Enter our recipe competition and win a 2 night break
Jul 3 2009 by Jane Hall, The Journal
A luxurious stay in one of the North East’s top hotels, fine dining and the chance to meet Michelin-starred kitchen maestro Kenny Atkinson, is just one of the fantastic prizes up for grabs in a joint Journal Taste/Heighley Gate competition to hunt down a treasured recipe that offers a true taste of home. Jane Hall reports.
Favourite recipes from the judging panel
Here our judging panel reveal their favourite home grown recipes.
MAY WILSON, head chef, Cragside, Rothbury
May, 56, lives in Powburn, Northumberland, and describes Cragside as “a truly wonderful place to indulge my passion for food.
“Cragside was the home of Lord Armstrong. He was a most hospitable host who entertained influential guests from all over the world. The estate and home-farm provided meat, fish and game, while cheese and cream were made in the dairy. Vegetables and fruit came from the kitchen garden and greenhouses.
“Today, Cragside restaurant tries to maintain this tradition by supporting local suppliers and using seasonal and British produce. Turnbulls in Alnwick supply out fruit and vegetables - they come from Hebron, near Morpeth. Our bread is delivered daily from Greenwell Bakery in Rothbury and the milk and cream comes from Davidson's near Alnwick. Our eggs are from Sunny Hill Farm near Belford.
“We do all the baking on the property and use time honoured regional recipes.
“I have chosen this recipe firstly because it is a dish that is always popular with our visitors, and secondly it uses all local ingredients relevant to Cragside.”
Leek and Doddington Cheese Bread Pudding
:: 1 loaf bread, sliced and with crusts removed
:: 12oz Berwick Edge Cheese, grated
:: 1 pint whipping cream
:: 1 pint milk
:: 12 Freedom free range eggs
:: 6oz English butter
:: 2.5lb Northumbrian Leeks, shredded
Shred and wash the leeks. Butter the sliced bread. Whisk the eggs, cream and milk. In a buttered dish layer the leeks, grated cheese and bread, finishing with bread topped with cheese. Pour over the egg mixture.
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.
SUSAN GIVEN, catering manager, Heighley Gate
Susan, 40, lives in Alnwick and trained as a baker and confectioner at Newcastle College whilst working for Trotters Family Bakers. In 2001 she joined Heighley Gate and set-up the centre’s in-store bakery preparing scones, cakes, biscuits, pastries, savoury pies and quiches for the restaurant, coffee shop and food hall. She says: “We use local suppliers including butchers R Green and Sons from Longframlington, Rothbury Family Butchers sausages for breakfast and vegetables from the in-store fruit and vegetable market.
“The following recipe is a great way to use home grown vegetables and is very summery.”
Heighley Gate Vegetarian Quiche (Serves four-six)
Pastry:
:: 6oz (150g) Heatherslaw flour
:: 3oz margarine
:: 3tbs water
:: Pinch of salt
Filling:
:: 1 small head broccoli
:: 1 tomato
:: ½ onion
:: 1tsp marjoram
:: 1tsp basil
:: 4 Christon Bank eggs
:: ½ pint milk
:: 8oz Doddington cheese of your choice, grated
:: Salt and pepper
:: Olive oil
Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Rub the margarine into the flour with your finger-tips until it takes on the texture of breadcrumbs. Add the water a little at a time and knead into a pliable but not sticky dough. Let it stand for 30 minutes in the fridge before using.
Preheat the oven to 180C, gas mark 4.
On a floured surface roll out the pastry thinly and line an 8 inch flan dish or ring with it. Prick the base with a fork and bake for 10 minutes.
Peel and slice the onion and saute in a little olive oil.
Slice the tomato and cut the broccoli in to small florets. When the onions begin to soften add the tomato and broccoli and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
Break the eggs into a bowl, beat them and add the milk and the herbs and beat together.
Put the vegetable filling in the flan dish and add the egg mixture. Cover with the cheese and bake for 30-40 minutes until the filling has set and the top has turned golden brown.
SUSAN GREEN, Proof of the Pudding, Alnwick
Farmer’s wife Susan, 53, started the award-winning Proof of the Pudding eight years ago in the wake of the disastrous foot-and-mouth outbreak. The company now sells a range of traditional puddings, home-made in her farmhouse kitchen. But it’s not a dessert that Susan has chosen as her favourite home-grown recipe. Instead she has opted for a seasonal soup popular with her family.
“This is light, easy and quick to make. It is popular with all of my family, is very nutritious and local broccoli is just coming into season. Redesdale is quite a tangy sheeps’ milk cheese and the recipe quantity will give a subtle flavour.”
Broccoli and Redesdale Cheese Soup (Serves four-six)
:: 125g onions, chopped
:: 125g potatoes, peeled and chopped
:: 2tbs rapeseed oil (Yellowfields or Olifeira)
:: 1.25l chicken or vegetable stock
:: 500g broccoli (from Tritlington)
:: 75g Redesdale cheese, grated (from the Northumberland Cheese Company)
:: A good splash of cream
:: Seasoning
Saute the onions and potatoes gently in the oil until the potatoes are translucent. Add the stock and broccoli and simmer until all are tender. Blend until smooth and stir in the grated cheese until melted. Season to taste and add a swirl of cream.
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