Food & Drink

Cooking...

with Mrs Simkins

Cheese and Ale

Here’s another toasty cheesy snack for you to try: as I mentioned a few weeks ago, comforting cheesy morsels on toast have enjoyed a bit of a revival in recent times although for some of us, they never went out of style! First recorded in medieval times, early toasted cheese was simply toast soaked in wine (known as sops, bread soaked in any kind of liquid was big in the Middle Ages) with melted cheese poured on top. Later, ale was also used, adding a welcome bitterness to the rich cheese. This delicious version, further enhanced by fiery mustard, has been made in Gloucestershire for centuries and was often served at posting inns to revive weary travellers as a savoury between courses. Tips For best results, use a white two or three-day-old farmhouse-style loaf, cut fairly thinly: thinner, crisper toast complements the cheesy topping perfectly. Fabulous served with a fresh green salad and tomatoes –and the rest of the ale.

Per person Thin slices of Double Gloucester cheese, enough to cover the toast Made English mustard for spreading on the cheese 2-3 tablespoons strong ale 2 slices of bread Butter for spreading on the toast Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan oven) gas mark 6 or equivalent. You will need a lightly buttered shallow oven proof dish. Spread the cheese with the mustard sparingly and evenly. Lay the slices, mustard side up, in the dish and cover with the ale: you may not need all the suggested amount, depending on the width of your dish. Bake for 8-10 minutes until melted, golden and bubbling. Meanwhile, toast the bread, cool slightly and let the steam escape before buttering thinly, taking the butter right to the edges. Scoop the melted cheese out of the ale still remaining in the dish and spread immediately over the toast. You can eat it straightaway but for best results pop it under the grill for the toast to become hot again and the cheese to bronze further. Double Gloucester Double Gloucester cheese was traditionally made from the full cream milk of Old Gloucester cattle, from both morning and evening milkings. MrsSimkins.co.uk twitter.com/MrsSimkinsCooks info@MrsSimkins.co.uk

Mum’s Kitchen...

with Diana Holman

Ultimate Sticky Toffee Pudding

Ingredients: 225g (8oz) pitted dates 75g (3oz) softened butter 200g (7oz) demerara sugar 225g (8oz) self raising flour 2 medium eggs 2 tablespoons golden syrup 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda For the toffee sauce: 75g (3oz) butter 75g (3oz) dark brown muscovado sugar 250ml (9 fl oz) double cream 2 tablespoon golden syrup Method Preheat oven to 180C (160C) fan. Grease and line the base and sides of an 18 x25.5cm (7in x 10in) roasting tin with baking parchment. Put the dates into a food processor and pour in 300ml (1/2 pint) just-boiled water. Leave to soak for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl beat together butter, demerara sugar, flour, eggs and golden syrup until smooth. Whiz the date mixture to a puree, then pulse in bicarbonate of soda. Fold date puree into batter until well combined. Transfer to the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Meanwhile, make the toffee sauce: melt the butter in a medium sized pan. Add sugar, double cream and golden syrup. Bring to the boil, stirring often, and simmer 3-5 minutes until thickened. Serve pudding warm, drizzled generously with sauce, and serve with cream or ice-cream.

Food & Drink If you’ve never cooked lettuce before, let me convert you!

Rebecca Vincent is a Wincanton nutritionist

As the weather has taken a chill turn but salad season is just getting started, I thought a warm salad would be just right for this fortnight’s column. I have to admit before looking into this recipe I had never considered cooking lettuce, but I was more than pleasantly surprised with the results and I think you will be too. Lettuce is a good source of vitamins A, C, K, B1 and B2, folic acid, manganese, chromium, and chlorophyll, and the darker the leaves the higher the nutrient level. Lettuces have a high water content so can aid hydration on top of our fluid intake, but where they are mostly water they offer little in the way of macronutrients. Spring onions, members of the allium family alongside leeks, chives, and garlic, are great sources of vitamins A, C, B2, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium, as well as antioxidants including flavonoids and polyphenols. Spring onions also have a high water content, but unlike lettuces they also contain good levels of prebiotic fibres, a boon for our gut microbes!

Braised spring onions and lettuce (serves 2-4) 2 gem or romaine lettuces 1 pack of spring onions (approx. 8 spring onions) ¼ of a stock cube 1 garlic clove (finely grated) juice ¼ of lemon drizzle of olive oil pinch of black pepper Cut the lettuces in quarters lengthways and trim the tops and tails from the spring onions. In a large frying pan (big enough to fit everything in a single layer) gently heat the olive oil and garlic on a medium heat for 1-2 minutes without colouring. Dissolve the stock cube in approximately 50ml of boiling water. Add the spring onions to the pan and cook for about two minutes, until starting to soften but not colour. Add the stock and lettuce cooking for about 1 minute before turning the lettuce over, and cooking for a further minute. Lastly drizzle over the lemon juice and a pinch of black pepper. Lovely served with roast chicken or fish and new potatoes, or as part of a bigger salad. Rebecca Vincent BSc BANT registered nutritionist rebeccavincent nutrition.co.uk

ENFORD FARM SHOP

Home reared Lamb along with locally produced meat, veg, fruit, deli and game. Follow us on Facebook for all of our latest deals and offers including weekly meat pack deals HALF PIG APPROXIMATELY £100 (depending on weight) Open all day, everyday outside shop Fri, Sat Farm shop open 8.30am-5pm Also Arts disiplay Durweston, near Blandford. 01258 450050

Delicious way to spend day

David Warburton MP enjoyed a fantastic day at Eat Festival in Castle Cary. He is pictured with festival oganisers Bev and Sarah Milner-Simonds. He said: “Given the past year we’ve all had, the Eat Festival wasn’t just a celebration of Somerset’s fabulous food and drink. There was also a real buzz in the air as people came together as a community to enjoy the company of others. Thanks to the efforts of Beverly and Sarah, Castle Cary heaved not only with the best of local West Country produce, but with people enjoying every minute and every mouthful.”

PIZZA NIGHTS ARE BACK FOR SUMMER 2021

Starting Friday 21st May and every Friday from 6.30pm (Booking essential) Authentic wood fi red pizzas using homemade dough for a little taste of Italy. It’s the perfect way to wind down the week and kickstart the weekend. The Farm Shop is open daily from Wednesday to Sunday 10am – 4pm serving Breakfast / Light Lunches / Cakes Afternoon Teas / Takeaways Large outdoor seating area and marquee

Tarrant Gunville, Blandford Forum, DT11 8JW TEL: 01258 830 083 for bookings and reservations

STALBRIDGE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION CLUB LTD AGM and SGM (to adopt New Club Rules 2019) Monday 24th March, 2021 7.30pm for an 8pm Start. For the Members Goods Vehicle Operator's Licence HTQ Limited trading as "Exclusive" of Unit9a, Butts Pond Ind Est, Sturminster Newton, DT10 1AZ is applying for a licence to use Unit9a, Butts Pond Ind Est, Sturminster Newton, DT10 1AZ and Unit9b, Butts Pond Ind Est, Sturminster Newton, DT10 1AZ as an operating centre for 2 goods vehicles and 0 trailers Owners or occupiers of land (including buildings) near the operating centre(s) who believe that their use or enjoyment of that land would be affected, should make written representations to the Traffic Commissioner at Hillcrest House, 386 Harehills Lane, Leeds, LS9 6NF, stating their reasons, within 21 days of this notice. Representors must at the same time send a copy of their representations to the applicant at the address given at the top of this notice. A Guide to Making Representations is available from the Traffic Commissioner's office.

Notice is hereby given that Jayanath Poominathan has applied in respect of NEW LITTLE BUDDHA FOOD & NEWS LTD of Station Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 4PY for a New Premises Licence under the Licencing Act 2003 to allow for the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises Monday - Sunday between 5.30am and 11pm. Representations to this application must be made in writing by 4 June 2021 to the Licensing Authority, Po Box 9148, Christchurch BH23 9JQ email: licensingteam@dorsetcouncil. gov.uk, Tel: 01202 228989 where applications can be inspected during office hours. It is an offence liable on summary conviction to a maximum fine of £5000 to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with this application.

THE FRIENDS OF BLANDFORD COMMUNITY HOSPITAL will be holding their 64th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING At 6.30pm on Wednesday 7th July 2021 at Blandford Community Hospital, Milldown Road, Blandford Forum ALL ARE WELCOME Elections 2021 Nominations for elections to the Council must be received by the Hon. Secretary at the Friends’ office by Friday 21st May 2021. All nominees shall have agreed to stand for election and shall have been duly proposed and seconded by members. Rule 9b states ‘no person shall be appointed to the Council who is not an individual subscribing member of The Friends’. Nomination forms are available on our website riendsofblandford.org.uk SHILLINGSTONE GARDEN CLUB open air plant sale. At Shillingstone Church Centre on Sunday 23rd May from 2pm - 4:30pm

STALBRIDGE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION CLUB LTD AGM and SGM (to adopt New Club Rules 2019) Monday 24th March, 2021 7.30pm for an 8pm Start. For the Members

BIRTHDAYS

CELIA MUNDAY

Congratulations Celia Munday on your belated 40th birthday. Love from mum, dad, Sharon and Elodie.

IN MEMORIAM

WILSON HILDA EMMA 19/05/94

Wife, mum, nan and great nan. 27 years ago you fell asleep, The love for you we will always keep. Such a sweet lady, there could only be one. I will always be proud to call her my mum.

From your ever loving daughter,

Sandra, Rob and family xx

Goods Vehicle Operator’s Licence

Jonathan Aldridge Evelegh trading as Orator Sound Systems of Unit 9 Luccombe Business Centre, Milton Abbas, Blandford Forum, Dorset DT11 0BD is applying to change an existing licence as follows: to add an operating centre to keep 2 goods vehicles and 0 trailers at Unit 25F Sunrise Business Park, Higher Shaftesbury Road, Blandford Forum, Dorset DT11 8ST. Owners or occupiers of land (including buildings) near the operating centre who believe that their use or enjoyment of that land would be affected, should make written representations to the Traffic Commissioner at Hillcrest House, 386 Harehills Lane, Leeds LS9 6NF stating their reasons, within 21 days of this notice. Representors must at the same time send a copy of their representations to the applicant at the address given at the top of this notice. A Guide to Making Representations is available from the Traffic Commissioner’s Office.

DEATHS

JACK HAYWARD

On 30th April 2021 died peacefully at the Cedars Nursing Home, Shaftesbury aged 92 years (formerly of Cherry Orchard). Will be sadly missed by all family and friends. Private funeral service. Enquiries to Merefield & Henstridge Funeral Directors, Ridgemount, Pitts Lane, West Melbury, Shaftesbury, Dorset. SP7 0BU. Tel: 01747 853532

ROSE MARGARET GEAL (BETTY / SHEP)

On 26th April 2021 peacefully at home aged 87 years of Manston (formerly of The Red Rose Restaurant, and the heart and soul of Sturminster Newton Market). Loving wife to Gordon, mum to Paul, grandma to Adam and Kathryn and great grandma to Henry. Greatly missed and always remembered by all family and friends. Private family service. Donations if desired to St Nicholas Church, Manston (please make cheques payable to Child Okeford with Manston PCC) may be sent to Merefield & Henstridge Funeral Directors, Ridgemount, Pitts Lane, West Melbury, Shaftesbury, Dorset. SP7 0BU. Tel: 01747 853532