue Wonder’).

Equipment
Large conical terracotta hanging container (or any other container of your choice), with hanging rods and hook and drainage holes in the bottom.
Broken crocks for drainage.
Potting compost with added sharp sand or grit.
Trowel.

1 Water all plants thoroughly the day before planting. If your pot is cone-shaped like the one shown here, prop it up securely while you plant it.

2 Line the bottom of the cone with broken crocks for drainage. Fill three-quarters full with the compost mixture.

3 Plant the black Mondo grass first, placing it at the back. Firm in well. Place the busy Lizzies next, one each side of the black Mondo grass. Firm in.

4 Adjust the level of compost as needed, then plant the coral flower directly in front of the black Mondo grass.

5 Now deal with the front planting. Adjust the level of the compost again as necessary. Position the fairy fan flower to the left, the sedge in the centre and the morning glory to the right. Firm in, then top up with more compost to within 2.5cm (1in) of the rim of the container. Insert a slow-release fertiliser spike.

6 Hang the container securely in its permanent position, in full sun or light shade. Ensure all hooks and fixings are strong enough to take the full weight of the pot and its plants. Water thoroughly.

Tip
A hanging container like this must have good drainage holes. If the pot you have chosen hasn’t got any, use an electric drill to make some in the bottom.

Notes
The fairy fan flower (Scaevola), flowering on the extreme left here, is a fairly new plant to become available in garden centres. It hails from Australia and is tender. The morning glory shown here on the right will come in to flower in late summer, bearing deep blue blooms that each last only one day, but are followed by more all the time.

Aftercare
Water well, especially in hot weather. Deadhead the flowers as they fade.

Project taken from Seasonal Garden Ideas now available from the Dairy Diary store.

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It’s not that I don’t feel it – every day I am thankful for such a wonderful dad (who is a fantastic grandad too), I just don’t say it very often!

So, if like me, you are lucky enough have a fabulous dad (and/or your other half is a wonderful dad) spoil him rotten on Sunday. Why not begin the day with this All-in-one-Brunch, an easy but scrumptious breakfast? Then take him somewhere special or do something he really loves (for me, this may involve a ride on a Harley Davidson, or scavenging for fossils somewhere!) Every dad certainly is different!

Just One Pot, Dairy Cookbook sale
For more one pot recipes, try Just One Pot Dairy Cookbook. It’s now only £2.99, for a limited time only at www.dairydiary.co.uk

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Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Calories per portion 543 Kcal
Fat per portion 43g
of which saturated 12.4g
Serves 2

Thick pork sausages 3
Vegetable oil 1 tbsp
Smoked back bacon 2 rashers, trimmed and halved
Large flat mushroom 1, peeled, wiped and thickly sliced
Large vine tomato 1, thickly sliced
Eggs 3 large, beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Slice the sausages through the middle lengthways. Heat the oil in a medium-sized frying pan and gently fry the sausages, cut side down, for 5 minutes until lightly browned.

Turn the sausages over, add the bacon and cook for a further 5 minutes, turning the bacon over after 2 minutes. Using cooking tongs or two forks, transfer to a heat-proof plate and set aside.

Add the mushroom and tomato to the same pan and cook in the meat juices, turning occasionally, for about 5 minutes until cooked through and tender.

Return the meat to the pan and arrange the contents evenly over the bottom. Then pour the beaten eggs into the pan, season well and cook gently for 3–4 minutes until the egg just sets.

Serve immediately, straight from the pan with freshly toasted bread.

Cook’s tip
Use a good non-stick frying pan so that the egg doesn’t stick to the bottom of it. Add a little wholegrain mustard to the eggs when beating.

Recipe taken from Just One Pot Dairy Cookbook

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That was until Simon King mentioned the huge spiders – the size of the palm of his hand!! We might have to rethink our holiday destination quick.

Take a look at the Springwatch website. There are great ideas about what to make and do, and where to go in the great outdoors http://www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces.

Our Favourite Countryside Birds book provides the perfect guide on breeds to look out for. Explore the fascinating facts and charming folklore behind Britain’s best-loved countryside birds, in fields, moorland, woodlands and waterways.

To win a copy visit http://dairydiary.co.uk/mailinglist.html where we have ten to give away. Don’t worry if you have already joined our mailing list – you can still enter every competition!

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Sadly I’m afraid this book is now out of print.

However! Launching in a couple of months’ time is our brand new book Good Food, Fast. It has all the same principles as Quick & Easy: recipes can be prepared in 30 minutes or less; all ingredients are readily available; all are easy, everyday food.

Try this sneak preview recipe Pea & Watercress Soup, which also makes the most of this season’s watercress.

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Time 30 minutes
Calories per portion 275 Kcal
Fat per portion 12.1g
of which saturated 3.7g
Serves 6

Olive oil 2 tbsp
Butter 15g (½oz)
Onion 1 large, chopped
Garlic 1 clove, peeled and finely chopped
Floury potato 1 large, cubed
Chicken stock 1.5 litres (2½ pints)
Frozen peas 900g (2lb)
Watercress 100g bag
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pancetta or thin rashers smoked streaky bacon 75g (3oz), chopped

Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 5 minutes, until beginning to soften.

Add the potato and toss with the onion and garlic, then pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer the soup for 15 minutes, until the potato is tender.Add the frozen peas and simmer for 3 minutes. Then add the watercress and stir in until wilted.

Remove from the heat, let it cool for a few minutes then purée with a hand-held electric wand or in a food processor or blender, until smooth. Return to the pan, if necessary, season to taste and keep warm over a gentle heat.Meanwhile, preheat the grill to hot.

Grill the pancetta or bacon for 2–3 minutes on each side, until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper and then break up into pieces.Ladle the soup into warm bowls and top each with some of the pancetta pieces.

Cook’s Tip
Pancetta is cured pork and is usually sold ready-chopped near to the bacon in the supermarket..

Recipe taken from Good Food, Fast. Dairy Cookbook.

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Yes, last Sunday, we managed to escape the children for a day (don’t worry they weren’t left unattended!) and visit the Derbyshire Food & Drink Festival, held in the grounds of the National Trust’s Kedleston Hall.

For those of you yet to experience the joys of a food fair, I would highly recommend it. There was a huge range of local producers, selling many tempting things. We chose a small selection of finger food for our picnic – beautifully tranquil and warm by the river – and a few treats (we could have bought much more!) to take home. We finished the day with a wander through the scented bluebell woods. Bliss!

Click here for details of food festivals near you.

After sampling all of our purchases, my overall favourite was damson gin, but the small bottle is going down far too fast. So I am going to give our very own Dairy Diary fruity gin a try now I have been inspired by its sweet and subtle taste. Perfect with a splash of cava or tonic; or simply on its own with ice.

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56 calories per 25ml shot
0g fat of which 0g is saturated
Serves 34
Time 45 mins plus infusing time
Suitable for vegetarians

Blueberries 450g (1lb)
or Kumquats 450g (1lb), sliced and pips removed
or Plums 500g (1lb 2oz), halved stoned and sliced
Gin 600ml (1 pint)
Soft light brown muscovado sugar 150g (5oz)
Glass jar and bottles
Muslin for straining scalded, cooled and then wrung out well

1 Choose which fruit you would like to use and then put inside a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

2 Pour gin into the jar, add muscovado sugar, stir well until the sugar is dissolved and then cover with lid and store in a cool, dark airy cupboard for 3-4 months, stirring weekly until sugar is completely dissolved.

3 When the gin has developed a good, fruity flavour, strain it through muslin, discard fruit and then pour into clean bottles for storing.

4 Store gin for at least 1 month before drinking. Serve fruity gin in shot glasses, well chilled and poured over ice cubes. The ginwill keep for several years.

TIP
Instead of the fruits suggested, try using sloes, to make sloe gin. You will need 500g (1lb 2oz). Sloes are in season in autumn.

This is a Dairy Diary recipe.

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Well, following the best weekend of the year to date, it may be unrealistic to expect the same for the bank holiday weekend.

But, if it does turn out to be a pleasant weekend, what better way to enjoy it than to get out and enjoy your garden. This weekend we will definitely try the Peppers in a Pot mini-project from Seasonal Garden Ideas. And enjoy a leisurely barbeque with friends – fingers-crossed!

Are you lucky enough to have tickets to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this week? I am envious. If you haven’t got tickets the bad news is that the show is sold out. But you can follow the show on BBC – here’s the schedule.

Fancy winning a copy of the fabulous Around Britain Dairy Cookbook? Simply click here to enter. Good luck.

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