What's cooking?!
Gillian's weekly guide to local, seasonal and speciality food & drink plus lots of tasty food news...

My short-term memory leaves a lot to be desired – how is it possible to walk from one room to another and forget what you set off for?
On the other hand, the mere mention of food triggers all sorts of memories. Take the remains of a cauliflower and half a loaf I found in the fridge …
Years and years and years ago I remember preparing an Italian dish which combines fried breadcrumbs, anchovies, capers and olives with blanched cauliflower.
And so it was that, without digging out my copy of Anna del Conte’s Secrets of an Italian Kitchen, I decided to adapt and adopt by roasting the florets with sliced sweet peppers, bacon lardons, sliced courgettes and a couple of tablespoons of green pesto sauce. I then made some breadcrumbs in the food processor and fried these in olive oil, serving them on top of the cauli-pesto mix and a bed of rigatoni pasta.
Though I say it myself, it tasted divine!
In the meantime, here are this week’s slow cooker recommendations - brisket from Peter Hutchinson at Greenodd (£5.94 per kilo, beef from Edmondsons, Ulverston); ham shanks (Watson & Woollard, Kendal, £2.15 each); and slow cook or roast Jamie Oliver-style a superb free range British free range pork shoulder on the bone from Higginsons at Grange-over-Sands, the deal of the week at a mere £4.99 per kilo (=£2.26 per lb).
Greenlands Farm Village at Tewittfield also has a special offer - Yorkshire beef rump steaks at £9.99 per kilo (down from £14.99).
Kendal Fisheries has fresh cod roe (£12.99 per kilo) and smoked cod roe (£13.99 per kilo); also best of the season Faroe Island line-caught haddock and cod (both £13.69 per kilo).
From Hazelmere Bakery at Grange we have a delicious range of frozen ready meals including braised lambs liver and smoked bacon casserole (£3.70); red lentil and tomato dhal (£2.45); and luxury fishermans pie with fresh salmon, prawns, smoked haddock and cod (£4.15), all generous single portions.
And from Low Sizergh Barn, check out the heart-shaped Burbush of Penrith pork pies, perfect for a Valentine’s Day treat, available to order from this week (015395-69960).

Last changed: Feb 08 2012 at 11:31 AM