Website: www.cottagegardenplantsltd.co.uk

Contact: cottagegardenplants@yahoo.co.uk

Based on the Westerly outskirts of the county, Loosehanger Cheeses have a host of awards and medals for their products, and can always be found at our local markets wearing the infamous cheese hat!

Especially for Hampshire Farmers Markets visitors, Loosehanger are offering 10% off the bill for anyone spending over £10 on their stall.

You can find out more about Loosehanger Cheeses by visiting www.cheeseproducer.com.

Mud Foods are proud of their range of fresh, free-range pies packed full of local ingredients – and you can find them at our Southsea, Winchester and Petersfield markets bursting full of handmade gourmet pies, pasties and “squiches”!

The new Mud Foods Deal is:
4 x pies, pasties or squiches for just £12!
5 x pies, pasties or squiches for just £15

So you’re saving at least £2 when you visit Mud Foods at your local Hampshire Farmers Market. You can find out more about Mud Foods by visiting www.mudfoods.com

At our markets, you’ll find a range of individual beef cuts, joints and products that are perfect for creating tasty and delicious local meals. Proudly high-welfare, their meat is ethically produced and hung for four weeks to ensure exceptional succulence and flavour.

For the month of May, Woodlands Jersey Beef is offering you the chance to buy their special Barbecue Meat Packs at a great price of just £10!

You can find out why their beef is so special and see their full range of products by visiting www.woodlandsjerseybeef.co.uk

Ingredients
3 large red onions (about 3 lbs.)
1 Tablespoon + 69 ml water
6 Tablespoons honey
69 ml balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
Peel onions and cut crosswise into halves. Place cut-side down in shallow baking dish just large enough to hold onions in single layer.

Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon water; cover with foil.

Bake at 350°F 30 minutes. Combine honey, vinegar, remaining 1/4 cup water, butter, paprika, coriander, salt and red pepper in small bowl.

Remove onions from oven and turn cut side up. Spoon half of honey mixture over onions. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes more.

Baste with remaining honey mixture; bake 15 minutes more or until tender.

Ingredients
12 oz. evaporated milk
236 ml whole milk
2 eggs
118 honey
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons sugar

In a medium bowl, whisk together evaporated milk, milk and eggs until well-blended.

Mix in honey, cocoa powder, orange peel and vanilla. Divide mixture evenly between 4 (3/4 to 1 cup capacity) oven-proof custard cups or ramekins.

Place custard cups in a baking pan. Fill pan with boiling water to reach halfway up cups. Bake at 325°F 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove cups from baking pan and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate custard cups until chilled, 4 hours or overnight.

Before serving, sprinkle sugar evenly over tops of custards. Place cups under broiler; cook until sugar melts and caramelises.

Ingredients
6oz asparagus tips
1 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots -finely chopped
1 free range egg yolk
4oz full fat soft cheese with herbs and garlic
7oz puff pastry
1 free range egg -beaten
2 tsp sesame seeds
Method
Cook asparagus, drain and cool. Cook shallots until golden and leave to cool.

Beat egg yolk into soft cheese, add shallots and mix. Roll out pastry and cut into 4 rectangles and spread each with soft cheese mixture.

Divide asparagus into 4 bundles and place one on each pastry piece. Fold over pastry and seal.

Brush parcels with beaten egg and sesame seeds.

Cook for 15-20 minutes in moderate oven.

Ingredients
White breadcrumbs sautéed in butter
Hard-boiled free range egg-chopped
Salt and Pepper
Lots of Asparagus!

Method
Mix breadcrumbs, chopped egg and seasoning and pour over hot,
cooked asparagus and serve.

Delicious!

Ingredients
2lb asparagus-trimmed
1/2 pint vegetable stock
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion -chopped
6 tbsp jersey cream
2 egg yolks-beaten
6 tbsp sheep’s or Greek yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
freshly chopped parsley

Method
Cook asparagus until tender. Drain and keep liquid and make up cooking liquid to 1pt with stock. Cook onion in oil then put cooked onion, asparagus and stock in blender to puree.

Mix cream with egg yolks and cook in pan for 5 minutes until thick (do not boil). Stir in asparagus puree and add lemon juice and yogurt. Season to taste.

Reheat and serve.

Steam
Trim off bottom half inch from stalks (save trimmings for soup) and stand asparagus bundle in water in a tall pan or asparagus steamer allowing tender tips to cook in steam. Pour in enough water to come 2 inches up stems and cover pan with a dome of silver foil to trap steam. Cook for 5-7 minutes until tender.

Grill
Suitable for fairly thin asparagus (half inch diameter). Trim asparagus ends and brush with olive oil and grill until partly brown. Serve sprinkled with black pepper and a little salt.

Roast
Cut off stem ends of asparagus. Oil a roasting dish with olive oil or walnut oil and sprinkle a little sea salt. Add asparagus spears and add a little more oil to coat. Roast for 10 – 20 minutes and serve immediately with a little parmesan if liked.

Microwave
Trim spears and place in a covered dish with 2 tablespoons of water and cook for 5 minutes. Stand for 2 minutes before serving with melted butter or hollandaise sauce.

Barbecue
Trim spears and place in a foil packet with a knob of butter – seal packet to allow asparagus to steam inside. Cook on griddle of BBQ until tender (20-30 minutes depending on heat and number of stalks in packet).