Orchard Pork

An economical dish from England for the harvest time workers.

Ingredients
3lb piece of pork spare ribs
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
salt
pepper
3 unpeeled, cored and quartered eating apples
3 firm unpeeled, cored and quartered pears
5fl oz cider
stock or water
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cider
2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly

Method
1 Wash and dry the pork spareribs thoroughly.
2 Brush or smear the pork with oil.
3 Sprinkle over a little salt.
4 Place the ribs onto a roasting rack sitting in a roasting pan.
5 Place in the oven at 190 degrees centigrade/gas mark 5 for 30 minutes.
6 Reduce the temperature to 180 degrees centigrade/gas mark 4 for 60 minutes.
7 Remove the pork from the oven.
8 Remove the rack from the baking tin.
9 Drain off the excess fat and keep to 1 side.
10 Place the fruit pieces onto the base of the baking tray.
11 Place the pork over the fruits.
12 Return to the oven for 30 minutes or until the fruit and the pork are cooked thoroughly.
13 Cover the pork and allow to rest.
14 Spoon the fruits onto a carving plate, cover with aluminium foil and keep warm.
15 Drain the liquid from the roasting pan into a pint measure.
16 Make upto 1/2 pint with stock or water.
17 Take 3 tablespoons of pork fat and pour into a saucepan.
18 Add the flour and stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
19 Cook out, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
20 Add the redcurrant jelly and mix thoroughly.
21 Add the cider slowly, stirring constantly.
22 Bring the gravy to the boil.
23 Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for a minute.
24 Gradually add the stock a little at a time.
25 Bring back to the boil.
26 Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 2 to 5 minutes, or until the required consistency is reached.
27 Check for seasoning and adjust.
28 Place the pork on top of the fruit.

Serve with potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Serves 4 people

Sweet Harvest Pudding

This is a traditional Sweet Harvest time pudding from the County of Devon in England.

Ingredients
6 – 8 slices of buttered medium bread
1lb peeled, cored and sliced apples
2oz shredded suet
3oz soft brown sugar
2oz raisins
grated rind 1 lemon
2 beaten medium eggs
½ pint milk

Method
1 Butter a pie dish thoroughly.
2 Line the pie dish with some of the buttered bread (including the sides).
3 In a large mixing bowl mix together the apples, suet, sugar, raisins and lemon rind.
4 Fill the pie dish with the fruit mixture.
5 Cover the filling with the remainder of the buttered bread.
6 Beat the eggs and milk together.
7 Pour the liquid over the bread, do not throw away any excess.
8 Cover and leave to stand for at least 2 hours or overnight.
9 Uncover the pudding.
10 Pour over any left over egg mixture.
11 Bake at 180 degrees centigrade/gas 4 for about 1 hour, or until just set.

Best served warm with traditional clotted cream.

Serves 4

Sweet Harvest Loaves

These sweet loaves were eaten by the farm labourers in England at harvestime in the fields as they reaped.

Ingredients
1lb self raising flour
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4oz diced lard
4oz diced butter
1oz caster sugar
2oz currants
2 medium besten eggs
a little milk
a little sugar for dusting

Method
1 Place a sieve above a large mixing bowl.
2 Spoon in the flour, salt and nutmeg and shake through into the bowl.
3 Add the lard and butter.
4 Rub in the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
5 Add the caster sugar and the currants, mix through the mixture.
6 Make a well.
7 Tip in the eggs and mix in to make a smooth and soft dough.
8 If the mixture is dry, add a little milk.
9 Flour a work surface.
10 Tip the dough onto a board and knead slightly.
11 Cut the dough into quarters.
12 Form the quarters into a round shape (about the size of a saucer).
13 Place each loaf onto a pre greased and floured baking sheet, leaving space to spread.
14 Brush with a little milk.
15 Sprinkle over a little sugar.
16 Mark each loaf with a diamond pattern with a sharp knife.
17 Bake at 190 degrees centigrade/gas mark 5 for about 25 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown.

Serve hot or cold.

Makes 4 loaves

Lancashire Potato Cakes

This is just one of the potato dishes that the farm workers in the county of Lancashire in England at harvest time would eat. They would celebrate with a party called a shutting which was held in the barns.

Ingredients
1lb peeled and mashed potatoes (with no butter or milk added)
1oz butter at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 beaten medium egg
4oz self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Method
1 Place the hot mashed potatoes into a large mixing bowl.
2 Add all of the other ingredients.
3 Combine thoroughly with the hands to make a soft but not sticky dough.
4 Flour a rolling pin and a work surface.
5 Place the dough on the surface.
6 Roll out to 1/2 inch thick.
7 Cut into rounds or triangles.
8 Heat a frying pan or a griddle on the hob.
9 Melt a little lard.
10 Fry the potato cakes for 5 to 7 minutes on each side.

Serve immdiately when hot and spread with butter.

Harvest Pudding

This is an old recipe from the countryside of England, it was originally made to celebrate the start of harvesting.

Ingredients

Base
1lb peeled, cored and diced cooking apples
1oz butter
1oz granulated sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon

Filling
1oz butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1oz flour
15fl oz milk
1 medium sized beaten egg

Topping
2oz demerara sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1oz buter in small dice

Method

Base
1 Place the butter into a medium saucepan and melt.
2 Add the apples, allow to soften.
3 Add the sugar and continue to cook until soft, remove from the heat.
4 Add the grated lemon rind and stir in well.
5 Pour all the contents into a buttered ovenproof dish (about 1 1/2 pints).

Filling
1 Place the butter into a saucepan and melt.
2 Stir in the flour.
3 Cook, stirring constantly over a low to medium heat for 2 minutes.
4 Start adding the milk a tablespoon at a time, mix in thoroughly after each addition until all of the milk is used up.
5 Bring the sauce to the boil, stirring constantly.
6 Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
7 Remove from the heat.
8 Add the sugar and a quarter of the beaten egg, stirring constantly until the egg is blended in.
9 Add 1/3 of the egg and blend in.
10 Add half of the remaining egg and blend in.
11 Add the remiaing egg and blend in.
12 Return the saucepan to the heat and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.
13 Pour over the apple mixture.

Topping
1 In a small bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
2 Using a teaspoon scatter the mixture over the sauce evenly.
3 Place the small dices of butter all over the sugar and cinnamon.
4 Place under a pre-heated grill until the sugar caramelises.

Serve hot or cold.

Serves 4 to 6 people

Harvest Pot

This traditional harvest savoury dish originated in Cambridgeshire, England, variations spread accross the whole of Great Britain. It was made with lamb, mutton or pork dependant on the area you lived, mutton is the traditional meat from Cambridgeshire.

Ingredients
8oz dried haricot beans
3lbs diced mutton
vegetable oil
2 rashers diced steeaky bacon
2 sliced onions
salt
pepper
Worcestershire Sauce

Method
1 The night before cooking soak the haricot beans in cold water.
2 On the day of cooking drain the beans and place in a large saucepan.
3 Completely cover with cold water and pour an inch more on top.
4 Bring the beans to the boil.
5 Cook at a rapid boil for 10 minutes.
6 Strain the beans into a colander and keep the water in a bowl..
7 Place a frying pan on the hob and heat.
8 Pour in a little vegetable oil.
9 Brown all of the meat on all sides in batches.
10 Into a large casserole dish layer the mutton, beans, bacon and onions, season with salt and pepper to taste everytime you place the mutton in the pot.
11 Add a dash of Worcester sauce to the cooking liquid from the beans.
12 Pour over enough of the cooking liquid from the beans to cover the onions, making up with water if neccessary.
13 Place the lid over the casserole.
14 Place on a baking tray.
15 Cook in the oven at 170 degrees centigrade/gas mark 3 for 2 to to 3 hours or until the meat is perfectly tender.

Serves 6 people

Notes
The dried haricot beans can be substituted for a 1lb tin of haricot beans.

Clanger

This traditional recipe is both savoury and sweet (the savoury filling is at one end of the clanger and the sweet at the other), which was made for farm labourers especially at harvest time. It comes from the county of Befordshire in England.

Ingredients

Savoury Filling
1 large finely chopped onion
1 heaped teaspoon of mixed herbs
8oz minced pork
1 peeled, cored and diced cooking apple
1 - 2 tablespoons oil
salt
pepper

Sweet Filling
2 peeled, cored and diced eating apples
grated rind and juice of 1 large orange
1oz granulated sugar
4oz any dried fruit

Pastry
12oz suet pastry

Method

Savoury Filling
1 Heat a frying pan on the hob.
2 Pour in 1 tablespoon of oil.
3 Add the onions and cook until softened.
4 Add the minced pork and herbs, cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.
5 Add the apple and continue to cook until the meat is browned.
6 Season to taste.
7 Remove the frying pan from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Sweet Filling
1 In a large mixing bowl, mix together all of the ingredients and set aside.

To Make Up
1 Roll the pastry out into 2 x 10" circles on a floured surface.
2 Cut 2 x 10" strips from the left over pastry.
3 Brush the outside of the circle of pastry with water.
4 Brush a line down the centre of the pastry.
5 Attach a strip of pastry down the centre of the pastry.
6 Put half of the cold pork filling into 1 half of each pastry circle.
7 Put half of the apple filling into the other half of the pastry circle.
8 Fold the pastry over the two fillings and seal the edges thoroughly.
9 Sprinkle 2 muslin cloths or clean tea towels with flour.
10 Place a clanger on each of them in the centre.
11 Tie up each clanger with string, leaving air space for expansion.
12 Place the clangers into a saucepan of boiling water and place on the lid.
13 Boil for 1 hour.
14 Remove the clangers from the saucepan and place on a baking tray.
15 Place in a cool oven and allow the clanger to dry.

Serves 2 people.