British is Best- traditional English meal
My daughter Sam at 'becks&posh' has set a challenge on her food blog to promote English food and whilst I've not officially entered I decided I would do my bit anyway. I've shown you my hot cross buns and my Easter biscuits and today I'm going to show you a few photos of a traditional English meal. I've also been trying to follow Sam's example and buy local produce. Well here in the UK that's easier said than done. It's almost impossible to source food that's produced within a 100 miles radius but for this meal I made sure everything was produced in the UK.
My computer won't support picasso so I had to enlist Beccy's help to put together this collage.
The beef is 'topside' and although Irish that's Northern Ireland which is still British. The vegetables are all organic. The leeks come from Lincolnshire, the sprouts from Fife and the potatoes, carrots and parsnips from Perthshire (Scotland). The horseradish sauce is made closest to home about 25 miles away in Stonehouse in Gloucestershire (I got this at a local Farmer's market I'll tell you more about that soon). The Yorkshire pudding is made with organic milk and egg, of course I have no idea where the wheat for the flour is grown. The rhubarb we grow ourselves and this was the first picking of the season and the crumble recipe I used is this one. The mustard is the famous Coleman's (Sam if you read this see the quote "ONE TABLESPOON OF MUSTARD WILL STOP THE HICKUPS." I think your cure sounds much more pleasant but I know you like mustard- now I've got you all curious). The gravy is made from the meat juice and is very tasty.
Drat I've only just realised I didn't even think about where the wine came from, I've run down to the cellar to check and oh dear it's French so I didn't quite achieve the all British meal!!
Labels: beef, english meal, rhubarb, yorkshire pudding
posted by ChrisB @ 8:00 am
27 comments
27 Comments:
Wish I'd been there to eat that yummy food mind you I'd pass on the horseradish and mustard.
You should have said - there is a bottle of Mumfords English down in the cellar, we could have had that. Why don't you pretend. Love
beccy I passed on those as well but granny and dad enjoyed those.
embee I couldn't possibly cheat!!
enidd wonders if the wine was from a bit of france that england used to rule once upon a time? then you could claim kind of historical goodness (well, not in the imperial sense).
she thinks that meal looks yummy and it's a long time till dinner.
You show them Chris!!I like British food too.Americans laugh at the mention of it,which I think is unfair!That collage looks great:)
Dear chrisb. Oh my. Parsnips. They're my fave. Actually, if I'm watching what I eat in the weightloss sense, I will make a parsnip mash rather than potato. So tasty, you don't need to use butter. That meal looks delish - can you invite me over? PS I didn't even know they made wine in the UK!
Chris,
Wow, everything looks great! I love horseradish and Colman's mustard.
Just wondering, do you think you could keep up the eating local for very long? With my climate I'm afraid we'd be starving through the winter.
Reading your blog before breakfast - must run and get something to eat!!! It made me SO hungry. Then I popped over to see your rhubarb recipe. I LOVE rhubarb. And I was stopped cold by the measurements. How can I translate that to the American format? Help!
I am so hungry now! Yummy!
I love yorkshire pudding!
Asha I think it's just that each country has its own particular style and it's what people are used. Also if you are eating out I'm sure any country has rubbish type cafes and restaurants.
Little miss moi there are a few of vinyards close to where we live, closest is about 12 miles away see local producers here
lisa no much as I would love to it would not be possible it just so happened I could achieve it with the type of meal I was preparing. Well I suppose if I only had a set menu I rotated it would be possible but it would be very boring.
Luciluna very approximately 30g =1oz
700 g =1lb 8oz
225g = 8oz
220g =7oz
175g = 6oz
100g = 4oz.
The beauty of this crumble is that it will still work if you are not exact. Hope this helps.
Here is a metric conversion site.
the parsnips look lovely. i have never made those, can you share how you cook them? is it like potatoes?
the photos are wonderful...and your dish/es are so pretty!! i have a slightly chipped serving bowl in a similar design and it is my favourite!!
marvellous mum - now why don't you just make an official entry? I am going to do it for you.
I am proud of you.
I still have a botle of english 'champagne-style' wine in the cupboard. I plan to get it out for the 9-course English dinner Amanda and I are planning for April 21st. We just planned the meal last night and I am kind of excited.
elena jane I par boil mine just like for potatoes and i used to cook in butter but now I use a little olive oil; they are delicious even though I say so myself.
elena jane this pottery was very popular in the states i think the company went out of production around 1984; you can still get it look here
Sam I don't think its really good enough to sit along side all the brilliant presentations that I know will be there.
I am so cross I didn't think about the wine because we do have some English wine. I'm now planning other meals so maybe I can use the wine for this.
frannie Yorkshire pudding is a firm favourite in our family my eldest grandson just loves it.
enidd now why didn't I think of that, still I don't want to become unpopular with the French so maybe its as well I don't know or I would have to have mentioned it!!
oh man, it's past lunch time and all that looks just wonderful.
My British granny made great roasted potatoes. I probably haven't had them for almost 50 years, and I still remember them.
Very nice -
I was trying to think what would be considered a truly traditional "American" meal and all I could think of was Hot Dogs and Mac&Cheese - and that really depressed me... almost all of our dishes originated from somewhere else.
vicki sorry to make you feel hungry
anvilcloud there is nothing like a good roastie I used a different type of potato to my usual so they were not quite as crispie as my norm.
karmyn you probably know that everyone thinks of Fish and chips as the favourite British take away however they did a survey here in the UK a couple of years back and curry has taken over which surprised me.
your oldest daughter and your husband love it too. don't forget.
And oh - did you know that the english actually invented champagne?
everything looks so yummy.
I use Colemans mustard
but I have my own method to cure hiccups...
What time is dinner ?? I'll bring the wine.
sam I know you, granny and dad love yorkshire pud, when I tell you I only got two small pieces and there was none left at the end of the meal I don't think I need to say more.
I thought there was some dispute over whether the English invented champers.
pamela are you going to share your cure? You're invited any time if you bring wine ;-)
Nice food! THey do do English wine near us - 3 Choirs vineyard, Newent. But it is SO expensive!!!!
I think that our stew is excellent too. As is Lancashire hotpot, beef cobbler, our fruit cake, scones, rock buns and many other things!!
Ooh I love roasted parsnips and Yorkshire pudding.
Sally I noticed that vinyard when I googled local suppliers. Thornbury castle also have a small vinyard I suppose it's expensive because they can't produce quantity.
Barbara I agree but I also liked mashed parsnips with a little butter and black pepper.
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