£5

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
In this book you’ll find mouth watering
recipes using East Anglia’s finest foods, and find
out how to support local produce and farming
in your community. The book is divided into the
Be careful, packaging on products can be
misleading. Some food producers may try and
disguise their products as being British, when
in fact the product may contain meat from the

1. INTRODUCTION four seasons, so you can find out which foods

are in season when, where to source the
ingredients and most importantly, what to do
with them.
EU and outside. They use phrases to help
seduce the patriotic consumer, such as:
“traditional”, “country of origin UK”, “a British
classic”, “produced in the UK”. The red tractor
is a guarantee that the product is British and

2. SPRING
In this day and age, buying British produce is
very important. Buying locally relieves pressure
on the environment, because in most cases, you
cut down on food transportation, and therefore,
reduce carbon emissions.
produced in the UK - so look out for it.
I became an ITV Fixer so that I could help
people to support their local economy, eat more
seasonally, and reduce their carbon footprint. I’m
really passionate about supporting local farmers,

3. SUMMER Farmers benefit too - buying locally boosts your

local economy. Your food will also taste better,
because it’s fresher, and eating with seasons
and I hope this book will help you in sourcing
and cooking creatively with great-tasting, fresh
produce.
means you can cook with more variety, and eat

Love, Emily.
food when it’s at its best.

4. AUTUMN In the year 2000, the Government launched

the Assured Food Standard (Red Tractor
scheme). The Red Tractor logo can now be
spotted on thousands of products such as beef,
lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, milk, cheese, cream,

5. WINTER cereals, vegetables, sugar, flour, fruit and salads,

in shops and supermarkets everywhere. When
you see the red tractor logo, you can be sure
that the product is 100% British and that
the product meets high, quality assured food
standards. This means that the product is fully
6. STOCKISTS traceable back to the farm and that it is
independently inspected at every stage of
production.

Over 78,000 farmers and growers have now

joined the scheme, all committed to
maintaining high standards of food safety and
hygiene, animal welfare and environmental
protection. MB
Spring brings with it the promise of a new start – tulips and daffodils bloom, the weather begins to thaw,
and once again, we’re optimistic about the promise of a ‘barbeque’ summer.

On the farm, however, it’s all go. Spring is a busy time for sheep and cattle farmers. It’s the lambing
season, with most lambing happening from February through to April. British lamb enters the
supermarkets around Easter, perfectly timed for Easter Sunday lunch. Cattle farmers will also be calving
down – although some cattle farmers will calve down their stock all year, most beef cattle will be calving
during this period, while dairy cattle tend to vary a little more.

All cattle farmers will be cutting their hay and silage for the year, as cattle feed, during April. Weather
permitting, cattle will be turned out to grass and you will be able to see them out in the fields grazing.

Arable farmers will be busy drilling peas and watching their crops grow and develop, as well as spraying
their crops in order to keep weeds and disease at bay. April and May are key months in the crop
calendar as this is when the crops are growing vigorously. Rape seed will flower in a prominent yellow
colour, brightening up the countryside. Potatoes, asparagus, radish and leeks are being harvested and
are ready to buy in the shops. But don’t miss the boat – delicious British asparagus is only available for
around six weeks, from late April until about mid June.

You will also notice the trees changing, with apple and cherries in full blossom.

ALSO IN SEASON

Vegetables
Brussels Sprouts. Beetroot. Broccoli. Carrots. Cabbage. Celeriac. Celery. Chicory. Cauliflower. Cress.
Endives. Garlic. Jerusalem Artichokes. Kale. Lambs Lettuce. Leeks. Parsnips. Purple Sprouting Broccoli.
Red Chicory and Radicchio. Spinach. Swede. Salad Onions. Rhubarb. Turnips. Cucumber. Cabbages.
Jersey Royal New Potatoes. Lettuce. New Potatoes. Rocket. Rosemary. Spring Greens. Salsify.
Spring Onions. British Asparagus. Broad Beans. Fennel. Radishes. Rocket. Shallots. Watercress.

Fruit
Apples. Pears. Strawberries. Woods Strawberries
 Asparagus Starter
Asparagus is cut by hand during the months of April through to June and is only in season
for a short time so it is essential to make the most of it while you can.

It can survive extremes of temperature to produce tender shoots each spring. Asparagus
is a rich source of folic acid, pro-vitamin A, vitamin C and iron. Asparagus is best enjoyed
freshly cut, before its natural sugars turn to starch. Freshness can be preserved by
wrapping bunches in a clean wet cloth and keeping in a fridge.

Asparagus can be enjoyed cooked in many different ways, such as serving fresh, raw
asparagus dipped in hollandaise sauce.

You will find fresh British asparagus in farm shops and supermarkets from the month of
April through to June.

DID YOU KNOW?

Unlike most foods that taste
great, asparagus is virtually fat
free, containing less than four
calories per average spear
Creamy Asparagus Soup
by Emily Rout
Serves 4

ingredients
2 bundles green or white asparagus, trimmed
1 leek, washed and trimmed
½ stick/50g butter
1 pint/400ml chicken stock
1 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp olive oil
4 medium eggs, poached
method
Cut the asparagus into strips, reserve the tips
and set aside. Chop the leek .
Melt the butter in a large saucepan then add
the leek and asparagus. Sauté for three minutes,
until the vegetables soften. Then, add the stock
and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes,
until the asparagus is soft and cooked
through. Blend the soup until it is smooth.
Season to taste with sea salt and black
pepper and return to the pan. Add the
double cream and warm through.
Meanwhile, toss the asparagus tips in the
olive oil, and heat a ridged griddle pan.
Griddle the asparagus for two minutes.
to serve
Serve the soup in warmed soup bowls if
eating warm, or leave to cool if wanting
to serve cold. Top each bowl with a lightly
poached egg and some asparagus tips.
 Gressingham Duck Main
Gressingham duck is renowned for its high quantity of succulent and flavoursome breast
meat, low percentage of fat and rich gamey flavour.

Gressingham Foods is a family business that cares about always delivering excellent qual-
ity produce and in looking after its ducks. Gressingham Foods takes its environmental
responsibilities extremely seriously as it believes that a healthy, sustainable, rural
landscape is vital to the wellbeing of its business. It is committed to maintaining the
highest standards – whether it’s in the welfare farming system or in the finished product.

Delicious duck comes from responsible farming and that’s why Gressingham works
tirelessly to ensure the welfare of the poultry. The majority of Gressingham Ducks are
reared using the Freedom Food system and every stage of the production from breeding
through to hatching is controlled, working with local farmers in the heart of East Anglia to
produce its duck to the highest quality standards. Roast Duck Breast with Blood Oranges
by Galton Blackiston
Gressingham Foods also played a pivotal role in the Duck Assurance Scheme (DAS) – Serves 4
developed by the British Poultry Council (BPC) to empower producers to show their
ingredients
products’ provenance and high standards to consumers. DAS guarantees high standards
Breasts from 2 Gressingham ducks Pour this marinade over the duck breasts,
of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection in all areas of duck 2 blood oranges zested and then segmented, cover with cling film and place in the fridge
production, from breeding and rearing to slaughter and table eggs. keeping any juice overnight. Heat a non stick frying pan over a
100ml chicken stock medium heat; add a splash of garlic oil.
For more information about Gressingham Foods, please visit A good pinch of ground cinnamon
www.gressinghamfoods.co.uk 2 star anise pods Place the duck breasts into the pan skin side
2 tbsp runny honey down and fry gently for about 10 minutes,
75ml soy sauce seasoning well as you do so.
Garlic oil
75g (3oz) butter Turn the breasts over and fry for a further
Salt and pepper couple of minutes. Remove the duck breasts
from the pan, wipe out any fatty juices and
method return the breasts to the pan.
This needs to be started a day in advance.
Add half the marinade, turn the heat up a little
Using a sharp knife slash the skin of the duck and simmer to reduce the marinade for about
breasts in a criss-cross fashion trying not to five minutes.
pierce
Bake too muchthen
the pottaoes, into the
takeflesh. Place
the flesh theand
out Remove the duck breasts and place on a
push throughbreasts intoadd
a sieve, a large bowl.
a knob of butter and serving plate. Whisk the butter into the sauce,
some milk, and season add the orange segments, adjust the season-
Set the
Finely orange
slice, segments
blanche aside
and then andthe
drain then in a
sprouts ing and spoon over the duck.
bowl
and mixinto
place anyaorange
pan with juice withand
butter the gently
zest,
together with the ground reheatcinnamon, honey and to serve
Peel and halve the soy sauce.
shallots and placed in tinfoil. Wilted spinach and a lovely buttery mashed
Then roast in a moderate oven with a little olive potato would be excellent with this dish.
oil until soft.
 Clarke’s Ice Cream Dessert
Clarke’s ice cream is made at Manor Farm, Wattlefield near Wymondham in Norfolk,
using milk from their own cows, double cream to make it luxuriously creamy and adding
top quality ingredients.

The ice cream is made by mother and daughter team Judy and Caroline Clarke, using
the traditional method of pasteurising and ageing. It is then made in small batches and
hand-potted into the tubs.

They have lots of delicious flavours to tempt. Their 'Original' dairy ice cream will comple-
ment every dessert or is simply perfect on it's own, and they also have
Strawberry, Chocolate, Honeycombe, Raspberry, Mint Choc Chip, Toffee, Cherries and
Cream, Coconut, Stem Ginger and many many more...
Gateau Diane
by Liz Whitaker
Great care is taken to ensure you will enjoy the ice cream at it's best.
Serves 4
Clarke’s ice ceam is available to buy at Wymondham Farmers’ Market every third meringue ingredients
Saturday of the month where you will get to meet Judy and Caroline. Other stockists Place in the oven for at least five hours until
4 free range eggs, separated (reserve yolks for
are: Besthorpe Farm Shop, Besthorpe, Attleborough and Aldis & Sons Farm Shop. cooked. (you can make the meringue a couple
filling)
of weeks in advance). Remove the parchment
225g (8 oz) caster sugar
and store in an airtight container or sealed
For more information about Clarke’s Ice Cream, visit www.clarkesicecream.co.uk 2 tbsp instant coffee powder
plastic bag.
filling ingredients
To make the filling, boil the water and sugar
300 ml (1/2 pt) water
together until when you dip in a wooden spoon
225g (8 oz) granulated sugar
and lift it out, the syrup forms a thread instead
125g (1/2 lb) unsalted butter (not margarine)
of just dripping.
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp coffee (made from 1 tsp instant coffee
In two separate bowls, beat the egg yolks until
mixed with a little hot water)
thick and pale, then beat the butter until light
100g (4 oz) plain cooking chocolate, melted
and creamy.

method Add the water and sugar mixture to the egg
Preheat the oven to around 200˚F, 100˚C, gas mark yolks, beating all the time until thick and
½. To make meringue, whisk the egg whites until creamy, then add the butter, beating again,
stiff and standing up in points. Whisk in the sugar until thick. Mix in the chocolate and coffee mix-
and coffee powder until glossy. ture. Allow the filling to cool a little then spread
between the meringue layers, making a three-
Make three circles of baking parchment by tiered cake.
drawing around a dinner place and cutting the to serve
circles out. Then spread the meringue mixture
evenly over the three circles of parchment. Serve with locally produced ice cream, lie
Clarke’s (featured opposite)
While British summer is not always predictable, when the sun’s out it can be truly glorious, especially near
the coast or in the countryside. Long, light evenings can be spent outdoors and the smell of
barbeque smoke fills the air. On the farm, you’ll see sheep and cows out to grass, enjoying the sunshine

Muck heaps that have accumulated over the winter are now being spread back onto the fields as
fertilizer, and it’s lamb shearing season, so woolly sheep lose their warm coats.

The first cut of hay is cut in June, and winter barley will be in full ear and ripening ready to cut. Grains,
once ground, provide us with flour for bread and biscuits.

The pods of oil seed rape are now ready for harvest. Oil seed rape provides us with vegetable oil and is
widely used in processed foods.

After winter barley, winter oats are the next cereal to be cut.

Straw is an important by-product of the arable farms of eastern areas and much is transported westwards
each year to livestock producing regions

Sweet corn, onions and black cherries are now ready, as well as British strawberries. Make sure you
‘pick your own’ at local farms - it’s a great way to see how fruit is grown, and somehow it makes the fruit
taste that much better.

ALSO IN SEASON
Vegetables

Asparagus. Aubergines. Beans. Beetroot. Broccoli. Cabbage. Carrots. Cauliflower. Celeirac. Chard.
Courgettes. Cress. Cucumber. Fennel. Garlic. Globe Artichoke. Kohl Rabi. Lettuce. Marrow. Mushrooms.
New Potatoes. Onions. Peas. Potatoes. Radishes. Peppers. Red Cabbage. Rhubarb. Rocket Lettuce.
Runner Beans. Spinach. Squash. Spring Onions. Sweetcorn. Tomatoes. Turnips.

Fruit

Blackberries. Blackcurrants. Blueberries. Cherries. Figs. Gooseberries. Grapes. Loganberry. Medlar. Melon.
Peaches. Plums. Raspberries. Redcurrants. Strawberries. Whitecurrant. Woods Strawberries.
 Dudley’s Free Range Eggs Starter
Nestled in the heart of rural Norfolk – between Thetford and Norwich – is where you’ll find Lyng Farm,
home to three breeds of free range laying hens.

Lyng farm started with 16,000 hens six years ago and have now grown the business to 80,000 hens. They
produce and supply free range eggs to local customers throughout East Anglia
ensuring freshness. The main bulk of their eggs go to a local packing centre in Attleborough, Anglian
Free Range Eggs Ltd, who supply local East Anglian retailers reducing food miles considerably. All feed is
sourced from a local mill only eight miles from the farm, ensuring their carbon footprint is kept as low as
possible.
They make sure their hens are as happy as they can be and believe that happy hens produce tastier
eggs. Hens are free to roam in 80 acres of pasture, planted with some 8,000 native deciduous trees.
Additional cover is provided for the hens by man-made shelters dotted across the range as well as
perches, swings and sandpits to keep the hens occupied. Inside the hen houses, the birds have
continual access to feed and water and areas to dust bathe and perching where they can rest. The hen
houses have pop holes which allow entry to fields in which to range by day. These pop holes close at
night to protect birds from predators.

DID YOU KNOW?

Egg yolks are one
of the few foods that Chris & Tarryn’s Egg Salad
naturally contain
by Christian Aldridge & Tarryn Paul
Vitamin D.
Serves 4

salad ingredients salad method

4 hard-boiled, free-range eggs

2 avocados Slice the eggs and avocado
1 punnet of olives Combine with all other ingredients into a bowl,
Mixed leaves without chopping
Cherry tomatoes
dressing method
1 tin of tuna

dressing ingredients In a jar or bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice,

mustard, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Store,
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (can use hazelnut or
covered, in the refrigerator.
walnut oil)
Dudley with his happy hens 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard to serve
3/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (opi- Put a bowl on the table so everyone can help
tonal) themselves, with the dressing to one side.
Local free range food makes sense to the Lyng Farm. It is a lovely sight to see the birds out and ranging
well. Birds are actively encouraged to range and express their natural behaviour. They love exploring the 1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt This can also be served as a side, or for a healthy
range scratching about for worms and insects. lunchtime snack
Pinch coarsely-ground black pepper
All hens are kept under the RSPCA Freedom Foods and BEIC Lion Quality farm assurance and food
labelling schemes. This ensures that not only are their eggs produced to the very highest standards but
also the welfare conditions of the birds are far higher than is required by law. They are fed on a cereal
based diet free from artificial yolk colorants.
 Tilapia Main
In 1995 it was reported by the Food & Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) that by the
beginning of the 90’s, 69% of the world’s conventional fish species were fully exploited, overexploited,
depleted, or rebuilding from a depleted state. It was concluded that the operation of the world’s fisheries,
as they existed, could not be sustained and that significant ecological and economic damage had already
occurred.

The solution to diminishing wild fish populations globally has been the growth and development of
aquaculture.

Farming Tilapia fish, a warm water fish normally found in Asia and the Caribbean, can be completely sus-
tainable as they are kept in recirculation units and now bred and reared here in the UK.

East Anglian Tilapia Ltd in partnership with A B Fish Ltd, breeds and rears Red Nile Tilapia in East Anglia
to supply all end wet fish markets, from local shops, and markets to National Supermarket chains and
private restaurants.

Tilapia are now bred, hatched, grown and sold all from one site based at Ely in Cambridgeshire. This
reduces the carbon foot print and dramatically lowers food miles. All of the fish are given plenty of space
and are grown in large highly oxygenated raceways to maximize growth and wellbeing.
Fisherman’s Pie
Their Tilapia are naturally bred without the use of hormones and the fish are fed a completely vegetarian
diet based on soya, wheat and oilseed rape oil. This reduces the pressure on the oceans further by not
using fishmeal in the diet.
ingredients
Their heating is currently being changed from oil to geothermal heating systems in the form of ground 2 fillets of cod - approx 370g
and air source heating. 2 fillets of boneless tilapia- approx 260g
Mixed mussels, king prawns and squid - approx
East Anglian Tilapia and A B Fish are producing a high quality sustainable UK whitefish, bred and reared 235g combined
in the eastern counties, naturally heated and fed on a vegetarian diet. Peeled baby prawns 280g
3 hard boiled eggs
Salt
Pepper
Sprinkle of cheese
Plain flour
Margarine
Milk – 1 Pint
Cornflour - 1 teaspoon
Pepper
5 mashing potatoes
method
Peel the potatoes and put them on to boil.
Chop the cod and tilapia into edible chunks, mix
all of the fish together into a saucepan and slow
cook in vegetable oil.
by Emily Rout
Serves 5
Whilst the fish is cooking prepare the white sauce.
Mix together the marg, plain flour, milk and
cornflour, whisk together until there are no lumps.
Once the mixture is runny, add some ground
pepper and stir, then put on the heat, stirring
all the while until the sauce is hot all of the way
through.
Boil the three hard boiled eggs then peel off the
shell, and chop into chunks.
Put the fish into the bottom of your dish, then mix
in the egg.
Pour the white sauce on top of the fish, mixing it
in. Mash the potatoes, using a little bit of milk and
margarine and layer on top.
Finally sprinkle some grated cheese on top and
cook at 180˚C for 25-30mins until the top is
browned.
to serve
Serve generous helpings, with slices of lemon and
a side of peas.
 Scrumptious Strawberries Dessert
Strawberries are arguably Britain’s favourite summer fruit.

Usually ready to start being picked in June, they will keep growing right the way through
the summer months until October. The red, sweet, juicy berries are full of Vitamin C,
manganese and dietary fibre and they also have a high rate of antioxidant power.

They are perfect to compliment any summer desert or drink, from Pavlova to Pimms.

During the summer months there will be PYO (Pick your Own) strawberry farms all over
the UK. Try to find one near you and reduce your food miles.

Failing that, British strawberries will be found in local farm shops, and any good
supermarket.
DID YOU KNOW?
Strawberries are full
of a special substance
called ellagic acid
which can help fight
cancers. Uncle Dick’s Pavlova
Richard Grant

Serves 4

ingredients
6oz caster sugar
3 large organic Norfolk egg whites
10 fl oz of fresh Norfolk double cream
Fresh Norfolk blueberries and strawberries
method
Place the egg whites in a large clean bowl.
Now whisk the egg whites until they form
soft peaks and you can turn the bowl up-
side down without them sliding out.
Whisk in the sugar, approximately 1 oz
(25g) at a time, whisking after each
addition until all the sugar is in.
Now take a metal tablespoon and spoon
the meringue mixture on to a prepared
baking sheet, forming a circle about eight
inches (20cm) in diameter.
Spoon round blobs next to each other so that they
join up to form a circle all around the edge. Now
place the baking sheet in the oven, and
immediately turn down the heat to gas mark 1,
275°F (140°C) and leave it to cook for one hour.
Turn the heat right off but leave the Pavlova inside
the oven until it’s completely cold.
to serve
To serve the Pavlova, place it on a serving dish
and then just before serving, spread the whipped
cream on top, arrange the fruit on top of the cream
and dust with a little sifted icing sugar.
The trees seem determined to go out with a bang as the days get cooler, the evenings become shorter,
and we put the clocks back. Leaves change from green to vibrant orange, yellow or red, brightening up
the countryside, before they finally give up the ghost, leaving the trees bare.

On the farm, both the quality and growth rate of forage declines. Farmers often choose to provide their
livestock with supplementary feeds such as grass and maize silage and supplementary minerals to help
maintain growth rates or milk production.

Late autumn tends to be the quietest time for arable farmers, as by this time all the drilling of next year’s
winter crops will have been done. But there is always something to be done on the farm. Cattle, pig and
sheep farmers will still have all of their stock to feed, muck out and keep healthy.

It is critical to get oilseed rape off to a good start. Avoiding pest problems during the winter months is
essential - particularly damaging are wood pigeons which can decimate a weak crop. Pigeons will flock
in their thousands to feed on a crop of oilseed rape during the winter months; however they do not like
mature crops that have large leaves and a well developed canopy.

Winter wheat will be receiving a herbicide to control broadleaved and other grass weeds. Well
established crops naturally compete with weeds so farmers and agronomists can reduce the rate of ap-
plied herbicide significantly so that financial savings can be made.

Sugar beet is an important crop in the East Anglia region. The crop provides around 50% of the UK’s
sugar needs, you will see sugar beet harvesters working in the fields around this time lifting the beet and
taking them to one of the four sugar beet factories in the UK, ready to be made into sugar and sold in the
supermarkets. Beans are fresh in season along with many other vegetables and lots of fruit. Fresh
seasonal produce always tastes great and if you have bought it from a local producer you will have the
added satisfaction of knowing that the “food miles” will be low.

Pears are in season but as October draws to a close fruit is either windblown or damaged by frost. Fresh
UK fruit will soon only be available from store.

ALSO IN SEASON

Vegetables
Aubergine. Beans. Beetroot. Broccoli. Brussels Sprouts. Cabbage. Carrots. Cauliflower. Celeriac. Celery.
Chard. Chicory. Cress. Cucumber. Endive. Fennel. Garlic. Jerusalem Artichoke. Lambs Lettuce. Leeks.
Lettuce. Marrows. Mushrooms. Onions. Parsnip. Peas. Peppers. Potatoes. Pumpkin. Red Cabbage.
Radishes. Rocket. Runner Beans. Squash. Swede. Sweetcorn. Tomatoes. Turnips. White Winter Radishes.

Fruit
Apples. Blackberries. Blueberries. Crab Apple. Cranberries. Figs. Grapes. Loganberry. Medlar. Melon. Pears.
Plums. Raspberries. Quince. Woods Strawberries. Rosehips.
 Fielding Cottage Goat’s Cheese Starter
Fielding Cottage is an award winning small business producing goats’ cheese and milk
from a small farm in the Breckland Valley. Fielding Cottage strive to supply independent
farmers’ markets, farm shops and delicatessens across East Anglia with tasty and healthy
homegrown products from their own herd of goats. They believe in food metres, not
miles; their milk travels less than twenty metres from the milking parlour before it is made
into cheese!

Fielding Cottage was started by brothers Sam and Bertie Steggles in October 2009 with PHOTO???
the purchase of 10 goats. Ten months later, their first cheese “Ellingham” went on sale at
Diss Farmers’ Market. They now sell at farmers’ markets across Norfolk and have a number
of distributors who take their cheese to shops and restaurants across Norfolk and Suffolk.

Following a successful kidding season in May 2010, and a few new additions from the
Cotswolds, the herd has grown to 25 goats in milk and nine young stock.

Warm Salad of Goat’s

INGREDIETNTS
DID YOU KNOW?
Cheese, Beetroot &
Goats were the first
animals to be used
Wild Mushrooms
for milk MB by Galton Blackiston

Serves 4

ingredients
250g local goat’s cheese
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon grilled until
crisp
175g assorted wild mushrooms roughly
chopped
Bertie & Sam with the goats 2 medium sized beetroot, peeled, chopped and
MB
cooked until soft in orange juice, then puréed in
a liquidiser.
Milking goats are not very keen on getting their feet wet so at Fielding Cottage they are 175g baby spinach
kept in a warm, dry, straw filled barn and fed on a special ration which is made by 100g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled, chopped,
cooked and then pureed with a little cream &
nutritionists. They milk them twice a day, at 5am and then again at 5pm, and it is then
butter
only a matter of hours before the milk is turned into cheese!
Their cheese is a light, crumbly goat’s cheese with a mild flavour which is enjoyed by
goat’s cheese fans as well as those who are not keen on the ‘goatiness’ of stronger cheeses.
method
Cut the rind off the goat’s cheese and place on
a baking tray with a little rapeseed oil. Heat the
grill. Now in a large frying pan fry the
mushrooms, again in the rapeseed oil, seasoning
as you go for a minute. Then in another pan with
a little butter cook the spinach until soft.
To put the dish together, place the goat’s cheese
under the grill. Whilst under the grill, spoon some
mushrooms onto each plate, and then remove the
cheese from under the grill, put on the plate and
neatly place a little beetroot purée on top,
followed by the artichoke purée and finally a
rasher of bacon.

For more information about Fielding Cottage Cheese, visit www.fieldingcottage.co.uk

 Swannington Farm Main
The Mutimer family have been growing pigs outside on the light sandy land at
Swannington since 1973. The animals are reared to the highest welfare standards and the
farm is covered by the RSPCA’s Freedom Food Scheme. The pigs enjoy the grass sward and MB
the outdoor life. They are fed a cereal based diet designed to maximise growth and
flavour. Great care is taken to keep the pigs healthy and the pork they sell has total
traceability.

Their meat has an exceptionally low “carbon footprint”. Sheep and beef cattle graze the
beautiful environmentally sensitive meadows for three miles bordering Swannington
Beck, the cleanest tributary of the River Wensum.

The animals are then killed at the local abattoir just three miles away and the carcasses
returned to mature to full flavour before butchering to requirement.

The Multimers have 600 outdoor Landrace cross Duroc sows. The sows live in arks on grass Fillet of Local Beef
covered light land. Piglets are grown on in outdoor, straw based kennels with ample food,
water and plenty of fresh air. They are fed on a cereal based diet with no growth with Shallots, Buttery Mash,
promoters or antibiotics.
Étuvée Brussel Sprouts
They have 400 sheep which are Mule sheep crossed with Texel and Charolais rams. and Beef Jus
Their beef cattle come from the Child family at Hevingham. Their suckler herd spends the by Galton Blackiston
summer grazing in marshes around the Norfolk Broads, mostly at South Walsham.
They are over wintered in large straw barns where they are fed on stock feed vegetables Serves 4
and cereals. After slaughter the carcasses are then hung for 21-28 days to maximise the
natural tenderness and flavour.
ingredients
And their free range chickens come from Jason Peart at Hindolveston where the chickens
4 x 175g fillet of beef In a frying pan fry the steaks in olive oil
roam around the farmyard - truly traditional poultry fed on wheat grown and milled on
1 quantity of beef gravy until coloured on all sides, season and then
the farm. 450g Maris Piper potatoes place in the oven at 200˚C for no longer
450g sprouts, 450g shallots than five minutes. Warm the jus.
You will find their products in their farm shop, or in local restaurants such as Bawburgh
method
Kings Head, Eaton Red Lion, or Black Boys Hotel, Aylsham. to serve
Place the steak on the plate with all the
Bake the pottaoes, then take the flesh out and
For more information about Swannington Farm, please visit vegetables neatly either around or to the
push through a sieve, add a knob of butter and
www.swanningtonfarmtofork.co.uk side. Spoon over the jus and serve.
some milk, and season.
Finely slice, blanche and then drain the sprouts
and place into a pan with butter and
gently reheat.
Peel and halve the shallots and placed in tinfoil.
Then roast in a moderate oven with a little olive
oil until soft.
 Plump Pears Dessert
Pears are an autumnal fruit that are usually ready to be picked and eaten in October.

Their texture ranges from very soft, creamy, and juicy to firm and crisp. Pears can be
Pear Crumble
by Tarryn Paul
consumed fresh, canned, as juice, or dried. Their juice can also be used in jellies and jams, Serves 4
usually in combination with other fruits or berries. Pears are an excellent source of dietary
fibre and Vitamin C. crumble topping
ingredients
Compared to some fruits, pears are quite allergenic, meaning they are good for young
225g plain or wholewheat flour Put the flour into a large mixing bowl and add
children as a starter fruit. Look out for British pears to start appearing in your local farm
75g butter (room temperature) the butter. Rub the flour and butter together
shops and supermarkets and treat yourself to a tasty, warming pear crumble. 75g - 110g soft brown sugar (to taste) until it looks crumbly and the butter has been
evenly dispersed through the flour. Add the
DID YOU KNOW? crumble filling ingredients sugar and mix together to ensure that
everything is combined.
900g ripe pears (Comice)
There are more 25g soft brown sugar Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the
than 5,000 varieties top of the pears using a fork to even out the
of pears method distribution, but don’t press it down.

Cook in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes until lightly

Pre-heat the oven to gas 4 or 180˚C. golden brown.
Peel and quarter the pears. Remove the core
and pips and place them into a casserole dish to serve
(1.75 litre) and spinkle over the sugar. Then Serve with double cream or custard
prepare the crumble topping.
Long nights, short days, frost, snow – winter’s not for everyone. But on bright, cold
days, a walk in the countryside followed by a roast dinner does wonders to cheer up
the soul in the colder months.

During winter most cows will be housed to avoid the cold weather and damaging the
wet sodden fields. Beef cows will be fed hay as a bulk feed so that they mature slowly
producing a very tender meat cut.

Sheep farmers will be entering their busy period. Some flocks will be starting their
lambing season in January and February. The purpose of early lambing is to supply
fresh lamb to the Easter market.

Winter crops for the next harvest will have been drilled in the autumn. Some farmers
will be applying several doses of fertilizer to help them grow. Arable farmers will also
be ploughing the ground for spring cereal crops; this normally takes place in quiet
spells over the winter months. Ground that is ploughed early, for example in Decem-
ber, has a longer period to overwinter with frosts breaking down soil clods and reduc-
ing the need for further mechanical cultivation.

Once conditions are dry enough, spring barley, beans, oil seed rape drilling will com-
mence. Spring sown crops are prone to summer drought and so the key to a good
yield is to ensure successful establishment as early as possible in the year. Mid to late
February is generally regarded as the optimum time for the drilling of spring cereals.

Also in Season
Vegetables
Beetroot. Broccoli. Brussel Sprouts. Cabbage. Carrot. Cauliflower. Celeriac. Celery. Chicory.Cress.
Endives. Garlic. Jerusalem Artichoke. Lambs Lettuce. Kale. Leeks. Lettuce. Mushrooms. Onions.
Parsnips. Potatoes. Pumpkin. Red Cabbage. Rocket. Shallots. Spinach. Squash. Swede. Turnips.
White Winter Radishes.

Fruit
Apples. Pears.
 Binham Blue Cheese Starter
Binham Blue is made by hand from the milk of the Chalkfarm Herd of Holstein
Fresians and the Copys Green Herd of Swiss Brown cows. The curds have an Mushrooms stuffed with Binham Blue
open texture, allowing the growth of penicillium roqforteii which gives the blue Cheese (served with roasted parsnip and
veining and softens the curd to yield a buttery texture.
red onion)
To enjoy your cheese at its best, store between 1˚C and 4˚C, and bring up to PHOTO???
by Catherine Temple

room temperature for serving Serves 4

Allow the cheese to breathe in the refrigerator yet try to prevent it from drying ingredients
out. A new clay plantpot is useful. Bake the plantpot in the oven for an hour 4 large flat mushrooms While your vegetables are cooking peel the
at 150˚C or above to sterilise it. When it has cooled soak in boiled water. Then 100g of Binham Blue Cheese mushrooms and place them on a baking tray
2 parsnips
use to cover your cheese. The gentle humidity will protect it from drying. 1 red onion INGREDIETNTS
Slice the cheese into four chunks and place on
top of each of the mushrooms
DID YOU KNOW?
A dairy cow will
method Warm Salad Place of Goat’s
in a hot oven for 5 minutes, until the
cheese is melted over the mushrooms
Slice the parsnips
produce about
20,000 glasses of Cheese, Beetroot &
Peel, then slice a red onion into rings. to serve
milk in her lifetime Wild MushroomsServe with the roasted vegetables and enjoy
Place the vegetables on a baking tray, drizzle
over a little oil, shake to mix and then roast at
about 180˚C for about 20-25 minutes, until the
vegetables are cooked through and tender.

MB

Mrs Temple with Binham Blue and the lovely cows who produce it
 Venison & Sausages
Venison is meat that comes from deer. It is a red meat that is low in fat and high in iron.
The vast majority of venison that is produced in the UK roams freely which gives it its’
great taste. Venison is a winter meat, at its best from September through to February and Venison Casserole
is a tender, close textured meat which is full of flavour. Steaks and fillets can be cooked
in minutes and casserole dishes are rich and go a long way as the meat doesn’t shrink on
ingredients
cooking and looks impressive if you’re serving guests. 
8 cutlets of venison
12 crushed juniper berries
The three main species of venison are red deer, fallow deer and roe deer. Venison is not as 2 bay leaves
easy to find as beef or pork for example, but it can be found at most local farm shops, and 5 sprigs of thyme
1 sprig rosemary
the taste is well worth it.
3 tablespoons of flour
Salt, and freshly ground pepper
2 oz butter
2 onions diced
1 red pepper sliced
2 carrots diced
2 sticks of celery diced
1 litre of good red wine
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1/2 litre of beef stock
splash of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
small pack of button mushrooms
small pack shallots
1/2 pack bacon
200g pack of whole chestnuts, vacuum packed
Sausage Casserole
ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 pork sausages (butcher’s best)
6 rashers streaky bacon chopped
1 red onion halved, quartered and then
chopped
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tin chopped tomatoes
100g sliced mushrooms
19 fl oz stock (ham is best)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Mains
by Elaine Turner
Serves 8
method
Toss the diced venison in seasoned flour and
brown in the hot butter in small batches.
Place in a cassorole dish, then soften the
onion, diced carrot, pepper and celery. Add to
the casserole dish with the tinned tomatoes.
beef stock, redcurrant jelly, splash of balsamic
vinegar and herbs.
Place in a moderately hot oven (175˚C) for
about 1.5 hours, then fry off the shallots,
mushrooms, and bacon that has been rolled up
and cut into halves.
Add to the casserole with the chestnuts and
cook for a further 1/2 hour . Check seasoning
and serve.
Serves 6 by Tina Rout
method
Heat oil in large pan.
Brown the sausages. (Don’t get bored, they
look anaemic and unappetising if not browned
nicely)
When the sausages are browned remove from
pan and cook bacon and onion.
Return the sausages to the pan and add the
plain flour to soak up the oil.
Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, stock, white
wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar and simmer
for 40 minutes .
to serve
Serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables of
your choice. Cabbage goes nicely.
 Chocolate Dessert

Cocoa, the ‘magic’ ingredient of chocolate, is not grown in the UK, so buying local is not an
option! However, there is a lot you can do to ensure that the chocolate you buy has been
ethically sourced.

Cocoa is grown principally in West Africa, Central and South America and Asia. The eight
largest cocoa-producing countries at present are Ivory Coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria,
Cameroon, Brazil, Ecuador and Malaysia. These countries represent 90% of world
production.

Sadly, in some cases, the people harvesting the cocoa bean in these countries are
exploited, and paid very little, making supporting themselves and their families almost
impossible.

The Fairtrade system means farmers get a premium for their cocoa, and the price they
are paid never falls below a living wage. More and more companies are supporting the
Fairtrade system, so Fairtrade chocolate is relatively easy to find. Next time you need your
chocolate fix, look for the Fairtrade Label, and you can enjoy your chocolate with a clear
Chocolate Bread &
conscience. Butter Pudding
by Emily Rout
Serves 4
ingredients

350g of dark chocolate
8 slices of thick cut bread
3 oz of butter
450ml of whipping cream
4 tbsp of rum
4 oz of caster sugar
3 eggs
method
Firstly cut your bread slices into triangles, taking
the crusts off if you prefer.
Place the chocolate, whipping cream, rum,
sugar, and butter in a bowl set over a
saucepan of simmering water.
Once all the sugar has dissolved and the
chocolate and butter have melted, take off the
heat and mix together until the mixture is all
chocolate brown.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and then add
to the chocolate mixture, whisk thoroughly to
combine them together.
After that pour a layer of chocolate into the
bottom of your shallow dish, then put a layer of
bread on top, add another layer of chocolate and
bread, finally pour the remainder of your choco-
late mixture on top, making sure you cover all of
the bread.
Leave to stand for one hour before cooking.
Cook for 30mins at 180˚C and serve with
whipped cream.
STOCKISTS
Gressingham Foods
www.gressinghamfoods.co.uk

Mrs Temples’ Binham Blue Cheese

Copys Green Farm
Wighton
Wells-next-the-sea
Norfolk
NR23 1NY
Tel: 01328 820224
mrstemplescheese@farmersweekly.net

East Anglian Tilapia

James Stretton
07824 511444

Clarke’s Ice Cream

www.clarkesicecream.co.uk

P. J. Southgate Ltd
Lyng Farm,
Long Street,
Attleborough,
Norfolk,
NR17 1AW

Swannington Farm
www.swanningtonfarmtofork.co.uk

Fielding Cottage Goat’s Cheese

www.fieldingcottage.co.uk
 FARMER’S MARKETS NEAR YOU...
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Norwich Farmers’ Market Lopham Farmers’ Market
Norfolk Showground, second Saturday of the month, 9am - 1pm 9am - 12.30pm, fourth Saturday of the month
The Forum, City Centre, first and third Sunday 10am – 3pm 
01953 681715, www.norwichfarmersmarket.co.uk
Village Hall, North Lopham, IP22 2ND ILLUSTRATIONS & LAYOUT TEMPLATE PROOFREADERS
Rickinghall Farmers’ Market TATIANA WOOLRYCH ALISON POPE
9am - 12.30pm, second Saturday of the month,
Aylsham Farmers’ Market Village Hall, Rickinghall, IP22 1LP SARAH WILLIAMS
9am - 1pm, first Saturday of the month
Market Place, Aylsham Stradbroke Farmers’ Market PHOTOGRAPHY
Diss Farmers’ Market
9am-1pm , first Saturday of the month
Business & Enterprise Centre, Wilby Road, Stradbroke
MATT BRASNETT (where credited as MB) THANKS TO
9am -1pm, second Saturday of the month. Winter trading peaks
at 11am.
IP21 5JN GRESSINGHAM FOODS STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY GALTON BLACKISTON
Mere’s Mouth, Diss Easton Farmers’ Market CLARKE’S ICE CREAM SAM & BERTIE STEGGLES
Fourth Saturday of the month
Fakenham Farmers’ Market Easton Farm Park, Woodbridge, Suffolk WWW.SXC.HU LIZ KAY
8.30am - 12 noon, fourth Saturday of the month. IP13 0EQ
Market Square, Fakenham SARAH KEOGH
01328 862702 Dereham Farmers’ Market
8am – 1pm, second Saturday of the month
LAYOUT ARTIST/EDITOR CATHERINE TEMPLE
Stalham Farmers’ Market
9am -12 noon, second & fourth Saturday of the month
Dereham High Street TARRYN PAUL GRESSINGHAM FOODS
Town Hall, Stalham Wayland Farmers’ Market SWANNINGTON FARM
8.30am -12.30pm , first Saturday of the month
Wymondham Farmers’ Market Watton High Street PROJECT COORDINATOR JUDY & CAROLINE CLARKE
9am - 1pm, third Saturday of the month
Market Cross, Wymondham Burnham Farmers’ Market ELLIE KEMP ROBERT COPELAND
9am - 12pm, first Saturday of the month
Harleston Farmers’ Market and third Friday of the month
9am – 1pm, third Saturday of the month Burnham Market, Norfolk
The Swan Hotel, Harleston, IP22 1RG G61 4BE
Tel: 01953 681715

and finally...
I hope you have found this recipe book useful, and that it has shown you that eating
locally, and seasonally is not an impossible task. While not always possible, you can definitely
pick up seasonal ingredients from your local farmers market, and look out for the red
tractor sign to make sure you’re buying British.

When you can’t buy British, make sure what you do buy is Fairtrade, as it helps create a
fairer economy for all. And remember to be creative - the recipes in this book are just a
very small selection of what you can do by eating locally and seasonally.

I’ve really enjoyed the process of making this book, and would like to say a big thank
you to everybody who contributed by giving us recipes, ideas and advice.

Love, Emily
MATT BRASNETT
AN ITV FIXERS PROJECT
BY EMILY ROUT

A guide to help you cook with local

and seasonal produce