Stokes Sauces: Keeping things simple in September

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/page/sauces/chutneys-and-relishes

Sharpen the pencils
and simplify the suppers

September is a time of change as the kids go back to school, so too do the busy unsung heroes who are their teachers and support staff. The roads get busier, the nights longer and the barbecues are put away for another season.

We see changes too in our Farm Shops and on our supermarket shelves.

Deliciously green Savoy cabbages add iron and vibrancy to our bangers and mash; beetroot roasted with potatoes give an earthy accompaniment to the Sunday roast; root vegetables abound in time for one pot suppers; and figs add flavours to both sweet and savoury dishes.

We're entering a period of slow cooked suppers with the curtains closed, as well as quickly turned around teas for hungry after-school tums.

Make mealtimes
happy times.

Whatever you are preparing, we hope to help add flavour, fun and smiles with a drop of this or a spoonful of that from our range of hearty Stokes sauces.

Cheese on Toast

Too easy even for hungry tums? So slow roast your own tomatoes while there are so many about.

You'll need:

12 or so large juicy tomatoes
Olive oil
1 tbsp of thyme leaves, chopped
1 tsp of Stokes Chilli Jam
2 tsp of caster sugar
Seasoning

Here's how:

Heat the oven to it's lowest setting. Depending on their size, slice the tomatoes about 2 or 3 mm thick.

Oil 1 or perhaps 2 baking sheets and spread the sliced tomatoes evenly before drizzling with olive oil, dotting with chilli jam and sprinkling with thyme leaves and sugar.

Now put the trays into the oven to gently roast the tomatoes for at least 2 hours. Check them and let them cook on until they have dried and browned a little.

Take them out of the oven to cool off. Use what you need straight away and freeze the remainder in small batches.

The depth of flavour is delightfully sweet against a mature Cheddar cheese, cool avocado and served with Stokes Real Mayonnaise.

Pork Pie Pleasures

There are pork pies and, oh my goodness - there are pork pies. But even the very best taste better with a spoonful or two of Stokes deliciousness.

Try these:

Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce - cream, wild horseradish roots flavour and cultivated root consistency to delight discerning palates.

Stokes Brown Sauce - just smell the grownup aromas of extra date puree, black treacle and spice.

Stokes Red Onion Marmalade - gently caramelised onions and black treacle with a piquance of balsamic.

Stokes Chilli Jam - exciting sensations of sticky sweet chilli peppers lure a hot red chilli 'wow' at the end.

Stokes Sticky Pickle - oozing spicy molasses-sweet vegetables and sticky black treacle.

And or course, don't forget Stokes Classic English Mustard - we make it strong with bags of deep mustard flavour, but without the lethal kick, enhancing the glorious pork pie rather than fighting it.

Teatime Omelette

Break the rules and follow this simple fayre. As long as you have eggs and leftover new potatoes to slice, you can use just about anything else you find in the fridge.

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/page/sauces/ketchup-and-sauces

Here's how:

The trick is eggs (of course) and cooked potatoes (always cook far more waxy or new potatoes than needed and keep them in the fridge).

Now, get a pan and let your imagination do the rest.

First heat some healthy oil in the wok, then fry up red onions, mixed herbs, sliced potatoes, some tomatoes, 1 tsp of Stokes Chilli Jam for a little heat and 1 tbsp of Stokes Brown Sauce for sweet and spicy dates. Crack a couple of eggs on top to finish, baked in a moderate oven until the eggs are 'just so'.

OR: Try sliced red onions in a little oil; one inch lengths of streaky bacon (smoked); chorizo sausage slices; cooked potatoes and broccoli spears; a few cherry tomatoes and a glug or three of Stokes Original BBQ Sauce - then add the eggs to bind it and serve.