Here is the link for next years nominations... and you can see who won this year. 

Off we go again to sample the delights of the Restaurant Show trade fair at Earls Court. Our first mission - to get the best coffee we can find, as fast as possible, and free. Inspector X won. Then to lunch at the the disappointing street food area (this years theme) where I had the worst 'street food' I have had all year, I should have realised - there was no queue! Then off to taste Orange wines. Here are some of the pics - starting with Tuddenham Mill chef Paul Foster doing a demo.

A delicious treat and the perfect way to use up those unripe tomatoes.  Vegetarian too!

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 green tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• beaten egg
• cornmeal
• vegetable oil for frying

Preparation:

Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 - 1/2-inch slices. Salt and pepper them to taste. Dip in the beaten egg and then the corn meal. Fry in hot oil for about 3 minutes or until golden on bottom. Gently turn and fry the other side. Serve as a side dish - delicious with breakfast!

Yesterday I picked the last of the mulberry crop from the suffolkfoodie ancestral home.. The old mulberry tree blew over in the great storm of 1987 but being from a farming family, daddy suffolkfoodie pulled the tree upright with his tractor and tied it back into position. It survived!  I have picked over 20kgs of fruit and made some into jam. Here is the recipe. I used jam sugar with added pectin as mulberries are low in pectin.  I added plenty of red, unripe fruits to improve the setting, as the red fruit have higher pectin levels.

1kg Mulberries and 1kg of Jam Sugar

Rinse the mulberries carefully and quickly so as not to lose too much juice. Put into a large saucepan and simmer until soft. Stir in the sugar ensuring that it all dissolves.  Boil hard until setting point is reached.  (Setting point can be tested by dropping some cooked jam onto a saucer which has been chilled in the freezer, a skin will form on top of the jam when setting point is achieved)

Warm some clean jars in the oven, bottle and store.

Meet Malcolm our October Dish of the Day - you can just see him at the back! Malcolm is one of the bakers at The Suffolk Food Hall.  Their display of homemade artisan breads and baked goods is very impressive and so is the view from the Cookhouse Restaurant window.

There is a new Farmers’ Market at Ixworth Village Hall on the last Sunday of Month; (30th Sept, 28th Oct, 25th Nov); 10am – 1pm. Join local producers selling a variety of local products including sausages and bacon, cakes, flour, bread, jams, chutneys, pickles, chocolates and beers/juices, as well as autumn plants and flowers. Refreshments and biscuits available. More info/stall bookings via Charlotte Brown on 07545 629372 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A very special afternoon tea is being held in Ickworth House West Wing.  It is in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. Tickets cost £15.00 for adults and £3.00 for children.  The cost of the ticket includes afternoon tea and entrance to the park and gardens.The County Upper School Swing Band will be playing and the tea will be served on the fabulous vintage china of suffolkvintagechinahire.  See the flyer for booking details.   See you there!!

Today I picked my whole crop of basil and turned it into pesto sauce ready to smother onto hot pasta. Pesto is very quick and easy to make, either in a mini food processor or by hand, with a pestle and mortar. You will need:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts ( or try walnuts for a change)
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves crushed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Crush the basil leaves, salt, pepper and garlic together adding the nuts and oil a little at a time.  Keep working until you have a rough paste. Add the grated cheese and the last of the oil.  Mix well and store in the fridge in a covered jar.

I keep a layer of oil on top of the sauce, to maintain the colour and texture. 

Asda have whole, fresh trout on offer for £1.50 each, and what a bargain they are. I have been hot smoking mine, and the fishmonger told me that the customer before me also bought 10 to smoke. My Weber-style barbeque works well, however Hugh Fearnley -Whittingstall uses an old bread bin.

Served just like Kir with white wine and ice ....mmmm