The Duchy Originals Cookbook [Unknown Binding]

....it matters where our food comes from and it matters what we do with it.'

'Duchy Originals' was founded by HRH, The Prince of Wales, in 1990. The aim was to promote the wider adoption of organic farming and food production methods in order to benefit the wider environment.
Today, 'Duchy Originals' have over 200 products, all made in the UK partnership with some of the country's best food manufacturers.'

Jacket Description:
'This is a book that reconnects the reader with the joys of real food. Most of all though the Duchy Originals is a passionate and inspiring celebration of a better way.

A unique behind-the-scenes look into the world of Duchy Originals' and the people who produce their superb, award-winning range of food. Trace the food from farm to plate. Follow the cycle of the seasons and learn how good, sustainable farming practice creates quality food. See how the food is lovingly prepared with traditional, patient methods and culinary creativity. Try over 100 seasonal recipes inspires by the Duchy food range.

Overall, when considering the purchase of this book, it may be wise to bear in mind that although the produce is almost certainly good, it is most definitely not cheap, and the availability of lines may vary from shop to shop.

Having said that it is a well-produced book with a distinctly 'royal' look!

Durable board covers with dust jacket open to 208 high quality, shiny pages split over 4 main season chapters, each of which is sub-divided accordingly:

SPRING

'Home Farm'
'Lambs'
'Pigs'
'Woodland'
'Turkeys'

SUMMER

'Dairy'
'Beef Cattle'
'Cereal Harvest'
'Bread'
'Mustard'
'Soft Drinks'
'Bees & Honey'
'Biscuits & Shortbread'

AUTUMN

'Preserves & Marmalade'
'Root Vegetable Harvest'
'Ale'
'Herring & Mackerel'
'Alaskan Smoked Salmon'

WINTER

'Stilton'
'Sausages'
'Geese'
'Mincemeat'
'Christmas Pudding'
'Chocolate'

Also included is a foreword from HRH, The Prince of Wales, followed by sections entitled:

'History of Duchy Originals'
'The Duchy Philosophy'
'The Cookbook'
plus basic recipes for 'Old English Pastry', 'Cheese Pastry', 'Lamb Stock' and 'Brandy Butter'.

It is completed with a concise index.

Each chapter is headed with relevant information, e.g.:

from 'WINTER':
'Christmas is overwhelmingly the main feast in Britain and feasts are inextricably linked with food. For many of the Duchy suppliers, the entire year has been geared towards the end of December.
As the Christmas lights are switched on in the nation's high streets the likes of 'Kelly's Turkeys' in Essex and the 'Amiss Family', who rear the Duchy Originals Wessex White Geese in Devon, brace themselves for weeks of relentless activity. At Kelly's, for example, Christmas accounts for more that 95% of annual turkey sales.
In this chapter we focus on traditional festive centrepieces...........
You will find recipes for all the Christmas classics here, from plum cake to turkey with the traditional trimmings, but we also provide some less obvious suggestions for feasting in grand style.........'

Spectacular 'on-location' photography throughout, but pictures of the recipes are few which may prove slightly negative to some readers.
Having said that those that are featured are simply mouth-watering, such as:-
'Bacon and Asparagus Tart' on page 38
'Apple Crumble with Highland Shortbread' on page 103
'Beef Stew with Duchy Originals Ale and Horseradish Dumplings on page 136
'Roast Kellybronze Turkey' with Trimmings on page 184
and
'Christmas Plum Cake' on page 199.

Clear list of ingredient and method on every recipe, with useful relevant information, such as.......getting back to that Plum Cake............

'You could ice this cake or cover it in nuts if you wanted, but we advise you to eat it plain, un-aged and covered in brandy. If you can persuade yourself not to eat this cake immediately, you can store it in a tin for several months. If you do this, pour a liberal quantity of brandy over it, before storage, to preserve it.

A very small taste of the recipes contained within:

Home Farm Lamb Stew
Cannelloni stuffed with Smoked Ham and Cheddar
Asparagus Soup
Duchy Iced Tea
Toad in the Hole with Mashed Root Vegetables
Beef Sauté
Roast Salmon with Rosemary
Smoked Mackerel Risotto
Cassoulet made with Leftover Duck or Goose
Chocolate Mousse made with Duchy Original's Tangerine Thins

I received this beautiful book as a gift for my birthday recently. I must admit, I really didn't know all that much about the Duchy ethos or background, and, living in London, I was shamefully ignorant of the principles of organic farming and sustainable agriculture. Now, I'm a devoted convert! This book is really gorgeous (the photography is stunning), and certainly accessible for anyone new to all this. It's quite amazing to think that Charles set up Duchy in 1990, well before the recent explosion of interest in organic farming and sustainability. It's true, we are close to becoming dangerously indifferent to the origin of what we eat, but the Duchy philosophy reminds us how important this is. On top of offering fantastically delicious recipes, the book also introduces the people responsible for some of the 200 Duchy products currently on the market and the exact location of where everything is grown and harvested. It's straightforward to navigate because it's broken down into simple chapters: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Each chapter opens with an `overview', and then zooms down to `features' - usually a particular type of food. Some of the features are really quite interesting, like Bees & Honey and Herring & Mackerel for instance. The recipes are fantastic, ranging the whole spectrum from homely traditional favourites to thoroughly modern concoctions. I know what cookbook I'll be using this Christmas!

My wife loves cooking and I love reading. This book answers both our needs. Some great recipes and articles on organic produce. An excellent book.

MJT