Putting trust in taste of region can offer

Mar 15 2008 by Jane Hall, The Journal

YOU’VE read about The Journal Taste North East England Campaign – now you can eat it too.

From today the National Trust will be offering visitors to its North East properties the chance to tuck into locally and seasonally inspired Journal Taste campaign dishes.

Leek and Doddington Cheese Bread Pudding will be the first recipe to whet people’s appetites when it goes on sale from this lunchtime at the Trust’s tea room at the Cragside Estate at Rothbury, Northumberland.

The menu special, which uses Wooler-based Doddington’s Berwick Edge cheese as well as Northumbrian leeks and locally produced milk, cream and eggs, will be available at Cragside for the next two weeks.

Thereafter a different Taste recipe using locally available and seasonal ingredients will be offered at other Trust tea rooms on a two weekly rota.

Wallington Hall near Scots’ Gap in Northumberland will be the next property to give its backing to The Journal initiative launched at the end of January to encourage consumers, retailers and restaurants and hotels to buy local, use local and eat local for both the good of their health and the North East economy.

Gibside, near Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, and Souter Lighthouse at Whitburn near Sunderland, will also be taking part in the recipe tie-in over the coming months.

Liz Fisher, area manager for the National Trust, said: “It is fantastic that The Journal has undertaken to support local food by launching the Taste North East England Campaign. The National Trust is also a keen supporter of local food.

“There are a lot of reasons why buying local is important. For instance, many people don’t realise that it contributes hugely to the local economy, and it tells visitors to the region that we are confident and proud of our food heritage – and encourages them to buy local too.

“It also means that you have a better chance of identifying with the food and understanding what you’re eating. Buying local makes you think about your food rather than just eating the first thing you see on the shelves and, crucially, it cuts the number of miles that food travels, reducing the amount of carbon produced by using fossil fuels to get it to you. Buying local also means working with seasonal foods.

“As a dedicated supporter of encouraging people to use local produce, The Trust is delighted to join forces in this way with The Journal, and we hope many people will take the opportunity to sample the wonderful recipes championing local produce that will be on offer over the coming weeks and months.”

But fear not if you can’t make it to a Trust property. Show your support for The Journal Taste North East England Campaign by sitting down to a pre-prepared version of a recipe.

You can serve up your own version courtesy of the Taste website at www.journaltastene.co.uk where we have today launched a new In Season column in conjunction with the National Trust.

Every two weeks the catering manager at the different properties giving their backing to the Taste campaign will write about a seasonal ingredient – whether that be animal, vegetable or mineral – with the accompanying recipe that will be available to visitors for the limited two-week period at their restaurant.

The first column, written by Cragside catering manager Mandy Hall on leeks – known as the poor man’s asparagus – is available to read from today.

Ms Fisher said: “Local foods provide the freshest produce possible.

“We hope Journal readers will be inspired to support local producers and retailers by making the recipes we will be featuring themselves.”

In Season joins a wealth of other unique material at journaltastene.co.uk – the North East’s biggest and best food and drink information website.

Brought to you by The Journal’s award-winning features team, the website is central to the paper’s Taste North East England Campaign, at the heart of which is our charter which producers, businesses and individuals are being asked to sign to show their support for the production, retail and enjoyment of the wealth of fine regional food and drink on offer between the Scottish Border and North Yorkshire.

Also featured are recipes, video wine tips from Helen Savage, food-related stories from the daily paper and our Friday Taste supplement and a local business directory.

:: The tea room at Cragside, Rothbury, Northumberland, is open 10.30am to 5.30pm.

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Recipe for delicious home-grown treat

FOR those of you who haven’t access to the internet but would like to make the National Trust’s In Season Journal Taste North East England Campaign recipe, here it is. Enjoy.

Leek & Doddington Cheese Bread Pudding

1 loaf bread

12oz Berwick Edge Cheese

1 pint whipping cream

1 pint milk

12 Freedom Free range eggs

6 oz English butter

2.5lb Northumbrian Leeks

Shred the leeks and wash toughly. Butter the sliced bread with crusts removed. Whisk the eggs, cream and milk. In a buttered dish layer the leeks, grated cheese and bread, finishing with bread topped with cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 165C, 325F, gas mark 3 until golden and the liquid is set.

The dish is delicious served with a leaf salad and homemade chutney.