The race is on to search the four corners of Northamptonshire to find all that is glorious and delicious in terms of Food & Drink. The Northamptonshire Food & Drinks Awards 2011/12 were recently launched for their third year at the splendid Holdenby House.

This year there are 10 categories:

1. Best Local Product
2. Best Local Drink
3. Restaurant of the Year
4. Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year
5. Community Pub of the Year – Town
6. Community Pub of the Year – Rural
7. Curry Chef of the Year
8. Local Food Hero
9. Booker Chef of the Year
10. Young Chef of the Year

So what are you waiting for, if you would like to enter the competition please go to www.letyourselfgrow.com/foodanddrinkawards

Good luck, and we look forward to another amazing array of local food & drinks to tickle the senses!

Our first birthday is still in full flourish and we continue our dive into the gastronomy archives of some of my favourite Recipes, Travel Destinations & Spectacles:

As a family we descended upon Rye last February to take part in the annual Rye Bay Scallop Festival. The Rye scallops are fat, juicy and much sought after. The Rye fleet catch King scallops and are only allowed to harvest scallops from the 1st November until 30th April using small (under 10m length) boats. The scallop shells are imprinted with growth rings (like tree rings) with each band denoting one year’s growth. Typically, they are caught at around 5-6 years old and any younger ones (sized 90mm or less) are returned to the sea.

As a little respite from Northamptonshire we headed en masse to Mürren in Switzeland to celebrate my Dad’s 7oth birthday. Mürren is a small, historic village, surrounded by the three imposing peaks of the Eiger (3,970m), Mönch (4,107m) and the Jungfrau (4,158). The village is very quaint and quiet as it doesn’t permit cars; only the odd van used to taxi skiers or to haul goods are allowed. Mürren holds a very important place in the history and development of Alpine skiing thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of Sir Arnold Lunn (1888-1974), son of Sir Henry Lunn of Lunn Poly fame. Through his initiative and drive, the first English Ski Championships were held in Wengen in 1921. Sir Arnold was also one of the founding members of the Kandahar Ski Club which established the famous Inferno race in 1928. There were 18 competitors including 4 women who took place in the first Inferno race. Firstly, all competitors had to climb for five hours in order to reach the start point at the Schilthorn. Sir Arnold began the race with the rather prosaic call of “Come on, we’re off.” The winner that day was Harold Mitchell who completed the course in 1hr 12mins. Peter Lunn, Sir Arnold’s son can still be found pounding the pistes of Mürren at the tender age of 96 although, Peter has now gracefully retired from downhill racing after completing his last Inferno race at the age of 90! The indomitable spirit of the Lunn family is still alive and well!

I have to say I’m rather partial to a bit of beetroot and speaking as a veg box recipient one has to be during the Winter months when it arrives almost weekly! My mother discovered this Madhur Jaffrey spiced beetroot recipe many years ago and I have enjoyed it countless times since. It’s amazingly simple to prepare and a great accompaniment to cold meats or, as a side dish with a curry.

It was time to enjoy some sun, sea and local French food as we descended upon the Camargue region of South West France. A key delicacy of the Camargue is the production of sea salt. I decided to drag the family around the Aigues-Mortes, Le Saunier de Camargue salt marsh. The kids were quite happy as we had to board a small train which whizzed us around. When we visited, the pools had an amazing pinky/red hue which looks very odd as you expect them to be white. The salt marshes are extensive, covering around 27k acres and have been in production since before the Roman occupation. At the beginning of Spring when natural evaporation exceeds the amount of rainfall, the marshes are flooded with seawater by means of a system of canals and dyke’s. The brine then concentrates with 9/10 of the water evaporating through the effects of the wind and sun. The salt content changes dramatically from sea water at 29g/litre, to 260g/litre at the crystallisation phase. The 50 rectangular salt pools house the brine which slowly evaporates between April and September leaving a 9cm thick salt cake.

 Living as I do, in the idyll of Weston, South Northamptonshire, you may be forgiven for thinking that it’s a sleepy little village – not so, for behind closed doors the community galvanises and punches above their weight. One such example would be the spectacular Weston & Weedon Horticultural Society which was originally founded by the gardener and broadcaster, Cecil Henry Middleton, in 1940.

I was lucky enough to be invited to Holdenby House, a splendid Elizabethan manor house nestled in the Northamptonshire Countryside to attend the Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards 2010/11.

We had a trusted team of food supremos looking after us, from Adam Gray, Michelin starred head chef of Rhodes 24 who was in charge of cooking dinner. Sophie Grigson, author and TV cookery presenter, presided over the award ceremony ably supported by Jason Atherton, ex Michelin starred chef from Maze and now in the process of launching his own flagship restaurant, Pollen Street Social in Mayfair. The scene was set for a rather enjoyable evening eating and drinking all that is glorious about our wonderful County. Northamptonshire may not be viewed as a regional food hot spot but all I would say is, watch this space, times are-a-changing!

After my recent foray to Windmill Orchards I came away with numerous delectable goodies, including a few choice quince. The quince is a rather awkward, old fashioned looking fruit with bumps and lumps protruding from all the wrong places. If it were a fruit model it would be airbrushed within an inch of its life. Whilst looks aren’t everything (they certainly help), it’s what’s inside that really counts and, let me tell you, the quince’s insides are rather pleasing when transformed into membrillo.

So we end a rather eclectic mix of culinary journeys to mark the first anniversary of Graze and Guzzle. From now on I”ll be concentrating on what future culinary travels I can titillate you with!

Come over to our Facebook page and let us know what culinary experiences you’ve been having lately!

After the whirlwind of the festive season, we land firmly into the expectations of the New Year ahead! What will it bring – surely some tasty treats are install for us all?

Speaking of tasty treats, my parents have just returned from a tour of Vietnam where they stopped off at the beautiful tropical Island of Phu Quoc. Phu Quoc is the largest Vietnamese Island, situated in the Gulf of Thailand 50kms from the mainland. The majority of the Island is dedicated to National Park which is a protected marine environment. Phu Quoc is also renowned for it’s black pepper, fish sauce & Bien Hai Quan.

Pepper trees were planted by the Chinese in the 19th century throughout the Island. Today, the main pepper gardens are to be found in the Khu Tuong region grown at the mountainfoot and on the slopes of streams. Phu Quoc pepper is known for its big seed, thin husk, strong and spicy taste. Pepper trees can be harvested after 3 years and have a productive life of between 20-40 years.

The rich fishing grounds offshore provides the anchovy catch from which the prized fish sauce is made. Phu Quoc fish sauce has a high protein content, delicate balanced flavour with a  strong smell of anchovies and a touch of spice provided by the addition of the local black pepper. The sauce is made from anchovies, salt, water and pepper. Anchovies and salt are arranged in boxes and left to ferment. The fish are then slowly pressed resulting in the salty, fishy liquid (the salt extracts the liquid via osmosis). There are around 100 fish sauce manufacturers on the Island, producing some 10m litres of fish sauce per year. Fish sauce is a staple ingredient used in curries and sauces throughout South East Asia which imparts umami flavour.

My parents also bought another prized seasoning back from the Island which is simply called ”Bien Hai Quan” named after the eponymous restaurant on the Island which created it. The seasoning is a mixture of pepper, salt and garlic which has been dried into granules and is used instead of salt and pepper. It looks a little like freeze dried instant coffee! It’s a really interesting spicy, salty taste with a tang of garlic. I have used to great effect on grilled meats and in marinades.

It’s always good to try new ingredients and let’s hope this is the start of many new experiences to come during the year ahead.

Drop in and share your culinary experience on our Facebook page.

The big chill has finally arrived, causing the usual havoc across the country. Living in Northern Europe, on a small island, it’s more than likely that we will experience chilly days and snow! So why does it surprise us each year?

The seasonal weather has gifted us some wonderful, crisp days to marvel at the beauty of our surrounding countryside covered with Jack Frost’s white blanket. I ventured out this  Wednesday morning when the temperature plunged to a cool -9.4°,  the coldest I can remember in my lifetime and, apparently the coldest in Northamptonshire since 1964! Jack Frost had been spinning his magical icicles all night long and had covered the surrounding vegetation from top-to-toe.   

A gently frosted rosemary bush:

Beautiful red berries seemed to have escaped Jack Frost’s icy grip:

The grass had been rendered into fragile glass spikes which shattered upon touch:

The holly had been sprayed with Jack Frost’s delicate icicles which clung onto branches and leaves alike:

After my Wintery walk, my thoughts turned to Christmas and, more specifically - Christmas pudding. I’ll be having a crack at a very fruity, traditional Christmas pudding which contains no suet devised by the renowned Hilary Brown from La Potiniere.

If you have any photos of the big chill then post them on our Facebook Page.

Until we meet again over the Christmas pudding, stay safe and warm out there!

Rural life is a wonderful thing, allowing you to take full stock of the seasons and see what nature provides at first hand. It’s also a dwindling lifestyle in many villages throughout the UK, with pub and village shop closures gathering pace. Not so in Weston & Lois Weedon, our community is thriving and we are blessed with a great pub, The Crown and a new Saturday village market, The Running Bean.

The market is housed in the village hall, selling the community’s surplus fruit & vegetables and offers local food & drink producers a platform to sell their wares. Come Saturday morning the village hall is bustling with villagers buying locally foraged wild blewit mushrooms, rare breed meat, pork pies, Belflair Belgian chocolate, plants, locally kiln-fired charcoal, fruit & veg and much more! There’s no airfreight involved and the food miles in many instances could be calculated in metres – simply pop next door and pick!

For those who need the ultimate preparation for their gardens, they need look no further as sacks of  vintage, 3 year old, well rotted cow manure are on sale! If that doesn’t get your plants going, then nothing will.

The waft of sizzling bacon is too much for most to resist and many indulge in a Saturday morning bacon sandwich, cup of tea and a catch up with local gossip.

The Running Bean is a great new addition to the community which honours the produce grown and made on our doorstep. I’m sure every village should have one. Has yours?

Come and say hello on our Facebook page.

I was lucky enough to be invited to  Holdenby House, a splendid Elizabethan manor house nestled in the Northamptonshire Countryside to attend the Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards 2010/11.

We had a trusted team of food supremos looking after us, from Adam Gray, Michelin starred head chef of Rhodes 24 who was in charge of cooking dinner. Sophie Grigson, author and TV cookery presenter, presided over the award ceremony ably supported by Jason Atherton, ex Michelin starred chef from Maze and now in the process of launching his own flagship restaurant, Pollen Street Social in Mayfair. The scene was set for a rather enjoyable evening eating and drinking all that is glorious about our wonderful County. Northamptonshire may not be viewed as a regional food hot spot but all I would say is, watch this space, times are-a-changing!

For dinner we enjoyed:

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Baked beetroot with a Northamptonshire red wine dressing

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Roasted Northamptonshire venison loin with a wild mushroom & truffle pie & creamed pumpkin

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Apple mousse with Northamptonshire cider-glazed apples & spiced raisins

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The food was delicious and sourced mainly from the County. The starter of baked beetroot was sweet, earthy and accompanied by soft goat’s cheese and a garnish of leaves. The main course was a triumph of tender, melt-in-your-mouth local venison loin which worked really well with the wild mushrooms and pumpkin.

The finale was a light, delicate apple mousse accompanied by glazed apples with a bite and spiced raisins. Adam and his team produced a wonderful meal which clearly demonstrates the quality and potential of the county’s produce.

The awards were closely fought over and passions were raised as Sophie and Jason began to reveal the winners:

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Best Local Product: Chocolate Surprise Cupcake from Angelina Cupcake, Towcester

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Best Local Drink: Solstice Stout from Hoggleys Brewery, Litchborough

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Curry Chef of the Year:  Hao Dang, of Dang’s Vietnamese Restaurant, Northampton

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Community Pub of the Year: The Lamplighter, Northampton

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Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year: The Olde Red Lion, Kislingbury

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Restaurant of the Year: Oundle Mill, Oundle

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Local Food Hero of the Year:

 Mrs Sheena Harris, Moulton

Beckworth Emporium, Mears Ashby

The Green Patch, Kettering

Limes Farm, Farthinghoe

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For more information on the awards visit Letyourselfgrow.

A wonderful evening was had by one and all as we descended, rather full and contended, into the chill of the night.

Come and say hello on our Facebook page . What’s good and great about the food and drink in your County?

Living as I do, in the idyll of Weston, South Northamptonshire, you may be forgiven for thinking that it’s a sleepy little village – not so, for behind closed doors the community galvanises and punches above their weight. One such example would be the spectacular Weston & Weedon Horticultural Society which was originally founded by the gardener and broadcaster, Cecil Henry Middleton, in 1940.

Mr Middleton  launched “The Dig for Victory Campaign” on his radio show “In Your Garden”. He regularly attracted 3.5m listeners who tuned into the BBC Home Service every Sunday to listen to his horticultural tips. This year marks the 70th Anniversary of the Weston & Weedon Horticultural show where the C. H Midleton Cup for vegetables is still closely fought over and revered.

Over the years many a celebrity has graced our horticultural hotspot, from Derek Nimmo to Dame Edna Everage, who opened the show on, not one, but two occasions!

There are over 152 classes from floral art, photography and cookery including the “men only” Guinness cake, to the strangest looking vegetable and heaviest marrow. Entries cost up to an eye-watering £0.50 but the rewards could quite easily buy the winner a round of tea and cake in the tea tent! Clearly, it’s not about the winning but the satisfaction of being at one with nature and carrying on the time-honoured, horticultural tradition.

The longest runner beans.

The longest carrots.

 Stunning Pom Pom Dahlias.

Class 97 –  Guinness Cake, MEN ONLY. Some things haven’t changed since 1940!

Class 36 – A pair of cauliflower, 8cm stem.

Onion sets.

A wonderful tradition which gathers the community to celebrate the fruits of the land!

I celebrated the last Summer bank holiday of the year at the Braunston Festival which was a fun-filled affair lasting the whole weekend; with local food & drinks, arts, family fun and music. The inaugural festival was opened on the Saturday by non other than the sausage king of Ambridge, Tom Archer (Tom Graham) from the Archers. There was an array of stalls, from New Creation Farm selling freshly picked heritage apples and plums to the human powered smoothie maker.

Interspersed were a number of events like the Perfect Ploughman’s Competition, where contestants tried to create the perfect ploughman’s platter from a range of assembled ingredients.

The next event was the onion peeling contest where by contestants had to hand-peel as many onions as possible within three minutes. The onion peeling was a closely fought over race with the winner peeling eight onions and winning a sack of onions for their trouble!

There was also a festival piano parked on the edge of the green which was available for impromptu renditions by anyone needing a musical respite.

Braunston is situated on the Grand Union canal where the Cheese Boat was moored for anyone to drop in to taste and buy a selection of Welsh cheese and homemade pickles. The Cheese Boat travels the waterways throughout the year selling their wares. 

There was also a selection of quality local food and drinks for revellers to sustain themselves throughout the day from local burgers and sausages from Tasty Thymes; pork rolls with crackling from Keythorpe Valley Farm, home-made pies & quiches from Limes Farm and spicy Tandoori wraps from Daxa. All which could be washed down by a range of Northamptonshire craft ales, including the rather good 3/6 from Hoggleys. Local award winning wine was also available from Welland Valley Vineyard. 

Monday soon came around and it was time for “Music in the Park” where a number of renowned folk artists were playing: Chris Wood, Eiza Carthy, Andy Lambert’s Rockin’ Bouzouki and Sheelanagig, all interspersed by DJ sets from local resident, Pete Lawrence.

The day started gently with the Royal Oak Morris dancers. Clearly a bank holdiday wouldn’t be the same without a touch of jingling bells, waving white hankies and the bashing of sticks!

The count down for the big event was on and Liz Kershaw opened the show by introducing the first set from 2009 Folk Singer of the Year Chris Wood.

Mercury nominated Eliza Carthy then came on stage after a DJ interlude from Pete Lawrence. 

 A fun, but exhausting weekend has had by one and all, a true celebration of all that is great about Britain!

Just back from a relaxing two week summer holiday in France; the first week we stayed in a small village in Languedoc Roussillion and then moved onto the edge of the Camargue. From scoffing on cassoulet, eating bull salami, nibbling sweet tellines (small clams)  to drinking buckets of rosé we were certainly well fed and watered!

Another key delicacy of the Camargue is the production of sea salt. I decided to drag the family around the Aigues-Mortes, Le Saunier de Camargue salt marsh. The kids were quite happy as we had to board a small train which whizzed us around. The salt marshes are extensive, covering around 27k acres and have been in production since before the Roman occupation. At the beginning of Spring when natural evaporation exceeds the amount of rainfall, the marshes are flooded with seawater by means of a system of canals and dyke’s. The brine then concentrates with 9/10 of the water evaporating through the effects of the wind and sun. The salt content changes dramatically from sea water at 29g/litre, to 260g/litre at the crystallisation phase. The 50 rectangular salt pools house the brine which slowly evaporates between April and September leaving a 9cm thick salt cake.

When we visited, the pools had an amazing pinky/red hue which looks very odd as you expect them to be white. The salt marshes put on an amazing light show changing colour from green-blue to ochre and then to dark red through the season. This is due to the only two species which manage to survive in such salty water, a microscopic algae “Dunallelia Salina” and a tiny shrimp called the “Artemia Salina.” The algae is the staple diet of the shrimp, but when the water becomes too salty the shrimp then dies. Now freed of its predator the algae begin to multiply dramatically. The algae secret carotene which gives the salt marsh plateaux its red hue. Carotene is responsible for the colour of many natural foods such as the orange in carrot, sweet potato and cantaloupe melon. Flamingos pink markings are due to their absorption of carotene contained in the blue/green algae in their diet. If flamingos were fed a carotene free diet they would be white!

The salt cake is then harvested by specially designed harvesters before the heavy Autumn rainfall. This method extracts very pure salt with a composition of 99.5% sodium chloride. The entire harvest of around 450k tonnes of salt is then stored in the form of a “camelle” which are huge salt mounds measuring 25m in height and over 400m long. The salt is then conditioned and graded before sale.

In the Summer, when the wind drops, thousands of salt crystals form on the water surface which are then hand-collected. This is known as the ”Fleur de Sel” and the very highest quality salt. The crystals are soft and irregular in size and melt on the tongue.  

Now back in Blighty dreaming of the next sun-kissed adventure!

There are lots of industrious, passionate local food & drink producers & restauranteurs who quietly go about their business producing & cooking amazing food. The ideal (is a romantic one) of setting up a small cottage industry or restaurant and then sitting back to reap the reward. However, the reality is rather different with most working long hours, seven days a week. The time and energy required in getting produce out of the door and onto the table often leaves little time to actually promote and raise awareness of the very products and establishments themselves. To help small local producers & restauranteurs raise their profiles and to help the Northamptonshire public eat and drink even better, the Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards were recently launched for their second year in the splendid surroundings of Holdenby House.

Last year’s entrants were judged by a number of local experts such as Sophie Grigson and William Sitwell, editor of Waitrose Food Illustrated magazine. Marcus Wareing, double Michelin star chef at the Berkeley presided over the award ceremony held at Althorp House handing out awards to the deserved winners. Last year’s winners included Sauls of Spratton,  who picked up the “Best Local Produce” award for their excellent potted beef.  “Best Drink” was won by Frog Island Brewery’s Fire Bellied Toad. The Restaurant of the Year was awarded to the Vine House Hotel & Restaurant and finally, “Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year” was won by the White Swan at Harringworth.

This year’s Awards are set to build on the success of last year with the addition of new categories such as “Community Pub of the Year,” “Curry Chef of the Year” & “Local Food Hero of the Year.” So, what are you waiting for, unearth your local food heroes and let us all Share The Joy!