Delicious UK March 2019

The hungry gap – that’s what March is known as. Why? Because although spring shoots are showing, very little of the new-season produce has grown big enough to eat yet. So what to do when you’re feeling jaded at the thought of what seemed so appealing five months ago: namely, the root veg, the brassicas and the ever-faithful alliums. For the answer, turn to p46 for Sophie Austen-Smith’s fresh perspective on those ingredients – inspiring recipes designed to breathe new life into old... It will almost feel like spring. As Sophie proves in more than one of her recipes, spices (and herbs) are invaluable when it comes to pepping up winter-tired flavours, but what makes certain ingredients so effective at transforming a dish? And did you know that…

SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN, OVEN TIME 30 MIN Heat the oven to 200°C/180°fan/gas 6. Cut 3 leeks (500g) into 8cm lengths, then wrap each in a piece of sliced, cooked ham from a 180g packet, cutting to fit and using up all the offcuts. Arrange in the base of a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish. Meanwhile, melt 30g butter in a pan, then stir in 30g plain flour and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Gradually whisk in 150ml dry white wine and 250ml milk. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard, 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves and 75g grated cheddar until melted, then pour over the leeks. Top with 100g sliced brie, then bake for 30 minutes…

A cheese adventure Book now to spend a morning following the journey of Quickes’ cheddar at the Devon farm, from pasture to plate. You’ll see grazing cows and the grading of maturing cheeses, then visit the ‘cathedral of cheese’, where truckles come of age. There’s a tutored tasting before lunch at a local pub to finish in style. 9.30am-1pm, last Friday of the month from 26 April until September, £35; quickes.co.uk/pages/cheese-tours ...and an armchair cheese odyssey In a world dominated by screens, it’s never been more important to make time for beautiful sit-down-and-relax books – especially those that inspire you to explore your food-loving creativity (or any creativity, for that matter). The Modern Cheesemaker, by the knowledgeable Morgan McGlynn (White Lion £25; out 21 March), is clear and…

STAR EMAIL SUBJECT: Stop hijacking hygge! FROM: Michelle Hall-Annison Just read the marvellous piece by Brontë Aurell about hygge [Feb, p130]. Absolutely loved it! Why? Because she was so forthrightly passionate in her defence against the marketing jackals hijacking something that’s not for sale and can’t be bought or repackaged into a lifestyle to be obtained over the internet. She enlightened us – and indeed reminded us – that hygge is a feeling or moment to relish and appreciate… something we all seem to have forgotten how to do. In a world in which we are consumed with photographing everything we do and eat to have the most impressive Instagram page, this was a timely reminder that we just need to stop, feel and appreciate. I’m with Brontë! SUBJECT: What…

CALLING ALL FOOD START-UPS Entry is open for The Seed Fund, which is offering start-up food and drink businesses a chance to win £100,000 worth of mentoring. A shortlist of 12 entrants will win a place at The Seed Fund Academy this summer, with mentoring from Rude Health co-founder Camilla Barnard, Tracklements owner Guy Tullberg and John Farrand from the Guild of Fine Food. The start-ups will then pitch to investors, Dragon’s Den-style, with one business winning an additional year of support. Applicants must be UK or Ireland-based, have been trading for less than four years and have an annual turnover of less than £1 million. Entries close 1 April and The Seed Fund Academy class of 2019 will be announced in May; theseedfund.co.uk What do you cook most? For…

1845 On 17 March, Bristol-based baker Henry Jones received a patent for his ‘self-raising flour’, pre-mixed with baking powder and salt. It was so successful, Jones was appointed purveyor of flour and biscuits to Queen Victoria. 1910 Momofuku Ando, who invented instant noodles, was born in Taiwan on 5 March. His noodles were initially sold as a luxury item (they cost six times more than fresh). They weren’t readily available in Japanese supermarkets until 1958. 1915 Absinthe was banned on 16 March, despite being one of the most popular drinks in France at the end of the 19th century. It was (erroneously) blamed for a fall in birth rates, a myth spread by the wine industry. 2001 The Eden Project officially opened in Cornwall on 17 March. It houses more…