Turkey Steaks with Lemon & Mint Avocado

Photo: © childsdesign

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Really, the star of the show in this dish is the avocado which is enhanced with a splash of lemon.
The flavours are fresh and bright and the meal is light, but also satisfying, as well as as being quick and easy to prepare.

You don't have to have it with turkey either. The avocado would go equally well with other meats; a beef steak or lamb, perhaps or even tuna.
It would even be perfect smeared on toast for lunch.

View recipe

How to make perfect roast potatoes

Photo: © childsdesign

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To be served a roast dinner without roast potatoes would be a serious misdemeanour. The meal would not be complete without these heavenly golden crunchy caskets encasing the fluffy potato within.

You can never make too many either as we don't know anyone who doesn't love a roast potato, so they're bound to want second helpings!

For the best results you will need floury potatoes such as Maris Piper, King Edward or Desiree.

How to make perfect roast potatoes
Peel your potatoes, removing any eyes or blemishes and cut the potatoes into halves. Put into a pan of cold water and bring to the boil.

Add about half a teaspoon of salt. Don't skip this part as the salt the allows the potato's cells to crumble which will give a crunchier texture.

Parboil the potatoes for 7 minutes if the chunks are large or 5 minutes if they are small. Drain into a colander and leave to allow the steam to evaporate off and dry out.

Give your potatoes a good shake in the colander to break up their surfaces, but be careful that you don't smash them completely to bits. The fluffy surface you have created will crisp up when roasted.

There are various approaches to the next stage – adding the fat.
You can choose from a variety of fats and oils – it's up to you. Some people swear by goose or duck fat, pork lard or even beef dripping for that traditional old fashioned flavour but you could you use olive oil, but we like to use cold pressed rapeseed oil for ours (see below for producers).
Many cooks heat the fat in the tray before adding the potatoes, but we've found that by coating the potatoes in the cold oil first then tipping them into a very hot tray produces a good thick crunchy crust.

You'll need to get your oven good and hot, 220C / Gas 7, to heat the tray. Once you place the tray of potatoes into the oven turn down the heat to
190C / Gas 5. This works best as some fats are prone to spoiling at very high heats. Put your potatoes on the top shelf and roast for about an hour. Sprinkle them with a little flaked sea salt, and if you like, add some sprigs of rosemary or thyme. Turn the potatoes twice throughout their cooking time. You should get nice evenly roasted potatoes with a golden colour and thick crust.

Once cooked remove the potatoes using a slotted spoon and keep warm in a serving dish. Don't leave the potatoes sitting in the cooking fat. They should stay crisp for at least 20 minutes, but the sooner you get them on the plate
the better.

Cold pressed rapeseed oil producers:
Yare Valley Oils
Filbert's Fine Foods
The Artisan Smokehouse – produce a smoked version

Super Beetroot Veggie Burgers

Photo: © childsdesign

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If you’re growing your own veg, you’re probably experiencing a glut right now and we think we have just the recipe to use up some of that bountiful produce. If you’re not green-fingered it is perfectly acceptable to buy things in.

For vegetarians and observers of ‘Meat-Free Monday’, these burgers are delicious and satisfying plus they look good too with their purply-pink hue.
And why do we call them ‘super’? Well, they’re decently packed with healthy ingredients, so they have to be good for you.

View recipe

Photo: © childsd

Roasted Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes

Photo: © childsdesign

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Tomatoes are the very essence of summer. We grow them every year outside in a sunny spot and cross our fingers for a bumper crop. Our tomatoes are promising little green marbles at the moment which will soon swell and ripen after regular watering and feeding.

This recipe is a good way to enjoy the full juicy flavour of a good vine-ripened tomato and is simple to prepare. The dish can even be assembled up to 24 hours in advance.
As well as celebrating the tomato, the filling uses an abundance of fresh herbs, so if you are a herb growing enthusiast, like us, what better way to show off their wonderful flavours.

The stuffed tomatoes can be served as a starter or light meal with a green salad and maybe some bread to mop up the juices.

View recipe

Photo: © childsdesign

Smooth smoky oil slips into the AFT Approved list

Over the past few years we've become big fans of cold pressed rapeseed oil and it has become an important staple in the kitchen.

Many British farmers have seen the benefit of growing the crop not only for animal feed but also as a gourmet ingredient for human consumption.

Read the full review

We are pleased to award Yare Valley Oils our 'Artisan Food Trail Approved' status for 

their Oak Smoked Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil .

To find out more about Yare Valley Oils visit their page on The Artisan Food Trail here.

WIN Oak Smoked Rapeseed Oil, A Set of Six Condiments or a Sauce Gift Pack in our Christmas competition

Make sure you take part in our spectacular 12 Days of Christmas competition as we have some fantastic prizes on offer, 37 in all.
Over the next few days we'll be telling you about the prizes you could win and today we feature the seventh three…

Bottle of Oak Smoked Rapeseed Oil from 

Yare Valley Oils

In the Yare Valley, nestled beside the Norfolk broads the Mack family have been working the fertile land from their farm for over 100 years.
Their rapeseed is grown, harvested, pressed and bottled on site by mechanical means and twice filtered, which retains the natural health properties of this incredibly versatile British oil.
You could win a bottle of their award winning Oak Smoked Oil. This deliciously creamy and smokey flavour is produced using oak chips from their farm which are dried and smouldered to produce a mild infusion into their cold pressed rapeseed oil. Perfect for adding flavour to your salads as well as frying, roasting or simply dipping.

Find out more about Yare Valley Oils on their website here

A Selection of Six Popular Condiments from Trotter's Independent Condiments

Trotter's Independent Condiments began back in 2009 when Byam Trotter was inspired to create his own Mostarda – the condiment that his parents fell in love with on a visit to Italy.
Now making a variety of condiments and preserves in Scotland from mustard to marmalade and pickles to pepper jellies, the range has grown to include something for everyone.
Trotter's Independent Condiments have given four of their six selected range collections, so you have even more of a chance to win.

The Sauce Collection Gift Pack from Bite Me Spices

Bite Me Spices started as a business creating a series of freshly ground and hand blended spice mixes. Using their skills and knowledge of creating exciting spicy flavour combinations, Bite Me Spices now make sauces too which can be used as a condiment or marinade.
A great gift for any chilli or spice lover. This collection contains a bottle each of Chipotle & Orange Sauce ('ChaOS'), Popped Cherry BBQ Sauce and Jerk Sauce.

There are many more prizes in our 12 Days of Christmas competition so why not head over to The Artisan Food Trail website and
This competition has now closed

Look out for further posts where we focus on the prizes you could win and remember the competition closes at midnight on 12th December 2014.

Yare Valley Oils dressings are not just for salads

Photo: © Yare Valley Oils

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Yare Valley Oils  have combined their delicious Norfolk extra virgin cold pressed rapeseed oil with a variety of different, herbs, spices and seasonings to produce a range of dressings.
Currently there are three to choose from, all quite different, to complement a wide range of foods; Norfolk Honey & Mustard, Chilli and Norfolk Vinaigrette.
Yare Valley Oils' wonderfully golden rapeseed oil has a nutty taste with a particularly floral character which makes a pleasing base flavour.

Read full review

We are pleased to award Yare Valley Oils our 'Artisan Food Trail Approved' status for their Norfolk Honey & Mustard Dressing, Chilli Dressing and Norfolk Vinaigrette.

To find out more about Yare Valley Oils visit their page on The Artisan Food Trail here.

AFT member Yare Valley Oils shortlisted for Producer Of The Year award

Norfolk producer Yare Valley Oils has been shortlisted in the East of England Co-op's Producer Of The Year awards and now it depends on your votes on whether they scoop the title for 2014.

The East of England Co-op says:

"We're passionate about local food, and we want to recognise the very best local producers on our Sourced Locally range."

There are six shortlisted producers
and as a little incentive the East of England Co-op will be entering the voters into a prize drawer to win £100 of shopping vouchers.


Yare Valley Oils, run by three family members, began trading in 2010 and first started selling to East of England Co-op stores in 2011.
The oil, which is grown and pressed on the farm, is rich in omega 3 and enjoys a nutty flavour that is ideal for frying, roasting, sauces, baking, marinades and salads.
Read more over on the Co-op's website to find out why Yare Valley Oils has been shortlisted.

Here at The Artisan Food Trail we would be very grateful for your support for one of our members, so please vote for Yare Valley Oils.
Vote now!

Wherstead Park Food Show – 20th April 2013

Following last year's successful first event, The Food Show returns for a Spring date at Wherstead Park, Suffolk on 20th April 2013.

The Food Show promises to have a fantastic mix of quality stands made up of local food producers and suppliers where you can taste, sample and buy.

Amongst all the producers, we're pleased to say that there are number of Artisan Food Trail members attending – these are:

The Artisan Smokehouse A small family run and owned smokehouse on the Suffolk coast producing award-winning smoked food, made in small quantities to ensure quality and freshness.


They will be sampling a new luxury meat product and if enough people like it, it will become a permanent part of their food range.

Breckland Orchard Award winning ‘Posh Pop’. Produced with passion and available throughout the UK!

Yare Valley Oils Producer of a high quality Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil in Norfolk.




So if you are visiting, please be sure to visit our members' stands, we're sure you won't be disappointed!

For more information about the event visit: whersteadpark.co.uk

Pepper Prawns with Caramelised Cauliflower

Photo: © childsdesign

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Perhaps prawns and cauliflower don’t sound a likely combination but the way the cauliflower is cooked makes a great flavour match.
The cauliflower is first coated in a honey mustard dressing which creates sweet and slightly charred edges to the vegetable.
The prawns are given a spike from a chilli sauce with added lemon for brightness and all the flavours marry well in a sweet, nutty, sour combination.

Ingredients (serves 2)

For the prawns

• 250g raw king prawns
• quarter tsp Capsicana Chilli Co Habanero Sauce
• grated zest from quarter of a lemon
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• pinch salt
• pinch sugar

For the cauliflower

• 225g cauliflower
• 3-4 tbsp Yare Valley Oils Norfolk Honey & Mustard Dressing
• ½ tsp cumin seeds

To garnish

• few coriander leaves
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
• squeeze lemon juice

Method
First marinate the prawns. Put the prawns into a bowl with the pepper sauce, lemon zest, salt, sugar and lemon juice and stir making sure the prawns are completely coated. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes.

To prepare the cauliflower remove the florets, keeping them in large chunks then take each floret and slice into 1cm thick pieces. Place in a bowl and add the honey mustard dressing, stirring to coat all of the cauliflower evenly.

Heat a large frying pan until it is very hot then tip in the cauliflower and let it sizzle and brown. Turn the cauliflower to sizzle the other side. Turn down the heat to continue cooking until the cauliflower becomes tender but still has a nutty bite to it.
Roughly crush the cumin seeds with a pestle and mortar and sprinkle the seeds over the cauliflower, stir gently to mix.

Add some oil to another frying pan, heat some olive until hot and tip in the prawns and cook them, stirring occasionally until they turn pink. This should only take a minute.

Arrange the cauliflower slices on plates, spoon over the prawns and garnish with the coriander and springs onions, finishing with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Fields of Gold at Yare Valley Oils

Photos: © Yare Valley Oils

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Ever since settling beside the Norfolk Broads in the early 1900’s the Mack family have been farming the rich soil of the Yare Valley.

Oilseed rape has been grown across their fields for many years and the crop has become an important part of farming along with potatoes, sugar beet and cereals. From plough to plate every single seed is grown, pressed and bottled for you to enjoy.

The oil has full traceability from field to table and nothing goes to waste – the pulp from the pressing goes straight back into the biomass boiler to fuel the farm.

The oil seed rape is sown on the farm the first week of September with approximately 2½ Kilos of seed per hectare. Pigeons are often a problem as they love the brassica seed. In March the fields are fertilised and by April and May the rape begins to flower creating a brilliant yellow display. After enjoying the sun and insect pollination, the flowers produce pods which are full of rapeseeds.

The rapeseed plants are left in the field and allowed to mature naturally and dry before harvesting in late July to early August. The seed is collected and then stored before being cold pressed using a mechanical screw and then filtered twice to obtain the highest quality when it reaches your plate.

Being cold pressed, Yare Valley’s oil is the purest form of rape oil, no other heat or chemical extraction processes are used and it is healthy too with many nutritional benefits.

As well as selling pure rapeseed oil, Yare Valley also produce a range of dressings containing it carefully blended with other ingredients, some locally sourced to retain the true Norfolk taste. Look out for Chilli, Norfolk Honey & Mustard and Norfolk Vinaigrette.

To find out more about Yare Valley Oils visit their page on The Artisan Food Trail here

Crispy Courgette Fritters

Photo: © childsdesign

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These crispy courgette fritters are really easy-to-make and they go down very well with a glass of beer or wine or even with a salad on the side. They’re fried in healthy Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil so a little indulgence can be good for you now and then.
Do make sure you choose a good beer to make the batter – cheap lager will not do!

View recipe

Fathers' Day Chilli Fiesta bringing spice to Bedfordshire this Sunday!

Nicely planned to fall on Fathers' Day, the 2012 Chilli Fiesta will take place at The Mansion House, Old Warden Park on
17th June.
Last year's event was a staggering success with thousands of people flocking from across the UK. This year is set to be bigger and better than ever before.

There's no better way to spend a fantastic Father's Day with guaranteed fun for all the family. Just a few of the treats in store include: demonstrations from award winning chefs in the Chilli Kitchen; Chef's Academy Cook-along and stalls offering free samples and selling everything chilli from cheese to chocolate.
If things get too hot, you can quench your thirst in the Chilli Bar which sells chilli beer and other refreshments. To keep children entertained there will also be circus games, a funfair and entertainers.

Among the many food exhibitors, these are the 

Artisan Food Trail producers that are confirmed as taking part:

Cardona & Son
A small and family run producer of the loveliest and tastiest rare breed pork - on menus in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire pubs.

Edible Ornamentals
Situated in Chawston, Bedfordshire where market gardens are abundant and growing delicious vegetables is simply a way of life. Passionate, slightly obsessive chilli growers.

Samphire
Award winning food from Norfolk smallholding.
Gary Rhodes said their rare breed sausages were the best he's ever tasted and Giles Coren gave their pork pies 10/10.

Alder Tree
Award winning ices are handmade on their fruit farm in Suffolk to a traditional family recipe. Made with only fruit, cream and sugar, they are naturally delicious!

Bray's Cottage Pork Pies
Famous award winning hand made pork pies well known amongst foodies nationally for being the pork pie unlike other pork pies.

Yare Valley Oils
Producer of a high quality Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil in Norfolk.

Breckland Orchard
Award winning ‘Posh Pop’. Produced with passion and available throughout the UK.



Here are just a few of the fun activities on offer at the 2012 Chilli Fiesta...

Chef's Academy Cook-Along
Spice up your meal times and join in cooking some of the hottest dishes around. All the equipment and ingredients is provided so you just have to turn up, pay £5 and be prepared to have some fun!
What's more, there will be an Academy Award prize of free tickets to the Rhythm Festivals for whoever creates the best dish.

Chilli Arena
Sit back, chill out and enjoy the live music, circus acts, flame-throwers and a wide range of other entertainment throughout the day at the Chilli Arena.

Chilli Bar
If things get too hot, you can quench your thirst in the Chilli Bar which overlooks the entertainment area and sells chilli beer, real ales, soft drinks and other refreshments.

Chilli Kitchen
Can you stand the heat of the Chilli Kitchen?
Showcasing some fabulous, fiery food these free demonstrations are presented by award winning chef Raj Mandal throughout the day.

Chilli Eating Contest
How much heat can you handle?!

This competition is only for the brave! See if you can you beat last year's winner.
Only £3 to enter and you could win free tickets to this summer's Rhythm Festivals at The Mansion House.

Gardening Academy
Throughout the day there will be demonstrations from a range of gardening experts including Artisan Food Trail member Joanna Plumb from award winning Edible Ornamentals demonstrating the secrets of growing a successful chilli crop. In addition, Kathy Brown will talk about edible flowers and local honey man Wally Thrale on bee-keeping.

What's more the fiesta will host its very own version of Gardeners' Question Time. A panel of horticulture experts from Shuttleworth College will be able to answer any gardening questions you may have. Just turn up with your question on the day.

Garden Quarter
For those of you with green fingers this area will provide you with a wide range of unusual plants, seeds and equipment. Not to mention a wide range of chilli plants of course!

World Food Quarter
The world is your oyster in the World Food Quarter. You can wonder from stall to stall at your leisure, try before you buy and give your taste buds a well deserved treat!

For more information about the event visit the website: www.chillifiesta.org

Say hello to yellow or why you should buy extra virgin cold pressed rapeseed oil

If you’re out in the countryside at the moment it is hard not to notice fields full of vivid yellow flowers. Brighter than a workman’s high visibility vest this humble crop of oilseed rape is gradually becoming more popular as a fine foodstuff.

The oil extracted from the seeds was once used in the 19th century as a lubricant for steam engines and hardly suitable for little else as the high levels of glucosinolates made it too bitter to be palatable for animals let alone humans.
Since then varieties have been bred to reduce the glucosinolates and now it is possible to make an oil which is fast becoming an essential item for the cook.

Although vast amounts of rape are grown commercially for animal feed and margarine production, many farmers are diversifying to add value to their oilseed rape crop. Much of the seed is crushed and mixed with solvents to extract the oil – you will find this as vegetable cooking oil – but many producers have found that by cold pressing and filtering the oil results in a wonderfully superior extra virgin product.

Having less than half the saturated fat of olive oil and being a good source of Omega 3 and 6, it’s a good choice for the health conscious. It's burn point is a lot higher too which means it can be heated to higher temperatures than olive oil making it better for frying and roasting.

There have been discussions in The Artisan Food Trail office about starting a campaign to promote extra virgin rapeseed oil as Britain’s answer to olive oil. Rapeseed oil does not taste the same as olive oil – it is unique and nutty in character – but it is really something quite special. If you buy it not only are you getting all and more of the benefits of olive oil, you will be supporting our British farmers.

The oil is good in all types of cooking 

and can be used in place of olive oil

At present we have two extra virgin cold pressed rapeseed oil producers on The Artisan Food Trail – Yare Valley Oils both of whom grow their own rapeseed and press it on the farm.

Over time we hope to add more rapeseed oil producers to the trail to represent all areas of the UK. Interestingly like olive oil, we have noticed, that depending on where the oilseed is grown, the flavour and aroma varies. It is obvious that terrain, soil, climate etc add certain characteristics to the final product. 

No two are the same. 

'A Very British' Watercress Pesto

Photo: © childsdesign

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We've taken the Italian recipe and transported it into the heart of the British Isles. By taking some elements and substituting them for something from our homeland, it makes a vibrant and fresh tasting sauce.

Rapeseed oil is fast becoming Britain's equivalent of olive oil. In its cold pressed extra virgin form, rapeseed oil is healthy and flavourful. You can find quality rapeseed oil producers on The Artisan Food Trail from Yare Valley Oils.

We prefer to make pesto by hand as it gives a much better texture. There’s something to be said for bruising the flavours out of the leaves rather than just chopping everything up in a food processor.

This pesto is good mixed into linguine pasta or used in which to toss some Jersey Royal potatoes served along side a good piece of poached salmon.

View recipe

Carrot Cake

Photo: © childsdesign

We hope not too many of you are on post festive diets otherwise this cake recipe might be seen as inappropriate for the moment. However, this is a cake with a difference, and we like to think that it contains enough good ingredients to make it wholesome enough to at least indulge in a little.

We added our own twist to Yare Valley Oils’ recipe (which features on their website). Usually carrot cakes use sunflower oil but this recipe uses the liquid gold that is Yare Valley Oils Extra Virgin Coldpressed Rapeseed Oil. The oil has a wonderfully nutty flavour and is packed with omega 3 and vitamin E, so along with the heap of grated carrots, the cake should be (dare we say) quite good for you!

View recipe

To find out more about more about Yare Valley Oils visit their page on
The Artisan Food Trail here