Our recent cookery demonstration was entitled a Summer Feast and it certainly lived up to its name!
Twenty one customers enjoyed watching Claire and Alison prepare a varied and interesting menu. Some dishes were suited to outdoor summer eating or picnics whilst others were perfect for summer entertaining.

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For starters Claire had compiled a Yorkshire version of a mezze, making a delicious chargrilled pepper salad dressed with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, herbs and capers. This was served with slices of halloumi toasted on the simmer plate of the AGA.
She also made butternut squash and carrot filo parcels, using the finest pastry to keep the parcels full of flavour.  They were served alongside a sour cream and Parmesan sauce, (the parcels would also freeze well and travel well as picnic food!)
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Next up as a starter or a lunch dish was a colourful pea and ham tart, this time on shortcrust pastry. The mixture of peas, ham and mustard make such good bedfellows. With Claire’s tip of not over working the pastry made it that much more delicious. Claire also made a special tomato  ‘ketchup’ that worked really well with the tart.
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The final part of the mezze was a courgette, spinach and pea rice slice. This delightful vegetable dish makes good use of seasonal produce, again this makes a portable snack that would brighten up any lunch box, picnic or festival hamper.
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For main course Alison followed the Mediterranean feel with a Moroccan roast chicken. This combined the warm flavours of ginger and turmeric with olives, cumin and cinnamon to make a tasty chicken dish suitable to serve in any season.
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The second main course was more seasonally inclined; crab ravioli with asparagus and lemon butter. Alison’s fresh pasta is always incredible and teamed with succulent crab meat, parsley and fennel makes it even more tantalising to the tastebuds. Served with fresh Sand Hutton asparagus and a lemon butter meant there was hardly any room left for puddings.
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However the raspberry and elderflower cream shots would grace a smart restaurant dessert menu. These cream shots were served with mini pink and white meringue and curls of raspberry leather.
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Finally those of us that had room squeezed in a piece of blueberry and hazel nut cake with cream or ice cream for a pukka pud or just a slice in the hand to go – delicious either way.
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