0:00:03 > 0:00:07You know, we believe Britain has the best food in the world.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Not only can we boast fantastic ingredients...
0:00:13 > 0:00:15..outstanding food producers...
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Oh, wow!
0:00:17 > 0:00:20..and innovative chefs...
0:00:20 > 0:00:23but we also have an amazing food history.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26So it's safe to say that that's what the Romans brought to us,
0:00:26 > 0:00:28- the art of cooking itself. - Absolutely.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30It's called a sala catavia.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32It's like a savoury summer pudding.
0:00:32 > 0:00:38Now, during this series, we're going to be taking you on a journey into our culinary past.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Everything's ready, so let's get cracking.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44- We'll explore its revealing stories...- Wow!
0:00:44 > 0:00:48..and meet the heroes that keep our culinary past alive.
0:00:48 > 0:00:53Pontefract liquorice, it's been my life and I loved every minute of it.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58And of course, be cooking up a load of dishes that reveal our foodie evolution.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00That's a proper British treat.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05Looks good, tastes good. That's going to do you good.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Quite simply, the best of British!
0:01:32 > 0:01:34- Coming on lovely. - Aren't they? They're lush.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39Fantastic. Now, us Brits are thought of as a nation of meat eaters, well, that's not entirely true
0:01:39 > 0:01:43because there's about three million of us choosing never to eat the stuff.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47And, looking at this lot, it doesn't seem to be much of a sacrifice.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51Vegetables - they're good for you, they're cheap, they're plentiful,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54and, in this country, we have the most incredible range of veg.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59And that's the good thing about our climate, isn't it? The mixture of sunshine and showers
0:01:59 > 0:02:02produces some of the most fantastic veggies.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12In this programme, we'll be celebrating great British veg.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17From the passion of award-winning growers...
0:02:18 > 0:02:23..to the determined pioneers that showed us how to eat them instead of meat.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27We'll be paying tribute to the wartime allotments
0:02:27 > 0:02:30that kept our nation fighting fit.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37And cooking up some heritage dishes that show veg at its best.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43As we explore Britain's love of the humble and tasty vegetable.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56First up in the Great British Kitchen,
0:02:56 > 0:03:01we're going to cook a recipe that you've probably all heard of but never eaten.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05I'm going to take you back to the summer of love.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06So dust off your loon pants.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Get your kaftan out.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10We're going to make homity pie.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Oh, yes!
0:03:12 > 0:03:19And homity pie was invented by the women of the land army in the Second World War.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21And it was...well, hearty.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23It was a substantial vegetarian dish
0:03:23 > 0:03:27that you could actually make with the contents of your ration book.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32Now, this delicious veggie treat is very simple to make but really flavoursome -
0:03:32 > 0:03:35it's a humble and filling British classic.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40We're going to take the vintage line-up of potato,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42onion and cheese in a pastry case,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44and give it a Hairy Biker twist
0:03:44 > 0:03:48by adding spinach leaves, cream and a hint of nutmeg.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52Now, what I've got here,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55I'm lining this deep pie dish with a wholemeal pastry base.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59I've used half wholemeal and half plain flour
0:03:59 > 0:04:02because, quite frankly, if I'd used all wholemeal,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04my pastry's going to come out like a flip-flop.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07'The pastry is really easy.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10'You just blend 250 grams of half plain,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13'half wholemeal flour, with 150 grams of butter.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18'Then add a beaten egg and whizz it until it becomes a rough dough.'
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Now, it's a deep fill base.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Homity pie was always deep.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25So I don't even have to throw a rolling pin.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28I can feel the pastry with my fingers.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30And I just form it around the pie tin.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Press it into the dish, up the sides of the dish.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37And you'll end up with this wonderful pastry case.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40- Look at the fibre in that... - Look at that.- Crikey!
0:04:40 > 0:04:42More fibrous than a coconut husk.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48For the bulk of the filling, you'll need three chopped onions
0:04:48 > 0:04:50and 850 grams of boiled potatoes.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55I'm just going to kind of break them up with a wooden spatula.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59I've got a non-stick pan, so obviously I won't use metal.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Be fairly rustic about this.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03More chunky spuds.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Saute the onions in butter for 15 minutes,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14then grate a couple of garlic cloves in,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16and cook for another two.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Simple yet effective! Takes me right back to the '70s.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23I should have got me Aran jumper out.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- I should've worn my cords. I used to wear cords.- Did you?
0:05:26 > 0:05:31- Yeah, baggy ones, you know, for that kind of bohemian intellectual look.- Did you?
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Big glasses like that, and alopecia.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40THEY SING: # Those were the days, my friend
0:05:40 > 0:05:42# I thought they'd never end
0:05:42 > 0:05:46# They'd sing and dance forever and a day. #
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Add the onions to the tatties.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57That's all the cooking you need to do.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Give it a pinch of pepper and some sea salt.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Then chuck in 100 grams of green and healthy spinach.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Brown paper bag, eh?
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Throw me a piece of karma, man.
0:06:14 > 0:06:15See...?
0:06:15 > 0:06:17And now it's gone.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Nutmeg always works a treat with spinach.
0:06:22 > 0:06:23It's a lovely colour, isn't it?
0:06:28 > 0:06:32'Next, chop two tablespoons of parsley leaves and stir them in.'
0:06:33 > 0:06:37The purity of curly parsley... It's beautiful.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43'To give it some richness, you need 100 grams of mature cheese, but not any old stuff!
0:06:43 > 0:06:46'Don't forget, this is a veggie recipe.'
0:06:46 > 0:06:51This is of course vegetarian cheddar. It's rennet free.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Now, all we simply do is to pop that into the wholemeal base.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59We won't pack it too tightly, though, cos we want the cream to run through it.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Yeah. I think that's enough, don't you?
0:07:02 > 0:07:06- Oh, that's tasty!- It would be.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- We'll put another one in. - All right, mate.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Actually, Dave, it might all go in.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14No, no, we've got cheese on yet...no, no!
0:07:14 > 0:07:16No!
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Right, that's fine.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22'You just can't help who you work with!
0:07:22 > 0:07:25'Grate some extra cheese onto the top.'
0:07:25 > 0:07:28And now, pop on fruit of the cow.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31'That's 250mls of cream to you and I.'
0:07:31 > 0:07:33'And it's ready to shove in the oven
0:07:33 > 0:07:37'at 180 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes.'
0:07:37 > 0:07:41And this homity pie, which started life as a frugal feast for the land girls,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43was revived by Cranks,
0:07:43 > 0:07:48that well-known vegetarian outlet that struck up in the 1960s
0:07:48 > 0:07:50in Carnaby Street.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53I can remember going there in the '80s
0:07:53 > 0:07:57and it was amazing, homity pie was on the menu.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Everything was brown, rustic and rough.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Cranks became so influential,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07even the queen of cooking herself, Delia Smith,
0:08:07 > 0:08:12went to check it out and meet the founders, David and Kay Canter.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17I know that both you and David are vegetarian, but you haven't always been, so how did you come to it?
0:08:17 > 0:08:22Well, we were brought up as normal meat-eaters and then we both had back trouble
0:08:22 > 0:08:26and we were advised to go onto a whole-food diet
0:08:26 > 0:08:30and then I started making my own bread
0:08:30 > 0:08:35and gradually we came around to not liking meat.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39We didn't like our Sunday joint so we gave that up. We didn't like chicken any more and so forth,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42and eventually we came round to being vegetarians.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46That's absolutely... We didn't set out to be vegetarians, it just happened.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49The whole-food chain became incredibly popular
0:08:49 > 0:08:53and made vegetarian food fashionable to eat, helping spread the idea
0:08:53 > 0:08:55far and wide.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03The great thing about our British food heritage is how it has absorbed different influences,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06like vegetarian cuisine.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11And our updated homity pie pays homage to the innovation of the Cranks era.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Oh, that looks good.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15It's handsome!
0:09:16 > 0:09:19- Oh, nice!- This looks like a super-charged quiche.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25'Let it cool for a bit, then carefully lift off the sides.'
0:09:25 > 0:09:28'Make sure you've used a spring clip cake tin.'
0:09:29 > 0:09:30- Pastry's stood up.- Ooh!
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Mind you, I think it'd survive anything, that.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39D'you know, I'm liking the look of this. It's cutting well.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42- Eh, that pastry's good.- Hmm.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Eh, mate...that's all right.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Looks like chicken and mushroom...
0:09:59 > 0:10:01..without the violence.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11- I quite like that. It'd be great with bacon.- Shut up.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15- It's really good.- It is, isn't it?
0:10:15 > 0:10:19It tastes good, it looks good, and it just does you good!
0:10:22 > 0:10:23I can feel the love.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30That's enough.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Homity pie has had an interesting journey -
0:10:37 > 0:10:40from something people created to eat out of necessity,
0:10:40 > 0:10:45to being reinvented as the iconic food of the '60s veggie movement.
0:10:45 > 0:10:50But now perhaps it can simply be seen as great food in its own right.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Up there with any meaty pies.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Our vegetarian food heritage owes a lot to the post-war generation,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06whose focus was on animal welfare.
0:11:07 > 0:11:13ARCHIVE FOOTAGE: 'This is the kind of protest movement that young vegetarians do feel able to get into.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17'The girls are on the march against the factory farm.'
0:11:17 > 0:11:20But attitudes of the era were hard to change.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Industrialised farming had been a hero of the Second World War,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29massively increasing our food supply at a time of crisis -
0:11:29 > 0:11:32but now it was in the firing line.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38What do you most see against this sort of thing?
0:11:38 > 0:11:43Exploitation of living creatures...
0:11:43 > 0:11:44for mankind.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50But vegetarianism in Britain goes back much further -
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and it was just as controversial and political.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03To find out more, we're off to leafy Altrincham in Cheshire, to visit the Vegetarian Society.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09It's the oldest organisation of its kind in the world!
0:12:12 > 0:12:15There's been a lot of bad press about vegetarians.
0:12:15 > 0:12:21You know, chunky knit sweaters, nutty yoghurt, mung bean-styled nut roasts, hippies.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24But there is a consistent voice to vegetarianism
0:12:24 > 0:12:28that's as passionate about the food itself as the politics.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31So we've come to vegetarian HQ here in Cheshire
0:12:31 > 0:12:37to find out about the long and distinguished movement that is vegetarianism.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42We're here to meet Liz O'Neill,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46who knows all about the history of the movement.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56- Hello, Liz.- Hello! Good to meet you. - Liz, I'm Si, nice to meet you. How are you?
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Thanks for coming over to the Vegetarian Society today.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Myself and most people tend to think that vegetarianism in the UK -
0:13:03 > 0:13:05being a nation of inveterate meat-eaters -
0:13:05 > 0:13:07is quite new, but it's not, is it?
0:13:07 > 0:13:11- No.- How far back does vegetarianism in Britain go?
0:13:11 > 0:13:16Way back. I mean, 1847 is the founding of this organisation,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19but back in 1809
0:13:19 > 0:13:23- a guy called the Reverend Cowherd... - Cowherd!- ..I know, brilliant name!
0:13:23 > 0:13:28He founded the Bible Christian Church in Salford
0:13:28 > 0:13:30and he preached abstinence from meat
0:13:30 > 0:13:34along with a very strong social reform agenda.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37He encouraged his congregation into education.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39He provided a free burial ground,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41which was really important at the time.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Cowherd saw meat in religious terms,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48as the ultimate symbol of the fall of man.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51He believed that eating flesh inflamed the passions
0:13:51 > 0:13:53and excited sensuality!
0:13:55 > 0:13:59He died at the age of 50, but the cause was taken up
0:13:59 > 0:14:02by Joseph Brotherton MP, who became one of the founders
0:14:02 > 0:14:05of the Vegetarian Society.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07He and his fellow veggies believed there was a link
0:14:07 > 0:14:11between eating meat and violence in society.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15All of which made them easy figures of fun for the press.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22Let me read you some stuff from the first AGM.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25There's a nice quote here from Brotherton,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28who was addressing the meeting, and he says,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31"There are two classes of persons in society.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36"One we may say lives to eat, the other eats to live.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39This is in no way about indulgence.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41It is absolutely eating to live.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45I mean, I think that's something that has massively changed in modern times.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50And actually vegetarian food is now a wonderful and exciting part
0:14:50 > 0:14:52of the range of vegetarian food.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56The Vegetarian Society's run a cookery school for almost 30 years
0:14:56 > 0:15:00and the vast majority of people who come through are not vegetarians themselves,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03they just want to learn to cook great food.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Well, it's back to school for us.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13We're going to learn some skills at the Vegetarian Society's very own cooking academy,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16run by chef Alex Connell.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Today what I'd like to do is teach you how to make
0:15:19 > 0:15:24one of my favourite dishes which is called ocean pie.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Alex's ocean pie hasn't got fish in it, obviously,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33but it's got seaweed to give you that flavour of the sea,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36as well as the veggie ingredient of choice - tofu.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42I sometimes think what's been the curse of vegetarian food
0:15:42 > 0:15:45is the lack of care and sophistication of ingredients.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50I'm like you, I think tofu in general is a brilliant ingredient, but you need to work it.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Yeah, if you play around with it, add loads of flavour to it,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56you get all sorts of textures.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02You obviously have done cooking before?
0:16:02 > 0:16:05- No, never. No, it's my first time. - Really?- Yeah.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14It's falling apart on me!
0:16:16 > 0:16:19I just lifted that off cos it was just starting to crisp.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- Your tofu!- My tofu's done, is it?
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Just...it should be fine now to turn over.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Look at that. It's lovely.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32You've got to watch tofu - it's a delicate ingredient.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Is it working out? This is nice.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Very good.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41- I like this recipe, Alex. I think it's going to taste great. - Thank you.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46The tofu we're using is the smoked type and we're seasoning it with paprika and soy sauce.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Oh, voila!
0:16:48 > 0:16:53The other main ingredients are oyster and button mushrooms,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55fried up with shallots and the seaweed.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58This really is extraordinary -
0:16:58 > 0:17:03with the seaweed and smoked garlic and the oyster mushrooms, it really does taste of the sea.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06There's a logic to this which really is working.
0:17:06 > 0:17:11'The ocean pie is made in a series of layers, starting with the mushroom mix...'
0:17:12 > 0:17:17'..which is topped with the tofu and then a pea and parsley white sauce.'
0:17:20 > 0:17:26It's a very good example of how vegetarian cuisine works with lots of interesting seasonings,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28also lots of interesting textures.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Really good, really well thought-out recipe. It's fab.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Perfect.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39- Have you done that before?- Yeah!
0:17:39 > 0:17:42'And last of all, you pipe some mash potato on the top,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44'and sprinkle on some cheese.'
0:17:44 > 0:17:46I've gone for the rope effect,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49and Mr King has gone for the multiple duchess.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Voila!
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Sir!
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- What's going on?- Finished!
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Ready for the oven! We've finished!
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- Come here.- I'm a bit scared. - Come here.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Genuinely, I am scared.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Oh...blocked.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Tilt!
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Do you not do that with cheese spread in the tube?
0:18:27 > 0:18:29It's good, innit?
0:18:31 > 0:18:34It's really good.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Next time we have a class, I will show the students.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- It's an ice-breaker, chef.- It is.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43'I think we've given something back there.'
0:18:47 > 0:18:50'After 20 minutes in the oven, the pies are ready.'
0:18:50 > 0:18:52There is one lovely ocean pie.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54CHEERING
0:18:56 > 0:19:01- Look at the piping skills there! - Oh, Mr King! Little belter.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Hey, that's a well-risen pie, madam.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06- There we go, young man.- Nice!
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Last but not least, there we go.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Oh, nice, well done, that looks brilliant!
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Well, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so they say.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22This is really good.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25I shall definitely do this at home. Just fantastic.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28I think I did it a bit wrong, cos it's still a bit not cooked.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31I enjoyed it and it tastes delicious.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37I think our British vegetarian food heritage, is doing very nicely -
0:19:37 > 0:19:39like the rest of our food, it's worth celebrating.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44- It's got a past, it's got a present. - That's right.- It's certainly got a future.- Absolutely, absolutely.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49'Vegetarian cuisine has come a very long way from its temperance days.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52'Back then, it was all about the denial of pleasure,
0:19:52 > 0:19:56'but now it's the exact opposite of "eating to live".'
0:19:59 > 0:20:04Nowadays, meat-free food is good enough to entice anybody.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14It's not just the standard of British veggie cooking
0:20:14 > 0:20:17that's improved over the years - it's also the sheer variety.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21One of the greatest additions to vegetarian food in Britain
0:20:21 > 0:20:24has been Indian cooking.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30The main religion of India is Hinduism, and, traditionally,
0:20:30 > 0:20:35many Hindus believe a vegetarian diet benefits body and soul.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39And their dishes have an incredible variety of flavours
0:20:39 > 0:20:43and textures that will knock your socks off.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Luckily for Manchester, Monica and her mum Anita
0:20:48 > 0:20:53are so passionate to spread the word about vegetarian Indian cuisine,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57they've set up a private supper society called The Spice Club.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01It's an underground restaurant that we run from our home.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05We like to show there's more to Indian food than just curry.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09We like to serve food that you can't really get in Indian restaurants -
0:21:09 > 0:21:13food that I grew up on, and food that my mum grew up on in India.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15There's so much variety.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20There's so many different types of dishes in Indian cuisine.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23It's nice to be able to show some of those dishes
0:21:23 > 0:21:25at The Spice Club to some guests.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29They don't have that concept that Indian food is so vast and diverse.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31I think it's quite special.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35It does bring a big smile on your face.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Immigration in the '60s and '70s
0:21:38 > 0:21:42brought thousands of families from India to Britain.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46They mainly settled in cities, and many took up employment in factories
0:21:46 > 0:21:48or the NHS.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53And with them came a huge diversity of regional cuisines.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Anita grew up in the Hindu tradition of the Punjab,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00where delicious vegetarian food is part of family life.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05I've learned so many vegetarian dishes from my mother,
0:22:05 > 0:22:10and this is how I have learned and taught Monica.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14I think this is how she developed all the interest in food.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Mum wanted me to be a good Indian daughter and have all the values,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20so she made sure that I knew how to cook.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22I'm a proud mum.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25She makes lovely food.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33If it's fresh, it's green.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Yes, it's good. ..It's good.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40Just as well, because 13 guests have signed up
0:22:40 > 0:22:44to tonight's supper club via social networks online.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53The star of the feast is kofta masala, made using lotus root.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Hi, Dad. What have you got?
0:22:56 > 0:22:59An Asian vegetable which Monica's dad has been out to buy.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05It's been grated, mixed with flour, herbs and spices,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07and rolled into balls.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11They are a family favourite, even with non-vegetarians.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15These are the balls which taste better than meat.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19You can bite into it and they are meaty.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21They're absolutely delicious.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23The secret to this kind of cuisine
0:23:23 > 0:23:27is the layering of flavours and spices,
0:23:27 > 0:23:32so the kofta balls are served with a masala - that's Indian for gravy.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37It's made with tomato and cream, and, you've guessed it, more spices.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40It's a balance of ingredients, a balance of different spices.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Each spice has its own flavour,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44it has its own benefit.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46That's the nice thing about this food -
0:23:46 > 0:23:49it's made of so many different types of spices,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51and they're blended together and it just creates
0:23:51 > 0:23:55a unique flavour profile that's unlike any other cuisine.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Almost 12 hours after they first started cooking,
0:23:59 > 0:24:03four types of lentils, seven different sauces, and 26 spices later,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06the five course vegetarian feast is ready.
0:24:06 > 0:24:11Fingers crossed everything turns out well and everyone enjoys it.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21Just in time because... The supper club guests are here.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22Hi.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Monica and Anita are hoping their guests' perception
0:24:25 > 0:24:28of vegetarian food is about to change for ever.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32We'd like to think we're taking you on a bit of a culinary journey
0:24:32 > 0:24:35from the north of Manchester, all the way to the north of India.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42The Indian street food starter katori chaat goes down really well.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46It's really good. A flavour explosion.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53Next, the lotus root balls, shahi kofta masala,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57accompanied by the chickpeas, okra, dahl and the dumplings.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59It was absolutely amazing.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02I've never been a fan of okra, and the stuffed okra
0:25:02 > 0:25:05has converted me, it's a gorgeous dish.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09The lotus leaf koftas were delicious.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12As meat eaters, we didn't miss the meat.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15They were like meatballs, very fleshy, delicious tasting.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18The highlight of the meal.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Far better vegetarian food than I've ever eaten out in any restaurant, I have to say.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25I'm really proud of my wife and my daughter,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29for the simple reason they're making people taste the real,
0:25:29 > 0:25:34authentic Indian food that Indians eat in their own house.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Empty plates, a good sign.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41No Indian meal would be complete
0:25:41 > 0:25:44without a traditional Indian pudding.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48I've never had cardamom ice cream before but it was gorgeous,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50definitely have it again.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56Vegetarian cooking doesn't get better than Monica and Anita's -
0:25:56 > 0:26:01dishes like theirs have gone from being Indian specialities
0:26:01 > 0:26:03to much loved British favourites.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08So relieved everything went down well and I think the vegetarian food,
0:26:08 > 0:26:12everyone really enjoyed it. It's been a brilliant night.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15This is the result when you eat vegetarian food!
0:26:24 > 0:26:28'And it's not just Indian food that's influenced how we cook vegetable dishes.
0:26:28 > 0:26:34'There's a whole host of cooking techniques and ideas we've borrowed from Italian cooking.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38'Team them up with British veg and you're onto a real winner.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42'And we've got the perfect recipe for people who grow their own.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47'Fresh garden vegetable risotto.'
0:26:47 > 0:26:49- Say that again.- Riso'-oh.- Riso'-oh.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53- We're cooking a... - BOTH: Risotto!
0:26:55 > 0:27:00There's loads of TV chefs that have shown you how to do a risotto on the telly,
0:27:00 > 0:27:05but this is slightly different because it's us that's showing you and we're not chefs.
0:27:05 > 0:27:11When a risotto is done properly, it can be as simple as you like, it's one of the best things to eat.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16'Add a glug of olive oil to the pan, a large knob of butter and grate in a clove of garlic,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19'then finely chop an onion.'
0:27:19 > 0:27:25What we're going to do is we're going to cook this... We're sweating the garlic and the onions.
0:27:25 > 0:27:31We'll sweat them down. We don't want any colour on them. They just want to be slightly translucent.
0:27:31 > 0:27:38- There's nowt wrong with British onions and we grow good varieties of garlic in Britain now too.- Yeah.
0:27:38 > 0:27:44The dressing for the top of the risotto is minted olive oil, so I'll get that on now to infuse.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Just chopped mint in olive oil. Apart from the colour side of it,
0:27:48 > 0:27:53I'll just drizzle the mint oil on top of the risotto and we've got peas and green beans in this,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56it'll bring those veggies to life.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Oh, it's only my nail!
0:27:58 > 0:28:00- Try and keep that out of there. - I know.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05- It is a vegetarian dish after all! - After all! - FORCED LAUGHTER
0:28:05 > 0:28:09Oh, the fragrance coming off that mint is fantastic.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13A great fan of the fragrance of mint was Pliny in Ancient Rome.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16He made his students wear a wreath of mint around their neck.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20He thought the aroma stimulated their minds and made them brainier.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25I tell you what. Chop some more mint. We'll need more than that.
0:28:25 > 0:28:30'Pop the mint in a bowl and pour over loads of lovely olive oil and let it infuse.
0:28:30 > 0:28:36'Next, we want to add some building blocks of flavour to the onions and garlic.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40'Four sprigs of thyme, a bay leaf and some lemon peel.'
0:28:40 > 0:28:44We're going to remove this, so just do it like a potato peeling
0:28:44 > 0:28:49and amuse yourself and try and get this strip of zest as long as possible.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53- And look, we are using the Amalfi lemon!- Yeah.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56Pop it in.
0:28:56 > 0:29:02Before we finish it off with the veg, we'll remove the lemon zest, lift the bay leaf out and stalks.
0:29:02 > 0:29:08- A few leaves of thyme are nice. - By then, they've done their job and there's no need to have them in.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12- Rice time?- I think so. - This is the other must with risotto.
0:29:12 > 0:29:18You must fry the rice in all this to glaze it with the oil and butter before you start adding the stock.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21Watch what happens when we put it into the pan.
0:29:21 > 0:29:27Now, as soon as the heat hits that rice, the grain will open up slightly
0:29:27 > 0:29:33- and it will just get covered with that beautiful, beautiful, oily loveliness.- It goes like pearls.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36- It does.- You know what I love about this dish, Si?
0:29:36 > 0:29:41We tend to cook meat and fish and they're the backstage players, the vegetables.
0:29:41 > 0:29:46On this, the veggies are given the respect and importance they deserve.
0:29:46 > 0:29:52'Pour over 150 millilitres of dry white wine and simmer it until the liquid has reduced by half,
0:29:52 > 0:29:56'then it's time to start adding the stock.
0:29:56 > 0:30:02'Make up 750 millilitres of stock. You can use vegetable or chicken and make it fresh or from a cube.'
0:30:03 > 0:30:07When you're making your risotto, you have your working pan
0:30:07 > 0:30:11and next to it you have your stock pan with the stock just at a simmer,
0:30:11 > 0:30:17with a ladle standing by ready, one to the other, one to the other. The result is epic risotto.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Look at the consistency. That's reduced by half.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25The rice has absorbed some of that liquid and now we can start to add the stock,
0:30:25 > 0:30:28about half a ladle at a time.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32'Now for the veg.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36'Chop a generous bunch of asparagus to add, along with a handful of runner beans,
0:30:36 > 0:30:40'some peas and one of my favourites - broad beans.'
0:30:40 > 0:30:44One thing we do like to do with beans... These have been blanched.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46We skin 'em, double pop 'em.
0:30:46 > 0:30:51I think this is what puts people off broad beans - that tough outer skin.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55It's a bit of a faff, but look at that beautiful thing.
0:30:55 > 0:31:01The best thing about going to my Uncle George's house was popping the beans straight off,
0:31:01 > 0:31:07literally pulling your peas straight off and popping those pea pods... Oh, fabulous!
0:31:07 > 0:31:10When I was a kid, we used to get peas in their pods.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Me mam sat me down to pod the peas for dinner.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18She made me whistle cos she knew if the whistling stopped, I was eating the peas.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20You can't rush a risotto, can you?
0:31:20 > 0:31:23No, it's done when it's done.
0:31:23 > 0:31:28It says on the back of the rice packet, "Cook for 12 minutes." It takes longer.
0:31:28 > 0:31:34It takes about 20 minutes to cook the rice in a risotto and you've got standing time as well.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38You just want it to relax and that's when you should eat it.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42The rice is getting slightly softer, but it's still quite hard,
0:31:42 > 0:31:47so just keep letting it absorb and let it absorb slowly.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50Look at those, fresh as a fresh thing!
0:31:50 > 0:31:57Look at all the different hues of green. It's just building up into something really lovely.
0:31:57 > 0:32:02'When you only have a couple of ladlefuls of stock left, remove the thyme and lemon zest
0:32:02 > 0:32:08'and stir in the asparagus, peas and broad beans, then pour over the remaining stock.'
0:32:08 > 0:32:10Look at that!
0:32:10 > 0:32:14And then just... nice and gently fold it over.
0:32:14 > 0:32:20Cook this for three minutes, then put the lid on and leave it to stand for five.
0:32:20 > 0:32:27- That looks fabulous. It looks a really attractive dish.- That's like St Patrick's Day on a plate.
0:32:27 > 0:32:34Since we're handling vegetables, I'm finding a new-found calmness and gentility.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37- You know what I mean?- No.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41I feel more centred, more part of the earth. I look at those beans.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45You haven't got sandals on? You'll be riding a pushbike next!
0:32:45 > 0:32:47I've got one.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49You haven't?!
0:32:49 > 0:32:53- You haven't?- I have. - Have you?- Yeah.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57- It's got 15 gears and everything. - Has it?- Yeah.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59Cycling is wrong.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02I'm fed up with beer, beef and indolence.
0:33:03 > 0:33:10I want green stuff, freshness, feel the air pouring down my lungs without the aid of Ventolin.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13This is an expose on Dave Myers' secret life.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17It's only when I'm looking at the risotto. I don't think it'll last.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Are we ready for the "fet-AH"?
0:33:20 > 0:33:24'You'll need 100 grams of feta, but be careful, it's quite salty,
0:33:24 > 0:33:28'so when you season, you should only need pepper.'
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Gently fold that in.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36Oh, you see, you're calming down now.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40I can feel your anger's going out as you stir that risotto.
0:33:40 > 0:33:45Every time you breathe out, green love goes in and anger goes out.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47- See?- Look at that...
0:33:48 > 0:33:52..and tell me that wouldn't be fantastic
0:33:52 > 0:33:58with some freshly barbecued spring lamb.
0:33:59 > 0:34:04- That'd be great.- It would. - Little cutlets just charred in a little olive oil.
0:34:04 > 0:34:10Yeah, but if you didn't have lamb, it's still nice. Just cover that and let it steam in its own steaminess.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14The pan's off the heat now. Look, I've turned it off. Look.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18No heat. Let it sit.
0:34:19 > 0:34:25'Now bring a pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the green beans for a couple of minutes.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29'While you're waiting, shave some nice, big curls of Parmesan
0:34:29 > 0:34:32'to pop on top of the risotto when it's finished.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35'Once you've drained the tender runner beans,
0:34:35 > 0:34:41'pop them back in the pan and toss them with a knob of butter and a generous amount of ground pepper.
0:34:41 > 0:34:46'Stir the remaining butter into the risotto and that's it, time to dish up.'
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Oh, look at that!
0:34:50 > 0:34:55- That's the texture you want, isn't it, Si?- That's absolutely perfect.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Now, to the top of that...
0:34:58 > 0:35:02- Oh, yes!- ..some of these lovely, buttered, peppery beans.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07And some lovely Parmesan shavings.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13And they're just going to relax down on to the risotto.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17- I think that's enough.- I'm going to put a little drizzle of mint oil...
0:35:21 > 0:35:25All that mint oil is just going to be so fresh with the veg.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27It looks great, doesn't it?
0:35:28 > 0:35:32And there we have it - our homage to Britain's gardeners.
0:35:32 > 0:35:37A most fantastic, British, vegetable risotto. Brilliant!
0:35:37 > 0:35:40A dish that could make a vegetarian
0:35:40 > 0:35:43out of a pair of hairy 'uns.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47Well, for a short while maybe.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50'Oh, beautiful, creamy gorgeousness!
0:35:50 > 0:35:56'Risottos are the perfect way to reap the benefits of that toil in the garden
0:35:56 > 0:35:59'and make the most of your home-grown produce.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04'We Brits have a long and fruitful history when it comes to the allotment garden.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08'It could be said to go back over 1,000 years
0:36:08 > 0:36:13'to when our Saxon ancestors cleared woodland for land to be held in common for cultivation.
0:36:13 > 0:36:20'When this common land disappeared into the hands of a few wealthy landowners in the 16th century,
0:36:20 > 0:36:25'they graciously allotted small parcels of land to their tenants.
0:36:25 > 0:36:31'So the poor had something to stick their pitchforks in rather than them.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33'Hence the term "allotment".
0:36:33 > 0:36:37'During World War Two, they became very important
0:36:37 > 0:36:40'as growing your own became a necessity, a duty no less.
0:36:40 > 0:36:46'When food rationing was introduced, we were encouraged to utilise every piece of ground and grow veg.'
0:36:46 > 0:36:50You may not be lucky enough to own an ideal kitchen garden like this.
0:36:50 > 0:36:57But the flower garden will grow beetroot just as well as begonias and is more fashionable too nowadays.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02There may be room for vegetables on top of your Anderson shelter or in the back yard
0:37:02 > 0:37:04or even on that flat bit of roof.
0:37:04 > 0:37:09'So we patriotically picked up our shovels and did our bit
0:37:09 > 0:37:13'in the 1.4 million allotments up and down the UK.
0:37:13 > 0:37:18'But as rationing ended, factory-produced food started to fill shop shelves
0:37:18 > 0:37:21'and interest began to wane a little.
0:37:21 > 0:37:26'But all that changed in the 1970s when applications for allotments suddenly soared.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29'I wonder why that was?
0:37:30 > 0:37:35'Like Tom and Barbara, people were buzzing with the romantic notion
0:37:35 > 0:37:39'of heading back to the land and becoming self-sufficient.'
0:37:39 > 0:37:45I hope it's going to be a family effort. This is my wife and Leonard, the father-in-law.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48'But it was harder than it looked.'
0:37:48 > 0:37:51How much experience have you had?
0:37:51 > 0:37:56So, you know, this is it, starting from rough, both the plot and me.
0:37:57 > 0:38:02'Getting an allotment is one thing, making it work quite another,
0:38:02 > 0:38:07'but luckily, there's always someone at hand who is happy to offer advice.'
0:38:07 > 0:38:11- Professor, it looks a bit weedy and rough.- It is a pretty rough plot.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14But we can get this into good fettle.
0:38:14 > 0:38:22We've got a good soil depth and, as you can see, we've got a soil that has a pH of 5.5.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25That means, Mike, it's a bit lime-deficient.
0:38:25 > 0:38:30'Yes, and getting your pH balance right is just the start.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34'If you're not careful, you can come under attack from all sides.'
0:38:34 > 0:38:39- The smell of the rotting tubers... - And the weed-infested rubbish tips.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Cabbage root fly. Rabbit attack.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43- Coral spot.- The hoverfly larvae.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45- Slugs.- Carrot fly.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47- Moles.- Wind scorch.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49That is death.
0:38:49 > 0:38:54- Get cracking, lad, because you're on your own.- Thank you, Tom, Harry.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59'But we're a hardy and tenacious bunch, us Brits,
0:38:59 > 0:39:02'and won't let little things like that put us off.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06'Today's allotments are more in demand than ever.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09'In some places in London, you must wait up to 40 years.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12'40 years? I'd be 60 by then(!)
0:39:12 > 0:39:15'Mathematics was never your strong point.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20'Alas, neither's gardening, but thankfully for the nation,
0:39:20 > 0:39:25'a passion for horticulture runs through our veins and is deeply embedded in our past.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35'When it comes to growing veg, some people have really excelled themselves.
0:39:35 > 0:39:41'Proud Britons have been showing off our home produce at village and agricultural shows for years.'
0:39:41 > 0:39:44# ..and your parks so grand
0:39:44 > 0:39:49# Talk of your wonderful gardens down at Kew... #
0:39:49 > 0:39:54'Many were first introduced around the latter half of the 19th century
0:39:54 > 0:40:00'to celebrate rural pursuits and crafts in the face of the growing might of the Industrial Revolution.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03'But when it comes to green-fingered success,
0:40:03 > 0:40:08'the shows that really matter are those hosted by the Royal Horticultural Society.
0:40:11 > 0:40:18'These days, people travel from all over the world to see their show gardens and displays,
0:40:18 > 0:40:21'but, if like us, you don't know your Dicksonia from your begonias,
0:40:21 > 0:40:25'they also offer delights of a more edible variety.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28'And in an arena where the standards are high,
0:40:28 > 0:40:34'Medwyn Williams is well ahead of the field when it comes to growing champion vegetables.'
0:40:34 > 0:40:36That's one of the longest.
0:40:36 > 0:40:42They reckon that... That's about my height from the floor and I'm about five foot eight.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44That's not bad for a July parsnip.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48These are the best I've grown for this time of year.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52It just gives you a great thrill. It's a good buzz.
0:40:53 > 0:40:58'His passion for vegetables has paid off. With 19 consecutive gold medals under his belt,
0:40:58 > 0:41:02'our best of British veg-growing hero is hoping for his 20th
0:41:02 > 0:41:07'at the Chelsea Flower Show of the North, Tatton Park.'
0:41:07 > 0:41:11I really want to win the gold medal. It's the winning thing that counts.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15We've never had less than a gold anywhere ever.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19The problem with that is there's only one way to go.
0:41:19 > 0:41:25I don't know what I'd do if I came in here on Wednesday morning and I saw a bronze or something like that.
0:41:30 > 0:41:36'But it's taken a lifetime of dedication and hard work to get to this point.
0:41:38 > 0:41:45'Back at his home in Anglesey, Medwyn will stop at nothing to grow the most perfect veg in the land
0:41:45 > 0:41:50'and it's an obsession that took root at an early age.'
0:41:50 > 0:41:55We've been growing vegetables for the last three generations, really.
0:41:55 > 0:42:01And quite honestly, it was a matter of necessity very often because we were quite poor,
0:42:01 > 0:42:05so the veg in the garden was packed just for eating,
0:42:05 > 0:42:11but after a while, my dad started getting into this exhibition game for showing his veg.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13I used to love that experience.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16It all started for me when I was in primary school
0:42:16 > 0:42:18and about eight or nine years old.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21My dad gave me three packets of seeds in my hand.
0:42:21 > 0:42:26He was very wise because he gave me radish, mustard and cress -
0:42:26 > 0:42:31three seeds that germinate very quickly, thereby catching the imagination of a young child
0:42:31 > 0:42:35when you see these green shoots coming out of the ground.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39And they harvested quickly. I invited my friend Gareth over.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43I cut the bread like gravestones with lashings of butter
0:42:43 > 0:42:48and we had a sandwich of radish, mustard and cress, six weeks after I sowed them.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51That was, to me, the start of my gardening career.
0:42:51 > 0:42:56From then on, I was hooked on what made these things grow, what made them tick
0:42:56 > 0:42:59and how I could grow them better and better.
0:42:59 > 0:43:05# Well, what do you know, he smiled at me in my dreams last night
0:43:05 > 0:43:09# My dreams are getting better all the time... #
0:43:11 > 0:43:16'He's been honing his skills for years and with the competition season looming,
0:43:16 > 0:43:19'this year, Medwyn is going for broke.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23'He has a fantastic, new, state-of-the-art greenhouse
0:43:23 > 0:43:26'which he's hoping will leave his opponents for dust.'
0:43:26 > 0:43:30This is the latest weapon in my armament.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34It's the best greenhouse you can possibly buy.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37I don't think any of my opponents have one of these
0:43:37 > 0:43:41and I hope they don't because I want to keep one step ahead of them.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44# My dreams are getting better all the time... #
0:43:44 > 0:43:50- 'Good grief! Medwyn certainly knows his onions.- The size of them are enough to make your eyes water!'
0:43:50 > 0:43:56What I'm doing at the moment is cleaning off the dead skins on these onions,
0:43:56 > 0:44:00so hopefully, they'll be on one good skin for Tatton Park.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04I'm quite pleased. They're about 18 inches and there are bigger ones here.
0:44:04 > 0:44:11But when you consider that the world record for the heaviest onion is 16 pounds, over 16 pounds,
0:44:11 > 0:44:17that is a big onion, that's nearly as big as my head and I've got a big one!
0:44:17 > 0:44:19Every show, of course, is different.
0:44:19 > 0:44:24The pressure is on. The more shows I do, everybody wants you to fail.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27And I'm determined I'm not going to fail.
0:44:27 > 0:44:32There will be, hopefully, over 40 different kinds of vegetables there.
0:44:32 > 0:44:37When I get to Tatton, we have tables in front of us and we start building dishes.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41We create a picture with the material that we've got.
0:44:41 > 0:44:45I firmly believe that vegetables are more colourful than flowers
0:44:45 > 0:44:51with the added benefit you can eat them and that is the best part of it all.
0:44:51 > 0:44:56It's the taste of growing your own veg. There's nothing quite like it.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00There you are. That's a nice bulb.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08'With his prize veg all on site now at Tatton Park,
0:45:08 > 0:45:14'it's time for the painstaking operation of showing them off at their best.
0:45:14 > 0:45:19- 'His wife Gwenda takes charge of the staging.'- We've only got two baskets of carrots.
0:45:19 > 0:45:23'While Medwyn's in charge of quality control.'
0:45:23 > 0:45:28Isn't that a little rude? I can't help it. It grew like that!
0:45:30 > 0:45:33There's too much of a gap here now.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37I strive for perfection, but settle for excellence.
0:45:37 > 0:45:42- Put it in front of the tomatoes. - I have settled long ago. She will not settle.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44She is perfection personified.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51'Can you imagine how good all that lot would taste cooked up?
0:45:51 > 0:45:56- 'Yeah, you'd certainly get more than your five a day.- More like 500!
0:45:56 > 0:45:59'Wow, it looks amazing, man!
0:46:00 > 0:46:06'After all his hard work, Medwyn can only stand back and hope the veg he's carefully nurtured from seed
0:46:06 > 0:46:08'can win him his 20th gold medal.'
0:46:11 > 0:46:18I think that people will be amazed at the absolute range of colours there are in vegetables.
0:46:18 > 0:46:24From those little packets, we've got this fabulous display - 20 foot wide, 40-plus varieties.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28What more can a man ask? Contentment.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32Well, that's it. That's good enough for me.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37'Let's hope the judges enjoy their greens.'
0:46:37 > 0:46:41OK, any other comments before we go to our first stage of the judging?
0:46:41 > 0:46:45Once the judging starts, you're not allowed in the marquee.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48I've done everything I can and it's up to them.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51I'd like to be a little fly on the wall,
0:46:51 > 0:46:55just to be there listening to them to hear what comments they make.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03'Medwyn's looking nervous.
0:47:05 > 0:47:07'Time to put him out of his misery.'
0:47:07 > 0:47:09Medwyn...
0:47:09 > 0:47:15After all these years and your beautiful, beautiful display...
0:47:15 > 0:47:18- Yes?- What do you think your medal's going to be?
0:47:18 > 0:47:20Give me a Valium first.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23- It's gold!- Oh!
0:47:25 > 0:47:27Congratulations.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31- Yes!- Congratulations.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35Just the job.
0:47:35 > 0:47:36Yes!
0:47:36 > 0:47:39'That's a "turnip" for the books!'
0:47:39 > 0:47:45I started at the very bottom of the ladder and I've now been able to creep up slowly,
0:47:45 > 0:47:48dragging the vegetables up with me to the top rung.
0:47:48 > 0:47:54This very method here of staging vegetables with the leeks upright and the celery upright,
0:47:54 > 0:47:58that is a very, very old tradition going back 100 years-plus.
0:47:58 > 0:48:03This is something that I'm trying to uphold, really,
0:48:03 > 0:48:05and I'm proud of that.
0:48:06 > 0:48:13'For the last recipe, we want to pay tribute to those people like Medwyn who make Britain great.'
0:48:15 > 0:48:18- This is a small one. - That is a belter!
0:48:18 > 0:48:21That's the baby one. I couldn't carry the biggest!
0:48:21 > 0:48:26'Their dedication and perseverance highlights just how magnificent vegetables can be.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32So now us meat-starved hairies are jumping off the vegetarian wagon.
0:48:32 > 0:48:39But only to demonstrate that when meat's on the plate, vegetables can still be the star of the dish,
0:48:39 > 0:48:41even the humble marrow.
0:48:43 > 0:48:49This recipe is a fabulous way for using up your marrow or indeed your overgrown, distended courgettes.
0:48:49 > 0:48:54I mean, marrow can be tasteless, big and boring.
0:48:54 > 0:49:00People have said that about us, but we're still on telly, so don't give up on your marrow.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03Who said that? Just folk? You should've let us know.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06I can live with it. I've got broad shoulders.
0:49:06 > 0:49:11'We're about to prove the marrow can be great by packing it with a punchy sauce
0:49:11 > 0:49:15'made of British beef and fresh British vegetables.
0:49:15 > 0:49:21'Flavoured with red wine and a bit of chilli to give this humble vegetable a bit of a kick.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24'And to top it off, we've got a lovely bit of mozzarella.'
0:49:24 > 0:49:30- I'll start with the onion.- Right oh. I'll start with the carrots.
0:49:30 > 0:49:35Basically, we're going to build the stuffing for this marrow first and it's a lovely stuffing.
0:49:35 > 0:49:40It's like a bolognese. It's got minced beef in it. It's lovely.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43'Add a good glug of olive oil to a pan
0:49:43 > 0:49:50- 'and fry the onion and carrots with two stalks of finely diced celery sticks.- Cook it over a low heat.'
0:49:50 > 0:49:56Have you seen what we're doing with this? We're just cooking it down, getting some heat through it.
0:49:56 > 0:50:01We're building the flavours up because poor old Mr Marrow hasn't got much of his own.
0:50:01 > 0:50:06'Next, add some nice minced beef to the pan and brown gently.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10'Then chop two garlic cloves and sprinkle on a bit of sea salt.
0:50:10 > 0:50:16'Using the side of your knife, blend it to a paste and then add it into the pan.'
0:50:16 > 0:50:22- Lovely. It's nice and brown. A bit of dried flavouring now. - Yes, indeedy!
0:50:22 > 0:50:24A teaspoon of dried oregano.
0:50:24 > 0:50:30Dried herbs are great for this because we want the oregano to cook in for a long time with the meat.
0:50:30 > 0:50:33And a teaspoon of chilli flakes.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37If you don't like it spicy, don't put your chilli flakes in.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41- 'And finally, a teaspoon of caster sugar.'- Give it a crush.
0:50:41 > 0:50:46'And a bay leaf.' You can smell it. It's lovely.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49And the base to the stuffing is tomatoes.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51You can use fresh or tinned.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55If you're using tinned tomatoes for this recipe, use one tin.
0:50:55 > 0:51:01If you're using fresh, it needs to be seeded and skinned and use about double the quantity.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05They're canned cherry tomatoes cos we're feeling a bit flush.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08It's up to you if you use tomato paste or not.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12If you use fresh tomatoes, you definitely will need tomato paste.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16But we'll just use a little bit of tomato paste.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20Now, the marrow is full of water,
0:51:20 > 0:51:24so the sauce that we stuff it with has to be really, really thick.
0:51:24 > 0:51:30It may look like I'm using a lot of flour, but I'm not, we need this to be like wallpaper paste,
0:51:30 > 0:51:32really claggy.
0:51:33 > 0:51:41Now what we're going to do is we're going to add about 150 ml of red wine...
0:51:44 > 0:51:47- ..which is just about a glass. - A large glass.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52And about 300 mls of good beef stock.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56Look at that.
0:51:56 > 0:52:00And then just very gently, cos our pan's a bit small...
0:52:00 > 0:52:03- DAVE LAUGHS - Just move that around.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05Put that in.
0:52:06 > 0:52:13Then what'll happen is that flour that Dave put in before will just absorb all those cooking juices
0:52:13 > 0:52:15and it'll taste fantastic.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19Now we leave that to cook for about half an hour.
0:52:19 > 0:52:24Which gives us time to prep the marrow and to make a yummy cheese sauce.
0:52:24 > 0:52:30- I'll make the sauce and you can prep the marrow.- Fantastic. Nice to get my hands on you!
0:52:30 > 0:52:33'For the cheese sauce, first make a roux.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37'Mix 15 grams of melted butter with a dessertspoon of plain flour
0:52:37 > 0:52:41'and then add 250 millilitres of milk slowly,
0:52:41 > 0:52:43'a bit at a time.'
0:52:43 > 0:52:47- Mate, listen, before I cut into this beast...- Yeah?
0:52:47 > 0:52:51The thing is, when we cook with marrow, we always give it a name.
0:52:51 > 0:52:56- Do you remember we did one in Wales and we called him Dewi?- Oh, yeah.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59This is an English marrow.
0:52:59 > 0:53:03I think... And this programme is about British gardeners.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05Shall we call him Percy?
0:53:06 > 0:53:11'Get a big, sharp knife and split it in half from top to tail,
0:53:11 > 0:53:14'then get a spoon and scoop out all of the seeds.'
0:53:14 > 0:53:20Of course, where we take the seeds out, it leaves us with a very, very convenient cavity to stuff.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24This is a good marrow.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27- Is it nice? - It's firm. It's not all water.
0:53:27 > 0:53:31Right, I'm going to add to the white sauce some Cheddar cheese.
0:53:33 > 0:53:38And to give our Cheddar cheese a little bit of zip,
0:53:38 > 0:53:40just a little bit of Parmesan.
0:53:40 > 0:53:47There we go. Now, if we put this in the roasting tin like this, it will roll about all over the place,
0:53:47 > 0:53:51so I'm just going to cut a level bottom.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00There you go. And it will sit there loud and proud.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03Now it's time to put Percy in his tin.
0:54:03 > 0:54:09You don't have to, but because I'm paranoid, I'm going to oil the bottom of the tin.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11I don't want the marrow to stick.
0:54:13 > 0:54:18You know when you do a Sunday lunch, you have to have a main event brought to the table?
0:54:18 > 0:54:24We are in tough times. A stuffed marrow is a good Sunday lunch thing, isn't it?
0:54:24 > 0:54:30- It's not quite your roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, but it is an event for the family.- Certainly.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34'Season the cheese sauce with a pinch of white pepper and salt,
0:54:34 > 0:54:38'then whisk it until it's blended to perfection.'
0:54:38 > 0:54:43That is the consistency of the cheese sauce that you're after.
0:54:43 > 0:54:48'Take the cheese sauce off the heat and cover it with Clingfilm to stop it getting a skin on top,
0:54:48 > 0:54:52'then check the mince to see if it needs any seasoning.'
0:54:52 > 0:54:56That really has no seasoning at all. By golly, it needs some!
0:54:56 > 0:55:00'Add salt and pepper to taste, then it's time to stuff the marrow.'
0:55:00 > 0:55:04So with a happy heart and a cheery grin...
0:55:05 > 0:55:08We're just about to give Percy a grin...
0:55:08 > 0:55:10Hey! ..when we put the mince in.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14- We could do cookery and poetry, couldn't we?- No.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17It'd be like Pam Ayres, but butch.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21Now the time has come not to harrow,
0:55:21 > 0:55:25it's time to put our mince in that marrow!
0:55:26 > 0:55:29We're going to put the top on with cheese,
0:55:29 > 0:55:32as much as you like, if you please!
0:55:32 > 0:55:34LAUGHTER
0:55:34 > 0:55:37Then we're going to bake it...
0:55:37 > 0:55:41All right, all right, shut up and get on with it!
0:55:41 > 0:55:46'Once you've removed the bay leaf, spoon as much of the mince into the marrow as you dare,
0:55:46 > 0:55:53'then pour over a generous drizzle of cheese sauce and top with some chunks of torn mozzarella.'
0:55:53 > 0:55:57Mozzarella is good. It's like a living, breathing thingy.
0:55:57 > 0:56:03It's great. Buffalo mozzarella comes from, unsurprisingly, the buffalo and the milk of said buffalo.
0:56:03 > 0:56:09- I bet it's a swine milking a buffalo!- It's hard to catch. - Come here!- On you go.
0:56:09 > 0:56:16'Finally, cover it in foil and pop it in a pre-heated oven at 160 degrees for an hour.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21'Then remove the foil and cook for a further ten minutes.'
0:56:24 > 0:56:28- Ooh!- Percy... Perky Percy, look at that!
0:56:28 > 0:56:31The cheese is bubbling up like that.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35- Whoa!- Right... - I get excited like this.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37Look at that.
0:56:38 > 0:56:43That's it. You just put it side by side and that makes a lovely, lovely thing.
0:56:43 > 0:56:50The first thing that strikes me about this is there is a lot of good food there for very little money.
0:56:50 > 0:56:53It does look tasty.
0:56:53 > 0:56:58- You can serve it with a green salad or a great big bowl of chips. - Lovely.
0:57:00 > 0:57:04'Marrow can be a great base for lots of sauces. We used minced beef,
0:57:04 > 0:57:10- 'but you can experiment with different fillings.- Italian sausage is particularly delicious.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14'Or keep it vegetarian to make the most of your home-grown produce.
0:57:17 > 0:57:21'We British are so privileged to live in such a fertile land.
0:57:21 > 0:57:25'There can be few things more satisfying than growing your veg.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29'Except perhaps eating them. Yum-yum!
0:57:29 > 0:57:33And in a country that was once the heaviest consumer of meat in Europe,
0:57:33 > 0:57:36it's remarkable how we've embraced vegetarianism.
0:57:37 > 0:57:41But with such great veg on offer, perhaps it's not so surprising.
0:57:43 > 0:57:49Well, Great British veg, it's flavoursome, cheap and full of variety. You can't beat it.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54If you want to find out more about the series, visit...
0:57:58 > 0:58:01..to discover some amazing facts about the history of food.
0:58:01 > 0:58:05And to find out how to cook up the recipes in today's show.
0:58:13 > 0:58:15Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd