Serves 3
Time 5 mins
Calories 374 per portion
Fat 15g of which
9g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Light soft brown sugar 4 tbsp
Cinnamon 1 tsp
Butter 50g (2oz), softened
White bread 6 slices
1 Mix sugar with cinnamon and softened butter. Toast bread slices on both sides.
2 Spread one side of toast with butter mixture, cut in half and serve hot.
The event will celebrate the diverse and delicious range of food that Britain produces with promotions and tastings in shops; all-British menus in pubs and restaurants; food and cookery lessons in schools; and glorious food festivals.
There are various activities taking place all over the country. See the website www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk for further details.
There are a few things you can think about to help support and enjoy British food:
There are many recipes in the 2011 Dairy Diary and Good Food, Fast cookbook that use British ingredients. We also still have some copies of the Around Britain Dairy Cookbook, which features a wealth of wonderful regional recipes. See www.dairydiary.co.uk for details.
Easy and delicious, try these Cheshire Pasties from 2011 Dairy Diary.
Serves 4Puff pastry 300g (11oz), defrosted if frozen
Onion chutney 4 tsp
Cheshire cheese 110g (4oz), crumbled
Cox apple 1, peeled, cored and chopped
Chopped sage 1 tbsp
Egg 1, beaten
Cherry tomatoes to serve, optional
1 Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Grease a baking tray. Roll out pastry and cut out 4 x 18cm (7in) circles. Spread the centre of each with chutney.
2 Mix cheese, apple and chopped sage together and divide between pastry circles. Brush edge of each circle with water, fold in half and press to seal. Place on baking tray.
3 Prick pastry, brush with beaten egg and bake for 20-25 until golden brown and crisp. Serve with tomatoes, if using.
Recipe taken from 2011 Dairy Diary.
Time 30 minutes
Calories per portion 286 Kcal
Fat per portion 19g
of which saturated 10.9g
Serves 2
Suitable for vegetarians
The soup without the cream topping is suitable for freezing
Butter 25g (1oz)
Onion 1, peeled and chopped
Carrot 1, peeled and chopped
Chopped tomatoes 400g can
Tomato purée 1 tbsp
Vegetable stock 300ml (½ pint)
Caster sugar 1 tsp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bicarbonate of soda a pinch
Green pesto sauce 1 tbsp
Crème fraîche 2 tbsp
1 Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion and carrot. Cook over a medium heat for 5–7 minutes, until the vegetables have softened, stirring occasionally.
2 Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, vegetable stock and caster sugar to the pan and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer the soup for 10–15 minutes, until the vegetables are really tender.
3 Remove the pan from the heat and purée the soup using a hand-held electric wand or in a food processor or blender. Return to the pan, if necessary, season the soup to taste and stir in the bicarbonate of soda, which may fizz slightly, but stir until the fizzing stops.
4 Stir the pesto into the crème fraiche. Heat the soup and then pour it into warm bowls. Spoon the pesto crème fraîche on top, swirling it into the soup and serve immediately.
5 Adding the bicarbonate of soda helps to neutralise the acidity of the canned tomatoes and will help to prevent the crème fraîche from curdling as it is stirred into the soup.
Recipe taken from Good Food, Fast Dairy Cookbook
Now’s the time to plant up gorgeous displays in time for autumn – you’ll be the envy of your street!
You could use a mix of glorious heathers, teamed with velvety rich pansies or try chrysanthemums as shown below.
The following project – and many more to give your garden autumn glory – comes from Seasonal Garden Ideas available at half price now online! Wow!
Plant up this box in late summer for flowering throughout September and into October. Full sun or part shade. It should take about an hour.
Plants required
Equipment required
1 Water all the plants thoroughly the day before you plant them in the box – they are packed in very tightly which means the compost will dry out quickly, so you need to give them the best possible start.
2 If you have just painted your container, make sure the paint is absolutely dry before starting to plant. Put a layer of broken crocks in the bottom of the container for drainage, then half-fill with compost.
3 Plant the chrysanthemums first, one at each end of the box, checking that their rootballs are at the same depth as they were in their original pots. Firm in.
4 Place the Chinese lantern between the chrysanthemums, then insert the four foreground species: from left to right, creeping Jenny, Ajania, sedge and stonecrop. Set each plant in position, then trickle compost on and around the rootballs, covering each one completely and firming in as you go. Use your fingers to push the compost tightly all round the plants. Fill the box with compost to within 4cm (1½in) of the rim.
5 Hang the box on the fence, or position it wherever you want the display to be, then water thoroughly. This combination needs full sun to perform at its best.
When buying the chrysanthemums, don’t just pick the first one you see. They can vary considerably in size and quality. Look over all the specimens available, and go for the one with most buds – count them if necessary! It’s a simple trick, but it does ensure you get a plant that will literally flower its head off.
Ajania is quite an unusual, sub-shrubby plant that does well in a sunny position. It’s sometimes called the ‘gold and silver chrysanthemum’. If you can’t find one, replace with marigolds.
Don’t allow the compost to dry out – keep it just moist to the touch. Deadhead the chrysanthemums as the flowers fade. When the display is over, remove all the plants and plant in the ground – they won’t survive more than one season in such a crowded container.
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