The Cornwall Food & Drink Festival 2011

~  Menu  ~

Chorizo, Chickpeas and Bacon

Chunk of Lovely Bread
Glass of Red

Yesterday I went to the Cornwall Food & Drink Festival in Truro where every product exhibited is made in Cornwall.  It was really crowded which is a shame because there is so much to see and taste and talk about and I was worried I might miss something.  I wonder if I did. 

I love this sort of thing, not least for the bizarre nibbling that goes on … a decadent chocky followed by a piece of smoked fish and then shortbread and beer with a small curry sauce chaser etc. etc. 

I was pleased to see not only Vicky’s Bread which I adore but also Baker Tom who makes somewhat different but just as exciting bread such as Brie & Grape and Carrot, Mustard & Thyme.  Read about Baker Tom here  Sadly he has tweeted to me that today he has made strawberry and white chocolate tarts which I have missed.

I tried and then bought some smoked duck breast from the Cornish Duck company.  Their website hasn’t gone live yet but click here for the link anyway.  I plan on making a smoked duck salad with … what do you think? … black garlic vinaigrette.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

I had a quick chat with the girl at Riverford Home Delivery.  I was embarrassed because I have never tried their organic veg or organic meat boxes.  Of course I’ve been very nomadic and things might change.  Their produce certainly looked good.  In the meantime I do have their new cookbook “Everyday & Sunday Recipes from Riverford Farm“ which I will be reviewing shortly.  Lots of good stuff in it.  Read all about them here.

  

Deli Farm Charcuterie had loads of tempting stuff on display and they are also a little smutty which I appreciate; I was tempted to try a Devil’s poker and am amused to see that they sell knob ends!  We used to have knob ends on our menu back in the 80s but ours were made of bread. 

Um … what else?  Healey’s Cornish Rattler Cyder, of course – delicious.  Lots of yummy cheeses; Cornish Yarg, Cornish Blue, Helford White and Helford Blue, gorgeous ices made with Cornish cream, Cornish clotted cream, Cornish mead, saffron cake, cream teas, pasties (including kangaroo!), Cornish fairings, etc.  What a lovely foodie place Cornwall is and what a shame for us that Lincolnshire was voted the UK’s foodie capital, they must be good!

More info at the Cornwall Food & Drink Festival website and read my last year’s post here 

When I got home I couldn’t quite decide what to have for um … if brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch what is a lunch, afternoon tea, early supper combo called?   Recently, when reading Niamh Shield’s excellent book “Comfort &Spice” I was tempted by her recipe for Chorizo & Chickpea Stew. I didn't really follow the recipe, however, just remembered it and then bunged a mixture of leftovers; bacon, tomato passata, chickpeas, chorizo, caramelised red onion and fresh sweet hot chillies in a pan and heated them all up together.  Yummy with some of Vicky’s wholegrain bread and a glass of red.

Quite a large portion for me and I couldn't eat it all (after all that nibbling and quaffing at the festival) so finished it off today with some quinoa - left over leftovers!